# 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 13. The first early-season tournaments to begin were the Puerto Rico Tip-Off and the Charleston Classic. The season ended with the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, whose Final Four took place in Houston, Texas, on April 2, 2016, with the national championship game following on April 4. Practices officially began on October 2, 2015.

## Rule changes

The following rule changes were proposed by the NCAA Men's Rules Committee for the 2015–16 season, and officially approved by the NCAA Men's Playing Rules Oversight Panel:
* Reducing the shot clock from 35 to 30 seconds (same as the women's game).
* Providing offensive players the same verticality protections as defensive players.
* Extending the restricted-area arc from 3 feet to 4 feet from the basket.
* Reducing the number of team timeouts from 5 to 4, with a limit of no more than 3 timeouts in the second half.
* Ending the practice of coaches calling timeouts from the bench in live-ball situations.
* Tightening the 10-second backcourt rule, under which the offensive team has 10 seconds to advance the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt. The following situations, all of which resulted in a reset of the 10-second count under previous rules, no longer reset the count:
** The defense deflects the ball out of bounds.
** A held ball situation in the offensive backcourt in which the possession arrow favors the offense.
** A technical foul against the offensive team during possession in its own backcourt.
* Eliminating the five-second "closely-guarded" rule while the ball is being dribbled.
* Allowing for technical fouls to be called on players who are determined to have faked a foul while reviewing for a flagrant foul.
* Allow video replay of shot-clock violations throughout the game. Previously, this type of review was limited to only the final 2:00 of the game and in overtime.
* "Class B" technical fouls, such as hanging on the rim and delay of game, now result in one free throw by the non-violating team instead of the previous two.
* Requiring that a timeout taken 30 seconds or less before a scheduled media timeout break (which are at 16:00, 12:00, 8:00, and 4:00 of each half) become the media timeout. This particular change had been made in NCAA women's basketball effective with the 2013–14 season.
* Stricter enforcement of resumption of play after timeouts, and reducing from 20 seconds to 15 seconds the time allowed to replace a disqualified (fouled out) player. Teams will receive a delay-of-game warning after the first violation, and a Class B technical foul for each subsequent violation.
* Dunking will be allowed during team warmups and halftime.
* An experimental rule allowing players six personal fouls instead of five will be used in all national postseason tournaments except for the NCAA tournament.

## Season headlines

* May 27 – The NCAA announced its Academic Progress Rate (APR) sanctions for the 2015–16 school year. A total of 21 programs in 9 sports were declared ineligible for postseason play due to failure to meet the required APR benchmark, including the following four Division I men's basketball teams:
** Alcorn State
** Florida A&M
** Stetson
** Central Arkansas
* June 29 – Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan announced he would retire at the end of the 2015–16 season.
* August 13 – Ryan backed away from his previously announced retirement plans, saying that he was open to staying on beyond this season and that he would make his decision in the coming months.
* September 29 – The NCAA announced penalties against SMU following an investigation into a wide array of violations:
** The Mustangs were banned from postseason play for 2015–16.
** Head coach Larry Brown was suspended for nine games.
** SMU lost nine men's basketball scholarships from 2016–17 through 2018–19. Since the team had only 11 scholarship players for 2015–16, two short of the NCAA limit of 13, the two unused scholarships counted toward the penalty.
** The men's basketball program was hit with three years' probation.
* October 2 – Yahoo! Sports revealed that the University of Louisville was investigating allegations made in a soon-to-be-published book whose author, a self-described madam, claimed that she had been paid thousands of dollars by former Louisville graduate assistant and director of basketball operations Andre McGee to provide women to dance for and have sex with Cardinals players and recruits.
* November 10 – The Associated Press preseason All-American team was released. Gonzaga forward Kyle Wiltjer was the leading vote-getter (51 votes). Joining him on the team were Iowa State forward Georges Niang (46 votes), Providence guard Kris Dunn (43), Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield (40) and LSU forward Ben Simmons (28).
* December 15 – Bo Ryan announced his retirement after a win against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, effective immediately, with associate head coach Greg Gard assuming the title of interim head coach.
* December 23 – The NCAA announced penalties against Hawaiʻi for significant violations of NCAA rules:
** Former head coach Gib Arnold, who had been fired shortly before the 2014–15 season, received a three-year show-cause penalty. An assistant involved in the violations received a two-year show-cause.
** The Rainbow Warriors were banned from postseason play in 2016–17.
** The team lost two scholarships in both 2016–17 and 2017–18; it had previously announced a reduction of one scholarship for each of those seasons.
* January 13
** The NCAA Division I council approved the following changes to its rules regarding declaration for the NBA draft:
*** Declaration for the draft no longer results in automatic loss of college eligibility. As long as a player does not sign a contract with a professional team outside the NBA, or sign with an agent, he will retain college eligibility as long as he makes a timely withdrawal from the draft.
*** NCAA players now have until 10 days after the end of the NBA Draft Combine to withdraw from the draft. For 2016, the withdrawal date was May 25, about five weeks after the previous mid-April deadline.
*** NCAA players may participate in the draft combine, and are also allowed to attend one tryout per year with each NBA team without losing college eligibility.
*** NCAA players may now enter and withdraw from the draft multiple times without loss of eligibility. Previously, the NCAA treated a second declaration of draft eligibility as a permanent loss of college eligibility.
** Missouri admitted to major NCAA violations dating to 2011. While the NCAA had yet to announce its findings, Missouri voluntarily imposed the following sanctions:
*** The Tigers would not participate in any postseason play this season, including the SEC tournament.
*** All 23 of the Tigers' wins in the 2013–14 season were vacated.
*** The Tigers lost one scholarship in each of the next two seasons, and restrict recruiting in 2016–17.
* February 6
** Louisville self-imposed a 2016 postseason ban.
* March 10
** The Ivy League announced that it would institute men's and women's conference tournaments effective with the 2016–17 season. The top four teams in the regular-season standings qualify for each tournament. While the tournament winners receive automatic bids to the NCAA men's and women's tournaments, the official conference champions continue to be determined solely by regular-season results. The inaugural editions were held March 11–12, 2017 at the Palestra in Philadelphia.
* April 8 – The NCAA announced penalties against Southern Miss for a wide array of violations occurring during the tenure of former head coach Donnie Tyndall. The NCAA's findings indicated that mere weeks after Tyndall became head coach, he directed program staffers to complete fraudulent coursework so that several recruits would ostensibly be eligible to play. It was also found that Tyndall had arranged for cash payments to recruits, fabricated documents in an attempt to cover up the payments, and deleted emails relevant to the investigation.
** Tyndall received a 10-year show-cause, and even after it expires in 2026, he will be suspended for 50% of his next full season as an NCAA coach. Three of his assistants receive 8-year, 7-year, and 6-year penalties. At the time, Tyndall planned to appeal his penalty.
** The NCAA accepted the school's self-imposed two-year postseason ban, but placed the Golden Eagles on three years' probation. All wins in which ineligible players participated were vacated, and the Golden Eagles lost four scholarships over the next three seasons.

