# 1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1984 and ended with the Final Four in Lexington, Kentucky on April 1, 1985. The Villanova Wildcats won their first NCAA national championship with a 66–64 victory over the defending champion, top-ranked Georgetown Hoyas. It was the second time in three seasons that the national champion had 10 losses.

## Season headlines

* The 1985 NCAA Tournament was the first to feature a 64-team field, expanding from 53 teams the year before.
* Three teams from the Big East Conference (Georgetown, St. John's, and Villanova) advanced to the NCAA tournament's Final Four. It was the first time that three teams from the same conference reached the Final Four.
* Georgetown was the first defending champion to return to the Final Four since the 1975–76 UCLA Bruins did it in the 1976 NCAA Tournament.
* Basketball analysts consider Villanova's defeat of Georgetown in the 1985 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game to be the one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history. Villanova made 22 of 28 field goal attempts for a field goal percentage of 78.6 percent, a record for an NCAA championship game. Villanova won its first national championship and became the first unranked team to win the national championship.
* Xavier McDaniel of Wichita State became the first player to lead the United States in scoring and rebounding in the same season.
* On March 27, 1985, John "Hot Rod" Williams was among four Tulane players arrested on charges of accepting money and cocaine in an alleged point shaving scheme. The incident prompted Tulane to disband its men's basketball program at the end of the season. The school did not resume men's basketball competition until the 1989–90 season.

## Major rule changes

Beginning in 1984–85, the following rules changes were implemented:
* The coaching box was introduced, whereby a coach and all bench personnel had to remain in the 28-foot-long (8.5 m) coaching box unless seeking information from the scorers’ table.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Georgetown |
| 2 | Illinois |
| 3 | DePaul |
| 4 | Indiana |
| 5 | Oklahoma |
| 6 | Duke |
| 7 | St. John's |
| 8 | Memphis State |
| 9 | Washington |
| 10 | SMU |
| 11 | UNLV |
| 12 | Syracuse |
| 13 | NC State |
| 14 | LSU |
| 15 | Virginia Tech |
| 16 | Arkansas |
| 17 | Louisville |
| 18 | Kentucky |
| 19 | Kansas |
| 20 | Georgia Tech |

## Conference membership changes

| School | Former conference | New conference |
| American Eagles | East Coast Conference | ECAC South Conference |
| Augusta State Jaguars | Division II independent | Division I independent |
| Central Florida (UCF) Knights | Sunshine State Conference (Division II) | Division I independent |
| Chicago State Cougars | NAIA Independent | Division I independent |
| Florida A&M Rattlers | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Division I independent |
| Hartford Hawks | Division II independent | ECAC North Conference |
| Morgan State Bears | Division II independent | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
| Nicholls State Colonels | Trans America Athletic Conference (provisional) | Gulf Star Conference (Division II) |
| Northwestern State Demons | Trans America Athletic Conference | Gulf Star Conference (Division II) |
| Radford Highlanders | Division II independent | Division I independent |
| Siena Saints | ECAC Metro Conference | ECAC North Conference |
| Southeastern Louisiana Lions | Division I independent | Gulf Star Conference (Division II) |
| UNC Wilmington Seahawks | Division I independent | ECAC South Conference |
NOTE: Prior to the season, Nicholls State left the Trans America Athletic Conference after two seasons as a provisional member, during which it played no conference games.

