# 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2004, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2005 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship game on April 4, 2005, at the Edward Jones Dome in Saint Louis, Missouri. The North Carolina Tar Heels won their fourth NCAA national championship with a 75–70 victory over the Illinois Fighting Illini.

## Season headlines

* The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 9. Chris Paul of Wake Forest was the leading vote-getter (55 of 72 votes). The rest of the team included Lawrence Roberts of Mississippi State (50 votes), Wayne Simien of Kansas (50), Julius Hodge of NC State (41) and Hakim Warrick of Syracuse (33).
* In the 2005 NCAA tournament, Rick Pitino of Louisville became the first head coach to take three different teams to the NCAA tournament Final Four. He had done it previously with Providence in 1987 and Kentucky in 1993.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 11, 2004.
'Associated Press' :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Kansas (25) |
| 2 | Wake Forest (22) |
| 3 | Georgia Tech (10) |
| 4 | North Carolina (10) |
| 5 | Illinois (2) |
| 6 | Syracuse |
| 7 | Oklahoma State (2) |
| 8 | Connecticut |
| 9 | Kentucky (1) |
| 10 | Arizona |
| 11 | Duke |
| 12 | Mississippi State |
| 13 | Michigan State |
| 14 | Louisville |
| 15 | Maryland |
| 16 | Texas |
| 17 | Pittsburgh |
| 18 | Alabama |
| 19 | North Carolina State |
| 20 | Notre Dame |
| 21 | Wisconsin |
| 22 | Washington |
| 23 | Florida |
| 24 | Memphis |
| 25 | Gonzaga |
ESPN/USA Today coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Kansas (8) |
| 2 | Wake Forest (12) |
| 3 | North Carolina (6) |
| 4 | Georgia Tech (1) |
| 5 | Illinois (1) |
| 6 | Syracuse |
| 7 | Connecticut |
| 8 | Oklahoma State (1) |
| 9 | Kentucky |
| 10 | Michigan State |
| 11 | Arizona (1) |
| 12 | Duke |
| 13 | Louisville (1) |
| 14 | Mississippi State |
| 15 | Texas |
| 16 | Maryland |
| 17 | Pittsburgh |
| 18 | Alabama |
| 19 | North Carolina State |
| 20 | Wisconsin |
| 21 | Notre Dame |
| 22 | Florida |
| 23 | Memphis |
| 24 | Washington |
| 25 | Stanford |

## Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2004–05 season.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| UC Davis Aggies | California Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Division II) | NCAA Division I Independent |
| Longwood Lancers | NCAA Division II independent | NCAA Division I independent |
| Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes | Big East Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Northern Colorado Bears | NCAA Division II | NCAA Division I Independent |
| Virginia Tech Hokies | Big East Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference |

## Regular season
### Conferences
#### Conference winners and tournaments

Thirty conference seasons concluded with a single-elimination tournament. Generally, all member schools were eligible to participate in their conference tournament regardless of their records, but the Big East did not invite its teams with the worst records to its 2005 tournament. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, while a school that won its conference regular season title but did not win its conference tournament was guaranteed a bid to the 2005 National Invitation Tournament unless it received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Ivy League was the only NCAA Division I conference that did not hold a conference tournament, instead sending its regular-season champion to the NCAA tournament.
| Conference | Regular season Winner | Conference Player of the Year | Conference Tournament | Tournament Venue (City) | Tournament Winner |
| America East Conference | Vermont | Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont | 2005 America East men's basketball tournament | Events Center (Vestal, New York) (Except Finals) | Vermont |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | St. Joseph's (East) George Washington (West) | Pat Carroll, St. Joseph's & Steven Smith, La Salle | 2005 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | U.S. Bank Arena (Cincinnati) | George Washington |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | North Carolina | JJ Redick, Duke | 2005 ACC men's basketball tournament | MCI Center (Washington, D.C.) | Duke |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | Central Florida & Gardner–Webb | Mike Bell, Florida Atlantic | 2005 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament | Curb Event Center (Nashville, Tennessee) | Central Florida |
| Big 12 Conference | Kansas & Oklahoma | Wayne Simien, Kansas | 2005 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) | Oklahoma State |
| Big East Conference | Boston College & Connecticut | Hakim Warrick, Syracuse | 2005 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City) | Syracuse |
| Big Sky Conference | Portland State | Seamus Boxley, Portland State | 2005 Big Sky men's basketball tournament | Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon) (Semifinals and Finals) | Montana |
| Big South Conference | Winthrop | Pele Paelay, Coastal Carolina | 2005 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Winthrop Coliseum (Rock Hill, South Carolina) (Semifinals and Finals) | Winthrop |
| Big Ten Conference | Illinois | Dee Brown, Illinois | 2005 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament | United Center (Chicago) | Illinois |
| Big West Conference | Pacific | David Doubley, Pacific | 2005 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California) | Utah State |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Old Dominion | Alex Loughton, Old Dominion | 2005 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | Old Dominion |
| Conference USA | Louisville | Eddie Basden, Charlotte | 2005 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | FedExForum (Memphis, Tennessee) | Louisville |
| Horizon League | Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Ed McCants, Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 2005 Horizon League men's basketball tournament | U.S. Cellular Arena (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (Except First Round) | Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| Ivy League | Penn | Tim Begley, Penn | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Niagara & Rider | Juan Mendez, Niagara | 2005 MAAC men's basketball tournament | HSBC Arena (Buffalo, New York) | Niagara |
| Mid-American Conference | Miami (OH) (East) Western Michigan & Toledo (West) | Turner Battle, Buffalo | 2005 MAC men's basketball tournament | Gund Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | Ohio |
| Mid-Continent Conference | Oral Roberts | Caleb Green, Oral Roberts | 2005 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament | John Q. Hammons Arena (Tulsa, Oklahoma) | Oakland |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Delaware State | Chakowby Hicks, Norfolk State | 2005 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | Delaware State |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Southern Illinois | Darren Brooks, Southern Illinois | 2005 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Savvis Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Southern Illinois |
| Mountain West Conference | Utah | Andrew Bogut, Utah | 2005 MWC men's basketball tournament | Pepsi Center (Denver, Colorado) | New Mexico |
| Northeast Conference | Monmouth | Blake Hamilton, Monmouth | 2005 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Fairleigh Dickinson |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Tennessee Tech | Willie Jenkins, Tennessee Tech | 2005 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Gaylord Entertainment Center (Nashville, Tennessee) (Semifinals and Finals) | Eastern Kentucky |
| Pacific-10 Conference | Arizona | Ike Diogu, Arizona State | 2005 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament | Staples Center (Los Angeles) | Washington |
| Patriot League | Holy Cross | Kevin Hamilton, Holy Cross | 2005 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Bucknell |
| Southeastern Conference | Kentucky (East) Alabama & LSU (West) | Brandon Bass, LSU | 2005 SEC men's basketball tournament | Gaylord Entertainment Center (Nashville, Tennessee) | Florida |
| Southern Conference | Chattanooga (North) Davidson (South) | Brendan Winters, Davidson | 2005 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | McKenzie Arena (Chattanooga, Tennessee) | Chattanooga |
| Southland Conference | Southeastern Louisiana & Northwestern State | Joe Thompson, Sam Houston State | 2005 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Prather Coliseum (Natchitoches, Louisiana) (Finals) | Southeastern Louisiana |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Alabama A&M | Obie Trotter, Alabama A&M | 2005 Southwestern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament | Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex (Birmingham, Alabama) | Alabama A&M |
| Sun Belt Conference | Arkansas-Little Rock (East) Denver (West) | Yemi Nicholson, Denver | 2005 Sun Belt men's basketball tournament | UNT Coliseum (Denton, Texas) | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | Ronny Turiaf, Gonzaga | 2005 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Leavey Center (Santa Clara, California) | Gonzaga |
| Western Athletic Conference | Nevada | Nick Fazekas, Nevada | 2005 WAC men's basketball tournament | Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada) | UTEP |

