# 1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

The 1996 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena (now known as Meadowlands Arena) in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. A total of 63 games were played.
The Final Four venue was notable for several reasons:
* This marked the first time that the NCAA finals had been held in Greater New York since 1950.
* This was also the last (men's) Final Four to be held in a basketball/hockey-specific facility. Every Final Four since has been held in a domed stadium (usually built for football) because of NCAA venue capacity requirements. Therefore, this was also the last time the NCAA finals have been held in the Greater New York area and the Northeastern United States (for the time being).
The Final Four consisted of Kentucky, making its first appearance in the Final Four since 1993 and eleventh overall, Massachusetts, making its first ever appearance in the Final Four, Syracuse, making its third appearance in the Final Four and first since 1987, and Mississippi State, also making its first appearance.
Kentucky, coached by Rick Pitino, won its sixth national championship by defeating Syracuse in the final game 76–67. It was the Orangemen's second championship game loss under coach Jim Boeheim, joining a 74-73 defeat vs. Indiana in 1987 (Boeheim and Syracuse finally won the championship in 2003).
The championship game the second Final Four meeting between Pitino and Boeheim. Boeheim's Orangemen defeated Pitino's Providence Friars in the 1987 semifinals.
Tony Delk of Kentucky was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Kentucky's run to the championship was one of the most dominant in NCAA tournament history, as the Wildcats won each of their first four games by at least 20 points and won every game by at least 7 points.
Massachusetts, coached by John Calipari, was later stripped of its wins, including the UMass Minutemen's Final Four appearance, by the NCAA because UMass star Marcus Camby had accepted illegal gifts from agents. Connecticut, coached by Jim Calhoun, was additionally punished monetarily due to players accepting illegal gifts from agents.
The 1996 tournament was the last to feature teams from the Big Eight and Southwest Conferences; later that year the two would form the Big 12 Conference. As of 2022, they were the last Division I conferences to disband and/or merge after sending teams to the NCAA tournament.
As of 2024, this is the earliest tournament from which all four Final Four coaches (Pitino, Boeheim, Calipari and Mississippi State's Richard Williams) are still living.
This was the last NCAA tournament in which officials wore collared shirts. A v-neck shirt, already worn in several conferences during the regular season, was adopted association-wide during the 1996-97 season.

## Schedule and venues

The following are the sites that were selected to host each round of the 1996 tournament:
First and Second Rounds
* March 14 and 16
** East Region
*** Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island (Host: Providence College)
** Midwest Region
*** Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas (Host: Southwest Conference)
** Southeast Region
*** RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana (Hosts: Butler University, Midwestern Collegiate Conference)
** West Region
*** University Arena ("The Pit"), Albuquerque, New Mexico (Host: University of New Mexico)
* March 15 and 17
** East Region
*** Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia (Hosts: University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University)
** Midwest Region
*** Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Host: Marquette University)
** Southeast Region
*** Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida (Host: Stetson University)
** West Region
*** ASU Activity Center, Tempe, Arizona (Host: Arizona State University)
Regional semifinals and finals (Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight)
* March 21 and 23
** East Regional, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia (Host: Georgia Tech)
** Midwest Regional, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota (Host: University of Minnesota)
* March 22 and 24
** Southeast Regional, Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky (Host: University of Kentucky)
** West Regional, McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado (Host: University of Colorado)
National semifinals and championship (Final Four and championship)
* March 30 and April 1
** Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey (Hosts: Seton Hall University, Big East Conference)

## Teams

There were 30 automatic bids awarded to the tournament - of these, 27 were given to the winners of their conference's tournament, while three were awarded to the team with the best regular-season record in their conference (Big Ten, Ivy League and Pac-10).
Two conferences, the American West Conference and Conference USA, did not receive automatic bids to the tournament.
Four conference champions made their first NCAA tournament appearances: Monmouth (NEC), UNC Greensboro (Big South), Valparaiso (Mid-Continent), and Western Carolina (Southern).

