# 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 9, 2009, and ended with the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament's championship game on April 5, 2010, on the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The opening round occurred on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, followed by first and second rounds on Thursday through Sunday, March 18–21, 2010. Regional games were played on Thursday through Sunday, March 25–28, 2010, with the Final Four played on Saturday and Monday, April 3 and 5, 2010.

## Season headlines

* The Duke Blue Devils and head coach Mike Krzyzewski won their fourth national championship, defeating upstart Butler 61–59 behind their "big three" of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. The game was played in Butler's home town of Indianapolis.
* Krzyzewski became the third coach in NCAA history to win four championships, joining John Wooden (10) and Adolph Rupp (4).
* Kentucky became the first college team to reach the 2000 win mark by defeating Drexel 88–44 on December 21. North Carolina became the second with a win over Miami on March 2. Kansas became the third with a win over Texas Tech on March 11.
* Arkansas sophomore guard Rotnei Clarke set an SEC record by hitting 13 three-pointers in a game in the Razorbacks' November 13 season opener against Alcorn State. Clarke connected on 13 of 17 three-pointers and finished the game with 51 points. Clarke's 51 points was an Arkansas school record, while his 13 threes was good for fifth in NCAA history.
* Prior to the season the NCAA announced that Memphis would serve three years' probation and would vacate their record-setting 38-win 2007–08 season due to a fraudulent SAT score by star Derrick Rose and extra benefits given to Rose's brother under then-coach John Calipari. Memphis appealed the decision. The NCAA rejected the appeal during the NCAA tournament.
* Binghamton University dismissed six players on September 25, following the arraignment of Emanuel "Tiki" Mayben on charges of cocaine distribution. The move left Binghamton with only seven scholarship players for the 2009–10 season and included the dismissal of star guard D.J. Rivera. Coach Kevin Broadus was placed on administrative leave and assistant Mark Macon served as interim coach.
* The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 2. Luke Harangody of Notre Dame (57 votes), Cole Aldrich (49) and Sherron Collins (39) of Kansas, Patrick Patterson of Kentucky (35) and Kyle Singler of Duke (30) were tabbed.
* Utah Valley gained full Division I status after a seven-year provisional period where they played a D1 schedule. This move was the first time that a school had moved to D1 directly from the NJCAA. Other schools to officially gain Division I status include Kennesaw State, NJIT and North Florida.
* The Great West Conference began league play in 2009–10 as the 32nd Division I conference.
* Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody surpassed both the 2000-point and 1000-rebound marks during the season, becoming the first Fighting Irish player to do so.
* Mercer guard James Florence, South Carolina guard Devan Downey, Maryland guard Greivis Vásquez, San Francisco forward Dior Lowhorn, Morgan State guard Reggie Holmes, Western Michigan guard David Kool, West Virginia forward Da'Sean Butler, Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds, Cornell forward Ryan Wittman and Duke guard Jon Scheyer surpassed the 2,000 point mark during the season.
* Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim became the eighth Division I coach to win 800 games when the Orange defeated Albany 75–43 on November 9.
* Tom Penders became the eighth head coach in NCAA history to lead four different schools to the NCAA Tournament when he coached the Houston Cougars to the Conference USA tournament title. Penders had previously led Rhode Island, Texas and George Washington to NCAA tournament berths.
* In November, Evan Turner became the 34th player to record multiple triple doubles in a season. Over the course of the 2009–10 Big Ten season, he became the first player to finish in the top two in average points (1st, 20.4), rebounds (2nd, 9.2) and assists (2nd, 6.0) in Big Ten Conference history. Along the way, he broke and rebroke Big Ten records for single-season (7) and career (10) Player of the week awards.
* On February 22, Cole Aldrich was named the men's college basketball Academic All-American of the year.
* On February 24, Mississippi State's Jarvis Varnado became the NCAA's all-time leading shot-blocker.
* On February 27, a contest between then-no. 4 Syracuse and then-no. 8 Villanova set the NCAA on-campus basketball attendance record, with 34,616 spectators packing the Carrier Dome. The Wildcats fell to the Orange, 95–77.
* The rise and fall of Texas. Ranked in the top three from the beginning of the season until mid-January, including two weeks at #1, they were considered national title contenders. But they fell out of the top 25 less than two months later, lost two starters (Doğuş Balbay and Varez Ward) to season-ending injuries, and lost in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
* On April 1, Deon Thompson of North Carolina appeared in the NIT Championship game, giving him 152 career game appearances. This set the NCAA all-time career games played mark, formerly held by Wayne Turner of Kentucky and Walter Hodge of Florida.
* Third-year coach Tommy Amaker leads Harvard to its most wins in school history (21) behind the play of rare Harvard NBA player Jeremy Lin.