#### Conference standings

2004–05 America East Conference men's basketball standings :
| 2004–05 America East Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Vermont †16–2 .88925–7  .781 Northeastern15–3 .83321–10  .677 Boston University14–4 .77820–9  .690 Albany9–9 .50013–15  .464 Binghamton8–10 .44412–17  .414 Maine8–10 .44414–15  .483 Stony Brook6–12 .33312–17  .414 New Hampshire5–13 .2789–19  .321 UMBC5–13 .27811–18  .379 Hartford4–14 .2228–20  .286 † 2005 America East tournament winner | 2004–05 ACC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 North Carolina14–2 .87533–4  .892 No. 5 Wake Forest13–3 .81327–6  .818 No. 3 Duke†11–5 .68827–6  .818 Virginia Tech8–8 .50016–14  .533 No. 25 Georgia Tech8–8 .50020–12  .625 Miami (FL)7–9 .43816–13  .552 NC State7–9 .43821–14  .600 Maryland7–9 .43819–13  .594 Clemson5–11 .31316–16  .500 Florida State4–12 .25014–15  .483 Virginia4–12 .25014–15  .483 † 2005 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Saint Joseph's14–2 .87524–12  .667 Temple11–5 .68816–14  .533 UMass9–7 .56316–12  .571 Fordham8–8 .50013–16  .448 Rhode Island4–12 .2506–22  .214 St. Bonaventure1–15 .0632–26  .071 West George Washington †11–5 .68822–8  .733 Dayton10–6 .62518–11  .621 Xavier10–6 .62517–12  .586 Richmond8–8 .50014–15  .483 La Salle5–11 .31310–19  .345 Duquesne5–11 .3138–22  .267 † 2005 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2004–05 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UCF †13–7 .65024–9  .727 Gardner-Webb13–7 .65018–12  .600 Belmont12–8 .60014–16  .467 Lipscomb11–9 .55016–12  .571 Mercer11–9 .55016–12  .571 Jacksonville11–9 .55016–13  .552 Georgia State11–9 .55014–15  .483 Troy State10–10 .50012–18  .400 Florida Atlantic10–10 .50010–17  .370 Stetson8–12 .40010–17  .370 Campbell0–20 .0002–25  .074 † 2005 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner As of March 1, 2005 Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 17 Oklahoma12–4 .75025–8  .758 No. 12 Kansas12–4 .75023–7  .767 No. 6 Oklahoma State †11–5 .68826–7  .788 No. 24 Texas Tech10–6 .62522–11  .667 Iowa State9–7 .56319–12  .613 Texas9–7 .56320–11  .645 Texas A&M8–8 .50021–10  .677 Missouri7–9 .43816–17  .485 Nebraska7–9 .43814–14  .500 Kansas State6–10 .37517–12  .586 Colorado4–12 .25014–16  .467 Baylor1–15 .0639–19  .321 † 2005 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2004–05 Big East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 14 Boston College13–3 .81325–5  .833 No. 13 Connecticut13–3 .81323–8  .742 No. 19 Villanova11–5 .68824–8  .750 Pittsburgh10–6 .62520–9  .690 Notre Dame9–7 .56317–12  .586 Georgetown8–8 .50019–13  .594 West Virginia8–8 .50024–11  .686 Providence4–12 .25014–17  .452 Seton Hall4–12 .25012–16  .429 Rutgers2–14 .12510–19  .345 St. John's*3–13 .1889–18  .333 No. 11 Syracuse†**0–5 .00012–7  .632 † 2005 Big East tournament winner As of April 4, 2005 Rankings from AP Poll *Did not qualify for 2005 Big East tournament. **Syracuse had 15 regular season games vacated due to sanctions against the program; Syracuse′s disputed record was 27–7, 11–5. |
| 2004–05 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Portland State11–3 .78619–9  .679 Montana State9–5 .64314–14  .500 Montana †9–5 .64318–13  .581 Sacramento State8–6 .57112–16  .429 Weber State7–7 .50014–16  .467 Eastern Washington5–9 .3578–20  .286 Northern Arizona4–10 .28611–17  .393 Idaho State3–11 .2149–18  .333 † 2005 Big Sky tournament winner | 2004–05 Big South Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Winthrop †15–1 .93827–6  .818 Liberty11–5 .68813–15  .464 UNC Asheville8–8 .50011–17  .393 Birmingham–Southern7–9 .43816–14  .533 Charleston Southern7–9 .43813–17  .433 Radford7–9 .43812–16  .429 High Point7–9 .43813–18  .419 Coastal Carolina7–9 .43810–19  .345 VMI3–13 .1889–18  .333 † 2005 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Illinois †15–1 .93837–2  .949 No. 15 Michigan State13–3 .81326–6  .813 No. 20 Wisconsin11–5 .68825–9  .735 Indiana10–6 .62515–14  .517 Minnesota10–6 .62521–11  .656 Ohio State8–8 .50020–12  .625 Iowa7–9 .43821–12  .636 Northwestern6–10 .37515–16  .484 Michigan4–12 .25013–18  .419 Purdue3–13 .1887–21  .250 Penn State1–15 .0637–23  .233 † 2005 Big Ten tournament winner As of March 15, 2005 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2004–05 Big West men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 22 Pacific18–0 1.00027–4  .871 Utah State †13–5 .72224–8  .750 Cal State Fullerton12–6 .66721–11  .656 Cal State Northridge12–6 .66718–13  .581 UC Irvine8–10 .44416–13  .552 Long Beach State7–11 .38910–20  .333 UC Santa