The 1940–41 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1940, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1941 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 29, 1941, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Wisconsin Badgers won their first NCAA national championship with a 39–34 victory over the Washington State Cougars.
| 1940–41 NCAA Division I men's basketball season | |
|---|---|
| NCAA Tournament | 1941 |
| Tournament dates | March 21 – 29, 1941 |
| National Championship | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri |
| NCAA Champions | Wisconsin |
| Helms National Champions | Wisconsin (retroactive selection in 1943) |
| Other champions | Long Island (NIT) |
| Player of the Year (Helms) | George Glamack, North Carolina (retroactive selection in 1944) |
Season headlines edit
- The National Invitation Tournament — considered until at least the mid-1950s to be more prestigious than the NCAA tournament — expanded from six to eight teams.
- The National Association of Basketball Coaches turned over operation of the NCAA tournament to the NCAA itself.[1]
- In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected Wisconsin as its national champion for the 1940–41 season.[2]
- In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Long Island as its national champion for the 1940–41 season.[3]
Conference membership changes edit
| School | Former conference | New conference |
|---|---|---|
| Sewanee Tigers | Southeastern Conference | Independent |
Regular season edit
Conference winners and tournaments edit
Statistical leaders edit
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (April 2021) |
Post-season tournaments edit
NCAA tournament edit
Semifinals & finals edit
| National semifinals | National Finals | ||||||||
| Wisconsin | 36 | ||||||||
| Pittsburgh | 30 | ||||||||
| Wisconsin | 39 | ||||||||
| Washington State | 34 | ||||||||
| Arkansas | 53 | ||||||||
| Washington State | 64 | ||||||||
National Invitation tournament edit
Semifinals & finals edit
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| CCNY | 43 | ||||||||
| Ohio | 45 | ||||||||
| Ohio | 42 | ||||||||
| Long Island | 56 | ||||||||
| Seton Hall | 26 | ||||||||
| Long Island | 49 | ||||||||
- Third Place – CCNY 42, Seton Hall 27
Awards edit
Consensus All-American teams edit
| Player | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|
| John Adams | Senior | Arkansas |
| Gus Broberg | Senior | Dartmouth |
| Howard Engleman | Senior | Kansas |
| Gene Englund | Senior | Wisconsin |
| George Glamack | Senior | North Carolina |
| Player | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Baumholtz | Senior | Ohio |
| Bob Kinney | Junior | Rice |
| Paul Lindemann | Senior | Washington State |
| Stan Modzelewski | Junior | Rhode Island State |
| Oscar Schectman | Senior | Long Island |
Major player of the year awards edit
- Helms Player of the Year: George Glamack, North Carolina (retroactive selection in 1944)
Other major awards edit
- NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Jack Garfinkel, St. John's
Coaching changes edit
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References edit
- ^ Anonymous, "How the NCAA Overtook Its Rival, the NIT," Sport History Weekly, March 24, 2019 Accessed May 4, 2021
- ^ Scott, Jon (November 9, 2010). "The truth behind the Helms Committee". Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- ^ ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. pp. 526, 529–587. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
- ^ "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09