The 1915–16 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1915, progressed through the regular season, and concluded in March 1916.
Season headlines
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. 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. In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected Wisconsin as its national champion for the 1915–16 season. In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Wisconsin as its top-ranked team for the 1915–16 season.
Rule changes
"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. 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. 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. 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. All players were required to wear plain numbers at least high and wide fastened securely on the backs of their shirts.
Conference membership changes SchoolFormer ConferenceNew Conference Independent Pacific Coast Conference Independent No basketball team Independent Pacific Coast Conference 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 Conferences Conference winners
ConferenceRegular Season WinnerConference Player of the YearConference TournamentTournament Venue (City)Tournament WinnerEastern Intercollegiate Basketball League Penn None selected No TournamentMissouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association Nebraska None selected No TournamentPacific Coast Conference California & None selected No TournamentRocky Mountain Athletic Conference Colorado & No TournamentSouthwest Conference Texas None selected No TournamentWestern Conference Wisconsin None selected No Tournament
Conference standings
Independents A total of 122 college teams played as major independents. Among independents that played at least 10 games, (15–0), (18–0), Tennessee (12–0), and (11–0) were undefeated, and (20–2) finished with the most wins.
Awards
Helms College Basketball All-Americans
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.The Association for Professional Basketball Research "NCAA All-American Teams, 1919–20 to 1998–99"
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
Helms Player of the Year: George Levis, Wisconsin (retroactive selection in 1944)
Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReason Alabama Griff Harsh Thomas Kelley Army Jacob L. Devers Arthur Conrad Boston University Henry Crane V. B. Allison California Kilduff Ben Cherrington Cincinnati George Little Ion Cortright Little left to coach Miami (Ohio). The Citadel Hans Kangter Harry J. O'Brien Clemson Audley H. Ward Country Morris Columbia Harry A. Fisher Carl J. Merner Merner left Kansas State to coach Columbia. Dartmouth P. W. Loudon J. A. Pelletier Denver Charles Wingender John Fike Detroit Walter Hardy Royal R. Campbell Drake Ray Whisman Ralph Glaze Georgia Howell Peacock W. A. Cunningham Peacock left to coach at North Carolina. Idaho Charles M. Rademacher Hec Edmundson Indiana Allan Williford Guy Lowman Kansas State Carl J. Merner Zora Clevenger Kentucky Jim Park William P. Tuttle Lafayette Wilmer G. Crowell J. B. Quig Lehigh Harry Haring Roy Geary Miami (OH) Chester J. Roberts George Little Michigan State John Macklin George Gauthier Missouri Eugene Van Gent John F. Miller Van Gent left to coach at Texas. Nebraska Sam Waugh E. J. Stewart North Carolina Charles Doak Howell Peacock Northern Colorado Royce Long Paul Abbott Oregon Agricultural E. J. Stewart Everett May Stewart left to coach at Nebraska. Purdue Robert E. Vaughan Ward Lambert Saint Louis George Keogan Armin Fischer Saint Mary's (Calif.) Frank Boek Otto Rittler South Carolina Charles C. Farrell Dixon Foster Southern California Ralph Glaze Motts Blair Tennessee Zora Clevenger John R. Bender Clevenger left to coach at Kansas State. Texas Roy Henderson Eugene Van Gent Texas A&M D. V. Graves W. H. H. Morris Trinity (N.C.) Bob Doak Charles Doak Virginia Tech Branch Bocock Harlan Sandborn Fairmount Harry Buck Lamar Hoover William & Mary Dexter W. Draper Samuel H. Hubbard Yale Robert G. Stowe A. Bernie Tommers
References