# 1917–18 NCAA men's basketball season

The 1917–18 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1917, progressed through the regular season, and concluded in March 1918.

## Season headlines

* The Pacific Coast Conference did not play as a basketball conference during the 1917–18 season. Its members competed as independents.
* In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected Syracuse as its national champion for the 1917–18 season.
* In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Syracuse as its national champion for the 1917–18 season.

## Conference membership changes

| School | Former Conference | New Conference |
| Michigan Wolverines | No basketball program | Big Ten Conference |
| Oklahoma A&M Aggies | Independent | Southwest Conference |
| Stanford Indians | Pacific Coast Conference | Independent |
| Washington State Cougars | Pacific Coast Conference | Independent |

## Regular season
### Conferences
#### Conference winners

| Conference | Regular Season Winner | Conference Player of the Year | Conference Tournament | Tournament Venue (City) | Tournament Winner |
| Big Ten Conference | Wisconsin | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League | Penn | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Missouri | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Pacific Coast Conference | Did not play as conference | Did not play as conference | Did not play as conference | Did not play as conference | Did not play as conference |
| Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference | Colorado | | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Southwest Conference | Rice | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |

#### Conference standings

1917–18 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings :
| 1917–18 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Wisconsin9–3 .75014–3  .824 Minnesota7–3 .70013–3  .813 Northwestern5–3 .6257–4  .636 Illinois6–6 .5009–6  .600 Chicago6–6 .50014–10  .583 Purdue5–5 .50011–5  .688 Ohio State5–5 .50012–7  .632 Indiana3–3 .50010–4  .714 Iowa4–6 .4006–8  .429 Michigan0–10 .0006–12  .333 | 1917–18 Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Penn9–1 .90018–2  .900 Princeton8–2 .80012–3  .800 Cornell7–3 .70011–4  .733 Yale4–6 .4007–14  .333 Columbia2–8 .2004–9  .308 Dartmouth0–10 .0000–26  .000 | 1917–18 Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Missouri15–1 .93817–1  .944 Kansas State10–5 .66712–5  .706 Kansas9–8 .52910–8  .556 Washington University4–8 .3339–8  .529 Nebraska4–5 .4447–7  .500 Iowa State1–6 .1436–10  .375 Drake0–10 .0001–15  .063 |
| 1917–18 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings ConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Colorado6–1 .8579–2  .818 Denver3–3 .5003–4  .429 Colorado Agricultural2–3 .4005–5  .500 Colorado Mines1–5 .1673–5  .375 Colorado College– –3–2  .600 | 1917–18 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Rice7–3 .70010–4  .714 Texas8–4 .66714–5  .737 Texas A&M7–7 .5009–9  .500 Baylor2–7 .2222–15  .118 Oklahoma A&M1–4 .2006–10  .375 |