## Major rule changes

Beginning in 2009–10, the following rules changes were implemented:
* The NCAA reduced the amount of time that college underclassmen can test the waters for the NBA draft and still retain their college eligibility. As of this season, players have until early May (rather than mid-June) to decide to return.
* Secondary defenders must now establish their position outside of the zone between the backboard and the front of the rim to draw a charge.
* If a player is injured and unable to shoot his own foul shots, the replacement shooter must be chosen from the players currently on the court.
* Instant replay may now be used to determine flagrant fouls.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls, October 29, 2009. Collegeinsider.com released the preseason Mid-Major Top 25 poll on November 3. This poll was meant to recognize the top teams outside of major conferences.
'Associated Press' :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Kansas (55) |
| 2 | Michigan State (5) |
| 3 | Texas (1) |
| 4 | Kentucky (3) |
| 5 | Villanova |
| 6 | North Carolina (1) |
| 7 | Purdue |
| 8 | West Virginia |
| 9 | Duke |
| 10 | Tennessee |
| 11 | Butler |
| 12 | Connecticut |
| 13 | California |
| 14 | Washington |
| 15 | Michigan |
| 16 | Ohio State |
| 17 | Oklahoma |
| 18 | Mississippi State |
| 19 | Louisville |
| 20 | Georgetown |
| 21 | Dayton |
| 22 | Georgia Tech |
| 23 | Illinois |
| 24 | Clemson |
| 25 | Minnesota |
ESPN/USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Kansas (27) |
| 2 | Michigan State (3) |
| 3 | Texas |
| 4 | North Carolina (1) |
| 5 | Kentucky |
| 6 | Villanova |
| 7 | Purdue |
| 8 | Duke |
| 9 | West Virginia |
| 10 | Butler |
| 11 | Tennessee |
| 12 | California |
| 13 | Washington |
| 14 | Connecticut |
| 15 | Michigan |
| 16 | Oklahoma |
| 17 | Ohio State |
| 18 | Minnesota |
| 19 | Mississippi State |
| 20 | Georgia Tech |
| 21 | Georgetown |
| 22 | Dayton |
| 23 | Louisville |
| 24 | Clemson |
| 25 | Syracuse |
Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Butler (28) |
| 2 | Gonzaga (2) |
| 3 | Siena (1) |
| 4 | Northern Iowa |
| 5 | Western Kentucky |
| 6 | Old Dominion |
| 7 | Creighton |
| 8 | Akron |
| 9 | Wright State |
| 10 | Niagara |
| 11 | VCU |
| 12 | George Mason |
| 13 | Northeastern |
| 14 | Oakland |
| 15 | Portland |
| 16 | Illinois State |
| 17 | College Of Charleston |
| 18 | Cornell |
| 19 | Rider |
| 20 | Long Beach State |
| 21 | South Alabama |
| 22 | Boston University |
| 23 | St. Mary's |
| 24 | Davidson |
| 25 | Radford |

## Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2009–10 season.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Bryant Bulldogs | NCAA Division I Independent | Northeast Conference |
| Chicago State Cougars | NCAA Division I Independent | Great West Conference |
| Houston Baptist Huskies | NCAA Division I Independent | Great West Conference |
| NJIT Highlanders | NCAA Division I Independent | Great West Conference |
| North Dakota Fighting Sioux | NCAA Division I Independent | Great West Conference |
| South Dakota Coyotes | NCAA Division I Independent | Great West Conference |
| Texas–Pan American Broncs | NCAA Division I Independent | Great West Conference |
| Utah Valley Wolverines | NCAA Division I Independent | Great West Conference |

## Regular season
### Early-season tournaments

| Name | Dates | Num. teams | Champions |
| NIT Season Tip-Off | Nov. 16–27 | 16 | Duke |
| Coaches vs. Cancer Classic | Nov. 19–20 | 4* | Syracuse |
| Charleston Classic | Nov. 19–22 | 8 | Miami (FL) |
| Puerto Rico Tip-Off | Nov. 19–22 | 8 | Villanova |
| Glenn Wilkes Classic | Nov. 20–22 | 10 | NC State |
| Paradise Jam tournament | Nov. 20–23 | 8 | Purdue |
| CBE Classic | Nov. 23–24 | 4* | Texas |
| Maui Invitational Tournament | Nov. 23–25 | 8 | Gonzaga |
| Cancún Challenge | Nov. 24–25 | 4* | Kentucky |
| Great Alaska Shootout | Nov. 25–28 | 8 | Washington State |
| 76 Classic | Nov. 26–29 | 8 | West Virginia |
| Old Spice Classic | Nov. 26–29 | 8 | Florida State |
| Las Vegas Invitational | Nov. 27–28 | 4* | Oklahoma State |
| Legends Classic | Nov. 27–28 | 4* | Florida |
| South Padre Island Invitational | Nov. 27–28 | 8 | Richmond |
| Diamond Head Classic | Dec. 22–25 | 8 | Southern California |
| UCF Holiday Classic | Dec. 29–30 | 4 | Jacksonville |
*Although these tournaments included more teams, only four played for the championship.

### Conferences
#### Conference winners and tournaments

Thirty-one conference seasons concluded with a single-elimination tournament. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament except for the winner of the Great West Conference tournament, although Great West Tournament champion South Dakota received an automatic bid to the 2010 CollegeInsider.com 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 | Stony Brook | Muhammad El-Amin, Stony Brook | 2010 America East men's basketball tournament | Chase Family Arena (Hartford, Connecticut) Final at campus site | Vermont |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | Temple & Xavier | Kevin Anderson, Richmond | 2010 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, New Jersey) | Temple |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Duke & Maryland | Greivis Vásquez, Maryland | 2010 ACC men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | Duke |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | Lipscomb, Belmont, Jacksonville & Campbell | Adnan Hodžić, Lipscomb | 2010 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament | University Center (Macon, Georgia) | East Tennessee State |
| Big 12 Conference | Kansas | James Anderson, Oklahoma State | 2010 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | Sprint Center (Kansas City, Missouri) | Kansas |
| Big East Conference | Syracuse | Wes Johnson, Syracuse | 2010 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) | West Virginia |
| Big Sky Conference | Weber State | Damian Lillard, Weber State | 2010 Big Sky men's basketball tournament | Dee Events Center (Ogden, Utah) First round at campus sites | Montana |
| Big South Conference | Coastal Carolina | Artsiom Parakhouski, Radford | 2010 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Winthrop |
| Big Ten Conference | Michigan State, Ohio State & Purdue | Evan Turner, Ohio State | 2010 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament | Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) | Ohio State |
| Big West Conference | Pacific & UC Santa Barbara | Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara | 2010 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California) | UC Santa Barbara |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Old Dominion | Charles Jenkins, Hofstra | 2010 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | Old Dominion |
| Conference USA | UTEP | Randy Culpepper, UTEP | 2010 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | BOK Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma) | Houston |
| Great West Conference | South Dakota | Tyler Cain, South Dakota | 2010 Great West Conference men's basketball tournament | McKay Events Center (Orem, Utah) | South Dakota |
| Horizon League | Butler | Gordon Hayward, Butler | 2010 Horizon League men's basketball tournament | Hinkle Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) First round at campus sites | Butler |
| Ivy League | Cornell | Ryan Wittman, Cornell | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Siena | Alex Franklin, Siena | 2010 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Times Union Center (Albany, New York) | Siena |
| Mid-American Conference | Kent State (East) Central Michigan (West) | David Kool, Western Michigan | 2010 MAC men's basketball tournament | Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | Ohio |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Morgan State | Reggie Holmes, Morgan State | 2010 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) | Morgan State |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Northern Iowa | Adam Koch, Northern Iowa | 2010 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Northern Iowa |
| Mountain West Conference | New Mexico | Darington Hobson, New Mexico | 2010 MWC men's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada) | San Diego State |
| Northeast Conference | Quinnipiac & Robert Morris | Justin Rutty, Quinnipiac | 2010 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Robert Morris |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Murray State | Kenneth Faried, Morehead State | 2010 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites, Final Four at Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee) | Murray State |
| Pacific-10 Conference | California | Jerome Randle, California | 2010 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament | Staples Center (Los Angeles) | Washington |
| Patriot League | Lehigh | CJ McCollum, Lehigh | 2010 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Lehigh |
| Southeastern Conference | Kentucky (East & Overall) Mississippi & Mississippi State (West) | John Wall, Kentucky | 2010 SEC men's basketball tournament | Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee) | Kentucky |
| Southern Conference | Appalachian State (North) Wofford (South) | Noah Dahlman, Wofford (Coaches) Donald Sims, Appalachian State (Media) | 2010 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | Bojangles' Coliseum (first two rounds) Time Warner Cable Arena (semifinals and final) (Charlotte, North Carolina) | Wofford |
| Southland Conference | Stephen F. Austin (East) Sam Houston State (West) | Marquez Haynes, UT Arlington | 2010 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, Texas) | Sam Houston State |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Jackson State | Garrison Johnson, Jackson State | 2010 SWAC men's basketball tournament | CenturyTel Center (Bossier City, Louisiana) | Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| The Summit League | Oakland | Keith Benson, Oakland | 2010 Summit League men's basketball tournament | Sioux Falls Arena (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) | Oakland |
| Sun Belt Conference | Middle Tennessee & Troy (East) North Texas (West) | Tyren Johnson, Louisiana-Lafayette | 2010 Sun Belt men's basketball tournament | Summit Arena (Hot Springs, Arkansas) | North Texas |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga | 2010 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada) | Saint Mary's |
| Western Athletic Conference | Utah State | Luke Babbitt, Nevada | 2010 WAC men's basketball tournament | Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada) | New Mexico State |

