1954–55 NCAA men's basketball season

The 1954–55 NCAA men's basketball season began in December 1954, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1955 NCAA basketball tournament championship game on March 19, 1955, at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The San Francisco Dons won their first NCAA national championship with a 77–63 victory over the La Salle Explorers.

Rule changes

 * The "one-and-one" free throw was introduced, allowing a player to attempt a second free throw after a foul if he made the first free throw. Previously, a player shot only one free throw after a foul.
 * Games once again are divided into two 20-minute halves, as had been the practice through the 1950–51 season. From the 1951–52 season though the 1953–54 season, games had been divided into four 10-minute quarters.

Season headlines

 * Tom Gola of La Salle completed his collegiate career (1952–1955) with a total of 2,462 points and 2,201 rebounds, making him the first player to achieve 2,000 or more points and 2,000 or more rebounds in his career.
 * Gola was named the 1955 player of the year by United Press (later United Press International), the first player to be recognized as the national player of the year.
 * Head coach Phil Woolpert of San Francisco was named coach of the year by United Press (the future United Press International), becoming the first person to be recognized as national coach of the year.
 * The Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League was disbanded at the end of the season. Its teams, history, and heritage were absorbed into the Ivy League the following season.

Pre-season polls
The Top 20 from the AP Poll and the UP Coaches Poll during the pre-season.

Arenas

 * Kansas began playing at Allen Fieldhouse late in the season, on March 1, 1955. The arena was named for Kansas's coach at the time, Phog Allen. Allen Fieldhouse would eventually give Kansas one of the top college basketball home-court advantages in the United States.

Final Four

 * Third Place – Colorado 75, Iowa 54

Semifinals & finals

 * Third Place – Cincinnati 96, St. Francis (Pa.) 91

Major player of the year awards

 * Helms Player of the Year: Bill Russell, San Francisco
 * UP Player of the Year: Tom Gola, La Salle

Major coach of the year awards

 * UP Coach of the Year: Phil Woolpert, San Francisco

Other major awards

 * NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Ed Conlin, Fordham

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