# 1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1995 and concluded with the 64-team 1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, whose finals were held at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Kentucky Wildcats earned their sixth national championship by defeating the Syracuse Orangemen 76–67 on April 1, 1996. They were coached by Rick Pitino, and the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player was Kentucky's Tony Delk.
In the 32-team 1996 National Invitation Tournament, the Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Saint Joseph's Hawks at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Following the season, the 1996 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American Consensus First Team included Ray Allen, Marcus Camby, Tony Delk, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, and Kerry Kittles.

## Season headlines

* Conference USA began play, with 11 original members. It was formed prior to the season by the merger of the Great Midwest Conference and the Metro Conference.
* Head coach Rick Pitino led the Kentucky Wildcats to their sixth national championship, his first.
* The American West Conference, Big Eight Conference, and Southwest Conference disbanded at the end of the season.

## Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the pre-season AP Poll.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Kentucky |
| 2 | Kansas |
| 3 | Villanova |
| 4 | UCLA |
| 5 | Georgetown |
| 6 | Connecticut |
| 7 | Massachusetts |
| 8 | Iowa |
| 9 | Mississippi State |
| 10 | Utah |
| 11 | Wake Forest |
| 12 | Louisville |
| 13 | Memphis |
| 14 | Missouri |
| 15 | Maryland |
| 16 | Arkansas |
| 17 | Michigan |
| 18 | Stanford |
| 19 | Virginia |
| 20 | North Carolina |
| 21 | Cincinnati |
| 22 | Virginia Tech |
| 23 | Indiana |
| 24 | Purdue |
| 25 | California |

## Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 1995–96 season.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Alabama–Birmingham (UAB) Blazers | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Charlotte 49ers | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Dayton Flyers | Great Midwest Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| DePaul Blue Demons | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Fordham Rams | Patriot League | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Hampton Pirates | NCAA Division II | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
| Jacksonville State Gamecocks | NCAA Division II | Trans America Athletic Conference |
| La Salle Explorers | Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Louisville Cardinals | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| Marquette Golden Eagles | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Memphis Tigers | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | NCAA Division I independent | Big East Conference |
| Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Atlantic 10 Conference | Big East Conference |
| Saint Louis Billikens | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| South Florida Bulls | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| Southern Miss Golden Eagles | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| Towson Tigers | Big South Conference | North Atlantic Conference |
| Tulane Green Wave | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| Virginia Commonwealth (VCU) Rams | Metro Conference | Colonial Athletic Association |
| Virginia Tech Virginia Tech | Metro Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| West Virginia Mountaineers | Atlantic 10 Conference | Big East Conference |
| Wofford Terriers | NCAA Division II | NCAA Division I independent |
| Xavier Musketeers | Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |

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

Twenty-nine 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. Since Penn and Princeton finished tied for the Ivy League regular-season title, the conference staged a one-game playoff between the teams at a neutral site to determine which school received the league's automatic bid to the 1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Conference tournament winners, with the exception of those of the American West Conference and Conference USA, received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference player of the year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (City) | Tournament winner |
| American West Conference | Cal Poly | Ben Larson, Cal Poly | 1996 American West Conference men's basketball tournament | Matadome (Northridge, California) | Southern Utah |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | UMass (East) George Washington (West) Virginia Tech (West) | Marcus Camby, UMass | 1996 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | Philadelphia Civic Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | UMass |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Georgia Tech | Tim Duncan, Wake Forest | 1996 ACC men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | Wake Forest |
| Big East Conference | Connecticut (Big East 6) Georgetown (Big East 7) | Ray Allen, Connecticut | 1997 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) | Connecticut |
| Big Eight Conference | Kansas | Jacque Vaughn, Kansas | 1996 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament | Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) | Iowa State |
| Big Sky Conference | Montana State | Jimmy DeGraffenried, Weber State Quadre Lollis, Montana State | 1996 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament | Brick Breeden Fieldhouse (Bozeman, Montana) | Montana State |
| Big South Conference | UNC Greensboro | T. L. Latson, Charleston Southern | 1996 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Vines Center (Lynchburg, Virginia) | UNC Greensboro |
| Big Ten Conference | Purdue | Brian Evans, Indiana | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Big West Conference | Long Beach State | Raimonds Miglinieks, UC Irvine | 1997 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada) | San Jose State |
| Colonial Athletic Association | VCU | Bernard Hopkins, VCU | 1996 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | VCU |
| Conference USA | Cincinnati (Blue) Tulane (Red) Memphis (White) | Danny Fortson, Cincinnati | 1996 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | Memphis Pyramid (Memphis, Tennessee) | Cincinnati |
| Ivy League | Penn Princeton | Ira Bowman, Penn | One-game tiebreaker playoff | Stabler Arena (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) | Princeton |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Fairfield Iona | Darrell Barley, Canisius | 1996 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Knickerbocker Arena (Albany, New York) | Canisius |
| Mid-American Conference | Eastern Michigan | Bonzi Wells, Ball State | 1996 MAC men's basketball tournament | SeaGate Convention Centre (Toledo, Ohio) | Eastern Michigan |
| Mid-Continent Conference | Valparaiso | Anthony Allison, Valparaiso | 1996 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament | The MARK of the Quad Cities (Moline, Illinois) | Valparaiso |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Coppin State | Terquin Mott, Coppin State | 1997 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Leon County Civic Center (Tallahassee, Florida) | South Carolina State |
| Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Green Bay | Jeff Nordgaard, Green Bay | 1996 MCC men's basketball tournament | Nutter Center (Dayton, Ohio) | Northern Illinois |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Bradley | Anthony Parker, Bradley | 1996 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Kiel Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Tulsa |
| North Atlantic Conference | Drexel | Malik Rose, Drexel | 1996 North Atlantic Conference men's basketball tournament | Daskalakis Athletic Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | Drexel |
| Northeast Conference | Mount St. Mary's | Chris McGuthrie, Mount St. Mary's | 1996 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | William T. Boylan Gymnasium (West Long Branch, New Jersey) | Monmouth |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Murray State | Marcus Brown, Murray State | 1996 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Nashville Municipal Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee) | Austin Peay |
| Pacific-10 Conference | Arizona | Shareef Abdur-Rahim, California | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Patriot League | Colgate Navy | Adonal Foyle, Colgate | 1996 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Cotterell Court (Hamilton, New York) | Colgate |
| Southeastern Conference | Kentucky (East) Mississippi State (West) | Tony Delk, Kentucky | 1996 SEC men's basketball tournament | Louisiana Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana) | Mississippi State |
| Southern Conference | Davidson (North) Western Carolina (South) | Anquell McCollum, Western Carolina | 1996 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | Western Carolina |
| Southland Conference | Louisiana–Monroe | Paul Marshall, Louisiana–Monroe | 1996 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum (Shreveport, Louisiana) | Louisiana–Monroe |
| Southwest Conference | Texas Tech | Jason Sasser, Texas Tech | 1996 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament | Reunion Arena (Dallas, Texas) | Texas Tech |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Jackson State Mississippi Valley State | Marcus Mann, Mississippi Valley State | 1997 SWAC men's basketball tournament | — | Mississippi Valley State |
| Sun Belt Conference | Little Rock New Orleans | Derek Fisher, Little Rock | 1996 Sun Belt men's basketball tournament | Barton Coliseum (Little Rock, Arkansas) | New Orleans |
| Trans America Athletic Conference | College of Charleston (East) Samford (West) Southeastern Louisiana (West) | Thaddeus Delaney, College of Charleston | 1996 TAAC men's basketball tournament | Edmunds Center (DeLand, Florida) | UCF |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga Santa Clara | Steve Nash, Santa Clara | 1996 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California) | Portland |
| Western Athletic Conference | Utah | Keith Van Horn, Utah | 1996 WAC men's basketball tournament | The Pit (Albuquerque, New Mexico) | New Mexico |

