# 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 8, 2010, with the preliminary games of the 2010 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, and ended with the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament's championship game on April 4, 2011, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The tournament's first-round games occurred March 15–16, 2011, in Dayton, Ohio, followed by second and third rounds Thursday through Sunday, March 17–20. Regional games were played March 24–27, with the Final Four on April 2 and the national championship game on April 4.

## Season headlines

* Butler became the first program outside of one of the six "power conferences" to go to back-to-back Final Fours since UNLV in 1990 and 1991.
* On April 12, 2010, Centenary announced that it will be re-classifying to Division III for all of its sports upon the conclusion of the 2010–11 school year. First year men's basketball coach Adam Walsh led the Gentlemen in their final year as a Division I program. Notable Centenary basketball alumni include Hall of Famer Robert Parish and the 2000–01 NCAA scoring champion Ronnie McCollum.
* On June 4, 2010, legendary college basketball player and coach John Wooden died at the age of 99.
* The NCAA tournament expanded from 65 to 68 teams and the NCAA announced that Dayton, Ohio, would be the site of the "First Four" opening games.
* The AP preseason All-American team was named on November 1. Duke's Kyle Singler was the leading vote-getter with 62 of a possible 65 votes. Joining Singler were Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen (53 votes), BYU guard Jimmer Fredette (49), Purdue center JaJuan Johnson (46) and North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes (17). Barnes became the first freshman in history to be named to the preseason team.
* Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo had to serve a one-game suspension in December for a secondary violation of NCAA recruitment rules. He had hired an associate of a potential recruit to help during a youth basketball camp in June. Also, Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl was suspended for the first eight conference games and received a $1.5 million salary reduction due to recruiting violations and providing false information during the NCAA investigation.
* On February 22, 2011, Matt Howard of Butler was named Academic All-American of the Year.
* The March 13 airing of the ESPN films documentary The Fab Five, a followup to its 30 for 30 series, sparked national outrage that lead to a series of media exchanges between members of the press, Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players and Duke Blue Devils men's basketball players in forums such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

### Milestones and records

* Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 800th game at Duke on November 24, making him the fifth ever coach to reach that milestone at one school.
* Belmont coach Rick Byrd won his 600th game on January 30.
* Jimmer Fredette became the all-time leading scorer in Mountain West Conference history on February 4, 2011. Then, behind his career high 52-point outburst against New Mexico on March 11, he became BYU's all-time leading scorer after surpassing Danny Ainge.
* On February 19, 2011, Morehead State's Kenneth Faried grabbed 12 rebounds, giving him 1,576 for his career, and broke Tim Duncan's modern-era NCAA rebounding record. Duncan's rebounding total of 1,570 had stood since 1997.
* Charles Jenkins of Hofstra surpassed Antoine Agudio as the school's all-time leading scorer. He broke the previous record of 2,286 points on January 29, 2011, in a game against Drexel. Jenkins graduated as the Colonial Athletic Association's second all-time leading scorer behind Navy's David Robinson, whose 2,669 points remain the CAA's most ever.
* Providence's Marshon Brooks set a new Big East regular season record for single-game scoring as he netted 52 points against Notre Dame in a 94–93 loss to the Irish.
* Hofstra guard Charles Jenkins, College of Charleston guard Andrew Goudelock, Duke forward Kyle Singler, UTEP guard Randy Culpepper, BYU guard Jimmer Fredette, Baylor guard LaceDarius Dunn, Boston University forward John Holland, Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney, Appalachian State guard Donald Sims, Seton Hall guard Jeremy Hazell, Penn State guard Talor Battle, Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore, Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen, Richmond guard Kevin Anderson, Nicholls State forward Anatoly Bose, Lipscomb center Adnan Hodzic, Ole Miss guard Chris Warren, Wofford forward Noah Dahlman Morehead State center Kenneth Faried, and Colorado guard Cory Higgins each passed the 2,000 point mark for their careers.
* After defeating Texas A&M in their next-to-last regular-season game of the year, Kansas clinched at least a share of their seventh straight Big 12 Conference regular season title. It is the most consecutive conference championships from a power conference since John Wooden's UCLA Bruins won 13 straight from 1967–1979.
* Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon set the Division I record for most wins in a coach's first eight seasons after defeating South Florida on March 2. It was his 214th career win.
* Butler set a Horizon League record with their fifth straight conference championship, shared or outright, breaking the previous record of four consecutive regular season championships, also set by Butler from 2000 to 2003.
* Xavier won their fifth straight conference championship, shared or outright, which matched the Atlantic 10 Conference record.
* Over the course of the 2010–11 Ivy League season, Harvard became the final member of the Ivy League to win at least a share of one men's basketball regular season championship since the league was formed during the 1956–57 season.
* Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli won his 300th game on March 11. It happened after a 93–90 overtime win against Duquesne in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament.
* Ohio State guard David Lighty broke the all-time career games played record on March 12. The fifth-year senior appeared in his 153rd game, breaking the previous record of 152 set by Deon Thompson in 2009–10.
* Duke's Kyle Singler and Morehead State's Kenneth Faried each eclipsed the dual 2000 points and 1000 rebounds thresholds, joining an exclusive list of NCAA Division I players to accomplish both feats.

