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 Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The La Salle Explorers won their first NCAA national championship with a 92–76 victory over the Bradley Braves.
| 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 |
Season headlines
- The Atlantic Coast Conference began play, with eight original members.
- The NCAA tournament expanded from 22 to 24 teams.
- Kentucky went undefeated, finishing with a 25–0 record. The Helms Athletic Foundation awarded its national championship to Kentucky rather than to the 1954 NCAA basketball tournament champion, La Salle.[2] It was the fourth and final time that the NCAA champion and the Helms champion differed. Kentucky was ranked No. 1 in the final AP Poll, taken after the tournaments, ahead of No. 2 La Salle (NCAA tournament champion) and No. 3 Holy Cross (National Invitation Tournament champion).[3]
- The NCAA tournament's Final Four games were played on Friday and Saturday for the first time.[4]
- The NCAA tournament's championship game was televised nationally for the first time. The broadcast rights fee was $7,500.[4]
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and the UP Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[5][6]
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Conference membership changes
Regular season
Conference winners and tournaments
Statistical leaders
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four
| National semifinals | National finals | ||||||||
| Penn State | 54 | ||||||||
| La Salle | 69 | ||||||||
| La Salle | 92 | ||||||||
| Bradley | 76 | ||||||||
| Bradley | 74 | ||||||||
| USC | 72 | ||||||||
- Third Place – Penn State 70, USC 61
National Invitation tournament
Semifinals & finals
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| Western Kentucky State | 69 | ||||||||
| Holy Cross | 75 | ||||||||
| Holy Cross | 71 | ||||||||
| Duquesne | 62 | ||||||||
| Duquesne | 66 | ||||||||
| Niagara | 51 | ||||||||
- Third Place – Niagara 71, Western Kentucky State 66
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
| 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 |
Major player of the year awards
Other major awards
- NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Ed Conlin, Fordham
Coaching changes
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[11] |
References
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