# 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 25, 2020, and concluded on March 14, 2021. The 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament culminated the season and began on March 18 and concluded on April 5.

## Season headlines

* November 11 – The Associated Press preseason All-American team was released. Iowa center Luka Garza was the lone unanimous selection (64 votes). Joining him on the team were Baylor guard Jared Butler, Illinois guard Ayo Dosunmu, Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, Gonzaga guard Corey Kispert (26), and Arizona State guard Remy Martin (26).
* November 15 – The UT Martin Skyhawks announced that head coach Anthony Stewart, who had been set to start his fifth season with the Skyhawks, had died earlier that day. No cause of death was given at the time.
* January 18 – When the AP poll's Week 9 top 25 rankings were released, it was the first time since December 18, 1961, that neither Duke, Kentucky, nor North Carolina were included on the list. In 1961, the poll was only composed of the top 10 teams.
* February 7 – The UTRGV Vaqueros announce the death of fifth-year head coach Lew Hill from coronavirus. Longtime assistant Jai Steadman was named interim head coach four days later.
* February 9 – For the first time since an 0–2 start to the 1999–2000 season, the Duke men's basketball team fell below .500 after an 89–93 loss to Notre Dame.
* March 23 – Just three days after playing in the NCAA tournament, Grand Canyon senior Oscar Frayer died in a car crash, along with his sister and one other person.

### COVID-19 pandemic-related

* October 14 – The NCAA announced that all student-athletes in winter sports during the 2020–21 school year, including men's and women's basketball, would receive an extra year of athletic eligibility, whether or not they or their teams play during that school year.
* October 27 – Bethune–Cookman, which had previously canceled its 2020 fall sports due to COVID-19 concerns, announced that none of its other teams, including men's and women's basketball, would play in the 2020–21 school year.
* November 12 – The Ivy League became the first conference to cancel all winter sports for the 2020–21 season, including men's and women's basketball, due to COVID-19 concerns.
* November 19 – Maryland Eastern Shore became the second MEAC program to opt out of the 2020–21 men's and women's basketball seasons due to COVID-19 concerns.
* December 23 – Chicago State ended its 2020–21 season after an 0–9 start marked by many COVID-19-related issues. Head coach Lance Irvin opted out before the season started due to concerns over the disease; the Cougars played one game with only six available players and another with only seven; the team's final game before suspending its season was canceled due to a lack of players.
* February 9 – Howard ended its 2020–21 season after a 1–4 start of an abundance of caution due to the health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
* February 11 – Organizers of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament announced that the 2021 edition had been canceled.
* February 13 – Maine decided to conclude their 2020–21 season due to challenges related to COVID-19 after not being cleared to practice or play a game since January 17.
* February 23 – Charleston Southern ended its 2020–21 season after a 3–18 start, citing player concerns over COVID-19.
* February 26 – Jacksonville ended its 2020–21 season after an 11–13 start, citing player concerns over COVID-19.
* March 2 – Holy Cross ended its 2020–21 season after a 5–11 start, citing player concerns over COVID-19.

### Milestones and records

* During the season, the following players reached the 2,000-career-point milestone – Austin Peay swingman Terry Taylor, Pepperdine guard Colbey Ross, Iowa center Luka Garza, Bowling Green guard Justin Turner, Detroit Mercy guard Antoine Davis, UTSA guard Keaton Wallace, and Davidson guard Kellan Grady.
* November 30 – Kansas took sole possession of the record for most consecutive weeks ranked in the AP poll. The Jayhawks' 222nd straight appearance surpassed UCLA's 221 from 1966 to 1980. The Jayhawks' streak ended at 231 when they dropped out of the poll released on February 8.
* December 1 – UC Riverside head coach Mike Magpayo became the first head coach of Asian or Filipino descent to coach and won a Division I game in their 57–42 victory over Washington. Magpayo had missed the Highlanders' season opener on November 25 against Pacific due to his child's birth.
* February 21 – Iowa center Luka Garza scored 23 points in a win against Penn State to become the school's all-time leading scorer, breaking a 32-year-old record previously held by Roy Marble (2,116 points).

## Conference membership changes

Ten schools joined a new conference for the 2020–21 season with four schools leaving Division II for Division I.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Bellarmine | Great Lakes Valley Conference (D-II) | ASUN Conference |
| Cal State Bakersfield | Western Athletic Conference | Big West Conference |
| Dixie State | Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (D-II) | Western Athletic Conference |
| Kansas City | Western Athletic Conference | Summit League |
| NJIT | ASUN Conference | America East Conference |
| Purdue Fort Wayne | Summit League | Horizon League |
| Robert Morris | Northeast Conference | Horizon League |
| Tarleton State | Lone Star Conference (D-II) | Western Athletic Conference |
| UC San Diego | California Collegiate Athletic Association (D-II) | Big West Conference |
| UConn | American Athletic Conference | Big East Conference |

## Arenas
### New arenas

* James Madison opened the new Atlantic Union Bank Center on November 25, 2020, defeating Division II Limestone 89–55.
* Liberty played its first game at Liberty Arena, winning 78–62 over Saint Francis (PA) on December 3, 2020. The first event at the arena, which had officially opened on November 23, was a women's game on December 1.

### Arenas of new D-I teams

Three of the four new D-I members for this season are using existing on-campus facilities:
* Dixie State plays in Burns Arena.
* Tarleton State plays in Wisdom Gym.
* UC San Diego plays in RIMAC Arena.
The other D-I newcomer, Bellarmine, announced a multi-year deal with the Kentucky State Fair Board on November 2, 2020, to play home games at Freedom Hall, located at the Kentucky Exposition Center near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. The arena had been home to Louisville for more than 50 years before that team moved to the downtown KFC Yum! Center in 2010. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Bellarmine could only seat 300 at its on-campus facility, Knights Hall. With Freedom Hall's basketball capacity of 18,252, the Knights were able to seat 2,700.

### Arenas closing

* High Point had originally planned to open Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center for the 2020–21 season. However, construction delays brought on by COVID-19 led to the university delaying the new arena's opening until 2021–22, meaning that the Millis Center was in use for one more season.
* This was intended to be Idaho's final season at the Kibbie Dome, a facility also home to Idaho football, with its basketball configuration known as Cowan Spectrum. When Idaho moved its 2020 football season to spring 2021, it displaced the men's and women's basketball teams, forcing them to use Memorial Gymnasium. The latter facility had been home to both basketball teams before the Kibbie Dome opened in 1976, and remained a part-time home for both. The school plans to open the new Idaho Central Credit Union Arena for the 2021–22 season. The Dome will remain in use for football and several other sports.

### Temporary arenas

* Due to COVID-19 restrictions in Santa Clara County, Santa Clara and Stanford played the majority of their home games at Kaiser Permanente Arena in neighboring Santa Cruz County.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches polls
AP :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Gonzaga (28) |
| 2 | Baylor (24) |
| 3 | Villanova (1) |
| 4 | Virginia (1) |
| 5 | Iowa |
| 6 | Kansas |
| 7 | Wisconsin |
| 8 | Illinois |
| 9 | Duke |
| 10 | Kentucky |
| 11 | Creighton |
| 12 | Tennessee |
| 13 | Michigan State |
| 14 | Texas Tech |
| 15 | West Virginia |
| 16 | North Carolina |
| 17 | Houston |
| 18 | Arizona State |
| 19 | Texas |
| 20 | Oregon |
| 21 | Florida State |
| 22 | UCLA |
| 23 | Ohio State |
| 24 | Rutgers |
| 25 | Michigan |
USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Baylor (12) |
| 2 | Gonzaga (10) |
| 3 | Villanova (3) |
| 4 | Virginia |
| 5 | Kansas |
| 6 | Iowa (1) |
| 7 | Wisconsin |
| 8 | Duke (1) |
| 9 | Kentucky |
| 10 | Illinois |
| 11 | Creighton |
| 12 | Michigan State |
| 13 | Texas Tech |
| 14 | Tennessee |
| 15 | West Virginia |
| 16 | North Carolina |
| 17 | Arizona State |
| 18 | Houston т Florida State т |
| 20 | Oregon |
| 21 | UCLA |
| 22 | Texas |
| 23 | Rutgers |
| 24 | Ohio State |
| 25 | Alabama |