Barbara7–11 .38911–18  .379 Idaho6–12 .3338–22  .267 UC Riverside4–14 .2229–19  .321 Cal Poly3–15 .1675–22  .185 † 2005 Big West tournament winner As of April 10, 2005 Rankings from AP poll | 2004–05 CAA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Old Dominion †15–3 .83328–6  .824 UNC Wilmington13–5 .72219–10  .655 VCU13–5 .72219–13  .594 Hofstra12–6 .66721–9  .700 Drexel12–6 .66717–12  .586 George Mason10–8 .55616–13  .552 Delaware7–11 .38911–20  .355 William & Mary3–15 .1678–21  .276 James Madison3–15 .1676–22  .214 Towson2–16 .1115–24  .172 † 2005 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2004–05 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Louisville †14–2 .87533–5  .868 Charlotte12–4 .75021–8  .724 No. 23 Cincinnati12–4 .75025–8  .758 UAB10–6 .62522–11  .667 DePaul10–6 .62520–11  .645 Houston9–7 .56318–14  .563 Memphis9–7 .56322–16  .579 TCU8–8 .50021–14  .600 Marquette7–9 .43819–12  .613 Saint Louis6–10 .3759–21  .300 South Florida5–11 .31314–16  .467 Tulane4–12 .25010–18  .357 East Carolina4–12 .2509–19  .321 Southern Miss2–14 .12511–17  .393 † 2005 Conference USA Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2004–05 Horizon League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Milwaukee †14–2 .87526–6  .813 Green Bay10–6 .62517–11  .607 Detroit9–7 .56314–16  .467 Loyola Chicago8–8 .50013–17  .433 Illinois-Chicago8–8 .50015–14  .517 Wright State8–8 .50015–15  .500 Butler7–9 .43813–15  .464 Cleveland State6–10 .3759–17  .346 Youngstown State2–14 .1255–23  .179 † 2005 Horizon League Tournament winner | 2004–05 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Penn13–1 .92920–9  .690 Cornell8–6 .57113–14  .481 Harvard7–7 .50012–15  .444 Yale7–7 .50011–16  .407 Dartmouth7–7 .50010–17  .370 Princeton6–8 .42915–13  .536 Brown5–9 .35712–16  .429 Columbia3–11 .21412–15  .444 Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Niagara †13–5 .72220–10  .667 Rider13–5 .72219–11  .633 Fairfield11–7 .61115–15  .500 Saint Peter's10–8 .55615–13  .536 Iona9–9 .50015–16  .484 Manhattan9–9 .50015–14  .517 Canisius8–10 .44411–18  .379 Marist8–10 .44411–17  .393 Loyola (MD)5–13 .2786–22  .214 Siena4–14 .2226–24  .200 † 2005 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2004–05 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Miami (OH)12–6 .66719–11  .633 Buffalo11–7 .61123–10  .697 Ohio †11–7 .61121–11  .656 Akron11–7 .61119–10  .655 Kent State11–7 .61120–13  .606 Marshall3–15 .1676–22  .214 West Western Michigan11–7 .61120–13  .606 Toledo11–7 .61116–13  .552 Bowling Green10–8 .55618–11  .621 Ball State10–8 .55615–13  .536 Northern Illinois7–11 .38911–17  .393 Eastern Michigan5–13 .27812–18  .400 Central Michigan4–14 .22210–18  .357 † 2005 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Oral Roberts13–3 .81325–8  .758 UMKC12–4 .75016–12  .571 Valparaiso10–6 .62515–16  .484 IUPUI9–7 .56316–13  .552 Western Illinois7–9 .43811–17  .393 Chicago State7–9 .4389–19  .321 Oakland †7–9 .43813–19  .406 Southern Utah6–10 .37513–15  .464 Centenary1–15 .0633–24  .111 † 2005 Mid-Con Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Delaware State †14–4 .77819–14  .576 Hampton13–5 .72217–13  .567 Coppin State13–5 .72214–15  .483 South Carolina State11–7 .61119–12  .613 Norfolk State11–7 .61113–14  .481 Morgan State11–7 .61114–16  .467 Florida A&M10–8 .55614–15  .483 Bethune–Cookman8–10 .44413–17  .433 North Carolina A&T5–13 .2786–24  .200 Howard2–16 .1115–23  .179 Maryland Eastern Shore1–17 .0562–26  .071 † 2005 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2004–05 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Southern Illinois15–3 .83327–8  .771 Wichita State12–6 .66722–10  .688 Creighton †11–7 .61123–11  .676 Northern Iowa11–7 .61121–11  .656 Southwest Missouri State10–8 .55619–13  .594 Illinois State8–10 .44417–13  .567 Drake7–11 .38913–16  .448 Bradley6–12 .33313–15  .464 Indiana State5–13 .27811–20  .355 Evansville5–13 .27811–17  .393 † 2005 Missouri Valley Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 18 Utah13–1 .92929–6  .829 New Mexico †10–4 .71426–7  .788 Air Force9–5 .64318–12  .600 UNLV7–7 .50017–14  .548 Wyoming7–7 .50015–13  .536 San Diego State4–10 .28611–18  .379 BYU3–11 .2149–21  .300 Colorado State3–11 .21411–17  .393 † 2005 Mountain West tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Monmouth14–4 .77816–13  .552 Fairleigh Dickinson †13–5 .72220–13  .606 Robert Morris11–7 .61114–15  .483 Long Island10–8 .55614–15  .483 Saint Francis (PA)10–8 .55615–13  .536 Wagner10–8 .55613–17  .433 St. Francis (NY)9–9 .50013–15  .464 Central Connecticut8–10 .44412–16  .429 Quinnipiac6–12 .33310–17  .370 Mount St. Mary's5–13 .2787–20  .259 Sacred Heart3–15 .1674–23  .148 † 2005 NEC tournament winner |
