1939 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament

1939 NCAA Tournament | Bracket

Champion: Oregon

MOP: Jimmy Hull, Ohio State

Final Four: Oregon, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Villanova

Location: Evanston, Illinois

Shining Moments

• Well, it’s the first one, so that in itself is pretty noteworthy. And I’ve always thought it surprising that the NCAA didn’t have an organized tournament any sooner than this for hoops. Also remember, for nearly the first two decades of existence it was the NIT that was considered the big dog, not the NCAAs.
• Long Island, undefeated at the time, bypassed the chance to play in this one, opting for the NIT instead.
• You’ll notice, despite Oregon winning, Ohio State had the MOP. But it was thanks to the “Tall Firs,” comprised of center Slim Wintermute, Laddie Gal and John Dicke, that gave Oregon the first NCAA banner in history.

Championship Game

Location: Evanston, Ill.