# 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 7, 2011, with the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and ended with the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament's championship game on April 2, 2012, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tournament began with four first-round games on March 13–14, 2012 in Dayton, Ohio, followed by second and third rounds from Thursday through Sunday, March 15–18, 2012. Regional games were played from Thursday through Sunday, March 22–25, 2012, with the Final Four played on Saturday March 31, 2012, and the national championship game on Monday, April 2, 2012.
Kentucky claimed its eighth NCAA title, defeating Kansas 67–59 in the final. Consensus national player of the year Anthony Davis of Kentucky was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

## Season headlines

* September 13 – NCAA recruiting frenzy resumed when high school junior Jabari Parker held an open practice attended by representatives of 42 NCAA Division I schools, including Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, Tom Izzo, Bruce Weber, Billy Kennedy, Thad Matta, Bill Self, Oliver Purnell and Larry Krystkowiak.
* November 1 – The AP preseason All-American team was named. Ohio State's Jared Sullinger was the only unanimous pick. Joining Sullinger were North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes (63 of 65 possible votes), Wisconsin guard Jordan Taylor (51), Kentucky forward Terrence Jones (33) and Connecticut guard Jeremy Lamb (25).
* After Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl was fired following the 2010–11 season for major recruiting violations, he took a job as vice president of marketing with a Knoxville-based wholesale grocery company, H.T. Hackney. He had been offered an opportunity to coach the NBA Development League's Texas Legends but declined because he wanted to stay in the Knoxville area with his family.
* November 11 – the game between Michigan State and #1 North Carolina, known as the inaugural Carrier Classic, was played on the deck of the USS Carl Vinson off the coast of Coronado, California on Veterans Day. It was the first ever college basketball game played on a Navy aircraft carrier. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama attended the game as North Carolina won 67–55.
* November 17 – Syracuse associate head coach Bernie Fine was placed on paid administrative leave after accusations by multiple former ball boys claimed that he sexually molested them a number of times spanning more than 10 years. The story about Fine broke less than two weeks after the Penn State sex abuse scandal came to light. Fine was subsequently fired on November 27, ending his streak as Division I's longest-tenured assistant coach at one school.
* December 5 – Harvard became ranked in the AP Poll for the first time in school history, coming in at No. 25 after an 8–0 start. It leaves Brown as the only remaining Ivy League school to have never been ranked in the poll and leaves only seven schools that have played Division I basketball since the AP Poll began that have never been ranked in it.
* December 5 – Mike Krzyzewski and Tennessee Lady Volunteers coach Pat Summitt were named the co-recipients of the annual Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award, making them the third and fourth college basketball coaches selected in its 57-year history.
* December 28 – After beating (15 AP/14 Coaches) Mississippi State, the Baylor Bears had their program's first ever 13–0 start and a school-record tying 13-game winning streak. The Bears' record reached 17–0 before finally losing to No. 7 Kansas, 92–74, on January 16. At the time of their first loss they were ranked No. 3 in the nation, another all-time program high.
* December 31 – No. 13 Indiana defeats No. 2 Ohio State, becoming the first Hoosiers men's basketball team to defeat both the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the same season (they had also previously upset then-#1 Kentucky, 73–72).
* January 5 – A Sun Belt Conference game between Louisiana–Lafayette and Western Kentucky ends in controversy, as officials failed to notice that the Ragin' Cajuns had six men on the court when Elfrid Payton drove for the layup that gave them a 72–70 win on WKU's home court. The conference's coordinator of officials stated that the error was not correctable post-game, but indicated that suspensions of the three officials involved were possible.
* February 9 – Murray State, the last unbeaten team in Division I men's basketball and ranked No. 9 in the country, loses at home to Tennessee State 72–68.
* February 21 – Binghamton becomes the last team in Division I to win a game. They started 0–26 until a 57–53 upset win over Vermont.
* February 24 – Radford receives two years of probation, but no postseason ban, for providing impermissible benefits to recruits. Former head coach Brad Greenberg, who left after the 2010–11 season, is hit with a five-year show-cause penalty for leading an effort to mislead NCAA investigators.
* March 8 – Yahoo! Sports reports that the FBI is investigating suspended Auburn point guard Varez Ward for possible involvement in a point shaving scheme. A second Auburn player had been investigated but was cleared.

### Milestones and records

* November 11 – Louisville coach Rick Pitino recorded his 600th career win in an 83–48 victory over Tennessee–Martin. He became the 15th fastest coach to do so (38th overall).
* November 15 – Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski recorded his 903rd win as a head coach, surpassing his former college coach Bob Knight for the most in Division I men's basketball history. The #6 Blue Devils defeated Michigan State, 74–69, at Madison Square Garden.
* November 20 – Connecticut point guard Shabazz Napier recorded the ninth triple-double in school history. He compiled 22 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in an 87–70 win over Coppin State.
* November 22 – Tennessee forward Jeronne Maymon scored 32 points and grabbed a Maui Invitational Tournament-record 20 rebounds in a double-overtime loss to #8 Memphis, 99–97.
* November 28 – Florida coach Billy Donovan recorded his 400th career win in a 96–70 defeat of Stetson.
* December 3 – Ohio State coach Thad Matta recorded his 300th career win in a 64–35 defeat of Texas–Pan American.
* December 10 – IUPUI player Alex Young scored a team record 43 points in an 84–76 win over Western Kentucky.
* December 30 – Coppin State coach Fang Mitchell recorded his 400th win at the school in a 93–83 defeat of Nebraska-Omaha.
* January 4 – Zack Rosen became Penn's all-time assist leader, passing his coach Jerome Allen's mark of 505. Rosen finished his career with 588 assists.
* January 10 – Illinois guard Brandon Paul scored 43 points in a 79–74 upset over No. 5 Ohio State. The 43 points was the third-highest scoring game in Illinois history and his eight three-pointers tied a school record.
* Guard Alex Young of IUPUI, UC Santa Barbara guard Orlando Johnson, High Point guard Nick Barbour, Oral Roberts forward Dominique Morrison, Oakland guard Reggie Hamilton, Tennessee Tech guard Kevin Murphy, Lehigh guard CJ McCollum, St. Bonaventure forward Andrew Nicholson and Northwestern forward John Shurna each passed the 2,000 point mark for their careers.
* January 17 – Western Carolina defeated Toccoa Falls College (a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association) by a score of 141–39, making the 102-point win margin the third largest in NCAA Division I men's basketball history. It also set WCU program records for points in a game and points in a half (72; first half). Nine players scored in double figures for the Catamounts.
* January 28 – Towson defeated UNC Wilmington 66–61, ending the longest losing streak in Division I men's basketball history at 41 games.
* January 30 – Tennessee Tech guard Kevin Murphy scored 50 points against SIU Edwardsville, breaking the previous school record of 38.
* February 18 – Iona point guard Scott Machado set the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record for single-season and career assists in a Bracket Buster game against Nevada Machado finished the season with 327 assists and tallied 880 for his career.
* February 29 – North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall broke Ed Cota's school single-season assist record (284) in a win over Maryland On March 9 in an ACC tournament game against NC State, Marshall eclipsed Craig Neal's ACC single season assist mark of 303. Marshall finished the season with 351 assists.
* Missouri's Ricardo Ratliffe set the Missouri and Big 12 Conference single season record for field goal percentage. Ratliffe shot 69.3% from the floor, also leading the country in this category.
* March 16 – In the NCAA tournament's Round of 64, Michigan State's Draymond Green recorded a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Green also had recorded a triple-double in a 2011 tournament game, making him one of only three players in history to record multiple triple-doubles in its history, and the only one officially recognized by the NCAA to have accomplished this feat. The others were Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson (4) and Magic Johnson (2).
* April 2 – By winning the national championship game, Kentucky records its 38th win, setting a new all-time single season record for a men's Division I basketball program.
* April 2 – Jeff Withey of Kansas broke Joakim Noah's NCAA tournament blocked shot record of 29, set in 2006. Withey finished with 31 blocks in the 2012 NCAA tournament. Kentucky's Anthony Davis also tied Noah's record.