## Regular season top-10 matchups

Rankings reflect the AP poll Top 25.
* November 26
** No. 1 Gonzaga defeated No. 6 Kansas, 102–90 (Fort Myers Tip-Off, Suncoast Credit Union Arena, Fort Myers, FL)
* December 1
** No. 8 Michigan State defeated No. 6 Duke, 75–69 (Champions Classic, Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC)
* December 2
** No. 2 Baylor defeated No. 5 Illinois, 82–69 (Jimmy V Classic, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN)
* December 8
** No. 5 Kansas defeated No. 8 Creighton, 73–72 (Big East–Big 12 Battle, Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS)
** No. 6 Illinois defeated No. 10 Duke, 83–68 (ACC–Big Ten Challenge, Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC)
* December 19
** No. 1 Gonzaga defeated No. 3 Iowa, 99–88 (Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, SD)
* December 22
** No. 3 Kansas defeated No. 7 West Virginia, 79–65 (Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS)
* January 2
** No. 8 Texas defeated No. 3 Kansas, 84–59 (Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS)
* January 12
** No. 7 Michigan defeated No. 9 Wisconsin, 77–54 (Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, MI)
* January 18
** No. 2 Baylor defeated No. 9 Kansas, 77–69 (Ferrell Center, Waco, TX)
* February 2
** No. 2 Baylor defeated No. 6 Texas, 83–69 (Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX)
* February 4
** No. 7 Ohio State defeated No. 8 Iowa, 89–85 (Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA)
* February 21
** No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 4 Ohio State, 92–87 (Value City Arena, Columbus, OH)
* February 25
** No. 3 Michigan defeated No. 9 Iowa, 79–57 (Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, MI)
* February 28
** No. 9 Iowa defeated No. 4 Ohio State, 73–57 (Value City Arena, Columbus, OH)
* March 2
** No. 3 Baylor defeated No. 6 West Virginia, 94–89 $^{OT}$ (WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, WV)
** No. 4 Illinois defeated No. 2 Michigan, 76–53 (Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, MI)
* March 6
** No. 4 Illinois defeated No. 7 Ohio State, 73–68 (Value City Arena, Columbus, OH)
* March 13
** No. 3 Illinois defeated No. 5 Iowa, 82–71 (2021 Big Ten men's basketball tournament, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN)
** No. 9 Ohio State defeated No. 4 Michigan, 68–67 (2021 Big Ten men's basketball tournament, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis)
* March 14
** No. 3 Illinois defeated No. 9 Ohio State, 91–88 $^{OT}$ (2021 Big Ten men's basketball tournament, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis)

## Regular season
### Early season tournaments

The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Nassau, Bahamas was cancelled due to logistical issues associated with COVID-19. A new tournament known as the Crossover Classic is scheduled to be held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and had invited almost all of the teams that had originally planned to compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament (although five teams would later drop out).
On October 26, 2020, ESPN Events cancelled 10 early-season tournaments that it organizes. It had planned to hold them at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando within a protected "bubble" (the same site had recently hosted the remainder of the 2019–20 NBA season under similar circumstances), but The Athletic reported that there had been disagreements over health and COVID-19 testing protocols that had been mandated by ESPN Events (in accordance with recommendations by the CDC), which were stricter than those being adopted by conferences.

### Upsets

Teams listed in bold type won "true road games", defined as games held at an opponent's regular home court (including regularly used alternate homes).
| Winner | Score | Loser | Date | Tournament/Event |
| San Diego State | 73–58 | No. 22 UCLA | November 25, 2020 | San Diego State MTE |
| San Francisco | 61–60 | No. 4 Virginia | November 27, 2020 | Bubbleville/HomeLight Classic |
| Virginia Tech | 81–73$^{OT}$ | No. 3 Villanova | November 28, 2020 | Bubbleville/Hall of Fame Tip Off |
| Richmond | 76–64 | No. 10 Kentucky | November 29, 2020 | Bluegrass Showcase |
| Missouri | 83–75 | No. 21 Oregon | December 2, 2020 | Game played in Omaha, NE |
| Marquette | 67–65 | No. 4 Wisconsin | December 4, 2020 | Rivalry |
| Georgia Tech | 79–62 | No. 20 Kentucky | December 6, 2020 | Holiday Hoopsgiving |
| Penn State | 75–55 | No. 15 Virginia Tech | December 8, 2020 | ACC–Big Ten Challenge |
| Missouri | 81–78 | No. 6 Illinois | December 12, 2020 | Braggin' Rights |
| Marquette | 89–84 | No. 9 Creighton | December 14, 2020 | |
| Virginia Tech | 66–60 | No. 24 Clemson | December 15, 2020 | |
| Purdue | 67–60 | No. 20 Ohio State | December 16, 2020 | |
| BYU | 72–62 | No. 18 San Diego State | December 18, 2020 | |
| UCF | 86–74 | No. 15 Florida State | December 19, 2020 | |
| Northwestern | 79–65 | No. 4 Michigan State | December 20, 2020 | |
| NC State | 79–76 | No. 17 North Carolina | December 22, 2020 | Rivalry |
| Minnesota | 102–95$^{OT}$ | No. 4 Iowa | December 25, 2020 | |
| Northwestern | 71–70 | No. 23 Ohio State | December 26, 2020 | |
| Maryland | 70–64 | No. 6 Wisconsin | December 28, 2020 | |
| Clemson | 77–67 | No. 18 Florida State | December 29, 2020 | |
| Tulsa | 65–64 | No. 5 Houston | December 29, 2020 | |
| Oklahoma | 75–71 | No. 9 West Virginia | January 2, 2021 | |
| Oklahoma State | 82–77$^{OT}$ | No. 13 Texas Tech | January 2, 2021 | |
| Alabama | 71–63 | No. 7 Tennessee | January 2, 2021 | |
| Mississippi State | 78–63 | No. 13 Missouri | January 5, 2021 | |
| Louisville | 73–71 | No. 19 Virginia Tech | January 6, 2021 | |
| Colorado | 79–72 | No. 17 Oregon | January 7, 2021 | |
| Purdue | 55–54 | No. 23 Michigan State | January 8, 2021 | |
| Ohio State | 79–68 | No. 15 Rutgers | January 9, 2021 | |
| Maryland | 66–63 | No. 12 Illinois | January 10, 2021 | |
| Oklahoma State | 75–70 | No. 6 Kansas | January 12, 2021 | |
| Butler | 70–66$^{OT}$ | No. 8 Creighton | January 16, 2021 | |
| Miami (FL) | 78–72 | No. 16 Louisville | January 16, 2021 | |
| St. John's | 74–70 | No. 23 UConn | January 18, 2021 | |
| Purdue | 67–65 | No. 15 Ohio State | January 19, 2021 | |
| Florida | 75–49 | No. 6 Tennessee | January 19, 2021 | |
| Georgia Tech | 83–65 | No. 20 Clemson | January 20, 2021 | |
| Providence | 74–70 | No. 11 Creighton | January 20, 2021 | |
| Indiana | 81–69 | No. 4 Iowa | January 21, 2021 | |
| Syracuse | 78–60 | No. 16 Virginia Tech | January 23, 2021 | |
| Oklahoma | 75–68 | No. 9 Kansas | January 23, 2021 | |
| Maryland | 63–49 | No. 17 Minnesota | January 23, 2021 | |
| Florida State | 80–61 | No. 20 Clemson | January 23, 2021 | |
| Stanford | 73–72$^{OT}$ | No. 24 UCLA | January 23, 2021 | |
| Oregon State | 75–64 | No. 21 Oregon | January 23, 2021 | Rivalry |
| Dayton | 76–71 | No. 22 Saint Louis | January 26, 2021 | |
| Auburn | 88–82 | No. 12 Missouri | January 26, 2021 | |
| Clemson | 54–50 | No. 25 Louisville | January 27, 2021 | |
| Florida | 85–80 | No. 11 West Virginia | January 30, 2021 | SEC/Big 12 Challenge |
| Penn State | 81–71 | No. 14 Wisconsin | January 30, 2021 | |
| Georgia Tech | 76–65 | No. 16 Florida State | January 30, 2021 | |
| Purdue | 81–62 | No. 21 Minnesota | January 30, 2021 | |
| Maryland | 61–60 | No. 24 Purdue | February 2, 2021 | |
| Ole Miss | 52–50 | No. 11 Tennessee | February 2, 2021 | |
| East Carolina | 82–73 | No. 5 Houston | February 3, 2021 | |
| South Carolina | 72–66 | No. 22 Florida | February 3, 2021 | |
| Pittsburgh | 83–72 | No. 16 Virginia Tech | February 3, 2021 | |
| St. John's | 70–59 | No. 3 Villanova | February 3, 2021 | |
| Georgetown | 86–79 | No. 15 Creighton | February 3, 2021 | |
| Oklahoma State | 75–67$^{2OT}$ | No. 6 Texas | February 6, 2021 | |
| USC | 66–48 | No. 21 UCLA | February 6, 2021 | Rivalry |
| Indiana | 67–65 | No. 8 Iowa | February 7, 2021 | |
| Valparaiso | 74–57 | No. 25 Drake | February 7, 2021 | |
| Kansas | 78–66 | No. 23 Oklahoma State | February 8, 2021 | |
| Ole Miss | 80–59 | No. 10 Missouri | February 10, 2021 | |
| Minnesota | 71–68 | No. 24 Purdue | February 11, 2021 | |
| LSU | 78–65 | No. 16 Tennessee | February 13, 2021 | |
| Arkansas | 86–81$^{OT}$ | No. 10 Missouri | February 13, 2021 | |
| Drake | 51–50$^{OT}$ | No. 22 Loyola–Chicago | February 14, 2021 | |
| Georgia | 80–70 | No. 20 Missouri | February 16, 2021 | |
| Wichita State | 68–63 | No. 6 Houston | February 18, 2021 | |
| Kentucky | 70–55 | No. 19 Tennessee | February 20, 2021 | Rivalry |
| Arizona | 81–72 | No. 17 USC | February 20, 2021 | |
| Duke | 66–65 | No. 7 Virginia | February 20, 2021 | |
| Oklahoma State | 74–69$^{OT}$ | No. 18 Texas Tech | February 22, 2021 | |
| Georgia Tech | 69–53 | No. 16 Virginia Tech | February 23, 2021 | |
| Michigan State | 81–72 | No. 5 Illinois | February 23, 2021 | |
| Ole Miss | 60–53 | No. 24 Missouri | February 23, 2021 | |
| Kansas State | 62–57 | No. 7 Oklahoma | February 23, 2021 | |
| NC State | 68–61 | No. 15 Virginia | February 24, 2021 | |
| Colorado | 80–62 | No. 19 USC | February 25, 2021 | |
| Michigan State | 71–67 | No. 4 Ohio State | February 25, 2021 | |
| Auburn | 77–72 | No. 25 Tennessee | February 27, 2021 | |
| Oklahoma State | 94–90$^{OT}$ | No. 7 Oklahoma | February 27, 2021 | Bedlam Series |
| North Carolina | 78–70 | No. 11 Florida State | February 27, 2021 | |
| Xavier | 77–69 | No. 13 Creighton | February 27, 2021 | |
| Utah | 71–61 | No. 19 USC | February 27, 2021 | |
| Butler | 73–61 | No. 8 Villanova | February 28, 2021 | |
| Notre Dame | 83–73 | No. 11 Florida State | March 6, 2021 | |
| Providence | 54–52 | No. 10 Villanova | March 6, 2021 | |
| Michigan State | 70–64 | No. 2 Michigan | March 7, 2021 | Rivalry |
| Georgetown | 72–71 | No. 14 Villanova | March 11, 2021 | Big East tournament |
| North Carolina | 81–73 | No. 22 Virginia Tech | March 11, 2021 | ACC tournament |
| LSU | 78–71 | No. 8 Arkansas | March 13, 2021 | SEC tournament |
| Georgetown | 73–48 | No. 17 Creighton | March 13, 2021 | Big East tournament |
| Georgia Tech | 80–75 | No. 15 Florida State | March 13, 2021 | ACC tournament |
| Oregon State | 80–78 | No. 23 Colorado | March 13, 2021 | Pac-12 tournament |
In addition to the above listed upsets in which an unranked team defeated a ranked team, there were eleven non-Division I teams to defeat a Division I team this season. Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"—i.e., those played on an opponent's home court (including secondary homes).
| Winner | Score | Loser | Date | Tournament/event |
| Southern Wesleyan (Division II) | 82–72 | USC Upstate | November 25, 2020 | |
| Queens (NC) (Division II) | 85–71 | Howard | November 27, 2020 | Paradise Jam |
| Emmanuel (GA) (Division II) | 64–61 | Stetson | November 30, 2020 | |
| Flagler (Division II) | 92–73 | Central Michigan | December 2, 2020 | |
| Greensboro (Division III) | 67–64 | Longwood | December 6, 2020 | |
| Fort Hays State (Division II) | 81–68 | Kansas State | December 8, 2020 | |
| Our Lady of the Lake (NAIA) | 61–58 | Texas State | December 12, 2020 | |
| West Virginia Tech (NAIA) | 73–67 | Morgan State | December 19, 2020 | |
| Flagler (Division II) | 73–66 | North Florida | December 19, 2020 | |
| Northwest Nazarene (Division II) | 75–72 | Portland State | January 9, 2021 | |
| Belmont Abbey (Division II) | 75–72$^{OT}$ | Charlotte | January 9, 2021 | |