### Automatic qualifiers

Automatic qualifiers :
| Conference | Team | Appearance | Last bid |
| ACC | Wake Forest | 14th | 1995 |
| Atlantic 10 | UMass (vacated) | – | 1995 |
| Big East | Connecticut (vacated) | – | 1995 |
| Big Eight | Iowa State | 9th | 1995 |
| Big Sky | Montana State | 3rd | 1986 |
| Big South | UNC Greensboro | 1st | Never |
| Big Ten | Purdue (vacated) | – | 1995 |
| Big West | San Jose State | 3rd | 1980 |
| CAA | VCU | 6th | 1985 |
| Ivy League | Princeton | 19th | 1992 |
| MAAC | Canisius | 4th | 1957 |
| MAC | Eastern Michigan | 3rd | 1991 |
| MCC | Northern Illinois | 3rd | 1991 |
| MEAC | South Carolina State | 2nd | 1989 |
| Mid-Continent | Valparaiso | 1st | Never |
| Missouri Valley | Tulsa | 9th | 1995 |
| NAC | Drexel | 4th | 1995 |
| NEC | Monmouth | 1st | Never |
| Ohio Valley | Austin Peay | 4th | 1987 |
| Pac-10 | UCLA | 31st | 1995 |
| Patriot | Colgate | 2nd | 1995 |
| SEC | Mississippi State | 4th | 1995 |
| Southern | Western Carolina | 1st | Never |
| Southland | Northeast Louisiana | 7th | 1993 |
| Sun Belt | New Orleans | 4th | 1993 |
| SWAC | Mississippi Valley State | 3rd | 1992 |
| SWC | Texas Tech (vacated) | – | 1993 |
| TAAC | UCF | 2nd | 1994 |
| WAC | New Mexico | 7th | 1994 |
| West Coast | Portland | 2nd | 1959 |