#### Conference standings

2009–10 America East men's basketball standings :
| 2009–10 America East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Stony Brook13–3 .81322–10  .688 Vermont †12–4 .75025–10  .714 Maine11–5 .68819–11  .633 Boston University11–5 .68821–14  .600 Binghamton8–8 .50013–18  .419 Hartford6–10 .3758–22  .267 New Hampshire6–10 .37513–17  .433 UMBC3–13 .1884–26  .133 Albany2–14 .1257–25  .219 † 2010 America East tournament winner As of March 19, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 12 Temple†14–2 .87529–6  .829 No. 25 Xavier14–2 .87526–9  .743 No. 24 Richmond13–3 .81326–9  .743 Saint Louis11–5 .68823–13  .639 Rhode Island9–7 .56326–10  .722 Charlotte9–7 .56319–12  .613 Dayton8–8 .50025–12  .676 St. Bonaventure7–9 .43815–16  .484 Duquesne7–9 .43816–16  .500 George Washington6–10 .37516–15  .516 UMass5–11 .31312–20  .375 Saint Joseph's5–11 .31311–20  .355 La Salle4–12 .25012–18  .400 Fordham0–16 .0002–26  .071 † 2010 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 ACC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 Duke †13–3 .81335–5  .875 No. 20 Maryland13–3 .81324–9  .727 Florida State10–6 .62522–10  .688 Virginia Tech10–6 .62525–9  .735 Wake Forest9–7 .56320–10  .667 Clemson9–7 .56321–11  .656 Georgia Tech7–9 .43823–13  .639 Boston College6–10 .37515–16  .484 Virginia5–11 .31315–16  .484 North Carolina5–11 .31320–17  .541 NC State5–11 .31320–16  .556 Miami (FL)4–12 .25020–13  .606 † 2010 ACC tournament winner As of March 19, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2009–10 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Lipscomb14–6 .70017–13  .567 Jacksonville14–6 .70018–11  .621 Belmont14–6 .70019–11  .633 Campbell14–6 .70019–10  .655 East Tennessee State †13–7 .65017–14  .548 Mercer10–10 .50014–16  .467 North Florida8–12 .40013–17  .433 Kennesaw State7–13 .35013–19  .406 USC Upstate6–14 .3006–23  .207 Florida Gulf Coast5–15 .2508–21  .276 Stetson5–15 .2507–22  .241 † 2010 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner As of March 2, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Big East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Syracuse15–3 .83330–5  .857 No. 6 West Virginia †13–5 .72231–7  .816 No. 9 Villanova13–5 .72225–8  .758 No. 18 Pittsburgh13–5 .72225–9  .735 Marquette11–7 .61122–12  .647 Louisville11–7 .61120–13  .606 No. 14 Georgetown10–8 .55623–11  .676 Notre Dame10–8 .55623–12  .657 South Florida9–9 .50020–13  .606 Seton Hall9–9 .50019–13  .594 Cincinnati7–11 .38919–16  .543 Connecticut7–11 .38918–16  .529 St. John's6–12 .33317–16  .515 Rutgers5–13 .27815–17  .469 Providence4–14 .22212–19  .387 DePaul1–17 .0568–23  .258 † 2010 Big East tournament winner As of April 3, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Weber State13–3 .81320–11  .645 Northern Colorado12–4 .75025–7  .781 Montana State10–6 .62515–14  .517 Montana †10–6 .62522–9  .710 Northern Arizona8–8 .50014–14  .500 Portland State7–9 .43812–19  .387 Eastern Washington5–11 .3139–21  .300 Idaho State4–12 .2507–22  .241 Sacramento State3–13 .1889–21  .300 † Conference tournament winner |
| 2009–10 Big South men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Coastal Carolina15–3 .83328–7  .800 Radford13–5 .72219–12  .613 Winthrop †12–6 .66719–14  .576 UNC Asheville11–7 .61115–16  .484 High Point10–8 .55615–15  .500 Liberty10–8 .55615–16  .484 Charleston Southern7–11 .38913–17  .433 VMI5–13 .27810–19  .345 Gardner-Webb5–13 .2788–21  .276 Presbyterian2–16 .1115–26  .161 † 2010 Big South tournament winner As of March 16, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 5 Ohio State†14–4 .77829–8  .784 No. 10 Purdue14–4 .77829–6  .829 No. 13 Michigan State14–4 .77828–9  .757 No. 16 Wisconsin13–5 .72224–9  .727 Illinois10–8 .55621–15  .583 Minnesota9–9 .50021–14  .600 Northwestern7–11 .38920–14  .588 Michigan7–11 .38915–17  .469 Indiana4–14 .22210–21  .323 Iowa4–14 .22210–22  .313 Penn State3–15 .16711–20  .355 † 2010 Big Ten tournament winner As of April 3, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Kansas†15–1 .93833–3  .917 No. 7 Kansas State11–5 .68829–8  .784 No. 19 Baylor11–5 .68828–8  .778 No. 23 Texas A&M11–5 .68824–10  .706 Missouri10–6 .62523–11  .676 Texas9–7 .56324–10  .706 Oklahoma State9–7 .56322–11  .667 Colorado6–10 .37515–16  .484 Texas Tech4–12 .25019–16  .543 Iowa State4–12 .25015–17  .469 Oklahoma4–12 .25013–18  .419 Nebraska2–14 .12515–18  .455 † 2010 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2009–10 Big West men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UC Santa Barbara †12–4 .75020–10  .667 Pacific12–4 .75023–12  .657 Cal State Fullerton8–8 .50016–15  .516 Long Beach State8–8 .50017–16  .515 UC Davis8–8 .50014–18  .438 Cal Poly SLO7–9 .43812–19  .387 UC Irvine6–10 .37514–18  .438 Cal State Northridge6–10 .37511–21  .344 UC Riverside5–11 .31312–17  .414 † 2010 Big West tournament winner As of March 30, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 CAA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Old Dominion †15–3 .83327–9  .750 Northeastern14–4 .77820–13  .606 William & Mary12–6 .66722–11  .667 George Mason12–6 .66717–15  .531 VCU11–7 .61127–9  .750 Drexel11–7 .61116–16  .500 Hofstra10–8 .55619–15  .559 Towson6–12 .33310–21  .323 Georgia State5–13 .27812–20  .375 UNCW5–13 .2789–22  .290 James Madison4–14 .22213–20  .394 Delaware3–15 .1677–24  .226 † 2010 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2009–10 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UTEP15–1 .93826–7  .788 Memphis13–3 .81324–10  .706 UAB11–5 .68825–9  .735 Marshall11–5 .68824–10  .706 Tulsa10–6 .62523–12  .657 Southern Miss8–8 .50020–13  .606 Houston†7–9 .43819–16  .543 SMU7–9 .43814–17  .452 East Carolina4–12 .25010–21  .323 Tulane3–13 .1888–22  .267 Rice1–15 .0638–23  .258 UCF*0–10 .0000–17  .000 † 2010 CUSA Tournament winner As of March 20, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll *UCF vacated its wins from the 2010–11 season after it was discovered that there was an ineligible player on the team. |
| 2009–10 Great West Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT South Dakota †11–1 .91722–10  .688 Houston Baptist9–3 .75012–21  .364 Utah Valley5–7 .41712–18  .400 North Dakota5–7 .4178–23  .258 NJIT4–8 .33310–21  .323 Chicago State4–8 .3339–23  .281 Texas–Pan American4–8 .3336–27  .182 † 2010 Great West tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Horizon League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 11 Butler †18–0 1.00033–5  .868 Wright State12–6 .66720–12  .625 Green Bay11–7 .61122–12  .647 Milwaukee10–8 .55620–14  .588 Cleveland State10–8 .55616–17  .485 Valparaiso10–8 .55615–17  .469 Detroit9–9 .50020–14  .588 Loyola Chicago5–13 .27814–16  .467 UIC3–15 .1678–22  .267 Youngstown State2–16 .1118–22  .267 † 2010 Horizon League Tournament winner As of March 18, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Cornell13–1 .92929–5  .853 Princeton11–3 .78622–9  .710 Harvard10–4 .71421–9  .700 Yale6–8 .42912–19  .387 Columbia5–9 .35711–17  .393 Brown5–9 .35711–20  .355 Penn5–9 .3576–22  .214 Dartmouth1–13 .0715–23  .179 As of March 21, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2009–10 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Siena †17–1 .94427–7  .794 Fairfield13–5 .72223–11  .676 Iona12–6 .66721–10  .677 Saint Peter's11–7 .61116–14  .533 Rider9–9 .50017–16  .515 Niagara9–9 .50018–15  .545 Canisius8–10 .44415–17  .469 Loyola6–12 .33313–17  .433 Manhattan4–14 .22211–20  .355 Marist1–17 .0561–29  .033 † 2010 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Kent State13–3 .81324–10  .706 Akron12–4 .75024–11  .686 Miami9–7 .56314–18  .438 Buffalo9–7 .56318–12  .600 Ohio†7–9 .43822–15  .595 Bowling Green6–10 .37514–16  .467 West Central Michigan9–7 .56315–15  .500 Eastern Michigan8–8 .50017–15  .531 Western Michigan8–8 .50018–15  .545 Ball State8–8 .50015–15  .500 Northern Illinois6–10 .37510–20  .333 Toledo1–15 .0634–28  .125 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Morgan State †15–1 .93824–10  .706 Delaware State11–5 .68816–11  .593 South Carolina State10–6 .62516–13  .552 Norfolk State9–7 .56311–18  .379 Hampton8–8 .50013–17  .433 Maryland Eastern Shore8–8 .50010–20  .333 Bethune–Cookman7–9 .43816–15  .516 Howard6–10 .3757–24  .226 North Carolina A&T6–10 .37510–21  .323 Florida A&M5–11 .3139–21  .300 Coppin St.3–13 .1888–21  .276 † 2010 MEAC tournament winner As of March 19, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2009–10 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northern Iowa †15–3 .83330–5  .857 Wichita State12–6 .66725–10  .714 Illinois State11–7 .61122–11  .667 Creighton10–8 .55618–16  .529 Bradley9–9 .50016–15  .516 Indiana State9–9 .50017–15  .531 Missouri State8–10 .44424–12  .667 Drake7–11 .38914–19  .424 Southern Illinois6–12 .33315–15  .500 Evansville3–15 .1679–21  .300 † 2010 MVC tournament winner As of March 20, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 New Mexico14–2 .87530–5  .857 No. 17 BYU13–3 .81330–6  .833 UNLV11–5 .68825–8  .758 San Diego State†11–5 .68825–9  .735 Colorado State7–9 .43816–16  .500 Utah7–9 .43814–17  .452 TCU5–11 .31313–19  .406 Wyoming3–13 .18810–21  .323 Air Force1–15 .06310–21  .323 † Conference tournament winner As of March 20, 2010 Rankings from AP/Coaches Poll | 2009–10 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Quinnipiac15–3 .83323–9  .719 Robert Morris †15–3 .83323–12  .657 Mount St. Mary's12–6 .66716–15  .516 Long Island11–7 .61114–17  .452 Fairleigh Dickinson10–8 .55611–21  .344 St. Francis (PA)9–9 .50011–19  .367 Central Connecticut9–9 .50012–18  .400 Monmouth8–10 .44412–19  .387 St. Francis (NY)8–10 .44411–18  .379 Sacred Heart7–11 .38914–15  .483 Wagner3–15 .1675–26  .161 Bryant*1–17 .0561–29  .033 † 2010 Northeast Conference tournament winner As of March 17, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament |
| 2009–10 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Murray State †17–1 .94431–5  .861 Morehead State15–3 .83324–11  .686 Eastern Illinois11–7 .61119–12  .613 Austin Peay11–7 .61117–15  .531 Eastern Kentucky11–7 .61120–12  .625 Tennessee Tech8–10 .44415–17  .469 Jacksonville State7–11 .38911–19  .367 Tennessee State6–12 .3339–23  .281 Southeast Missouri State3–15 .1677–23  .233 UT Martin1–17 .0564–25  .138 † 2010 OVC tournament winner As of March 22, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings ConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT California13–5 .72224–11  .686 Arizona State12–6 .66722–11  .667 Washington †11–7 .61126–10  .722 Arizona10–8 .55616–15  .516 USC*8–10 .44416–14  .533 Oregon State8–10 .44414–18  .438 UCLA8–10 .44414–18  .438 Stanford7–11 .38914–17  .452 Oregon7–11 .38916–16  .500 Washington State6–12 .33316–15  .516 † Conference tournament winner As of March 25, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll * Ineligible for conference tournament | 2009–10 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Lehigh†10–4 .71419–10  .655 Bucknell9–5 .64314–16  .467 Lafayette8–6 .57117–12  .586 American7–7 .50010–19  .345 Navy7–7 .50013–16  .448 Colgate6–8 .42910–18  .357 Holy Cross5–9 .3578–21  .276 Army4–10 .28614–14  .500 † 2010 Patriot League tournament winner As of March 1, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2009–10 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 2 Kentucky†14–2 .87535–3  .921 No. 21 Vanderbilt12–4 .75024–9  .727 No. 15 Tennessee11–5 .68828–9  .757 Florida9–7 .56321–13  .618 South Carolina6–10 .37515–16  .484 Georgia5–11 .31314–17  .452 West Mississippi State9–7 .56324–12  .667 Mississippi9–7 .56324–11  .686 Arkansas7–9 .43814–18  .438 Alabama6–10 .37517–15  .531 Auburn6–10 .37515–17  .469 LSU2–14 .12511–20  .355 † 2010 SEC tournament winner As of March 30, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Appalachian State13–5 .72224–12  .667 Western Carolina11–7 .61122–12  .647 Chattanooga6–12 .33315–18  .455 UNC Greensboro6–12 .3338–23  .258 Samford5–13 .27811–20  .355 Elon5–13 .2789–23  .281 South Wofford†15–3 .83326–9  .743 College of Charleston14–4 .77822–12  .647 Davidson11–7 .61116–15  .516 The Citadel9–9 .50016–16  .500 Furman7–11 .38913–17  .433 Georgia Southern6–12 .3339–23  .281 † SoCon Tournament winner As of March 22, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Stephen F. Austin11–5 .68823–9  .719 Southeastern Louisiana10–6 .62519–12  .613 Nicholls State7–9 .43811–19  .367 Northwestern State5–10 .33310–19  .345 McNeese State5–11 .31310–20  .333 Central Arkansas3–13 .1889–21  .300 West Sam Houston State†14–2 .87525–8  .758 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi10–6 .62517–15  .531 UTSA9–7 .56319–11  .633 Texas State9–7 .56315–16  .484 Texas–Arlington8–8 .50016–14  .533 Lamar5–11 .31314–18  .438 † 2010 Southland tournament winner As of March 18, 2010 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2009–10 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Jackson State17–1 .94419–12  .613 Arkansas–Pine Bluff†16–4 .80017–15  .531 Alabama State12–7 .63215–15  .500 Prairie View A&M11–7 .61116–13  .552 Texas Southern12–8 .60016–16  .500 Alabama A&M8–10 .44411–15  .423 Mississippi Valley State8–10 .4449–23  .281 Grambling State4–15 .2117–21  .250 Southern3–15 .1675–25  .167 Alcorn State2–16 .1112–29  .065 † 2010 SWAC tournament winner As of March 13, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Summit League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Oakland †17–1 .94426–9  .743 IUPUI15–3 .83325–11  .694 Oral Roberts13–5 .72220–13  .606 South Dakota State10–8 .55614–16  .467 IPFW9–9 .50016–15  .516 North Dakota State8–10 .44411–18  .379 Western Illinois6–12 .33313–17  .433 UMKC6–12 .33312–18  .400 Centenary *3–15 .1678–21  .276 Southern Utah3–15 .1677–22  .241 † Conference tournament winner As of March 22, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll * Ineligible for conference tournament | 2009–10 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Troy13–5 .72220–13  .606 Middle Tennessee13–5 .72219–14  .576 Western Kentucky12–6 .66721–13  .618 Florida Atlantic10–8 .55614–16  .467 South Alabama8–10 .44417–15  .531 FIU4–14 .2227–25  .219 West North Texas†13–5 .72224–9  .727 Arkansas State11–7 .61117–14  .548 Denver10–8 .55619–13  .594 Louisiana–Lafayette10–8 .55613–17  .433 Louisiana–Monroe6–12 .33312–19  .387 Arkansas–Little Rock4–14 .2228–22  .267 New Orleans3–15 .1678–22  .267 † 2010 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2009–10 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 22 Gonzaga12–2 .85727–7  .794 Saint Mary's†11–3 .78628–6  .824 Portland10–4 .71421–11  .656 San Francisco7–7 .50012–18  .400 Loyola Marymount7–7 .50018–16  .529 San Diego3–11 .21411–21  .344 Santa Clara3–11 .21411–21  .344 Pepperdine3–11 .2147–24  .226 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2009–10 WAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Utah State14–2 .87527–7  .794 Nevada11–5 .68821–13  .618 New Mexico State†11–5 .68822–11  .667 Louisiana Tech9–7 .56324–11  .686 Fresno State7–9 .43815–18  .455 San Jose State6–10 .37514–17  .452 Idaho6–10 .37515–16  .484 Boise State5–11 .31315–17  .469 Hawai'i3–13 .18810–20  .333 † 2010 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |

### Division I independents

Seven schools played as Division I independents. However, only Longwood and Savannah State were considered full NCAA Division I schools, as the rest were still in a transition phase from NCAA Division II. Charles Garcia of Seattle was selected for the Lou Henson All-America Team.
2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConfOverall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Seattle– –17–14
* .548
* Savannah State– –11–15
* .423
* Winston–Salem State– –12–17
* .414
* Longwood– –12–19
* .387
* Cal State Bakersfield– –7–22
* .241
* North Carolina Central– –7–22
* .241
* SIU Edwardsville– –5–23
* .179
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Temple | Scottie Reynolds, Villanova |
Temple finished with a 4–0 record 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 |
| Aubrey Coleman | Houston | 25.6 | Artsiom Parakhouski | Radford | 13.4 | Ronald Moore | Siena | 7.7 | Jay Threatt | Delaware St. | 2.8 |
| Adnan Hodžić | Lipscomb | 22.7 | Kenneth Faried | Morehead St. | 13.0 | Demetri McCamey | Illinois | 7.1 | Damian Saunders | Duquesne | 2.8 |
| Marquez Haynes | UT Arlington | 22.6 | Daniel Emerson | Mercer | 12.0 | John Wall | Kentucky | 6.5 | Devan Downey | S. Carolina | 2.7 |
| Devan Downey | S. Carolina | 22.5 | Kevin Thompson | Morgan St. | 11.8 | Johnathon Jones | Oakland | 6.4 | Chris Jones | Prairie View | 2.7 |
| Adrian Oliver | San Jose St. | 22.5 | Chris Gaston | Fordham | 11.4 | Greivis Vásquez | Maryland | 6.3 | Ceola Clark | W. Illinois | 2.7 |
| 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% |
| Hassan Whiteside | Marshall | 5.4 | Adnan Hodžić | Lipscomb | 60.4 | Jared Stohl | Portland | 47.8 | Donald Sims | Appalachian St. | 95.1 |
| Jarvis Varnado | Miss. St. | 4.7 | Jeremy Simmons | C of Charleston | 59.7 | Tommy Freeman | Ohio | 47.7 | Jerome Randle | California | 93.3 |
| Hamady N'Diaye | Rutgers | 4.5 | Denzel Bowles | James Madison | 59.4 | Jim Mower | Lafayette | 46.5 | Luke Babbitt | Nevada | 91.7 |
| David Foster | Utah | 4.0 | Willie Reed | St. Louis | 58.7 | Frank Davis | Tenn. Tech | 44.4 | Tyler Haws | BYU | 91.7 |
| Ekpe Udoh | Baylor | 3.7 | Jamal Boykin | California | 58.4 | Devon Beitzel | N. Colorado | 44.4 | Paul George | Fresno St. | 90.9 |

## Postseason tournaments
### NCAA tournament

The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 16, 2010, with the opening round game in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded on April 5 at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Of the 65 teams that were invited to participate, 31 were automatic bids while 34 were at-large bids. The 34 at-large teams came from 11 conferences, with the Big East receiving the most bids – eight. The tournament was marked by a number of significant upsets. The biggest saw Northern Iowa knock off #1 overall seed Kansas 69–67 on an Ali Farokhmanesh three-pointer in the waning seconds. Another surprise was Ivy League champion Cornell making a surprise run to the Sweet 16 – becoming the first Ivy school to win an NCAA tournament game since 1998. Duke made a big run in the NCAA tournament, defeating Arkansas Pine-Bluff (73–44), California (68–53), Purdue (70–57), and Baylor (78–72) in their region. In the semifinals, the Blue Devils routed West Virginia 78–57 to make their 10th championship game appearance. In the end, Duke defeated surprise finalist Butler 61–59, after a three-point attempt by the Bulldogs' Gordon Hayward barely missed at the buzzer. Duke claimed its fourth National title as Blue Devil forward Kyle Singler was named Most Outstanding Player

#### Final Four – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

| National Semifinals April 3 | National Semifinals April 3 | National Semifinals April 3 | National Championship Game April 5 | National Championship Game April 5 | National Championship Game April 5 |
| M5 | Michigan State | 50 | | | |
| W5 | Butler | 52 | | | |
| W5 | Butler | 52 | W5 | Butler | 59 |
| | | | S1 | Duke | 61 |
| E2 | West Virginia | 57 | S1 | Duke | 61 |
| S1 | Duke | 78 | | | |

