1945 NCAA basketball tournament

The 1945 NCAA basketball tournament was an eight-team single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college basketball. It began on March 22, 1945, and ended with the championship game on March 27 in New York City. A total of nine games were played, including a third place game in each region.

1945 NCAA basketball tournament

Teams	8
Finals site	Madison Square Garden New York City
Champions	Oklahoma A&M Aggies (1st title, 1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Runner-up	NYU Violets (1st title game, 1st Final Four)
Semifinalists	Arkansas Razorbacks (2nd Final Four) Ohio State Buckeyes (3rd Final Four)
Winning coach	Henry Iba (1st title)
MOP	Bob Kurland (Oklahoma A&M)
Attendance	67,780
Top scorer	Bob Kurland (Oklahoma A&M) (65 points)
NCAA Division I men's tournaments «1944 1946»

Oklahoma A&M, coached by Henry Iba, won the national title with a 49–45 victory in the final game over NYU, coached by Howard Cann. Bob Kurland of Oklahoma A&M was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Locations

The following are the sites selected to host each round of the 1945 tournament:

Regionals

March 22 and 24

East Regional, Madison Square Garden, New York, New York (Host: Metropolitan New York Conference)

March 23 and 24

West Regional, Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri (Host: Missouri Valley Conference)

Championship Game

March 27

Madison Square Garden, New York, New York (Host: Metropolitan New York Conference)

Teams

Region	Team	Coach	Conference	Finished	Final Opponent	Score
East
East	Kentucky	Adolph Rupp	SEC	Regional third place	Tufts	W 66–56
East	NYU	Howard Cann	Middle Atlantic	Runner Up	Oklahoma A&M	L 49–45
East	Ohio State	Harold Olsen	Big Ten	National Semifinals	NYU	L 70–65
East	Tufts	Richard Cochran	New England	Regional Fourth Place	Kentucky	L 66–56
West
West	Arkansas	Eugene Lambert	Southwest	National Semifinals	Oklahoma A&M	L 68–41
West	Oklahoma A&M	Henry Iba	Missouri Valley	Champion	NYU	W 49–45
West	Oregon	John A. Warren	Pacific Coast	Regional third place	Utah	W 69–66
West	Utah	Vadal Peterson	Skyline	Regional Fourth Place	Oregon	L 69–66

Bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

	Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Finals
	NYU		59
	Tufts		44
						NYU		70
						Ohio State		65*
	Ohio State		45
	Kentucky		37
											NYU		45
											Oklahoma A&M		49
	Arkansas		79
	Oregon		76
						Arkansas		41
						Oklahoma A&M		68
	Oklahoma A&M		62
	Utah		37

Regional third place

	East Regional third place
	Tufts		56
	Kentucky		66

	West Regional third place
	Oregon		69
	Utah		66

See also

• 1945 National Invitation Tournament
• 1945 NAIA Basketball Tournament

Notes

• This was the first appearance for Oklahoma A&M, who would win their first two NCAA tournaments. They would be the first team to win multiple tournaments, and the first team to repeat as champions. Of the nine other teams to win the championship in their first tournament appearance, only San Francisco was able to repeat as well.
• Three teams - NYU, Ohio State and Oklahoma A&M - would return for the 1946 tournament. Arkansas and Kentucky would both return within four years; Utah would not return to the tournament until 1955, and Oregon would not return until 1960.
• This was the only appearance of then-Tufts College, who are currently in Division III. Tufts is one of fourteen colleges and universities to have made the NCAA tournament and no longer be in Division I.