### Conference winners and tournaments

Each of the 31 Division I athletic conferences that played in 2020–21 ended its regular season with a single-elimination tournament. The team with the best regular-season record in each conference was given the number one seed in each tournament, with tiebreakers used as needed in the case of ties for the top seeding. The winners of these tournaments received automatic invitations to the 2021 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
| Conference | Regular season first place | Conference player of the year | Conference coach of the Year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (city) | Tournament winner |
| America East Conference | UMBC & Vermont | Ryan Davis, Vermont | Ryan Odom, UMBC | 2021 America East men's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Hartford |
| American Athletic Conference | Wichita State | Quentin Grimes, Houston & Tyson Etienne, Wichita State | Isaac Brown, Wichita State | 2021 American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament | Dickies Arena (Fort Worth, TX) | Houston |
| ASUN Conference | Liberty | Darius McGhee, Liberty | Ritchie McKay, Liberty | 2021 ASUN men's basketball tournament | Swisher Gymnasium & UNF Arena (Jacksonville, FL) | Liberty |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | St. Bonaventure | Nah'Shon Hyland, VCU | Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure | 2021 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | Early rounds: Robins Center & Siegel Center (Richmond, VA) Final: UD Arena (Dayton, OH) | St. Bonaventure |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Virginia | Moses Wright, Georgia Tech | Mike Young, Virginia Tech | 2021 ACC men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, NC) | Georgia Tech |
| Big 12 Conference | Baylor | Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State | Scott Drew, Baylor | 2021 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, MO) | Texas |
| Big East Conference | Villanova | Collin Gillespie, Villanova, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall & Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Villanova | Mike Anderson, St. John's | 2021 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (Manhattan, NY) | Georgetown |
| Big Sky Conference | Southern Utah | Tanner Groves, Eastern Washington | Todd Simon, Southern Utah | 2021 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament | Idaho Central Arena (Boise, ID) | Eastern Washington |
| Big South Conference | Winthrop | Chandler Vaudrin, Winthrop | Pat Kelsey, Winthrop | 2021 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Winthrop |
| Big Ten Conference | Michigan | Luka Garza, Iowa | Juwan Howard, Michigan | 2021 Big Ten men's basketball tournament | Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, IN) | Illinois |
| Big West Conference | UC Santa Barbara | JaQuori McLaughlin, UC Santa Barbara | Joe Pasternack, UC Santa Barbara | 2021 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Michelob Ultra Arena (Paradise, NV) | UC Santa Barbara |
| Colonial Athletic Association | James Madison & Northeastern | Matt Lewis, James Madison | Mark Byington, James Madison | 2021 CAA men's basketball tournament | Atlantic Union Bank Center (Harrisonburg, VA) | Drexel |
| Conference USA | Western Kentucky (East) and Louisiana Tech (West) | Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky | Eric Konkol, Louisiana Tech | 2021 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | Ford Center (Frisco, TX) | North Texas |
| Horizon League | Cleveland State & Wright State | Loudon Love, Wright State | Dennis Gates, Cleveland State | 2021 Horizon League men's basketball tournament | First round and quarterfinals: Campus sites Semifinals and final: Indiana Farmers Coliseum (Indianapolis, IN) | Cleveland State |
| Ivy League | No Ivy League season held due to COVID-19 concerns. | No Ivy League season held due to COVID-19 concerns. | No Ivy League season held due to COVID-19 concerns. | No Ivy League season held due to COVID-19 concerns. | No Ivy League season held due to COVID-19 concerns. | No Ivy League season held due to COVID-19 concerns. |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Siena & Monmouth | Manny Camper, Siena | King Rice, Monmouth | 2021 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, NJ) | Iona |
| Mid-American Conference | Toledo | Marreon Jackson, Toledo | Tod Kowalczyk, Toledo | 2021 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland, OH) | Ohio |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Norfolk State & Coppin State (North) North Carolina A&T (South) | Anthony Tarke, Coppin State | Robert McCullum, Florida A&M | 2021 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Norfolk Scope (Norfolk, VA) | Norfolk State |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Loyola | Cameron Krutwig, Loyola | Darian DeVries, Drake | 2021 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Enterprise Center (St. Louis, MO) | Loyola |
| Mountain West Conference | San Diego State | Matt Mitchell, San Diego State | Brian Dutcher, San Diego State | 2021 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, NV) | San Diego State |
| Northeast Conference | Wagner | Alex Morales, Wagner | Bashir Mason, Wagner | 2021 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Mount St. Mary's |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Belmont | Terry Taylor, Austin Peay | Preston Spradlin, Morehead State | 2021 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Ford Center (Evansville, IN) | Morehead State |
| Pac-12 Conference | Oregon | Evan Mobley, USC | Andy Enfield, USC | 2021 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament | T-Mobile Arena (Paradise, NV) | Oregon State |
| Patriot League | Navy | Jordan Burns, Colgate | Ed DeChellis, Navy | 2021 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Colgate |
| Southeastern Conference | Alabama | Herbert Jones, Alabama | Nate Oats, Alabama | 2021 SEC men's basketball tournament | Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, TN) | Alabama |
| Southern Conference | UNC Greensboro | Isaiah Miller, UNC Greensboro | Dan Earl, VMI | 2021 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | Harrah's Cherokee Center (Asheville, NC) | UNC Greensboro |
| Southland Conference | Nicholls | Zach Nutall, Sam Houston State | Austin Claunch, Nicholls | 2021 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, TX) | Abilene Christian |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Prairie View A&M | Tristan Jarrett, Jackson State | Byron Smith, Prairie View A&M | 2021 SWAC men's basketball tournament | Bartow Arena (Birmingham, AL) | Texas Southern |
| Summit League | South Dakota State | Max Abmas, Oral Roberts | Todd Lee, South Dakota | 2021 Summit League men's basketball tournament | Sanford Pentagon (Sioux Falls, SD) | Oral Roberts |
| Sun Belt Conference | Georgia State (East) and Texas State (West) | DeVante' Jones, Coastal Carolina | Terrence Johnson, Texas State | 2021 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament | Hartsell Arena & Pensacola Bay Center (Pensacola, FL) | Appalachian State |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | Corey Kispert, Gonzaga | Mark Few, Gonzaga | 2021 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, NV) | Gonzaga |
| Western Athletic Conference | Grand Canyon | Fardaws Aimaq, Utah Valley | Lew Hill, Texas–Rio Grande Valley | 2021 WAC men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, NV) | Grand Canyon |
* 1 2 3 4 Top seed in conference tournament
* 1 2 3 These conferences chose to seed their tournament by division, with both divisional champions being top seeds in different halves of the bracket.

