1939–40 Duquesne Dukes men's basketball team

1939–40 Duquesne Dukes men's basketball
NCAA tournament, Final Four
ConferenceIndependent
Record20–3
Head coach
Home arenaDuquesne Gardens
Seasons

The 1939–40 Duquesne Dukes men's basketball team represented Duquesne University during the 1939–40 NCAA men's basketball season. The Dukes were led by head coach Chick Davies and played their home games at Duquesne Gardens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Playing as an NCAA independent, Duquesne finished the regular season with a 17–1 record. The team advanced to the championship game of the National Invitation Tournament before losing to Colorado, then played in the NCAA tournament where they reached the only Final Four in program history. The Dukes finished with a 20–3 record overall with two of the losses coming to National champion Indiana.

Roster

1939–40 Duquesne Dukes men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
G/F Moe Becker 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Jr Pittsburgh
G Rudy Debnar 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Jr Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Lou Kasperik
—
—
 Jr Smithton, Pennsylvania
G Ed Milkovich 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Jr Pittsburgh
F Paul Widowitz 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Jr Pittsburgh
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular season
Dec 27, 1939*
 Indiana L 49–51  3–1
 Duquesne Gardens 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jan 2, 1940*
 Colorado W 47–45 OT 4–1
 Duquesne Gardens 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NIT
Mar 11, 1940*
 vs. St. John's
Quarterfinals 		W 38–31  18–1
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, New York
Mar 13, 1940*
 vs. Oklahoma A&M
Semifinals 		W 34–30  19–1
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, New York
Mar 15, 1940*
 vs. Colorado
Championship game 		L 40–51  19–2
 Madison Square Garden 
New York, New York
NCAA tournament
Mar 22, 1940*
 vs. Western Kentucky
East Regional Final – Elite Eight 		W 30–29  20–2
 Butler Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, Indiana
Mar 23, 1940*
 vs. Indiana
National Semifinal – Final Four 		L 30–39  20–3
 Butler Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, Indiana
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
E=East.

[1][2]

References

  1. ^ "1939–40 Duquesne Dukes Schedule and Results". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  2. ^ "2023-24 Duquesne Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Duquesne University Athletics. Retrieved August 19, 2023.