1934–35 NCAA men's basketball season

The 1934–35 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1934, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded in March 1935.

Rules changes
The regulation basketball was reduced in circumference, from 32 in to between 29.5 and 30.25 in.

Season headlines

 * Ned Irish began to promote college basketball doubleheaders between New York City-area teams at Madison Square Garden and intersectional games there between New York City-area teams and teams from other regions. The first intersectional game — an NYU 25–18 victory over Notre Dame on December 29, 1934 — drew 16,138 fans, a world record for attendance at a college basketball game. In the next game on January 5, 1935, NYU defeated Kentucky 23–22 before another new world record crowd of 16,539. After the NYU–Kentucky game, Kentucky head coach Adolph Rupp called for the creation of a round-robin national championship college basketball tournament.
 * The American Legion Bowl, promoted as a basketball game "for the national collegiate championship," took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the end of the season. LSU defeated Pittsburgh 41–37 and called itself the national collegiate basketball champion for the 1934–35 season, although this assertion was unofficial.

Major player of the year awards

 * Helms Player of the Year: Leroy Edwards, Kentucky (retroactive selection in 1944)

Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.