1937–38 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team

The 1937–38 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate basketball during the 1937–38 season. The team scored 740 points in 20 games for an average of 37.0 points per game—the second highest point total and scoring per game in school history. Despite prolific scoring for the era, Michigan finished in a tie for fifth in the Big Ten Conference. The team compiled a 9–1 record in the first half of the season, including a six-game winning streak at the start of the season. However, the team went 3–7 in the second half of the season for a season record of 12–8, and 6–6 against Big Ten opponents.

1937–38 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Record12–8 (6–6 Big Ten)
Head coach
CaptainJohn "Jake" Townsend
Home arenaYost Field House
1937–38 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
Purdue10–2 .83318–2  .900
Minnesota9–3 .75016–4  .800
Ohio State7–5 .58312–8  .600
Northwestern7–5 .58310–10  .500
Michigan6–6 .50012–8  .600
Iowa6–6 .50011–9  .550
Wisconsin5–7 .41710–10  .500
Illinois4–8 .3339–9  .500
Indiana4–8 .33310–10  .500
Chicago2–10 .1676–12  .333
Rankings from AP Poll

One of the highlights of the season was a tour of the east during the winter break. Michigan played and defeated Maryland, Rochester, and a highly touted Dartmouth team on the trip. The Wolverines held Dartmouth to one point in the first half and led 21–1 at halftime.[1][2] While the second half of the season was a disappointment, the Wolverines had scored their highest single game total in a 58–29 over Wisconsin on February 21, 1938.[1]

Franklin "Cappy" Cappon was in his seventh and final year as the team's coach. Cappon had played basketball and football at Michigan from 1919 to 1923.[3] As a senior, he was awarded the Western Conference Medal for all-around excellence in both athletics and academics.[4] After seven seasons as Michigan's head coach, Cappon served as the head basketball coach from 1938 to 1961 at Princeton University, where he mentored Butch van Breda Kolff, Bill Bradley and Frank Deford. He compiled a combined record of 340–242 at Michigan and Princeton and was inducted into the Helms Foundation College Basketball Hall of Fame in 1957.[5]

John "Jake" Townsend, a six-foot, four inch center from Indiana, was the team captain and leading scorer. Townsend was the team's leading scorer for three straight seasons. He scored 154 points during the 1935–36 season, 191 points during the 1936–37 season, and 226 points (81 field goals and 64 of 91 free throws) in 20 games as a senior during the 1937–38 season. Townsend 226 points during the 1937–38 season broke the school's single season scoring record of 181 points set by Arthur Karpus in the 1918–19 season. His career total of 571 points also broke Karpus's career scoring record of 338 points. Townsend was selected as a consensus All-American the end of the 1937–38 season. Townsend later played professional basketball in the National Basketball League for the Indianapolis Kautskys, Oshkosh All-Stars and Rochester Royals.[6]

On March 8, 1938, the day after the season's final game, Coach Cappon announced that he had accepted the head coaching job at Princeton.[7]

Schedule
DateOpponentScoreResultLocation
December 11, 1937Michigan State43–40WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
December 16, 1937Akron32–27WinAkron, OH
December 17, 1937Maryland43–26WinCollege Park, MD
December 20, 1937Dartmouth42–17WinWhite Plains, NY
December 21, 1937Rochester50–29WinRochester, NY
January 1, 1938Toledo50–38WinToledo, OH
January 3, 1938Butler38–35LossIndianapolis, IN
January 8, 1938Illinois45–37WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
January 10, 1938Ohio State38–28WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
January 15, 1938Minnesota31–16WinMinneapolis, MN
January 17, 1938Wisconsin39–30LossMadison, WI
January 22, 1938Northwestern30–29LossEvanston, IL
January 24, 1938Ohio State29–26WinColumbus, OH
February 12, 1938Michigan State41–35LossEast Lansing, MI
February 14, 1938Iowa38–30LossYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
February 19, 1938Minnesota29–26LossYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
February 21, 1938Wisconsin58–29WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI
February 26, 1938Iowa37–25LossIowa City, IA
February 28, 1938Illinois36–32LossHuff Hall, Urbana, IL
March 7, 1938Northwestern30–22WinYost Field House, Ann Arbor, MI

Scoring statistics
PlayerGamesField goalsFree throwsPointsPoints per game[8]
John "Jake" Townsend208164-9122611.3
James Rae194621-371135.9
Leo Beebe204020-331005.0
Herman Fishman204216-331005.0
Edmund Thomas19339-17753.9
Daniel Smick191817-35532.8
William Barclay9174-15384.2
Charles Pink1366-12181.4
Manuel Slavin1350-1100.8
Russell Dobson1120-140.4
Fred Trosko410-020.5
Robert Palmer301-110.3
Totals20301158-27674037.0

Coaching staff

References
  1. 1938 Michiganensian, "Basketball," page 423.
  2. "Michigan Routs Dartmouth Five: Townsend Marks Up 13 Points as Wolverines Win, 42 to 17; Tour Ends Tonight". The Owosso Argus-Press. December 21, 1937.
  3. "University of Michigan Basketball Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  4. "Frank Cappon Gets Place On Michigan Staff". The Evening Independent. February 25, 1925.
  5. "Cappon Has Heart Attack". Holland Evening Sentinel. January 19, 1961.
  6. "John Townsend Sr. had been attorney, former professional basketball player". The Indianapolis Star. December 6, 2001. p. C10.
  7. "Wally Cappon To Princeton Cage Job". Berkeley Daily Gazette. March 8, 1938. p. 11.
  8. "University of Michigan Basketball Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
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