1944–45 NCAA men's basketball season

The 1944–45 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1944, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1945 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 27, 1945, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The Oklahoma A&M Aggies won their first NCAA national championship with a 49–45 victory over the NYU Violets.

Rule changes

 * Along with the ball on the rim, defensive interference by touching the ball after it had started its downward flight during an opponent's field goal attempt was declared a goal for the shooting team.
 * A player fouls out after committing five fouls, including fouls committed in overtime. Previously, a player fouled out after committing four fouls in regulation or a fifth foul in overtime. An extra foul was not permitted in overtime games.
 * Unlimited substitution is permitted for the first time. Previously, a player could re-enter a game only twice.
 * It became a violation for an offensive player to remain in the free-throw lane for more than three seconds.

Season headlines

 * The three-point shot — called a "long goal" at the time — is used experimentally for the first time in a college basketball game, played between Columbia and Fordham on February 7, 1945, with the three-point line 21 ft from the basket. Columbia made 11 "long goals," while Fordham made nine. The game also experimented with allowing free-throw shooters to take their shots from the normal 15 ft for one point or to attempt a "long foul" shot from 21 ft for two points. The teams combined for eight "long fouls" during the game, which Columbia won 73–58.
 * The February 7, 1945, game between Columbia and Fordham also saw the first use of the 12 ft free-throw lane, an experiment at a time when the free-throw lane was standardized at 6 ft wide. The 12 ft free-throw lane eventually was adopted for the 1955–56 season.
 * After its football team won the 1945 Cotton Bowl Classic on January 1, Oklahoma A&M's basketball team won the 1945 NCAA tournament on March 27, making Oklahoma A&M the first school to win both a college football bowl game and the NCAA basketball tournament in the same academic year.
 * More than 18,000 fans attended the final installment of an annual American Red Cross benefit game between the NCAA Tournament and NIT champions at Madison Square Garden. Oklahoma A&M, led by Bob Kurland, defeated George Mikan's DePaul 52–44. Kurland scored 14 points while Mikan scored 9 before fouling out in only 14 minutes of playing time.
 * In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Iowa as its national champion for the 1944–45 season.

Premo-Porretta Power Poll
In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively ranked teams during the 1944–45 season as follows by reviewing results, opponents, and margins of victory.

Statistical leaders

 * Scoring leader – George Mikan averaged 23.3 points per game and was retroactively declared the "unofficial" season scoring leader. Between 1935–36 and 1946–47, there were no official NCAA scoring champions. The statistics during that era were compiled from the National Basketball Committee Official Basketball Guide, which was not regulated by NCAA authorities. Therefore, those players are included in the annual NCAA men's basketball media guide, but are listed as unofficial season scoring leaders. No other personal statistics were tracked during the 1944–45 basketball season.

Semifinals & finals

 * Third Place – St. John's 64, Rhode Island State 57

Major player of the year awards

 * Helms Foundation Player of the Year: George Mikan, DePaul
 * Sporting News Player of the Year: George Mikan, DePaul

Other major awards

 * NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in NYC area): Bill Kotsores, St. John's

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