Men's university basketball season
The 1952–53 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1952, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1953 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 18, 1953, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City , Missouri . The Indiana Hoosiers won their second NCAA national championship with a 69–68 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks .
Rule changes
Teams must take a free throw after a foul , as had been the practice through the 1938–39 season . Previously, under a rule that had been in effect since the 1939–40 season , a team could waive its free throw and instead take the ball at mid-court after a foul.[ 1]
Season headlines
Prior to the season, the NCAA ruled that colleges and universities could no longer count games played against non-collegiate opponents in their annual won-loss records. Previously, it had been a common practice for many years for colleges and universities to include non-collegiate opponents in their schedules, with the games recognized as part of their official record for the season.[ 2]
The California Basketball Association began play, with five original members. It would be renamed the West Coast Athletic Conference in 1956 and the West Coast Conference in 1989.
The NCAA forced Kentucky to suspend its men's basketball program for the entire 1952–53 season as a result of the CCNY point-shaving scandal , which had been revealed in 1951.[ 3]
The NCAA tournament expanded from 16 to 22 teams.
Bill Chambers of William and Mary grabbed 51 rebounds against Virginia on February 14, 1953, becoming the first player with more than 50 rebounds in one game.[ 4]
Bob Houbregs of Washington became the first player to score 40 or more points in an NCAA tournament Final Four game when he scored 42 against LSU in the national third-place game on March 18, 1953.[ 5]
Walter Dukes of Seton Hall finished the season with 734 rebounds for the year, the first player to grab 700 rebounds in a single season.[ 4]
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and the UP Coaches Poll during the pre-season.[ 6] [ 7]
Conference membership changes
Regular season
Conferences
Conference winners and tournaments
Conference standings
1952–53 Big Seven Conference men's basketball standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
PCT
W
L
PCT
No. 3 Kansas
10
–
2
.833
19
–
6
.760
No. 12 Kansas State
9
–
3
.750
17
–
4
.810
Missouri
6
–
6
.500
11
–
9
.550
Iowa State
5
–
7
.417
10
–
11
.476
Oklahoma
5
–
7
.417
8
–
13
.381
Nebraska
4
–
8
.333
9
–
11
.450
Colorado
3
–
9
.250
10
–
11
.476
Rankings from AP Poll [ 11]
1952–53 California Basketball Association men's basketball standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
PCT
W
L
PCT
No. 16 Santa Clara †
6
–
2
.750
17
–
7
.708
San Francisco
6
–
2
.750
10
–
11
.476
San Jose State
4
–
4
.500
15
–
8
.652
Saint Mary's
4
–
4
.500
9
–
11
.450
Pacific
–
–
2
–
18
.100
† Regular-season championship winner Rankings from AP Poll [ 12]
1952–53 Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
PCT
W
L
PCT
Pennsylvania
10
–
2
.833
22
–
5
.815
Columbia
8
–
4
.667
17
–
6
.739
Cornell
6
–
6
.500
9
–
12
.429
Yale
6
–
6
.500
10
–
15
.400
Dartmouth
5
–
7
.417
12
–
14
.462
Princeton
5
–
7
.417
9
–
14
.391
Harvard
2
–
10
.167
7
–
16
.304
Rankings from AP Poll
1952–53 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
PCT
W
L
PCT
No. 8 Oklahoma A&M
8
–
2
.800
23
–
7
.767
Tulsa
5
–
5
.500
15
–
10
.600
Saint Louis
5
–
5
.500
16
–
11
.593
Houston
5
–
5
.500
9
–
13
.409
Detroit
4
–
6
.400
12
–
14
.462
Wichita Municipal
3
–
7
.300
16
–
11
.593
Rankings from AP Poll
1952–53 Mountain States Conference men's basketball standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
PCT
W
L
PCT
