Men's Basketball Team - 1945 (1990) - Hall of Fame & Jersey Retirements

Men's Basketball Team - 1945

Induction:
1990

Led by a dominant big man and an up-and-coming coach, the 1945 edition of the Blue Demons won the school’s first national championship by winning the 1945 National Invitation Tournament.

The 1944-45 season opened with high expectations. With George Mikan, the game’s most dominant player, the question surrounding the Blue Demons and young coach Ray Meyer was not, if they will win, it was how many times.

The Blue Demons won six-straight to open the season and despite a setback against Illinois at the old Chicago Stadium, DePaul then won 11-consecutive games. DePaul finished the season with an 18-2 regular season record and received a bid to the NIT for its efforts.

Meyer's squad opened the tournament with a 76-52 win over West Virginia, behind 33 points from Mikan. The Blue Demons powered through the semifinals with a 97-53 win against Rhode Island where Mikan cemented his legacy with a school-record 53 points, which still stands today.

In the NIT title game, DePaul faced off against Bowling Green, taking home the title with a 71-54 victory. DePaul would eventually lose to NCAA Champion Oklahoma A&M (Oklahoma State) in the Red Cross game after the NIT.

Meyer’s third season with the Blue Demons ended at 21-3 validated the Blue Demons as one of the premier programs in the country and started a legacy of a coach that would span 42 years on the sidelines.