### 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 |
| Max Abmas | Oral Roberts | 24.5 | Fardaws Aimaq | Utah Valley | 15.0 | Jalen Moore | Oakland | 8.4 | Jacob Gilyard | Richmond | 3.57 |
| Luka Garza | Iowa | 24.1 | Jayveous McKinnis | Jackson St. | 13.2 | Colbey Ross | Pepperdine | 7.7 | Jose Alvarado | Georgia Tech | 2.85 |
| Antoine Davis | Detroit Mercy | 24.0 | Norchad Omier | Arkansas St. | 12.3 | Cam Mack | Prairie View A&M | 7.7 | DeVante' Jones | Coastal Carolina | 2.81 |
| Cameron Thomas | LSU | 23.0 | Elyjah Goss | IUPUI | 11.6 | Kendric Davis | SMU | 7.6 | Kameron Langley | NC A&T | 2.68 |
| Loren Cristian Jackson | Akron | 22.3 | Charles Bassey | W. Kentucky | 11.6 | Sahvir Wheeler | Georgia | 7.4 | Cam Mack | Prairie View A&M | 2.67 |
| 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% |
| KC Ndefo | St. Peter's | 3.64 | Asbjorn Midtgaard | Grand Canyon | .707 | Chris Shelton | Hampton | .486 | Ty Gadsden | UNC Wilmington | .944 |
| Dajour Dickens | Hampton | 3.38 | Dwight Wilson | Ohio | .655 | Spencer Littleson | Toledo | .473 | C. J. Walker | Ohio St. | .941 |
| Neemias Queta | Utah St. | 3.34 | Drew Timme | Gonzaga | .655 | Jordan Schakel | San Diego St. | .461 | Robby Beasley | Montana | .929 |
| Charles Bassey | W. Kentucky | 3.11 | Kofi Cockburn | Illinois | .654 | Nate Johnson | Xavier | .452 | Antoine Davis | Detroit Mercy | .917 |
| Mouhamadou Gueye | Stony Brook | 3.10 | Xavier Cork | W. Carolina | .641 | Jon Williams | Robert Morris | .445 | Justin Jaworski | Lafayette | .913 |

## Postseason
### NCAA tournament
#### Tournament upsets

For this list, an "upset" is defined as a win by a team seeded 7 or more spots below its defeated opponent. This is more restrictive than the NCAA's official definition, in which a difference of 5 seed lines is sufficient to declare an "upset".
| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Region | Round |
| March 19 | Oregon State (#12) | 70–56 | Tennessee (#5) | Midwest | First round |
| March 19 | North Texas (#13) | 78–69$^{OT}$ | Purdue (#4) | South | First round |
| March 19 | Oral Roberts (#15) | 75–72$^{OT}$ | Ohio State (#2) | South | First round |
| March 20 | Ohio (#13) | 62–58 | Virginia (#4) | West | First round |
| March 20 | Abilene Christian (#14) | 53–52 | Texas (#3) | East | First round |
| March 21 | Loyola–Chicago (#8) | 71–58 | Illinois (#1) | Midwest | Second round |
| March 21 | Syracuse (#11) | 75–72 | West Virginia (#3) | Midwest | Second round |
| March 21 | Oregon State (#12) | 80–70 | Oklahoma State (#4) | Midwest | Second round |
| March 21 | Oral Roberts (#15) | 81–78 | Florida (#7) | South | Second round |
| March 28 | UCLA (#11) | 88–78$^{OT}$ | Alabama (#2) | East | Sweet Sixteen |
| March 30 | UCLA (#11) | 51–49 | Michigan (#1) | East | Elite Eight |

### Teams eliminated from postseason participation due to COVID-19

* March 5 – Northern Iowa
* March 9 – FIU
* March 11 – Duke
* March 12 – North Carolina A&T