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

| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference player of the year | Conference Coach of the Year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (City) | Tournament winner |
| AMCU–8 | Cleveland State | Jon Collins, Eastern Illinois | Kevin Mackey, Cleveland State | 1985 AMCU-8 men's basketball tournament | Hammons Student Center (Springfield, Missouri) | Eastern Illinois |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | West Virginia | Granger Hall, Temple | John Chaney, Temple | 1985 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | Rutgers Athletic Center (Piscataway, New Jersey) | Temple |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Georgia Tech, North Carolina & NC State | Len Bias, Maryland | Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech | 1985 ACC men's basketball tournament | The Omni (Atlanta, Georgia) | Georgia Tech |
| Big East Conference | St. John's | Patrick Ewing, Georgetown & Chris Mullin, St. John's | Lou Carnesecca, St. John's | 1985 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) | Georgetown |
| Big Eight Conference | Oklahoma | Wayman Tisdale, Oklahoma | Billy Tubbs, Oklahoma | 1985 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament | Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) (Semifinals and Finals) | Oklahoma |
| Big Sky Conference | Nevada–Reno | Larry Krystkowiak, Montana | Sonny Allen, Nevada–Reno | 1985 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament | Dee Events Center (Ogden, Utah) | Nevada–Reno |
| Big Ten Conference | Michigan | None Selected | Bill Frieder, Michigan | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| East Coast Conference | Bucknell | Jaye Andrews, Bucknell | Charlie Woollum, Bucknell & Ronald Rainey, Delaware | 1985 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Towson Center (Towson, Maryland) | Lehigh |
| ECAC Metro | Marist | Carey Scurry, Long Island | Tom Green, Fairleigh Dickinson | 1985 ECAC Metro men's basketball tournament | Reitz Arena (Baltimore, Maryland) | Fairleigh Dickinson |
| ECAC North | Canisius & Northeastern | Reggie Lewis, Northeastern | John Griffin, Siena | 1985 ECAC North men's basketball tournament | Matthews Arena (Boston, Massachusetts) | Northeastern |
| ECAC South | Navy & Richmond | David Robinson, Navy | Paul Evans, Navy | 1985 ECAC South men's basketball tournament | William & Mary Hall (Williamsburg, Virginia) | Navy |
| Ivy League | Penn | Ken Bantum, Cornell | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Iona | Randy Cozzens, Army | Les Wothke, Army | 1985 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Meadowlands Arena (East Rutherford, New Jersey) | Iona |
| Metro Conference | Memphis State | Keith Lee, Memphis State | Tony Yates, Cincinnati | 1985 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament | Freedom Hall (Louisville, Kentucky) | Memphis State |
| Mid-American Conference | Ohio | Ron Harper, Miami (OH) | Danny Nee, Ohio | 1985 MAC men's basketball tournament | Centennial Hall (Toledo, Ohio) | Ohio |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | North Carolina A&T | Eric Boyd, North Carolina A&T | Don Corbett, North Carolina A&T | 1985 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Palestra (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | North Carolina A&T |
| Midwestern City Conference | Loyola (IL) | Alfredrick Hughes, Loyola (IL) | Gene Sullivan, Loyola (IL) | 1985 Midwestern City Conference men's basketball tournament | Mabee Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma) | Loyola (IL) |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Tulsa | Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State | Nolan Richardson, Tulsa | 1985 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Tulsa Convention Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma) | Wichita State |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Tennessee Tech | Stephen Kite, Tennessee Tech | Tom Deaton, Tennessee Tech | 1985 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Murphy Center (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) | Middle Tennessee State |
| Pacific-10 Conference | USC & Washington | Wayne Carlander, USC | Stan Morrison, USC | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Pacific Coast Athletic Association | UNLV | Richie Adams, UNLV | Jerry Tarkanian, UNLV | 1985 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball tournament | The Forum (Inglewood, California) | UNLV |
| Southeastern Conference | LSU | Kenny Walker, Kentucky | Bob Boyd, Mississippi State & Hugh Durham, Georgia | 1985 SEC men's basketball tournament | Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex (Birmingham, Alabama) | Auburn |
| Southern Conference | Tennessee–Chattanooga | Regan Truesdale, The Citadel | Marty Fletcher, VMI | 1985 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | Asheville Civic Center (Asheville, North Carolina) | Marshall |
| Southland Conference | Louisiana Tech | Joe Dumars, McNeese State | Andy Russo, Louisiana Tech | 1985 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, Louisiana) | Louisiana Tech |
| Southwest Conference | Texas Tech | Bubba Jennings, Texas Tech | Gerald Myers, Texas Tech | 1985 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament | Reunion Arena (Dallas, Texas) | Texas Tech |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Alcorn State | Mike Phelps, Alcorn State | Davey Whitney, Alcorn State | 1985 SWAC men's basketball tournament | Mississippi Coliseum (Jackson, Mississippi) | Southern |
| Sun Belt Conference | VCU | Terry Catledge, South Alabama | Gene Bartow, UAB | 1985 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament | Hampton Coliseum (Hampton, Virginia) | VCU |
| Trans America Athletic Conference | Georgia Southern | Sam Mitchell, Mercer | Bill Bibb, Mercer | 1985 TAAC men's basketball tournament | Hanner Fieldhouse (Statesboro, Georgia) | Mercer |
| West Coast Athletic Conference | Pepperdine | Dwayne Polee, Pepperdine | Jim Harrick, Pepperdine | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Western Athletic Conference | UTEP | Timo Saarelainen, BYU | Smokey Gaines, San Diego State | 1985 WAC men's basketball tournament | Special Events Center (El Paso, Texas) | San Diego State |