#### Conference standings

1995–96 American West Conference men's basketball standings :
| 1995–96 American West Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Cal Poly5–1 .83316–13  .552 Southern Utah†3–3 .50015–13  .536 Cal State Northridge2–4 .3337–20  .259 Sacramento State2–4 .3337–20  .259 † 1996 American West tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1995–96 ACC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 13 Georgia Tech13–3 .81324–12  .667 No. 9 Wake Forest †12–4 .75026–6  .813 No. 25 North Carolina10–6 .62521–11  .656 Duke8–8 .50018–13  .581 Maryland8–8 .50017–13  .567 Clemson7–9 .43818–11  .621 Virginia6–10 .37512–15  .444 Florida State5–11 .31313–14  .481 NC State3–13 .18815–16  .484 † 1996 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1995–96 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 1 UMass †15–1 .93835–2  .946 Temple12–4 .75020–13  .606 Saint Joseph's9–7 .56319–13  .594 Rhode Island8–8 .50020–14  .588 St. Bonaventure4–12 .25010–18  .357 Fordham2–14 .1254–23  .148 West No. 22 Virginia Tech13–3 .81323–6  .793 George Washington13–3 .81321–8  .724 Xavier8–8 .50013–15  .464 Dayton6–10 .37515–14  .517 Duquesne3–13 .1889–18  .333 La Salle3–13 .1886–24  .200 † 1996 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1995–96 Big East men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Big East 6 No. 3 Connecticut†17–1 .94432–3  .914 No. 10 Villanova14–4 .77826–7  .788 Boston College10–8 .55619–11  .633 West Virginia7–11 .38912–15  .444 St. John's5–13 .27811–16  .407 Notre Dame4–14 .2229–18  .333 Big East 7 No. 4 Georgetown13–5 .72229–8  .784 No. 15 Syracuse12–6 .66729–9  .763 Providence9–9 .50018–12  .600 Miami8–10 .44415–13  .536 Seton Hall7–11 .38912–16  .429 Rutgers6–12 .3339–18  .333 Pittsburgh5–13 .27810–17  .370 † 1996 Big East tournament winner As of April 1, 1996 Rankings from AP Poll | 1995–96 Big Eight Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Kansas12–2 .85729–5  .853 No. 17 Iowa State †9–5 .64324–9  .727 Oklahoma8–6 .57118–12  .600 Kansas State7–7 .50017–12  .586 Oklahoma State7–7 .50017–10  .630 Missouri6–8 .42918–15  .545 Nebraska4–10 .28621–14  .600 Colorado3–11 .2149–18  .333 † 1996 Big Eight tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll ↑ Adjusted from 17–13 as Purdue forfeited 18 wins | 1995–96 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Montana State †11–3 .78621–9  .700 Weber State10–4 .71420–10  .667 Montana10–4 .71420–8  .714 Boise State10–4 .71415–13  .536 Idaho State7–7 .50011–15  .423 Idaho5–9 .35712–16  .429 Northern Arizona3–11 .2146–20  .231 Eastern Washington0–14 .0003–23  .115 † 1996 Big Sky tournament winner |
| 1995–96 Big South Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UNC Greensboro †11–3 .78620–10  .667 Liberty9–5 .64317–12  .586 UNC Asheville9–5 .64318–10  .643 Charleston Southern9–5 .64315–13  .536 Radford8–6 .57114–13  .519 Winthrop6–8 .4297–19  .269 UMBC3–11 .2145–22  .185 Coastal Carolina1–13 .0715–21  .192 † 1996 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1995–96 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Indiana13–5 .72220–11  .645 No. 18 Penn State12–6 .66721–7  .750 No. 21 Iowa12–6 .66724–8  .750 Minnesota11–7 .61120–10  .667 Wisconsin9–9 .50018–14  .563 Michigan State9–9 .50016–16  .500 Illinois7–11 .38918–13  .581 No. 4 Purdue6–12 .3337–23  .233 Ohio State5–13 .27812–15  .444 Northwestern4–14 .2229–18  .333 Michigan1–8 .1111–10  .091 Rankings from AP Poll Records above are after NCAA sanctions against Minnesota, Purdue, and Michigan as noted: ↑ Indiana adjusted from 