### Tournament seeds

East Regional – Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | UMass (vacated) | Atlantic 10 | 31–1 | Automatic |
| 2 | Georgetown | Big East | 26–7 | At-Large |
| 3 | Texas Tech (vacated) | SWC | 28–1 | Automatic |
| 4 | Marquette | Conference USA | 22–7 | At-Large |
| 5 | Penn State | Big Ten | 21–6 | At-Large |
| 6 | North Carolina | ACC | 20–10 | At-Large |
| 7 | New Mexico | WAC | 28–5 | Automatic |
| 8 | Bradley | Missouri Valley | 22–7 | At-Large |
| 9 | Stanford | Pac-10 | 19–8 | At-Large |
| 10 | Kansas State | Big Eight | 17–11 | At-Large |
| 11 | New Orleans | Sun Belt | 21–8 | Automatic |
| 12 | Arkansas | SEC | 18–12 | At-Large |
| 13 | Monmouth | NEC | 20–9 | Automatic |
| 14 | Northern Illinois | MCC | 20–9 | Automatic |
| 15 | Mississippi Valley State | SWAC | 22–6 | Automatic |
| 16 | UCF | TAAC | 11–18 | Automatic |
Southeast Regional – Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Connecticut (vacated) | Big East | 30–2 | Automatic |
| 2 | Cincinnati | Conference USA | 25–4 | At-Large |
| 3 | Georgia Tech | ACC | 22–11 | At-Large |
| 4 | UCLA | Pac-10 | 23–7 | Automatic |
| 5 | Mississippi State | SEC | 22–7 | Automatic |
| 6 | Indiana | Big Ten | 19–11 | At-Large |
| 7 | Temple | Atlantic 10 | 19–12 | At-Large |
| 8 | Duke | ACC | 18–12 | At-Large |
| 9 | Eastern Michigan | MAC | 24–5 | Automatic |
| 10 | Oklahoma | Big Eight | 17–12 | At-Large |
| 11 | Boston College | Big East | 18–10 | At-Large |
| 12 | VCU | CAA | 17–10 | Automatic |
| 13 | Princeton | Ivy League | 21–6 | Automatic |
| 14 | Austin Peay | Ohio Valley | 19–10 | Automatic |
| 15 | UNC Greensboro | Big South | 20–9 | Automatic |
| 16 | Colgate | Patriot League | 15–14 | Automatic |
Midwest Regional – Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Kentucky | SEC | 28–2 | At-Large |
| 2 | Wake Forest | ACC | 26–6 | Automatic |
| 3 | Villanova | Big East | 25–6 | At-Large |
| 4 | Utah | WAC | 25–6 | At-Large |
| 5 | Iowa State | Big Eight | 23–8 | Automatic |
| 6 | Louisville | Conference USA | 20–11 | At-Large |
| 7 | Michigan (vacated) | Big Ten | 20–11 | At-Large |
| 8 | Green Bay | MCC | 25–3 | At-Large |
| 9 | Virginia Tech | Atlantic 10 | 22–5 | At-Large |
| 10 | Texas | SWC | 20–9 | At-Large |
| 11 | Tulsa | Missouri Valley | 22–7 | Automatic |
| 12 | California (vacated) | Pac-10 | 17–10 | At-Large |
| 13 | Canisius | MAAC | 19–10 | Automatic |
| 14 | Portland | West Coast | 19–10 | Automatic |
| 15 | Northeast Louisiana | Southland | 16–13 | Automatic |
| 16 | San Jose State | Big West | 13–16 | Automatic |
West Regional – McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado :
| Seed | School | Conference | Record | Berth type |
| 1 | Purdue (vacated) | Big Ten | 26–4 | Automatic |
| 2 | Kansas | Big Eight | 25–5 | At-Large |
| 3 | Arizona | Pac-10 | 24–6 | At-Large |
| 4 | Syracuse | Big East | 24–8 | At-Large |
| 5 | Memphis | Conference USA | 22–7 | At-Large |
| 6 | Iowa | Big Ten | 22–8 | At-Large |
| 7 | Maryland | ACC | 17–12 | At-Large |
| 8 | Georgia | SEC | 19–9 | At-Large |
| 9 | Clemson | ACC | 18–10 | At-Large |
| 10 | Santa Clara | West Coast | 19–8 | At-Large |
| 11 | George Washington | Atlantic 10 | 21–7 | At-Large |
| 12 | Drexel | NAC | 26–3 | Automatic |
| 13 | Montana State | Big Sky | 21–8 | Automatic |
| 14 | Valparaiso | Mid-Continent | 23–7 | Automatic |
| 15 | South Carolina State | MEAC | 22–7 | Automatic |
| 16 | Western Carolina | Southern | 17–12 | Automatic |

## Bracket
### East Regional – Atlanta

| First round March 14–15 | First round March 14–15 | First round March 14–15 | Second round March 16–17 | Second round March 16–17 | Second round March 16–17 | Regional semifinals March 21 | Regional semifinals March 21 | Regional semifinals March 21 | | Regional Finals March 23 | Regional Finals March 23 | Regional Finals March 23 |
| 1 | Massachusetts | 92 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | UCF | 70 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | UCF | 70 | 1 | Massachusetts | 79 | | | | | | | |
| Providence – Thu/Sat | Providence – Thu/Sat | Providence – Thu/Sat | 1 | Massachusetts | 79 | | | | | | | |
| Providence – Thu/Sat | Providence – Thu/Sat | Providence – Thu/Sat | 9 | Stanford | 74 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Bradley | 58 | 9 | Stanford | 74 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Stanford | 66 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Stanford | 66 | | | | 1 | Massachusetts | 79 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 12 | Arkansas | 63 | | | | |
| 5 | Penn State | 80 | | | | | | | 12 | Arkansas | 63 | | | | |
| 12 | Arkansas | 86 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Arkansas | 86 | 12 | Arkansas | 65 | | | | | | | |
| Providence – Thu/Sat | Providence – Thu/Sat | Providence – Thu/Sat | 12 | Arkansas | 65 | | | | | | | |
| Providence – Thu/Sat | Providence – Thu/Sat | Providence – Thu/Sat | 4 | Marquette | 56 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Marquette | 68 | 4 | Marquette | 56 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Monmouth | 44 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Monmouth | 44 | | | | | | | | 1 | Massachusetts | 86 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Georgetown | 62 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 83 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Georgetown | 62 |
| 11 | New Orleans | 62 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | New Orleans | 62 | 6 | North Carolina | 73 | | | | | | | |
| Richmond – Fri/Sun | Richmond – Fri/Sun | Richmond – Fri/Sun | 6 | North Carolina | 73 | | | | | | | |
| Richmond – Fri/Sun | Richmond – Fri/Sun | Richmond – Fri/Sun | 3 | Texas Tech | 92 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Texas Tech | 74 | 3 | Texas Tech | 92 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Northern Illinois | 73 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Northern Illinois | 73 | | | | 3 | Texas Tech | 90 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Georgetown | 98 | | | | |
| 7 | New Mexico | 69 | | | | | | | 2 | Georgetown | 98 | | | | |
| 10 | Kansas State | 48 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Kansas State | 48 | 7 | New Mexico | 65 | | | | | | | |
| Richmond – Fri/Sun | Richmond – Fri/Sun | Richmond – Fri/Sun | 7 | New Mexico | 65 | | | | | | | |
| Richmond – Fri/Sun | Richmond – Fri/Sun | Richmond – Fri/Sun | 2 | Georgetown | 75 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Georgetown | 93 | 2 | Georgetown | 75 | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Mississippi Valley State | 56 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Regional Final summary

