The 1943–44 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate basketball during the 1943–44 season. In their sixth year under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, the Wolverines finished the season in a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten Conference with an overall record of 12–7 and 5–7 against conference opponents.
After team captain Ralph Gilbert was inducted into the military, junior guard/forward Dave Strack from Indianapolis was the team's acting captain and led the team in scoring with 194 points. Sophomore forward Thomas "Little Tommy" King scored 172 points and was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player. Center Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch was the team's third highest scorer and became the first University of Michigan athlete to receive varsity letters in four sports (football, basketball, track and field, and baseball) during the same academic year.
Season overview
In March 1943, at the conclusion of the 1942–43 season, Ralph Gilbert of Flint, Michigan was elected to serve as the captain of the 1943–44 team. However, he was inducted into the military and did not play. Junior forward Dave Strack from Indianapolis served as "acting captain" in place of Gilbert.
The 1943–44 team finished the season in a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten Conference with an overall record of 12–7 and 5–7 against conference opponents. Bennie Oosterbaan was in his sixth year as the team's head coach.
Dave Strack was the team's leading scorer with 194 points in 16 games for an average of 12.1 points per game. Strack later served as the head coach of the Michigan basketball team from 1960 to 1968, including three consecutive Big Ten championships from 1963 to 1966.
Sophomore forward Thomas King, known as "Little Tommy" and sometimes "Tiny Tom," was selected as the team's Most Valuable Player. King was the team's second leading scorer with 172 points and the team leader in scoring against Big Ten opponents. King was a United States Marine Corps trainee who transferred from Michigan State College after his freshman year.
At the end of the 1943–44, and based on a vote of Big Ten coaches and Midwestern sportswriters, the United Press named four Wolverines as honorable mention players on the All-Big Ten basketball team. Elroy Hirsch was named at the center position while Thomas King was named at forward, and Dave Strack and John Leddy were named at guard.
The 1943–44 team also included three athletes, Don Lund, Bob Wiese and Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, who went on to play professionally in sports other than basketball. Lund played football, baseball, and basketball at Michigan, received a total of nine varsity letters, and later played Major League Baseball from 1945 to 1954. Wiese played for the Detroit Lions from 1947 to 1948. Hirsch was the first University of Michigan athlete to receive varsity letters in four sports in the same academic year. Hirsch lettered in football, basketball, track and field (as a broad jumper), and baseball during the 1943–44 academic year. Hirsh went on to play 12 seasons in the All-America Football Conference and the National Football League. Five participant on the 1943–44 Michigan basketball team were inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor. Head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, who was a multi-sport star at Michigan in the 1920s and head football coach from 1948 to 1958, was one of the inaugural inductees in 1978. Elroy Hirsch, Don Lund, Dave Strack was inducted in 1984. Bruce Hilkene, who was the captain of the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, was inducted in 1992.
Statistical leaders
Eleven players were awarded varsity letters for their participation on the 1943–44 basketball team. They are indicated in bold in the list below. Six other players received "secondary" awards: Bruce Hilkene, William Oren, Albin Pertile, Walter Rankin, Robert Stevens, and Robb H. Rutledge. Senior Hugh Miller received the Manager's Award as the team's student manager.
Game summaries
Central Michigan: Dec. 4, 1943
On Saturday, December 4, 1943, Michigan opened its basketball season with a 51–28 victory over Central Michigan at Yost Field House. The game drew a crowd of 1,500 persons. The Wolverines jumped to a 23–10 lead at halftime and expanded its lead to 23 points by the end of the game. Dave Strack was the leading scorer for Michigan with 13 points, and Bill Oren scored 10 points. Dick Shrider, a transfer student from Ohio State, also had four field goals.