# 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1996 and concluded in the 64-team 1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, whose finals were held at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Arizona Wildcats earned their first national championship by defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 84–79 on March 31, 1997. They were coached by Lute Olson, and the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player was Arizona's Miles Simon.
In the 32-team 1997 National Invitation Tournament, the Michigan Wolverines defeated the Florida State Seminoles at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Michigan later vacated the 1997 NIT title after the NCAA ruled that players Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock were ineligible.
Following the season, the 1997 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American Consensus First Team included Tim Duncan, Danny Fortson, Raef LaFrentz, Ron Mercer, and Keith Van Horn.

## Season headlines

* The Big 12 Conference began play, with 12 original members.
* Prior to the season, the North Atlantic Conference renamed itself the America East Conference.
* Lute Olsen led the Arizona Wildcats to its first national championship.

## Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the pre-season AP Poll.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Cincinnati |
| 2 | Kansas |
| 3 | Kentucky |
| 4 | Wake Forest |
| 5 | UCLA |
| 6 | Utah |
| 7 | Villanova |
| 8 | North Carolina |
| 9 | Michigan |
| 10 | Duke |
| 11 | Iowa State |
| 12 | Syracuse |
| 13 | Arkansas |
| 14 | Fresno State |
| 15 | Massachusetts |
| 16 | Texas |
| 17 | New Mexico |
| 18 | Stanford |
| 19 | Arizona |
| 20 | Clemson |
| 21 | Boston College |
| 22 | Minnesota |
| 23 | Iowa |
| 24 | George Washington |
| 25 | Marquette |

## Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 1996–97 season.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Baylor Bears | Southwest Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Boise State Broncos | Big Sky Conference | Big West Conference |
| Cal Poly Mustangs | American West Conference | Big West Conference |
| Cal State Northridge Matadors | American West Conference | Big Sky Conference |
| Colorado Buffaloes | Big Eight Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Eastern Illinois Panthers | Mid-Continent Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Houston Cougars | Southwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Idaho Vandals | Big Sky Conference | Big West Conference |
| Iowa State Cyclones | Big Eight Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Kansas Jayhawks | Big Eight Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Kansas State Wildcats | Big Eight Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Missouri Tigers | Big Eight Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers | Big Eight Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Nevada–Las Vegas (UNLV) Runnin' Rebels | Big West Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| North Texas Mean Green | Southland Conference | Big West Conference |
| Oklahoma Sooners | Big Eight Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Oklahoma State Cowboys | Big Eight Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Portland State Vikings | Pacific West Conference (NCAA Division II) | Big Sky Conference |
| Rice Owls | Southwest Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| Sacramento State Hornets | American West Conference | Big Sky Conference |
| San Jose State Spartans | Big West Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| SMU Mustangs | Southwest Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| Southern Utah Thunderbirds | American West Conference | NCAA Division I Independent |
| TCU Horned Frogs | Southwest Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| Texas Longhorns | Southwest Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Texas A&M Aggies | Southwest Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Texas Tech Red Raiders | Southwest Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Tulsa Golden Hurricane | Missouri Valley Conference | Western Athletic Conference |