Wyoming
12
–
2
.857
20
–
10
.667
BYU
11
–
3
.786
22
–
8
.733
Utah State
7
–
7
.500
17
–
13
.567
Montana
6
–
8
.429
14
–
11
.560
Colorado A&M
5
–
9
.357
12
–
14
.462
New Mexico
5
–
9
.357
10
–
14
.417
Utah
5
–
9
.357
10
–
14
.417
Denver
5
–
9
.357
9
–
16
.360
Rankings from AP Poll
1952–53 Pacific Coast Conference men's basketball standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
PCT
W
L
PCT
No. 4 Washington †
15
–
1
.938
30
–
3
.909
Idaho
8
–
8
.500
15
–
12
.556
Oregon
8
–
8
.500
14
–
14
.500
Oregon State
6
–
10
.375
11
–
18
.379
Washington State
3
–
13
.188
7
–
27
.206
California
9
–
3
.750
16
–
10
.615
USC
7
–
5
.583
17
–
5
.773
UCLA
6
–
0
1.000
16
–
8
.667
Stanford
2
–
10
.167
7
–
20
.259
† Conference playoff series winner Rankings from AP Poll
1952–53 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
PCT
W
L
PCT
TCU
9
–
3
.750
16
–
8
.667
Rice
8
–
4
.667
15
–
6
.714
Texas
8
–
4
.667
12
–
9
.571
Baylor
6
–
6
.500
10
–
11
.476
Arkansas
4
–
8
.333
10
–
11
.476
SMU
4
–
8
.333
8
–
12
.400
Texas A&M
3
–
9
.250
6
–
15
.286
Rankings from AP Poll
1952–53 Western New York Little Three Conference men's basketball standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
PCT
W
L
PCT
Niagara
4
–
0
1.000
22
–
6
.786
St. Bonaventure
1
–
3
.250
10
–
11
.476
Canisius
1
–
3
.250
9
–
14
.391
Rankings from AP Poll
Major independents
A total of 44 college teams played as major independents . Among them, Seton Hall (31–2) finished with both the best winning percentage (.939) the most wins.[ 14]
Although not considered a major independent during the season,[ 14] Southwest Missouri State (24–4) played as an independent[ 14] and was ranked No. 20 in the season's final AP Poll .[ 15]
Statistical leaders
This section is empty. You can help by
adding to it .
(April 2021 )
Post-season tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four
National semifinals
National finals
LSU
67
Indiana
80
Indiana
69
Kansas
68
Kansas
79
Washington
53
Third place
LSU
69
Washington
88
National Invitation tournament
Semifinals & finals
Awards
Consensus All-American teams
Major player of the year awards
Other major awards
Coaching changes
This section
needs expansion . You can help by
adding to it .
(May 2021 )
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
References
^ orangehoops.org History of NCAA Basketball Rule Changes
^ "The Georgetown Basketball History Project: Non-Collegiate Opponents" . Archived from the original on February 12, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2014 .
^ Goldstein, Joe, "Explosion: 1951 scandals threaten college hoops" - ESPN - November 19, 2003
^ a b "Playing Rules History" (PDF) . ncaa.org . NCAA. p. 13. Retrieved June 25, 2024 .
^ "Playing Rules History" (PDF) . ncaa.org . NCAA. p. 11. Retrieved June 25, 2024 .
^ ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia . Random House . 2009. p. 836. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2 .
^ "1977 Preseason AP Men's Basketball Poll" . College Poll Archive. Retrieved August 8, 2020 .
^ "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF) . NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009 .
^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section , Southern Conference , retrieved 2009-02-09
^ 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section , Southern Conference , retrieved 2009-02-09
^ sports-reference.com 1952-53 Big Seven Conference Season Summary
^ sports-reference.com 1952-53 California Basketball Association Season Summary
^ sports-reference.com 1952-53 Southeastern Conference Season Summary
^ a b c "1952-53 Men's Independent Season Summary" . Sports Reference . Retrieved August 8, 2024 .
^ "1952-53 Men's College Basketball AP Polls" . Sports Reference . Retrieved August 8, 2024 .