### Milestones and records

* During the season, the following players reached the 2000 career point milestone – Evansville guard D. J. Balentine, High Point forward John Brown, Hofstra guard Juan'ya Green, Louisiana–Lafayette forward Shawn Long, Iowa State forward Georges Niang, Old Dominion guard Trey Freeman, Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield, Stony Brook forward Jameel Warney, Louisville guard Damion Lee, Fresno State guard Marvelle Harris, Army swingman Kyle Wilson. and Iona guard A. J. English.
* November 26 – Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo wins his 500th game.
* November 28 – Davidson head coach Bob McKillop wins his 500th game.
* November 28 – BYU's Kyle Collinsworth records his seventh career triple-double, giving him sole possession of the NCAA record.
* January 26 – Virginia beats Wake Forest on a 9–1 run in the final fifteen seconds, including a buzzer beater three-point bank shot from Darius Thompson, in a comeback highly noted for its statistical improbability.
* February 1 – Duke's streak of 167 appearances in the AP Poll ended as the 5th longest streak of all time.
* February 5 – Yale's Brandon Sherrod, who entered the Bulldogs' game against Columbia one shy of the Division I record of 26 consecutive field goals made, makes his first five field goal attempts in Yale's 86–72 win to set a new record of 30.
* February 8 – The 2015–16 Villanova Wildcats became the program's first team to reach number one in the AP Poll by climbing to the top of the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings.
* March 16 – In BYU's 97–79 victory over UAB in the first round of the NIT, Collinsworth posts his sixth triple-double of the season, tying his own single-season record from last season and extending his NCAA career record to 12.

## Conference membership changes

After a tumultuous four years in which over 80 Division I schools moved to new conferences—some more than once—only two schools joined new conferences as full members for 2015–16:
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| NJIT Highlanders | NCAA Division I independent | Atlantic Sun Conference |
| Northern Kentucky Norse | Atlantic Sun Conference | Horizon League |
Another change in membership involved the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). This did not involve a school moving to a new league, but rather a change in identity of a Division I school. During the summer of 2015, the University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) and the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) merged to form the new University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The UTPA athletic program was inherited by UTRGV, which retained UTPA's WAC membership.
Following UAB's decision to drop football at the end of the 2014 season, its future membership in Conference USA (C-USA) beyond 2014–15 was initially uncertain, as league bylaws require all member schools to either sponsor FBS football or be committed to establishing an FBS program. Due to ongoing efforts by boosters and other supporters to raise funds to bring UAB football back, C-USA indicated that UAB would be allowed to remain in the league for the 2015–16 season, but not beyond that time unless football was reinstated. On June 1, 2015, UAB initially announced that the football program would be reinstated in 2016, later pushing back the return of football to 2017; this was sufficient to satisfy C-USA, which announced that it would keep UAB as a member.
The 2015–16 season was the last for Coastal Carolina in the Big South Conference. On September 1, 2015, the university and the Sun Belt Conference jointly announced that the Chanticleers would join the Sun Belt in July 2016, initially as a non-football member. The football team will join the Sun Belt in 2017, the second year of its transition from FCS to FBS football.

## New arenas

* The Omaha Mavericks left their home since 2012, the off-campus Ralston Arena, for the new on-campus Baxter Arena. The Mavericks' first game in the new arena was on November 13 against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, with the Mavericks losing 60–59.
* The Ole Miss Rebels also opened a new arena, but unlike Omaha, the move was from one campus venue to another. Tad Smith Coliseum, home to the Rebels since 1966, was replaced by The Pavilion at Ole Miss. The new arena, with a capacity of 9,500, opened on January 7, with the Rebels defeating Alabama 74–66.

## Season outlook
### Pre–season polls

The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.
AP :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | North Carolina |
| 2 | Kentucky |
| 3 | Maryland |
| 4 | Kansas |
| 5 | Duke |
| 6 | Virginia |
| 7 | Iowa State |
| 8 | Oklahoma |
| 9 | Gonzaga |
| 10 | Wichita State |
| 11 | Villanova |
| 12 | Arizona |
| 13 | Michigan State |
| 14 | California |
| 15 | Indiana |
| 16 | Utah |
| 17 | Wisconsin |
| 18 | Vanderbilt |
| 19 | Notre Dame |
| 20 | UConn |
| 21 | LSU |
| 22 | Baylor |
| 23 | Purdue |
| 24 | Butler |
| 25 | Michigan |
USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Kentucky |
| 1 | North Carolina |
| 3 | Maryland |
| 4 | Duke |
| 5 | Kansas |
| 6 | Virginia |
| 7 | Iowa State |
| 8 | Oklahoma |
| 9 | Villanova |
| 10 | Arizona |
| 11 | Gonzaga |
| 12 | Wichita State |
| 13 | Michigan State |
| 14 | California |
| 15 | Indiana |
| 16 | Utah |
| 17 | Wisconsin |
| 18 | Notre Dame |
| 19 | LSU |
| 20 | Vanderbilt |
| 21 | Baylor |
| 22 | Butler |
| 23 | West Virginia |
| 24 | UConn |
| 25 | Purdue |

## Regular season
### Early season tournaments

| Name | Dates | Location | No. teams | Champion |
| Puerto Rico Tip-Off | November 19–20, 22 | Roberto Clemente Coliseum (San Juan, Puerto Rico) | 8 | Miami (FL) |
| Charleston Classic | November 19–20, 22 | TD Arena (Charleston, South Carolina) | 8 | Virginia |
| 2K Sports Classic | November 20, 22 | Madison Square Garden (New York City) | 4 | Duke |
| Paradise Jam tournament | November 20–23 | Sports and Fitness Center (Saint Thomas, VI) | 8 | South Carolina |
| Hall of Fame Tip Off | November 21–22 | Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Connecticut) | 4 | Purdue (Naismith) Buffalo (Springfield) |
| CBE Hall of Fame Classic | November 23–24 | Sprint Center (Kansas City, Missouri) | 4 | North Carolina |
| Legends Classic | November 23–24 | Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York) | 4 | Marquette |
| Gulf Coast Showcase | November 23–25 | Germain Arena (Estero, Florida) | 8 | Weber State |
| Maui Invitational | November 23–25 | Lahaina Civic Center (Lahaina, HI) | 8 | Kansas |
| Men Who Speak Up Main Event | November 23, 25 | MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas) | 8 | Howard (Middleweight Bracket) Creighton (Heavyweight Bracket) |
| Cancún Challenge | November 24–25 | Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort (Cancún, MX) | 8 | South Dakota State (Mayan Division) Maryland (Riviera Division) |
| Battle 4 Atlantis | November 25–27 | Imperial Arena (Nassau, BAH) | 8 | Syracuse |
| Great Alaska Shootout | November 25–28 | Sullivan Arena (Anchorage, AK) | 8 | Middle Tennessee |
| NIT Season Tip-Off | November 26–27 | Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York) | 4 | Villanova |
| AdvoCare Invitational | November 26–27, 29 | HP Field House (Lake Buena Vista, Florida) | 8 | Xavier |
| Wooden Legacy | November 26–27, 29 | Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California) | 8 | Michigan State |
| Las Vegas Invitational | November 26–27 | Orleans Arena (Las Vegas) | 4 | West Virginia |
| Barclays Center Classic | November 27–28 | Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York) | 4 | Cincinnati |
| Corpus Christi Coastal Classic | November 27–28 | American Bank Center (Corpus Christi, Texas) | 4 | UTEP |
| Emerald Coast Classic | November 27–28 | Emerald Coast Classic Arena (Niceville, Florida) | 4 | Iowa State |
| Las Vegas Classic | December 22–23 | Orleans Arena (Las Vegas) | 4 | SMU |
| Diamond Head Classic | December 22–23, 25 | Stan Sheriff Center (Honolulu, HI) | 8 | Oklahoma |