#### Tournament upsets

A "major upset" is defined as a win by a team seeded 7 or more spots below its defeated opponent.
| Date | Winner | Score | Loser |
| March 18 | #14 Ohio | 97–83 | #3 Georgetown |
| March 18 | #13 Murray State | 66–65 | #4 Vanderbilt |
| March 19 | #12 Cornell | 78–65 | #5 Temple |
| March 20 | #11 Washington | 82–64 | #3 New Mexico |
| March 20 | #10 Saint Mary's | 75–68 | #2 Villanova |
| March 20 | #9 Northern Iowa | 69–67 | #1 Kansas |
| March 21 | #12 Cornell | 87–69 | #4 Wisconsin |

### National Invitation tournament

After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the National Invitation Tournament invited 32 teams to participate. There was much speculation during the NIT that the NCAA Tournament would expand to 96 teams and that 2010 could be the last NIT after 73 years. (Ultimately, the NCAA decided to expand only to 68 teams, keeping the NIT intact for the near future.) Dayton defeated defending National Champion North Carolina 79–68 in the Final on April 1. The Flyers' Chris Johnson was named tournament Most Outstanding Player.

#### NIT Semifinals and Final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City
| Semifinals March 30 | Semifinals March 30 | Semifinals March 30 | Championship game April 1 | Championship game April 1 | Championship game April 1 |
| 3 | Dayton | 68 | | | |
| 2 | Mississippi | 63 | | | |
| 2 | Mississippi | 63 | 3 | Dayton | 79 |
| | | | 4 | North Carolina | 68 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 67 | 4 | North Carolina | 68 |
| 4 | North Carolina (OT) | 68 | | | |

### College Basketball Invitational

The second College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Tournament was held beginning March 16 and ended with a best-of-three final, ending March 31. VCU defeated Saint Louis 2–0 in the final series to win the title. The Rams' Joey Rodriguez was named tournament MVP.
| Semifinals (Reseeded) | Semifinals (Reseeded) | Semifinals (Reseeded) | Finals (Best of three) | Finals (Best of three) | Finals (Best of three) | Finals (Best of three) | Finals (Best of three) |
| 1 | Saint Louis | 69 | | | | | |
| 4 | Princeton | 59 | | | | | |
| 4 | Princeton | 59 | 1 | Saint Louis | 56 | 65 | – |
| | | | 3 | VCU | 68 | 71 | – |
| 2 | Boston University | 75 | 3 | VCU | 68 | 71 | – |
| 3 | VCU | 88 | | | | | |

### CollegeInsider.com tournament

The CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was held beginning March 16 and ended with a championship game on March 30. This tournament places an emphasis on selecting successful teams from "mid-major" conferences who were left out of the NCAA Tournament and NIT. Missouri State defeated Pacific 78–65 to win the CIT championship in Springfield, Missouri. The Bears' Will Creekmore was named tournament MVP.
| Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Appalachian State | Appalachian State | 56 | | | |
| Pacific | Pacific | 64 | | | |
| Pacific | Pacific | 64 | Pacific | Pacific | 65 |
| | | | Missouri State | Missouri State | 78 |
| Creighton | Creighton | 61 | Missouri State | Missouri State | 78 |
| Missouri State | Missouri State | 67 | | | |

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

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Sherron Collins | PG | Senior | Kansas |
| Wesley Johnson | SF | Junior | Syracuse |
| Scottie Reynolds | PG | Senior | Villanova |
| Evan Turner | SF/SG | Junior | Ohio State |
| John Wall | PG | Freshman | Kentucky |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Cole Aldrich | C | Junior | Kansas |
| James Anderson | SG | Sophomore | Oklahoma State |
| DeMarcus Cousins | C | Freshman | Kentucky |
| Luke Harangody | PF | Senior | Notre Dame |
| Jon Scheyer | PG | Senior | Duke |
| Greivis Vasquez | PG | Senior | Maryland |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Evan Turner, Ohio State
* Naismith Award: Evan Turner, Ohio State
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Evan Turner, Ohio State
* NABC Player of the Year: Evan Turner, Ohio State
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Evan Turner, Ohio State
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: John Wall, Kentucky
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Evan Turner, Ohio State

### Major freshman of the year awards

* USBWA Freshman of the Year: John Wall, Kentucky
* Sporting News Freshman of the Year: John Wall, Kentucky

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
* NABC Coach of the Year: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
* Adolph Rupp Cup: John Calipari, Kentucky
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

### Other major awards

* Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): Greivis Vásquez, Maryland
* Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): Greg Monroe, Georgetown
* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player 6'0"/1.83 m or shorter): Sherron Collins, Kansas
* Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
* Elite 88 Award (Top GPA among upperclass players at Final Four): Matt Howard, Butler
* Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Román Martínez, New Mexico

### CollegeInsider.com awards

* Ben Jobe Award (Top minority coach): Ed Cooley, Fairfield
* Hugh Durham Award (Top mid-major coach): Mike Young, Wofford
* Jim Phelan Award (Top head coach): Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh
* Lefty Driesell Award (Top defensive player): Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State
* Lou Henson Award (Top mid-major player): Keith Benson, Oakland
* Lute Olson Award (Top non-freshman or transfer player): Sherron Collins, Kansas
* Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award (Coach with moral character): Bob Marlin, Sam Houston State

