1915–16 NCAA men's basketball season

The 1915–16 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1915, progressed through the regular season, and concluded in March 1916.

Season headlines

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  • The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) adopted a new set of rules nationally for amateur basketball in the United States, standardizing the rules used in college, YMCA, and AAU basketball. Officially appointed representatives of the three organizations prepared the uniform set of rules, the NCAA, YMCA, and AAU having decided that working together in this way was in the best interests of the game's welfare and of the organizations themselves.[1]
  • The Pacific Coast Conference began play with four original members, three of which fielded basketball teams for the 1915–16 season.
  • Utah won the post-season Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championship tournament— in which a mix of collegiate and non-collegiate amateur teams competed — in 1916 to become the first of only four collegiate teams to win the tournament. No college team would win the tournament again until 1920.[2]
  • In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected Wisconsin as its national champion for the 1915–16 season.[2]
  • In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Wisconsin as its national champion for the 1915–16 season.[3]

Rule changes

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  • "Class A" fouls — general fouls called for delay of game; "tackling" the ball (i.e., touching the ball while a teammate already was touching it); kicking, striking, advancing, or hugging the ball; tackling, holding, or pushing an opponent; and addressing the game officials — were changed to violations. "Class B" fouls — striking, kicking, shouldering, tripping, or hacking an opponent; unnecessary roughness; and using profane or abusive language — became technical and personal fouls.[4]
  • A player is disqualified after committing his fourth personal foul in a game. Previously, a player was disqualified if he committed two "Class B" fouls in a game.[5]
  • If a player was fouled in the act of shooting, his team was awarded two free-throw attempts regardless of whether he made the field goal. Previously, the shooting team had been awarded one point and one free-throw attempt if a shooter was fouled. If the shooting player made the shot, it counted for two points, just as it had before this rule change.[4]
  • The shooting team was awarded one free-throw attempt if a defending player interfered with the ball or basket while the ball was on the basket's rim. Previously, the shooting team had been awarded one point under these circusmtances.[6]
  • All players were required to wear plain numbers at least 6 inches (15.2 cm) high and 1 inch (2.54 cm) wide fastened securely on the backs of their shirts.[7]

Conference membership changes

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School Former Conference New Conference
California Golden Bears Independent Pacific Coast Conference
Oregon Webfoots Independent No basketball team
Oregon Agricultural Beavers Independent Pacific Coast Conference
Washington Huskies Independent Pacific Coast Conference

NOTE: Although Oregon joined the Pacific Coast Conference in 1915, it did not field a basketball team during the 1915–16 season.

Regular season

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Conferences

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Conference winners

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Conference Regular
Season Winner[8]
Conference
Player of the Year
Conference
Tournament
Tournament
Venue (City)
Tournament
Winner
Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League Penn None selected No Tournament
Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association Nebraska None selected No Tournament
Pacific Coast Conference California & Oregon Agricultural None selected No Tournament
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Colorado & Colorado College No Tournament
Southwest Conference Texas None selected No Tournament
Western Conference Wisconsin None selected No Tournament

Conference standings

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1915–16 Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Penn 8 2   .800 11 7   .611
Princeton 8 2   .800 16 4   .800
Cornell 5 5   .500 13 5   .722
Yale 5 5   .500 12 8   .600
Dartmouth 3 7   .300 11 12   .478
Columbia 1 9   .100 3 9   .250
1915–16 Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Nebraska 12 0   1.000 13 1   .929
Missouri 10 2   .833 13 3   .813
Kansas State 9 3   .750 9 3   .750
Kansas 5 11   .313 6 12   .333
Iowa State 2 8   .200 4 12   .250
Drake 1 5   .167 3 9   .250
Washington University 1 11   .083 6 11   .353
1915–16 Pacific Coast Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Oregon Agricultural 5 3   .625 16 5   .762
California 5 3   .625 11 5   .688
Washington 2 6   .250 7 7   .500
Washington State   18 3   .857


1915–16 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Colorado College 6 2   .750 8 2   .800
Colorado 6 2   .750 6 2   .750
Denver 5 3   .625 7 3   .700
Colorado Agricultural 3 5   .375 6 6   .500
Colorado Mines 0 8   .000 0 8   .000
1915–16 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Texas 6 0   1.000 12 0   1.000
Texas A&M 6 2   .750 11 2   .846
Rice 5 3   .625 12 5   .706
Southwestern (Tex.) 0 4   .000 0 4   .000
Baylor 0 8   .000 8 9   .471
1915–16 Western Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Wisconsin 11 1   .917 20 1   .952
Illinois 9 3   .750 13 3   .813
Northwestern 9 3   .750 13 3   .813
Minnesota 6 6   .500 11 6   .647
Indiana 3 5   .375 6 7   .462
Chicago 4 8   .333 15 11   .577
Iowa 2 4   .333 11 4   .733
Ohio State 2 8   .200 9 13   .409
Purdue 2 10   .167 4 10   .286

Independents

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A total of 122 college teams played as major independents. Among independents that played at least 10 games, Carleton (15–0), North Dakota Agricultural (18–0), Tennessee (12–0), and Utah (11–0) were undefeated, and Nebraska Wesleyan (20–2) finished with the most wins.[9]