| 2004–05 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Tennessee Tech12–4 .75018–11  .621 Eastern Kentucky †11–5 .68822–9  .710 Murray State11–5 .68817–11  .607 Samford10–6 .62515–13  .536 Austin Peay9–7 .56313–19  .406 Southeast Missouri State9–7 .56315–14  .517 Tennessee State9–7 .56314–17  .452 Eastern Illinois7–9 .43812–16  .429 Morehead State5–11 .31311–16  .407 UT Martin3–13 .1886–21  .222 Jacksonville State2–14 .1257–22  .241 † 2005 Ohio Valley Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings ConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 9 Arizona15–3 .83330–7  .811 Washington†14–4 .77829–6  .829 No. 18 UCLA $^1$11–7 .61118–11  .621 Stanford11–7 .61118–13  .581 Oregon State8–10 .44417–15  .531 Arizona State $^1$7–11 .38918–14  .563 Washington State7–11 .38912–16  .429 Oregon $^1$6–12 .33314–13  .519 California6–12 .33313–16  .448 USC5–13 .27812–17  .414 † Conference tournament winner As of April 8, 2005 Rankings from Coaches Poll $^1$ Holds tie-breaker | 2004–05 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Holy Cross13–1 .92925–7  .781 Bucknell †10–4 .71423–10  .697 American8–6 .57116–12  .571 Lehigh7–7 .50014–15  .483 Colgate7–7 .50012–16  .429 Navy5–9 .3579–19  .321 Lafayette5–9 .3579–19  .321 Army1–13 .0713–24  .111 † 2005 Patriot League tournament winner |
| 2004–05 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 7 Kentucky14–2 .87528–6  .824 No. 16 Florida †12–4 .75024–8  .750 Vanderbilt8–8 .50020–14  .588 South Carolina7–9 .43820–13  .606 Tennessee6–10 .37514–17  .452 Georgia2–14 .1258–20  .286 West No. 21 Alabama12–4 .75024–8  .750 LSU12–4 .75020–10  .667 Mississippi State9–7 .56323–11  .676 Arkansas6–10 .37518–12  .600 Ole Miss4–12 .25014–17  .452 Auburn4–12 .25014–17  .452 † 2005 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Chattanooga †10–6 .62520–11  .645 UNC Greensboro9–7 .56318–12  .600 Appalachian State9–7 .56318–12  .600 Elon5–11 .3138–23  .258 East Tennessee State4–12 .25010–19  .345 Western Carolina3–13 .1888–22  .267 South Davidson16–0 1.00023–9  .719 College of Charleston10–6 .62518–10  .643 Georgia Southern10–6 .62518–13  .581 Furman9–7 .56316–13  .552 Wofford7–9 .43814–14  .500 The Citadel4–12 .25012–16  .429 † SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 2005 Rankings from AP poll | 2004–05 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Southeastern Louisiana †13–3 .81324–9  .727 Northwestern State13–3 .81321–12  .636 Sam Houston State11–5 .68818–12  .600 UTSA10–6 .62515–13  .536 Lamar9–7 .56318–11  .621 Texas State8–8 .50014–14  .500 McNeese State8–8 .50013–15  .464 Texas–Arlington7–9 .43813–15  .464 Stephen F. Austin6–10 .37512–15  .444 Louisiana–Monroe2–14 .1258–19  .296 Nicholls State1–15 .0636–21  .222 † 2005 Southland tournament winner |
| 2004–05 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Alabama A&M †12–6 .66718–14  .563 Grambling State11–7 .61114–12  .538 Alabama State11–7 .61115–15  .500 Mississippi Valley State11–7 .61113–15  .464 Jackson State10–8 .55615–17  .469 Southern10–8 .55614–15  .483 Alcorn State6–12 .3337–22  .241 Texas Southern9–9 .50011–15  .423 Arkansas–Pine Bluff5–13 .2787–21  .250 Prairie View A&M5–13 .2785–23  .179 † 2005 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Little Rock10–4 .71418–10  .643 Western Kentucky9–5 .64322–9  .710 Middle Tennessee7–7 .50019–12  .613 Arkansas State7–7 .50016–13  .552 Florida International4–10 .28613–17  .433 West Denver12–3 .80020–11  .645 Louisiana–Lafayette †11–4 .73320–11  .645 New Orleans7–8 .46713–17  .433 South Alabama6–9 .40010–18  .357 North Texas6–9 .40014–14  .500 New Mexico State1–14 .0676–24  .200 † 2005 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2004–05 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 10 Gonzaga12–2 .85726–5  .839 Saint Mary's11–3 .78625–9  .735 Santa Clara7–7 .50015–16  .484 San Diego7–7 .50016–13  .552 Pepperdine6–8 .42917–14  .548 San Francisco6–8 .42917–14  .548 Portland4–10 .28615–15  .500 Loyola Marymount3–11 .21411–17  .393 † 2005 WCC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2004–05 WAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Nevada16–2 .88925–7  .781 UTEP †14–4 .77827–8  .771 Rice12–6 .66719–12  .613 Fresno State9–9 .50016–14  .533 Louisiana Tech9–9 .50014–15  .483 SMU9–9 .50014–14  .500 Hawaii7–11 .38916–13  .552 Boise State6–12 .33316–18  .471 Tulsa5–13 .2789–20  .310 San Jose State3–15 .1676–23  .207 † 2005 WAC tournament winner |