### Independents

A total of 127 college teams played as major independents. Among independents that played at least 10 games, Creighton (14–0), Miami of Ohio (10–0), North Dakota (15–0), Oregon Agricultural (15–0), Saint Mary's (15–0), the Stevens Institute (14–0), and Wisconsin–Stevens Point (14–0) were undefeated, and Syracuse (16–1) finished with the most wins.
1917–18 NCAA men's basketball independents standings :
* 1917–18 NCAA men's basketball independents standings
* vteConfOverall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Canisius– –5–0
* 1.000
* Creighton– –14–0
* 1.000
* Miami (Ohio)– –10–0
* 1.000
* Oregon Agricultural– –15–0
* 1.000
* Rhode Island State– –3–0
* 1.000
* Saint Mary's (Calif.)– –15–0
* 1.000
* Santa Clara– –4–0
* 1.000
* Stevens Institute– –14–0
* 1.000
* Utah State– –9–0
* 1.000
* Wisconsin–Stevens Point– –14–0
* 1.000
* Syracuse– –16–1
* .941
* Union (N.Y.)– –14–1
* .933
* Idaho– –12–1
* .923
* Louisiana State– –12–1
* .923
* Penn State– –12–1
* .923
* Oklahoma– –11–1
* .917
* Central (Ky.)– –10–1
* .909
* Navy– –14–2
* .875
* Virginia– –7–1
* .875
* Geneva– –13–2
* .867
* Georgia– –6–1
* .857
* Washington & Jefferson– –10–2
* .833
* Kentucky– –9–2
* .818
* North Carolina State– –13–3
* .813
* Springfield (Mass.)– –13–3
* .813
* California– –8–2
* .800
* Bucknell– –11–3
* .786
* Tempe Normal– –14–4
* .778
* Valparaiso– –7–2
* .778
* Fordham– –10–3
* .769
* Kalamazoo– –10–3
* .769
* Boston– –6–2
* .750
* Buffalo– –6–2
* .750
* Franklin– –9–3
* .750
* North Carolina– –9–3
* .750
* North Central– –9–3
* .750
* Tulane– –6–2
* .750
* Virginia Tech– –15–5
* .750
* Stanford– –11–4
* .733
* Marietta– –8–3
* .727
* Niagara– –8–3
* .727
* Detroit– –13–5
* .722
* St. Joseph's– –5–2
* .714
* CCNY– –7–3
* .700
* New Mexico A&M– –7–3
* .700
* Akron– –9–4
* .692
* Carleton– –9–4
* .692
* Central Missouri– –9–4
* .692
* Lafayette– –15–7
* .682
* Army– –8–4
* .667
* Trinity (N.C.)– –10–5
* .667
* Vanderbilt– –6–3
* .667
* Western State Normal– –8–4
* .667
* Wyoming– –4–2
* .667
* Grinnell– –7–4
* .636
* Roanoke– –7–4
* .636
* Brigham Young– –5–3
* .625
* Rutgers– –5–3
* .625
* Seton Hall– –8–5
* .615
* South Carolina– –8–5
* .615
* Southwestern (Kan.)– –8–5
* .615
* Arizona– –3–2
* .600
* Bowling Green State– –6–4
* .600
* Clemson– –3–2
* .600
* North Dakota Agricultural– –9–6
* .600
* Davidson– –7–5
* .583
* Denison– –7–5
* .583
* Millsaps– –7–5
* .583
* Swarthmore– –7–5
* .583
* Georgetown– –8–6
* .571
* SMU– –5–4
* .556
* Utah– –5–4
* .556
* Lehigh– –11–9
* .550
* Mount Union– –7–6
* .538
* Temple– –8–7
* .533
* Wabash– –8–7
* .533
* Duquesne– –4–4
* .500
* Indiana State– –8–8
* .500
* Montana– –6–6
* .500
* Nevada– –3–3
* .500
* St. John's (N.Y.)– –8–8
* .500
* Texas Christian– –4–4
* .500
* VMI– –6–6
* .500
* Millikin– –10–11
* .476
* DePauw– –7–8
* .467
* Catholic– –5–6
* .455
* Delaware– –5–6
* .455
* Washington and Lee– –5–6
* .455
* Bradley– –6–8
* .429
* Colgate– –9–12
* .429
* Louisville– –3–4
* .429
* Manhattan– –6–8
* .429
* Northern Colorado– –3–4
* .429
* Gettysburg– –5–7
* .417
* Auburn– –2–3
* .400
* Beloit– –4–6
* .400
* Marquette– –4–6
* .400
* Michigan State– –6–10
* .375
* Washington State– –7–12
* .368
* Pittsburgh– –5–9
* .357
* William & Mary– –6–11
* .353
* Dayton– –2–4
* .333
* Notre Dame– –2–4
* .333
* Ohio– –4–8
* .333
* Richmond– –3–6
* .333
* Toledo– –2–4
* .333
* Washington– –4–8
* .333
* Wooster– –4–9
* .308
* Alabama– –2–5
* .286
* Oregon– –3–8
* .273
* Cincinnati– –2–6
* .250
* Montana State– –2–6
* .250
* Tennessee– –3–9
* .250
* Wake Forest– –4–12
* .250
* West Virginia– –4–13
* .235
* Fairmount– –3–10
* .231
* Grove City– –2–7
* .222
* Saint Louis– –3–12
* .200
* Washburn– –2–9
* .182
* Tulsa– –1–5
* .167
* Connecticut– –1–6
* .143
* New York University– –1–10
* .091
* Butler– –0–6
* .000
* The Citadel– –0–1
* .000
* Muhlenberg– –0–7
* .000
* Southern California– –0–2
* .000

### Statistical leaders
## 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 1917–18 season.
| Player | Team |
| Earl Anderson | Illinois |
| Bill Chandler | Wisconsin |
| Harold Gillen | Minnesota |
| Hubert Peck | Penn |
| Craig Ruby | Missouri |
| Joseph Schwarzer | Syracuse |
| Eber Simpson | Wisconsin |
| Alfred Sorenson | Washington State |
| George Sweeney | Penn |
| Gene Vidal | Army |

### Major player of the year awards

* Helms Player of the Year: Bill Chandler, Wisconsin (retroactive selection in 1944)