1947–48 NCAA men's basketball season

1947–48 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
NCAA Tournament	1948
Tournament dates	March 19 – 23, 1948
National Championship	Madison Square Garden New York, New York
NCAA Champions	Kentucky
Helms National Champions	Kentucky
Other champions	Saint Louis (NIT)
Player of the Year (Helms)	Ed Macauley, Saint Louis

The 1947–48 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1947, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1948 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 23, 1948, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The Kentucky Wildcats won their first NCAA national championship with a 58–42 victory over the Baylor Bears.

Season headlines

• In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Kentucky as its national champion for the 1947–48 season.^[1]

Conference membership changes

School	Former conference	New conference
Colorado Buffaloes	Skyline Conference	Big Seven Conference
Dickinson College Red Devils	Middle Atlantic States Conference North	No NCAA basketball program
Miami (OH) Redskins	Independent	Mid-American Conference
Washington University Bears	Missouri Valley Conference	Independent
Wayne Warriors	Mid-American Conference	Independent
Western Michigan Broncos	Independent	Mid-American Conference

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference	Regular season winner[2]	Conference player of the year	Conference tournament	Tournament venue (City)	Tournament winner
Big Seven Conference	Kansas State	None selected	No Tournament
Big Nine Conference	Michigan	None selected	No Tournament
Border Conference	Arizona	None selected	No Tournament
Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League	Yale	None selected	No Tournament
Metropolitan New York Conference	Columbia		No Tournament
Mid-American Conference	Cincinnati	None selected	No Tournament
Middle Atlantic States Conference North	Muhlenberg		No Tournament
Missouri Valley Conference	Oklahoma A&M	None selected	No Tournament
Mountain States (Skyline) Conference	BYU		No Tournament
Pacific Coast Conference	Washington (North); USC (South)		No Tournament; Washington defeated USC in best-of-three conference championship playoff series
Southeastern Conference	Kentucky	None selected	1948 SEC men's basketball tournament	Jefferson County Armory, (Louisville, Kentucky)	Kentucky
Southern Conference	NC State	None selected	1948 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament	Duke Indoor Stadium (Durham, North Carolina)	NC State[3]
Southwest Conference	Baylor	None selected	No Tournament
Western New York Little Three Conference	Niagara		No Tournament
Yankee Conference	Connecticut	None selected	No Tournament