### Division I independents

Eight schools played as Division I independents. However, Longwood, UC Davis, Northern Colorado, and Utah Valley were making a transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I during the season and were not yet considered full Division I schools.
2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 2004–05 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConfOverall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Texas A&M–Corpus Christi-–- –20–8
* .714
* Utah Valley-–- –16–12
* .571
* Texas–Pan American-–- –12–16
* .429
* UC Davis-–- –11–17
* .393
* Northern Colorado-–- –8–21
* .276
* IPFW-–- –7–22
* .241
* Longwood-–- –1–30
* .032
* Savannah State-–- –0–28
* .000
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Temple & Villanova | Pat Carroll, Saint Joseph's |
Temple and Villanova finished with 3–1 records in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

### Statistical leaders

Source for additional stats categories
| Points per game | Points per game | Points per game | Rebounds per game | Rebounds per game | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Assists per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Steals per game | Steals per game |
| Player | School | PPG | Player | School | RPG | Player | School | APG | Player | School | SPG |
| Keydren Clark | St. Peter's | 25.8 | Paul Millsap | LA Tech | 12.4 | Damitrius Coleman | Mercer | 8.0* | Obie Trotter | Alabama A&M | 3.9 |
| Taylor Coppenrath | Vermont | 25.1 | Andrew Bogut | Utah | 12.2 | Will Funn | Portland St. | 8.0* | Chakowby Hicks | Norfolk St. | 3.4 |
| Juan Mendez | Niagara | 23.5 | Lance Allred | Weber St. | 12.0 | Marcus Williams | UConn | 7.8 | Keydren Clark | St. Peter's | 3.3 |
| Rob Monroe | Quinnipiac | 22.7 | Michael Harris | Rice | 11.7 | Walker Russell | Jacksonville St. | 7.3 | Hosea Butler | Miss. Valley St. | 3.3 |
| Bo McCalebb | New Orleans | 22.6 | Dwayne Jones | St. Joseph's | 11.6 | José Juan Barea | Northeastern | 7.3 | Eddie Basden | Charlotte | 3.2 |
| Blocked shots per game | Blocked shots per game | Blocked shots per game | Field goal percentage | Field goal percentage | Field goal percentage | Three-point FG percentage | Three-point FG percentage | Three-point FG percentage | Free throw percentage | Free throw percentage | Free throw percentage |
| Player | School | BPG | Player | School | FG% | Player | School | 3FG% | Player | School | FT% |
| Deng Gai | Fairfield | 5.5 | Bruce Brown | Hampton | 66.2 | Salim Stoudamire | Arizona | 50.4 | Blake Ahearn | Missouri St. | 94.7 |
| Shawn James | Northeastern | 5.4 | Nate Harris | Utah St. | 65.2 | Will Whittington | Marist | 49.2 | JJ Redick | Duke | 93.8 |
| Shelden Williams | Duke | 3.7 | Eric Williams | Wake Forest | 63.0 | Dennis Trammell | Ball St. | 48.4 | Vince Greene | Illinois St. | 92.0 |
| Kyle Hines | UNC-Greensboro | 3.5 | Chad McKnight | Morehead St. | 63.0 | Chris Lofton | Tennessee | 46.5 | Salim Stoudamire | Arizona | 91.0 |
| Dwayne Jones | St. Joseph's | 3.0 | Aaron Andrews | Morgan St. | 62.5 | Drake Diener | DePaul | 46.2 | Jamaal Hilliard | Lafayette | 91.0 |
* Coleman and Funn tied for the national assists lead. Each player had 224 assists in 28 games.

