The 1902–03 collegiate men's basketball season in the United States began in December 1902, progressed through the regular season, and concluded in March 1903.
Season headlines
Minnesota (13–0) went undefeated for the second consecutive season. Minnesota offered to play the eastern champion, Yale, in a post-season game to decide the national championship, but Yale refused. Minnesota then claimed it was the national champion for the 1902–03 season. In February 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively selected Yale as its national champion for the 1903–04 season. In 1995, the Premo-Porretta Power Poll retroactively selected Minnesota as its top-ranked team for the 1903–04 season.
Regular season
Conference winners
ConferenceRegular Season WinnerConference Player of the YearConference TournamentTournament Venue (City)Tournament WinnerEastern Intercollegiate Basketball League Yale None selected No TournamentWestern Conference None None selected No Tournament NOTE: The Western Conference (the future Big Ten Conference) did not sponsor an official conference season or recognize a regular-season champion until the 1905–06 season. A few intramural games took place within the conference during the 1902–03 season. In 1902–03, Minnesota (13–0) and (8–0) both went undefeated.
Independents
A total of 55 college teams played as major independents. Among teams that played at least 10 games, Bucknell (10–0) was undefeated and (18–2) won the most games.
Coaching changes A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. TeamFormerCoachInterimCoachNewCoachReasonBrownCharles RayPaul DeWolfCincinnatiHenry S. PrattAnthony ChezHarvardJohn Kirkland ClarkJoseph W. GillesIllinois StateB. C. EdwardsJohn P. StewartIndianaPhelps DarbyWillis CovalIowaEd RuleFred W. BaileyLafayetteJ. L. BakerW. S. HaldemanNebraskaFred MorrellWalter HiltnerOregon AgriculturalJ. B. PattersonJ. W. ViggersPrincetonAugustus EnderbrockBill RoperPurdueCharles BestC. I. FreemanVanderbiltW. D. WeatherfordCrinnell Jones
References