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

Twenty-seven conferences concluded their seasons with a single-elimination tournament, with only the Big Ten Conference, Ivy League, and Pac-10 Conference choosing not to conduct conference tournaments. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference player of the year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (City) | Tournament winner |
| America East Conference | Boston University | Tunji Awojobi, Boston University | 1997 America East men's basketball tournament | Case Gym (Boston, Massachusetts) | Boston University |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | St. Joseph's (East) Xavier (West) | Marc Jackson, Temple | 1997 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | The Spectrum (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | St. Joseph's |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Duke | Tim Duncan, Wake Forest | 1997 ACC men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | North Carolina |
| Big 12 Conference | Kansas | Raef LaFrentz, Kansas | 1997 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) | Kansas |
| Big East Conference | Boston College & Villanova (Big East 6) Georgetown (Big East 7) | Pat Garrity, Notre Dame | 1997 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) | Boston College |
| Big Sky Conference | Northern Arizona | Charles Thomas, Northern Arizona | 1997 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament | Walkup Skydome (Flagstaff, Arizona) | Montana |
| Big South Conference | UNC Asheville | Josh Pittman, UNC Asheville | 1997 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Vines Center (Lynchburg, Virginia) | Charleston Southern |
| Big Ten Conference | Minnesota (Vacated) | Bobby Jackson, Minnesota (Vacated) | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Big West Conference | Pacific (Western) Nevada (Eastern) | Faron Hand, Nevada | 1997 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada) | Pacific |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Old Dominion | Odell Hodge, Old Dominion | 1997 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | Old Dominion |
| Conference USA | Cincinnati | Danny Fortson, Cincinnati | 1997 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | Kiel Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Marquette |
| Ivy League | Princeton | Sydney Johnson, Princeton | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Iona | Mindaugas Timinskas, Iona | 1997 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Marine Midland Arena (Buffalo, New York) | Fairfield |
| Mid-American Conference | Bowling Green Miami (OH) | Antonio Daniels, Bowling Green | 1997 MAC men's basketball tournament | SeaGate Convention Centre (Toledo, Ohio) | Miami (OH) |
| Mid-Continent Conference | Valparaiso | Bryce Drew, Valparaiso | 1997 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament | The MARK of the Quad Cities (Moline, Illinois) | Valparaiso |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Coppin State | Roderick Blakney, South Carolina State | 1997 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | Coppin State |
| Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Butler | Jon Neuhouser, Butler | 1997 MCC men's basketball tournament | Nutter Center (Dayton, Ohio) | Butler |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Illinois State | Jason Daisy, Northern Iowa | 1997 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Kiel Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Illinois State |
| Northeast Conference | Long Island | Charles Jones, Long Island | 1997 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Schwartz Athletic Center (Brooklyn, New York) | Long Island |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Austin Peay Murray State | Bubba Wells, Austin Peay | 1997 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Gaylord Entertainment Center (Nashville, Tennessee) (Semifinals and Finals) | Murray State |
| Pacific-10 Conference | UCLA | Ed Gray, California | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Patriot League | Navy | Adonal Foyle, Colgate | 1997 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Alumni Hall (Annapolis, Maryland) | Navy |
| Southeastern Conference | South Carolina (East) Ole Miss (West) | Ron Mercer, Kentucky | 1997 SEC men's basketball tournament | Pyramid Arena (Memphis, Tennessee) | Kentucky |
| Southern Conference | Marshall (North) Chattanooga (South) | Johnny Taylor, Chattanooga | 1997 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | Chattanooga |
| Southland Conference | Texas State | Rosell Ellis, McNeese State | 1997 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum (Shreveport, Louisiana) | Texas State |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Mississippi Valley State | Randy Bolden, Texas Southern | 1997 SWAC men's basketball tournament | — | Jackson State |
| Sun Belt Conference | South Alabama | Muntrelle Dobbins, Little Rock | 1997 Sun Belt men's basketball tournament | Barton Coliseum (Little Rock, Arkansas) | South Alabama |
| Trans America Athletic Conference | College of Charleston | Anthony Johnson, College of Charleston | 1997 TAAC men's basketball tournament | John Kresse Arena (Charleston, South Carolina) | College of Charleston |
| West Coast Conference | St. Mary's Santa Clara | Marlon Garnett, Santa Clara | 1997 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Gersten Pavilion (Los Angeles, California) | St. Mary's |
| Western Athletic Conference | Fresno State (Pacific) Utah (Mountain) | Anthony Carter, Hawaii Keith Van Horn, Utah | 1997 WAC men's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, Nevada) | Utah |