* CBS
* Saturday, March 23
* box score
#1 Massachusetts Minutemen 86, #2 Georgetown Hoyas 62 :
| Scoring by half: 38–34, 48–28 |||
| Pts: M.Camby – 22 Rebs: D. Bright, M. Camby – 7 Asts: C. Travieso – 6 | Pts: A. Iverson – 23 Rebs: J. Williams – 8 Asts: J. Touomou, J. Williams, O. Harrington – 2 |
* Georgia Dome – Atlanta, GA

#### East Regional all-tournament team

* Marcus Camby – Massachusetts (MOP)
* Allen Iverson – Georgetown
* Donta Bright – Massachusetts
* Carmelo Travieso – Massachusetts
* Jason Sasser – Texas Tech

### Midwest Regional – Minneapolis

| First round March 14–15 | First round March 14–15 | First round March 14–15 | Second round March 16–17 | Second round March 16–17 | Second round March 16–17 | Regional semifinals March 21 | Regional semifinals March 21 | Regional semifinals March 21 | | Regional Finals March 23 | Regional Finals March 23 | Regional Finals March 23 |
| 1 | Kentucky | 110 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | San Jose State | 72 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | San Jose State | 72 | 1 | Kentucky | 84 | | | | | | | |
| Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | 1 | Kentucky | 84 | | | | | | | |
| Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | 9 | Virginia Tech | 60 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | UW–Green Bay | 49 | 9 | Virginia Tech | 60 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Virginia Tech | 61 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Virginia Tech | 61 | | | | 1 | Kentucky | 101 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Utah | 70 | | | | |
| 5 | Iowa State | 74 | | | | | | | 4 | Utah | 70 | | | | |
| 12 | California | 64 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | California | 64 | 5 | Iowa State | 67 | | | | | | | |
| Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | 5 | Iowa State | 67 | | | | | | | |
| Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | Dallas – Thu/Sat | 4 | Utah | 73 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Utah | 72 | 4 | Utah | 73 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Canisius | 43 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Canisius | 43 | | | | | | | | 1 | Kentucky | 83 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Wake Forest | 63 |
| 6 | Louisville | 82$^{OT}$ | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Wake Forest | 63 |
| 11 | Tulsa | 80 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Tulsa | 80 | 6 | Louisville | 68 | | | | | | | |
| Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | 6 | Louisville | 68 | | | | | | | |
| Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | 3 | Villanova | 64 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Villanova | 92 | 3 | Villanova | 64 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Portland | 58 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Portland | 58 | | | | 6 | Louisville | 59 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Wake Forest | 60 | | | | |
| 7 | Michigan | 76 | | | | | | | 2 | Wake Forest | 60 | | | | |
| 10 | Texas | 80 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Texas | 80 | 10 | Texas | 62 | | | | | | | |
| Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | 10 | Texas | 62 | | | | | | | |
| Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | Milwaukee – Fri/Sun | 2 | Wake Forest | 65 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Wake Forest | 62 | 2 | Wake Forest | 65 | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Northeast Louisiana | 50 | | | | | | | | | | |
Michigan's appearance in the 1996 NCAA tournament along with 20 regular season wins were vacated on November 7, 2002, as part of the settlement of the University of Michigan basketball scandal. Unlike forfeiture, a vacated game does not result in the other school being credited with a win, only with the removal of any Michigan wins from all records.

#### Regional Final summary

* CBS
* Saturday, March 23
* box score
#1 Kentucky Wildcats 83, #2 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 63 :
| Scoring by half: 38–19, 45–44 |||
| Pts: T. Delk – 25 Rebs: A. Walker – 6 Asts: A. Epps – 6 | Pts: S. Goolsby, T. Duncan – 14 Rebs: T. Duncan – 16 Asts: T. Duncan – 6 |
* Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome – Minneapolis, MN

#### Midwest Regional all-tournament team

* Tony Delk – Kentucky (MOP)
* Derek Anderson – Kentucky
* Anthony Epps – Kentucky
* Antoine Walker – Kentucky
* Tim Duncan – Wake Forest

### Southeast Regional – Lexington, Kentucky

| First round March 14–15 | First round March 14–15 | First round March 14–15 | Second round March 16–17 | Second round March 16–17 | Second round March 16–17 | Regional semifinals March 22 | Regional semifinals March 22 | Regional semifinals March 22 | | Regional Finals March 24 | Regional Finals March 24 | Regional Finals March 24 |
| 1 | Connecticut | 68 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Colgate | 59 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Colgate | 59 | 1 | Connecticut | 95 | | | | | | | |
| Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | 1 | Connecticut | 95 | | | | | | | |
| Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | 9 | Eastern Michigan | 81 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Duke | 60 | 9 | Eastern Michigan | 81 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Eastern Michigan | 75 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Eastern Michigan | 75 | | | | 1 | Connecticut | 55 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 5 | Mississippi State | 60 | | | | |
| 5 | Mississippi State | 58 | | | | | | | 5 | Mississippi State | 60 | | | | |
| 12 | VCU | 51 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | VCU | 51 | 5 | Mississippi State | 63 | | | | | | | |
| Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | 5 | Mississippi State | 63 | | | | | | | |
| Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | Indianapolis – Thu/Sat | 13 | Princeton | 41 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | UCLA | 41 | 13 | Princeton | 41 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Princeton | 43 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Princeton | 43 | | | | | | | | 5 | Mississippi State | 73 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Cincinnati | 63 |
| 6 | Indiana | 51 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Cincinnati | 63 |
| 11 | Boston College | 64 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Boston College | 64 | 11 | Boston College | 89 | | | | | | | |
| Orlando – Fri/Sun | Orlando – Fri/Sun | Orlando – Fri/Sun | 11 | Boston College | 89 | | | | | | | |
| Orlando – Fri/Sun | Orlando – Fri/Sun | Orlando – Fri/Sun | 3 | Georgia Tech | 103 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Georgia Tech | 90 | 3 | Georgia Tech | 103 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Austin Peay | 79 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Austin Peay | 79 | | | | 3 | Georgia Tech | 70 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Cincinnati | 87 | | | | |
| 7 | Temple | 61 | | | | | | | 2 | Cincinnati | 87 | | | | |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 43 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 43 | 7 | Temple | 65 | | | | | | | |
| Orlando – Fri/Sun | Orlando – Fri/Sun | Orlando – Fri/Sun | 7 | Temple | 65 | | | | | | | |
| Orlando – Fri/Sun | Orlando – Fri/Sun | Orlando – Fri/Sun | 2 | Cincinnati | 78 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Cincinnati | 66 | 2 | Cincinnati | 78 | | | | | | | |
| 15 | UNC Greensboro | 61 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Regional Final summary

* CBS
* Sunday, March 24
* box score
#5 Mississippi State Bulldogs 73, #2 Cincinnati Bearcats 63 :
| Scoring by half: 37–29, 36–34 |||
| Pts: D. Jones – 23 Rebs: D. Jones – 13 Asts: D. Wilson – 6 | Pts: D. Fortson – 24 Rebs: D. Fortson – 13 Asts: K. Legree – 4 |
* Rupp Arena – Lexington, KY

#### Southeast Regional all-tournament team

* Dontae' Jones – Mississippi State (MOP)
* Darnell Burton – Cincinnati
* Danny Fortson – Cincinnati
* Erick Dampier – Mississippi State
* Darryl Wilson – Mississippi State

### West Regional – Denver, Colorado

| First round March 14–15 | First round March 14–15 | First round March 14–15 | Second round March 16–17 | Second round March 16–17 | Second round March 16–17 | Regional semifinals March 22 | Regional semifinals March 22 | Regional semifinals March 22 | | Regional Finals March 24 | Regional Finals March 24 | Regional Finals March 24 |
| 1 | Purdue | 73 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Western Carolina | 71 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Western Carolina | 71 | 1 | Purdue | 69 | | | | | | | |
| Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | 1 | Purdue | 69 | | | | | | | |
| Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | 8 | Georgia | 76 | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Georgia | 81 | 8 | Georgia | 76 | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Clemson | 74 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Clemson | 74 | | | | 8 | Georgia | 81 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 4 | Syracuse | 83$^{OT}$ | | | | |
| 5 | Memphis | 63 | | | | | | | 4 | Syracuse | 83$^{OT}$ | | | | |
| 12 | Drexel | 75 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Drexel | 75 | 12 | Drexel | 58 | | | | | | | |
| Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | 12 | Drexel | 58 | | | | | | | |
| Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | Albuquerque – Thu/Sat | 4 | Syracuse | 69 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Syracuse | 88 | 4 | Syracuse | 69 | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Montana State | 55 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Montana State | 55 | | | | | | | | 4 | Syracuse | 60 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Kansas | 57 |
| 6 | Iowa | 81 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Kansas | 57 |
| 11 | George Washington | 79 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | George Washington | 79 | 6 | Iowa | 73 | | | | | | | |
| Tempe – Fri/Sun | Tempe – Fri/Sun | Tempe – Fri/Sun | 6 | Iowa | 73 | | | | | | | |
| Tempe – Fri/Sun | Tempe – Fri/Sun | Tempe – Fri/Sun | 3 | Arizona | 87 | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Arizona | 90 | 3 | Arizona | 87 | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Valparaiso | 51 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Valparaiso | 51 | | | | 3 | Arizona | 80 | | | | |
| | | | | | | 2 | Kansas | 83 | | | | |
| 7 | Maryland | 79 | | | | | | | 2 | Kansas | 83 | | | | |
| 10 | Santa Clara | 91 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Santa Clara | 91 | 10 | Santa Clara | 51 | | | | | | | |
| Tempe – Fri/Sun | Tempe – Fri/Sun | Tempe – Fri/Sun | 10 | Santa Clara | 51 | | | | | | | |
| Tempe – Fri/Sun | Tempe – Fri/Sun | Tempe – Fri/Sun | 2 | Kansas | 76 | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Kansas | 92 | 2 | Kansas | 76 | | | | | | | |
| 15 | South Carolina State | 54 | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Regional Final summary

* CBS
* Sunday, March 24
* box score
#4 Syracuse Orangemen 60, #2 Kansas Jayhawks 57 :
| Scoring by half: 35–26, 25–31 |||
| Pts: J. Wallace, O. Hill – 15 Rebs: J. Wallace – 9 Asts: L. Sims – 4 | Pts: J. Vaughn – 21 Rebs: R. LaFrentz – 9 Asts: J. Haase – 6 |
* McNichols Sports Arena – Denver, CO

#### West Regional all-tournament team

* John Wallace – Syracuse (MOP)
* Pertha Robinson – Georgia
* Shandon Anderson – Georgia
* Jacque Vaughn – Kansas
* Otis Hill – Syracuse

### Final Four at East Rutherford, New Jersey

| National semifinals March 30 | National semifinals March 30 | National semifinals March 30 | National Championship Game April 1 | National Championship Game April 1 | National Championship Game April 1 |
| E1 | Massachusetts | 74 | | | |
| MW1 | Kentucky | 81 | | | |
| MW1 | Kentucky | 81 | MW1 | Kentucky | 76 |
| | | | W4 | Syracuse | 67 |
| SE5 | Mississippi State | 69 | W4 | Syracuse | 67 |
| W4 | Syracuse | 77 | | | |
On May 8, 1997, the NCAA Executive Committee voted to negate the Minutemen's 1996 NCAA Tournament record, for Marcus Camby's acceptance of agents' improper gifts. The team's 35–2 season record was reduced to 31–1, and the UMass slot in the Final Four is officially marked as "vacated". The Final Four trophy, banner, and 45% of tournament revenue were returned to the NCAA. Camby reimbursed the school for the lost revenue. Unlike forfeiture, a vacated game does not result in the other school being credited with a win, only with UMass removing the wins from its own record.

#### National semifinals

* CBS
* Saturday, March 30
* box score
#1 Kentucky Wildcats 81, #1 Massachusetts Minutemen 74 :
| Scoring by half: 36–28, 45–46 |||
| Pts: T. Delk – 20 Rebs: W. McCarty – 10 Asts: A. Epps, A. Walker, D. Anderson, W. McCarty – 4 | Pts: M. Camby – 25 Rebs: D. Bright – 9 Asts: E. Padilla – 12 |
* Continental Airlines Arena – East Rutherford, NJ
* CBS
* Saturday, March 30
* box score
#4 Syracuse Orangemen 77, #5 Mississippi State Bulldogs 69 :
| Scoring by half: 36–36, 41–33 |||
| Pts: J. Wallace – 21 Rebs: T. Burgan – 7 Asts: L. Siims – 9 | Pts: D. Wilson – 20 Rebs: E. Dampier – 14 Asts: M. Bullard – 8 |
* Continental Airlines Arena – East Rutherford, NJ

#### National Championship

* CBS
* Monday, April 1
* Box score
#1 Kentucky Wildcats 76, #4 Syracuse Orangemen 67 :
| Scoring by half: 42–33, 34–34 |||
| Pts: T. Delk – 24 Rebs: A. Walker – 9 Asts: A. Epps – 7 | Pts: J. Wallace – 29 Rebs: J. Wallace, O. Hill – 10 Asts: L. Sims – 7 |
* Continental Airlines Arena – East Rutherford, NJ

#### Final Four all-tournament team

* Tony Delk – Kentucky (MOP)
* Ron Mercer – Kentucky
* Marcus Camby – Massachusetts
* Todd Burgan – Syracuse
* John Wallace – Syracuse

## Announcers

* Jim Nantz/Bob Rathbun and Billy Packer – First & Second Round at Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Southeast Regional at Lexington, Kentucky; Final Four at East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Sean McDonough/Bill Raftery/Michele Tafoya – First & Second Round at Orlando, Florida; Midwest Regional at Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Tim Ryan and Al McGuire – First & Second Round at Providence, Rhode Island; West Regional at Denver, Colorado
* Gus Johnson/Quinn Buckner/Andrea Joyce – First & Second Round at Indianapolis; East Regional at Atlanta, Georgia
* Mike Gorman and George Raveling – First & Second Round at Dallas, Texas
* Ted Robinson and Larry Farmer – First & Second Round at Richmond, Virginia
* Tim Brando and Derrek Dickey – First & Second Round at Albuquerque, New Mexico
* Bill Macatee and Dan Bonner – First & Second Round at Tempe, Arizona
Note: During the Midwest Regional Final in Minneapolis; sideline reporter Michele Tafoya temporarily substituted for Sean McDonough in the play-by-play booth when McDonough became ill; calling about 10 minutes of the first half before McDonough felt well enough to resume play-by-play; in the process making her the first woman to call part of an NCAA Men's Division I Tournament game.