1939–40 Duquesne Dukes men's basketball team

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.

1939–40 Duquesne Dukes men's basketball
NIT championship game, NCAA tournament Final Four
Conference	Independent
Record	20–3
Head coach	Chick Davies (16th season)
Home arena	Duquesne Gardens
Seasons ← 1938–39 1940–41 →

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 Chick Davies Assistant coach(es) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt

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.

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