Conference standings

1947–48 Big Seven Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Kansas State 9 – 3   .750 22 – 6   .786 Oklahoma 7 – 5   .583 13 – 9   .591 Missouri 7 – 5   .583 14 – 10   .583 Iowa State 6 – 6   .500 15 – 8   .652 Nebraska 5 – 7   .417 11 – 13   .458 Kansas 4 – 8   .333 9 – 15   .375 Colorado 4 – 8   .333 7 – 14   .333	1947–48 Big Nine Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Michigan 10 – 2   .833 16 – 6   .727 Iowa 8 – 4   .667 15 – 4   .789 Illinois 7 – 5   .583 15 – 5   .750 Wisconsin 7 – 5   .583 12 – 8   .600 Purdue 6 – 6   .500 11 – 9   .550 Minnesota 5 – 7   .417 10 – 10   .500 Ohio State 5 – 7   .417 10 – 10   .500 Indiana 3 – 9   .250 8 – 12   .400 Northwestern 3 – 9   .250 6 – 14   .300	1947–48 Border Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Arizona 12 – 4   .750 19 – 10   .655 Texas Tech 10 – 6   .625 16 – 12   .571 Arizona State–Tempe 9 – 11   .450 13 – 11   .542 Arizona State–Flagstaff 8 – 8   .500 13 – 8   .619 New Mexico 8 – 8   .500 14 – 15   .483 West Texas State 7 – 9   .438 11 – 13   .458 New Mexico A&M 6 – 10   .375 12 – 11   .522 Texas State M&M 6 – 10   .375 13 – 16   .448 Hardin–Simmons 6 – 10   .375 6 – 10   .375
1947–48 Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Columbia 11 – 1   .917 20 – 3   .870 Cornell 9 – 3   .750 16 – 9   .640 Princeton 6 – 6   .500 12 – 11   .522 Dartmouth 6 – 6   .500 12 – 12   .500 Pennsylvania 5 – 7   .417 10 – 14   .417 Yale 4 – 8   .333 14 – 13   .519 Harvard 1 – 11   .083 5 – 20   .200	1947–48 Metropolitan New York Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT NYU 5 – 1   .833 22 – 4   .846 CCNY 4 – 1   .800 18 – 3   .857 Fordham 3 – 3   .500 17 – 6   .739 Manhattan 3 – 3   .500 22 – 6   .786 St. John's 3 – 3   .500 12 – 11   .522 St. Francis (NY) 2 – 3   .400 16 – 9   .640 Brooklyn 0 – 6   .000 10 – 10   .500	1947–48 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Cincinnati 7 – 2   .778 17 – 7   .708 Butler 4 – 2   .667 14 – 7   .667 Ohio 4 – 4   .500 10 – 10   .500 Miami (Ohio) 3 – 5   .375 13 – 15   .464 Western Reserve 2 – 6   .250 14 – 10   .583 Western Michigan 1 – 2   .333 12 – 10   .545
1947–48 Middle Atlantic States Conference North men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Muhlenberg 8 – 0   1.000 21 – 4   .840 Lafayette 5 – 3   .625 12 – 9   .571 Gettysburg 4 – 4   .500 10 – 10   .500 Bucknell 2 – 6   .250 5 – 17   .227 Lehigh 1 – 7   .125 2 – 16   .111	1947–48 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Oklahoma A&M 10 – 0   1.000 27 – 4   .871 Saint Louis 8 – 2   .800 24 – 3   .889 Drake 5 – 5   .500 14 – 12   .538 Creighton 4 – 6   .400 10 – 13   .435 Tulsa 2 – 8   .200 7 – 16   .304 Wichita Municipal 1 – 9   .100 12 – 13   .480	1947–48 Mountain States Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT BYU 8 – 2   .800 16 – 11   .593 Wyoming 6 – 4   .600 18 – 9   .667 Denver 6 – 4   .600 18 – 11   .621 Utah 6 – 4   .600 11 – 9   .550 Utah State 3 – 7   .300 8 – 16   .333 Colorado State 1 – 9   .100 6 – 15   .286
1947–48 Pacific Coast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT North Washington † 10 – 6   .625 23 – 11   .676 Oregon State 10 – 6   .625 21 – 13   .618 Washington State 9 – 7   .563 19 – 10   .655 Oregon 8 – 8   .500 18 – 11   .621 Idaho 3 – 13   .188 17 – 15   .531 South California 11 – 1   .917 25 – 9   .735 USC 7 – 5   .583 14 – 10   .583 UCLA 3 – 9   .250 12 – 13   .480 Stanford 3 – 9   .250 15 – 11   .577 † Conference playoff series winner	1947–48 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Kentucky † 9 – 0   1.000 36 – 3   .923 Tulane 13 – 1   .929 23 – 3   .885 Tennessee 10 – 2   .833 20 – 5   .800 Alabama 8 – 8   .500 15 – 12   .556 Auburn 7 – 7   .500 12 – 10   .545 Georgia 6 – 8   .429 18 – 10   .643 Florida 5 – 7   .417 15 – 10   .600 Georgia Tech 6 – 10   .375 12 – 16   .429 Mississippi State 6 – 10   .375 6 – 12   .333 Ole Miss 5 – 9   .357 11 – 12   .478 LSU 4 – 10   .286 8 – 18   .308 Vanderbilt 4 – 11   .267 8 – 14   .364 † Regular-season championship and SEC Tournament winner	1947–48 Southern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT North Carolina State † 12 – 0   1.000 29 – 3   .906 George Washington 13 – 3   .813 19 – 7   .731 North Carolina 11 – 4   .733 20 – 7   .741 Maryland 9 – 6   .600 11 – 14   .440 Davidson 10 – 7   .588 19 – 9   .679 Virginia Tech 7 – 5   .583 14 – 9   .609 Duke 8 – 6   .571 17 – 12   .586 Wake Forest 8 – 7   .533 18 – 11   .621 William & Mary 8 – 7   .533 13 – 10   .565 South Carolina 8 – 7   .533 12 – 11   .522 Washington and Lee 5 – 9   .357 7 – 17   .292 The Citadel 4 – 8   .333 8 – 9   .471 Richmond 4 – 9   .308 8 – 14   .364 Furman 3 – 10   .231 11 – 15   .423 Clemson 3 – 14   .176 6 – 17   .261 VMI 1 – 12   .077 3 – 16   .158 † Southern Conference Tournament winner
1947–48 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Baylor 11 – 1   .917 24 – 8   .750 Texas 9 – 3   .750 20 – 5   .800 Arkansas 8 – 4   .667 16 – 8   .667 Rice 6 – 6   .500 10 – 14   .417 SMU 5 – 7   .417 13 – 10   .565 Texas A&M 2 – 10   .167 7 – 17   .292 TCU 1 – 11   .083 3 – 20   .130	1947–48 Western New York Little Three Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Niagara 3 – 1   .750 15 – 9   .625 Canisius 2 – 2   .500 10 – 15   .400 St. Bonaventure 1 – 3   .250 12 – 10   .545	1947–48 Yankee Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Connecticut 6 – 1   .857 17 – 6   .739 Rhode Island State 5 – 1   .833 17 – 6   .739 Vermont 2 – 1   .667 14 – 6   .700 Maine 2 – 5   .286 11 – 7   .611 New Hampshire 2 – 5   .286 5 – 12   .294 Massachusetts 0 – 4   .000 2 – 14   .125