## Conference membership changes

The 2011–12 season saw the first wave of membership changes resulting from a major realignment of NCAA Division I conferences. The cycle began in 2010 with the Big Ten Conference and the then-Pacific-10 Conference announcing their intentions to expand. The fallout from these conferences' moves later affected a majority of Division I conferences.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Boise State Broncos | Western Athletic Conference | Mountain West Conference |
| BYU Cougars | Mountain West Conference | West Coast Conference |
| Campbell Fighting Camels | Atlantic Sun Conference | Big South Conference |
| Centenary Gentlemen | The Summit League | American Southwest Conference (NCAA Division III) |
| Colorado Buffaloes | Big 12 Conference | Pac-12 Conference |
| Nebraska Cornhuskers | Big 12 Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| New Orleans Privateers | NCAA Division I independent | NCAA Division II independent' |
| North Carolina Central Eagles | NCAA Division I independent | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
| Omaha Mavericks | Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (NCAA Division II) | NCAA Division I independent |
| Savannah State Tigers | NCAA Division I independent | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
| South Dakota Coyotes | Great West Conference | The Summit League |
| Utah Utes | Mountain West Conference | Pac-12 Conference |

## New arenas

* Bowling Green, which had played since 1960 at the on-campus Anderson Arena, opened the Stroh Center, also on campus. In the first regular-season game in the new arena, the Falcons defeated Howard 63–48 on November 11.
* Evansville moved from Roberts Municipal Stadium, their home since 1956, to the new Ford Center in downtown Evansville. The Purple Aces also won their first regular-season game in the new building, defeating Butler 80–77 in overtime on November 12. (Incidentally, this was Butler's second consecutive season as the first regular-season opponent in a new facility; the 2010–11 team christened Louisville's new KFC Yum! Center.)
* Omaha made its Division I debut in the new Ralston Arena, an off-campus venue in Ralston, a suburb of Omaha. The team's former on-campus home, Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse, remained in use by the Omaha women's team. (Both teams would move in 2015 to the on-campus Baxter Arena.)
* UNC Asheville, like Bowling Green, moved from one on-campus facility to another, leaving behind their home since 1963, the Justice Center, for the new Kimmel Arena. The Bulldogs brought in top-ranked North Carolina for the arena's regular-season opening on November 13. The Tar Heels, playing in head coach Roy Williams' hometown, won 91–75. (UNC Asheville was also christening a new arena for the second consecutive season; the 2010–11 team defeated Auburn in the first regular-season game at the Tigers' new Auburn Arena.)
* UT Arlington moved in midseason. The Mavericks started the season at Texas Hall, which opened in 1965 when the team was known as the Arlington State Rebels. On February 1, the Mavericks opened College Park Center, located on the opposite side of their campus, defeating UTSA 67–66.

## Major rule changes

Beginning in 2011–12, the following rules change was implemented:
* The charge circle was instituted – a semi-circle in front of the basket. Secondary defenders must be outside of this circle to effectively draw a charge. Otherwise they will be assessed an automatic blocking foul.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | North Carolina (62) |
| 2 | Kentucky |
| 3 | Ohio State (1) |
| 4 | Connecticut (2) |
| 5 | Syracuse |
| 6 | Duke |
| 7 | Vanderbilt |
| 8 | Florida |
| 9 | Louisville |
| 10 | Pittsburgh |
| 11 | Memphis |
| 12 | Baylor |
| 13 | Kansas |
| 14 | Xavier |
| 15 | Wisconsin |
| 16 | Arizona |
| 17 | UCLA |
| 18 | Alabama |
| 19 | Michigan |
| 20 | Texas A&M |
| 21 | Cincinnati |
| 22 | Marquette |
| 23 | Gonzaga |
| 24 | California |
| 25 | Missouri |
ESPN/USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | North Carolina (31) |
| 2 | Kentucky (1) |
| 3 | Ohio State |
| 4 | Connecticut |
| 5 | Syracuse |
| 6 | Duke |
| 7 | Vanderbilt |
| 8 | Louisville |
| 9 | Memphis |
| 10 | Florida |
| 11 | Pittsburgh |
| 12 | Baylor |
| 13 | Kansas |
| 14 | Wisconsin |
| 15 | Xavier |
| 16 | Arizona |
| 17 | Alabama |
| 18 | Michigan |
| 19 | Texas A&M |
| 20 | UCLA |
| 21 | Marquette |
| 22 | Cincinnati |
| 23 | Gonzaga |
| 24 | California |
| 25 | Missouri |

## Regular season

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

### Early-season tournaments

| Name | Dates | No. teams | Champion |
| Coaches vs. Cancer Classic | November 7, 2011 – November 8, 2011 | 4* | Mississippi State |
| World Vision Classic | November 12, 2011 – November 14, 2011 | 4 | Washington |
| Hall of Fame Tipoff | November 11, 2011 – November 20, 2011 | 4* | Kentucky |
| Charleston Classic | November 17, 2011 – November 20, 2011 | 8 | Northwestern |
| Puerto Rico Tip-Off | November 17, 2011 – November 20, 2011 | 8 | Alabama |
| Legends Classic | November 19, 2011 – November 21, 2011 | 4* | Vanderbilt |
| Paradise Jam tournament | November 14, 2011 – November 21, 2011 | 8 | Marquette |
| CBE Classic | November 21, 2011 – November 22, 2011 | 4* | Missouri |
| Cancún Challenge | November 22, 2011 – November 23, 2011 | 8 | Illinois |
| Maui Invitational Tournament | November 21, 2011 – November 23, 2011 | 8* | Duke |
| NIT Season Tip-Off | November 14, 2011 – November 25, 2011 | 16 | Syracuse |
| Chicago Invitational Challenge | November 13, 2011 – November 26, 2011 | 4* | Wisconsin |
| Great Alaska Shootout | November 23, 2011 – November 26, 2011 | 8 | Murray State |
| Las Vegas Invitational | November 25, 2011 – November 26, 2011 | 4* | UNLV |
| South Padre Island Invitational | November 25, 2011 – November 26, 2011 | 8 | Northern Iowa |
| Battle 4 Atlantis | November 23, 2011 – November 27, 2011 | 8 | Harvard |
| 76 Classic | November 24, 2011 – November 27, 2011 | 8 | Saint Louis |
| Old Spice Classic | November 23, 2011 – November 27, 2011 | 8 | Dayton |
| Las Vegas Classic | December 13, 2011 – December 23, 2011 | 4* | Baylor |
| Diamond Head Classic | December 22, 2011 – December 25, 2011 | 8 | Kansas State |
*Although these tournaments include more teams, only the number listed play for the championship.