#### Conference standings

1984–85 AMCU-8 Conference men's basketball standings :
| 1984–85 AMCU-8 Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Cleveland State11–3 .78621–8  .724 Western Illinois10–4 .71414–14  .500 Eastern Illinois †9–5 .64320–10  .667 Missouri State8–6 .57117–13  .567 Illinois-Chicago7–7 .50014–14  .500 Northern Iowa6–8 .42912–16  .429 Valparaiso4–10 .2868–20  .286 Green Bay1–13 .0714–24  .143 † 1985 AMCU-8 tournament winner Rankings from | 1984–85 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT West Virginia16–2 .88920–9  .690 Temple †15–3 .83325–6  .806 Saint Joseph's13–5 .72219–12  .613 Rutgers9–9 .50016–14  .533 George Washington9–9 .50014–14  .500 UMass9–9 .50013–15  .464 St. Bonaventure7–11 .38914–15  .483 Duquesne6–12 .33312–18  .400 Penn State4–14 .2228–19  .296 Rhode Island2–16 .1118–20  .286 † 1985 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 ACC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 6 Georgia Tech †9–5 .64327–8  .771 No. 7 North Carolina9–5 .64327–9  .750 No. 16 NC State9–5 .64323–10  .697 No. 10 Duke8–6 .57123–8  .742 Maryland8–6 .57125–12  .676 Clemson5–9 .35716–13  .552 Wake Forest5–9 .35715–14  .517 Virginia3–11 .21417–16  .515 † 1985 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1984–85 Big East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 St. John's15–1 .93831–4  .886 No. 1 Georgetown†14–2 .87535–3  .921 No. 15 Syracuse9–7 .56322–9  .710 Villanova9–7 .56325–10  .714 Pittsburgh8–8 .50017–12  .586 Boston College7–9 .43820–11  .645 Connecticut6–10 .37513–15  .464 Providence3–13 .18811–20  .355 Seton Hall1–15 .06310–18  .357 † 1985 Big East tournament winner As of April 1, 1985 Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 Big Eight Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Oklahoma†13–1 .92931–6  .838 No. 13 Kansas11–3 .78626–8  .765 Iowa State7–7 .50021–13  .618 Missouri7–7 .50018–14  .563 Kansas State5–9 .35714–14  .500 Colorado5–9 .35711–17  .393 Nebraska5–9 .35716–14  .533 Oklahoma State3–11 .21412–16  .429 † 1985 Big Eight tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Nevada †11–3 .78621–10  .677 Montana10–4 .71422–7  .759 Weber State9–5 .64320–9  .690 Northern Arizona8–6 .57117–12  .586 Montana State7–7 .50011–17  .393 Boise State5–9 .35716–13  .552 Idaho State5–9 .35715–18  .455 Idaho1–13 .0718–22  .267 † 1985 Big Sky tournament winner |
| 1984–85 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 Michigan16–2 .88926–4  .867 No. 12 Illinois12–6 .66726–9  .743 Purdue11–7 .61120–9  .690 Ohio State11–7 .61120–10  .667 Iowa10–8 .55621–11  .656 Michigan State10–8 .55619–10  .655 Indiana7–11 .38919–14  .576 Minnesota6–12 .33313–15  .464 Wisconsin5–13 .27814–14  .500 Northwestern2–16 .1116–22  .214 Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 ECC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bucknell10–4 .71419–10  .655 Lafayette8–6 .57115–13  .536 Drexel8–6 .57110–18  .357 Rider7–7 .50014–15  .483 Delaware7–7 .50012–16  .429 Lehigh †6–8 .42912–19  .387 Hofstra5–9 .35714–15  .483 Towson State5–9 .3577–21  .250 † 1985 ECC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1984–85 ECAC Metro men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Marist11–3 .78617–12  .586 Fairleigh Dickinson †10–4 .71421–10  .677 Long Island9–5 .64315–13  .536 Loyola (MD)8–6 .57116–14  .533 Saint Francis (PA)6–8 .4299–19  .321 Wagner5–9 .35711–17  .393 Robert Morris4–10 .2869–19  .321 St. Francis (NY)3–11 .2147–21  .250 † 1985 ECAC Metro tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1984–85 ECAC North men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Canisius13–3 .81320–10  .667 Northeastern †13–3 .81322–9  .710 Siena12–4 .75022–7  .759 