## Post-season tournaments
### NCAA tournament

The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 15, 2005 with the opening round game in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO. A total of 65 teams entered the tournament. Thirty of the teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments. The automatic bid of the Ivy League, which does not conduct a post-season tournament, went to its regular season champion. The remaining 34 teams were granted "at-large" bids, which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. The Big East Conference led the way with eight bids. North Carolina won their fourth NCAA title, beating Illinois 75–70 in the final. North Carolina forward Sean May was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

#### Final Four – St. Louis, Missouri – Edward Jones Dome

| National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship game | National championship game | National championship game |
| M1 | Illinois | 72 | | | |
| W4 | Louisville | 57 | | | |
| W4 | Louisville | 57 | M1 | Illinois | 70 |
| | | | E1 | North Carolina | 75 |
| E1 | North Carolina | 87 | E1 | North Carolina | 75 |
| S5 | Michigan State | 71 | | | |

### National Invitation tournament

After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the National Invitation Tournament invited 32 teams to participate, reducing the field's size from 40. Eight teams were given automatic bids for winning their conference regular seasons, and 24 other teams were also invited. Dave Odom's South Carolina Gamecocks won the title, defeating the Saint Joseph's Hawks 60–57 in the championship game. The Gamecocks' Carlos Powell was named tournament MVP.

#### NIT Semifinals & Final

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Maryland | 67 | | |
| South Carolina | 75 | | |
| South Carolina | 75 | South Carolina | 60 |
| | | Saint Joseph's | 57 |
| Saint Joseph's | 70 | Saint Joseph's | 57 |
| Memphis | 58 | | |

## Award winners
### Consensus All-American teams

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Andrew Bogut | C | Sophomore | Utah |
| Wayne Simien | F | Senior | Kansas |
| Hakim Warrick | F | Senior | Syracuse |
| JJ Redick | G | Junior | Duke |
| Chris Paul | G | Sophomore | Wake Forest |
| Dee Brown | G | Junior | Illinois |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Luther Head | G | Senior | Illinois |
| Sean May | C | Junior | North Carolina |
| Salim Stoudamire | G | Senior | Arizona |
| Ike Diogu | F | Junior | Arizona State |
| Deron Williams | G | Junior | Illinois |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Andrew Bogut, Utah
* Naismith Award: Andrew Bogut, Utah
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Andrew Bogut, Utah
* NABC Player of the Year: Andrew Bogut, Utah
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Andrew Bogut, Utah
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: JJ Redick, Duke
* CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Year: Andrew Bogut, Utah
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Dee Brown, Illinois

### Major freshman of the year awards

* USBWA Freshman of the Year: Marvin Williams, North Carolina
* Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Marvin Williams, North Carolina

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Bruce Weber, Illinois
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Bruce Weber, Illinois
* NABC Coach of the Year: Bruce Weber, Illinois
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Bruce Weber, Illinois
* CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Bruce Weber, Illinois
* Adolph Rupp Cup: Bruce Weber, Illinois
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Bruce Weber, Illinois

### Other major awards

* Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): Raymond Felton, North Carolina
* Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): Andrew Bogut, Utah
* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Shelden Williams, Duke
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Nate Robinson, Washington
* Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Wayne Simien, Kansas
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Pat Carroll, St. Joseph's
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Keydren Clark, Saint Peter's
* Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Ronald Ross, Texas Tech