## New arenas

* Auburn moved from one on-campus venue to another, leaving behind their home since 1969, Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum, for the new Auburn Arena. The Tigers' first game at their new home was a 79–66 win in a preseason exhibition against Division II West Alabama on November 3, 2010. The first regular-season game was a 70–69 overtime loss to UNC Asheville on November 13, 2010.
* Louisville moved from Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center, their home since 1956, to the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville. The Cardinals' first game at their new home was an 83–66 win in a preseason exhibition against then-Division II Northern Kentucky on October 31, 2010. The first regular-season game was an 88–73 win over Butler on November 16, 2010.
* Oregon opened Matthew Knight Arena, the replacement for venerable McArthur Court, on January 13, 2011. The Ducks defeated USC, 68–62.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls, October 28, 2010.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Duke (55) |
| 2 | Michigan State (8) |
| 3 | Kansas State (2) |
| 4 | Ohio State |
| 5 | Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Villanova |
| 7 | Kansas |
| 8 | North Carolina |
| 9 | Florida |
| 10 | Syracuse |
| 11 | Kentucky |
| 12 | Gonzaga |
| 13 | Illinois |
| 14 | Purdue |
| 15 | Missouri |
| 16 | Baylor |
| 17 | Butler |
| 18 | Washington |
| 19 | Memphis |
| 20 | Georgetown |
| 21 | Virginia Tech |
| 22 | Temple |
| 23 | Tennessee |
| 24 | BYU |
| 25 | San Diego State |
ESPN/USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Duke (29) |
| 2 | Michigan State (2) |
| 3 | Kansas State |
| 4 | Pittsburgh |
| 5 | Ohio State |
| 6 | Villanova |
| 7 | Kansas |
| 8 | Purdue |
| 9 | North Carolina |
| 10 | Kentucky |
| 11 | Florida |
| 12 | Gonzaga |
| 13 | Syracuse |
| 14 | Baylor |
| 15 | Missouri |
| 16 | Illinois |
| 17 | Washington |
| 18 | Butler |
| 19 | Memphis |
| 20 | Tennessee |
| 21 | Georgetown |
| 22 | Temple |
| 23 | Virginia Tech |
| 24 | Wisconsin |
| 25 | Texas |

## Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2010–11 season.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| New Orleans Privateers | Sun Belt | NCAA Division I independent |
| Winston-Salem State Rams | NCAA Division I independent | Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Division II) |

## Regular season

A number of early-season tournaments marked the beginning of the college basketball season.

### Early-season tournaments

| Name | Dates | Num. teams | Champions |
| NIT Season Tip-Off | Nov. 15–26 | 16 | Tennessee |
| Coaches vs. Cancer Classic | Nov. 8–19 | 4* | Pittsburgh |
| Charleston Classic | Nov. 18-21 | 8 | Georgetown |
| Puerto Rico Tip-Off | Nov. 18–21 | 8 | Minnesota |
| Paradise Jam tournament | Nov. 19–22 | 8 | Old Dominion |
| CBE Classic | Nov. 12–23 | 4* | Duke |
| Maui Invitational Tournament | Nov. 22–24 | 8 | Connecticut |
| Cancún Challenge | Nov. 18–24 | 4* | Missouri |
| Great Alaska Shootout | Nov. 24–27 | 8 | St. John's |
| 76 Classic | Nov. 25–28 | 8 | UNLV |
| Old Spice Classic | Nov. 25–28 | 8 | Notre Dame |
| Las Vegas Invitational | Nov. 15–27 | 4* | Kansas |
| Legends Classic | Nov. 14–27 | 4* | Syracuse |
| South Padre Island Invitational | Nov. 26–28 | 8 | BYU |
| Diamond Head Classic | Dec. 22–25 | 8 | Butler |
*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. The teams in each conference that won their regular-season titles were given the number one seed in their respective conference tournaments. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament except for the winner of the Great West Conference tournament, although Great West Tournament champion North Dakota received an automatic bid to the 2011 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 | Vermont | John Holland, Boston University | 2011 America East men's basketball tournament | Chase Family Arena (Hartford, Connecticut) Final at campus site | Boston University |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | Xavier | Tu Holloway, Xavier | 2011 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, New Jersey) | Richmond |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | North Carolina | Nolan Smith, Duke | 2011 ACC men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | Duke |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | Belmont | Mike Smith, East Tennessee State | 2011 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament | University Center (Macon, Georgia) | Belmont |
| Big 12 Conference | Kansas | Marcus Morris, Kansas | 2011 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | Sprint Center (Kansas City, Missouri) | Kansas |
| Big East Conference | Pittsburgh | Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame | 2011 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) | Connecticut |
| Big Sky Conference | Northern Colorado | Devon Beitzel, Northern Colorado | 2011 Big Sky men's basketball tournament | Butler–Hancock Sports Pavilion (Greeley, Colorado) First round at campus sites | Northern Colorado |
| Big South Conference | Coastal Carolina | Jesse Sanders, Liberty | 2011 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | UNC Asheville |
| Big Ten Conference | Ohio State | JaJuan Johnson, Purdue | 2011 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament | Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) | Ohio State |
| Big West Conference | Long Beach State | Casper Ware, Long Beach State | 2011 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Honda Center (Anaheim, California) | UC Santa Barbara |
| Colonial Athletic Association | George Mason | Charles Jenkins, Hofstra | 2011 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | Old Dominion |
| Conference USA | UAB | Aaron Johnson, UAB | 2011 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | Don Haskins Center (El Paso, Texas) | Memphis |
| Great West Conference | Utah Valley | Isiah Williams, Utah Valley | 2011 Great West Conference men's basketball tournament | UCCU Center (Orem, Utah) | North Dakota |
| Horizon League | Milwaukee, Butler & Cleveland State | Norris Cole, Cleveland State | 2011 Horizon League men's basketball tournament | U.S. Cellular Arena (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) First round at campus sites | Butler |
| Ivy League | Harvard & Princeton | Keith Wright, Harvard | No Tournament - Princeton won a one-game playoff, receiving the Ivy's automatic NCAA bid. | No Tournament - Princeton won a one-game playoff, receiving the Ivy's automatic NCAA bid. | No Tournament - Princeton won a one-game playoff, receiving the Ivy's automatic NCAA bid. |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Fairfield | Ryan Rossiter, Siena | 2011 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Webster Bank Arena (Bridgeport, Connecticut) | Saint Peter's |
| Mid-American Conference | Kent State (East) Western Michigan (West) | Justin Greene, Kent State | 2011 MAC men's basketball tournament | Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | Akron |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Bethune-Cookman | C. J. Reed, Bethune-Cookman | 2011 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) | Hampton |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Missouri State | Kyle Weems, Missouri State | 2011 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Indiana State |
| Mountain West Conference | BYU & San Diego State | Jimmer Fredette, BYU | 2011 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada) | San Diego St. |
| Northeast Conference | Long Island | Ken Horton, Central Connecticut State | 2011 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Long Island |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Murray State | Kenneth Faried, Morehead State | 2011 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Nashville Municipal Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee) | Morehead State |
| Pacific-10 Conference | Arizona | Derrick Williams, Arizona | 2011 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament | Staples Center (Los Angeles, California) | Washington |
| Patriot League | Bucknell | Mike Muscala, Bucknell | 2011 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Bucknell |
| Southeastern Conference | Florida (East) Alabama (West) | Chandler Parsons, Florida | 2011 SEC men's basketball tournament | Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Georgia) | Kentucky |
| Southern Conference | Charleston & Wofford (South) Western Carolina & Chattanooga (North) | Andrew Goudelock, College of Charleston | 2011 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | McKenzie Arena (Chattanooga, Tennessee) | Wofford |
| Southland Conference | McNeese State (East) Sam Houston State (West) | Gilberto Clavell, Sam Houston State | 2011 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, Texas) | Texas-San Antonio |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Texas Southern | Travele Jones, Texas Southern | 2011 SWAC men's basketball tournament | Garland Special Events Center (Garland, Texas) | Alabama State |
| The Summit League | Oakland | Keith Benson, Oakland | 2011 The Summit League men's basketball tournament | Sioux Falls Arena (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) | Oakland |
| Sun Belt Conference | Florida Atlantic (East) Arkansas State & Louisiana–Lafayette (West) | Solomon Bozeman, Arkansas-Little Rock | 2011 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament | Summit Arena (Hot Springs, Arkansas) | Arkansas-Little Rock |
| West Coast Conference | Saint Mary's & Gonzaga | Mickey McConnell, Saint Mary's | 2011 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada) | Gonzaga |
| Western Athletic Conference | Utah State | Tai Wesley, Utah State | 2011 WAC men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada) | Utah State |