12–6, 19–12 ↑ Iowa adjusted from 11–7, 23–9 ↑ Minnesota adjusted from 10–8, 19–13 (vacated 2 games) ↑ Wisconsin adjusted from 8–10, 17–15 ↑ Purdue adjusted from 15–3, 26–6 (forfeit 18 wins, vacated 2 games) ↑ Ohio State adjusted from 3–15, 10–17 ↑ Northwestern adjusted from 2–16, 7–20 ↑ Michigan adjusted from 10–8/21–11 (vacated 21 games) | 1995–96 Big West men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Long Beach State12–6 .66717–11  .607 Pacific11–7 .61115–12  .556 UC Irvine11–7 .61115–12  .556 Utah State10–8 .55618–15  .545 Nevada9–9 .50016–13  .552 San Jose State†9–9 .50013–17  .433 New Mexico State8–10 .44411–15  .423 UC Santa Barbara8–10 .44411–15  .423 UNLV7–11 .38910–16  .385 Cal State Fullerton5–13 .2786–20  .231 † 1996 Big West tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 1995–96 CAA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT VCU†14–2 .87524–9  .727 Old Dominion12–4 .75018–13  .581 UNC Wilmington9–7 .56313–16  .448 American8–8 .50012–15  .444 East Carolina8–8 .50017–11  .607 William & Mary6–10 .37510–16  .385 James Madison6–10 .37510–20  .333 George Mason6–10 .37511–16  .407 Richmond3–13 .1888–20  .286 † 1996 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1995–96 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Blue No. 7 Cincinnati †11–3 .78628–5  .848 No. 20 Marquette10–4 .71423–8  .742 Saint Louis4–10 .28616–14  .533 DePaul2–12 .14311–18  .379 Red Tulane9–5 .64322–10  .688 UAB6–8 .42916–14  .533 Southern Miss6–8 .42912–15  .444 South Florida2–12 .14312–16  .429 White No. 16 Memphis11–3 .78622–8  .733 No. 24 Louisville10–4 .71422–12  .647 UNC Charlotte6–8 .42914–15  .483 † 1996 Conference USA Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1995–96 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Princeton12–2 .85722–7  .759 Penn12–2 .85717–10  .630 Dartmouth9–5 .64316–10  .615 Harvard7–7 .50015–11  .577 Brown5–9 .35710–16  .385 Cornell5–9 .35710–16  .385 Yale3–11 .2148–18  .308 Columbia3–11 .2147–19  .269 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1995–96 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Iona10–4 .71421–8  .724 Fairfield10–4 .71420–10  .667 Manhattan9–5 .64317–12  .586 Loyola (MD)8–6 .57112–15  .444 Canisius †7–7 .50019–11  .633 Niagara6–8 .42913–15  .464 Saint Peter's5–9 .35715–12  .556 Siena1–13 .0715–22  .185 † 1996 MAAC tournament winner | 1995–96 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Eastern Michigan †14–4 .77825–6  .806 Western Michigan13–5 .72215–12  .556 Miami12–6 .66721–8  .724 Ohio11–7 .61116–14  .533 Ball State11–7 .61116–12  .571 Bowling Green9–9 .50014–13  .519 Toledo9–9 .50018–14  .563 Kent State8–10 .44414–13  .519 Central Michigan3–15 .1676–20  .231 Akron0–18 .0003–23  .115 † 1996 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1995–96 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Valparaiso †13–5 .72221–11  .656 Western Illinois12–6 .66717–12  .586 Missouri–Kansas City10–8 .55612–15  .444 Buffalo10–8 .55613–14  .481 Northeastern Illinois10–8 .55614–13  .519 Eastern Illinois9–9 .50013–15  .464 Central Connecticut State9–9 .50013–15  .464 Troy State8–10 .44411–16  .407 Youngstown State7–11 .38912–15  .444 Chicago State2–16 .1112–25  .074 † 1996 Mid-Con Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1995–96 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT South Carolina State †14–2 .87522–8  .733 Coppin State14–2 .87519–10  .655 Bethune–Cookman8–8 .50012–15  .444 Delaware State8–8 .50011–17  .393 North Carolina A&T7–9 .43810–17  .370 Maryland Eastern Shore6–10 .37511–16  .407 Howard6–10 .3757–20  .259 Morgan State6–10 .3757–20  .259 Florida A&M3–13 .1888–19  .296 Hampton0–0 –9–17  .346 † 1996 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1995–96 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Green Bay16–0 1.00025–4  .862 Butler12–4 .75019–8  .704 Northern Illinois †12–4 .75019–8  .704 Wright State8–8 .50014–13  .519 Detroit8–8 .50018–11  .621 Milwaukee5–11 .3139–18  .333 UIC5–11 .31310–18  .357 Loyola (IL)5–11 .3138–19  .296 Cleveland State3–13 .1885–21  .192 † 1996 MCC tournament winner As of March 5, 1996 Rankings from AP poll | 1995–96 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bradley15–3 .83322–8  .733 Illinois State13–5 .72222–12  .647 Tulsa †12–6 .66722–8  .733 Southwest Missouri State11–7 .61116–12  .571 Creighton9–9 .50014–15  .483 Evansville9–9 .50013–14  .481 Northern Iowa8–10 .44414–13  .519 Drake8–10 .44412–15  .444 Indiana State6–12 .33310–16  .385 Wichita State4–14 .2228–21  .276 Southern Illinois4–14 .22211–18  .379 † 1996 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1995–96 North Atlantic Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Drexel †17–1 .94427–4  .871 Boston University13–5 .72218–11  .621 Maine11–7 .61115–13  .536 Delaware11–7 .61115–12  .556 Towson State11–7 .61116–12  .571 Vermont10–8 .55612–15  .444 Hofstra5–13 .2789–18  .333 New Hampshire5–13 .2786–21  .222 Hartford5–13 .2786–22  .214 Northeastern2–16 .1114–24  .143 † 1996 NAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1995–96 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Mount St. Mary's16–2 .88921–8  .724 Marist14–4 .77822–7  .759 Monmouth †14–4 .77820–10  .667 Rider12–6 .66719–11  .633 Saint Francis (PA)11–7 .61113–14  .481 Wagner7–11 .38910–17  .370 Fairleigh Dickinson6–12 .3337–20  .259 Long Island5–13 .2789–19  .321 St. Francis Brooklyn3–15 .1679–18  .333 Robert Morris2–16 .1115–23  .179 † 1996 NEC tournament winner | 1995–96 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Murray State12–4 .75019–10  .655 Tennessee State11–5 .68815–13  .536 Austin Peay †10–6 .62519–11  .633 Middle Tennessee9–7 .56315–12  .556 UT Martin9–7 .56313–14  .481 Tennessee Tech7–9 .43813–15  .464 Eastern Kentucky7–9 .43813–14  .481 Southeast Missouri State5–11 .3138–19  .296 Morehead State2–14 .1257–20  .259 † 1996 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1995–96 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings Conf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 14 UCLA16–2 .88923–8  .742 No. 11 Arizona14–4 .77827–6  .818 Stanford12–6 .66721–8  .724 Washington State9–9 .50018–11  .621 Washington9–9 .50016–12  .571 Oregon9–9 .50016–13  .552 USC6–12 .33313–17  .433 Arizona State6–12 .33311–16  .407 Oregon State4–14 .2226–21  .222 California$^1$2–16 .1112–26  .071 As of November 23, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll $^1$California forfeited games due to infractions. | 1995–96 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Colgate †9–3 .75015–15  .500 Navy9–3 .75015–12  .556 Holy Cross8–4 .66716–13  .552 Bucknell8–4 .66717–11  .607 Lafayette4–8 .3337–20  .259 Lehigh2–10 .1674–23  .148 Army2–10 .1677–20  .259 † 1996 Patriot League tournament winner | 1995–96 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 2 Kentucky16–0 1.00034–2  .944 Georgia9–7 .56321–10  .677 South Carolina8–8 .50019–12  .613 Vanderbilt7–9 .43818–14  .563 Florida6–10 .37512–16  .429 Tennessee6–10 .37514–15  .483 West No. 19 Mississippi State †10–6 .62526–8  .765 Arkansas9–7 .56320–13  .606 Alabama9–7 .56319–13  .594 Ole Miss6–10 .37512–15  .444 Auburn6–10 .37519–13  .594 