1942–43 Wyoming Cowboys basketball team

The 1942–43 Wyoming Cowboys basketball team represented the University of Wyoming in NCAA men's competition in the 1942–43 season.^[1] The Cowboys won the Mountain States Conference championship and were the first basketball team from the Rocky Mountains to win an NCAA Basketball Championship. Kenny Sailors of Hillsdale, Wyoming averaged 15.5 points per game and Milo Komenich averaged 16.7 points per game in leading the team to the championship.^[2] Despite playing just nine home games during the year, the Cowboys won 32 games.^[3]

Roster

Name	Position	Home Town
Charles Castle	Forward	Phoenix, AZ
James Collins	Guard	Laramie, WY
Jimmy Darden	Forward	Cheyenne, WY
Jack Downey	Guard	Phoenix, AZ
Vernon Jensen	Guard	Lyman, WY
Antone Katana	Center	Rock Springs, WY
Milo Komenich	Center	Gary, IN
Earl Ray	Guard	Casper, WY
Jimmie Reese	Forward	Rock Springs, WY
Lou Roney	Guard	Powell, WY
Ken Sailors	Forward	Laramie, WY
Kenneth Tallman	Forward	Cheyenne, WY
Floyd Volker	Forward	Casper, WY
Donald Waite	Guard	Scottsbluff, NE
Jim Weir	Forward	Green River, WY

^[4]

Regular season

In the fourth game of the season, the Cowboys lost to Duquesne. It would be the last game the Cowboys lost to a college team during the season. Their only other loss was to the Denver Legion team.^[3] The Cowboys outscored their opponents by an average of over 20 points per game and that 1942–43 squad became the first Wyoming team to score over 100 points in a game, by beating Regis 101–45.

NCAA basketball tournament

West
- Wyoming 53, Oklahoma 50
Final Four
- Wyoming 58, Texas 54
- Wyoming 46, Georgetown 34

^[5]

Red Cross game

St. John's won the National Invitation Tournament that same year and claimed it was better than Wyoming and that the NIT was a better tournament than the NCAA.^[6] Ev Shelton talked Ned Irish, the promoter at Madison Square Garden, into hosting a showdown game, with proceeds going to the Red Cross. Two days after winning the NCAA Championship, Wyoming played NIT Champion St. John's in a Red Cross benefit game for the war effort. Wyoming beat St. John's in overtime by a score of 52–47, in Madison Square Garden.^[6]

Awards and honors

First team from the Rocky Mountains to win an NCAA Championship^[3]
Only Wyoming basketball team to win an NCAA Championship^[3]
Defeated NIT Champions St. John's in Red Cross Benefit Game^[3]
Ken Sailors, All-America selection
Ken Sailors, College Basketball Player of the Year
Ken Sailors, NCAA Men's MOP Award^[7]

References

^ "Cowboys" is specific to men's sports at Wyoming; women's teams and athletes are "Cowgirls".
^ https://web.archive.org/web/20110714143204/http://www.mylosingseason.com/2007/01/sailors-ferrin-mikan-and-great-santini.html
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "2011–12 Wyoming Cowboys media guide, pg. 115" (PDF). University of Wyoming Athletics. 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
^ http://www.databasesports.com/ncaab/tourney.htm?yr=1943
^ ^a ^b Moss, Irv (April 7, 2009). "Sailors still big shot in Wyoming history". Denver Post. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
^ "Final Four Most Outstanding Players". cbs.sportsline.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved March 31, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[1] "Cowboys" is specific to men's sports at Wyoming; women's teams and athletes are "Cowgirls".

[mylosingseason.com-2] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20110714143204/http://www.mylosingseason.com/2007/01/sailors-ferrin-mikan-and-great-santini.html

[wyomingathletics.com-3] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[4] "2011–12 Wyoming Cowboys media guide, pg. 115" (PDF). University of Wyoming Athletics. 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2012.

[5] ttp://www.databasesports.com/ncaab/tourney.htm?yr=1943

[denverpost.com-6] Moss, Irv (April 7, 2009). "Sailors still big shot in Wyoming history". Denver Post. Retrieved May 14, 2009.

[Tourney_History-7] "Final Four Most Outstanding Players". cbs.sportsline.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved March 31, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

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v t e Wyoming Cowboys basketball
Venues	Little Red Gym (1904–1924) Half Acre Gym (1924–1951) War Memorial Fieldhouse (1951–1982) Arena-Auditorium (1982–present)
Rivalries	Colorado State
Culture & lore	"Ragtime Cowboy Joe"
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
Helms and NCAA national championships in bold