1953–54 NCAA Division I men's basketball season | |
---|---|
Preseason AP No. 1 | Indiana[1] |
NCAA Tournament | 1954 |
Tournament dates | March 8 – 20, 1954 |
National Championship | Municipal Auditorium Kansas City, Missouri |
NCAA Champions | La Salle |
Helms National Champions | Kentucky[2] |
Other champions | Holy Cross (NIT) |
Player of the Year (Helms) | Tom Gola, La Salle |
← 1952–53 1954–55 → |
The 1953–54 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1953, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1954 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 20, 1954, at Municipal AuditoriuminKansas City, Missouri. The La Salle Explorers won their first NCAA national championship with a 92–76 victory over the Bradley Braves.
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and the UP Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[4][5]
|
|
![]() |
This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (April 2021)
|
National semifinals | National finals | ||||||||
Penn State | 54 | ||||||||
La Salle | 69 | ||||||||
La Salle | 92 | ||||||||
Bradley | 76 | ||||||||
Bradley | 74 | ||||||||
USC | 72 |
Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
Western Kentucky State | 69 | ||||||||
Holy Cross | 75 | ||||||||
Holy Cross | 71 | ||||||||
Duquesne | 62 | ||||||||
Duquesne | 66 | ||||||||
Niagara | 51 |
Player | Position | Class | Team |
---|---|---|---|
Tom Gola | F | Junior | La Salle |
Cliff Hagan | F | Senior | Kentucky |
Bob Pettit | C | Senior | Louisiana State |
Don Schlundt | C | Junior | Indiana |
Frank Selvy | G | Senior | Furman |
Player | Position | Class | Team |
---|---|---|---|
Bobby Leonard | G | Senior | Indiana |
Tom Marshall | F | Senior | Western Kentucky State |
Bob Mattick | C | Senior | Oklahoma A&M |
Frank Ramsey | G/F | Senior | Kentucky |
Dick Ricketts | F/C | Junior | Duquesne |
![]() |
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.
Team | Former Coach |
Interim Coach |
New Coach |
Reason |
---|---|---|---|---|
John Carroll | Fred George | Silvio Cornachione[10] |
Although La Salle won the NCAA title, and Holy Cross the National Invitational crown, Helms Athletic foundation has elected to hand the national championship honors for the 1954 season to the University of Kentucky's undefeated in 25 games Wildcats.
Kentucky's unbeaten basketball team, which refrained from tournament competition this year, came out ahead of the two national tournament winners, La Salle and Holy Cross, in the final Associated Press ranking poll of the 1953–54 season today.
NCAA Division I men's basketball seasons
| |
---|---|
Pre-regulation |
|
IAAUS / NCAA pre-Tournament era |
|
NCAA Tournament era |
|