1957–58 NCAA University Division men's basketball season

Season headlines

• The NCAA University Division grew to 179 teams, an increase from 156 the previous season.
• Adolph Rupp won his fourth championship as he led the Kentucky Wildcats to an 84–72 win over the Seattle Chieftains and their star, Elgin Baylor. The starting unit was nicknamed the "Fiddlin' Five," after a quip by Rupp that his team were fiddlers when he really needed violinists. The Wildcats fought back from two 11-point deficits to gain the victory.
• Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson became the first player to lead the nation is scoring in his first varsity season. The sophomore (freshmen were ineligible) averaged 35.1 points per game for the Bearcats. He also became the first player to score 50 or more points in an NCAA tournament game when he scored 56 against Arkansas in a regional third-place game on March 15, 1958.
• Dom Flora, a senior point guard at Washington and Lee University, finished his college career with 2,310 points and 696 free throws made, both of which were ranked fifth in their respective categories in college basketball history at the end of the 1957–58 season.
• Future Hall of Fame coach Howard Cann of NYU retired at the conclusion of the season, after 35 years at the helm.
• The NCAA championship game saw the first use of an orange basketball. Previously, the NCAA had used brown basketballs.
• The Western New York Little Three Conference disbanded at the end of the season.

Major rule changes

Beginning in 1957–58, the following rules changes were implemented:

• Offensive goaltending was banned so that no player from either team could touch the ball or basket when the ball was on the basket's rim or above the cylinder. The only exception was the shooter in the original act of shooting.
• One free throw for each common foul was taken for the first six personal fouls by one team in each half, and the one-and-one was used thereafter.
• On uniforms, the single-digit numbers "1" and "2" and any digit greater than "5" in player numbers were prohibited as a means of simplifying referees' hand signals to the scorer's table when calling a foul. A failure to comply resulted in the assessment of a technical foul against the offending team. The single-digit numbers "1" and "2" were not permitted again until the 1999–2000 season and digits greater than 5 were not permitted again until the 2023–24 season.
• A ball that passes over the backboard – either front-to-back or back-to-front — was considered out of bounds.

Conference membership changes

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference standings

University Division independents

A total of 50 college teams played as University Division independents. Among them, Temple (27–3) finished with both the best winning percentage (.900) and the most wins.

Informal championships

Temple finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

Statistical leaders

Polls

Main article: 1957–58 NCAA University Division men's basketball rankings

The final top 20 from the AP and Coaches Polls.

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Post-season tournaments

NCAA tournament

Main article: 1958 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Adolph Rupp's Kentucky Wildcats won their fourth National championship by defeating the Seattle Chieftains 84–72 on March 22 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. Seattle's Elgin Baylor led all tournament scorers and was named the tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Final Four

| score-width=25 | team-width=130 | RD1-seed1= M2 | RD1-team1= Kentucky | RD1-score1= 61 | RD1-seed2= W1 | RD1-team2= Temple | RD1-score2= 60 | RD1-seed3= S1 | RD1-team3= Seattle | RD1-score3= 73 | RD1-seed4= E3 | RD1-team4= Kansas State | RD1-score4= 51 | RD2-seed1= 2 | RD2-team1= Seattle | RD2-score1= 72 | RD2-seed2= 1 | RD2-team2=Kentucky | RD2-score2= 84 | RD2b-seed1= 3 | RD2b-team1= Temple | RD2b-score1= 67 | RD2b-seed2= 4 | RD2b-team2=Kansas State | RD2b-score2= 57

National Invitation tournament

Main article: 1958 National Invitation Tournament

The Xavier Musketeers entered the National Invitation Tournament with a 15–11 record, but surprised the field, defeating fellow Ohio school Dayton 78–74 to win the NIT. The Musketeers' Hank Stein was named tournament MVP.

NIT Semifinals and Final

**Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City ** | RD1-seed1=1 | RD1-team1=St. John’s | RD1-score1=56 | RD1-seed2=3 | RD1-team2=Dayton | RD1-score2=80 | RD1-seed3=2 | RD1-team3=St. Bonaventure | RD1-score3=53 | RD1-seed4=2 | RD1-team4=Xavier | RD1-score4=72 | RD2-seed1=3 | RD2-team1=Dayton | RD2-score1=74 | RD2-seed2=2 | RD2-team2=Xavier | RD2-score2=78 | RD2b-seed1=1 | RD2b-team1=St. John's | RD2b-score1=69 | RD2b-seed2=2 | RD2b-team2=St. Bonaventure | RD2b-score2=84

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 1958 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

Major player of the year awards

• Helms Foundation Player of the Year: Elgin Baylor, Seattle
• UPI Player of the Year: Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati

Major coach of the year awards

• UPI Coach of the Year: Tex Winter, Kansas State

Other major awards

• Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Guy Rodgers, Temple
• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in NYC): Jim Cunningham, Fordham

Coaching changes

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

References

References

1. (December 18, 1957). "Coach Wilson Is Named To NCAA Rating Board". Owensboro Messenger and Inquirer.
2. (August 20, 1956). "NCAA Group Opens Talks On Money Aid To Players". Kingsport Times.
3. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102220115/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1115739/index.htm '58 The Fiddlin' Five Make Sweet Music]
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5. "Dominick A. (Dom) Flora '58". [[Washington and Lee University]].
6. Garich, Ed. (March 25, 1957). "Cage Rules Group Still in Session". Kansas City Star.
7. . (). ["Playing Rules History"](http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf). *NCAA*.
8. McQuade, Dan. (June 9, 2023). "College Basketball Players Can Wear Digits Above ‘5’ Again". Defector.
9. . (). ["Playing Rules History"](http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2010/Rules.pdf). *NCAA*.
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14. [http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/honorsandawards.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section], [[Southern Conference]], retrieved 2009-02-09
15. [http://www.soconsports.com/fls/4000/socon/files/0809mbkguide/standingsandresults.pdf?SPSID=35819&SPID=1798&DB_OEM_ID=4000 2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Postseason Section], [[Southern Conference]], retrieved 2009-02-09
16. [http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/west/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2008-09mbbrecordbook.pdf 2008–09 WCC Men's Basketball Media Guide] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-05-23 , [[West Coast Conference]], retrieved 2009-02-07)
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