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

Thirty-one conference regular 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 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. For the final time, 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 first place | Conference player of the year | Conference Coach of the Year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (city) | Tournament winner |
| America East Conference | Stony Brook | Jameel Warney, Stony Brook | Steve Pikiell, Stony Brook | 2016 America East men's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Stony Brook |
| American Athletic Conference | Temple | Nic Moore, SMU | Fran Dunphy, Temple | 2016 American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament | Amway Center (Orlando, Florida) | UConn |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | VCU, St. Bonaventure & Dayton | DeAndre’ Bembry, Saint Joseph's | Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure | 2016 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York) | Saint Joseph's |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | North Carolina | Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia | Jim Larrañaga, Miami | 2016 ACC men's basketball tournament | Verizon Center (Washington, D.C.) | North Carolina |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | North Florida | Dallas Moore, North Florida | Matthew Driscoll, North Florida | 2016 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Florida Gulf Coast |
| Big 12 Conference | Kansas | Buddy Hield, Oklahoma | Tubby Smith, Texas Tech | 2016 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | Sprint Center (Kansas City, Missouri) | Kansas |
| Big East Conference | Villanova | Kris Dunn, Providence | Kevin Willard, Seton Hall & Jay Wright, Villanova | 2016 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City) | Seton Hall |
| Big Sky Conference | Weber State | Joel Bolomboy, Weber State | Bill Evans, Idaho State | 2016 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament | Reno Events Center (Reno, Nevada) | Weber State |
| Big South Conference | High Point & Winthrop | John Brown, High Point | Ritchie McKay, Liberty | 2016 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Pope Convocation Center (Buies Creek, North Carolina) | UNC Asheville |
| Big Ten Conference | Indiana | Denzel Valentine, Michigan State | Tom Crean, Indiana | 2016 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament | Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) | Michigan State |
| Big West Conference | Hawaii | Stefan Janković, Hawaii | Eran Ganot, Hawaii | 2016 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Honda Center (Anaheim, California) | Hawaii |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Hofstra & UNC Wilmington | Juan'ya Green, Hofstra | Kevin Keatts, UNC Wilmington | 2016 CAA men's basketball tournament | Royal Farms Arena (Baltimore) | UNC Wilmington |
| Conference USA | UAB | Alex Hamilton, Louisiana Tech | Jerod Haase, UAB | 2016 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex (Birmingham, Alabama) | Middle Tennessee |
| Horizon League | Valparaiso | Kay Felder, Oakland | Bryce Drew, Valparaiso | 2016 Horizon League men's basketball tournament | Joe Louis Arena (Detroit) | Green Bay |
| Ivy League | Yale | Justin Sears, Yale | James Jones, Yale | No tournament | No tournament | No tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Monmouth | Justin Robinson, Monmouth | King Rice, Monmouth | 2016 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Times Union Center (Albany, New York) | Iona |
| Mid-American Conference | Akron (East) Ball State & Central Michigan (West) | Antonio Campbell, Ohio | Keith Dambrot, Akron | 2016 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites Remainder at Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | Buffalo |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Hampton | James Daniel III, Howard | Murray Garvin, South Carolina State | 2016 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Norfolk Scope (Norfolk, Virginia) | Hampton |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Wichita State | Fred VanVleet, Wichita State | Barry Hinson, Southern Illinois | 2016 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Northern Iowa |
| Mountain West Conference | San Diego State | Marvelle Harris, Fresno State | Steve Fisher, San Diego State | 2016 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada) | Fresno State |
| Northeast Conference | Wagner | Cane Broome, Sacred Heart | Bashir Mason, Wagner | 2016 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Fairleigh Dickinson |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Belmont (East) Murray State & Tennessee–Martin (West) | Evan Bradds, Belmont | Dana Ford, Tennessee State | 2016 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Nashville Municipal Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee) | Austin Peay |
| Pac-12 Conference | Oregon | Jakob Pöltl, Utah | Dana Altman, Oregon | 2016 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament | MGM Grand Garden Arena (Paradise, Nevada) | Oregon |
| Patriot League | Bucknell | Tim Kempton, Lehigh | Nathan Davis, Bucknell | 2016 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Holy Cross |
| Southeastern Conference | Kentucky & Texas A&M | Tyler Ulis, Kentucky | Billy Kennedy, Texas A&M | 2016 SEC men's basketball tournament | Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee) | Kentucky |
| Southern Conference | Chattanooga | Stephen Croone, Furman | Matt McCall, Chattanooga | 2016 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | U.S. Cellular Center (Asheville, North Carolina) | Chattanooga |
| Southland Conference | Stephen F. Austin | Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin | Brad Underwood, Stephen F. Austin | 2016 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, Texas) | Stephen F. Austin |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Texas Southern | Derrick Griffin, Texas Southern | Mike Davis, Texas Southern | 2016 SWAC men's basketball tournament | Toyota Center (Houston, Texas) | Southern |
| The Summit League | IPFW & South Dakota State | Max Landis, IPFW | Jon Coffman, IPFW | 2016 Summit League men's basketball tournament | Denny Sanford Premier Center (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) | South Dakota State |
| Sun Belt Conference | Little Rock | Shawn Long, Louisiana–Lafayette | Chris Beard, Little Rock | 2016 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament | Lakefront Arena (New Orleans) | Little Rock |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga & Saint Mary's | Kyle Collinsworth, BYU | Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's | 2016 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada) | Gonzaga |
| Western Athletic Conference | New Mexico State | Pascal Siakam, New Mexico State | Rod Barnes, Cal State Bakersfield | 2016 WAC men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada) | Cal State Bakersfield |