#### Conference standings

2010–11 America East men's basketball standings :
| 2010–11 America East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Vermont13–3 .81323–9  .719 Boston University†12–4 .75021–14  .600 Maine9–7 .56315–15  .500 Albany9–7 .56316–16  .500 Stony Brook8–8 .50015–17  .469 Hartford7–9 .43811–20  .355 New Hampshire6–10 .37512–18  .400 Binghamton4–12 .2508–23  .258 UMBC4–12 .2505–25  .167 † 2011 America East tournament winner As of March 18, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 20 Xavier15–1 .93824–8  .750 Temple14–2 .87526–8  .765 Richmond †13–3 .81329–8  .784 Duquesne10–6 .62519–13  .594 George Washington10–6 .62517–14  .548 Rhode Island9–7 .56320–14  .588 St. Bonaventure8–8 .50016–15  .516 Dayton7–9 .43822–14  .611 UMass7–9 .43815–15  .500 La Salle6–10 .37515–18  .455 Saint Louis6–10 .37512–19  .387 Saint Joseph's4–12 .25011–22  .333 Charlotte2–14 .12510–20  .333 Fordham1–15 .0637–21  .250 † 2011 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner As of March 25, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 ACC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 7 North Carolina14–2 .87529–8  .784 No. 3 Duke †13–3 .81332–5  .865 Florida State11–5 .68823–11  .676 Clemson9–7 .56322–12  .647 Boston College9–7 .56321–13  .618 Virginia Tech9–7 .56322–12  .647 Maryland7–9 .43819–14  .576 Virginia7–9 .43816–15  .516 Miami (FL)6–10 .37521–15  .583 NC State5–11 .31315–16  .484 Georgia Tech5–11 .31313–18  .419 Wake Forest1–15 .0638–24  .250 † 2011 ACC tournament winner As of March 27, 2011 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2010–11 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT † Belmont19–1 .95030–5  .857 East Tennessee State16–4 .80024–12  .667 Jacksonville13–7 .65020–12  .625 Lipscomb12–8 .60017–13  .567 Mercer11–9 .55015–18  .455 North Florida10–10 .50015–19  .441 Florida Gulf Coast7–13 .35010–20  .333 Campbell6–14 .30012–19  .387 Kennesaw State6–14 .3008–23  .258 Stetson6–14 .3008–23  .258 USC Upstate4–16 .2005–25  .167 † 2011 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Big East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Pittsburgh15–3 .83328–6  .824 No. 5 Notre Dame14–4 .77827–7  .794 *#12 Syracuse12–6 .66727–8  .771 No. 14 Louisville12–6 .66725–10  .714 No. 18 St. John's12–6 .66721–12  .636 Cincinnati11–7 .61126–9  .743 No. 22 West Virginia11–7 .61121–12  .636 Georgetown10–8 .55621–11  .656 No. 10 Connecticut†9–9 .50032–9  .780 Villanova9–9 .50021–12  .636 Marquette9–9 .50022–15  .595 Seton Hall7–11 .38913–18  .419 Rutgers5–13 .27815–17  .469 Providence4–14 .22215–17  .469 South Florida3–15 .16710–23  .303 DePaul1–17 .0567–24  .226 † 2011 Big East tournament winner As of April 4, 2011 *Syracuse:: 7 wins vacated due to sanctions against the program; Disputed record: Syracuse–(27–8)(10–6) Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northern Colorado †13–3 .81321–11  .656 Montana12–4 .75021–11  .656 Weber State11–5 .68818–14  .563 Northern Arizona9–7 .56319–13  .594 Montana State7–9 .43813–18  .419 Eastern Washington7–9 .43810–20  .333 Portland State5–11 .31314–16  .467 Idaho State4–12 .2509–20  .310 Sacramento State4–12 .2507–21  .250 † Conference tournament winner |
| 2010–11 Big South men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Coastal Carolina16–2 .88928–6  .824 Liberty13–5 .72219–13  .594 † UNC Asheville11–7 .61120–14  .588 VMI10–8 .55618–13  .581 Charleston Southern9–9 .50016–16  .500 Winthrop9–9 .50013–17  .433 High Point7–11 .38912–19  .387 Presbyterian7–11 .38913–18  .419 Gardner-Webb6–12 .33311–21  .344 Radford2–16 .1115–24  .172 † 2011 Big South tournament winner As of March 16, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Ohio State †16–2 .88934–3  .919 No. 13 Purdue14–4 .77826–8  .765 No. 16 Wisconsin13–5 .72225–9  .735 Michigan9–9 .50021–14  .600 Illinois9–9 .50020–14  .588 Penn State9–9 .50019–15  .559 Michigan State9–9 .50019–15  .559 Northwestern7–11 .38920–14  .588 Minnesota6–12 .33317–14  .548 Iowa4–14 .22211–20  .355 Indiana3–15 .16712–20  .375 † 2011 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2010–11 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 Kansas †14–2 .87535–3  .921 No. 8 Texas13–3 .81328–8  .778 No. 24 Texas A&M10–6 .62524–9  .727 No. 21 Kansas State10–6 .62523–11  .676 Colorado8–8 .50024–14  .632 Missouri8–8 .50023–11  .676 Baylor7–9 .43818–13  .581 Nebraska7–9 .43819–13  .594 Oklahoma State6–10 .37520–14  .588 Oklahoma5–11 .31314–18  .438 Texas Tech5–11 .31313–19  .406 Iowa State3–13 .18816–16  .500 † 2011 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2010–11 Big West men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Long Beach State14–2 .87522–12  .647 Cal Poly10–6 .62515–15  .500 Cal State Northridge9–7 .56314–18  .438 UC Santa Barbara†8–8 .50018–14  .563 Pacific8–8 .50016–15  .516 Cal State Fullerton7–9 .43811–20  .355 UC Irvine6–10 .37513–19  .406 UC Riverside6–10 .37512–19  .387 UC Davis4–12 .25010–20  .333 † 2011 Big West tournament winner As of March 15, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 