1915–16 NCAA men's basketball independents standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Arizona   5 0   1.000
Carleton   15 0   1.000
North Dakota Agricultural   18 0   1.000
Roanoke   9 0   1.000
Tennessee   12 0   1.000
Utah   11 0   1.000
Allegheny   10 1   .909
Montana State   10 1   .909
Nebraska Wesleyan   20 2   .909
Wake Forest   16 2   .889
Pittsburgh   15 2   .882
Seton Hall   13 2   .867
Navy   12 2   .857
Augustana (Ill.)   11 2   .846
Dayton   11 2   .846
Virginia   11 2   .846
Ripon   15 3   .833
Swarthmore   10 2   .833
New Mexico   9 2   .818
Wabash   17 4   .810
Virginia Tech   12 3   .800
Vanderbilt   11 3   .786
Colgate   14 4   .778
Duquesne   7 2   .778
Georgia   7 2   .778
Bucknell   10 3   .769
Saint Mary's (Calif.)   10 3   .769
Alabama   13 4   .765
Millikin   16 5   .762
Notre Dame   9 3   .750
Syracuse   9 3   .750
VMI   9 3   .750
New York University   11 4   .733
Oklahoma   19 7   .731
Louisville   8 3   .727
Penn State   8 3   .727
Fordham   10 4   .714
North Central   12 5   .706
Detroit   7 3   .700
Catholic   9 4   .692
Central Missouri   9 4   .692
Lake Forest   9 4   .692
Gettysburg   11 5   .688
Mississippi A&M   11 5   .688
Santa Clara   11 5   .688
Saint Louis   13 6   .684
Kalamazoo   6 3   .667
New Mexico A&M   6 3   .667
The Citadel   4 2   .667
North Carolina   12 6   .667
Toledo   2 1   .667
Fairmount   10 5   .667
Buffalo   7 4   .636
Delaware   7 4   .636
Washington College   7 4   .636
William & Mary   7 4   .636
Connecticut   5 3   .625
West Virginia   11 7   .611
Denison   9 6   .600
Georgetown   9 6   .600
Millsaps   6 4   .600
Montana   6 4   .600
Mount Union   6 4   .600
Union (N.Y.)   9 6   .600
Wyoming   3 2   .600
Louisiana State   14 10   .583
Davidson   11 8   .579
Indiana State   7 2   .778
Kentucky   8 6   .571
Southwestern (Kan.)   8 6   .571
Grove City   9 7   .563
Tulsa   9 7   .563
Western State Normal   9 7   .563
Tulane   10 8   .556
St. Joseph's   11 9   .550
North Dakota   6 5   .545
Wisconsin–Stevens Point   6 5   .545
CCNY   7 6   .538
Temple   7 6   .538
Ohio   8 7   .533
Wooster   8 7   .533
Lehigh   12 11   .522
Akron   5 5   .500
Boston University   2 2   .500
Brigham Young   3 3   .500
Michigan State   8 8   .500
Oklahoma A&M   7 8   .467
Muhlenberg   5 6   .455
Trinity (N.C.)   9 11   .450
Bradley   8 10   .444
Lafayette   7 9   .438
Butler   3 4   .429
Rutgers   3 4   .429
Washington and Lee   6 8   .429
Army   5 7   .417
Niagara   4 6   .400
Rochester (N.Y.)   6 9   .400
South Carolina   4 6   .400
Rhode Island State   3 5   .375
Ole Miss   4 7   .364
Kent State   4 8   .333
St. John's (NY)   5 10   .333
Utah State   2 4   .333
Washburn   4 8   .333
Virginia Tech   12 3   .800
Manhattan   4 9   .308
Miami (Ohio)   4 9   .308
Richmond   4 9   .308
North Carolina State   2 5   .286
Bowling Green State   3 8   .273
Auburn   2 6   .250
Clemson   2 6   .250
Southern California   5 15   .250
Texas Christian   1 3   .250
DePauw   1 3   .250
Northern Colorado   1 4   .200
Washington & Jefferson   1 4   .200
Stanford   2 9   .182
George Washington   2 10   .167
Cincinnati   1 9   .100
Idaho   1 12   .077
Canisius   0 4   .000

Statistical leaders

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Awards

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Helms College Basketball All-Americans

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The practice of selecting a Consensus All-American Team did not begin until the 1928–29 season. The Helms Athletic Foundation later retroactively selected a list of All-Americans for the 1915–16 season.[10]

Player Team
Roy Bohler Washington State
Bill Chandler Wisconsin
Cyril Haas Princeton
George Levis Wisconsin
Clyde Littlefield Texas
Edward McNichol Penn
Dick Romney Utah
Adolph Sieberts Oregon Agricultural
Fred Williams Missouri
Ray Woods Illinois

Major player of the year awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Playing Rules History" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. p. 3. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Scott, Jon (November 9, 2010). "The truth behind the Helms Committee". Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b "Playing Rules History" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. pp. 2, 3, 6. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  5. ^ "Playing Rules History" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. pp. 3, 6. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  6. ^ "Playing Rules History" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. pp. 2, 3, 7. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  7. ^ "Playing Rules History" (PDF). ncaa.org. NCAA. pp. 3, 8. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book – Conferences Section" (PDF). NCAA. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
  9. ^ "1915-16 Men's Independent Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  10. ^ The Association for Professional Basketball Research "NCAA All-American Teams, 1919–20 to 1998–99"