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1942–43 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
NCAA Tournament	1943
Tournament dates	March 24 – 30, 1943
National Championship	Madison Square Garden New York City, New York
NCAA Champions	Wyoming
Helms National Champions	Wyoming
Other champions	St. John's (NIT)
Player of the Year (Helms)	George Senesky, Saint Joseph's (retroactive selection in 1944)
← 1941–42 1943–44 →

The 1942–43 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1942, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1943 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 30, 1943, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The Wyoming Cowboys won their first NCAA national championship with a 46–34 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas.

Rule changes

In overtime, a player can commit a fifth foul before fouling out. Previously, a player fouled out after committing four fouls, regardless of whether the game went into overtime or not.

Season headlines

• In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected its national champions for the seasons from 1919–20 through 1941–42. Beginning with the 1942–43 season, it began to pick each season's national champion annually, a practice it continued through the 1981–82 season.
• Top-ranked Illinois declined to participate in either the NCAA tournament or the National Invitation Tournament after three of its starters were drafted into the United States Army for World War II service.
• The 1943 NCAA Tournament championship game between Wyoming and Georgetown was the only one in history not filmed for posterity. It had a smaller crowd than expected because of the greater local interest in New York City in the championship run St. John's made in the 1943 National Invitation Tournament. Until at least the mid-1950s, the NIT was the more prestigious of the two tournaments.
• As a fundraiser for the American Red Cross, the finalists and semifinalists of the NCAA Tournament and NIT took part in the Sportswriters Invitational Playoff, in which the two tournament champions, Wyoming (NCAA) and St. John's (NIT), and the two runners-up, Georgetown (NCAA) and Toledo (NIT), played each other at Madison Square Garden after their tournaments ended, with the games counting in the teams' records for the season. The NCAA Tournament teams prevailed in both games: Wyoming beat St. John's 52–47 with 18,000 fans in attendance, and the Hoyas defeated Toledo 54–40 to close out the season. The post-tournament benefit games — touted as the "mythical national championship" between the two tournament winners — would be played again in each of the next two seasons.
• With a final record of 31–2, Wyoming became the first team to win 30 or more games in a single season.
• In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Illinois as its national champion for the 1942–43 season.

Conference membership changes

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference standings

Major independents

A total of 60 college teams played as major independents. Villanova (19–2) had the best winning percentage (.905) and Western Kentucky State (24–3) finished with the most wins.

Informal championships

NOTE: Despite its name, the Middle Three Conference was an informal scheduling alliance rather than a true conference, and its members played as independents. In play among the three member schools in 1942–43, Rutgers finished with a 3–1 record and Lafayette with a 2–2 record, while Lehigh had record of 1–3.

Statistical leaders

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Post-season tournaments

NCAA tournament

Semifinals and final

National Invitation tournament

Semifinals and finals

Awards

Consensus All-American teams

Major player of the year awards

• Helms Player of the Year: George Senesky, Saint Joseph's (retroactive selection in 1944)
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Andy Phillip, Illinois

Other major awards

• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Andrew Levane, St. John's

Coaching changes

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2021)

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.

References

1. orangehoops.org History of NCAA Basketball Rule Changes
2. Scott, Jon (November 9, 2010). "The truth behind the Helms Committee". Retrieved December 14, 2015.
3. ^ "The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Believe It...Or Not". Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
4. "Wyoming five wins in overtime, 52 to 47". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. April 2, 1943. p. 14, part 2.
5. "Wyoming scores 52-47 victory over St. Johns in hoop tilt". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. April 2, 1943. p. 2.
6. "Champ of champs, new Wyoming title". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. April 2, 1943. p. 11.
7. ^ Anonymous, "How the NCAA Overtook Its Rival, the NIT," Sport History Weekly, March 24, 2019 Accessed May 4, 2021
8. "Playing Rules History" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. p. 12. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
9. 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.
10. "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
11. 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
12. "2017-18 Men's Basketball Media Guide". Pac-12 Conference. p. 72. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
13. "1942-43 Men's Independent Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
14. 1942–43 Independents standings @ sports-reference.com

• 1942–43 NCAA men's basketball season