Niagara11–5 .68816–12  .571 Boston University9–7 .56315–15  .500 Vermont5–11 .3139–19  .321 Maine5–11 .31311–17  .393 New Hampshire4–12 .2507–22  .241 Colgate0–16 .0005–21  .192 Hartford– –7–21  .250 † 1985 ECAC North tournament winner | 1984–85 ECAC South men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Navy †11–3 .78626–6  .813 Richmond11–3 .78621–11  .656 George Mason10–4 .71418–11  .621 William & Mary9–5 .64316–12  .571 James Madison7–7 .50014–14  .500 UNC Wilmington4–10 .28612–16  .429 American3–11 .2149–19  .321 East Carolina1–13 .0717–21  .250 † 1985 ECAC South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Penn10–4 .71413–14  .481 Columbia9–5 .64313–13  .500 Cornell8–6 .57114–12  .538 Harvard7–7 .50015–9  .625 Yale7–7 .50014–12  .538 Princeton7–7 .50011–15  .423 Brown5–9 .3579–18  .333 Dartmouth3–11 .2145–21  .192 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1984–85 Metro Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 5 Memphis State †13–1 .92931–4  .886 Virginia Tech10–4 .71420–9  .690 Cincinnati8–6 .57117–14  .548 South Carolina6–8 .42915–13  .536 Tulane6–8 .42915–13  .536 Louisville6–8 .42919–18  .514 Florida State4–10 .28614–16  .467 Southern Miss3–11 .2147–21  .250 † 1985 Metro Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Iona †11–3 .78626–5  .839 Fordham9–5 .64319–12  .613 Holy Cross8–6 .5719–19  .321 La Salle8–6 .57115–13  .536 Army7–7 .50016–13  .552 Saint Peter's5–9 .35715–14  .517 Manhattan4–10 .2868–20  .286 Fairfield4–10 .28611–17  .393 † 1985 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Ohio †14–4 .77822–8  .733 Miami13–5 .72220–11  .645 Toledo11–7 .61116–12  .571 Kent State11–7 .61117–13  .567 Eastern Michigan9–9 .50015–13  .536 Ball State8–10 .44413–16  .448 Western Michigan7–11 .38912–16  .429 Northern Illinois7–11 .38911–16  .407 Bowling Green6–12 .33312–15  .444 Central Michigan4–14 .2229–18  .333 † 1985 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1984–85 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Carolina A&T †10–2 .83319–10  .655 Howard9–3 .75015–11  .577 Delaware State8–4 .66712–17  .414 South Carolina State7–4 .63611–16  .407 Bethune–Cookman4–7 .3648–19  .296 Maryland Eastern Shore2–10 .1673–25  .107 Morgan State1–11 .0833–25  .107 † 1985 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 Midwestern City Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 14 Loyola-Chicago †13–1 .92927–6  .818 Butler9–5 .64319–10  .655 Oral Roberts8–6 .57115–15  .500 Detroit8–6 .57116–12  .571 Xavier7–7 .50016–13  .552 Saint Louis6–8 .42913–15  .464 Evansville4–10 .28613–16  .448 Oklahoma City1–13 .0716–20  .231 † 1985 MCC tournament winner | 1984–85 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 18 Tulsa12–4 .75023–8  .742 Illinois State11–5 .68822–8  .733 Wichita State †11–5 .68818–13  .581 Bradley9–7 .56317–13  .567 Creighton9–7 .56320–12  .625 Southern Illinois6–10 .37514–14  .500 Indiana State6–10 .37514–15  .483 West Texas State4–12 .25011–17  .393 Drake4–12 .25012–15  .444 † 1985 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1984–85 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Tennessee Tech11–3 .78619–9  .679 Eastern Kentucky9–5 .64316–13  .552 Youngstown State9–5 .64319–11  .633 Murray State8–6 .57119–9  .679 Middle Tennessee †7–7 .50017–14  .548 Akron6–8 .42912–14  .462 Austin Peay4–10 .2868–19  .296 Morehead State2–12 .1437–20  .259 † 1985 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 9 UNLV†17–1 .94428–4  .875 Fresno State15–3 .83323–9  .719 Cal State Fullerton11–7 .61117–13  .567 Utah State10–8 .55617–11  .607 San Jose State10–8 .55616–13  .552 UC Irvine8–10 .44412–16  .429 UC Santa Barbara8–10 .44412–16  .429 Pacific5–13 .2789–19  .321 New Mexico State4–14 .2227–20  .259 Long Beach State2–16 .1114–23  .148 † 1985 PCAA tournament winner | 1984–85 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Washington13–5 .72222–10  .688 USC13–5 .72219–10  .655 Oregon State12–6 .66722–9  .710 Arizona12–6 .66721–10  .677 UCLA12–6 .66721–12  .636 Oregon8–10 .44415–16  .484 Arizona State7–11 .38912–16  .429 Washington State5–13 .27813–15  .464 California5–13 .27813–15  .464 Stanford3–15 .16711–17  .393 As of November 25, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1984–85 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 20 LSU13–5 .72219–10  .655 No. 19 Georgia12–6 .66722–9  .710 Alabama11–7 .61123–10  .697 Kentucky11–7 .61118–13  .581 Florida9–9 .50018–12  .600 Mississippi State9–9 .50013–15  .464 Tennessee8–10 .44422–15  .595 Auburn †8–10 .44422–12  .647 Ole Miss5–13 .27811–17  .393 Vanderbilt4–14 .22211–17  .393 † 1985 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1984–85 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Chattanooga14–2 .87524–8  .750 Marshall†12–4 .75021–13  .618 The Citadel11–5 .68818–11  .621 Western Carolina8–8 .50014–14  .500 VMI7–9 .43816–14  .533 Appalachian State7–9 .43814–14  .500 Davidson6–10 .37510–20  .333 Furman4–12 .2507–21  .250 East Tennessee State3–13 .1889–18  .333 † Tournament winner As of April 30, 1985 Rankings from AP poll | 1984–85 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 Louisiana Tech †11–1 .91729–3  .906 McNeese State9–3 .75018–10  .643 Lamar8–4 .66720–12  .625 Arkansas State6–6 .50014–14  .500 Northeast Louisiana4–8 .33317–12  .586 Texas-Arlington3–9 .25012–16  .429 North Texas1–11 .0835–23  .179 † 1985 Southland tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 1984–85 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 17 Texas Tech †12–4 .75023–8  .742 SMU10–6 .62523–10  .697 Texas A&M10–6 .62519–11  .633 Arkansas10–6 .62522–13  .629 TCU8–8 .50016–12  .571 Houston8–8 .50016–14  .533 Texas7–9 .43815–13  .536 Baylor4–12 .25011–17  .393 Rice3–13 .18811–16  .407 † 1985 SWC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Alcorn State13–1 .92923–7  .767 Southern †9–5 .64319–11  .633 Mississippi Valley State7–7 .50018–11  .621 Alabama State7–7 .50014–17  .452 Texas Southern6–8 .42911–17  .393 Jackson State6–8 .42910–16  .385 Grambling State4–10 .2868–19  .296 Prairie View A&M4–10 .2865–22  .185 † 1985 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 11 VCU †12–2 .85726–6  .813 UAB11–3 .78625–9  .735 Old Dominion9–5 .64319–12  .613 South Florida6–8 .42918–12  .600 Jacksonville6–8 .42915–14  .517 South Alabama6–8 .42915–13  .536 Western Kentucky5–9 .35714–14  .500 UNC Charlotte1–13 .0715–23  .179 † 1985 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1984–85 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Georgia Southern11–3 .78624–5  .828 Houston Baptist10–4 .71421–8  .724 Mercer †10–4 .71422–9  .710 Arkansas–Little Rock9–5 .64317–13  .567 Samford7–7 .50018–12  .600 Hardin–Simmons7–7 .50011–17  .393 Centenary2–12 .1437–21  .250 Georgia State0–14 .0002–26  .071 † 1985 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Pepperdine11–1 .91723–9  .719 Santa Clara9–3 .75020–9  .690 Saint Mary's7–5 .58315–12  .556 San Diego5–7 .41716–11  .593 Gonzaga4–8 .33315–13  .536 Portland3–9 .25014–14  .500 Loyola Marymount3–9 .25011–16  .407 Rankings from AP Poll | 1984–85 WAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UTEP12–4 .75022–10  .688 San Diego State †11–5 .68823–8  .742 New Mexico9–7 .56319–13  .594 Colorado State9–7 .56318–12  .600 BYU9–7 .56315–14  .517 Utah8–8 .50015–16  .484 Wyoming7–9 .43815–14  .517 Hawaii5–11 .31310–18  .357 Air Force2–14 .1258–20  .286 † 1985 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |

### Division I independents

A total of 22 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, Notre Dame (21–9) had both the best winning percentage (.700) and the most wins.
1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 1984–85 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConfOverall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Notre Dame– –21–9
* .700
* Dayton– –19–10
* .655
* DePaul– –19–10
* .655
* Marquette– –20–11
* .645
* Texas–San Antonio– –18–10
* .643
* Chicago State– –16–11
* .593
* Radford– –16–12
* .571
* Utica– –15–12
* .556
* Southwestern Louisiana– –17–14
* .548
* Brooklyn– –15–13
* .536
* Baptist– –13–15
* .464
* Eastern Washington– –12–15
* .444
* Monmouth– –12–15
* .444
* Stetson– –12–16
* .429
* Texas–Pan American– –12–16
* .429
* New Orleans– –11–19
* .367
* Florida A&M– –10–18
* .357
* Central Florida– –10–18
* .357
* Tennessee State– –9–19
* .321
* Augusta State– –8–20
* .286
* Campbell– –5–22
* .185
* U.S. International– –1–27
* .036
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Villanova | Ed Pinckney, Villanova |
Villanova finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

### Statistical leaders

| 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 | Field goal percentage | Field goal percentage | Field goal percentage |
| Player | School | PPG | Player | School | RPG | Player | School | APG | Player | School | FG% |
| Xavier McDaniel | Wichita St. | 27.2 | Xavier McDaniel | Wichita St. | 14.8 | Robbie Weingard | Hofstra | 9.5 | Keith Walker | Utica | 71.3 |
| Alfredrick Hughes | Loyola (IL) | 26.3 | Benoit Benjamin | Creighton | 14.1 | Carl Golston | Loyola (IL) | 9.2 | Vernon Moore | Creighton | 67.4 |
| Dan Palombizio | Ball St. | 26.3 | Carey Scurry | Long Island | 14.1 | Jim Les | Bradley | 8.8 | Dave Hoppen | Nebraska | 64.6 |
| Joe Dumars | McNeese St. | 25.8 | Karl Towns | Monmouth | 12.3 | Taurence Chisholm | Delaware | 8.0 | David Robinson | Navy | 64.4 |
| Terry Catledge | S. Alabama | 25.6 | Robert Sanders | Miss. Valley St. | 11.9 | Brian Carr | Nebraska | 7.9 | John Staves | Southern | 63.8 |
| Derrick Gervin | UTSA | 25.6 | | | | | | | | | |
Free throw percentage :
| Player | School | FT% |
| Craig Collins | Penn St. | 95.9 |
| Steve Alford | Indiana | 92.1 |
| Steve Eggink | Marist | 92.0 |
| Dennis Nutt | TCU | 91.7 |
| Bruce Timko | Youngstown St. | 90.7 |