## Conference standings

2020–21 America East Conference men's basketball standings :
| 2020–21 America East Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UMBC10–4 .71414–6  .700 Vermont10–4 .71410–5  .667 New Hampshire9–6 .60010–9  .526 Hartford †8–6 .57115–9  .625 Albany6–6 .5007–9  .438 UMass Lowell7–8 .46711–12  .478 Stony Brook7–9 .4389–14  .391 NJIT6–10 .3757–12  .368 Binghamton4–10 .2864–14  .222 Maine2–6 .2502–7  .222 Maine suspended its season on February 13, 2021. † 2021 AmEast tournament winner | 2020–21 American Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Wichita State11–2 .84616–6  .727 No. 6 Houston †14–3 .82428–4  .875 Memphis11–4 .73320–8  .714 SMU7–4 .63611–6  .647 Cincinnati8–6 .57112–11  .522 UCF8–10 .44411–12  .478 Tulsa7–9 .43811–12  .478 South Florida4–10 .2869–13  .409 Temple4–10 .2865–11  .313 Tulane4–12 .25010–13  .435 East Carolina2–10 .1678–11  .421 † 2021 AAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2020–21 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT St. Bonaventure†11–4 .73316–5  .762 VCU10–4 .71419–7  .731 Davidson7–4 .63613–9  .591 Saint Louis6–4 .60014–7  .667 UMass6–4 .6008–7  .533 George Mason8–6 .57113–9  .591 Dayton9–7 .56314–10  .583 Richmond6–5 .54514–9  .609 Duquesne7–7 .5009–9  .500 Rhode Island7–10 .41210–15  .400 George Washington3–5 .3755–12  .294 La Salle6–11 .3539–16  .360 Saint Joseph's3–9 .2505–15  .250 Fordham2–11 .1542–12  .143 † 2021 A10 Tournament winner |
| 2020–21 ACC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 15 Virginia13–4 .76518–7  .720 No. 14 Florida State11–4 .73318–7  .720 No. 25 Virginia Tech9–4 .69215–7  .682 Georgia Tech †11–6 .64717–9  .654 Clemson10–6 .62516–8  .667 North Carolina10–6 .62518–11  .621 Louisville8–5 .61513–7  .650 Syracuse9–7 .56318–10  .643 NC State9–8 .52914–11  .560 Duke9–9 .50013–11  .542 Notre Dame7–11 .38911–15  .423 Pittsburgh6–10 .37510–12  .455 Miami (FL)4–15 .21110–17  .370 Wake Forest3–15 .1676–16  .273 Boston College2–11 .1544–16  .200 † 2021 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2020–21 ASUN men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Liberty †11–2 .84623–6  .793 Bellarmine *10–3 .76914–8  .636 Lipscomb9–6 .60015–12  .556 North Florida6–6 .5008–15  .348 North Alabama *7–8 .46713–11  .542 Florida Gulf Coast4–5 .44410–8  .556 Stetson7–9 .43812–15  .444 Jacksonville5–9 .35711–13  .458 Kennesaw State2–13 .1335–19  .208 * ineligible for the 2021 NCAA tournament due to transition period Jacksonville suspended their season on February 26, 2021 † 2021 ASUN Tournament winner | 2020–21 Big East men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 18 Villanova11–4 .73318–7  .720 No. 19 Creighton14–6 .70022–9  .710 UConn11–6 .64715–8  .652 St. John's10–9 .52616–11  .593 Seton Hall10–9 .52614–13  .519 Providence9–10 .47413–13  .500 Xavier6–7 .46213–8  .619 Georgetown †7–9 .43813–13  .500 Marquette8–11 .42113–14  .481 Butler8–12 .40010–15  .400 DePaul2–13 .1335–14  .263 † 2021 Big East tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2020–21 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Southern Utah12–2 .85720–4  .833 Weber State12–3 .80017–6  .739 Eastern Washington†12–3 .80016–8  .667 Montana State8–6 .57113–10  .565 Idaho State8–6 .57113–11  .542 Montana7–9 .43815–13  .536 Northern Colorado6–8 .42911–11  .500 Portland State6–8 .4299–13  .409 Sacramento State5–9 .3578–12  .400 Northern Arizona4–10 .2866–16  .273 Idaho1–17 .0561–21  .045 † Conference tournament winner | 2020–21 Big South men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Winthrop †17–1 .94423–2  .920 Radford12–6 .66715–12  .556 Campbell11–6 .64717–10  .630 UNC Asheville9–5 .64310–10  .500 Longwood10–10 .50012–17  .414 Gardner–Webb10–10 .50011–15  .423 Hampton9–9 .50011–14  .440 High Point6–11 .3539–15  .375 USC Upstate5–11 .3135–18  .217 Presbyterian5–12 .2947–15  .318 Charleston Southern2–15 .1183–18  .143 Charleston Southern suspended their season on February 23, 2021. † 2021 Big South tournament winner | 2020–21 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings Conf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Michigan14–3 .82423–5  .821 No. 2 Illinois †16–4 .80024–7  .774 No. 8 Iowa14–6 .70022–9  .710 No. 20 Purdue13–6 .68418–10  .643 No. 7 Ohio State12–8 .60021–10  .677 Wisconsin10–10 .50018–13  .581 Rutgers10–10 .50016–12  .571 Maryland9–11 .45017–14  .548 Michigan State9–11 .45015–13  .536 Indiana7–12 .36812–15  .444 Penn State7–12 .36811–14  .440 Northwestern6–13 .3169–15  .375 Minnesota6–14 .30014–15  .483 Nebraska3–16 .1587–20  .259 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2020–21 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Baylor13–1 .92928–2  .933 No. 16 Kansas12–6 .66721–9  .700 No. 21 Texas †11–6 .64719–8  .704 No. 18 West Virginia11–6 .64719–10  .655 No. 19 Oklahoma State11–7 .61121–9  .700 No. 22 Texas Tech9–8 .52918–11  .621 Oklahoma9–8 .52916–11  .593 TCU5–11 .31312–14  .462 Kansas State4–14 .2229–20  .310 Iowa State0–18 .0002–22  .083 † 2021 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2020–21 Big West men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UC Santa Barbara †13–3 .81322–5  .815 UC Irvine10–4 .71418–9  .667 UC Riverside8–4 .66714–8  .636 UC Davis6–4 .60010–8  .556 Cal State Bakersfield9–7 .56315–11  .577 Hawai'i9–9 .50011–10  .524 Cal State Fullerton5–7 .4176–10  .375 Cal State Northridge5–9 .3579–13  .409 Long Beach State4–8 .3336–12  .333 Cal Poly1–15 .0634–20  .167 UC San Diego*0–0 –7–10  .412 * ineligible for the 2021 NCAA tournament and 2021 Big West tournament due to transition period; Big West games not counted in standings † 2021 Big West tournament winner | 2020–21 CAA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT James Madison8–2 .80013–7  .650 Northeastern8–2 .80010–9  .526 Charleston6–4 .6009–10  .474 Hofstra8–6 .57113–10  .565 Delaware5–4 .5567–8  .467 Drexel †4–5 .44412–8  .600 William & Mary4–6 .4007–10  .412 Elon4–7 .36410–9  .526 Towson3–9 .2504–14  .222 UNC Wilmington1–6 .1437–10  .412 † 2021 CAA tournament winner |
| 2020–21 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Western Kentucky11–3 .78621–8  .724 Old Dominion11–5 .68815–8  .652 Marshall9–5 .64315–7  .682 Florida Atlantic7–5 .58313–10  .565 Charlotte5–11 .3139–15  .375 Middle Tennessee3–13 .1885–18  .217 FIU2–15 .1189–17  .346 West Louisiana Tech12–4 .75024–8  .750 UAB13–5 .72222–7  .759 North Texas †9–5 .64318–10  .643 UTSA9–7 .56315–11  .577 UTEP8–8 .50012–12  .500 Rice6–10 .37515–13  .536 Southern Miss4–13 .2358–17  .320 † 2021 C-USA Tournament winner | 2020–21 Horizon League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Wright State16–4 .80018–6  .750 Cleveland State †16–4 .80019–8  .704 Detroit Mercy10–6 .62512–10  .545 Northern Kentucky11–7 .61114–11  .560 Oakland10–10 .50012–18  .400 Youngstown State9–11 .45015–12  .556 IUPUI7–9 .4388–10  .444 Milwaukee7–10 .41210–12  .455 Green Bay8–12 .4008–17  .320 UIC6–10 .3759–13  .409 Purdue Fort Wayne6–14 .3008–15  .348 Robert Morris3–12 .2004–15  .211 † 2021 Horizon League tournament winner | 2020–21 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Siena12–4 .75012–5  .706 Monmouth12–6 .66712–8  .600 Saint Peter's10–8 .55614–11  .560 Marist10–8 .55612–9  .571 Niagara7–9 .4389–11  .450 Canisius7–5 .5837–6  .538 Fairfield7–11 .38910–17  .370 Quinnipiac7–10 .4129–13  .409 Iona †6–3 .66712–6  .667 Manhattan6–12 .3337–13  .350 Rider5–13 .2786–17  .261 Note: The MAAC has ordered standings based on league wins, not winning percentage, since all teams did not reach 20 conference games played. These standings were also used for seeding purposes in the 2021 MAAC tournament. † 2021 MAAC tournament winner |
