1944 NCAA basketball tournament
Championship game program
Teams8
Finals siteMadison Square Garden
New York City
ChampionsUtah Redskins (1st title, 1st title game,
1st Final Four)
Runner-upDartmouth Indians (2nd title game,
2nd Final Four)
Semifinalists
Winning coachVadal Peterson (1st title)
MOPArnie Ferrin (Utah)
Attendance59,369
Top scorerAudley Brindley (Dartmouth)
(52 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments
«1943 1945»

The 1944 NCAA basketball tournament involved eight schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 24, 1944, and ended with the championship game on March 28 in New York City. A total of nine games were played, including a third place game in each region.

Utah, coached by Vadal Peterson, won the national title with a 42–40 victory in the final game over Dartmouth, coached by Earl Brown. Arnie Ferrin of Utah was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Utah became the first team to play in both the NIT and NCAA tournament in the same season. Utah was given a second chance to play in the NCAA Tournament after a March 1944 automobile accident killed a coaching aide and seriously injured two players on the Arkansas team.[1]

Utah's winning team featured Wataru Misaka, who later joined the New York Knicks to become the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball.[2]

Locations

The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 1944 tournament:

Regionals

March 24 and 25
East Regional, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York (Host: Metropolitan New York Conference)
West Regional, Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri (Host: Missouri Valley Conference)

Championship Game

March 28
Madison Square Garden, New York, New York (Host: Metropolitan New York Conference)

Teams

RegionTeamCoachConferenceFinishedFinal OpponentScore
East
EastCatholicJohn LongIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceTempleL 55–35
EastDartmouthEarl BrownEIBLRunner UpUtahL 42–40
EastOhio StateHarold OlsenBig TenNational SemifinalsDartmouthL 60–53
EastTempleJosh CodyMiddle AtlanticRegional third placeCatholicW 55–35
West
WestIowa StateLouis MenzeBig SixNational SemifinalsUtahL 40–31
WestMissouriGeorge R. EdwardsBig SixRegional third placePepperdineW 61–46
WestPepperdineAl DuerIndependentRegional Fourth PlaceMissouriL 61–46
WestUtahVadal PetersonSkylineChampion*DartmouthW 42–40OT

Bracket

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
         
Dartmouth 63
Catholic 38
Dartmouth 60
Ohio State 53
Ohio State 57
Temple 47
Dartmouth 40
Utah 42OT
Iowa State 44
Pepperdine 39
Iowa State 31
Utah 40
Utah 45
Missouri 35

Regional third place

[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Chipman, Kit (April 30, 2010). "University of Utah 1944 National Basketball Championship". University of Utah Department of Communication. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
  2. ↑ "New York Times". Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  3. ↑ "1944 NCAA basketball tournament". College Basketball Reference. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
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