#### Conference standings

1996–97 America East Conference men's basketball standings :
| 1996–97 America East Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Boston University †17–1 .94425–5  .833 Drexel16–2 .88922–9  .710 Hartford11–7 .61117–11  .607 Hofstra9–9 .50012–15  .444 Delaware9–9 .50012–15  .444 Vermont7–11 .38914–13  .519 Northeastern6–12 .3337–20  .259 Maine6–12 .33311–20  .355 New Hampshire5–13 .2787–20  .259 Towson State5–13 .2789–19  .321 † 1997 America East tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1996–97 ACC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 Duke12–4 .75024–9  .727 No. 9 Wake Forest11–5 .68824–7  .774 No. 4 North Carolina †11–5 .68828–7  .800 No. 14 Clemson9–7 .56323–10  .697 No. 22 Maryland9–7 .56321–11  .656 Virginia7–9 .43818–13  .581 Florida State6–10 .37520–12  .625 NC State4–12 .25017–15  .531 Georgia Tech3–13 .1889–18  .333 † 1997 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1996–97 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 12 Saint Joseph's †13–3 .81326–7  .788 Rhode Island12–4 .75020–10  .667 UMass11–5 .68819–14  .576 Temple10–6 .62520–11  .645 St. Bonaventure5–11 .31314–14  .500 Fordham1–15 .0636–21  .222 West No. 13 Xavier13–3 .81323–6  .793 George Washington8–8 .50015–14  .517 Virginia Tech7–9 .43815–16  .484 Dayton6–10 .37513–14  .481 La Salle5–11 .31310–17  .370 Duquesne5–11 .3139–18  .333 † 1997 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1996–97 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Kansas †15–1 .93834–2  .944 No. 24 Colorado11–5 .68822–10  .688 Texas10–6 .62518–12  .600 No. 18 Iowa State10–6 .62522–9  .710 Texas Tech10–6 .62519–9  .679 Oklahoma9–7 .56319–11  .633 Nebraska7–9 .43818–15  .545 Oklahoma State7–9 .43817–15  .531 Baylor6–10 .37518–12  .600 Missouri5–11 .31316–17  .485 Texas A&M3–13 .1889–18  .333 Kansas State3–13 .18810–17  .370 † 1997 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1996–97 Big East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Big East 6 No. 20 Villanova12–6 .66724–10  .706 No. 23 Boston College†12–6 .66722–9  .710 West Virginia11–7 .61121–10  .677 Notre Dame8–10 .44416–14  .533 St. John's8–10 .44413–15  .464 Connecticut7–11 .38918–15  .545 Big East 7 Georgetown11–7 .61120–10  .667 Providence10–8 .55624–12  .667 Pittsburgh10–8 .55618–15  .545 Miami9–9 .50016–13  .552 Syracuse9–9 .50019–13  .594 Seton Hall5–13 .27810–18  .357 Rutgers5–13 .27811–16  .407 † 1997 Big East tournament winner As of March 31, 1997 Rankings from AP poll | 1996–97 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northern Arizona14–2 .87521–7  .750 Montana †11–5 .68821–11  .656 Montana State10–6 .62516–14  .533 Weber State9–7 .56315–13  .536 Idaho State9–7 .56314–13  .519 Cal State Northridge8–8 .50014–15  .483 Portland State6–10 .3759–17  .346 Eastern Washington3–13 .1887–19  .269 Sacramento State2–14 .1253–23  .115 † Conference tournament winner |