| 2020–21 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Toledo15–4 .78921–9  .700 Buffalo12–5 .70616–9  .640 Akron12–6 .66715–8  .652 Kent State12–6 .66715–8  .652 Ohio †9–5 .64317–8  .680 Bowling Green10–8 .55614–12  .538 Miami (OH)9–8 .52912–11  .522 Ball State8–9 .47110–13  .435 Western Michigan4–12 .2505–16  .238 Eastern Michigan3–11 .2146–12  .333 Central Michigan3–13 .1887–16  .304 Northern Illinois2–12 .1433–16  .158 † 2021 MAC tournament winner | 2020–21 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northern Norfolk State †8–4 .66717–8  .680 Coppin State8–4 .6679–13  .409 Morgan State7–5 .58314–8  .636 Delaware State1–11 .0833–16  .158 Howard0–0 –1–4  .200 Southern North Carolina A&T7–1 .87511–10  .524 Florida A&M7–5 .5838–12  .400 North Carolina Central3–5 .3755–9  .357 South Carolina State1–7 .1251–17  .056 Howard suspended their season on February 9, 2021 Bethune–Cookman and Maryland Eastern Shore did not play the 2020–21 season due to COVID-19 concerns. † 2021 MEAC tournament winner | 2020–21 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 17 Loyola Chicago †16–2 .88926–5  .839 Drake15–3 .83326–5  .839 Missouri State12–6 .66717–7  .708 Indiana State11–7 .61115–10  .600 Evansville7–11 .3899–16  .360 Valparaiso7–11 .38910–18  .357 Northern Iowa7–11 .38910–15  .400 Bradley6–12 .33312–16  .429 Southern Illinois5–13 .27812–14  .462 Illinois State4–14 .2227–18  .280 † 2021 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2020–21 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings Conf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 16 San Diego State†14–3 .82423–5  .821 Utah State15–4 .78920–9  .690 Colorado State14–4 .77820–8  .714 Boise State14–6 .70019–9  .679 Nevada10–7 .58816–10  .615 Fresno State9–11 .45012–12  .500 UNLV8–10 .44412–15  .444 Wyoming7–9 .43814–11  .560 San Jose State3–13 .1885–16  .238 Air Force3–17 .1505–20  .200 New Mexico2–15 .1186–16  .273 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2020–21 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Wagner13–5 .72213–7  .650 Bryant10–4 .71415–7  .682 Sacred Heart9–7 .5639–9  .500 Mount St. Mary's †9–7 .56312–11  .522 Merrimack*9–9 .5009–9  .500 LIU9–9 .5009–9  .500 St. Francis Brooklyn9–9 .5009–10  .474 Fairleigh Dickinson8–10 .4449–15  .375 Saint Francis (PA)5–13 .2786–16  .273 Central Connecticut5–13 .2785–16  .238 * ineligible for the 2021 NCAA tournament due to transition period † 2021 NEC tournament winner | 2020–21 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Belmont18–2 .90026–4  .867 Morehead State †17–3 .85023–8  .742 Eastern Kentucky15–5 .75022–7  .759 Jacksonville State13–6 .68418–9  .667 Austin Peay10–10 .50014–13  .519 Murray State10–10 .50013–13  .500 Southeast Missouri State9–11 .45011–16  .407 SIU Edwardsville7–12 .3689–17  .346 Eastern Illinois6–14 .3009–18  .333 UT Martin6–14 .3008–16  .333 Tennessee Tech5–15 .2505–22  .185 Tennessee State3–17 .1504–19  .174 † 2021 OVC tournament winner |
| 2020–21 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Oregon14–4 .77821–7  .750 No. 23 USC15–5 .75025–8  .758 No. 22 Colorado14–6 .70023–9  .719 UCLA13–6 .68422–10  .688 Arizona*11–9 .55017–9  .654 Oregon State †10–10 .50020–13  .606 Stanford10–10 .50014–13  .519 Utah8–11 .42112–13  .480 Arizona State7–10 .41211–14  .440 Washington State7–12 .36814–13  .519 Washington4–16 .2005–21  .192 California3–17 .1509–20  .310 *Ineligible for the conference and NCAA tournaments due to self-imposed postseason ban. † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2020–21 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Colgate †11–1 .91714–2  .875 Army7–7 .50012–10  .545 Boston University6–10 .3757–11  .389 Holy Cross5–11 .3135–11  .313 Central Lafayette9–5 .6439–6  .600 Bucknell4–6 .4005–7  .417 Lehigh4–10 .2864–11  .267 South Navy12–1 .92315–3  .833 American4–5 .4444–6  .400 Loyola4–10 .2866–11  .353 † 2021 Patriot League tournament winner | 2020–21 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 5 Alabama†16–2 .88926–7  .788 No. 10 Arkansas13–4 .76525–7  .781 LSU11–6 .64719–10  .655 Tennessee10–7 .58818–9  .667 Florida9–7 .56315–10  .600 Ole Miss10–8 .55616–12  .571 Missouri8–8 .50016–10  .615 Kentucky8–9 .4719–16  .360 Mississippi State8–10 .44418–15  .545 Georgia7–11 .38914–12  .538 Auburn$^*$7–11 .38913–14  .481 South Carolina4–12 .2506–15  .286 Texas A&M2–8 .2008–10  .444 Vanderbilt3–13 .1889–16  .360 † 2021 SEC tournament winner $^*$ Ineligible for postseason due to self-imposed postseason ban. |
| 2020–21 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UNC Greensboro †13–5 .72221–9  .700 Wofford12–5 .70615–9  .625 Furman10–5 .66716–9  .640 Chattanooga9–7 .56318–8  .692 East Tennessee State8–7 .53313–12  .520 VMI7–7 .50013–12  .520 Mercer8–9 .47118–11  .621 The Citadel5–11 .31313–12  .520 Western Carolina4–13 .23511–16  .407 Samford2–9 .1826–13  .316 † 2021 SoCon tournament winner | 2020–21 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Nicholls14–2 .87518–7  .720 Abilene Christian †13–2 .86724–5  .828 Sam Houston State13–3 .81319–9  .679 Stephen F. Austin*12–3 .80016–5  .762 Northwestern State9–7 .56311–18  .379 New Orleans8–7 .53310–15  .400 Lamar6–10 .37510–18  .357 Incarnate Word5–9 .3578–14  .364 Southeastern Louisiana5–10 .3338–18  .308 McNeese State4–10 .28610–14  .417 Houston Baptist4–11 .2676–19  .240 Central Arkansas4–12 .2505–19  .208 Texas A&M–CC2–13 .1335–19  .208 *Ineligible for postseason due to postseason ban † 2021 Southland tournament winner | 2020–21 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Prairie View A&M13–0 1.00016–5  .762 Jackson State11–0 1.00012–6  .667 Texas Southern †10–3 .76917–9  .654 Grambling State9–6 .60012–12  .500 Southern8–6 .5718–11  .421 Alcorn State6–7 .4626–13  .316 Alabama A&M*4–9 .3086–9  .400 Alabama State*4–14 .2224–14  .222 Arkansas–Pine Bluff3–12 .2004–21  .160 Mississippi Valley State2–13 .1332–22  .083 *Ineligible for postseason due to APR violations † 2021 SWAC tournament winner |
| 2020–21 Summit League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT South Dakota State9–3 .75016–7  .696 South Dakota11–4 .73314–11  .560 North Dakota State11–5 .68815–12  .556 Oral Roberts †10–5 .66718–11  .621 North Dakota8–8 .5009–17  .346 Kansas City7–7 .50011–13  .458 Western Illinois5–9 .3577–15  .318 Omaha3–11 .2145–20  .200 Denver1–13 .0712–19  .095 † 2021 Summit League Tournament winner | 2020–21 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Georgia State8–4 .66716–6  .727 Coastal Carolina9–5 .64318–8  .692 South Alabama10–7 .58817–11  .607 Appalachian State †7–8 .46717–12  .586 Georgia Southern7–9 .43813–13  .500 Troy4–12 .25011–17  .393 West Texas State12–3 .80018–7  .720 Louisiana10–7 .58817–9  .654 UT Arlington9–8 .52913–13  .500 Arkansas State7–8 .46711–13  .458 Little Rock7–11 .38911–15  .423 Louisiana–Monroe5–13 .2787–19  .269 † 2021 Sun Belt Tournament winner | 2020–21 WAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Grand Canyon †9–3 .75017–7  .708 Utah Valley9–4 .69211–11  .500 New Mexico State7–6 .53812–8  .600 California Baptist*6–6 .50013–10  .565 Seattle4–5 .44412–11  .522 Tarleton State*5–7 .41710–10  .500 Dixie State*4–10 .2868–13  .381 Texas–Rio Grande Valley2–5 .2869–10  .474 Chicago State0–0 –0–9  .000 * Ineligible for the 2021 NCAA tournament due to transition period Chicago State suspended their season on December 23, 2020 † 2021 WAC tournament winner |
| 2020–21 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Gonzaga †15–0 1.00031–1  .969 No. 23 BYU10–3 .76920–7  .741 Loyola Marymount7–5 .58313–9  .591 Pepperdine7–6 .53815–12  .556 Pacific6–7 .4629–9  .500 Santa Clara4–5 .44412–8  .600 Saint Mary's4–6 .40014–10  .583 San Francisco4–9 .30811–14  .440 San Diego2–7 .2223–11  .214 Portland0–11 .0006–15  .286 † 2021 WCC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |

## Award winners
### 2021 Consensus All-America team

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Jared Butler | PG | Junior | Baylor |
| Cade Cunningham | PG/SG | Freshman | Oklahoma State |
| Ayo Dosunmu | PG | Junior | Illinois |
| Luka Garza | C | Senior | Iowa |
| Corey Kispert | SF | Senior | Gonzaga |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Kofi Cockburn | C | Sophomore | Illinois |
| Hunter Dickinson | C | Freshman | Michigan |
| Evan Mobley | PF/C | Freshman | USC |
| Jalen Suggs | PG/SG | Freshman | Gonzaga |
| Drew Timme | PF | Sophomore | Gonzaga |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Luka Garza, Iowa
* Naismith Award: Luka Garza, Iowa
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Luka Garza, Iowa
* NABC Player of the Year: Luka Garza, Iowa
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Luka Garza, Iowa
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Luka Garza, Iowa

### Major freshman of the year awards

* Wayman Tisdale Award (USBWA): Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State
* NABC Freshman of the Year: Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State
* Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Juwan Howard, Michigan
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Juwan Howard, Michigan
* NABC Coach of the Year: Mark Few, Gonzaga
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Mark Few, Gonzaga
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Juwan Howard, Michigan

### Other major awards

* Naismith Starting Five:
** Bob Cousy Award (best point guard): Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
** Jerry West Award (best shooting guard): Chris Duarte, Oregon
** Julius Erving Award (best small forward): Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
** Karl Malone Award (best power forward): Drew Timme, Gonzaga
** Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (best center): Luka Garza, Iowa
* Pete Newell Big Man Award (best big man): Luka Garza, Iowa
* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Davion Mitchell, Baylor
* Naismith Defensive Player of the Year: Davion Mitchell, Baylor
* Senior CLASS Award (top senior on and off the court): Luka Garza, Iowa
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Collin Gillespie, Villanova
* Haggerty Award (top player in NYC metro area): Sandro Mamukelashvili, Seton Hall
* Ben Jobe Award (top minority coach): Leonard Hamilton, Florida State
* Hugh Durham Award (top mid-major coach): Byron Smith, Prairie View A&M
* Jim Phelan Award (top head coach): Todd Simon, Southern Utah
* Lefty Driesell Award (top defensive player): Davion Mitchell, Baylor
* Lou Henson Award (top mid-major player): Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
* Lute Olson Award (top non-freshman or transfer player): Luka Garza, Iowa
* Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award (coach with moral character): Lew Hill, UTRGV
* Academic All-American of the Year (top scholar-athlete): Corey Kispert, Gonzaga
* Elite 90 Award (top GPA among upperclass players at Final Four): Russell Stong, UCLA
* Perry Wallace Most Courageous Award: This award was not presented to a Division I basketball figure. The award went to the men's basketball team of NAIA Bluefield College, which decided to kneel during the pregame playing of the national anthem on February 8, 2021, in defiance of orders from the college's president.