#### Conference standings

2015–16 America East Conference men's basketball standings :
| 2015–16 America East Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Stony Brook †14–2 .87526–7  .788 Albany13–3 .81324–9  .727 Vermont11–5 .68823–14  .622 New Hampshire11–5 .68820–13  .606 UMass Lowell*7–9 .43811–18  .379 Binghamton5–11 .3138–22  .267 Hartford4–12 .25010–23  .303 Maine4–12 .2508–22  .267 UMBC3–13 .1887–25  .219 * Ineligible for postseason during transition to Division I. † 2016 America East tournament winner | 2015–16 American Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Temple14–4 .77821–12  .636 No. 24 SMU$^*$13–5 .72225–5  .833 Houston12–6 .66722–10  .688 Cincinnati12–6 .66722–11  .667 Tulsa12–6 .66720–12  .625 UConn †11–7 .61125–11  .694 Memphis8–10 .44419–15  .559 UCF6–12 .33312–18  .400 East Carolina4–14 .22212–20  .375 South Florida4–14 .2228–25  .242 Tulane3–15 .16712–22  .353 $^*$ Ineligible for postseason due to postseason ban † American Athletic Conference tournament Champions Rankings from AP poll | 2015–16 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Dayton14–4 .77825–8  .758 VCU14–4 .77825–11  .694 St. Bonaventure14–4 .77822–9  .710 Saint Joseph's †13–5 .72228–8  .778 George Washington11–7 .61128–10  .737 Davidson10–8 .55620–13  .606 Rhode Island9–9 .50017–15  .531 Fordham8–10 .44417–14  .548 Richmond7–11 .38916–16  .500 UMass6–12 .33314–18  .438 Duquesne6–12 .33317–17  .500 George Mason5–13 .27811–21  .344 Saint Louis5–13 .27811–21  .344 La Salle4–14 .2229–22  .290 † 2016 A10 Tournament winner |
| 2015–16 ACC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 North Carolina †14–4 .77833–7  .825 No. 4 Virginia13–5 .72229–8  .784 No. 10 Miami (FL)13–5 .72227–8  .771 No. 16 Louisville*12–6 .66723–8  .742 Notre Dame11–7 .61124–12  .667 No. 19 Duke11–7 .61125–11  .694 Virginia Tech10–8 .55620–15  .571 Clemson10–8 .55617–14  .548 Pittsburgh9–9 .50021–12  .636 Syracuse9–9 .50023–14  .622 Georgia Tech8–10 .44421–15  .583 Florida State8–10 .44420–14  .588 NC State5–13 .27816–17  .485 Wake Forest2–16 .11111–20  .355 Boston College0–18 .0007–25  .219 *Ineligible for both the 2016 ACC tournament and the 2016 NCAA tournament due to self-imposed postseason ban. † 2016 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2015–16 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Florida10–4 .71422–12  .647 NJIT8–6 .57120–15  .571 Jacksonville8–6 .57116–16  .500 Florida Gulf Coast †8–6 .57121–14  .600 Kennesaw State7–7 .50011–20  .355 Lipscomb7–7 .50012–21  .364 Stetson*4–10 .28612–22  .353 USC Upstate4–10 .28610–22  .313 *ineligible for the 2016 NCAA tournament due to APR violations † 2016 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner | 2015–16 Big East men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 6 Villanova16–2 .88935–5  .875 No. 9 Xavier14–4 .77828–5  .848 No. 20 Seton Hall †12–6 .66725–9  .735 Providence10–8 .55624–11  .686 Butler10–8 .55622–11  .667 Creighton9–9 .50020–15  .571 Marquette8–10 .44420–13  .606 Georgetown7–11 .38915–18  .455 DePaul3–15 .1679–22  .290 St. John's1–17 .0568–24  .250 † 2016 Big East tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2015–16 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Weber State †15–3 .83326–9  .743 Montana14–4 .77821–12  .636 Idaho12–6 .66721–13  .618 Idaho State11–7 .61116–15  .516 Eastern Washington10–8 .55618–16  .529 North Dakota10–8 .55617–16  .515 Montana State9–9 .50014–17  .452 Portland State8–10 .44413–18  .419 Northern Colorado7–11 .38910–21  .323 Sacramento State6–12 .33314–17  .452 Northern Arizona3–15 .1675–25  .167 Southern Utah3–15 .1675–24  .172 † Conference tournament winner | 2015–16 Big South men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Winthrop13–5 .72223–9  .719 High Point13–5 .72221–11  .656 UNC Asheville †12–6 .66722–12  .647 Coastal Carolina12–6 .66721–12  .636 Gardner–Webb10–8 .55617–16  .515 Liberty10–8 .55613–19  .406 Radford9–9 .50016–15  .516 Campbell5–13 .27812–18  .400 Presbyterian5–13 .27811–20  .355 Longwood5–13 .27810–23  .303 Charleston Southern5–13 .2789–21  .300 † 2016 Big South tournament winner | 2015–16 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 14 Indiana15–3 .83327–8  .771 No. 2 Michigan State †13–5 .72229–6  .829 No. 18 Maryland12–6 .66727–9  .750 No. 12 Purdue12–6 .66726–9  .743 No. 25 Iowa12–6 .66722–11  .667 Wisconsin12–6 .66722–13  .629 Ohio State11–7 .61121–14  .600 Michigan10–8 .55623–13  .639 Northwestern8–10 .44420–12  .625 Penn State7–11 .38916–16  .500 Nebraska6–12 .33316–18  .471 Illinois5–13 .27815–19  .441 Minnesota2–16 .11111–20  .355 Rutgers1–17 .0567–25  .219 † 2016 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2015–16 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Kansas †15–3 .83333–5  .868 No. 8 West Virginia13–5 .72226–9  .743 No. 7 Oklahoma12–6 .66729–8  .784 Texas11–7 .61120–13  .606 No. 21 Baylor10–8 .55622–12  .647 No. 22 Iowa State10–8 .55623–12  .657 Texas Tech9–9 .50019–13  .594 Kansas State5–13 .27817–16  .515 Oklahoma State3–15 .16712–20  .375 TCU2–16 .11112–21  .364 † 2016 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2015–16 Big West men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Hawai'i †13–3 .81328–6  .824 UC Irvine13–3 .81328–10  .737 Long Beach State12–4 .75020–15  .571 UC Santa Barbara11–5 .68819–14  .576 UC Davis6–10 .37511–19  .367 UC Riverside5–11 .31314–19  .424 Cal State Northridge*5–11 .31310–20  .333 Cal Poly4–12 .25010–20  .333 Cal State Fullerton3–13 .18810–20  .333 *ineligible for postseason due to self-imposed ban due to academic fraud violations † 2016 Big West tournament winner | 2015–16 CAA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Hofstra14–4 .77824–10  .706 UNC Wilmington †14–4 .77825–8  .758 Towson11–7 .61120–13  .606 James Madison11–7 .61121–11  .656 William & Mary11–7 .61120–11  .645 Northeastern9–9 .50018–15  .545 College of Charleston8–10 .44417–14  .548 Elon7–11 .38916–16  .500 Drexel3–15 .1676–25  .194 Delaware2–16 .1117–23  .233 † 2016 CAA tournament winner |
| 2015–16 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UAB16–2 .88926–7  .788 Middle Tennessee †13–5 .72225–10  .714 Marshall12–6 .66717–16  .515 Louisiana Tech12–6 .66723–10  .697 Old Dominion12–6 .66725–13  .658 UTEP10–8 .55619–14  .576 Charlotte9–9 .50014–19  .424 Western Kentucky8–10 .44418–16  .529 North Texas7–11 .38912–20  .375 Rice7–11 .38912–20  .375 FIU7–11 .38913–19  .406 Florida Atlantic5–13 .2788–25  .242 Southern Miss*5–13 .2788–21  .276 UTSA3–15 .1675–27  .156 *Ineligible for postseason play due to self-imposed postseason ban. † 2016 C-USA Tournament winner | 2015–16 Horizon League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Valparaiso16–2 .88930–7  .811 Oakland13–5 .72223–12  .657 Wright State13–5 .72222–13  .629 Green Bay †11–7 .61123–13  .639 Milwaukee10–8 .55620–13  .606 Detroit9–9 .50016–15  .516 Youngstown State6–12 .33311–21  .344 Northern Kentucky*5–13 .2789–21  .300 Cleveland State4–14 .2229–23  .281 UIC3–15 .1675–25  .167 * Ineligible for NCAA postseason during transition to Division I. † 2016 Horizon League Tournament winner | 2015–16 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT x-Yale †13–1 .92923–7  .767 Princeton12–2 .85722–7  .759 Columbia10–4 .71425–10  .714 Harvard6–8 .42914–16  .467 Penn5–9 .35711–17  .393 Dartmouth4–10 .28610–18  .357 Cornell3–11 .21410–18  .357 Brown3–11 .2148–20  .286 x – Ivy League champions † – NCAA Tournament participant |