| 1996–97 Big South Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UNC Asheville11–3 .78618–10  .643 Liberty11–3 .78623–9  .719 Radford8–6 .57115–13  .536 Charleston Southern †7–7 .50017–13  .567 Coastal Carolina6–8 .42911–16  .407 UNC Greensboro6–8 .42910–20  .333 Winthrop5–9 .35712–15  .444 UMBC2–12 .1435–22  .185 † 1997 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1996–97 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Iowa12–6 .66722–10  .688 Purdue12–6 .66718–12  .600 No. 19 Illinois11–7 .61122–10  .688 Wisconsin11–7 .61118–10  .643 Indiana9–9 .50022–11  .667 Michigan State9–9 .50017–12  .586 Ohio State5–13 .27810–17  .370 Penn State3–15 .16710–17  .370 Northwestern2–16 .1117–22  .241 No. 3 Minnesota*0–2 .0000–4  .000 Michigan*0–9 .0000–11  .000 Rankings from AP Poll *Michigan: 24 games vacated; including NIT champ. vacated due to sanctions against the program *Minnesota: 5 NCAA Tournament games vacated due to sanctions against the program Disputed records: Michigan-(24–11)(9–9); Minnesota-(31–4)(16–2) | 1996–97 Big West men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Division Utah State12–4 .75020–9  .690 New Mexico State12–4 .75019–9  .679 Nevada12–4 .75021–10  .677 Boise State9–7 .56314–13  .519 Idaho5–11 .31313–17  .433 North Texas5–11 .31310–16  .385 West Division Pacific †12–4 .75024–6  .800 Long Beach State9–7 .56313–14  .481 UC Santa Barbara7–9 .43812–15  .444 Cal State Fullerton6–10 .37513–14  .481 Cal Poly6–10 .37514–16  .467 UC Irvine1–15 .0631–25  .038 † 1997 Big West tournament winner As of April 1, 1997 Rankings from AP poll |
| 1996–97 CAA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Old Dominion †10–6 .62522–11  .667 UNC Wilmington10–6 .62516–14  .533 East Carolina9–7 .56317–10  .630 VCU9–7 .56314–13  .519 William & Mary8–8 .50012–16  .429 James Madison8–8 .50016–13  .552 American7–9 .43811–16  .407 Richmond7–9 .43813–15  .464 George Mason4–12 .25010–17  .370 † 1997 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1996–97 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Blue No. 10 Cincinnati12–2 .85726–8  .765 Marquette †9–5 .64322–9  .710 Saint Louis4–10 .28611–18  .379 DePaul1–13 .0713–23  .115 Red Tulane11–3 .78620–11  .645 UAB7–7 .50018–14  .563 Southern Miss6–8 .42912–15  .444 South Florida2–12 .1438–19  .296 White UNC Charlotte10–4 .71422–9  .710 Memphis10–4 .71416–15  .516 No. 25 Louisville9–5 .64326–9  .743 Houston3–11 .21411–16  .407 † 1997 Conference USA Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1996–97 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Princeton14–0 1.00024–4  .857 Dartmouth10–4 .71418–8  .692 Harvard10–4 .71417–9  .654 Penn8–6 .57112–14  .462 Cornell7–7 .50015–11  .577 Yale3–11 .21410–16  .385 Brown3–11 .2144–22  .154 Columbia1–13 .0716–20  .231 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1996–97 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Iona11–3 .78622–8  .733 Canisius10–4 .71417–12  .586 Loyola (MD)10–4 .71413–14  .481 Saint Peter's9–5 .64313–15  .464 Manhattan5–9 .3579–18  .333 Niagara5–9 .35711–17  .393 Siena4–10 .2869–18  .333 Fairfield †2–12 .14311–19  .367 † 1997 MAAC tournament winner | 1996–97 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bowling Green13–5 .72222–10  .688 Miami†13–5 .72221–9  .700 Ohio12–6 .66717–10  .630 Eastern Michigan11–7 .61122–10  .688 Ball State9–9 .50016–13  .552 Western Michigan9–9 .50014–14  .500 Kent State7–11 .3899–18  .333 Toledo6–12 .33313–14  .481 Akron6–12 .3338–18  .308 Central Michigan4–14 .2227–19  .269 † 1997 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1996–97 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Valparaiso †13–5 .72224–7  .774 Buffalo11–5 .68817–11  .607 Western Illinois11–5 .68819–10  .655 Troy State10–6 .62516–11  .593 Northeastern Illinois8–8 .50016–12  .571 Missouri-Kansas City7–9 .43810–17  .370 Chicago State4–12 .2504–23  .148 Central Connecticut State4–12 .2508–19  .296 Youngstown