### Conferences
#### Conference winners and tournaments

Thirty-one conference seasons concluded with a single-elimination tournament. The teams in each conference that won their regular-season titles were given the number one seed in their respective conference tournaments. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament except for the winner of the Great West Conference tournament, although its champion received an automatic bid to the 2012 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. The Ivy League was the only NCAA Division I conference that did not hold a conference tournament, instead sending its regular-season champion to the NCAA tournament.
| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference Player of the Year | Conference Coach of the Year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (city) | Tournament winner |
| America East Conference | Stony Brook | Darryl Partin, Boston University | Steve Pikiell, Stony Brook | 2012 America East men's basketball tournament | Chase Family Arena (West Hartford, Connecticut) Final at campus site | Vermont |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | Temple | Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure | Fran Dunphy, Temple | 2012 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites Remainder at Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, New Jersey) | St. Bonaventure |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | North Carolina | Tyler Zeller, North Carolina | Leonard Hamilton, Florida State | 2012 ACC men's basketball tournament | Philips Arena (Atlanta, Georgia) | Florida State |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | Belmont | Torrey Craig, South Carolina Upstate | Eddie Payne, South Carolina Upstate | 2012 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament | University Center (Macon, Georgia) | Belmont |
| Big 12 Conference | Kansas | Thomas Robinson, Kansas | Fred Hoiberg, Iowa State & Bill Self, Kansas | 2012 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | Sprint Center (Kansas City, Missouri) | Missouri |
| Big East Conference | Syracuse | Jae Crowder, Marquette | Stan Heath, South Florida | 2012 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York, New York) | Louisville |
| Big Sky Conference | Montana | Damian Lillard, Weber State | Wayne Tinkle, Montana | 2012 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites | Montana |
| Big South Conference | UNC Asheville | Matt Dickey, UNC Asheville | Barclay Radebaugh, Charleston Southern | 2012 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | UNC Asheville |
| Big Ten Conference | Michigan State, Ohio State & Michigan | Draymond Green, Michigan State | Tom Izzo, Michigan State | 2012 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament | Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) | Michigan State |
| Big West Conference | Long Beach State | Casper Ware, Long Beach State | Dan Monson, Long Beach State | 2012 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Honda Center Anaheim, California | Long Beach State |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Drexel | Ryan Pearson, George Mason | Bruiser Flint, Drexel | 2012 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | VCU |
| Conference USA | Memphis | Will Barton, Memphis | Larry Eustachy, Southern Miss | 2012 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | FedExForum (Memphis, Tennessee) | Memphis |
| Great West Conference | Utah Valley | Isaiah Wilkerson, NJIT | Dick Hunsaker, Utah Valley | 2012 Great West Conference men's basketball tournament | Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center (Chicago,Illinois) | North Dakota |
| Horizon League | Valparaiso | Ryan Broekhoff, Valparaiso | Bryce Drew, Valparaiso | 2012 Horizon League men's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites Second round and semifinals at No. 1 seed Final at top surviving seed | Detroit |
| Ivy League | Harvard | Zack Rosen, Penn | | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Iona | Scott Machado, Iona | Jimmy Patsos, Loyola (MD) | 2012 MAAC men's basketball tournament | MassMutual Center Springfield, Massachusetts | Loyola (MD) |
| Mid-American Conference | Akron (East) Eastern Michigan (West) | Mitchell Watt, Buffalo | Rob Murphy, Eastern Michigan | 2012 MAC men's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites Remainder at Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | Ohio |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Savannah State | Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk State | Horace Broadnax, Savannah State | 2012 MEAC men's basketball tournament | LJVM Coliseum Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Norfolk State |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Wichita State | Doug McDermott, Creighton | Gregg Marshall, Wichita State | 2012 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Creighton |
| Mountain West Conference | New Mexico & San Diego State | Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State | Steve Fisher, San Diego State | 2012 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada) | New Mexico |
| Northeast Conference | Long Island | Julian Boyd, Long Island | Glenn Braica, St. Francis (NY) | 2012 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Long Island |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Murray State | Isaiah Canaan, Murray State | Steve Prohm, Murray State | 2012 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Municipal Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee) | Murray State |
| Pac-12 Conference | Washington | Jorge Gutierrez, California | Lorenzo Romar, Washington | 2012 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament | Staples Center (Los Angeles, California) | Colorado |
| Patriot League | Bucknell | CJ McCollum, Lehigh | Dave Paulsen, Bucknell | 2012 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Lehigh |
| Southeastern Conference | Kentucky | Anthony Davis, Kentucky | John Calipari, Kentucky | 2012 SEC men's basketball tournament | New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana) | Vanderbilt |
| Southern Conference | Davidson (South) UNC Greensboro (North) | De'Mon Brooks (Coaches) & Jake Cohen (Media), Davidson | Bob McKillop, Davidson (Coaches) Wes Miller, UNC Greensboro (Media) | 2012 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | Asheville Civic Center Asheville, North Carolina | Davidson |
| Southland Conference | Lamar (East) Texas–Arlington (West) | Patrick Richard, McNeese State | Scott Cross, Texas–Arlington | 2012 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center Katy, Texas | Lamar |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Mississippi Valley State | Paul Crosby, Mississippi Valley State | Sean Woods, Mississippi Valley State | 2012 SWAC men's basketball tournament | Garland Special Events Center Garland, Texas | Mississippi Valley State |
| The Summit League | Oral Roberts | Dominique Morrison, Oral Roberts | Scott Sutton, Oral Roberts | 2012 The Summit League men's basketball tournament | Sioux Falls Arena (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) | South Dakota State |
| Sun Belt Conference | Middle Tennessee (East) Arkansas–Little Rock (West) | LaRon Dendy, Middle Tennessee | Kermit Davis, Middle Tennessee | 2012 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament | Summit Arena (Hot Springs, Arkansas) | Western Kentucky |
| West Coast Conference | Saint Mary's | Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's | Max Good, Loyola Marymount | 2012 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada) | Saint Mary's |
| Western Athletic Conference | Nevada | Deonte Burton, Nevada | David Carter, Nevada | 2012 WAC men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada) | New Mexico State |