## Coaching changes

Fifty-six teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended. Two schools changed coaches between their first practice and first game of the season. One coach resigned and one died.
| Team | Former coach | Interim coach | New coach | Reason |
| Abilene Christian | Joe Golding | | Brette Tanner | Golding left Abilene Christian on April 13, 2021, after ten seasons for the head coaching position at UTEP. In his ten seasons as head coach, Golding led his alma mater to their first two Division I NCAA tournament appearances in school history. Associate head coach Tanner was promoted by the Wildcats to fill the vacancy the next day. |
| Albany | Will Brown | | Dwayne Killings | Brown and Albany mutually agreed to part ways on March 1, 2021, after 20 seasons. Brown led the Great Danes to a 315–295 overall record and five America East tournament championships during his tenure. Dwayne Killings, previously an assistant coach at Marquette, was hired to replace Brown on March 15. |
| Arizona | Sean Miller | | Tommy Lloyd | Arizona parted ways with Miller on April 7, 2021, after 12 seasons. Despite his 302–109 record at UA, Miller was linked to alleged violations of NCAA rules stemming from a 2017 federal investigation into corruption in college basketball. Gonzaga associate head coach Tommy Lloyd, who had previously been the designated successor to Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, was hired as the Wildcats next head coach on April 14. |
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff | George Ivory | | Solomon Bozeman | Ivory resigned from UAPB on April 6, 2021, after 13 seasons and a 140–269 overall record. The Golden Lions hired Oral Roberts assistant Bozeman on June 11. |
| Austin Peay | Matt Figger | | Nate James | Figger left Austin Peay on March 29, 2021, after four seasons for the UTRGV head coaching job. On April 2, the Governors named Duke associate head coach Nate James as their new head coach. |
| Bethune-Cookman | Ryan Ridder | | Reggie Theus | Ridder left BCU on March 30, 2021, after three seasons for the head coaching job at UT Martin. On July 3, ESPN reported that BCU had hired former NBA star Theus, also with head coaching experience with the Sacramento Kings, New Mexico State, and Cal State Northridge, in the dual role of head coach and athletic director; BCU's official announcement came on July 7. |
| Binghamton | Tommy Dempsey | Levell Sanders | Levell Sanders | Binghamton fired Dempsey on March 1, 2021, after nine seasons, in which the Bearcats went 72–194 overall and never finished higher than 6th place in the America East. Assistant coach Sanders was named the interim head coach of the team for the 2021–22 season. On February 17, 2022, Sanders had the interim tag removed and was named permanent head coach of the team. |
| Boston College | Jim Christian | Scott Spinelli | Earl Grant | Christian was fired on February 15, 2021, after 6½ seasons at Boston College, in which the Eagles were 78–132 overall, including a 3–13 overall record and a 1–9 record in ACC play this season at the time of Christian's dismissal. Assistant coach Spinelli was named interim head coach for the rest of the season. On March 15, Charleston head coach Earl Grant was hired as BC's new coach. |
| Cal State Northridge | Mark Gottfried | Trent Johnson | Trent Johnson | Gottfried, who had completed his 3rd season at CSUN, was placed on paid administrative leave by the university, along with his coaching staff, on April 29, 2021, pending an investigation of rule violations within the program. Johnson, who had been serving as the Deputy Analyst and Player Development Director at UC Berkeley for the past 2 years, was named interim head coach of the Matadors for the 2021–22 season on July 22. On March 17, CSUN removed the interim tag from Johnson and named him head coach. |
| Central Connecticut | Donyell Marshall | | Patrick Sellers | Marshall announced his resignation on March 5, 2021, after five seasons and a 43–103 overall record at Central Connecticut. Fairfield assistant coach and CCSU alum Sellers was hired by the Blue Devils on May 10. |
| Central Michigan | Keno Davis | | Tony Barbee | Central Michigan parted ways with Davis on April 5, 2021, after nine seasons and a 142–143 overall record. Kentucky assistant Tony Barbee, formerly the head coach at UTEP and Auburn, was hired by the Chippewas on April 23. |
| Chicago State | Lance Irvin | | Gerald Gillion | Irvin and Chicago State mutually agreed to part ways on July 1, 2021, after three seasons and a 7–63 overall record. Samford assistant Gillion was hired by the Cougars on July 19. |
| Cincinnati | John Brannen | | Wes Miller | Cincinnati fired Brannen after two seasons on April 9, 2021, following an internal review of unspecified allegations related to Brannen and the program. The investigation was triggered after six players entered the NCAA transfer portal within three days of the Bearcats' final game of the season. The Bearcats hired UNC Greensboro head coach Wes Miller as his replacement on April 14. |
| College of Charleston | Earl Grant | | Pat Kelsey | Grant left Charleston on March 15, 2021, after seven seasons for the Boston College head coaching job. The Cougars stayed in-state for their next hire, naming Winthrop head coach Kelsey for the position on March 25. |
| Delaware State | Eric Skeeters | | Stan Waterman | Delaware State parted ways with Skeeters on April 1, 2021, after three seasons and a 15–67 overall record. Stan Waterman, head coach of Sanford School for the past 30 years, was hired by the Hornets on June 3. |
| Denver | Rodney Billups | | Jeff Wulbrun | Denver parted ways with Billups on March 1, 2021, after five seasons and a 48–94 overall record. Stanford associate head coach Wulbrun was hired by the Pioneers as their new coach on March 29. |
| DePaul | Dave Leitao | | Tony Stubblefield | DePaul fired Leitao on March 15, 2021, after six seasons of his second stint as Blue Demons head coach (he had previously held that position from 2002 to 2005), following five straight seasons in which the Blue Demons finished last in the Big East. On April 6, the Blue Demons hired Oregon assistant Stubblefield as their next head coach. |
| East Tennessee State | Jason Shay | | Desmond Oliver | Shay resigned from ETSU on March 30, 2021, almost 11 months after he was promoted to head coach of the team. On April 5, the Buccaneers hired Tennessee assistant coach Desmond Oliver as their next head coach. |
| Eastern Illinois | Jay Spoonhour | | Marty Simmons | Eastern Illinois did not renew Spoonhour's contract on March 4, 2021, ending his nine-year tenure at the school with a 119–157 record. On March 31, the Panthers hired Clemson assistant coach and former Evansville head coach Marty Simmons as Spoonhour's replacement. |
| Eastern Michigan | Rob Murphy | | Stan Heath | Eastern Michigan parted ways with Murphy on March 17, 2021, after ten seasons and a 166–155 record. On April 12, the Eagles announced the hire of former Arkansas and South Florida coach and EMU alumnus Stan Heath as their next head coach. |
| Eastern Washington | Shantay Legans | | David Riley | On March 22, 2021, it was confirmed that Legans would leave Eastern Washington after four seasons for the head coaching job at Portland. On March 25, the Eagles announced that associate head coach Riley would be elevated to the head position. |
| Fordham | Jeff Neubauer | Mike DePaoli | Kyle Neptune | Neubauer was fired on January 26, 2021, after 5½ seasons at Fordham, in which the Rams went 61–104 overall, including a 1–7 start to the season. Assistant coach DePaoli was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season. On March 30, the school named Villanova assistant coach Kyle Neptune its new head coach. |
| George Mason | Dave Paulsen | | Kim English | George Mason dismissed Paulsen after six seasons on March 16, 2021. He finished with an overall record of 95–91 (46–54 in A-10 play) at the school. On March 23, the Patriots hired former Tennessee assistant Kim English as their next head coach. |
| Hofstra | Joe Mihalich | | Speedy Claxton | On March 19, 2021, Hofstra announced that Mihalich will transition into a new role as special advisor to the director of athletics. Mihalich spent seven seasons with a 141–92 overall record with the program, but missed the entire 2020–21 season due to an unspecified medical issue. Assistant coach and former Pride star player Claxton was promoted to the head coaching position on April 7. |
| Indiana | Archie Miller | | Mike Woodson | Indiana fired Miller on March 15, 2021, after four seasons with a 67–56 record and no NCAA tournament appearances. On March 28, New York Knicks assistant and former NBA head coach Mike Woodson, an Indiana alum, was hired as the Hoosiers next head coach, signing a six-year deal. |
| Indiana State | Greg Lansing | | Josh Schertz | Lansing's 11-year tenure at Indiana State ended on March 8, 2021, after his contract was not renewed, leaving with a 181–164 overall record. On March 17, the Sycamores went to Division II for their new coach, hiring Lincoln Memorial head coach Josh Schertz. |
| Iowa State | Steve Prohm | | T. J. Otzelberger | Iowa State and Prohm mutually agreed to part ways on March 15, 2021, after six seasons and a 97–95 overall record, including a 2–22 overall record and winless record in conference play this season. Iowa State hired Otzelberger, a former Cyclone assistant coach, from UNLV on March 18, 2021. |
| Jacksonville | Tony Jasick | | Jordan Mincy | Jacksonville fired Jasick on March 8, 2021, after seven seasons and a 95–123 overall record. Florida assistant coach Mincy was hired as the Dolphins' new head coach on March 25. |
| Lamar | Tic Price | | Alvin Brooks | Lamar parted ways with Price on March 21, 2021, after seven seasons and a 112–113 record. On April 1, Lamar announced the hiring of former Cardinal player and current Houston associate head coach Brooks as head coach. |
| Loyola–Chicago | Porter Moser | | Drew Valentine | On April 3, 2021, Moser left Loyola–Chicago after ten seasons to accept the head coaching job at Oklahoma. The Ramblers promoted assistant coach Valentine to head coach that same day. |
| Marquette | Steve Wojciechowski | | Shaka Smart | Marquette fired Wojciehowski on March 19, 2021, after seven seasons and a 128–95 overall record. The Golden Eagles hired Texas head coach Shaka Smart to the same position on March 26. |
| McNeese State | Heath Schroyer | | John Aiken | Schroyer stepped down from his head coaching position on March 11, 2021, after three seasons to become the full-time athletic director of McNeese State, having initially served as the interim AD since June 2020. Associate head coach Aiken was promoted to head coach of the Cowboys effective immediately. |
| Minnesota | Richard Pitino | | Ben Johnson | Minnesota fired Pitino on March 15, 2021, after eight seasons. Despite two NCAA tournament appearances, along with an NIT championship, the Golden Gophers were 141–123 overall and 54–96 in conference play during his tenure. On March 22, the school hired Xavier assistant coach and Minnesota alum Ben Johnson as its new head coach. |
| New Mexico | Paul Weir | | Richard Pitino | New Mexico announced on February 26, 2021, that Weir and the school had mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season. At the time of the announcement, the Lobos were 6–14 overall and 2–14 in conference play this season, and were 58–61 during Weir's four-year tenure. On March 16, the school hired Richard Pitino, who had been fired from Minnesota less than 24 hours earlier, as its new head coach. |
| North Carolina | Roy Williams | | Hubert Davis | On April 1, 2021, Williams announced his retirement after 33 seasons as head coach, the last 18 seasons spent at North Carolina, where the Tar Heels went 485–163 with a trip to five Final Fours and three national championships in 2005, 2009, and 2017. On April 5, UNC assistant coach and former star player Hubert Davis was promoted to head coach, making him the first African-American head coach of the program. |
| Northern Illinois | Mark Montgomery | Lamar Chapman | Rashon Burno | Montgomery was fired on January 3, 2021, after 9½ years at Northern Illinois, in which the Huskies went 124–170 overall, including a 1–7 start to the season. Assistant coach Chapman was named interim head coach for the rest of the season. Arizona State assistant coach Burno was hired as NIU's new head coach on March 6. |
| Oklahoma | Lon Kruger | | Porter Moser | On March 25, 2021, Kruger announced his retirement after 36 seasons as head coach, the last ten seasons spent at Oklahoma, where the Sooners went 195–128 with a trip to the Final Four in 2016. On April 3, the Sooners hired Loyola–Chicago coach Moser as their next head coach. |
| Pacific | Damon Stoudamire | | Leonard Perry | Stoudemire left Pacific after five seasons to join the coaching staff of the Boston Celtics and was replaced by top assistant Perry on July 7. |
| Portland | Terry Porter | Ben Johnson | Shantay Legans | After a 43–103 overall record in 4½ seasons, including a 6–11 overall record and 0–8 conference record to start the season, Portland fired Porter on February 5, 2021. Assistant coach Johnson served as the Pilots' interim head coach for the rest of the season. On March 22, it was confirmed that Portland would hire Eastern Washington head coach Legans to the head coaching position. |
| Portland State | Barret Peery | | Jase Coburn | Peery left Portland State on April 6, 2021, after four seasons to become associate head coach at Texas Tech. The Vikings promoted associate head coach Coburn to the head coaching position on April 16. |
| Radford | Mike Jones | | Darris Nichols | Jones left Radford on April 19, 2021, after ten seasons for the head coaching job at UNC Greensboro. Florida assistant coach Nichols was hired by the Highlanders on April 21. |
| San Jose State | Jean Prioleau | | Tim Miles | San Jose State fired Prioleau on March 12, 2021, after four seasons and a 20–93 overall record. The Spartans announced the hire of former North Dakota State, Colorado State, and Nebraska head coach Miles as their next head coach on April 6. |
| South Carolina State | Murray Garvin | | Tony Madlock | SC State parted ways with Garvin on March 15, 2021, after nine seasons and an 82–168 overall record. The Bulldogs named Memphis assistant coach Madlock as their new head coach on March 25. |
| Texas | Shaka Smart | | Chris Beard | Smart left Texas on March 26, 2021, after six seasons to accept the head coaching job at Marquette. The Longhorns announced on April 1 that Texas Tech head coach and Texas alumnus Beard had accepted the head coaching position. |
| Texas A&M–CC | Willis Wilson | | Steve Lutz | The 61-year-old Wilson announced his retirement from coaching on March 24, 2021, after 28 seasons overall as head coach, with the last 11 at A&M–CC. Purdue assistant coach Lutz was hired by the Islanders' as his replacement on April 6. |
| Texas Tech | Chris Beard | | Mark Adams | Beard left Texas Tech on April 1, 2021, after five seasons to accept the head coaching job at Texas. The Red Raiders elevated top assistant Adams to head coach on April 5. |
| UMBC | Ryan Odom | | Jim Ferry | Odom left UMBC on April 5, 2021, after five seasons for the Utah State head coaching position. On April 12, UMBC announced the hire of former Penn State interim coach Ferry as its next head coach. |
| UNC Greensboro | Wes Miller | | Mike Jones | Miller left UNCG after ten seasons to accept the head coaching position at Cincinnati on April 14, 2021. The Spartans hired Radford head coach Mike Jones on April 19. |
| UNLV | T. J. Otzelberger | | Kevin Kruger | Otzelberger left UNLV on March 18, 2021, after two seasons for the Iowa State head coaching job. On March 21, the Runnin' Rebels announced that current assistant coach Kruger will be promoted to the head coaching position. |
| UT Arlington | Chris Ogden | | Greg Young | Ogden left UT Arlington on April 1, 2021, after three seasons to accept an assistant coaching position on Chris Beard's staff at his alma mater Texas. The Mavericks promoted longtime assistant coach Greg Young to the head coaching position on April 6. |
| UTEP | Rodney Terry | | Joe Golding | Terry left UTEP on April 6, 2021, after three seasons to accept an assistant coaching position on Chris Beard's staff at Texas. The Miners announced the hiring of Abilene Christian head coach Golding as its next head coach on April 13. |
| UT Martin | Anthony Stewart | Montez Robinson | Ryan Ridder | UT Martin announced Stewart's sudden death on November 15, 2020. The 50-year-old was set to start his fifth season as head coach of the Skyhawks, having amassed a 51–73 record during his tenure at the school. Two days later, assistant coach Robinson, who was hired by the team in September, was named interim head coach for the 2020–21 season. After Robinson was not retained at the end of the season, the school hired Bethune–Cookman head coach Ryan Ridder as its new coach on March 30. |
| UTRGV | Lew Hill | Jai Steadman | Matt Figger | Hill died on February 7, 2021. The 55-year-old was in his fifth season as head coach at Texas–Rio Grande Valley, amassing a record of 67–75 during his tenure at the school and had been preparing to step down after the season due to ongoing medical issues, including a bout with COVID. Four days after Hill's death, assistant coach Steadman was named interim head coach of the Vaqueros for the rest of the season. After the season ended, the school hired Austin Peay head coach Figger on March 29. |
| Utah | Larry Krystkowiak | | Craig Smith | Utah fired Krystowiak on March 16, 2021, after ten seasons with an overall record of 183–139. The Utes hired Craig Smith from cross-state rival Utah State as their next head coach on March 27. |
| Utah State | Craig Smith | | Ryan Odom | Smith left Utah State after three seasons to take the head coaching position at cross-state rival Utah on March 27, 2021. The Aggies announced the hire of UMBC head coach Odom as their next head coach on April 5. |
| Western Carolina | Mark Prosser | | Justin Gray | Prosser left Western Carolina on April 2, 2021, after three seasons for the head coaching position at Winthrop. Ironically enough, the Catamounts hired Justin Gray, a former Winthrop assistant coach who had followed Pat Kelsey to the College of Charleston, on April 13. |
| Wichita State | Gregg Marshall | Isaac Brown | Isaac Brown | Marshall, the program's winningest head coach with 331 wins, resigned from Wichita State on November 17, 2020, after 13 seasons following an investigation into reports of physical and verbal abuse of players. Assistant coach Brown was initially named the interim head coach of the Shockers for the 2020–21 season, and had the interim tag removed and was officially named the new head coach on February 26, 2021. |
| Winthrop | Pat Kelsey | | Mark Prosser | Kelsey left Winthrop on March 25, 2021, after nine seasons for the head coaching position at Charleston. On April 2, Winthrop announced the hiring of former Eagle assistant coach Prosser from Western Carolina as their next head coach. |