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Appalachian State | Buzz Peterson | | Jason Capel | Peterson left his second stint with Appalachian State after one season to move across the state to UNC Wilmington. |
| Auburn | Jeff Lebo | | Tony Barbee | Lebo was fired after missing the NCAA tournament in each of his six seasons. He went on to be hired by East Carolina. |
| Boise State | Greg Graham | | Leon Rice | Graham was fired after his first losing season in his eight-year tenure at Boise amid the lowest season-ticket sales in the program's modern history. He was replaced by Rice, Mark Few's top assistant at Gonzaga. |
| Boston College | Al Skinner | | Steve Donahue | Skinner was fired after 13 years at BC. |
| Centenary | Greg Gary | | Adam Walsh | Gary was fired. |
| Central Arkansas | Rand Chappell | | Corliss Williamson | Former Arkansas Razorbacks star Williamson was hired to relieve Chappell. |
| Charlotte | Bobby Lutz | | Alan Major | Lutz was fired after the 49ers went in a month from sole possession of first place in the A-10 to not making either the NCAA Tournament or NIT. Lutz would eventually be hired by new Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. |
| Chicago State | Benjy Taylor | | Tracy Dildy | |
| The Citadel | Ed Conroy | | Chuck Driesell | |
| Clemson | Oliver Purnell | | Brad Brownell | Purnell left for the DePaul job after taking Clemson to three straight NCAA Tournaments for only the second time in school history. |
| Colorado | Jeff Bzdelik | | Tad Boyle | Bzdelik left to work for old Northwestern colleague Ron Wellman at Wake Forest. |
| Columbia | Joe Jones | | Kyle Smith | Jones left to become Associate Head Coach at Boston College. |
| Cornell | Steve Donahue | | Bill Courtney | Donahue left for the Boston College job after guiding Cornell to three straight Ivy League crowns and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. |
| Creighton | Dana Altman | | Greg McDermott | Altman left to become Head Coach at Oregon. |
| Dartmouth | Terry Dunn | Mark Graupe | Paul Cormier | Dunn resigned after a 3–10 start. |
| DePaul | Jerry Wainwright | Tracy Webster | Oliver Purnell | Wainwright was fired after losing his 22nd straight regular season Big East Conference game. |
| East Carolina | Mack McCarthy | | Jeff Lebo | McCarthy stepped down after three seasons to take a fundraising position in the university's athletic department, specifically aimed at an on-campus basketball practice facility. |
| Fordham | Dereck Whittenburg | Jared Grasso | Tom Pecora | Whittenburg was fired after a 1–4 start. |
| Gardner–Webb | Rick Scruggs | | Chris Holtmann | Scruggs was fired after 15 years at Gardner-Webb. |
| Green Bay | Tod Kowalczyk | | Brian Wardle | Kowalczyk left for the Toledo job. |
| Hartford | Dan Leibovitz | | John Gallagher | Leibovitz resigned with four years left on his contract to become top assistant at Penn. |
| Hawaii | Bob Nash | | Gib Arnold | |
| Holy Cross | Sean Kearney | | Milan Brown | Kearney was fired after only one year. |
| Hofstra | Tom Pecora | | Mo Cassara | Former Providence coach Tim Welsh was hired but then resigned a month later after a DWI arrest. |
| Houston | Tom Penders | | James Dickey | Penders resigned after six seasons, apparently feeling he had done his job after leading the Cougars to their first NCAA appearance since 1992. |
| Howard | Gil Jackson | | Kevin Nickelberry | |
| Illinois-Chicago | Jimmy Collins | | Howard Moore | Collins retired in the Summer before the 2010–11 season. |
| Indiana State | Kevin McKenna | | Greg Lansing | |
| Iona | Kevin Willard | | Tim Cluess | |
| Iowa | Todd Lickliter | | Fran McCaffery | Lickliter was fired after a three-year tenure that saw three losing seasons, with four players transferring out of Iowa after the 2008–09 season and a fifth leaving during this season. |
| Iowa State | Greg McDermott | | Fred Hoiberg | McDermott made the unusual move to Creighton and the MVC and was replaced by Hoiberg, who grew up in Ames and starred for the Cyclones, where he became known as "The Mayor". |
| Louisiana–Lafayette | Robert Lee | | Bob Marlin | Lee was fired after six seasons in Lafayette and a 13–16 record in his final season. The Ragin' Cajuns program was plagued by academic problems that resulted in lost scholarships in each of Lee's three final seasons. |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Orlando Early | | Keith Richard | Early left to become an assistant at South Carolina. |
| Marshall | Donnie Jones | | Tom Herrion | Jones moved within Conference USA, to UCF. |
| Mount St. Mary's | Milan Brown | | Robert Burke | |
| Northern Colorado | Tad Boyle | | B. J. Hill | |
| Oregon | Ernie Kent | | Dana Altman | Duck alum Kent, the school's winningest coach in history, was fired after two weeks of speculation. The Ducks had gone 24–39 in Kent's last two seasons, and saw a significant drop in attendance, with a new arena set to open during the 2010–11 season. |
| Penn | Glen Miller | | Jerome Allen | Miller was fired after a 0–7 start and replaced by former Penn star (and assistant coach) Allen. |
| Robert Morris | Mike Rice | | Andy Toole | Rice left after three straight 20+ win seasons to take the head coach job at Rutgers. |
| Rutgers | Fred Hill | | Mike Rice | Hill resigned after a lack of progress in the program, including the transfer of star Mike Rosario after the season's end. |
| Sam Houston State | Bob Marlin | | Jason Hooten | Marlin left to take the Louisiana-Lafayette opening. |
| Seton Hall | Bobby Gonzalez | | Kevin Willard | Gonzalez was fired with the AD citing both his conduct and that of forward Herb Pope, who punched an opposing player twice in Seton Hall's NIT loss to Texas Tech. |
| Siena | Fran McCaffery | | Mitch Buonaguro | Siena promoted top assistant Buonaguro after Iowa hired away McCaffery. |
| St. Francis (NY) | Brian Nash | | Glenn Braica | |
| St. John's | Norm Roberts | | Steve Lavin | St. John's fired Roberts after failing to make the NCAA Tournament, later hiring ESPN announcer and former UCLA coach Lavin. |
| Toledo | Gene Cross | | Tod Kowalczyk | |
| Tulane | Dave Dickerson | | Ed Conroy | |
| UC Irvine | Pat Douglass | | Russell Turner | |
| UCF | Kirk Speraw | | Donnie Jones | Speraw, the school's winningest coach, was fired after a disappointing 15–17 season. The Knights had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2005. |
| UNC Wilmington | Benny Moss | Brooks Lee | Buzz Peterson | Moss was reassigned to a new position in the UNCW athletic department after a 7–14 start. |
| UTEP | Tony Barbee | | Tim Floyd | Barbee left for Auburn and the SEC. |
| Wagner | Mike Deane | | Dan Hurley | Deane was fired after a 5–26 season. |
| Wake Forest | Dino Gaudio | | Jeff Bzdelik | Gaudio was fired after a 1–6 postseason record in his three years. |
| Wright State | Brad Brownell | | Billy Donlon | Brownell left for the Clemson job. |