#### Conference standings

2011–12 America East men's basketball standings :
| 2011–12 America East men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Stony Brook14–2 .87522–10  .688 Vermont †13–3 .81324–12  .667 Boston University12–4 .75016–16  .500 Albany9–7 .56319–15  .559 Hartford7–9 .4389–22  .290 New Hampshire7–9 .43813–16  .448 Maine6–10 .37512–17  .414 UMBC3–13 .1884–26  .133 Binghamton1–15 .0632–29  .065 † 2012 America East tournament winner As of March 16, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Temple13–3 .81324–8  .750 Saint Louis12–4 .75026–8  .765 Xavier10–6 .62523–13  .639 St. Bonaventure†10–6 .62520–12  .625 UMass9–7 .56326–11  .703 La Salle9–7 .56321–13  .618 Dayton9–7 .56320–13  .606 Saint Joseph's9–7 .56320–14  .588 Duquesne7–9 .43816–15  .516 Richmond7–9 .43816–16  .500 Charlotte5–11 .31313–17  .433 George Washington5–11 .31310–21  .323 Rhode Island4–12 .2507–24  .226 Fordham3–13 .18810–19  .345 † 2012 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner As of March 13, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 ACC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 6 North Carolina14–2 .87532–6  .842 No. 14 Duke13–3 .81327–7  .794 No. 15 Florida State†12–4 .75025–10  .714 Virginia9–7 .56322–10  .688 No. 20 NC State9–7 .56324–13  .649 Miami (FL)9–7 .56320–13  .606 Clemson8–8 .50016–15  .516 Maryland6–10 .37517–15  .531 Virginia Tech4–12 .25016–17  .485 Wake Forest4–12 .25013–18  .419 Georgia Tech4–12 .25011–20  .355 Boston College4–12 .2509–22  .290 † 2012 ACC tournament winner As of April 3, 2012 Rankings from Coaches Poll |
| 2011–12 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Belmont†16–2 .88927–8  .771 Mercer13–5 .72227–11  .711 USC Upstate13–5 .72221–13  .618 East Tennessee State10–8 .55617–14  .548 North Florida10–8 .55616–16  .500 Florida Gulf Coast8–10 .44415–17  .469 Lipscomb8–10 .44413–18  .419 Jacksonville6–12 .3338–22  .267 Stetson6–12 .3339–20  .310 Kennesaw State0–18 .0003–28  .097 † 2012 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner As of March 28, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 Big East men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 11 Marquette14–4 .77827–8  .771 Notre Dame13–5 .72222–12  .647 Cincinnati12–6 .66726–11  .703 No. 15 Georgetown12–6 .66724–9  .727 South Florida12–6 .66722–14  .611 West Virginia9–9 .50019–14  .576 Connecticut8–10 .44420–14  .588 Seton Hall8–10 .44421–13  .618 Rutgers6–12 .33314–18  .438 St. John's6–12 .33313–19  .406 Pittsburgh5–13 .27822–17  .564 Villanova5–13 .27813–19  .406 Providence4–14 .22215–17  .469 DePaul3–15 .16712–19  .387 *No. 2 Syracuse0–1 .0000–3  .000 **No. 17 Louisville†0–8 .0000–10  .000 † 2012 Big East tournament winner As of March 31, 2012 *Syracuse: 30 reg. season games, 4 postseason games vacated due to sanctions against the program; Disputed record: Syracuse–(34–3)(17–1) **Louisville: 25 reg. season games, 5 postseason games vacated due to sanctions against the program; Disputed record: Louisville–(30-10)(10-8) Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Montana †15–1 .93825–7  .781 Weber State14–2 .87525–7  .781 Portland State10–6 .62517–14  .548 Eastern Washington8–8 .50015–17  .469 Idaho State7–9 .4389–21  .300 Montana State7–9 .43812–17  .414 Northern Colorado5–11 .3139–19  .321 Sacramento State5–11 .31310–18  .357 Northern Arizona1–15 .0635–24  .172 † Conference tournament winner |
| 2011–12 Big South men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UNC Asheville†16–2 .88924–10  .706 Coastal Carolina12–6 .66719–12  .613 Campbell11–7 .61117–15  .531 Charleston Southern11–7 .61119–12  .613 Liberty9–9 .50015–17  .469 Winthrop8–10 .44412–20  .375 VMI8–10 .44417–16  .515 High Point8–10 .44413–18  .419 Presbyterian*8–10 .44414–15  .483 Gardner–Webb6–12 .33312–20  .375 Radford2–16 .1116–26  .188 † 2012 Big South tournament winner As of March 15, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament | 2011–12 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 5 Michigan State†13–5 .72229–8  .784 No. 13 Michigan13–5 .72224–10  .706 No. 7 Ohio State13–5 .72231–8  .795 No. 14 Wisconsin12–6 .66726–10  .722 No. 16 Indiana11–7 .61127–9  .750 Purdue10–8 .55622–13  .629 Northwestern8–10 .44419–14  .576 Iowa8–10 .44418–17  .514 Illinois6–12 .33317–15  .531 Minnesota6–12 .33323–15  .605 Nebraska4–14 .22212–18  .400 Penn State4–14 .22212–20  .375 † 2012 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2011–12 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 6 Kansas16–2 .88932–7  .821 No. 3 Missouri †14–4 .77830–5  .857 Iowa State12–6 .66723–11  .676 No. 9 Baylor12–6 .66730–8  .789 Kansas State10–8 .55622–11  .667 Texas9–9 .50020–14  .588 Oklahoma State7–11 .38915–18  .455 Oklahoma5–13 .27815–16  .484 Texas A&M4–14 .22214–18  .438 Texas Tech1–17 .0568–23  .258 † 2012 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2011–12 Big West men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Long Beach State †15–1 .93825–9  .735 Cal State Fullerton12–4 .75021–10  .677 UC Santa Barbara12–4 .75020–11  .645 Cal Poly8–8 .50018–15  .545 UC Riverside7–9 .43814–17  .452 Pacific6–10 .37511–19  .367 UC Irvine6–10 .37512–20  .375 UC Davis3–13 .1885–26  .161 Cal State Northridge*3–13 .1887–21  .250 † 2012 Big West tournament winner As of March 15, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament due to low APR | 2011–12 CAA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Drexel16–2 .88929–7  .806 VCU†15–3 .83329–7  .806 George Mason14–4 .77824–9  .727 Old Dominion13–5 .72221–13  .618 Delaware12–6 .66718–14  .563 Georgia State11–7 .61122–11  .667 Northeastern9–9 .50014–17  .452 James Madison5–13 .27812–20  .375 UNCW5–13 .27810–21  .323 William & Mary4–14 .2226–26  .188 Hofstra3–15 .16710–22  .313 Towson1–17 .0561–31  .031 † 2012 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2011–12 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Memphis†13–3 .81326–8  .765 Southern Miss11–5 .68825–9  .735 Tulsa10–6 .62517–14  .548 UCF10–6 .62522–11  .667 UAB9–7 .56315–16  .484 Marshall9–7 .56321–14  .600 Rice8–8 .50018–15  .545 UTEP7–9 .43815–17  .469 Houston7–9 .43815–15  .500 East Carolina5–11 .31315–16  .484 SMU4–12 .25013–19  .406 Tulane3–13 .18815–19  .441 † 2012 CUSA Tournament winner As of March 15, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2011–12 Great West Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Utah Valley9–1 .90020–13  .606 North Dakota†6–4 .60017–15  .531 Texas-Pan American5–5 .50011–21  .344 NJIT5–5 .50015–17  .469 Houston Baptist3–7 .30010–20  .333 *Chicago State2–8 .2004–26  .133 † 2012 Great West tournament winner As of March 14, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament | 2011–12 Horizon League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Valparaiso14–4 .77822–11  .667 Cleveland State12–6 .66722–11  .667 Detroit †11–7 .61122–14  .611 Milwaukee11–7 .61120–13  .606 Butler11–7 .61122–14  .611 Youngstown State10–8 .55616–15  .516 Green Bay10–8 .55615–15  .500 Wright State7–11 .38913–19  .406 UIC3–15 .1678–22  .267 Loyola Chicago1–17 .0567–23  .233 † 2012 Horizon League Tournament winner As of March 6, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Harvard12–2 .85726–5  .839 Penn11–3 .78620–13  .606 Princeton10–4 .71420–12  .625 Yale9–5 .64319–10  .655 Cornell7–7 .50012–16  .429 Columbia4–10 .28615–15  .500 Brown2–12 .1438–23  .258 Dartmouth1–13 .0715–25  .167 As of March 15, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2011–12 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Iona15–3 .83325–8  .758 Loyola (MD) †13–5 .72224–9  .727 Manhattan12–6 .66721–13  .618 Fairfield12–6 .66722–15  .595 Rider10–8 .55613–19  .406 Siena8–10 .44414–17  .452 Niagara8–10 .44414–19  .424 Marist7–11 .38914–18  .438 Saint Peter's4–14 .2225–26  .161 Canisius1–17 .0565–25  .167 † 2012 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Akron13–3 .81322–12  .647 Buffalo12–4 .75020–11  .645 Ohio†11–5 .68829–8  .784 Kent State10–6 .62521–12  .636 Bowling Green9–7 .56316–16  .500 Miami5–11 .3139–21  .300 West Eastern Michigan9–7 .56314–18  .438 Toledo7–9 .43819–17  .528 Western Michigan6–10 .37514–20  .412 Ball State6–10 .37515–15  .500 Central Michigan5–11 .31311–21  .344 Northern Illinois3–13 .1885–26  .161 † 2012 MAC tournament winner As of March 23, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Savannah State14–2 .87521–12  .636 Norfolk State †13–3 .81326–10  .722 Delaware State12–4 .75015–14  .517 Bethune–Cookman11–5 .68818–17  .514 North Carolina Central10–6 .62517–15  .531 Coppin State9–7 .56314–16  .467 North Carolina A&T7–9 .43812–20  .375 Hampton6–10 .37512–21  .364 Morgan State6–10 .3759–20  .310 Howard6–10 .37510–21  .323 Florida A&M6–10 .37510–23  .303 Maryland Eastern Shore4–12 .2507–23  .233 South Carolina State0–16 .0005–26  .161 † 2012 MEAC tournament winner As of March 16, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2011–12 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 16 Wichita State16–2 .88927–5  .844 No. 19 Creighton †14–4 .77828–5  .848 Evansville9–9 .50016–16  .500 Illinois State9–9 .50021–14  .600 Northern Iowa9–9 .50020–14  .588 Missouri State9–9 .50016–16  .500 Drake9–9 .50018–16  .529 Indiana State8–10 .44418–15  .545 Southern Illinois5–13 .2788–23  .258 Bradley2–16 .1117–25  .219 † 2012 MVC tournament winner As of March 19, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 21 New Mexico †10–4 .71428–7  .800 No. 22 San Diego St10–4 .71426–8  .765 No. 23 UNLV9–5 .64326–9  .743 Colorado State8–6 .57120–12  .625 TCU7–7 .50018–15  .545 Wyoming6–8 .42921–12  .636 Air Force3–11 .21413–16  .448 Boise State3–11 .21413–17  .433 † 2012 MWC tournament winner As of March 8, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Long Island †16–2 .88925–9  .735 Wagner15–3 .83325–6  .806 Robert Morris13–5 .72226–10  .722 St. Francis (NY)12–6 .66715–15  .500 Quinnipiac10–8 .55618–14  .563 Monmouth10–8 .55612–20  .375 Central Connecticut10–8 .55613–16  .448 Sacred Heart8–10 .44414–18  .438 Mount St. Mary's6–12 .3338–21  .276 Saint Francis (PA)5–13 .2786–23  .207 Fairleigh Dickinson2–16 .1113–26  .103 *Bryant1–17 .0562–28  .067 † 2012 Northeast Conference tournament winner As of March 17, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament |
| 2011–12 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 12 Murray State †15–1 .93831–2  .939 Tennessee State11–5 .68820–13  .606 Morehead State10–6 .62518–15  .545 Tennessee Tech9–7 .56319–14  .576 Southeast Missouri State9–7 .56315–16  .484 Austin Peay8–8 .50012–20  .375 Jacksonville State8–8 .50015–18  .455 Eastern Kentucky7–9 .43816–16  .500 *SIU Edwardsville6–10 .37510–17  .370 Eastern Illinois5–11 .31312–17  .414 UT Martin0–16 .0004–27  .129 † 2012 Ohio Valley Conference tournament winner As of March 15, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll * Ineligible for conference tournament | 2011–12 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball standings Conf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Washington14–4 .77824–11  .686 California13–5 .72224–10  .706 Oregon13–5 .72224–10  .706 Arizona12–6 .66723–12  .657 Colorado †11–7 .61124–12  .667 UCLA11–7 .61119–14  .576 Stanford10–8 .55626–11  .703 Oregon State7–11 .38921–15  .583 Washington State7–11 .38919–18  .514 Arizona State6–12 .33310–21  .323 Utah3–15 .1676–25  .194 USC1–17 .0566–26  .188 † Conference tournament winner As of March 8, 2012 Rankings from AP poll | 2011–12 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bucknell12–2 .85725–10  .714 Lehigh†11–3 .78627–8  .771 American10–4 .71420–12  .625 Holy Cross9–5 .64315–14  .517 Lafayette7–7 .50013–18  .419 Army5–9 .35712–18  .400 Colgate2–12 .1438–22  .267 Navy0–14 .0003–26  .103 † 2012 Patriot League tournament winner |
| 2011–12 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Kentucky16–0 1.00038–2  .950 No. 25 Florida10–6 .62526–11  .703 No. 20 Vanderbilt †10–6 .62525–11  .694 Tennessee10–6 .62519–15  .559 Alabama9–7 .56321–12  .636 Mississippi State8–8 .50021–12  .636 Ole Miss8–8 .50020–14  .588 LSU7–9 .43818–15  .545 Arkansas6–10 .37518–14  .563 Auburn5–11 .31315–16  .484 Georgia5–11 .31315–17  .469 South Carolina2–14 .12510–21  .323 † 2012 SEC tournament winner As of April 2, 2012 Rankings from AP poll | 2011–12 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North UNC Greensboro10–8 .55613–19  .406 Elon9–9 .50015–16  .484 Samford8–10 .44411–19  .367 Western Carolina8–10 .44417–18  .486 Appalachian State7–11 .38913–18  .419 Chattanooga5–13 .27811–21  .344 South Davidson†16–2 .88925–8  .758 Georgia Southern12–6 .66715–15  .500 Wofford12–6 .66719–14  .576 College of Charleston10–8 .55619–12  .613 Furman8–10 .44415–16  .484 The Citadel3–15 .1676–24  .200 † SoCon tournament winner As of March 15, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll | 2011–12 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Lamar†11–5 .68823–12  .657 McNeese State10–6 .62517–16  .515 Northwestern State8–8 .50016–16  .500 Nicholls State6–10 .37510–20  .333 Southeastern Louisiana5–11 .31312–17  .414 Central Arkansas3–13 .1888–21  .276 West Texas–Arlington15–1 .93824–9  .727 Stephen F. Austin12–4 .75020–12  .625 UTSA10–6 .62518–14  .563 Sam Houston State7–9 .43813–19  .406 Texas State5–11 .31313–17  .433 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi4–12 .2506–24  .200 † 2012 Southland tournament winner As of March 14, 2012 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2011–12 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Mississippi Valley State †17–1 .94421–13  .618 *Southern13–5 .72217–14  .548 Texas Southern12–6 .66715–18  .455 Prairie View A&M10–8 .55614–18  .438 Arkansas–Pine Bluff9–9 .50011–22  .333 Alabama State9–9 .50012–19  .387 Alcorn State6–12 .33310–22  .313 Alabama A&M5–13 .2787–21  .250 Jackson State5–13 .2787–24  .226 *Grambling State4–14 .2224–24  .143 † 2012 SWAC tournament winner As of March 13, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament due to low APR | 2011–12 Summit League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Oral Roberts17–1 .94427–7  .794 South Dakota State †15–3 .83327–8  .771 Oakland11–7 .61120–16  .556 Western Illinois9–9 .50018–15  .545 North Dakota State9–9 .50017–14  .548 Southern Utah8–10 .44414–17  .452 IUPUI7–11 .38914–18  .438 South Dakota *5–13 .27810–18  .357 IPFW5–13 .27811–19  .367 UMKC4–14 .22210–21  .323 † 2012 Summit League tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll * Ineligible for conference tournament | 2011–12 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Middle Tennessee14–2 .87527–7  .794 South Alabama8–8 .50017–12  .586 Florida Atlantic7–9 .43811–19  .367 Western Kentucky†7–9 .43816–19  .457 Troy5–11 .31310–18  .357 Florida International5–11 .3138–21  .276 West Arkansas–Little Rock12–4 .75015–16  .484 Denver11–5 .68822–9  .710 Louisiana–Lafayette10–6 .62516–16  .500 North Texas9–7 .56318–14  .563 Arkansas State6–10 .37514–20  .412 *Louisiana–Monroe2–14 .1253–26  .103 † 2012 Sun Belt Tournament winner As of March 21, 2012 Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament |
| 2011–12 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 24 Saint Mary's†14–2 .87527–6  .818 Gonzaga13–3 .81326–7  .788 BYU12–4 .75026–9  .743 Loyola Marymount11–5 .68821–13  .618 San Francisco8–8 .50020–14  .588 San Diego7–9 .43813–18  .419 Pepperdine4–12 .25010–19  .345 Portland3–13 .1887–24  .226 Santa Clara0–16 .0008–22  .267 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2011–12 WAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Nevada13–1 .92928–7  .800 New Mexico State†10–4 .71426–10  .722 Idaho9–5 .64319–14  .576 Utah State8–6 .57121–16  .568 Louisiana Tech6–8 .42918–16  .529 Hawaii6–8 .42916–16  .500 Fresno State3–11 .21413–20  .394 San Jose State1–13 .0719–22  .290 † 2012 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |

### Division I independents

Four schools played as Division I independents, although Nebraska–Omaha was in transition from NCAA Division II and not yet considered a full Division I school. Antwan Carter of Longwood was named Independent Player of the Year.
2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConf.Overall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Cal State Bakersfield– –16–15
* .516
* Seattle– –12–15
* .444
* Nebraska–Omaha– –11–18
* .379
* Longwood– –10–21
* .323
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | St. Joseph's & Temple | Zack Rosen, Penn |
St. Joseph's and Temple finished with 3–1 records 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 |
| Reggie Hamilton | Oakland | 26.2 | O. D. Anosike | Siena | 12.5 | Scott Machado | Iona | 9.9 | Fuquan Edwin | Seton Hall | 3.0 |
| Damian Lillard | Weber St. | 24.5 | Thomas Robinson | Kansas | 11.9 | Kendall Marshall | N. Carolina | 9.8 | Jay Threatt | Delaware St. | 3.0 |
| Doug McDermott | Creighton | 22.9 | André Roberson | Colorado | 11.1 | Jesse Sanders | Liberty | 8.0 | T. J. McConnell | Duquesne | 2.8 |
| Shane Gibson | Sacred Heart | 22.0 | Drew Gordon | N. Mexico | 11.1 | Vincent Council | Providence | 7.5 | Jeremy Allen | FIU | 2.7 |
| CJ McCollum | Lehigh | 21.9 | Jamelle Hagins | Delaware | 11.1 | Jason Brickman | LIU Brooklyn | 7.3 | CJ McCollum | Lehigh | 2.6 |
| Blocked shots per game | Blocked shots per game | Blocked shots per game | Field goal percentage | Field goal percentage | Field goal percentage | Three-point field goal percentage | Three-point field goal percentage | Three-point field goal percentage | Free throw percentage | Free throw percentage | Free throw percentage |
| Player | School | BPG | Player | School | FG% | Player | School | 3FG% | Player | School | FT% |
| Anthony Davis | Kentucky | 4.7 | Ricardo Ratliffe | Missouri | 69.3 | Nick Barbour | High Point | 48.4 | Robby Ptacek | C. Conn. St. | 92.0 |
| William Mosley | Northwestern St. | 4.1 | Mike Glover | Iona | 63.7 | Drew Hanlen | Belmont | 48.2 | E. J. Singler | Oregon | 90.9 |
| Damian Eargle | Youngstown St. | 3.7 | Anthony Davis | Kentucky | 62.3 | Reggie Chamberlain | UMKC | 47.1 | Scott Christopherson | Iowa St. | 90.3 |
| Jeff Withey | Kansas | 3.6 | Cody Zeller | Indiana | 62.3 | Langston Galloway | St. Joseph's | 46.6 | Brian Barbour | Columbia | 90.1 |
| C. J. Aiken | St. Joseph's | 3.5 | Scott Eatherton | St. Francis (PA) | 61.4 | Ceola Clark | W. Illinois | 46.6 | Austin Morgan | Yale | 90.0 |

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

| National Semifinals March 31 | National Semifinals March 31 | National Semifinals March 31 | National Championship Game April 2 | National Championship Game April 2 | National Championship Game April 2 |
| S1 | Kentucky | 69 | | | |
| W4 | Louisville | 61 | | | |
| W4 | Louisville | 61 | S1 | Kentucky | 67 |
| | | | M2 | Kansas | 59 |
| E2 | Ohio State | 62 | M2 | Kansas | 59 |
| M2 | Kansas | 64 | | | |