## Postseason tournaments
### NCAA tournament
#### Final Four - Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky

| National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship game | National championship game | National championship game |
| E1 | Georgetown | 77 | | | |
| W1 | St John's | 59 | | | |
| W1 | St John's | 59 | E1 | Georgetown | 64 |
| | | | S8 | Villanova | 66 |
| S8 | Villanova | 52 | S8 | Villanova | 66 |
| M2 | Memphis State | 45 | | | |

### National Invitation tournament
#### NIT Semifinals and Final

| Semifinals (March 27) | Semifinals (March 27) | Semifinals (March 27) | Finals (March 29) | Finals (March 29) | Finals (March 29) |
| Tennessee | Tennessee | 67 | | | |
| Indiana | Indiana | 74 | | | |
| Indiana | Indiana | 74 | Indiana | Indiana | 62 |
| | | | UCLA | UCLA | 65 |
| UCLA | UCLA | 75 | UCLA | UCLA | 65 |
| Louisville | Louisville | 66 | | | |
| Third place game | Third place game | Third place game |
| Tennessee | Tennessee | 100 |
| Louisville | Louisville | 84 |

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

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Johnny Dawkins | G | Junior | Duke |
| Patrick Ewing | C | Senior | Georgetown |
| Keith Lee | F/C | Senior | Memphis State |
| Xavier McDaniel | F | Senior | Wichita State |
| Chris Mullin | F | Senior | St. John's |
| Wayman Tisdale | F | Senior | Oklahoma |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Len Bias | F | Junior | Maryland |
| Jon Koncak | C | Senior | Southern Methodist |
| Mark Price | G | Junior | Georgia Tech |
| Kenny Walker | F | Junior | Kentucky |
| Dwayne Washington | G | Sophomore | Syracuse |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Chris Mullin, St. John's
* Naismith Award: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
* UPI Player of the Year: Chris Mullin, St. John's
* NABC Player of the Year: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Chris Mullin, St. John's
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: Chris Mullin, St. John's
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Patrick Ewing, Georgetown

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Bill Frieder, Michigan
* UPI Coach of the Year: Lou Carnesecca, St. John's
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Lou Carnesecca, St. John's
* NABC Coach of the Year: John Thompson, Georgetown
* CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Dale Brown, LSU
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Lou Carnesecca, St. John's

### Other major awards

* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Bubba Jennings, Texas Tech
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Ed Pinckney, Villanova
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Chris Mullin, St. John's (3-time recipient)

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | New Coach |
| Arkansas | Eddie Sutton | Nolan Richardson |
| Baylor | Jim Haller | Gene Iba |
| California | Dick Kuchen | Lou Campanelli |
| Central Michigan | Dick Parfitt | Charlie Coles |
| Creighton | Willis Reed | Tony Barone |
| East Tennessee State | Barry Dowd | Les Robinson |
| Houston Baptist | Gene Iba | Tommy Jones |
| James Madison | Lou Campanelli | John Thurston |
| Kentucky | Joe B. Hall | Eddie Sutton |
| Louisiana Tech | Andy Russo | Tommy Joe Eagles |
| Oral Roberts | Dick Acres | Ted Owens |
| Providence | Joe Mullaney | Rick Pitino |
| Tulsa | Nolan Richardson | J. D. Barnett |
| UNC Charlotte | Hal Wissel | Jeff Mullins |
| US International | Freddie Goss | Gary Zarecky |
| VCU | J. D. Barnett | Mike Pollio |
| Wake Forest | Carl Tacy | Bob Staak |
| Washington | Marv Harshman | Andy Russo |
| Xavier | Bob Staak | Pete Gillen |