Major independents

A total of 56 college teams played as major independents. Western Kentucky State (28–2) had the best winning percentage (.933) and Louisville (29–6) finished with the most wins.^[4]

1947–48 NCAA men's basketball independents standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Western Kentucky State –   – 28 – 2   .933 Bradley –   – 28 – 3   .903 Hamline –   – 28 – 3   .903 Holy Cross –   – 26 – 4   .867 West Virginia –   – 17 – 3   .850 La Salle –   – 20 – 4   .833 Louisville –   – 29 – 6   .829 Bowling Green State –   – 27 – 6   .818 Seton Hall –   – 18 – 4   .818 LIU –   – 17 – 4   .810 Toledo –   – 21 – 5   .808 Indiana State –   – 27 – 7   .794 Lawrence Tech –   – 22 – 6   .786 Siena –   – 22 – 6   .786 Xavier –   – 24 – 8   .750 Loyola (Ill.) –   – 26 – 9   .743 Baldwin Wallace –   – 17 – 6   .739 Duquesne –   – 17 – 6   .739 Colgate –   – 14 – 5   .737 DePaul –   – 22 – 8   .733 Eastern Kentucky State –   – 17 – 7   .708 Notre Dame –   – 17 – 7   .708 Marshall –   – 22 – 11   .667 Montana State –   – 18 – 9   .667 Montana –   – 21 – 11   .656 Kent State –   – 15 – 8   .652 Texas Wesleyan –   – 19 – 11   .633 Akron –   – 15 – 9   .625 Villanova –   – 15 – 9   .625 Virginia –   – 16 – 10   .615 Rutgers –   – 14 – 9   .609 Navy –   – 10 – 7   .588 Boston College –   – 13 – 10   .565 Michigan State –   – 12 – 10   .545 St. Joseph's –   – 13 – 11   .542 San Francisco –   – 13 – 11   .542 Boston University –   – 10 – 9   .526 Temple –   – 12 – 11   .522 Santa Clara –   – 11 – 11   .500 Pittsburgh –   – 10 – 11   .476 Washington University –   – 10 – 11   .476 Penn State –   – 9 – 10   .474 Army –   – 8 – 9   .471 Georgetown –   – 13 – 15   .464 Dayton –   – 12 – 14   .462 Saint Mary's –   – 11 – 13   .458 Syracuse –   – 11 – 13   .458 Youngstown –   – 10 – 14   .417 John Carroll –   – 9 – 14   .391 Wayne –   – 8 – 13   .381 Marquette –   – 9 – 15   .375 Nevada –   – 9 – 16   .360 Valparaiso –   – 8 – 15   .348 Detroit –   – 7 – 15   .318 Brown –   – 6 – 14   .300 Scranton –   – 7 – 20   .259

Statistical leaders

Post-season tournaments

NCAA tournament

Main articles: 1948 NCAA basketball tournament and 1948 NCAA Basketball Championship Game

Semifinals & finals

	National Semifinals				National Finals
	Kentucky	60
	Holy Cross	52
					Kentucky	58
					Baylor	42
	Kansas State	52
	Baylor	60			Third place
					Holy Cross	60
					Kansas State	54

National Invitation tournament

Main article: 1948 National Invitation Tournament

Semifinals & finals

	Semifinals				Finals
	Western Kentucky State	53
	Saint Louis	60
					Saint Louis	65
					NYU	52
	NYU	72
	DePaul	59			Third place
					Western Kentucky State	61
					DePaul	59

Awards

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 1948 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

Consensus First Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Ralph Beard	G	Junior	Kentucky
Ed Macauley	F	Junior	Saint Louis
Jim McIntyre	C	Junior	Minnesota
Kevin O'Shea	G	Sophomore	Notre Dame
Murray Wier	G	Senior	Iowa

Consensus Second Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Dick Dickey	F	Sophomore	NC State
Arnie Ferrin	F	Senior	Utah
Alex Groza	C	Junior	Kentucky
Hal Haskins	F/G	Sophomore	Hamline
George Kaftan	F	Senior	Holy Cross
Duane Klueh	G	Junior	Indiana State
Tony Lavelli	F	Junior	Yale
Jack Nichols	C	Senior	Washington
Andy Wolfe	G/F	Senior	California

Major player of the year awards

• Helms Player of the Year: Ed Macauley, Saint Louis

Other major awards

• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Dolph Schayes, NYU

Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.

Team	Former Coach	Interim Coach	New Coach	Reason
Holy Cross	Doggie Julian		Buster Sheary
Rhode Island State	Frank Keaney		Red Haire

References

1. ESPN, ed. (2009). ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. New York, NY: ESPN Books. pp. 526, 529–587. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
2. "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
3. 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section, Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-02-09
4. "1947-48 Men's Independent Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 6, 2024.