| 2015–16 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Monmouth17–3 .85028–8  .778 Iona †16–4 .80022–11  .667 Siena13–7 .65021–13  .618 Fairfield12–8 .60019–14  .576 Saint Peter's12–8 .60014–16  .467 Manhattan9–11 .45013–18  .419 Canisius8–12 .40014–19  .424 Rider8–12 .40013–20  .394 Quinnipiac6–14 .3009–21  .300 Niagara5–15 .2507–25  .219 Marist4–16 .2007–23  .233 † 2016 MAAC tournament winner | 2015–16 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Akron13–5 .72226–9  .743 Ohio11–7 .61123–12  .657 Kent State10–8 .55619–13  .594 Buffalo †10–8 .55620–15  .571 Miami (OH)6–12 .33313–20  .394 Bowling Green5–13 .27816–18  .471 West Ball State10–8 .55621–14  .600 Central Michigan10–8 .55617–16  .515 Northern Illinois9–9 .50021–13  .618 Eastern Michigan9–9 .50018–15  .545 Toledo8–10 .44417–15  .531 Western Michigan7–11 .38913–19  .406 † 2016 MAC tournament winner | 2015–16 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Hampton †13–3 .81321–11  .656 South Carolina State12–4 .75019–15  .559 Norfolk State12–4 .75017–17  .500 Bethune–Cookman10–6 .62514–18  .438 Savannah State9–7 .56316–16  .500 North Carolina Central7–9 .43813–19  .406 North Carolina A&T7–9 .43810–22  .313 Md. Eastern Shore7–9 .43810–22  .313 Howard6–10 .37512–20  .375 Morgan State6–10 .3759–22  .290 Coppin State6–10 .3759–22  .290 Delaware State5–11 .3137–25  .219 Florida A&M*4–12 .2508–21  .276 *ineligible for postseason due to APR violations † 2016 MEAC tournament winner As of March 18, 2016 |
| 2015–16 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Wichita State16–2 .88926–9  .743 Evansville12–6 .66725–9  .735 Illinois State12–6 .66718–14  .563 Southern Illinois11–7 .61122–10  .688 Northern Iowa †11–7 .61123–13  .639 Indiana State8–10 .44415–17  .469 Missouri State8–10 .44413–19  .406 Loyola Chicago7–11 .38915–17  .469 Bradley3–15 .1675–27  .156 Drake2–16 .1117–24  .226 † 2016 MVC tournament winner | 2015–16 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings Conf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT San Diego State16–2 .88928–10  .737 Fresno State †13–5 .72225–10  .714 Boise State11–7 .61120–12  .625 Nevada10–8 .55624–14  .632 New Mexico10–8 .55617–15  .531 Colorado State8–10 .44418–16  .529 UNLV8–10 .44418–15  .545 Utah State7–11 .38916–15  .516 Wyoming7–11 .38914–18  .438 Air Force5–13 .27814–18  .438 San Jose State4–14 .2229–22  .290 † Conference tournament winner | 2015–16 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Wagner13–5 .72223–11  .676 Fairleigh Dickinson †11–7 .61118–15  .545 Sacred Heart11–7 .61112–18  .400 St. Francis Brooklyn11–7 .61115–17  .469 Mount St. Mary's10–8 .55614–19  .424 LIU Brooklyn9–9 .50016–15  .516 Saint Francis9–9 .50013–17  .433 Robert Morris8–10 .44410–22  .313 Bryant5–13 .2788–23  .258 Central Connecticut3–15 .1674–25  .138 † 2016 NEC tournament winner |
| 2015–16 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Belmont12–4 .75020–12  .625 Tennessee State11–5 .68820–11  .645 Tennessee Tech11–5 .68819–12  .613 Morehead State11–5 .68823–14  .622 Eastern Kentucky6–10 .37515–16  .484 Jacksonville State4–12 .2508–23  .258 West UT Martin10–6 .62520–15  .571 Murray State10–6 .62517–14  .548 Eastern Illinois9–7 .56313–17  .433 Austin Peay †7–9 .43818–18  .500 SIU Edwardsville3–13 .1886–22  .214 Southeast Missouri St.2–14 .1255–24  .172 † 2016 OVC tournament winner | 2015–16 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 5 Oregon †14–4 .77831–7  .816 No. 13 Utah13–5 .72227–9  .750 No. 17 Arizona12–6 .66725–9  .735 No. 23 California12–6 .66723–11  .676 Colorado10–8 .55622–12  .647 USC9–9 .50021–13  .618 Oregon State9–9 .50019–13  .594 Washington9–9 .50019–15  .559 Stanford8–10 .44415–15  .500 UCLA6–12 .33315–17  .469 Arizona State5–13 .27815–17  .469 Washington State1–17 .0569–22  .290 † Pac-12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2015–16 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bucknell14–4 .77817–14  .548 Lehigh13–5 .72217–15  .531 Boston University11–7 .61119–15  .559 Army9–9 .50019–14  .576 Navy9–9 .50019–14  .576 Colgate9–9 .50013–17  .433 American9–9 .50012–19  .387 Loyola (MD)8–10 .4449–21  .300 Holy Cross †5–13 .27815–20  .429 Lafayette3–15 .1676–24  .200 † 2016 Patriot League tournament winner |
| 2015–16 SEC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 15 Texas A&M13–5 .72228–9  .757 No. 10 Kentucky †13–5 .72227–9  .750 South Carolina11–7 .61125–9  .735 Vanderbilt11–7 .61119–14  .576 LSU11–7 .61119–14  .576 Ole Miss10–8 .55620–12  .625 Georgia10–8 .55620–14  .588 Florida9–9 .50021–15  .583 Arkansas9–9 .50016–16  .500 Alabama8–10 .44418–15  .545 Mississippi State7–11 .38914–17  .452 Tennessee6–12 .33315–19  .441 Auburn5–13 .27811–20  .355 Missouri$^*$3–15 .16710–21  .323 † 2016 SEC tournament winner $^*$Ineligible for postseason play due to self-imposed postseason ban. Rankings from AP poll | 2015–16 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Chattanooga †15–3 .83329–6  .829 East Tennessee State14–4 .77824–12  .667 Furman11–7 .61119–16  .543 Wofford11–7 .61115–17  .469 Western Carolina10–8 .55616–18  .471 UNC Greensboro10–8 .55615–19  .441 Mercer8–10 .44419–15  .559 Samford4–14 .22214–19  .424 VMI4–14 .2229–21  .300 The Citadel3–15 .16710–22  .313 † 2016 SoCon Tournament winner | 2015–16 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Stephen F. Austin †18–0 1.00028–6  .824 Texas A&M–CC15–3 .83325–8  .758 Sam Houston State12–6 .66718–16  .529 Incarnate Word*12–6 .66717–12  .586 Houston Baptist10–8 .55617–17  .500 Southeastern Louisiana9–9 .50012–21  .364 Abilene Christian*8–10 .44413–18  .419 McNeese State7–11 .3899–20  .310 Central Arkansas**6–12 .3337–21  .250 New Orleans6–12 .33310–20  .333 Nicholls State6–12 .33311–23  .324 Northwestern State5–13 .2788–20  .286 Lamar3–15 .16711–19  .367 * Ineligible for postseason during transition to Division I ** Ineligible for postseason due to APR violations † 2016 Southland tournament winner |
| 2015–16 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Texas Southern16–2 .88918–15  .545 Alcorn State*13–5 .72215–15  .500 Jackson State12–6 .66720–16  .556 Southern †11–7 .61122–13  .629 Alabama State9–9 .50014–17  .452 Prairie View A&M7–11 .3897–24  .226 Alabama A&M6–12 .33311–18  .379 Arkansas–Pine Bluff6–12 .3338–25  .242 Mississippi Valley State6–12 .3338–27  .229 Grambling State4–14 .2227–24  .226 *ineligible for postseason due to APR violations † 2016 SWAC tournament winner | 2015–16 Summit League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT IPFW12–4 .75024–10  .706 South Dakota State †12–4 .75026–8  .765 Omaha10–6 .62518–14  .563 IUPUI9–7 .56313–19  .406 North Dakota State8–8 .50020–13  .606 Denver7–9 .43816–15  .516 Oral Roberts6–10 .37514–17  .452 South Dakota5–11 .31314–18  .438 Western Illinois3–13 .18810–17  .370 † 2016 Summit League Tournament winner | 2015–16 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Little Rock †17–3 .85030–5  .857 Louisiana–Monroe15–5 .75020–14  .588 Texas–Arlington13–7 .65024–11  .686 Louisiana–Lafayette12–8 .60019–15  .559 Georgia Southern10–10 .50014–17  .452 Georgia State9–11 .45016–14  .533 Texas State8–12 .40015–16  .484 South Alabama8–12 .40014–19  .424 Arkansas State7–13 .35011–20  .355 Appalachian State7–13 .3509–22  .290 Troy4–16 .2009–22  .290 † 2016 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner |
| 2015–16 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Saint Mary's15–3 .83329–6  .829 Gonzaga †15–3 .83328–8  .778 BYU13–5 .72226–11  .703 Pepperdine10–8 .55618–14  .563 San Francisco8–10 .44415–15  .500 Santa Clara7–11 .38911–20  .355 Portland6–12 .33312–20  .375 Loyola Marymount6–12 .33314–17  .452 Pacific*6–12 .3338–20  .286 San Diego4–14 .2229–21  .300 *ineligible for postseason due to self probation † Conference tournament winner | 2015–16 WAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT New Mexico State13–1 .92923–11  .676 Grand Canyon *11–3 .78627–7  .794 Cal State Bakersfield †11–3 .78624–9  .727 Seattle7–7 .50015–17  .469 Utah Valley6–8 .42912–18  .400 UMKC4–10 .28612–19  .387 Texas–Rio Grande Valley4–10 .2868–22  .267 Chicago State0–14 .0004–28  .125 * Ineligible for postseason during transition to Division I. † 2016 WAC tournament winner |