LSU4–12 .25012–17  .414 † 1996 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1995–96 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Davidson14–0 1.00025–5  .833 VMI10–4 .71418–10  .643 Marshall8–6 .57117–11  .607 East Tennessee State3–11 .2147–20  .259 Appalachian State3–11 .2148–21  .276 South Western Carolina †10–4 .71417–13  .567 Chattanooga9–5 .64315–12  .556 Furman6–8 .42910–17  .370 The Citadel5–9 .35710–16  .385 Georgia Southern2–12 .1433–23  .115 † SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 1996 Rankings from AP poll | 1995–96 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northeast Louisiana †13–5 .72216–14  .533 North Texas12–6 .66715–13  .536 UTSA12–6 .66714–14  .500 Stephen F. Austin11–7 .61117–11  .607 McNeese State11–7 .61115–12  .556 Sam Houston State9–9 .50011–16  .407 Southwest Texas State7–11 .38911–15  .423 Texas–Arlington7–11 .38911–15  .423 Nicholls State5–13 .2785–21  .192 Northwestern State3–15 .1675–21  .192 † 1996 Southland tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1995–96 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 Texas Tech †14–0 1.00030–2  .938 Houston11–3 .78617–10  .630 Texas10–4 .71421–10  .677 TCU6–8 .42915–15  .500 Rice5–9 .35714–14  .500 Texas A&M3–11 .21411–16  .407 SMU3–11 .2148–20  .286 Baylor4–10 .2869–18  .333 † 1996 SWC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1995–96 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Mississippi Valley State †11–3 .78622–7  .759 Jackson State11–3 .78616–13  .552 Southern9–5 .64317–11  .607 Texas Southern7–7 .50011–15  .423 Alcorn State7–7 .50010–15  .400 Grambling6–8 .42912–16  .429 Alabama State5–9 .3579–18  .333 Prairie View A&M0–14 .0004–23  .148 † 1996 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1995–96 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT New Orleans †14–4 .77821–9  .700 Arkansas–Little Rock14–4 .77823–7  .767 Jacksonville10–8 .55615–13  .536 Western Kentucky10–8 .55613–14  .481 Southwestern Louisiana9–9 .50016–12  .571 Lamar7–11 .38912–15  .444 South Alabama7–11 .38912–15  .444 Arkansas State7–11 .3899–18  .333 Louisiana Tech6–12 .33311–17  .393 Texas–Pan American6–12 .3339–19  .321 † 1996 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1995–96 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East College of Charleston15–1 .93825–4  .862 Campbell11–5 .68817–11  .607 Florida International6–10 .37513–15  .464 Stetson6–10 .37510–17  .370 Central Florida †6–10 .37511–19  .367 Florida Atlantic5–11 .3139–18  .333 West Samford11–5 .68816–11  .593 Southeastern Louisiana11–5 .68815–12  .556 Centenary8–8 .50011–16  .407 Mercer7–9 .43815–14  .517 Georgia State6–10 .37510–16  .385 Jacksonville State4–12 .25010–17  .370 † 1996 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 1995–96 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Santa Clara10–4 .71420–9  .690 Gonzaga10–4 .71421–9  .700 Loyola Marymount8–6 .57118–11  .621 San Francisco8–6 .57115–12  .556 Portland †7–7 .50019–11  .633 San Diego6–8 .42914–14  .500 Saint Mary's5–9 .35712–15  .444 Pepperdine2–12 .14310–18  .357 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1995–96 WAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 12 Utah15–3 .83327–7  .794 No. 23 New Mexico †14–4 .77828–5  .848 Fresno State13–5 .72222–11  .667 Colorado State11–7 .61118–12  .600 BYU9–9 .50015–13  .536 Wyoming8–10 .44414–15  .483 San Diego State8–10 .44415–14  .517 Hawaii7–11 .38910–18  .357 UTEP4–14 .22213–15  .464 Air Force1–17 .0565–23  .179 † 1996 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |

### Division I independents

Two schools played as Division I independents. They had no postseason play.
1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConf.Overall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Oral Roberts-–- –18–9
* .667
* Wofford-–- –4–22
* .154
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Temple | Kerry Kittles, Villanova |
For the fifth 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 finished with a 2–0 record 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 |
| Kevin Granger | TX Southern | 27.0 | Marcus Mann | Miss. Valley St. | 13.6 | Raimonds Miglinieks | UC Irvine | 8.5 | Pointer Williams | McNeese St. | 4.4 |
| Marcus Brown | Murray St. | 26.4 | Malik Rose | Drexel | 13.2 | Curtis McCants | George Mason | 8.3 | Johnny Rhodes | Maryland | 3.7 |
| Bubba Wells | Austin Peay | 24.4 | Adonal Foyle | Colgate | 12.6 | Dan Pogue | Campbell | 8.0 | Roderick Taylor | Jackson St. | 3.7 |
| Jafonde Williams | Hampton | 25.7 | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest | 12.3 | Pointer Williams | McNeese St. | 7.4 | Rasul Salahuddin | Long Beach St. | 3.6 |
| Bonzi Wells | Ball St. | 25.4 | Scott Farley | Mercer | 12.0 | Lazarus Sims | Syracuse | 7.4 | Andrell Hoard | Northeastern Illinois | 3.6 |
| 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% |
| Keith Closs | C. Connecticut St. | 6.4 | Quadre Lollis | Montana State | .675 | Mike Derockkis | Drexel | .477 | Mike Dillard | Sam Houston St. | .926 |
| Adonal Foyle | Colgate | 5.7 | Daniel Watts | Nevada | .656 | Peter Lisicky | Penn State | .471 | Dion Cross | Stanford | .920 |
| Roy Rogers | Alabama | 4.9 | Link Abrams | Centenary | .654 | Ray Allen | Connecticut | .466 | Roderick Howard | Charlotte | .903 |
| Jerome James | Florida A&M | 4.4 | Alexander Koul | George Washington | .642 | Keith Veney | Marshall | .455 | Geoff Billet | Rutgers | .900 |
| Peter Aluma | Liberty | 3.9 | Terquin Mott | Coppin St. | .638 | Tim Gill | Oral Roberts | .451 | Steve Nash | Santa Clara | .894 |
| Alan Tomidy | Marist | | | | | | | | | | |

## Postseason tournaments
### NCAA tournament
#### Final Four – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey

| National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship game | National championship game | National championship game |
| E1 | Massachusetts | 74 | | | |
| M1 | Kentucky | 81 | | | |
| M1 | Kentucky | 81 | M1 | Kentucky | 76 |
| | | | W4 | Syracuse | 67 |
| SE5 | Mississippi State | 69 | W4 | Syracuse | 67 |
| W4 | Syracuse | 77 | | | |

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

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| Tulane | 78 | | |
| Nebraska | 90 | | |
| Nebraska | 90 | Nebraska | 60 |
| | | Saint Joseph's | 56 |
| Alabama | 69 | Saint Joseph's | 56 |
| Saint Joseph's | 74 | Third place | Third place |
| | | Tulane | 87 |
| | | Alabama | 76 |

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

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Ray Allen | G | Junior | Connecticut |
| Marcus Camby | C | Junior | Massachusetts |
| Tony Delk | G | Senior | Kentucky |
| Tim Duncan | C | Junior | Wake Forest |
| Allen Iverson | G | Sophomore | Georgetown |
| Kerry Kittles | G | Senior | Villanova |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Danny Fortson | F | Sophomore | Cincinnati |
| Keith Van Horn | F | Junior | Utah |
| Jacque Vaughn | G | Junior | Kansas |
| John Wallace | F | Senior | Syracuse |
| Lorenzen Wright | F/C | Sophomore | Memphis |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
* Naismith Award: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
* NABC Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
* UPI College Basketball Player of the Year: Ray Allen, Connecticut

### Major freshman of the year awards

* USBWA Freshman of the Year: No Award Given

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Gene Keady, Purdue
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Gene Keady, Purdue
* NABC Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Massachusetts
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Massachusetts
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Massachusetts

### Other major awards

* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Eddie Benton, Vermont
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Kerry Kittles, Villanova
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Adrian Griffin, Seton Hall

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | New Coach |
| California | Todd Bozeman | Ben Braun |
| Cleveland State | Mike Boyd | Rollie Massimino |
| Colorado | Joe Harrington | Ricardo Patton |
| Cornell | Al Walker | Scott Thompson |
| Drake | Rudy Washington | Kurt Kanaskie |
| Eastern Michigan | Ben Braun | Milton Barnes |
| Florida | Lon Kruger | Billy Donovan |
| Florida A&M | Ron Brown | Mickey Clayton |
| Idaho | Joe Cravens | Kermit Davis |
| Illinois | Lou Henson | Lon Kruger |
| Marshall | Billy Donovan | Greg White |
| UNC Charlotte | Jeff Mullins | Melvin Watkins |
| Wichita State | Scott Thompson | Randy Smithson |