#### Tournament upsets

For this list, a "major upset" is defined as a win by a team seeded 7 or more spots below its defeated opponent.
| Date | Winner | Score | Loser |
| March 15 | VCU (#12, South) | 62–59 | Wichita State (#5, South) |
| March 16 | Norfolk State (#15, West) | 86–84 | Missouri (#2, West) |
| March 16 | Ohio (#13, Midwest) | 65–60 | Michigan (#4, Midwest) |
| March 16 | Lehigh (#15, South) | 75–70 | Duke (#2, South) |
| March 16 | South Florida (#12, Midwest) | 58–44 | Temple (#5, Midwest) |
| March 18 | NC State (#11, Midwest) | 66–63 | Georgetown (#3, Midwest) |

### National Invitation tournament

After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the NCAA invited 32 teams to participate in the National Invitation Tournament. The tournament began on March 13, with all games prior to the semifinals played on campus sites. The semifinals and final were respectively held on March 27 and 29 at the traditional site of Madison Square Garden.

#### NIT Semifinals and Final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City
| Semifinals March 27, 2012 | Semifinals March 27, 2012 | Semifinals March 27, 2012 | Championship game March 29, 2012 | Championship game March 29, 2012 | Championship game March 29, 2012 |
| 1 | Washington | 67 | | | |
| 6 | Minnesota | 68$^{OT}$ | | | |
| 6 | Minnesota | 68$^{OT}$ | 6 | Minnesota | 51 |
| | | | 3 | Stanford | 75 |
| 5 | UMass | 64 | 3 | Stanford | 75 |
| 3 | Stanford | 74 | | | |

### College Basketball Invitational

The fifth College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Tournament was held beginning March 13 and ended with a best-of-three final, which went to the maximum number of games and ended on March 30.
| Semifinals March 31, 2012 | Semifinals March 31, 2012 | Championship Series March 26, 28, 30 | Championship Series March 26, 28, 30 | Championship Series March 26, 28, 30 | Championship Series March 26, 28, 30 |
| Washington State | 72 | | | | |
| Oregon State | 55 | | | | |
| Oregon State | 55 | Washington State | 67 | 53 | 65 |
| | | Pittsburgh | 66 | 57 | 71 |
| Pittsburgh | 68$^{OT}$ | Pittsburgh | 66 | 57 | 71 |
| Butler | 62 | | | | |

### CollegeInsider.com Postseason tournament

The fourth CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was held beginning March 15 and ended with a championship game on March 28. This tournament places an emphasis on selecting successful teams from "mid-major" conferences who were left out of the NCAA Tournament and NIT.
| Semifinals March 24, 25 | Semifinals March 24, 25 | Semifinals March 24, 25 | Championship March 28 | Championship March 28 | Championship March 28 |
| 1 | Mercer | 64 | | | |
| 4 | Fairfield | 59 | | | |
| 4 | Fairfield | 59 | Mercer | Mercer | 70 |
| | | | Utah State | Utah State | 67 |
| 3 | Oakland | 81 | Utah State | Utah State | 67 |
| 2 | Utah State | 105 | | | |

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

The following players are recognized as the 2012 Consensus All-Americans:
Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Anthony Davis | C-PF | Freshman | Kentucky |
| Draymond Green | PF-C | Senior | Michigan State |
| Doug McDermott | G-F | Sophomore | Creighton |
| Thomas Robinson | F | Junior | Kansas |
| Jared Sullinger | PF-C | Sophomore | Ohio State |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Isaiah Canaan | G | Junior | Murray State |
| Marcus Denmon | G | Senior | Missouri |
| Kevin Jones | F | Junior | West Virginia |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | SF-SG | Freshman | Kentucky |
| Tyler Zeller | PF-C | Senior | North Carolina |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
* Naismith Award: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
* NABC Player of the Year: Draymond Green, Michigan State
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Anthony Davis, Kentucky
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, Kentucky

### Major freshman of the year awards

* Wayman Tisdale Award (USBWA): Anthony Davis, Kentucky
* Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Anthony Davis, Kentucky

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Frank Haith, Missouri
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Frank Haith, Missouri
* NABC Coach of the Year: Tom Izzo, Michigan State
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas
* Adolph Rupp Cup: Bill Self, Kansas
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas

### Other major awards

* Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
* Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): Anthony Davis, Kentucky
* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, Kentucky
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best senior 6'0"/1.83 m or shorter): Reggie Hamilton, Oakland
* Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Robbie Hummel, Purdue
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Zack Rosen, Penn
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Scott Machado, Iona
* Ben Jobe Award (Top minority coach): Sean Woods, Mississippi Valley State
* Hugh Durham Award (Top mid-major coach): Eddie Payne, USC Upstate
* Jim Phelan Award (Top head coach): Mike Brey, Notre Dame
* Lefty Driesell Award (Top defensive player): Anthony Davis, Kentucky
* Lou Henson Award (Top mid-major player): Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk State
* Lute Olson Award (Top non-freshman or transfer player): Doug McDermott, Creighton
* Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award (Coach with moral character): Jimmy Patsos, Loyola (MD)
* Academic All-American of the Year (Top scholar-athlete): Tyler Zeller, North Carolina
* Elite 89 Award (Top GPA at Final Four): Aaron Craft, Ohio State