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Villanova | DeAndre' Bembry, Saint Joseph's |
Villanova finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

### Statistical leaders

Source for additional stats categories
| Points per game | Points per game | Points per game | Rebounds per game | Rebounds per game | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Assists per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Steals per game | Steals per game |
| Player | School | PPG | Player | School | RPG | Player | School | APG | Player | School | SPG |
| James Daniel III | Howard | 27.1 | Egidijus Mockevičius | Evansville | 14.0 | Kay Felder | Oakland | 9.3 | Tra-Deon Hollins | Omaha | 4.0 |
| Buddy Hield | Oklahoma | 25.0 | Rokas Gustys | Hofstra | 13.0 | Jordan Johnson | Milwaukee | 8.1 | Hameed Ali | Texas A&M–CC | 2.7 |
| Josh Adams | Wyoming | 24.7 | Joel Bolomboy | Weber State | 12.6 | Jaaron Simmons | Ohio | 7.9 | Carrington Love | Green Bay | 2.6 |
| Kay Felder | Oakland | 24.4 | Shawn Long | LA-Lafayette | 12.1 | Denzel Valentine | Michigan State | 7.8 | Gary Payton II | Oregon State | 2.5 |
| Stefan Moody | Ole Miss | 23.6 | Chris Horton | Austin Peay | 12.0 | Kyle Collinsworth | BYU | 7.4 | Kris Dunn | Providence | 2.5 |
| 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% |
| Vashil Fernandez | Valparaiso | 3.3 | Evan Bradds | Belmont | 71.4 | Giddy Potts | Middle Tennessee | 50.6 | Fletcher Magee | Wofford | 92.5 |
| Tai Odiase | UIC | 3.2 | Venky Jois | Eastern Washington | 67.9 | Bryn Forbes | Michigan State | 48.1 | Ben Millaud-Meunier | St. Francis (PA) | 91.0 |
| Jameel Warney | Stony Brook | 3.0 | Derrick Griffin | Texas Southern | 66.2 | Fletcher Magee | Wofford | 47.9 | Q. J. Peterson | VMI | 90.5 |
| Laron Smith | Bethune–Cookman | 3.0 | Rokas Gustys | Hofstra | 66.0 | Matt Donlan | Youngstown State | 46.3 | Sam Hunt | NC A&T | 90.4 |
| Luke Kornet | Vanderbilt | 3.0 | Adrian Diaz | FIU | 65.0 | Trent Mackey | North Florida | 46.0 | Jaleen Smith | New Hampshire | 90.0 |

## Postseason
### NCAA tournament
#### 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 | Region | Round |
| March 17 | Yale (12) | 79–75 | Baylor (5) | West | Round of 64 |
| March 17 | Little Rock (12) | 85–83 (2OT) | Purdue (5) | Midwest | Round of 64 |
| March 18 | Hawaii (13) | 77–66 | California (4) | South | Round of 64 |
| March 18 | Middle Tennessee (15) | 90–81 | Michigan State (2) | Midwest | Round of 64 |
| March 18 | Stephen F. Austin (14) | 70–56 | West Virginia (3) | East | Round of 64 |
| March 19 | Gonzaga (11) | 82–59 | Utah (3) | Midwest | Round of 32 |
| March 27 | Syracuse (10) | 68–62 | Virginia (1) | Midwest | Elite 8 |
Final Four – NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
| National Semifinals April 2 | National Semifinals April 2 | National Semifinals April 2 | National Championship game Apr 4 | National Championship game Apr 4 | National Championship game Apr 4 |
| 2 (W) | Oklahoma | 51 | | | |
| 2 (S) | Villanova | 95 | | | |
| 2 (S) | Villanova | 95 | 2 (S) | Villanova | 77 |
| | | | 1 (E) | North Carolina | 74 |
| 1 (E) | North Carolina | 83 | 1 (E) | North Carolina | 74 |
| 10 (MW) | Syracuse | 66 | | | |

### 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 15, 2016 with all games prior to the semifinals were played on campus sites.

#### NIT Semifinals and Final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 29 and 31
The semifinals and final were held on March 29 and March 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
| Semifinals March 29 | Semifinals March 29 | Semifinals March 29 | Championship game March 31 | Championship game March 31 | Championship game March 31 |
| 1 | Valparaiso | 72 | | | |
| 2 | BYU | 70 | | | |
| 2 | BYU | 70 | 1 | Valparaiso | 60 |
| | | | 4 | George Washington | 76 |
| 4 | George Washington | 65 | 4 | George Washington | 76 |
| 2 | San Diego State | 46 | | | |

### Vegas 16 tournament

After the NCAA tournament field was announced, eight teams were invited to participate in the first-ever Vegas 16 Tournament. The tournament began on March 28, 2016, with all eight teams playing in the opening round. The semifinals was played on March 29, and the championship game on March 30. All games were played at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Vegas 16 Tournament was never held again.
| Semifinals March 29 | Semifinals March 29 | Semifinals March 29 | Championship game March 30 | Championship game March 30 | Championship game March 30 |
| Old Dominion | Old Dominion | 64 | | | |
| UC Santa Barbara | UC Santa Barbara | 49 | | | |
| UC Santa Barbara | UC Santa Barbara | 49 | Old Dominion | Old Dominion | 68 |
| | | | Oakland | Oakland | 67 |
| Oakland | Oakland | 104 | Oakland | Oakland | 67 |
| East Tennessee State | East Tennessee State | 81 | | | |

### College Basketball Invitational

The ninth College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Tournament began on March 15, 2016. This tournament featured 16 teams who were left out of the NCAA tournament and NIT.
| Semifinals March 23 | Semifinals March 23 | Championship Series March 28, April 1 | Championship Series March 28, April 1 | Championship Series March 28, April 1 | Championship Series March 28, April 1 |
| Morehead State | 77 | | | | |
| Ohio | 72 | | | | |
| Ohio | 72 | Morehead State | 86 | 68 | 82 |
| | | Nevada | 83 | 77 | 85* |
| Nevada | 86 | Nevada | 83 | 77 | 85* |
| Vermont | 72 | | | | |

