# 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2003, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 5, 2004, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Connecticut Huskies won their second NCAA national championship with an 82–73 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

## Season headlines

* The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 12. Emeka Okafor of Connecticut was the leading vote-getter (71 of 72 votes). The rest of the team included Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's (49 votes), Rickey Paulding of Missouri (37), Ike Diogu of Arizona State (34) and Raymond Felton of North Carolina (24).
* The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) abolished its third-place game between the teams which lost in the semifinals. The tournament had included a third-place game from 1938 through 1981 and again from 1984 through 2003.

## Major rule changes

Beginning in 2003–04, the following rules changes were implemented:
* Officials could consult courtside monitor at the end of either half or any extra period to determine: (1) if a field-goal try beat the horn; (2) whether a shot-clock violation at the end of the first half beat the horn; or, (3) whether a shot-clock violation that would determine the outcome of a game beat the horn. The officials also could use a courtside monitor to correct a timer’s mistake or to determine if the game clock or shot clock expired at or near the end of a period.
* A team would have control when a player of that team had disposal of the ball for a throw-in.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 13, 2003.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Connecticut (69) |
| 2 | Duke (1) |
| 3 | Michigan State (1) |
| 4 | Arizona |
| 5 | Missouri |
| 6 | Kansas (1) |
| 7 | Syracuse |
| 8 | Florida |
| 9 | North Carolina |
| 10 | Kentucky |
| 11 | Texas |
| 12 | Illinois |
| 13 | St. Joseph's |
| 14 | Oklahoma |
| 15 | Wisconsin |
| 16 | Gonzaga |
| 17 | Louisville |
| 18 | Cincinnati |
| 19 | Wake Forest |
| 20 | Stanford |
| 21 | Notre Dame |
| 22 | Pittsburgh |
| 23 | Marquette |
| 24 | North Carolina State |
| 25 | Oklahoma State |
ESPN/USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Connecticut (25) |
| 2 | Duke (3) |
| 3 | Michigan State (1) |
| 4 | Arizona |
| 5 | Kansas |
| 6 | Missouri |
| 7 | Syracuse |
| 8 | Florida |
| 9 | Kentucky |
| 10 | North Carolina |
| 11 | Texas |
| 12 | Gonzaga |
| 13 | Illinois |
| 14 | Wisconsin |
| 15 | Oklahoma |
| 16 | Louisville |
| 17 | Stanford |
| 18 | St. Joseph's |
| 19 | Cincinnati |
| 19 | Notre Dame |
| 21 | Wake Forest |
| 22 | Pittsburgh |
| 23 | Marquette |
| 24 | Oklahoma State |
| 25 | Maryland |

## Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2003–04 season.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Centenary Gentlemen | NCAA Division I independent | Mid-Continent Conference |
| Elon Phoenix | Big South Conference | Southern Conference |
| Jacksonville State Gamecocks | Atlantic Sun Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Lipscomb Bisons | NCAA Division I Independent | Atlantic Sun Conference |
| Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Retrievers | Northeast Conference | America East Conference |
| Morris Brown Wolverines | NCAA Division I independent | Discontinued athletic programs |
| Samford Bulldogs | Atlantic Sun Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Utah Valley Wolverines | NJCAA | NCAA Division I Independent |
| VMI Keydets | Southern Conference | Big South Conference |

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

| Conference | Regular Season Winner | Conference Player of the Year | Conference Tournament | Tournament Venue (City) | Tournament winner |
| America East Conference | Boston University | Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont | 2004 America East men's basketball tournament | Walter Brown Arena (Boston, Massachusetts) (Except Finals) | Vermont |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | St. Joseph's (East) Dayton (West) | Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's | 2004 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | University of Dayton Arena (Dayton, Ohio) | Xavier |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Duke | Julius Hodge, North Carolina State | 2004 ACC men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | Maryland |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | Troy | Greg Davis, Troy | 2004 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament | Curb Event Center (Nashville, Tennessee) | Central Florida |
| Big 12 Conference | Oklahoma State | Tony Allen, Oklahoma State | 2004 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas) | Oklahoma State |
| Big East Conference | Pittsburgh | Emeka Okafor, Connecticut | 2004 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) | Connecticut |
| Big Sky Conference | Eastern Washington | Alvin Snow, Eastern Washington | 2004 Big Sky men's basketball tournament | Reese Court (Cheney, Washington) (Semifinals and Finals) | Eastern Washington |
| Big South Conference | Birmingham-Southern & Liberty | Danny Gathings, High Point | 2004 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Liberty |
| Big Ten Conference | Illinois | Devin Harris, Wisconsin | 2004 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament | Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) | Wisconsin |
| Big West Conference | Utah State & Pacific | Miah Davis, Pacific | 2004 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California) | Pacific |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Virginia Commonwealth | Domonic Jones, Virginia Commonwealth | 2004 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | Virginia Commonwealth |
| Conference USA | Cincinnati, Memphis, Charlotte, DePaul & UAB | Antonio Burks, Memphis | 2004 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | U.S. Bank Arena (Cincinnati, Ohio) | Cincinnati |
| Horizon League | Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Dylan Page, Wisconsin-Milwaukee | 2004 Horizon League men's basketball tournament | U.S. Cellular Arena (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (Except First Round) | Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| Ivy League | Princeton | Jason Forte, Brown | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Manhattan | Luis Flores, Manhattan | 2004 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Pepsi Arena (Albany, New York) | Manhattan |
| Mid-American Conference | Kent State (East) Western Michigan (West) | Mike Williams, Western Michigan | 2004 MAC men's basketball tournament | Gund Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | Western Michigan |
| Mid-Continent Conference | Valparaiso | Odell Bradley, IUPUI | 2004 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament | Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) | Valparaiso |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | South Carolina State & Coppin State | Thurman Zimmerman, South Carolina State | 2004 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | Florida A&M |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Southern Illinois | Darren Brooks, Southern Illinois | 2004 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Savvis Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Northern Iowa |
| Mountain West Conference | Air Force | Rafael Araújo, Brigham Young & Nick Welch, Air Force | 2004 MWC men's basketball tournament | Pepsi Center (Denver, Colorado) | Utah |
| Northeast Conference | Monmouth & St. Francis (NY) | Ron Robinson, Central Connecticut State | 2004 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Monmouth |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Austin Peay | Cuthbert Victor, Murray State | 2004 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Nashville Municipal Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee) (Semifinals and Finals) | Murray State |
| Pacific-10 Conference | Stanford | Josh Childress, Stanford | 2004 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament | Staples Center (Los Angeles, California) | Stanford |
| Patriot League | Lehigh & American | Austen Rowland, Lehigh | 2004 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Lehigh |
| Southeastern Conference | Kentucky (East) Mississippi State (West) | Lawrence Roberts, Mississippi State | 2004 SEC men's basketball tournament | Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Georgia) | Kentucky |
| Southern Conference | East Tennessee State (North) Georgia Southern, Charleston & Davidson (South) | Zakee Wadood, East Tennessee State | 2004 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | North Charleston Coliseum (North Charleston, South Carolina) | East Tennessee State |
| Southland Conference | Southeastern Louisiana, Texas-San Antonio & Texas–Arlington | LeRoy Hurd, Texas-San Antonio | 2004 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Convocation Center (San Antonio, Texas) (Finals) | Texas-San Antonio |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Mississippi Valley State | Attarius Norwood, Mississippi Valley State | 2004 Southwestern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament | Fair Park Arena (Birmingham, Alabama) | Alabama State |
| Sun Belt Conference | Arkansas-Little Rock (East) Louisiana-Lafayette (West) | Mike Wells, Western Kentucky | 2004 Sun Belt men's basketball tournament | E. A. Diddle Arena (Bowling Green, Kentucky) | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | Blake Stepp, Gonzaga | 2004 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Leavey Center (Santa Clara, California) | Gonzaga |
| Western Athletic Conference | UTEP & Nevada | Kirk Snyder, Nevada | 2004 WAC men's basketball tournament | Save Mart Center (Fresno, California) | Nevada |

#### Conference standings

2003–04 America East Conference men's basketball standings :
| 2003–04 America East Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Boston University17–1 .94423–6  .793 Vermont †15–3 .83322–9  .710 Northeastern13–5 .72219–11  .633 Maine12–6 .66720–10  .667 Binghamton10–8 .55614–16  .467 Hartford6–12 .33312–17  .414 New Hampshire5–13 .27810–20  .333 Stony Brook5–13 .27810–20  .333 UMBC4–14 .2227–21  .250 Albany3–15 .1675–23  .179 † 2004 America East tournament winner | 2003–04 ACC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 6 Duke13–3 .81331–6  .838 No. 15 NC State11–5 .68821–10  .677 No. 17 Wake Forest9–7 .56321–10  .677 No. 14 Georgia Tech9–7 .56328–10  .737 No. 18 North Carolina8–8 .50019–11  .633 No. 19 Maryland†7–9 .43820–12  .625 Florida State6–10 .37519–14  .576 Virginia6–10 .37518–13  .581 Clemson3–13 .18810–18  .357 † 2004 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 5 Saint Joseph's16–0 1.00030–2  .938 Temple9–7 .56315–14  .517 Rhode Island7–9 .43820–14  .588 UMass4–12 .25010–19  .345 St. Bonaventure3–13 .1887–21  .250 Fordham3–13 .1886–22  .214 West Dayton12–4 .75024–9  .727 George Washington11–5 .68818–12  .600 Xavier †10–6 .62526–11  .703 Richmond10–6 .62520–13  .606 Duquesne6–10 .37512–17  .414 La Salle5–11 .31310–20  .333 † 2004 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2003–04 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Troy State18–2 .90024–7  .774 UCF †17–3 .85025–6  .806 Belmont15–5 .75021–9  .700 Georgia State14–6 .70020–9  .690 Stetson10–10 .50012–15  .444 Mercer9–11 .45012–18  .400 Jacksonville8–12 .40013–15  .464 Florida Atlantic6–14 .3009–19  .321 Gardner–Webb6–14 .3009–20  .310 Lipscomb4–16 .2007–21  .250 Campbell3–17 .1503–24  .111 † 2004 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner As of March 2, 2004 Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Oklahoma State †14–2 .87531–4  .886 No. 12 Texas12–4 .75025–8  .758 No. 16 Kansas12–4 .75024–9  .727 Colorado10–6 .62518–11  .621 Texas Tech9–7 .56323–11  .676 Missouri9–7 .56316–14  .533 Oklahoma8–8 .50020–11  .645 Iowa State7–9 .43820–13  .606 Kansas State6–10 .37514–14  .500 Nebraska6–10 .37518–13  .581 Baylor3–13 .1888–21  .276 Texas A&M0–16 .0007–21  .250 † 2004 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2003–04 Big East men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 9 Pittsburgh13–3 .81331–5  .861 No. 7 Connecticut †12–4 .75033–6  .846 No. 21 Providence11–5 .68820–9  .690 No. 20 Syracuse11–5 .68823–8  .742 No. 25 Boston College10–6 .62524–10  .706 Seton Hall10–6 .62521–12  .636 Notre Dame9–7 .56319–13  .594 Virginia Tech7–9 .43815–14  .517 Rutgers7–9 .43820–13  .606 West Virginia7–9 .43817–14  .548 Villanova6–10 .37518–17  .514 Georgetown4–12 .25013–15  .464 Miami (FL)*4–12 .25014–16  .467 St. John's*1–15 .0636–21  .222 † 2004 Big East tournament winner As of April 5, 2004 Rankings from AP Poll *Did not qualify for 2004 Big East tournament |
| 2003–04 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Eastern Washington †11–3 .78617–13  .567 Northern Arizona7–7 .50015–14  .517 Weber State7–7 .50015–14  .517 Sacramento State7–7 .50013–15  .464 Idaho State7–7 .50013–18  .419 Montana State6–8 .42914–13  .519 Montana6–8 .42910–18  .357 Portland State5–9 .35711–16  .407 † 2004 Big Sky tournament winner | 2003–04 Big South Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Birmingham–Southern12–4 .75019–7  .731 Liberty †12–4 .75018–15  .545 High Point10–6 .62519–11  .633 Winthrop10–6 .62516–12  .571 Coastal Carolina8–8 .50014–15  .483 Radford7–9 .43812–16  .429 UNC Asheville6–10 .3759–20  .310 VMI4–12 .2506–22  .214 Charleston Southern3–13 .1886–22  .214 † 2004 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 13 Illinois13–3 .81326–7  .788 No. 10 Wisconsin †12–4 .75025–7  .781 Michigan State12–4 .75018–12  .600 Iowa9–7 .56316–13  .552 Michigan8–8 .50023–11  .676 Northwestern8–8 .50014–15  .483 Purdue7–9 .43817–14  .548 Indiana7–9 .43814–15  .483 Ohio State6–10 .37514–16  .467 Minnesota3–13 .18812–18  .400 Penn State3–13 .1889–19  .321 † 2004 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2003–04 Big West men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 25 Utah State17–1 .94425–4  .862 Pacific †17–1 .94425–8  .758 UC Santa Barbara10–8 .55616–12  .571 Idaho9–9 .50014–16  .467 UC Riverside7–11 .38911–17  .393 Cal State Northridge7–11 .38914–16  .467 Cal State Fullerton7–11 .38911–17  .393 Cal Poly6–12 .33311–16  .407 UC Irvine6–12 .33311–17  .393 Long Beach State4–14 .2226–21  .222 † 2004 Big West tournament winner As of April 10, 2004 Rankings from AP poll | 2003–04 CAA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT VCU †14–4 .77823–8  .742 Drexel13–5 .72218–11  .621 George Mason12–6 .66723–10  .697 Old Dominion11–7 .61117–12  .586 Delaware10–8 .55616–12  .571 Hofstra10–8 .55614–15  .483 UNC Wilmington9–9 .50015–15  .500 Towson4–14 .2228–21  .276 William & Mary4–14 .2227–21  .250 James Madison3–15 .1677–21  .250 † 2004 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2003–04 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT DePaul12–4 .75022–10  .688 No. 24 Memphis12–4 .75022–8  .733 No. 11 Cincinnati †12–4 .75025–7  .781 UAB12–4 .75022–10  .688 Charlotte12–4 .75021–9  .700 Louisville9–7 .56320–10  .667 Saint Louis9–7 .56319–13  .594 Marquette8–8 .50019–12  .613 TCU7–9 .43812–17  .414 Southern Miss6–10 .37513–15  .464 East Carolina5–11 .31313–14  .481 Tulane4–12 .25011–17  .393 Houston3–13 .1889–18  .333 South Florida1–15 .0637–20  .259 † 2004 Conference USA Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2003–04 Horizon League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Milwaukee13–3 .81320–11  .645 Illinois-Chicago †12–4 .75024–8  .750 Green Bay11–5 .68817–11  .607 Detroit Mercy10–6 .62519–11  .633 Wright State10–6 .62514–14  .500 Butler8–8 .50016–14  .533 Youngstown State4–12 .2508–20  .286 Loyola Chicago4–12 .2509–20  .310 Cleveland State0–16 .0004–25  .138 † 2004 Horizon League Tournament winner | 2003–04 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Princeton13–1 .92920–8  .714 Penn10–4 .71417–10  .630 Brown10–4 .71414–13  .519 Yale7–7 .50012–15  .444 Cornell6–8 .42911–16  .407 Columbia6–8 .42910–17  .370 Harvard3–11 .2144–23  .148 Dartmouth1–13 .0713–25  .107 Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Manhattan †16–2 .88925–6  .806 Niagara13–5 .72222–10  .688 Fairfield12–6 .66719–11  .633 Saint Peter's12–6 .66717–12  .586 Rider10–8 .55617–14  .548 Siena9–9 .50014–16  .467 Iona8–10 .44411–18  .379 Canisius5–13 .27810–20  .333 Marist4–14 .2226–22  .214 Loyola (MD)1–17 .0561–27  .036 † 2004 MAAC tournament winner |
| 2003–04 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Kent State13–5 .72222–9  .710 Miami (OH)12–6 .66718–11  .621 Buffalo11–7 .61117–12  .586 Marshall8–10 .44412–17  .414 Akron7–11 .38913–15  .464 Ohio7–11 .38910–20  .333 West Western Michigan†15–3 .83326–5  .839 Toledo12–6 .66720–11  .645 Ball State10–8 .55614–15  .483 Bowling Green8–10 .44414–17  .452 Eastern Michigan7–11 .38913–15  .464 Northern Illinois5–13 .27810–20  .333 Central Michigan2–16 .1116–24  .200 † 2004 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Valparaiso †11–5 .68818–13  .581 IUPUI10–6 .62521–11  .656 Centenary10–6 .62516–12  .571 Oral Roberts10–6 .62517–11  .607 UMKC9–7 .56315–14  .517 Chicago State9–7 .56312–20  .375 Southern Utah6–10 .37510–18  .357 Oakland6–10 .37513–17  .433 Western Illinois1–15 .0633–25  .107 † 2004 Mid-Con Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT South Carolina State14–4 .77818–11  .621 Coppin State14–4 .77818–14  .563 Delaware State11–7 .61113–15  .464 Hampton11–7 .61113–17  .433 Florida A&M †10–8 .55615–17  .469 Norfolk State10–8 .55612–17  .414 Morgan State9–9 .50011–16  .407 Bethune–Cookman7–11 .3898–21  .276 Maryland Eastern Shore6–12 .3338–21  .276 Howard4–14 .2226–22  .214 North Carolina A&T3–15 .1673–25  .107 † 2004 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2003–04 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 23 Southern Illinois17–1 .94425–5  .833 Northern Iowa †12–6 .66721–10  .677 Wichita State12–6 .66721–11  .656 Creighton12–6 .66720–9  .690 Southwest Missouri State9–9 .50019–14  .576 Drake7–11 .38912–16  .429 Bradley7–11 .38915–16  .484 Indiana State5–13 .2789–19  .321 Evansville5–13 .2787–22  .241 Illinois State4–14 .22210–19  .345 † 2004 Missouri Valley Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Air Force12–2 .85722–7  .759 BYU10–4 .71421–9  .700 Utah †9–5 .64324–9  .727 UNLV7–7 .50018–13  .581 New Mexico5–9 .35714–14  .500 San Diego State5–9 .35714–16  .467 Wyoming4–10 .28611–17  .393 Colorado State4–10 .28613–16  .448 † 2004 Mountain West tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Monmouth †12–6 .66721–12  .636 St. Francis (NY)12–6 .66715–13  .536 Fairleigh Dickinson11–7 .61117–12  .586 Robert Morris10–8 .55614–15  .483 Saint Francis (PA)10–8 .55613–15  .464 Wagner10–8 .55613–16  .448 Central Connecticut9–9 .50014–14  .500 Mount St. Mary's8–10 .44410–19  .345 Sacred Heart8–10 .44412–15  .444 Quinnipiac5–13 .2789–20  .310 Long Island4–14 .2228–19  .296 † 2004 NEC tournament winner |
| 2003–04 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Austin Peay16–0 1.00022–10  .688 Murray State †14–2 .87528–6  .824 Morehead State10–6 .62516–13  .552 Eastern Kentucky8–8 .50014–15  .483 Samford7–9 .43812–16  .429 Jacksonville State7–9 .43814–14  .500 Tennessee Tech7–9 .43813–15  .464 Tennessee State6–10 .3757–21  .250 UT Martin5–11 .31310–18  .357 Eastern Illinois4–12 .2506–21  .222 Southeast Missouri State4–12 .25011–16  .407 † 2004 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings Conf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 6 Stanford†17–1 .94430–2  .938 Washington12–6 .66719–12  .613 Arizona11–7 .61120–10  .667 Oregon9–9 .50018–13  .581 California9–9 .50013–15  .464 USC8–10 .44413–15  .464 Washington State7–11 .38913–16  .448 UCLA7–11 .38911–17  .393 Oregon State6–12 .33312–16  .429 Arizona State4–14 .22210–17  .370 † Conference tournament winner As of April 4, 2004 Rankings from Coaches Poll | 2003–04 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Lehigh †10–4 .71420–11  .645 American10–4 .71418–13  .581 Lafayette9–5 .64318–10  .643 Bucknell9–5 .64314–15  .483 Holy Cross7–7 .50013–15  .464 Colgate6–8 .42915–14  .517 Army3–11 .2146–21  .222 Navy2–12 .1435–23  .179 † 2004 Patriot League tournament winner |
| 2003–04 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 2 Kentucky †13–3 .81327–5  .844 Florida9–7 .56320–11  .645 No. 23 South Carolina8–8 .50023–11  .676 Vanderbilt8–8 .50023–10  .697 Georgia7–9 .43816–14  .533 Tennessee7–9 .43815–14  .517 West No. 8 Mississippi State14–2 .87526–4  .867 LSU8–8 .50018–11  .621 Alabama8–8 .50020–13  .606 Auburn5–11 .31314–14  .500 Ole Miss5–11 .31313–15  .464 Arkansas4–12 .25012–16  .429 † 2004 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North East Tennessee State †15–1 .93827–6  .818 Chattanooga10–6 .62519–11  .633 Elon7–9 .43812–18  .400 UNC Greensboro7–9 .43811–17  .393 Western Carolina6–10 .37513–15  .464 Appalachian State4–12 .2509–21  .300 South Georgia Southern11–5 .68821–8  .724 College of Charleston11–5 .68820–9  .690 Davidson11–5 .68817–12  .586 Furman8–8 .50017–12  .586 Wofford4–12 .2509–20  .310 The Citadel2–14 .1256–22  .214 † SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 2004 Rankings from AP poll | 2003–04 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Southeastern Louisiana11–5 .68820–9  .690 Texas–Arlington11–5 .68817–12  .586 UTSA †11–5 .68819–14  .576 Stephen F. Austin10–6 .62521–9  .700 Sam Houston State8–8 .50013–15  .464 Texas State8–8 .50013–15  .464 Northwestern State8–8 .50011–17  .393 Louisiana–Monroe8–8 .50012–19  .387 McNeese State7–9 .43811–16  .407 Lamar5–11 .31311–18  .379 Nicholls State1–15 .0636–21  .222 † 2004 Southland tournament winner |
| 2003–04 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Mississippi Valley State16–2 .88922–7  .759 Alabama State †11–7 .61116–15  .516 Texas Southern10–8 .55614–15  .483 Alabama A&M9–9 .50013–17  .433 Jackson State9–9 .50012–17  .414 Alcorn State9–9 .50011–18  .379 Grambling State9–9 .50011–18  .379 Southern9–9 .50012–16  .429 Prairie View A&M7–11 .3897–20  .259 Arkansas–Pine Bluff1–17 .0561–26  .037 † 2004 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Arkansas-Little Rock9–5 .64317–12  .586 Western Kentucky8–6 .57115–13  .536 Middle Tennessee8–6 .57117–12  .586 Arkansas State7–7 .50017–11  .607 Florida International1–13 .0715–22  .185 West Louisiana–Lafayette †12–3 .80020–9  .690 New Orleans9–6 .60017–14  .548 North Texas8–7 .53313–15  .464 South Alabama6–9 .40012–16  .429 Denver6–9 .40014–13  .519 New Mexico State6–9 .40013–14  .481 † 2004 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2003–04 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 Gonzaga14–0 1.00028–3  .903 Saint Mary's9–5 .64319–12  .613 Pepperdine9–5 .64315–16  .484 San Francisco7–7 .50017–14  .548 Santa Clara6–8 .42916–16  .500 Portland5–9 .35711–17  .393 Loyola Marymount5–9 .35715–14  .517 San Diego1–13 .0714–26  .133 † 2004 WCC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2003–04 WAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Nevada †13–5 .72225–9  .735 UTEP13–5 .72224–8  .750 Boise State12–6 .66723–10  .697 Rice12–6 .66722–11  .667 Hawaii11–7 .61121–12  .636 Fresno State10–8 .55614–15  .483 Louisiana Tech8–10 .44415–15  .500 SMU5–13 .27812–18  .400 Tulsa5–13 .2789–20  .310 San Jose State1–17 .0566–23  .207 † 2004 WAC tournament winner |

### Division I independents

Four schools played as Division I independents.
2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConf.Overall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Texas A&M–Corpus Christi-–- –15–11
* .577
* Texas–Pan American-–- –14–14
* .500
* Savannah State-–- –4–24
* .143
* IPFW-–- –3–25
* .107
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Saint Joseph's | Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's |
Saint Joseph's 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 |
| Keydren Clark | St. Peter's | 26.7 | Paul Millsap | LA Tech | 12.5 | Greg Davis | Troy | 8.3 | Marques Green | St. Bonaventure | 4.0 |
| Kevin Martin | W. Carolina | 24.9 | Jaime Lloreda | LSU | 11.6 | Martell Bailey | Illinois-Chicago | 7.8 | Obie Trotter | Alabama A&M | 3.0 |
| David Hawkins | Temple | 24.4 | Emeka Okafor | UConn | 11.5 | Aaron Miles | Kansas | 7.3 | Chakowby Hicks | Norfolk St. | 3.0 |
| Taylor Coppenrath | Vermont | 24.1 | Nate Lofton | SE Louisiana | 10.9 | Andrés Rodríguez | American | 7.3 | Zakee Wadood | E. Tennessee St. | 2.8 |
| Luis Flores | Manhattan | 24.0 | Nigel Wyatte | Wagner | 10.4 | Raymond Felton | N. Carolina | 7.1 | Jameer Nelson | St. Joseph's | 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% |
| Anwar Ferguson | Houston | 4.1 | Nigel Dixon | W. Kentucky | 67.8 | Brad Lechtenberg | San Diego | 51.1 | Blake Ahearn | Missouri St. | 97.5 |
| Emeka Okafor | UConn | 4.1 | Sean Finn | Dayton | 66.3 | James Odoms | Mercer | 48.8 | JJ Redick | Duke | 95.3 |
| D'or Fischer | West Virginia | 4.0 | Adam Mark | Belmont | 66.2 | Tyson Dorsey | Samford | 48.7 | Jake Sullivan | Iowa St. | 93.3 |
| Gerrick Morris | S. Florida | 4.0 | David Harrison | Colorado | 63.1 | Antonio Burks | Stephen F. Austin | 47.6 | Steve Drabyn | Belmont | 91.4 |
| Nick Billings | Binghamton | 3.5 | Cuthbert Victor | Murray St. | 62.9 | Trey Guidry | Illinois St. | 46.0 | Chris Hernandez | Stanford | 91.4 |

## Postseason tournaments
### NCAA tournament
#### Final Four – Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

| National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship | National championship | National championship |
| E2 | Oklahoma State | 65 | | | |
| M3 | Georgia Tech | 67 | | | |
| M3 | Georgia Tech | 67 | M3 | Georgia Tech | 73 |
| | | | W2 | Connecticut | 82 |
| S1 | Duke | 78 | W2 | Connecticut | 82 |
| W2 | Connecticut | 79 | | | |

### Semifinals & finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| Rutgers | 84 | | |
| Iowa State | 81 | | |
| Iowa State | 81 | Rutgers | 55 |
| | | Michigan | 62 |
| Oregon | 53 | Michigan | 62 |
| Michigan | 78 | | |

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

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Emeka Okafor | C | Junior | Connecticut |
| Jameer Nelson | G | Senior | St. Joseph's |
| Lawrence Roberts | F | Junior | Mississippi State |
| Andre Emmett | G | Senior | Texas Tech |
| Ryan Gomes | F | Junior | Providence |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Devin Harris | G | Junior | Wisconsin |
| Julius Hodge | F | Junior | North Carolina State |
| Luke Jackson | F | Senior | Oregon |
| Josh Childress | G | Junior | Stanford |
| Blake Stepp | G | Senior | Gonzaga |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* Naismith Award: Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* NABC Co-Player of the Year: Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's & Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Year: Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's

### Major freshman of the year awards

* USBWA Freshman of the Year: Luol Deng, Duke
* Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Chris Paul, Wake Forest

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's
* NABC Coach of the Year: Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's & Mike Montgomery, Stanford
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's
* CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's
* Adolph Rupp Cup: Phil Martelli, St. Joseph's
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Mike Montgomery, Stanford

### Other major awards

* Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph's
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Andre Barrett, Seton Hall, and Luis Flores, Manhattan
* Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Emeka Okafor, UConn

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Air Force | Joe Scott | | Chris Mooney | |
| Akron | Dan Hipsher | | Keith Dambrot | |
| Auburn | Cliff Ellis | | Jeff Lebo | |
| Chattanooga | Jeff Lebo | | John Shulman | |
| Dartmouth | Dave Faucher | | Terry Dunn | |
| Eastern Washington | Ray Giacoletti | | Mike Burns | |
| Florida International | Donnie Marsh | | Sergio Rouco | |
| Georgetown | Craig Esherick | | John Thompson III | Esherick was fired on March 16, 2004, after 5+1⁄2 years as head coach. |
| Houston | Ray McCallum | | Tom Penders | |
| James Madison | Sherman Dillard | | Dean Keener | |
| Louisiana-Lafayette | Jessie Evans | | Robert Lee | |
| La Salle | Billy Hahn | | John Giannini | Hahn resigned following rape allegations against two of his players. |
| Loyola (MD) | Scott Hicks | | Jimmy Patsos | |
| Loyola (IL) | Larry Farmer | | Jim Whitesell | |
| Maine | John Giannini | | Ted Woodward | |
| Marist | Dave Magarity | | Matt Brady | |
| UMBC | Tom Sullivan | | Randy Monroe | |
| Maryland-Eastern Shore | Thomas Trotter | | Larry Lessett | |
| Miami (FL) | Perry Clark | | Frank Haith | |
| Montana | Pat Kennedy | | Larry Krystkowiak | Montana hired Grizzlies' all-time leading scorer & Idaho Stampede head coach Krystkowiak. |
| Navy | Don DeVoe | | Billy Lange | |
| Nevada | Trent Johnson | | Mark Fox | Nevada promoted top assistant Fox after Johnson left for Stanford. |
| Ohio State | Jim O'Brien | | Thad Matta | O'Brien was fired after recruiting violations involving Aleksandar Radojević surfaced. |
| Princeton | John Thompson III | | Joe Scott | Thompson left to become head coach at Georgetown. |
| San Francisco | Philip Mathews | | Jessie Evans | |
| Southern Illinois | Matt Painter | | Chris Lowery | Painter left to be top assistant at his alma mater, Purdue. |
| Southern Methodist | Mike Dement | Robert Lineburg | Jimmy Tubbs | SMU fired Dement with three games left in the regular-season. |
| Southern Miss | James Green | | Larry Eustachy | |
| St. John's | Mike Jarvis | Kevin Clark | Norm Roberts | |
| Stanford | Mike Montgomery | | Trent Johnson | Montgomery left to become head coach of the Golden State Warriors. |
| Texas A&M | Melvin Watkins | | Billy Gillispie | |
| Texas-Pan American | Bob Hoffman | | Robert Davenport | |
| Towson | Michael Hunt | | Pat Kennedy | |
| Utah | Rick Majerus | | Ray Giacoletti | |
| UNLV | Charlie Spoonhour | | Lon Kruger | |
| UTEP | Billy Gillispie | | Doc Sadler | |
| Xavier | Thad Matta | | Sean Miller | |