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during and after the season.
| Team | Former coach | Interim coach | New coach | Reason |
| Air Force | Jeff Reynolds | | Dave Pilopovich | Reynolds was fired February 8. ESPN wrote that "His intensity on the bench began to rub the Falcons the wrong way, zapping the fun from the game." Dave Pilopovich was named interim coach, then later given the job permanently. |
| Binghamton | Mark Macon | | Tommy Dempsey | Macon compiled a 24-68 record in his three seasons as head coach, including a 2-29 mark last winter, 1-15 in America East Conference play |
| Brown | Jesse Agel | | Mike Martin | Agel was fired after his fourth season following an 8–23 season. |
| Cal State Fullerton | Bob Burton | Andy Newman | Dedrique Taylor | Burton resigned on June 22 and assistant Newman was named interim head coach for the 2012–13 season. |
| Canisius | Tom Parrotta | | Jim Baron | In six seasons as the Griffs' head coach, Parrotta posted a career record of 64–121 and a 30–78 mark in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. The team went 5–25 overall and 1–17 in league during the 2011–12 campaign. |
| Central Michigan | Ernie Zeigler | | Keno Davis | Zeigler was 75–111 over six seasons. He was given a new, four-year contract two years ago when he was just about to sign his son, Trey, to a scholarship to play for the Chippewas. |
| College of Charleston | Bobby Cremins | | Doug Wojcik | Cremins announced his retirement on Monday, March 19 at the College of Charleston. Cremins had coached at the school for six seasons after retiring from Georgia Tech, but took a leave of absence in late January due to exhaustion. |
| Colorado State | Tim Miles | | Larry Eustachy | Miles resigned on March 23 to take the job at Nebraska. Miles led the Rams to the NCAA tournament and a fourth-place finish in the Mountain West (8–6) and a 20–12 overall record. Miles spent five years with the Rams and improved the win total every season from seven to nine to 16 to 19 to 20. He also went to the CBI, NIT and now the NCAA tournament. |
| Duquesne | Ron Everhart | | Jim Ferry | Everhart was 98–88 in six seasons with Duquesne, going 46–50 in Atlantic 10 play. Questions began to surface when three members of the team – including sophomore point guard T.J. McConnell, the team's best overall player – announced intentions to transfer. |
| Eastern Illinois | Mike Miller | | Jay Spoonhour | Miller compiled a 75–130 overall record and a 44–84 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference in seven seasons at Eastern Illinois. The Panthers hired Jay Spoonhour, a successful junior college coach and son of Charlie Spoonhour, a longtime college coach who died in February 2012. |
| FIU | Isiah Thomas | | Richard Pitino | Thomas went 26-65 in three seasons. Under Thomas, FIU never won more than 11 games in a season. The Golden Panthers hired Pitino, who had been associate head coach at Louisville under his father Rick. |
| Grambling State | Bobby Washington | | Joseph Price | Grambling reassigned Washington to another role within the university. |
| Idaho State | Joe O'Brien | Deane Martin | Bill Evans | O'Brien resigned as Bengals coach in a move announced December 19, 2011. |
| Illinois | Bruce Weber | | John Groce | Weber coached the Illini for nine years, posting a 210–101 record and seven 20-win seasons. However, the Illini missed the NCAA Tournament three of the last five years, and won only two tournament games since reaching the national championship game in 2005. |
| Illinois State | Tim Jankovich | | Dan Muller | Jankovich left Illinois State to become Associate head coach and coach-in-waiting at SMU. |
| Kansas State | Frank Martin | | Bruce Weber | Martin left to take the South Carolina job. |
| Long Island | Jim Ferry | | Jack Perri | Ferry left to take the Duquesne job. Assistant coach Jack Perri was appointed the new head coach on April 10, 2012. |
| LSU | Trent Johnson | | Johnny Jones | Johnson left LSU to take the TCU job. |
| Miami (OH) | Charlie Coles | | John Cooper | Coles retired after 16 years at Miami. |
| Mississippi State | Rick Stansbury | | Rick Ray | Stansbury retired after 14 years at Mississippi State, Stansbury led the Bulldogs to a 293–166 record, including 11 postseason appearances – but last went to the NCAA tournament in 2009. |
| Mississippi Valley State | Sean Woods | | Chico Potts | Woods left to take the Morehead State job. |
| Morehead State | Donnie Tyndall | | Sean Woods | Tyndall left to take the Southern Miss job. |
| Mount St. Mary's | Robert Burke | Matt Henry | Jamion Christian | Burke was placed on administrative leave and Henry was named acting head coach on February 15. Burke formally resigned at the end of the season. |
| Nebraska | Doc Sadler | | Tim Miles | Sadler was 89–70 overall and 34–64 in league play in the six years at Nebraska. |
| North Carolina A&T | Jerry Eaves | | Cy Alexander | Eaves' contract with the school expires May 30, 2013. Eaves finishes his tenure at A&T with a 99–180 record over nine seasons. He is third on the program's all-time wins list. |
| North Texas | Johnny Jones | | Tony Benford | Jones left to take the LSU job. |
| Northern Arizona | Mike Adras | Dave Brown | Jack Murphy | Adras resigned as head coach to pursue other opportunities. After a disastrous season that ended with a 16-game losing streak, new AD Lisa Campos hired Murphy, who spent the last three years as an assistant with Memphis. |
| Ohio | John Groce | | Jim Christian | Groce left to take the Illinois job. |
| Rhode Island | Jim Baron | | Dan Hurley | Baron was fired after the Rams finished 7–24 overall 4–12 in A-10 play and failed to qualify for the league tournament. Dan Hurley was named the new coach on March 21, 2012. |
| Rider | Tommy Dempsey | | Kevin Baggett | Dempsey took the open position at Binghamton after the season ended. |
| Saint Francis (PA) | Don Friday | | Rob Krimmel | Friday was let go and replaced by Krimmel - son of Saint Francis athletic director Bob Krimmel. |
| Samford | Jimmy Tillette | | Bennie Seltzer | Tillette was the winningest coach in Samford history with an overall record of 229–219. He took the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and 2000. The program had struggled since its transition to the Southern Conference. |
| SMU | Matt Doherty | | Larry Brown | Doherty went 80–109 in six season with the Mustangs and just 30–67 in conference play. SMU finished 13–19 this season and lost 11 of its final 14 games. |
| South Carolina | Darrin Horn | | Frank Martin | Horn was fired after the Gamecocks lost 24 of their last 27 SEC games. Horn finishes his career at South Carolina 23–45 in league games and 60–63 overall with three losing seasons in a row. |
| Southern Illinois | Chris Lowery | | Barry Hinson | Lowery had been under fire for the last couple years as the program deteriorated and ultimately bottomed out with an 8–23 record this season – a school record for losses in a season. |
| Southern Miss | Larry Eustachy | | Donnie Tyndall | Eustachy left to take the Colorado State job. |
| Southern Utah | Roger Reid | | Nick Robinson | After almost forty years of coaching basketball, Reid announced his retirement as head men's basketball coach at Southern Utah. He retires with an overall Division I record of 205–173, including a 54–97 record at SUU. |
| TCU | Jim Christian | | Trent Johnson | Christian accepted the job at Ohio, Christian has gone 56-73 in four seasons at the helm, but had success in his six years at Kent State. |
| Tennessee State | John Cooper | | Travis Williams | Cooper left to take the Miami (OH) job. |
| Texas Southern | Tony Harvey | | Mike Davis (Interim) | Harvey's resignation was announced July 3, 2012. |
| Tulsa | Doug Wojcik | | Danny Manning | Wojcik, compiled a career record of 140–92 in his seven seasons at Tulsa and became the school's all-time leader in coaching victories last month. The lack of an NCAA Tournament appearance and a deteriorating fan base may have weighed heavily against Wojcik. |
| UAB | Mike Davis | | Jerod Haase | Davis said he was told he was fired because of poor ticket sales and attendance. |
| UNC Greensboro | Mike Dement | | Wes Miller | Dement stepped aside as Spartans coach in a move announced on December 13, 2011. |
| Virginia Tech | Seth Greenberg | | James Johnson | Greenberg was let go on April 23 after significant turnover from his coaching staff. |
| Wagner | Dan Hurley | | Bashir Mason | Hurley left to take the Rhode Island job. The Seahawks elevated assistant Mason to the top job, making him the current youngest Division I men's head coach at age 28. |
| Western Kentucky | Ken McDonald | | Ray Harper | On January 6, McDonald was released from his contract, citing lackluster attendance and a 5–11 start to the season. Ray Harper was named interim coach, then later given the job permanently. |
| Winthrop | Randy Peele | | Pat Kelsey | Peele was fired after Winthrop finished with a losing record for the second consecutive season – the first time the Eagles had back-to-back losing seasons since 1997 and 1998. |