75 years ago the Indiana Hoosiers were preparing for a title run, one that would culminate in the first of the program’s five national championships. Although a lot of curious college basketball fans were focused on Branch McCracken’s talented squad, one that was running train on the Big Ten before blowing out Kansas in the title game, those same fans and millions of others across the country were heavily focused on something significantly larger than sports.
Just weeks after the Hoosiers defeated the Jayhawks, Germany invaded Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg and much of France. While Germany’s all-out attack on Europe was well underway, it was becoming more evident that the Second World War would soon vacuum up every soul in the United States and thus requiring the help of millions of young men.
This week’s top 25 teams are ranked by the number of enlistments in the United States Military between 1938 and 1946. Of the nearly 20 million individuals that served during this period, over 400,000 Americans were killed during World War II and another 600,000-plus were wounded.
Each team is ranked by the number of enlistments for the county in which the school is located, as according to The National Archives and Records Administration.
Check out all of the 2014-15 Re-Ranks here.
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