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Air Force | Chris Mooney | | Jeff Bzdelik | Mooney left for Richmond after only one year. |
| Alabama State | Rob Spivery | | Lewis Jackson | Spivery jumped jobs within the SWAC. |
| BYU | Steve Cleveland | | Dave Rose | Cleveland left to take the coaching position at Fresno State, Associate head coach Rose was elevated to the top spot. |
| Centenary | Kevin Johnson | | Rob Flaska | |
| Charleston Southern | Jim Platt | | Barclay Radebaugh | |
| Cincinnati | Bob Huggins | Andy Kennedy | Mick Cronin | Huggins resigned after a power struggle with Cincinnati's Athletic Director. Assistant Kennedy coached the season but was replaced by Cronin after the 2005–06 season's end. |
| Coastal Carolina | Pete Strickland | | Buzz Peterson | Coastal scored a high-profile hire, bringing in fired Tennessee coach Peterson. |
| DePaul | Dave Leitao | | Jerry Wainwright | Leitao left for Virginia, paving the way for Chicago native Wainwright to return home. |
| East Carolina | Bill Herrion | | Ricky Stokes | ECU Athletic Director Terry Holland hired his former player to lead the Pirates. |
| Eastern Illinois | Rick Samuels | | Mike Miller | |
| Eastern Kentucky | Travis Ford | | Jeff Neubauer | EKU hires West Virginia's top assistant after Ford leaves for UMass. |
| Eastern Michigan | Jim Boone | | Charles Ramsey | |
| Florida Atlantic | Sidney Green | | Matt Doherty | FAU fires Green and hires deposed North Carolina coach Doherty. |
| Fresno State | Ray Lopes | | Steve Cleveland | |
| IPFW | Doug Noll | Joe Pechota | Dane Fife | IPFW makes the 25-year-old Fife the youngest head coach in Division I. |
| Jacksonville | Hugh Durham | | Cliff Warren | Durham retired after 37 seasons and 633 victories. |
| Louisiana-Monroe | Mike Vining | | Orlando Early | |
| Loyola Marymount | Steve Aggers | | Rodney Tention | |
| Massachusetts | Steve Lappas | | Travis Ford | Lappas was fired after UMass missed the postseason in all four of his seasons there. |
| Mississippi Valley State | Lafayette Stribling | | James Green | |
| New Hampshire | Phil Rowe | | Bill Herrion | |
| New Mexico State | Lou Henson | Tony Stubblefield | Reggie Theus | Henson officially retired on January 22, 2005 for health reasons. After the season, Louisville assistant and former NBA All-Star Theus was hired. |
| Portland State | Heath Schroyer | | Ken Bone | |
| Purdue | Gene Keady | | Matt Painter | Purdue executed their succession plan as Keady stepped aside for top assistant (and former Purdue player) Painter. |
| Richmond | Jerry Wainwright | | Chris Mooney | Richmond turned to Princeton offense disciple Mooney after Wainwright left for DePaul |
| Rider | Don Harnum | | Tommy Dempsey | Dempsey took over as Harnum became Rider AD. |
| San Jose State | Phil L. Johnson | | George Nessman | |
| Savannah State | Ed Daniels | | Horace Broadnax | |
| Siena | Rob Lanier | | Fran McCaffery | |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Billy Kennedy | | Jim Yarbrough | |
| Southern California | Henry Bibby | Jim Saia | Tim Floyd | Bibby was fired four games into the season. Coaching veteran Floyd was hired after the season. |
| Stony Brook | Nick Macarchuk | | Steve Pikiell | |
| St. Francis (NY) | Ron Ganulin | | Brian Nash | |
| Tennessee | Buzz Peterson | | Bruce Pearl | Pearl parlayed Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Sweet 16 run into a Southeastern Conference head coaching job. |
| Tulane | Shawn Finney | | Dave Dickerson | Tulane hired top Maryland assistant Dickerson. |
| Tulsa | John Phillips | | Doug Wojcik | Tulsa tapped Tom Izzo assistant Wojcik. |
| UC Riverside | John Masi | | David Spencer | |
| UNC Greensboro | Fran McCaffery | | Mike Dement | |
| Vermont | Tom Brennan | | Mike Lonergan | Colorful coach Brennan retired after 19 years. |
| Virginia | Pete Gillen | | Dave Leitao | Gillen steps down after seven years (but only one NCAA bid) at the helm. |
| VMI | Bart Bellairs | | Duggar Baucom | |
| Western Carolina | Steve Shurina | | Larry Hunter | |
| Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Bruce Pearl | | Rob Jeter | UWM brought back former Panther assistant Jeter after Pearl left for Tennessee. |
| Youngstown State | John Robic | | Jerry Slocum | |