### CollegeInsider.com Postseason tournament

The eighth CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament began on March 14 and ended with that championship game on March 29. This tournament places an emphasis on selecting successful teams from "mid-major" conferences who were left out of the NCAA tournament and NIT. 26 teams participated in this tournament.
| Semifinals March 27 | Semifinals March 27 | Semifinals March 27 | Championship March 29 | Championship March 29 | Championship March 29 |
| NJIT | NJIT | 65 | | | |
| Columbia | Columbia | 80 | | | |
| Columbia | Columbia | 80 | Columbia | Columbia | 73 |
| | | | UC Irvine | UC Irvine | 67 |
| UC Irvine | UC Irvine | 66 | UC Irvine | UC Irvine | 67 |
| Coastal Carolina | Coastal Carolina | 47 | | | |

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

The following players are recognized as the 2016 Consensus All-Americans:
Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Malcolm Brogdon | SG | Senior | Virginia |
| Buddy Hield | SG | Senior | Oklahoma |
| Brice Johnson | PF | Senior | North Carolina |
| Ben Simmons | F | Freshman | Louisiana State |
| Tyler Ulis | PG | Sophomore | Kentucky |
| Denzel Valentine | SG | Senior | Michigan State |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Kris Dunn | PG | Junior | Providence |
| Perry Ellis | PF | Senior | Kansas |
| Georges Niang | PF/SF | Senior | Iowa State |
| Jakob Pöltl | C | Sophomore | Utah |
| Jarrod Uthoff | PF | Senior | Iowa |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
* Naismith Award: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
* NABC Player of the Year: Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

### Major freshman of the year awards

* Wayman Tisdale Award (USBWA): Ben Simmons, LSU

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Chris Mack, Xavier
* NABC Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Texas Tech

### Other major awards

* Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
* Jerry West Award (Best shooting guard): Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
* Julius Erving Award (Best small forward): Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
* Karl Malone Award (Best power forward): Georges Niang, Iowa State
* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Best center): Jakob Pöltl, Utah
* Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): Jakob Pöltl, Utah
* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
* Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): DeAndre' Bembry, Saint Joseph's
* Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall
* Ben Jobe Award (Top minority coach): Dana Ford, Tennessee State
* Hugh Durham Award (Top mid-major coach): James Jones, Yale
* Jim Phelan Award (Top head coach): Greg Gard, Wisconsin
* Lefty Driesell Award (Top defensive player): Vashil Fernandez, Valparaiso
* Lou Henson Award (Top mid-major player): Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin
* Lute Olson Award (Top non-freshman or transfer player): Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
* Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award (Coach with moral character): Zach Spiker, Army
* Academic All-American of the Year (Top scholar-athlete): Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa
* Elite 90 Award (Top GPA among upperclass players at Final Four): C. J. Cole, Oklahoma