State4–12 .2509–18  .333 † 1997 Mid-Con Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1996–97 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Coppin State †15–3 .83322–9  .710 South Carolina State12–6 .66714–14  .500 North Carolina A&T11–7 .61115–13  .536 Bethune–Cookman9–9 .50012–16  .429 Morgan State8–10 .4449–18  .333 Florida A&M8–10 .4448–19  .296 Hampton7–11 .3898–19  .296 Delaware State7–11 .3897–20  .259 Howard7–11 .3897–20  .259 Maryland Eastern Shore6–12 .33311–17  .393 † 1997 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1996–97 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Butler †12–4 .75023–10  .697 Detroit Mercy11–5 .68816–13  .552 Illinois-Chicago11–5 .68815–14  .517 Wisconsin–Green Bay10–6 .62514–14  .500 Loyola–Chicago7–9 .43812–15  .444 Northern Illinois6–10 .37512–15  .444 Cleveland State6–10 .3759–19  .321 Wright State5–11 .3137–20  .259 Wisconsin–Milwaukee4–12 .2508–20  .286 † 1997 MCC tournament winner | 1996–97 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Illinois State †14–4 .77824–6  .800 Bradley12–6 .66717–13  .567 Southwest Missouri State12–6 .66724–9  .727 Northern Iowa11–7 .61116–12  .571 Evansville11–7 .61117–14  .548 Creighton10–8 .55615–15  .500 Wichita State8–10 .44414–13  .519 Southern Illinois6–12 .33313–17  .433 Indiana State6–12 .33312–16  .429 Drake0–18 .0002–26  .071 † 1997 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1996–97 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Long Island†15–3 .83321–9  .700 Fairleigh Dickinson13–5 .72218–10  .643 Monmouth12–6 .66718–11  .621 Rider10–8 .55614–14  .500 Mount St. Mary's10–8 .55614–13  .519 Saint Francis (PA)9–9 .50012–15  .444 St. Francis Brooklyn7–11 .38913–15  .464 Wagner7–11 .38910–17  .370 Marist4–14 .2226–22  .214 Robert Morris3–15 .1674–23  .148 † 1997 NEC tournament winner | 1996–97 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Austin Peay12–6 .66717–14  .548 Murray State †12–6 .66720–10  .667 Middle Tennessee11–7 .61119–12  .613 Tennessee Tech10–8 .55615–13  .536 Eastern Illinois9–9 .50012–15  .444 Southeast Missouri State9–9 .50012–18  .400 UT Martin8–10 .44411–16  .407 Tennessee State7–11 .3899–18  .333 Morehead State6–12 .3338–19  .296 Eastern Kentucky6–12 .3338–18  .308 † 1997 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1996–97 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings ConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 7 UCLA15–3 .83324–8  .750 No. 21 Stanford12–6 .66722–8  .733 California12–6 .66723–9  .719 USC12–6 .66717–11  .607 No. 15 Arizona11–7 .61125–9  .735 Washington10–8 .55617–11  .607 Oregon8–10 .44417–11  .607 Washington State5–13 .27813–17  .433 Oregon State3–15 .1677–20  .259 Arizona State2–16 .11110–20  .333 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1996–97 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Navy †10–2 .83320–9  .690 Bucknell9–3 .75018–11  .621 Colgate8–4 .66712–16  .429 Holy Cross5–7 .4178–19  .296 Lafayette5–7 .41711–17  .393 Army4–8 .33310–16  .385 Lehigh1–11 .0831–26  .037 † 1997 Patriot League tournament winner | 1996–97 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 6 South Carolina15–1 .93824–8  .750 No. 5 Kentucky†13–3 .81335–5  .875 No. 17 Georgia10–6 .62524–9  .727 Vanderbilt9–7 .56319–12  .613 Florida5–11 .31313–17  .433 Tennessee4–12 .25011–16  .407 West Ole Miss11–5 .68820–9  .690 Arkansas8–8 .50018–14  .563 Auburn6–10 .37516–15  .516 Alabama6–10 .37517–14  .548 Mississippi State6–10 .37512–18  .400 LSU3–13 .18810–20  .333 † 1997 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1996–97 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Marshall10–4 .71420–9  .690 Davidson10–4 .71418–10  .643 Appalachian State8–6 .57114–14  .500 VMI7–7 .50012–16  .429 East Tennessee State2–12 .1437–20  .259 South Chattanooga†11–3 .78624–11  .686 Western Carolina7–7 .50014–13  .519 The Citadel6–8 .42913–14  .481 Georgia Southern5–9 .35710–18  .357 Furman4–10 .28610–17  .370 † SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 1997 Rankings from AP poll |
| 1996–97 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT McNeese State10–6 .62518–12  .600 Southwest Texas State †10–6 .62516–13  .552 Louisiana-Monroe10–6 .62514–14  .500 Northwestern State8–8 .50013–15  .464 Stephen F. Austin8–8 .50012–15  .444 Texas-Arlington8–8 .50012–15  .444 Nicholls State7–9 .43810–16  .385 Sam Houston State7–9 .4388–18  .308 UTSA4–12 .2509–17  .346 † 1997 Southland tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1996–97 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Mississippi Valley State11–3 .78619–10  .655 Jackson State †9–5 .64314–16  .467 Alcorn State8–6 .57111–17  .393 Prairie View A&M7–7 .50010–17  .370 Texas Southern6–8 .42912–16  .429 Grambling5–9 .35710–17  .370 Alabama State5–9 .3578–21  .276 Southern5–9 .35710–17  .370 † 1997 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1996–97 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT New Orleans14–4 .77822–7  .759 South Alabama †14–4 .77823–7  .767 Arkansas–Little Rock11–7 .61118–11  .621 Lamar10–8 .55615–12  .556 Louisiana Tech10–8 .55615–14  .517 Western Kentucky9–9 .50012–15  .444 Southwestern Louisiana9–9 .50012–16  .429 Arkansas State8–10 .44415–12  .556 Jacksonville4–14 .2225–23  .179 Texas–Pan American1–17 .0563–25  .107 † 1997 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1996–97 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 16 College of Charleston†16–0 1.00029–3  .906 Florida International12–4 .75016–13  .552 Florida Atlantic11–5 .68816–11  .593 Campbell8–8 .50011–16  .407 Stetson5–11 .3139–18  .333 Central Florida4–12 .2507–19  .269 West Samford11–5 .68819–9  .679 Jacksonville State9–7 .56310–17  .370 Southeastern Louisiana7–9 .43810–18  .357 Georgia State6–10 .37510–17  .370 Centenary6–10 .3759–18  .333 Mercer1–15 .0633–23  .115 † 1997 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1996–97 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Santa Clara10–4 .71416–11  .593 Saint Mary's †10–4 .71423–8  .742 San Francisco9–5 .64316–13  .552 San Diego8–6 .57117–11  .607 Gonzaga8–6 .57115–12  .556 Portland4–10 .2869–18  .333 Pepperdine4–10 .2866–21  .222 Loyola Marymount3–11 .2147–21  .250 † 1997 WCC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1996–97 WAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Mountain No. 2 Utah †15–1 .93829–4  .879 Tulsa12–4 .75024–10  .706 No. 11 New Mexico11–5 .68825–8  .758 TCU7–9 .43822–13  .629 SMU7–9 .43816–12  .571 Rice6–10 .37512–15  .444 UTEP6–10 .37513–13  .500 BYU0–16 .0001–25  .038 Pacific Fresno State12–4 .75020–12  .625 Hawaii12–4 .75021–8  .724 UNLV11–5 .68822–10  .688 Colorado State10–6 .62520–9  .690 Wyoming8–8 .50012–16  .429 San Jose State5–11 .31313–14  .481 San Diego State4–12 .25012–15  .444 Air Force2–14 .1257–19  .269 † 1997 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |

### Division I independents

Three schools played as Division I independents. One (Oral Roberts) received a bid to the 1997 National Invitation Tournament.
1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConfOverall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Oral Roberts-–- –21–7
* .750
* Southern Utah-–- –9–17
* .346
* Wofford-–- –7–20
* .259
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Temple & Villanova | Rashid Bey, Saint Joseph's, & Alvin Williams, Villanova |
For the sixth consecutive season, the Philadelphia Big 5 did not play a full round-robin schedule in which each team met each other team once, a format it had used from its first season of competition in 1955–56 through the 1990–91 season. Instead, each team played only two games against other Big 5 members, and Temple and Villanova both finished with 2–0 records in head-to-head competition among the Big 5. The Big 5 did not revive its full round-robin schedule until the 1999–2000 season.

### 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 |
| Charles Jones | Long Island | 30.1 | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest | 14.7 | Kenny Mitchell | Dartmouth | 7.8 | Joel Hoover | Maryland Eastern Shore | 3.2 |
| Ed Gray | California | 24.8 | Adonal Foyle | Colgate | 13.1 | Brevin Knight | Stanford | 7.8 | Philip Huyler | Florida Atlantic | 3.2 |
| Adonal Foyle | Colgate | 24.4 | Lorenzo Coleman | Tennessee Tech | 11.9 | Kareem Gilbert | Tennessee State | 7.6 | Kellii Taylor | Pittsburgh | 3.2 |
| Raymond Tutt | UC Santa Barbara | 24.0 | Tony Battie | Texas Tech | 11.8 | Jamar Smiley | Illinois State | 7.3 | Moe Segar | St. Peter's | 3.1 |
| Antonio Daniels | Bowling Green | 24.0 | Muntrelle Dobbins | Little Rock | 11.4 | Chad Peckinpaugh | Eastern Illinois | 7.3 | Mustafa Barksdale | Monmouth | 3.0 |
| 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% |
| Adonal Foyle | Colgate | 6.4 | Todd MacCulloch | Washington | .676 | Corey Reed | Radford | .476 | Aaron Zobrist | Lamar | .906 |
| Lorenzo Coleman | Tennessee Tech | 4.8 | Sean Scott | Central Connecticut | .670 | D. J. Bosse | Kent State | .475 | Keith Van Horn | Utah | .904 |
| Richard Lugo | St. Francis (NY) | 4.5 | Rosell Ellis | McNeese State | .668 | Louis Bullock | Michigan | .472 | Jim Williamson | Loyola Marymount | .902 |
| Jerome James | Florida A&M | 4.4 | Ed Sears | Ohio | .647 | Andrew Mavis | Northern Arizona | .471 | Marcus Wilson | Evansville | .901 |
| Kelvin Cato | Iowa State | 4.2 | Lorenzo Coleman | Tennessee Tech | .645 | Bryce Drew | Valparaiso | .457 | Trajan Langdon | Duke | .897 |

## Post-season tournaments
### NCAA tournament
#### Final Four – RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

| National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship game | National championship game | National championship game |
| E1 | North Carolina | 58 | | | |
| SE4 | Arizona | 66 | | | |
| SE4 | Arizona | 66 | SE4 | Arizona | 84* |
| | | | W1 | Kentucky | 79 |
| M1 | Minnesota | 69 | W1 | Kentucky | 79 |
| W1 | Kentucky | 78 | | | |

### National Invitation tournament
#### Semifinals & finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Florida State | 71 | | | |
| Connecticut | 65 | | | |
| Connecticut | 65 | | Florida State | 73 |
| | | | Michigan* | 82 |
| Michigan | 77 | | Michigan* | 82 |
| Arkansas | 62 | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| | | | Connecticut | 74 |
| | | | Arkansas | 64 |
* Michigan later forfeited its entire 1996–97 schedule after players Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor, and Louis Bullock were found to have taken money from a Michigan booster.

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

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Tim Duncan | C | Senior | Wake Forest |
| Danny Fortson | F | Junior | Cincinnati |
| Raef LaFrentz | C | Junior | Kansas |
| Ron Mercer | F | Sophomore | Kentucky |
| Keith Van Horn | F | Senior | Utah |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Chauncey Billups | G | Sophomore | Colorado |
| Bobby Jackson | G | Senior | Minnesota |
| Antawn Jamison | F | Sophomore | North Carolina |
| Brevin Knight | G | Senior | Stanford |
| Jacque Vaughn | G | Senior | Kansas |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
* Naismith Award: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
* NABC Player of the Year: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
* Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest

### Major freshman of the year awards

* USBWA Freshman of the Year: No Award Given
* Sporting News Freshman of the Year: No Award Given

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Clem Haskins, Minnesota (Vacated)
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Clem Haskins, Minnesota (Vacated)
* NABC Coach of the Year: Clem Haskins, Minnesota (Vacated)
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Roy Williams, Kansas
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Roy Williams, Kansas
* Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award: Clem Haskins, Minnesota (Vacated)

### Other major awards

* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Brevin Knight, Stanford
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Rashid Bey, Saint Joseph's & Alvin Williams, Villanova
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Charles Jones, Long Island
* Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Tim Duncan, Wake Forest

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | New Coach |
| Canisius | John Beilein | Mike MacDonald |
| DePaul | Joey Meyer | Pat Kennedy |
| Florida State | Pat Kennedy | Steve Robinson |
| Georgia | Tubby Smith | Ron Jirsa |
| Kentucky | Rick Pitino | Tubby Smith |
| North Carolina | Dean Smith | Bill Guthridge |
| Oral Roberts | Bill Self | Barry Hinson |
| Richmond | Bill Dooley | John Beilein |
| Sacramento State | Don Newman | Tom Abatemarco |
| Southeast Missouri State | Ron Shumate | Gary Garner |
| Tulsa | Steve Robinson | Bill Self |