CAA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT George Mason16–2 .88927–7  .794 Old Dominion †14–4 .77827–7  .794 Hofstra14–4 .77821–12  .636 VCU12–6 .66728–12  .700 Drexel11–7 .61121–10  .677 James Madison10–8 .55621–12  .636 Delaware8–10 .44414–17  .452 UNCW7–11 .38913–18  .419 Georgia State6–12 .33312–19  .387 Northeastern6–12 .33311–20  .355 William & Mary4–14 .22210–22  .313 Towson0–18 .0004–26  .133 † 2011 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2010–11 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UAB12–4 .75022–9  .710 Tulsa11–5 .68819–13  .594 UTEP11–5 .68825–10  .714 Memphis †10–6 .62525–10  .714 Southern Miss9–7 .56322–10  .688 Marshall9–7 .56322–12  .647 SMU8–8 .50020–15  .571 East Carolina8–8 .50018–16  .529 Rice5–11 .31314–18  .438 Houston4–12 .25012–18  .400 Tulane3–13 .18813–17  .433 UCF*0–10 .0000–12  .000 † 2011 CUSA Tournament winner 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. |
| 2010–11 Great West Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Utah Valley11–1 .91719–11  .633 NJIT9–3 .75015–15  .500 North Dakota †8–4 .66719–15  .559 South Dakota7–5 .58318–15  .545 Chicago State3–9 .2506–26  .188 Texas–Pan American2–10 .1676–25  .194 Houston Baptist2–10 .1675–26  .161 † 2011 Great West tournament winner As of March 16, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Horizon League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT *Milwaukee13–5 .72219–14  .576 † Butler13–5 .72228–10  .737 Cleveland State13–5 .72227–9  .750 Valparaiso12–6 .66723–12  .657 Wright State10–8 .55619–14  .576 Detroit10–8 .55617–16  .515 Green Bay8–10 .44414–18  .438 Loyola (IL)7–11 .38916–15  .516 Youngstown State2–16 .1119–21  .300 UIC2–16 .1117–24  .226 † 2011 Horizon League Tournament winner * Tournament #1 seed As of April 4, 2011 Rankings from Coaches Poll | 2010–11 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Princeton12–2 .85725–7  .781 Harvard12–2 .85723–7  .767 Yale8–6 .57115–13  .536 Penn7–7 .50013–15  .464 Columbia6–8 .42915–13  .536 Cornell6–8 .42910–18  .357 Brown4–10 .28611–17  .393 Dartmouth1–13 .0715–23  .179 As of March 17, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2010–11 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Fairfield15–3 .83325–8  .758 Iona13–5 .72225–12  .676 Rider13–5 .72223–11  .676 Saint Peter's †11–7 .61120–14  .588 Loyola (MD)10–8 .55615–15  .500 Canisius9–9 .50015–15  .500 Siena8–10 .44413–18  .419 Niagara5–13 .2789–23  .281 Marist3–15 .1676–27  .182 Manhattan3–15 .1676–25  .194 † 2011 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Kent State12–4 .75025–12  .676 Miami (OH)11–5 .68816–17  .485 Ohio9–7 .56319–16  .543 Akron †9–7 .56323–13  .639 Bowling Green8–8 .50014–19  .424 Buffalo8–8 .50020–14  .588 West Western Michigan11–5 .68821–13  .618 Ball State10–6 .62519–13  .594 Central Michigan7–9 .43810–21  .323 Northern Illinois5–11 .3139–21  .300 Eastern Michigan5–11 .3139–22  .290 Toledo1–15 .0634–28  .125 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bethune–Cookman13–3 .81321–13  .618 Hampton †11–5 .68824–9  .727 Coppin State11–5 .68816–14  .533 Morgan State10–6 .62517–14  .548 North Carolina A&T9–7 .56315–27  .357 Norfolk State8–8 .50012–20  .375 Florida A&M7–9 .43812–20  .375 South Carolina State5–11 .31310–22  .313 Delaware State5–11 .3139–21  .300 Maryland Eastern Shore5–11 .3139–22  .290 Howard4–12 .2506–24  .200 † 2011 MEAC tournament winner As of March 19, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2010–11 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Missouri State15–3 .83326–9  .743 Wichita State14–4 .77829–8  .784 Indiana State †12–6 .66720–14  .588 Northern Iowa10–8 .55620–14  .588 Creighton10–8 .55623–16  .590 Evansville9–9 .50016–16  .500 Drake7–11 .38913–18  .419 Southern Illinois5–13 .27813–19  .406 Illinois State4–14 .22212–19  .387 Bradley4–14 .22212–20  .375 † 2011 MVC tournament winner As of April 1, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 6 San Diego St †14–2 .87534–3  .919 No. 12 BYU14–2 .87532–5  .865 UNLV11–5 .68824–9  .727 Colorado State9–7 .56319–13  .594 New Mexico8–8 .50022–13  .629 Air Force6–10 .37516–16  .500 Utah6–10 .37513–18  .419 Wyoming3–13 .18810–21  .323 TCU1–15 .06311–22  .333 † 2011 MWC tournament winner Rankings from AP/Coaches' Poll | 2010–11 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT † Long Island16–2 .88927–6  .818 Quinnipiac13–5 .72222–10  .688 Robert Morris12–6 .66718–14  .563 Central Connecticut State11–7 .61119–12  .613 St. Francis (NY)10–8 .55615–15  .500 Wagner9–9 .50013–17  .433 Mount St. Mary's9–9 .50011–21  .344 Bryant*7–11 .3899–21  .300 St. Francis (PA)7–11 .3899–21  .300 Sacred Heart6–12 .33311–18  .379 Monmouth5–13 .2789–21  .300 Fairleigh Dickinson3–15 .1675–24  .172 † 2011 Northeast Conference tournament winner As of March 17, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament |
| 2010–11 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Murray State14–4 .77823–9  .719 Morehead State †13–5 .72225–9  .735 Austin Peay13–5 .72220–14  .588 Tennessee Tech12–6 .66720–13  .606 Tennessee State10–8 .55614–16  .467 Eastern Kentucky9–9 .50015–16  .484 UT Martin6–12 .33312–21  .364 Southeast Missouri State6–12 .33310–22  .313 Eastern Illinois4–14 .2229–20  .310 Jacksonville State3–15 .1675–25  .167 SIU Edwardsville*0–0 –8–21  .276 † 2011 OVC tournament winner As of March 17, 2011 * Ineligible (in transition) Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings ConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 17 Arizona14–4 .77830–8  .789 UCLA13–5 .72223–11  .676 No. 23 Washington †11–7 .61124–11  .686 USC10–8 .55619–15  .559 California10–8 .55618–15  .545 Washington State9–9 .50022–13  .629 Oregon7–11 .38921–18  .538 Stanford7–11 .38915–16  .484 Oregon State5–13 .27811–20  .355 Arizona State4–14 .22212–19  .387 † Conference tournament winner As of March 30, 2011 Rankings from AP poll | 2010–11 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bucknell †13–1 .92925–9  .735 American11–3 .78622–9  .710 Holy Cross7–7 .5008–21  .276 Lehigh6–8 .42916–15  .516 Lafayette6–8 .42913–19  .406 Navy6–8 .42911–20  .355 Colgate4–10 .2867–23  .233 Army3–11 .21411–19  .367 † 2011 Patriot League tournament winner |
| 2010–11 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 15 Florida13–3 .81329–8  .784 No. 11 Kentucky †10–6 .62529–9  .763 No. 25 Vanderbilt9–7 .56323–11  .676 Georgia9–7 .56321–12  .636 Tennessee8–8 .50019–15  .559 South Carolina5–11 .31314–16  .467 West Alabama12–4 .75025–12  .676 Mississippi State9–7 .56317–14  .548 Ole Miss7–9 .43820–14  .588 Arkansas7–9 .43818–13  .581 Auburn4–12 .25011–20  .355 LSU3–13 .18811–21  .344 † 2011 SEC tournament winner As of April 2, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Western Carolina12–6 .66718–15  .545 Chattanooga12–6 .66716–16  .500 Appalachian State10–8 .55616–15  .516 Elon7–11 .38914–17  .452 UNC Greensboro6–12 .3337–24  .226 Samford4–14 .22212–19  .387 South College of Charleston14–4 .77825–10  .714 Wofford†14–4 .77821–13  .618 Furman12–6 .66722–11  .667 Davidson10–8 .55618–15  .545 The Citadel6–12 .33310–22  .313 Georgia Southern1–17 .0565–27  .156 † SoCon Tournament winner As of March 31, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East McNeese State11–5 .68821–12  .636 Northwestern State10–6 .62518–14  .563 Southeastern Louisiana9–7 .56315–14  .517 Nicholls State8–8 .50014–14  .500 Lamar7–9 .43813–17  .433 Central Arkansas1–15 .0635–24  .172 West Sam Houston State10–6 .62518–13  .581 Texas State10–6 .62516–16  .500 Stephen F. Austin9–7 .56318–11  .621 UTSA †9–7 .56320–14  .588 Texas–Arlington7–9 .43813–16  .448 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi5–11 .31310–21  .323 † 2011 Southland tournament winner As of March 14, 2011 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2010–11 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Texas Southern16–2 .88919–13  .594 Jackson State12–6 .66717–15  .531 Mississippi Valley State12–6 .66713–19  .406 Alabama State †11–7 .61117–18  .486 Alabama A&M10–8 .55613–15  .464 Grambling State8–10 .44412–21  .364 Prairie View A&M7–11 .38910–22  .313 Arkansas–Pine Bluff7–11 .3897–24  .226 Alcorn State4–14 .2224–24  .143 Southern3–15 .1674–26  .133 † 2011 SWAC tournament winner As of March 13, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 Summit League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Oakland†17–1 .94425–10  .714 Oral Roberts13–5 .72219–16  .543 IUPUI12–6 .66719–14  .576 IPFW11–7 .61118–12  .600 South Dakota State10–8 .55619–12  .613 UMKC9–9 .50016–14  .533 North Dakota State8–10 .44414–15  .483 Southern Utah7–11 .38911–19  .367 Western Illinois2–16 .1117–23  .233 Centenary *1–17 .0561–29  .033 † Conference tournament winner As of March 18, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll * Ineligible for conference tournament | 2010–11 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Florida Atlantic13–3 .81321–10  .677 Middle Tennessee10–6 .62516–16  .500 Western Kentucky8–8 .50016–16  .500 South Alabama6–10 .37513–16  .448 Troy6–10 .3758–21  .276 FIU5–11 .31311–19  .367 West Arkansas State11–5 .68817–15  .531 Louisiana–Lafayette11–5 .68814–15  .483 Denver9–7 .56313–17  .433 North Texas8–8 .50022–11  .667 Arkansas–Little Rock †7–9 .43819–17  .528 Louisiana–Monroe2–14 .1257–24  .226 † 2011 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2010–11 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Saint Mary's11–3 .78625–9  .735 † Gonzaga11–3 .78625–10  .714 San Francisco10–4 .71419–15  .559 Santa Clara8–6 .57124–14  .632 Portland7–7 .50020–12  .625 Pepperdine5–9 .35712–21  .364 Loyola Marymount2–12 .14311–21  .344 San Diego2–12 .1436–24  .200 † 2011 WCC tournament winner As of March 30, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll | 2010–11 WAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 19 Utah State †15–1 .93830–4  .882 Boise State10–6 .62522–13  .629 New Mexico State9–7 .56316–17  .485 Idaho9–7 .56318–14  .563 Hawaii8–8 .50019–13  .594 Nevada8–8 .50013–19  .406 Fresno State6–10 .37514–17  .452 San Jose State5–11 .31317–16  .515 Louisiana Tech2–14 .12512–20  .375 † 2011 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |

### Division I independents

Seven schools played as Division I independents. Antwan Carter of Longwood was named Independent Player of the Year.
2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConfOverall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* New Orleans– –16–6
* .727
* North Carolina Central– –15–15
* .500
* Savannah State– –12–18
* .400
* Longwood– –12–19
* .387
* Seattle– –11–20
* .355
* Cal State Bakersfield– –9–19
* .321
* SIU Edwardsville– –8–21
* .276
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Villanova | Lavoy Allen, Temple |
Villanova 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 |
| Jimmer Fredette | BYU | 28.9 | Kenneth Faried | Morehead St. | 14.5 | Aaron Johnson | UAB | 7.7 | Anthony Nelson | Niagara | 3.4 |
| Marshon Brooks | Providence | 24.6 | Ryan Rossiter | Siena | 13.2 | Scott Machado | Iona | 7.6 | Jay Threatt | Delaware St. | 3.1 |
| Adrian Oliver | San Jose St. | 24.0 | Jordan Williams | Maryland | 11.8 | D. J. Cooper | Ohio | 7.5 | Josh Slater | Lipscomb | 3.1 |
| Andrew Goudelock | C. of Charleston | 23.7 | Chris Gaston | Fordham | 11.3 | Hank Thorns | TCU | 7.0 | T. J. McConnell | Duquesne | 2.8 |
| Kemba Walker | Connecticut | 23.5 | Kyle O'Quinn | Norfolk St. | 11.1 | Darius Morris | Michigan | 6.7 | Jared Cunningham | Oregon St. | 2.8 |
| 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% |
| William Mosley | Northwestern St. | 4.9 | Leon Powell | SE Missouri St. | 63.0 | Jon Diebler | Ohio St. | 50.2 | Chris Warren | Mississippi | 92.8 |
| Keith Benson | Oakland | 3.6 | Brian Qvale | Montana | 62.6 | Robert Nyakundi | SMU | 49.7 | Oliver McNally | Harvard | 92.6 |
| C. J. Aiken | St. Joseph's | 3.5 | Kenneth Faried | Morehead St. | 62.3 | Ashton Gibbs | Pittsburgh | 49.0 | Zamal Nixon | Houston | 92.2 |
| Kyle O'Quinn | Norfolk St. | 3.4 | Thomas Coleman | NC A&T | 61.9 | Scott Bamforth | Weber St. | 48.8 | Brian Barbour | Columbia | 91.7 |
| Sam Muldrow | South Carolina | 3.4 | Noah Dahlman | Wofford | 61.2 | Gabe Rogers | N. Arizona | 46.8 | Justin Robinson | Rider | 90.7 |

## Postseason tournaments
### NCAA tournament
#### Final Four – Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas

| National semifinals April 2 | National semifinals April 2 | National semifinals April 2 | National championship game April 4 | National championship game April 4 | National championship game April 4 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 55 | | | |
| 3 | Connecticut | 56 | | | |
| 3 | Connecticut | 56 | 3 | Connecticut | 53 |
| | | | 8 | Butler | 41 |
| 11 | VCU | 62 | 8 | Butler | 41 |
| 8 | Butler | 70 | | | |

#### Tournament upsets

A "major upset" is defined as a win by a team seeded seven or more spots below its defeated opponent.
| Date | Winner | Score | Loser |
| March 17 | #13 Morehead State | 62–61 | #4 Louisville |
| March 17 | #12 Richmond | 69–66 | #5 Vanderbilt |
| March 19 | #8 Butler | 71–70 | #1 Pittsburgh |
| March 20 | #11 VCU | 94–76 | #3 Purdue |
| March 20 | #11 Marquette | 66–62 | #3 Syracuse |
| March 20 | #10 Florida State | 71–57 | #2 Notre Dame |
| March 27 | #11 VCU | 71–61 | #1 Kansas |

### National Invitation tournament

After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the National Invitation Tournament invited 32 teams to participate.

