Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

1955–56 NCAA men's basketball season

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Preseason AP #1
  
San Francisco

NCAA Champions
  
San Francisco

Other champions
  
Louisville (NIT)

NCAA Tournament
  
1956

Helms National Champions
  
San Francisco

National championship
  
Welsh-Ryan Arena

Tournament dates
  
March 12, 1956 – March 24, 1956

Ncaa champion
  
1955–56 San Francisco Dons men's basketball team

Similar
  
1999–2000 NCAA Division I, 2004–05 NCAA Division I, 2005–06 NCAA Division I, 2007–08 NCAA Division I, 2008–09 NCAA Division I

Season headlines

  • The Ivy League, which had been formally established as an athletic conference in 1954, played its first basketball season under that name. Previously, Ivy schools had competed in the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League; today's Ivy League considers the EIBL as part of its history.

    • Major rule changes

    Beginning in 1955–56, the following rules changes were implemented:

    Contents

  • The free-throw lane was increased from 6 feet to 12 feet.
  • The two-shot penalty in the last three minutes of the game was eliminated. The one-and-one became in effect the entire game.

    • Pre-season polls

    The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.

    NCAA Tournament

    Coach Phil Woolpert and his star Bill Russell successfully guided San Francisco to its second consecutive championship, capping an undefeated season. The Dons became the first team in college basketball history to go undefeated and win the NCAA tournament. Temple's Hal Lear was named tournament Most Outstanding Player.

    Final Four

    Played at McGaw Hall in Evanston, Illinois

  • Third Place – Temple 90, SMU 81

    • National Invitation Tournament

    Louisville won its first NIT title, defeating Dayton 83–80. Louisville's Charlie Tyra won MVP honors

    NIT Semifinals and Final

    Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City

  • Third Place – St. Joseph's 93, St. Francis (NY) 82

    • Major player of the year awards

  • Helms Foundation Player of the Year: Bill Russell, San Francisco
  • UPI Player of the Year: Bill Russell, San Francisco

    • Major coach of the year awards

  • UPI Coach of the Year: Phil Woolpert, San Francisco

    • Other major awards

  • Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Guy Rodgers, Temple
  • NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in NYC area): Bill Thieben, Hofstra

    • References

    1955–56 NCAA men's basketball season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA