# 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2002, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 7, 2003, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Syracuse Orange and coach Jim Boeheim won their first NCAA national championship with an 81–78 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks.

## Season headlines

* The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 12. David West of Xavier was the leading vote-getter (43 of 72 votes). The rest of the team included Luke Walton (42 votes) and Jason Gardner (39) of Arizona, Kirk Hinrich of Kansas (35) and Erwin Dudley of Alabama (32).
* The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) held its last third-place game between the teams which lost in the semifinals. The tournament included a third-place game from 1938 through 1981 and again from 1984 through 2003.

## Major rule changes

Beginning in 2002–03, the following rules changes were implemented:
* Two free-throw lane spaces closest to the free-thrower would remain unoccupied.
* No free throws were awarded to the offended team in bonus for personal fouls committed by a team while in team control or in possession of the ball during a throw-in (team-control foul).

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 13, 2002.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Arizona (50) |
| 2 | Kansas (14) |
| 3 | Oklahoma (6) |
| 4 | Texas |
| 5 | Pittsburgh (1) |
| 6 | Duke |
| 7 | Florida |
| 8 | Alabama |
| 9 | Michigan State |
| 10 | Xavier |
| 11 | Oregon |
| 12 | Mississippi State (1) |
| 13 | Maryland |
| 14 | UCLA |
| 15 | Connecticut |
| 16 | Georgia |
| 17 | Kentucky |
| 18 | Marquette |
| 19 | Missouri |
| 20 | Western Kentucky |
| 21 | Indiana |
| 22 | Gonzaga |
| 23 | Cincinnati |
| 24 | Minnesota |
| 25 | Tulsa |
ESPN/USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Arizona (27) |
| 2 | Kansas (3) |
| 3 | Oklahoma (1) |
| 4 | Pittsburgh |
| 5 | Texas |
| 6 | Duke |
| 7 | Florida |
| 8 | Alabama |
| 9 | Oregon |
| 10 | Michigan State |
| 11 | Xavier |
| 12 | UCLA |
| 13 | Mississippi State |
| 14 | Connecticut |
| 15 | Maryland |
| 16 | Georgia |
| 17 | Kentucky |
| 18 | Missouri |
| 19 | Marquette |
| 20 | Cincinnati |
| 21 | Indiana |
| 22 | Gonzaga |
| 23 | Western Kentucky |
| 24 | Minnesota |
| 25 | Illinois |

## Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2002–03 season.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs | NCAA Division II | Atlantic Sun Conference |
| Lipscomb Bisons | NAIA | NCAA Division I independent |
| Savannah State Tigers | NCAA Division II | NCAA Division I independent |
| Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders | NCAA Division III | NCAA Division I independent |

## 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 | 2003 America East men's basketball tournament | Walter Brown Arena (Boston, Massachusetts) (Except Finals) | Vermont |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | St. Joseph's (East) Xavier (West) | David West, Xavier | 2003 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | University of Dayton Arena (Dayton, Ohio) | Dayton |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Wake Forest | Josh Howard, Wake Forest | 2003 ACC men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | Duke |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | Troy & Mercer | Adam Sonn, Belmont | 2003 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament | GSU Sports Arena (Atlanta, Georgia) | Troy |
| Big 12 Conference | Kansas | Nick Collison, Kansas | 2003 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas) | Oklahoma |
| Big East Conference | Connecticut & Boston College (East) Syracuse & Pittsburgh (West) | Troy Bell, Boston College | 2003 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) | Pittsburgh |
| Big Sky Conference | Weber State | Jermaine Boyette, Weber State | 2003 Big Sky men's basketball tournament | Dee Events Center (Ogden, Utah) (Semifinals and Finals) | Weber State |
| Big South Conference | Winthrop | Torrey Butler, Coastal Carolina | 2003 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Vines Center (Lynchburg, Virginia) (Semifinals and Finals) | UNC Asheville |
| Big Ten Conference | Wisconsin | Brian Cook, Illinois | 2003 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament | United Center (Chicago, Illinois) | Illinois |
| Big West Conference | UC Santa Barbara | Branduinn Fullove, UC Santa Barbara | 2003 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California) | Utah State |
| Colonial Athletic Association | UNC Wilmington | Brett Blizzard, UNC Wilmington | 2003 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | UNC Wilmington |
| Conference USA | Marquette | Dwyane Wade, Marquette | 2003 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | Freedom Hall (Louisville, Kentucky) | Louisville |
| Horizon League | Butler | Willie Green, Detroit | 2003 Horizon League men's basketball tournament | U.S. Cellular Arena (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (Except First Round) | Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| Ivy League | Penn | Ugonna Onyekwe, Penn | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Manhattan | Luis Flores, Manhattan | 2003 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Sovereign Bank Arena (Trenton, New Jersey) | Manhattan |
| Mid-American Conference | Kent State (East) Central Michigan (West) | Chris Kaman, Central Michigan | 2003 MAC men's basketball tournament | Gund Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | Central Michigan |
| Mid-Continent Conference | Valparaiso | Mike Helms, Oakland | 2003 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament | Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) | IUPUI |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | South Carolina State | Ron Williamson, Howard | 2003 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | South Carolina State |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Southern Illinois | Kyle Korver, Creighton | 2003 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Savvis Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Creighton |
| Mountain West Conference | Utah & BYU | Ruben Douglas, New Mexico | 2003 MWC men's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada) | Colorado State |
| Northeast Conference | Wagner | Jermaine Hall, Wagner | 2003 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Wagner |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Austin Peay & Morehead State | Ricky Minard, Morehead State | 2003 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Gaylord Entertainment Center (Nashville, Tennessee) (Semifinals and Finals) | Austin Peay |
| Pacific-10 Conference | Arizona | Luke Ridnour, Oregon | 2003 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament | Staples Center (Los Angeles, California) | Oregon |
| Patriot League | Holy Cross | Patrick Whearty, Holy Cross | 2003 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Holy Cross |
| Southeastern Conference | Kentucky (East) Mississippi State (West) | Keith Bogans, Kentucky (Coaches) Ron Slay, Tennessee (AP) | 2003 SEC men's basketball tournament | Louisiana Superdome (New Orleans, Louisiana) | Kentucky |
| Southern Conference | East Tennessee State, Appalachian State & Davidson (North) Charleston (South) | Troy Wheless, Charleston | 2003 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | North Charleston Coliseum (North Charleston, South Carolina) | East Tennessee State |
| Southland Conference | Sam Houston State | Donald Cole, Sam Houston State | 2003 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Bernard Johnson Coliseum (Huntsville, Texas) (Finals) | Sam Houston State |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Prairie View A&M | Gregory Burks, Prairie View A&M | 2003 Southwestern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament | Fair Park Arena (Birmingham, Alabama) | Texas Southern |
| Sun Belt Conference | Western Kentucky (East) Louisiana–Lafayette (West) | James Moore, New Mexico State | 2003 Sun Belt men's basketball tournament | E. A. Diddle Arena (Bowling Green, Kentucky) | Western Kentucky |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | Blake Stepp, Gonzaga | 2003 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Jenny Craig Pavilion (San Diego, California) | San Diego |
| Western Athletic Conference | Fresno State | Quinton Ross, Southern Methodist | 2003 WAC men's basketball tournament | Reynolds Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma) | Tulsa |

#### Conference standings

2002–03 America East Conference men's basketball standings :
| 2002–03 America East Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Boston University13–3 .81320–11  .645 Vermont †11–5 .68821–12  .636 Hartford10–6 .62516–13  .552 Binghamton9–7 .56314–13  .519 Maine8–8 .50014–16  .467 Northeastern8–8 .50016–15  .516 Stony Brook7–9 .43813–15  .464 Albany3–13 .1887–21  .250 New Hampshire3–13 .1885–23  .179 † 2003 America East tournament winner | 2002–03 ACC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 Wake Forest13–3 .81325–6  .806 No. 17 Maryland11–5 .68821–10  .677 No. 7 Duke†11–5 .68826–7  .788 NC State9–7 .56318–13  .581 Georgia Tech7–9 .43816–15  .516 Virginia6–10 .37516–16  .500 North Carolina6–10 .37519–16  .543 Clemson5–11 .31315–13  .536 Florida State4–12 .25014–15  .483 † 2003 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Saint Joseph's12–4 .75023–7  .767 Rhode Island10–6 .62519–12  .613 Temple10–6 .62518–16  .529 UMass6–10 .37511–18  .379 Fordham3–13 .1882–26  .071 St. Bonaventure1–15 .06313–14  .481 West No. 12 Xavier15–1 .93826–6  .813 No. 16 Dayton †14–2 .87524–6  .800 Richmond10–6 .62515–14  .517 La Salle6–10 .37512–17  .414 George Washington5–11 .31312–17  .414 Duquesne4–13 .2359–21  .300 † Atlantic 10 Tournament winner As of February 5, 2016 Rankings from Coaches' Poll |
| 2002–03 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Belmont12–4 .75017–12  .586 Jacksonville State10–6 .62520–10  .667 Samford9–7 .56313–15  .464 Georgia State8–8 .50014–15  .483 Gardner–Webb2–14 .1255–24  .172 Campbell1–15 .0635–22  .185 South Troy State †14–2 .87526–6  .813 Mercer14–2 .87523–6  .793 UCF11–5 .68821–11  .656 Jacksonville8–8 .50013–16  .448 Stetson4–12 .2507–20  .259 Florida Atlantic3–13 .1887–21  .250 † 2003 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner As of March 4, 2003 Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 6 Kansas14–2 .87530–8  .789 No. 5 Texas13–3 .81326–7  .788 No. 3 Oklahoma †12–4 .75027–7  .794 Oklahoma State10–6 .62522–10  .688 No. 24 Missouri9–7 .56322–11  .667 Colorado9–7 .56320–12  .625 Texas Tech6–10 .37522–13  .629 Texas A&M6–10 .37514–14  .500 Iowa State5–11 .31317–14  .548 Baylor5–11 .31314–14  .500 Kansas State4–12 .25013–17  .433 Nebraska3–13 .18811–19  .367 † 2003 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2002–03 Big East men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Boston College10–6 .62519–12  .613 No. 23 Connecticut10–6 .62523–10  .697 Providence8–8 .50018–14  .563 Villanova8–8 .50015–16  .484 St. John's7–9 .43821–13  .618 Miami4–12 .25011–17  .393 Virginia Tech*4–12 .25011–18  .379 West No. 13 Syracuse13–3 .81330–5  .857 No. 4 Pittsburgh†13–3 .81328–5  .848 Seton Hall10–6 .62517–13  .567 No. 22 Notre Dame10–6 .62524–10  .706 Georgetown6–10 .37519–15  .559 West Virginia5–11 .31314–15  .483 Rutgers*4–12 .25012–16  .429 † 2003 Big East tournament winner As of March 31, 2003 Rankings from AP Poll *Did not qualify for 2003 Big East tournament |
| 2002–03 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Weber State †14–0 1.00026–6  .813 Eastern Washington9–5 .64318–13  .581 Idaho State7–7 .50015–14  .517 Montana7–7 .50013–17  .433 Northern Arizona6–8 .42915–13  .536 Sacramento State5–9 .35712–17  .414 Montana State5–9 .35711–16  .407 Portland State3–11 .2145–22  .185 † 2003 Big Sky tournament winner | 2002–03 Big South Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Winthrop11–3 .78620–10  .667 Charleston Southern8–6 .57114–14  .500 Liberty8–6 .57114–15  .483 Elon8–6 .57112–15  .444 UNC Asheville †7–7 .50015–17  .469 Radford6–8 .42910–20  .333 Coastal Carolina5–9 .35713–15  .464 High Point3–11 .2147–20  .259 † 2003 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 21 Wisconsin12–4 .75024–8  .750 No. 11 Illinois †11–5 .68825–7  .781 Purdue10–6 .62519–11  .633 Michigan State10–6 .62522–13  .629 Michigan10–6 .62518–12  .600 Indiana8–8 .50021–13  .618 Minnesota8–8 .50019–14  .576 Iowa7–9 .43817–14  .548 Ohio State7–9 .43817–15  .531 Northwestern3–13 .18812–17  .414 Penn State2–14 .1257–21  .250 † 2003 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2002–03 Big West men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UC Santa Barbara14–4 .77818–14  .563 UC Irvine13–5 .72220–9  .690 Utah State†12–6 .66724–9  .727 Cal Poly10–8 .55616–14  .533 Idaho9–9 .50013–15  .464 Cal State Fullerton8–10 .44410–19  .345 Cal State Northridge8–10 .44414–15  .483 Pacific7–11 .38912–16  .429 UC Riverside5–13 .2786–18  .250 Long Beach State4–14 .2225–22  .185 † 2003 Big West tournament winner As of April 10, 2003 Rankings from AP poll | 2002–03 CAA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UNC Wilmington †15–3 .83324–7  .774 VCU12–6 .66718–10  .643 Drexel12–6 .66719–12  .613 George Mason11–7 .61116–12  .571 Delaware9–9 .50015–14  .517 Old Dominion9–9 .50012–15  .444 James Madison8–10 .44413–17  .433 William & Mary7–11 .38912–16  .429 Hofstra6–12 .3338–21  .276 Towson1–17 .0564–24  .143 † 2003 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2002–03 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT American No. 9 Marquette14–2 .87527–6  .818 No. 14 Louisville †11–5 .68825–7  .781 Cincinnati9–7 .56317–12  .586 Saint Louis9–7 .56316–14  .533 DePaul8–8 .50016–13  .552 Charlotte8–8 .50013–16  .448 East Carolina3–13 .18812–15  .444 National No. 19 Memphis13–3 .81323–7  .767 UAB8–8 .50021–13  .618 Tulane8–8 .50016–15  .516 South Florida7–9 .43815–14  .517 Houston6–10 .3758–20  .286 Southern Miss5–11 .31313–16  .448 TCU3–13 .1889–19  .321 † 2003 Conference USA Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2002–03 Horizon League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Butler14–2 .87527–6  .818 Milwaukee †13–3 .81324–8  .750 Illinois-Chicago12–4 .75021–9  .700 Loyola Chicago9–7 .56315–16  .484 Detroit Mercy9–7 .56318–12  .600 Green Bay4–12 .25010–20  .333 Youngstown State4–12 .2509–20  .310 Wright State4–12 .25010–18  .357 Cleveland State3–13 .1888–22  .267 † 2003 Horizon League Tournament winner | 2002–03 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Penn14–0 1.00022–6  .786 Brown12–2 .85717–12  .586 Princeton10–4 .71416–11  .593 Yale8–6 .57114–13  .519 Harvard4–10 .28612–15  .444 Cornell4–10 .2869–18  .333 Dartmouth4–10 .2868–19  .296 Columbia0–14 .0002–25  .074 Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Manhattan †14–4 .77823–7  .767 Fairfield13–5 .72219–12  .613 Siena12–6 .66721–11  .656 Niagara12–6 .66717–12  .586 Iona11–7 .61117–12  .586 Marist8–10 .44413–16  .448 Rider7–11 .38912–16  .429 Saint Peter's6–12 .33310–19  .345 Canisius6–12 .33310–18  .357 Loyola (MD)1–17 .0564–24  .143 † 2003 MAAC tournament winner |
| 2002–03 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Kent State12–6 .66721–10  .677 Miami (OH)11–7 .61113–15  .464 Akron9–9 .50014–14  .500 Marshall9–9 .50014–15  .483 Ohio8–10 .44414–16  .467 Buffalo2–16 .1115–23  .179 West Central Michigan †14–4 .77825–7  .781 Northern Illinois11–7 .61117–14  .548 Western Michigan10–8 .55620–11  .645 Eastern Michigan8–10 .44414–14  .500 Bowling Green8–10 .44413–16  .448 Ball State8–10 .44413–17  .433 Toledo7–11 .38914–15  .483 † 2003 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Valparaiso12–2 .85720–11  .645 IUPUI †10–4 .71420–14  .588 Oakland10–4 .71417–11  .607 Oral Roberts9–5 .64318–10  .643 UMKC7–7 .5009–20  .310 Southern Utah5–9 .35711–17  .393 Western Illinois3–11 .2147–21  .250 Chicago State0–14 .0003–27  .100 † 2003 Mid-Con Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT South Carolina State †15–3 .83320–11  .645 Hampton13–5 .72219–11  .633 Delaware State13–5 .72215–12  .556 Florida A&M11–7 .61117–12  .586 Coppin State11–7 .61111–17  .393 Norfolk State10–8 .55614–15  .483 Howard9–9 .50013–17  .433 Morgan State6–12 .3337–22  .241 Bethune–Cookman5–13 .2788–22  .267 Maryland Eastern Shore5–13 .2785–23  .179 North Carolina A&T1–17 .0561–26  .037 † 2003 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2002–03 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Southern Illinois16–2 .88924–7  .774 No. 15 Creighton †15–3 .83329–5  .853 Wichita State12–6 .66718–12  .600 Southwest Missouri State12–6 .66717–12  .586 Evansville8–10 .44412–16  .429 Bradley8–10 .44412–18  .400 Northern Iowa7–11 .38911–17  .393 Drake5–13 .27810–20  .333 Illinois State5–13 .2788–21  .276 Indiana State2–16 .1117–24  .226 † 2003 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Utah11–3 .78625–8  .758 BYU11–3 .78623–9  .719 Wyoming8–6 .57121–11  .656 UNLV8–6 .57121–11  .656 San Diego State6–8 .42916–14  .533 Colorado State †5–9 .35719–14  .576 New Mexico4–10 .28610–18  .357 Air Force3–11 .21412–16  .429 † 2003 Mountain West tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Wagner †14–4 .77821–11  .656 Monmouth13–5 .72215–13  .536 Central Connecticut12–6 .66715–13  .536 Quinnipiac10–8 .55617–12  .586 Saint Francis (PA)10–8 .55614–14  .500 St. Francis (NY)9–9 .50014–16  .467 Fairleigh Dickinson9–9 .50015–14  .517 Long Island7–11 .3899–19  .321 Robert Morris7–11 .38910–17  .370 Mount St. Mary's6–12 .33311–16  .407 Sacred Heart6–12 .3338–21  .276 UMBC5–13 .2787–20  .259 † 2003 NEC tournament winner |
| 2002–03 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Austin Peay †13–3 .81323–8  .742 Morehead State13–3 .81320–9  .690 Tennessee Tech11–5 .68820–12  .625 Murray State9–7 .56317–12  .586 Eastern Illinois9–7 .56314–15  .483 UT Martin7–9 .43814–14  .500 Southeast Missouri State5–11 .31311–19  .367 Eastern Kentucky5–11 .31311–17  .393 Tennessee State0–16 .0002–25  .074 † 2003 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings Conf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 5 Arizona17–1 .94428–4  .875 No. 20 Stanford14–4 .77824–9  .727 California13–5 .72222–9  .710 Arizona State11–7 .61120–12  .625 Oregon †10–8 .55623–10  .697 Oregon State6–12 .33313–15  .464 USC6–12 .33313–17  .433 UCLA6–12 .33310–19  .345 Washington5–13 .27810–17  .370 Washington State2–16 .1117–20  .259 † 2003 Pac-10 tournament winner As of July 10, 2011 Rankings from Coaches Poll | 2002–03 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Holy Cross †13–1 .92926–5  .839 American9–5 .64316–14  .533 Colgate9–5 .64314–14  .500 Lehigh8–6 .57116–12  .571 Bucknell7–7 .50014–15  .483 Lafayette6–8 .42913–16  .448 Navy4–10 .2868–20  .286 Army0–14 .0005–22  .185 † 2003 Patriot League tournament winner |
| 2002–03 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 1 Kentucky †16–0 1.00032–4  .889 No. 10 Florida12–4 .75025–8  .758 No. 25 Georgia11–5 .68819–8  .704 Tennessee9–7 .56317–12  .586 South Carolina5–11 .31312–16  .429 Vanderbilt3–13 .18811–18  .379 West No. 20 Mississippi State9–7 .56321–10  .677 Auburn8–8 .50022–12  .647 LSU8–8 .50021–11  .656 Alabama7–9 .43817–12  .586 Ole Miss4–12 .25014–15  .483 Arkansas4–12 .2509–19  .321 † 2003 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Davidson11–5 .68817–10  .630 East Tennessee State †11–5 .68820–11  .645 Appalachian State11–5 .68819–10  .655 Western Carolina6–10 .3759–19  .321 VMI3–13 .18810–20  .333 UNC Greensboro3–13 .1887–22  .241 South College of Charleston13–3 .81325–8  .758 Chattanooga11–5 .68821–9  .700 Georgia Southern8–8 .50016–13  .552 Wofford8–8 .50014–15  .483 Furman8–8 .50014–17  .452 The Citadel3–13 .1888–20  .286 † SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 2003 Rankings from AP poll | 2002–03 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Sam Houston State †17–3 .85023–7  .767 Stephen F. Austin16–4 .80021–8  .724 Texas–Arlington13–7 .65016–13  .552 Southwest Texas State11–9 .55017–12  .586 McNeese State10–10 .50015–14  .517 Lamar10–10 .50013–14  .481 Louisiana-Monroe10–10 .50012–16  .429 Southeastern Louisiana9–11 .45011–16  .407 UTSA7–13 .35010–17  .370 Northwestern State6–14 .3006–21  .222 Nicholls State1–19 .0503–25  .107 † 2003 Southland tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2002–03 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Prairie View A&M14–4 .77817–12  .586 Mississippi Valley State13–5 .72215–14  .517 Texas Southern †11–7 .61118–13  .581 Alabama State11–7 .61114–15  .483 Alcorn State10–8 .55614–19  .424 Grambling9–9 .50012–18  .400 Jackson State9–9 .50010–18  .357 Southern5–13 .2789–20  .310 Alabama A&M4–14 .2228–19  .296 Arkansas–Pine Bluff4–14 .2224–24  .143 † 2003 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Western Kentucky †12–2 .85724–9  .727 Middle Tennessee9–5 .64316–14  .533 Arkansas-Little Rock8–6 .57118–12  .600 Arkansas State6–8 .42913–15  .464 Florida International1–13 .0718–21  .276 West Louisiana–Lafayette12–3 .80020–10  .667 New Mexico State9–6 .60020–9  .690 South Alabama7–8 .46714–14  .500 New Orleans7–8 .46715–14  .517 Denver7–8 .46717–15  .531 North Texas2–13 .1337–21  .250 † 2003 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2002–03 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Gonzaga12–2 .85724–9  .727 San Diego †10–4 .71418–12  .600 San Francisco9–5 .64315–14  .517 Pepperdine7–7 .50015–13  .536 Saint Mary's6–8 .42915–15  .500 Portland4–10 .28611–17  .393 Loyola Marymount4–10 .28611–20  .355 Santa Clara4–10 .28613–15  .464 † 2003 WCC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2002–03 WAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Fresno State13–5 .72220–8  .714 Tulsa †12–6 .66723–10  .697 SMU11–7 .61117–13  .567 Nevada11–7 .61118–14  .563 Rice11–7 .61119–10  .655 Hawaii9–9 .50019–12  .613 Louisiana Tech9–9 .50012–15  .444 Boise State7–11 .38913–16  .448 San Jose State4–14 .2227–21  .250 UTEP3–15 .1676–24  .200 † 2003 WAC tournament winner |

### Division I independents

Six schools played as Division I independents. Lipscomb (8–20), an independent in transition from the NAIA to Division I during the season, was not considered a full Division I school during the 2002–03 season.
2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConf.Overall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Centenary-–- –14–14
* .500
* Texas A&M–Corpus Christi-–- –14–15
* .483
* Texas–Pan American-–- –10–20
* .333
* IPFW-–- –9–21
* .300
* Morris Brown-–- –8–20
* .286
* Savannah State-–- –3–24
* .111
* 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 |
| Ruben Douglas | New Mexico | 28.0 | Brandon Hunter | Ohio | 12.6 | Martell Bailey | Illinois-Chicago | 8.1 | Alexis McMillan | Stetson | 4.0 |
| Henry Domercant | E. Illinois | 27.9 | Amien Hicks | Morris Brown | 12.4 | Marques Green | St. Bonaventure | 8.0 | Zakee Wadood | E. Tennessee St. | 3.2 |
| Mike Helms | Oakland | 26.9 | Adam Sonn | Belmont | 12.1 | T. J. Ford | Texas | 7.7 | Jay Heard | Jacksonville St. | 3.2 |
| Michael Watson | UMKC | 25.5 | Chris Kaman | C. Michigan | 12.0 | Elliott Prasse-Freeman | Harvard | 7.7 | Eric Bush | UAB | 3.1 |
| Troy Bell | Boston College | 25.2 | David West | Xavier | 11.8 | Antawn Dobie | LIU | 7.4 | Marcus Hatten | St. John's | 2.9 |
| 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% |
| Emeka Okafor | UConn | 4.7 | Adam Mark | Belmont | 67.0 | Jeff Schiffner | Penn | 49.3 | Steve Drabyn | Belmont | 95.1 |
| Nick Billings | Binghamton | 4.3 | Rickey White | Maine | 66.2 | Kyle Korver | Creighton | 48.0 | Matt Logie | Lehigh | 94.8 |
| Justin Rowe | Maine | 4.2 | Matt Nelson | Colorado St. | 64.3 | Terrence Woods | Florida A&M | 45.7 | Hollis Price | Oklahoma | 92.9 |
| Deng Gai | Fairfield | 3.8 | Armond Williams | Illinois-Chicago | 63.9 | Chez Marks | Morehead St. | 45.6 | Brian Dux | Canisius | 92.0 |
| Robert Battle | Drexel | 3.7 | Michael Harris | Rice | 62.3 | Tyson Dorsey | Samford | 45.5 | JJ Redick | Duke | 91.9 |

## Postseason tournaments
### NCAA tournament
#### Final Four – Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

| National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship game | National championship game | National championship game |
| E3 | Syracuse | 95 | | | |
| S1 | Texas | 84 | | | |
| S1 | Texas | 84 | E3 | Syracuse | 81 |
| | | | W2 | Kansas | 78 |
| M3 | Marquette | 61 | W2 | Kansas | 78 |
| W2 | Kansas | 94 | | | |

### Semifinals & finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| Georgetown | 88 | | |
| Minnesota | 74 | | |
| Minnesota | 74 | Georgetown | 67 |
| | | St. John's | 70 |
| Texas Tech | 63 | St. John's | 70 |
| St. John's | 64 | Third place | Third place |
| | | Minnesota | 61 |
| | | Texas Tech | 71 |

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

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| David West | F | Senior | Xavier |
| T. J. Ford | G | Sophomore | Texas |
| Josh Howard | F/G | Senior | Wake Forest |
| Nick Collison | F | Senior | Kansas |
| Dwyane Wade | G | Junior | Marquette |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Hollis Price | G | Senior | Oklahoma |
| Carmelo Anthony | F/G | Freshman | Syracuse |
| Kyle Korver | F | Senior | Creighton |
| Troy Bell | G | Senior | Boston College |
| Jason Gardner | G | Senior | Arizona |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: T. J. Ford, Texas
* Naismith Award: T. J. Ford, Texas
* Associated Press Player of the Year: David West, Xavier
* NABC Player of the Year: Nick Collison, Kansas
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): David West, Xavier
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: David West, Xavier
* Sporting News Player of the Year: T. J. Ford, Texas

### Major freshman of the year awards

* USBWA Freshman of the Year: Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse
* Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Tubby Smith, Kentucky
* NABC Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
* CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Kentucky

### Other major awards

* Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): David West, Xavier
* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Jason Gardner, Arizona
* Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): David West, Xavier
* 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): Luis Flores, Manhattan
* Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Brandon Miller, Butler

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Alcorn State | Davey Whitney | | Samuel West | |
| Arkansas-Little Rock | Porter Moser | | Steve Shields | |
| Cal State Fullerton | Donny Daniels | | Bob Burton | |
| Campbell | Billy Lee | | Robbie Laing | |
| Chicago State | Bo Ellis | | Kevin Jones | |
| Clemson | Larry Shyatt | | Oliver Purnell | |
| Cleveland State | Rollie Massimino | | Mike Garland | |
| Columbia | Armond Hill | | Joe Jones | |
| Dayton | Oliver Purnell | | Brian Gregory | |
| Drake | Kurt Kanaskie | | Tom Davis | |
| East Tennessee State | Ed DeChellis | | Murry Bartow | |
| Elon | Mark Simons | | Ernie Nestor | |
| Fordham | Bob Hill | | Dereck Whittenburg | |
| Georgia | Jim Harrick | | Dennis Felton | |
| Georgia State | Lefty Driesell | | Michael Perry | |
| High Point | Jerry Steele | | Bart Lundy | |
| Illinois | Bill Self | | Bruce Weber | |
| Illinois State | Tom Richardson | | Porter Moser | |
| Iowa State | Larry Eustachy | | Wayne Morgan | Eustachy quit following the release of pictures of him at a party near the campus of the University of Missouri. |
| Jackson State | Andy Stoglin | | Tevester Anderson | |
| Kansas | Roy Williams | | Bill Self | After turning down the North Carolina job previously, Williams accepted the position at his alma mater. |
| Marshall | Greg White | | Ron Jirsa | |
| Mount St. Mary's | Jim Phelan | | Milan Brown | Phelan retired after 49 years and 830 victories. |
| Murray State | Tevester Anderson | | Mick Cronin | |
| North Carolina | Matt Doherty | | Roy Williams | Doherty resigned after rumors of player unrest. UNC alum Williams is hired away from Kansas. |
| North Carolina A&T | Curtis Hunter | | Jerry Eaves | |
| Penn State | Jerry Dunn | | Ed DeChellis | |
| Pittsburgh | Ben Howland | | Jamie Dixon | |
| St. Bonaventure | Jan van Breda Kolff | | Anthony Solomon | |
| South Carolina State | Cy Alexander | | Ben Betts | |
| South Florida | Seth Greenberg | | Robert McCullum | |
| Southern | Ben Jobe | | Michael Grant | |
| Southern Illinois | Bruce Weber | | Matt Painter | |
| Tennessee State | Nolan Richardson III | Hosea Lewis | Cy Alexander | Richardson III was suspended and ultimately resigned after allegedly threatening an assistant coach with a gun. |
| UCLA | Steve Lavin | | Ben Howland | Lavin was fired following a 10–19 season. |
| Virginia Tech | Ricky Stokes | | Seth Greenberg | |
| Wagner | Dereck Whittenburg | | Mike Deane | |
| Washington State | Paul Graham | | Dick Bennett | |
| Western Illinois | Jim Kerwin | | Derek Thomas | |
| Western Kentucky | Dennis Felton | | Darrin Horn | |
| Western Michigan | Robert McCullum | | Steve Hawkins | |
| William & Mary | Rick Boyages | | Tony Shaver | |
| Wright State | Ed Schilling | | Paul Biancardi | |