## Coaching changes

Several teams changed coaches during and after the season.
| Team | Former coach | Interim coach | New coach | Reason |
| Arkansas State | John Brady | | Grant McCasland | Resigned, effective end of the season. Baylor assistant McCasland was named the new head coach. |
| Army | Zach Spiker | | Jimmy Allen | Spiker left after 7 seasons for the Drexel job, and was replaced by top assistant Allen. |
| Canisius | Jim Baron | | Reggie Witherspoon | Baron announced his immediate retirement on May 20, 2016, with Chattanooga assistant coach and former Buffalo head Coach Witherspoon succeeding him. |
| Central Connecticut | Howie Dickenman | | Donyell Marshall | Dickenman announced his retirement from his alma mater after 20 seasons on February 18, effective at the end of the season. Central Connecticut hired Buffalo assistant Marshall, a former UConn star and NBA player. |
| Columbia | Kyle Smith | | Jim Engles | Smith left after 6 seasons for the San Francisco job. NJIT coach Engles was hired as a replacement. |
| Cornell | Bill Courtney | | Brian Earl | Courtney's contract was not renewed by Cornell for the 2016-17 season. The Big Red hired Princeton assistant Earl. |
| Dartmouth | Paul Cormier | | David McLaughlin | Cormier was fired after 6 seasons into his 2nd stint as Dartmouth head coach. David McLaughlin is named as the new HC of the Dartmouth Big Green after being at Northeastern. |
| Delaware | Monté Ross | | Martin Ingelsby | Ross was fired after 10 seasons at Delaware and replaced by Notre Dame assistant Ingelsby. |
| Denver | Joe Scott | | Rodney Billups | Scott was fired after 9 seasons at Denver and replaced by Colorado assistant and ex-Pioneer player Billups. |
| Detroit | Ray McCallum | | Bacari Alexander | Detroit cleaned out its program after the season, starting with McCallum and two of his assistants. Michigan assistant Bacari Alexander returns to his alma mater to become the head coach the Titans. |
| Drexel | Bruiser Flint | | Zach Spiker | On March 7, 2016, following the end of Drexel's season, Flint was fired as head basketball coach after 15 seasons with the team. Spiker was hired from Army. |
| George Washington | Mike Lonergan | Maurice Joseph | Maurice Joseph | Despite leading the Colonials to the NIT title, Lonergan was fired on September 16 amid a university investigation into alleged verbal and emotional abuse of players. GW promoted assistant Joseph on an interim basis and removed the "interim" tag after the 2016–17 season, signing him to a 5-year contract. |
| Georgia Tech | Brian Gregory | | Josh Pastner | Gregory was fired after missing the NCAA tournament in all five of his seasons at Georgia Tech. Memphis head coach Pastner was ultimately hired. |
| Jacksonville State | James Green | | Ray Harper | Green was fired after the season and succeeded by recently departed Western Kentucky coach Harper. |
| James Madison | Matt Brady | | Louis Rowe | On March 14, 2016, Brady "mutually parted ways" with the Dukes as after eight seasons and one NCAA appearance. JMU's athletic director cited declining attendance and poor performances in the CAA tournament. Former JMU player and Bowling Green assistant Rowe was named the new head coach. |
| Little Rock | Chris Beard | | Wes Flanigan | Beard left after a single season to take the UNLV job, though he would later move to Texas Tech. Assistant coach Flanigan was elevated to the head coaching role. |
| Memphis | Josh Pastner | | Tubby Smith | Pastner left Memphis after 7 seasons for the Georgia Tech job and was replaced by Texas Tech coach Smith. |
| Milwaukee | Rob Jeter | | LaVall Jordan | Jeter was fired after 11 seasons at Milwaukee and was replaced by Michigan assistant Jordan. |
| New Mexico State | Marvin Menzies | | Paul Weir | Menzies left after 9 seasons for the Rebels of UNLV HC job. After being the Associate HC of the Aggies, Paul Weir now will take the reins of the HC of the Aggies. |
| Nicholls State | J. P. Piper | | Richie Riley | Piper was fired following the season. Former Assistant Coach at Clemson, Richie Riley has become the new HC of the Colonels. |
| NJIT | Jim Engles | | Brian Kennedy | Engles left NJIT after 8 seasons for Columbia. Assistant coach Brian Kennedy was named as the next HC of the Highlanders. |
| North Carolina A&T | Cy Alexander | Jay Joyner | Jay Joyner | Alexander resigned on January 29 to pursue other opportunities within North Carolina A&T's athletics department. Alexander compiled an overall record of 43–80 during his 3+ years as North Carolina A&T's head coach, including a 5–17 mark in 2015–16 at the time of his resignation. Joyner had the interim tag removed on March 7 to become the next full-time head coach. |
| Northern Colorado | B. J. Hill | | Jeff Linder | Hill was fired while Northern Colorado was under NCAA investigation. The Bears hired Boise State assistant Linder. |
| Oklahoma State | Travis Ford | | Brad Underwood | Ford was fired after nine seasons at Oklahoma State Underwood took the job after leading Stephen F. Austin to NCAA tournament success. |
| Pacific | Ron Verlin | Mike Burns | Damon Stoudamire | Pacific fired Verlin on March 3, along with assistant Dwight Young. Both had been suspended since December amid an NCAA investigation into alleged academic misconduct. The Tigers hired Memphis assistant Stoudamire, better known for his 13 seasons as an NBA player. |
| Pittsburgh | Jamie Dixon | | Kevin Stallings | Dixon left Pittsburgh after 13 years to take the head coach job at his alma mater, TCU. The Panthers hired Stallings away from Vanderbilt. |
| Portland | Eric Reveno | | Terry Porter | Reveno was fired after 10 seasons and an overall 140–178 record, finishing with a 12–20 season in 2015–16. The Pilots hired one of their city's basketball icons in Porter, a longtime star for the Portland Trail Blazers who later had extensive NBA coaching experience. |
| Prairie View | Byron Rimm | Byron Smith | Byron Smith | Rimm announced his resignation on January 27, effective immediately, with the Panthers at 1–18 on the season. Rimm had only two winning seasons in 10 seasons as head coach. Assistant Byron Smith was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season. Prairie View removed the interim tag from Smith on March 13. |
| Rutgers | Eddie Jordan | | Steve Pikiell | Jordan was fired on March 10 after three seasons at his alma mater. Jordan compiled an overall record of 29–68, ending with a 7–25 overall record and a 1–15 Big Ten record in 2015–16. The Scarlet Knights turned to Stony Brook coach Pikiell. |
| Saint Louis | Jim Crews | | Travis Ford | Crews was fired on March 9 after four seasons. The Billikens made the NCAA tournament in each of Crews' first two seasons as head coach, but went 11–21 in each of the last two seasons. SLU replaced Crews with newly departed Oklahoma State coach Ford. |
| San Francisco | Rex Walters | | Kyle Smith | Walters was fired on March 9, following the West Coast Conference tournament, after eight seasons in charge. After a run of three postseason appearances in four seasons, the Dons finished under .500 in WCC play in both 2014–15 and 2015–16. USF hired Columbia's Smith fresh off the Lions' CIT victory. |
| Santa Clara | Kerry Keating | | Herb Sendek | Keating was fired after 9 seasons at Santa Clara. Ex-Arizona State head coach Sendek was hired as head coach of the Broncos. |
| SMU | Larry Brown | | Tim Jankovich | Brown surprisingly stepped down as SMU coach on July 8, 2016 after 4 seasons. Jankovich, who had been hired along with Brown in 2012 as his top assistant and designated successor, was elevated to the top spot. |
| South Dakota State | Scott Nagy | | T. J. Otzelberger | Nagy left S. Dakota St. after 21 seasons for the Wright State job and was replaced by Iowa State assistant Otzelberger. |
| Southern Utah | Nick Robinson | | Todd Simon | Robinson was fired after a 28-90 record in 4 seasons at SUU. Former UNLV interim head coach Simon was hired to replace Robinson. |
| Stanford | Johnny Dawkins | | Jerod Haase | Dawkins was fired after eight seasons, and replaced by UAB head coach Haase. |
| Stephen F. Austin | Brad Underwood | | Kyle Keller | Underwood left SFA after 3 seasons for Oklahoma State and was replaced by Texas A&M assistant Keller. |
| Stony Brook | Steve Pikiell | | Jeff Boals | Pikiell left Stony Brook after 11 seasons for the Rutgers job and was replaced by Ohio State assistant Boals. |
| TCU | Trent Johnson | | Jamie Dixon | Johnson was fired after four seasons, a 50–79 overall record at the school, and an 8–64 record in Big 12 play. He was replaced by Pittsburgh head coach and former TCU player Dixon. |
| Tennessee–Martin | Heath Schroyer | Anthony Stewart | Anthony Stewart | Schroyer left his post to become assistant head coach at NC State. Assistant Stewart was initially named interim head coach for the 2016–17 season but had the interim tag removed before the start of the season on November 3, 2016, signing a 4-year contract with UT Martin. |
| Texas Tech | Tubby Smith | | Chris Beard | Smith left Texas Tech after 3 seasons for Memphis. After leaving Little Rock for UNLV less than a month earlier, Beard left for Texas Tech, where he had served as an assistant from 2001 to 2011. |
| Texas–Rio Grande Valley | Dan Hipsher | | Lew Hill | Hipsher was fired after 3 seasons at UTRGV. The Vaqueros hired Oklahoma assistant Hill. |
| Tulane | Ed Conroy | | Mike Dunleavy | Word of Conroy's impending firing came to him as he was coaching the Green Wave to an upset victory in the 2016 AAC tournament. The move was made official a few days later. Former NBA coach Dunleavy was hired for his first college coaching job, after a six-year hiatus from coaching. |
| UAB | Jerod Haase | | Robert Ehsan | Haase left UAB after 4 seasons to take the Stanford job and was replaced by assistant Ehsan. |
| UCF | Donnie Jones | | Johnny Dawkins | Jones was fired on March 10 after six seasons. Although he compiled a 100–88 overall record, the Knights went 12–18 overall and 6–12 in American Athletic play this season. Dawkins was hired fresh off his firing by Stanford. |
| UMBC | Aki Thomas | | Ryan Odom | Thomas was fired after 4 seasons and an overall record of 28-95 at UMBC. The Retrievers hired former Charlotte interim head coach Odom. |
| UNLV | Dave Rice | Todd Simon | Marvin Menzies | Rice was fired from his alma mater on January 10. Despite Rice's 98–54 record in four-plus seasons at UNLV, the Runnin' Rebels failed to make the postseason in either of the last two seasons, and an 0–3 start in Mountain West play was apparently the final straw for UNLV; top assistant Simon was named as interim head coach. Following the season, Chris Beard was initially hired from Little Rock after leading the Trojans to NCAA tournament success, but left less than a month later for Texas Tech. NMSU head coach Menzies, a UNLV assistant during the Lon Kruger era, was hired to replace Beard. |
| UTSA | Brooks Thompson | | Steve Henson | Thompson was fired on March 10 after 10 seasons. He had a 133–178 overall record, with the Roadrunners finishing this season 5–27 overall and 3–15 in Conference USA play. He was replaced by Oklahoma assistant Henson. |
| Valparaiso | Bryce Drew | | Matt Lottich | Drew left his alma mater after 5 seasons to take over at Vanderbilt and was replaced by assistant Lottich. |
| Vanderbilt | Kevin Stallings | | Bryce Drew | Stallings left Vanderbilt after 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh job. Vanderbilt hired Bryce Drew from Valparaiso. |
| Western Kentucky | Ray Harper | | Rick Stansbury | Harper resigned on March 17, 2016 after three WKU players were suspended following a school disciplinary hearing, eventually landing at Jacksonville State. The Hilltoppers hired longtime Mississippi State head coach Stansbury from his then-current post as an assistant at Texas A&M. |
| Wisconsin | Bo Ryan | Greg Gard | Greg Gard | Ryan announced his retirement on December 15, 2015, effective immediately. Top assistant Gard was named as interim head coach; Wisconsin removed the interim tag after the regular season, signing Gard to a 5-year contract. |
| Wright State | Billy Donlon | | Scott Nagy | Despite making it into the finals of the Horizon League tournament, Donlon was fired on March 17 after 6 seasons at Wright State with a 109-93 career record. The Raiders then hired Nagy away from South Dakota State. |
| Wyoming | Larry Shyatt | | Allen Edwards | Shyatt announced his retirement after 5 seasons into his 2nd stint at Wyoming on March 21, 2016, turning the program over to top assistant Edwards. |