#### NIT Semifinals and Final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City
| Semifinals March 29, 2011 | Semifinals March 29, 2011 | Semifinals March 29, 2011 | Championship game March 31, 2011 | Championship game March 31, 2011 | Championship game March 31, 2011 |
| 1 | Alabama | 62 | | | |
| 1 | Colorado | 61 | | | |
| 1 | Colorado | 61 | 1 | Alabama | 57 |
| | | | 4 | Wichita State | 66 |
| 2 | Washington State | 44 | 4 | Wichita State | 66 |
| 4 | Wichita State | 75 | | | |

### College Basketball Invitational

The fourth College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Tournament was held beginning March 15 and ended with a best-of-three final, ending April 1. Creighton hosted Game 1 of the Championship Series, while Oregon hosted Games 2 and 3. Oregon defeated Creighton, 2 games to 1.
| Semifinals March 23, 2011 | Semifinals March 23, 2011 | Championship Series March 28, 30, and April 1 | Championship Series March 28, 30, and April 1 | Championship Series March 28, 30, and April 1 | Championship Series March 28, 30, and April 1 |
| Boise State | 71 | | | | |
| Oregon | 79 | | | | |
| Oregon | 79 | Oregon | 76 | 71 | 71 |
| | | Creighton | 84 | 58 | 69 |
| UCF | 64 | Creighton | 84 | 58 | 69 |
| Creighton | 82 | | | | |

### CollegeInsider.com tournament

The third CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was held beginning March 14 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. Santa Clara defeated Iona 76–69 in the final, and Santa Clara's Kevin Foster was tournament MVP.
| Semifinals March 25 and 26 | Semifinals March 25 and 26 | Semifinals March 25 and 26 | Championship March 30 | Championship March 30 | Championship March 30 |
| 1 | Santa Clara | 72 | | | |
| 4 | Southern Methodist | 55 | | | |
| 4 | Southern Methodist | 55 | Santa Clara | Santa Clara | 76 |
| | | | Iona | Iona | 69 |
| 3 | Iona | 83 | Iona | Iona | 69 |
| 2 | East Tennessee State | 80 | | | |

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

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Jimmer Fredette | PG | Senior | Brigham Young |
| JaJuan Johnson | C | Senior | Purdue |
| Nolan Smith | PG-SG | Senior | Duke |
| Jared Sullinger | PF-C | Freshman | Ohio State |
| Kemba Walker | PG | Junior | Connecticut |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Kenneth Faried | PF-C | Senior | Morehead State |
| Jordan Hamilton | SG-SF | Sophomore | Texas |
| Ben Hansbrough | PG | Senior | Notre Dame |
| Kawhi Leonard | SF | Sophomore | San Diego State |
| Marcus Morris | PF-C | Junior | Kansas |
| Jordan Taylor | PG | Junior | Wisconsin |
| Derrick Williams | SF-PF | Sophomore | Arizona |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
* Naismith Award: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
* NABC Player of the Year: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young

### Major freshman of the year awards

* USBWA Freshman of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
* Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Mike Brey, Notre Dame
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Mike Brey, Notre Dame
* NABC Coach of the Year: Steve Fisher, San Diego State
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Steve Fisher, San Diego State
* Adolph Rupp Cup: Steve Fisher, San Diego State
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh

### Other major awards

* Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): Kemba Walker, Connecticut
* Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best senior 6'0"/1.83 m or shorter): Jacob Pullen, Kansas State
* Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Lavoy Allen, Temple
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
* Ben Jobe Award (Top minority coach): Cuonzo Martin, Missouri State
* Hugh Durham Award (Top mid-major coach): Rick Byrd, Belmont
* Jim Phelan Award (Top head coach): Stew Morrill, Utah State
* Lefty Driesell Award (Top defensive player): Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
* Lou Henson Award (Top mid-major player): Matt Howard, Butler
* Lute Olson Award (Top non-freshman or transfer player): Kemba Walker, Connecticut
* Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award (Coach with moral character): Chris Mack, Xavier
* Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
* Elite 88 Award (Top GPA at Final Four): Matt Howard, Butler

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during and after the season.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Alabama A&M | L. Vann Pettaway | | Willie Hayes | |
| Alcorn State | Larry Smith | | Luther Riley | ASU alum Smith was moved to director of athletic development for the school. |
| Arkansas | John Pelphrey | | Mike Anderson | |
| Boston University | Pat Chambers | | Joe Jones | Chambers left to take the newly opened job at Penn State. |
| Bradley | Jim Les | | Geno Ford | |
| Cal State Bakerfield | Keith Brown | | Rod Barnes | Brown's contract was not renewed after the Roadrunners finished 9–19. |
| Colgate | Emmett Davis | | Matt Langel | |
| Dayton | Brian Gregory | | Archie Miller | Gregory accepted the head coaching job at Georgia Tech. |
| Eastern Michigan | Charles Ramsey | | Rob Murphy | |
| Eastern Washington | Kirk Earlywine | | Jim Hayford | Earlywine was informed his contract would not be renewed. |
| Fairfield | Ed Cooley | | Sydney Johnson | Cooley accepted the vacant job at Providence |
| Florida A&M | Eugene Harris | | Clemon Johnson | FAMU replaced Harris with star alum Johnson. |
| Florida Gulf Coast | Dave Balza | | Andy Enfield | |
| Fresno State | Steve Cleveland | | Rodney Terry | |
| George Mason | Jim Larranaga | | Paul Hewitt | Larranaga accepted the University of Miami coaching job on April 22. Mason replaced him with Hewitt, who had just been fired by Georgia Tech. |
| George Washington | Karl Hobbs | | Mike Lonergan | Hobbs was fired a week after GW hired a new athletic director. He had struggled in his last four seasons, going 25–39 in the A10. New hire Lonergan, previously Vermont head coach, has deep roots in the Washington area—he was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs, attended The Catholic University of America, coached Catholic for 13 seasons, including a Division III national title in 2001, and spent a year under Gary Williams at Maryland. |
| Georgia State | Rod Barnes | Paul Graham | Ron Hunter | Barnes was fired after four seasons at the conclusion of the 2010–11 regular season. Overall wins versus losses was the reason cited. |
| Georgia Tech | Paul Hewitt | | Brian Gregory | Hewitt was fired six years following his lone Final Four appearance. Brian Gregory from Dayton was hired. |
| IPFW | Dane Fife | | Tony Jasick | Fife left IPFW to become an assistant at Michigan State. |
| IUPUI | Ron Hunter | | Todd Howard | Hunter left for Georgia State after 17 years. |
| Kennesaw State | Tony Ingle | | Lewis Preston | The school decided not to renew Ingle or his staff to help turn around the team's academic performance. |
| Kent State | Geno Ford | | Rob Senderoff | Ford left Kent State for Bradley after leading the team to a first-place MAC finish. The school promoted assistant Senderoff to the top job. At the time of his promotion, he was still under a show-cause penalty stemming from the Kelvin Sampson scandal at Indiana. The penalty expired on May 25. |
| Lamar | Steve Roccaforte | | Pat Knight | |
| Louisiana Tech | Kerry Rupp | | Michael White | |
| Loyola (IL) | Jim Whitesell | | Porter Moser | |
| Manhattan | Barry Rohrssen | | Steve Masiello | |
| Maryland | Gary Williams | | Mark Turgeon | Williams retired at the end of the season after 22 years and a 461–252 (.646) record at his alma mater. |
| Miami (FL) | Frank Haith | | Jim Larranaga | Haith left for the open Missouri job. |
| Missouri | Mike Anderson | | Frank Haith | Arkansas hired former Nolan Richardson assistant Anderson. |
| Missouri State | Cuonzo Martin | | Paul Lusk | Martin accepted the head coaching job at Tennessee. |
| Monmouth | Dave Calloway | | King Rice | Calloway resigned under pressure, effective at the end of the season. |
| Murray State | Billy Kennedy | | Steve Prohm | Kennedy left for the opening at Texas A&M. Steve Prohm had been an assistant coach at Murray State and was promoted on May 23 to be their new head coach. |
| Navy | Billy Lange | | Ed DeChellis | Lange left to become Associate head coach at Villanova. |
| North Carolina State | Sidney Lowe | | Mark Gottfried | Wolfpack alum Lowe resigned after failing to make the NCAA Tournament in his five-year tenure. |
| New Orleans | Joe Pasternack | | Mark Slessinger | Pasternack resigned to become an assistant coach at Arizona under head coach Sean Miller. Mark Slessinger was hired to pilot the Privateers out of division I. |
| Northern Illinois | Ricardo Patton | | Mark Montgomery | Former Colorado coach was fired from NIU after a 35-83 overall record in four seasons. |
| Oklahoma | Jeff Capel | | Lon Kruger | Capel was fired just two years removed from an Elite Eight finish. |
| Penn State | Ed DeChellis | | Pat Chambers | DeChellis made the unusual move of leaving a Big Ten school for Navy of the Patriot League. |
| Pepperdine | Tom Asbury | | Marty Wilson | Asbury retired, turning the Waves program over to Associate head coach Wilson. |
| Princeton | Sydney Johnson | | Mitch Henderson | Johnson left for the open Fairfield Job |
| Providence | Keno Davis | | Ed Cooley | Davis was fired after only three seasons. |
| Radford | Brad Greenberg | | Mike Jones | Greenberg was fired following a 5–24 season and after sitting out the final four games of the season for NCAA violations. In February 2012, he would be hit with a five-year show-cause penalty for misleading NCAA investigators. |
| Southern | Rob Spivery | | Roman Banks | |
| Stetson | Derek Waugh | | Casey Alexander | Waugh resigned after guiding the Hatters to only two winning seasons in 10+ years as coach. |
| Tennessee | Bruce Pearl | | Cuonzo Martin | Pearl was fired on March 21 after finishing the season with a 30-point loss to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64. This followed a tumultuous season in which he was suspended for recruiting violations, fined, admitted to misleading NCAA investigators and finishing with only a 19–15 overall record. |
| Tennessee Tech | Mike Sutton | | Steve Payne | Sutton retired and was replaced by top assistant Payne. |
| Texas A&M | Mark Turgeon | | Billy Kennedy | Turgeon left in May for the Maryland job. |
| Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | Perry Clark | | Willis Wilson | Clark was fired after finishing 10–21 in his fourth season. Athletic director Tim Fitzpatrick claimed that success for the men's basketball program is "critically important." |
| Texas Tech | Pat Knight | | Billy Gillispie | Fired on March 7, 2011, after finishing the regular season 13-18 and missing NCAA tournament. Stated in preseason that he should lose his job if Texas Tech missed the NCAA tournament again. |
| Towson | Pat Kennedy | | Pat Skerry | Announced on March 7, 2011, after finishing the regular season with a 4–26 record that included 19 straight losses. |
| UC Davis | Gary Stewart | | Jim Les | |
| UNLV | Lon Kruger | | Dave Rice | Kruger left for Oklahoma after reportedly turning the job down. |
| Utah | Jim Boylen | | Larry Krystkowiak | Announced on March 12, 2011, after consecutive losing seasons, Boylen was relieved of his duties. Utah finished with a 13-18 overall record (6-10 MWC), the second-straight losing season for the Utes, who were 14–17 in 2009–10. |
| Valparaiso | Homer Drew | | Bryce Drew | Homer's son, Bryce, had served as the associate head coach for a number of years prior to taking over the program in May 2011. |
| Vermont | Mike Lonergan | | John Becker | |
| Wyoming | Heath Schroyer | Fred Langley | Larry Shyatt | Schroyer was the first coach fired during the season as he was let go on February 7, 2011, following an 8–15 start. |