1944 NCAA Basketball Championship Game

1944 NCAA Tournament Championship Game
1944 NCAA Tournament Championship Game
National Championship Game
(22-4)	(19-2)
42	40
Head coach:; Vadal Peterson	Head coach:; Earl Brown
Date	March 26, 1944
Arena	Madison Square Garden
Location	New York City, New York
	← 1943 1945 →

Last updated June 15, 2022

The 1944 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game was the finals of the 1944 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, and it determined the national champion for the 1943-44 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The 1944 National Title Game was played on March 28, 1944, and it was played at the Madison Square Garden, New York, New York.

Background

Utah

The Utah Redskins were coached by Vadal Peterson, and this was the Utes' first and only National Championship. The team had only 9 lettermen, 7 of which were freshmen, including eventual All-American Arnie Ferrin. They went 22-4 that season, but would not have qualified for the tournament had the Arkansas team not been involved in an automobile accident that killed an assistant coach and a player. The Redskins were invited to replace the Razorbacks a mere two days before the tournament was set to commence.^[1] They would beat Missouri and then go on to beat Iowa State to win the championship. The Redskins would not go to another National Championship game until 1998 in which they lost. Utah was the first team to be in the National Invitation Tournament and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament both in the same season. Utah was an Independent that year.

Dartmouth

The Dartmouth Indians were led by Earl Brown to their second and final National Championship appearance. Dartmouth beat Catholic University, and then faced off Ohio State until they got to the championship. The Indians went 19–2 that year. Dartmouth was and is still part of the Ivy League. The Indians were led by All-American Aud Brindley and experienced significant roster turnover due to World War II. The Indians lost lettermen Larry Killick, Joe Fater, Larry Baxter, John Monahan and Paul Campbell to the draft, but added standout players Dick McGuire of St. John's and Bob Gale of Cornell, who were transferred to Dartmouth as a part of their military training program.^[2]

Game summary

With 17,990 fans watching the game in New York, Utah hung tight with Dartmouth, who was favored by eight points prior to the game. For the first time in NCAA Championship Game history, an overtime period was required to determine a winner. Such overtime would not happen again until 1957. The next night, Utah played the winner of the National Invitational Tournament in St. John's as a charity event and won 43–36.^[3]

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The 1943–44 Utah Redskins men's basketball team represented the University of Utah during the 1943–44 NCAA men's basketball season. The Redskins captured the Mountain States Conference championship and its only national championship.

Herbert Wells Wilkinson is an American former college basketball player who won the 1944 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament as a freshman while playing for Utah, then transferred to Iowa as a sophomore and became a three-time All-American.

The 1943–44 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1943, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1944 NCAA Basketball Tournament Championship Game on March 28, 1944, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The Utah Redskins won their first NCAA national championship with a 42–40 victory over the Dartmouth Big Green.

References

↑ Benson, Lee (April 2, 1988). "Utah's 'Blitz Kids' surprised the basketball world in 1944". Deseret News . Retrieved July 1, 2020.
↑ "Dartmouth Indians rebuilding for NCAA tourney". The Burlington Free Press . March 7, 1944. p. 8. Retrieved July 1, 2020– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "University of Utah 1944 NCAA Basketball Championship". 30 April 2010.

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[1] Benson, Lee (April 2, 1988). "Utah's 'Blitz Kids' surprised the basketball world in 1944". Deseret News . Retrieved July 1, 2020.

[2] "Dartmouth Indians rebuilding for NCAA tourney". The Burlington Free Press . March 7, 1944. p. 8. Retrieved July 1, 2020– via Newspapers.com.

[3] "University of Utah 1944 NCAA Basketball Championship". 30 April 2010.

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