# 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1986 and ended with the Final Four in New Orleans on March 30, 1987.

## Season headlines

* All NCAA tournament teams were subject to drug testing for the first time.

## Major rule changes

Beginning in 1986–87, the following rules changes were implemented:
* The three-point field goal was introduced and set at 19 feet 9 inches (6.02 m) from the center of the basket.
* A television replay could be used to prevent or rectify a scorer’s or timer’s mistake or a malfunction of the clock.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | North Carolina |
| 2 | Louisville |
| 3 | Indiana |
| 4 | Purdue |
| 5 | UNLV |
| 6 | Georgia Tech |
| 7 | Oklahoma |
| 8 | Kansas |
| 9 | Navy |
| 10 | Iowa |
| 11 | Kentucky |
| 12 | Auburn |
| 13 | Alabama |
| 14 | Illinois |
| 15 | Syracuse |
| 16 | Pittsburgh |
| 17 | NC State |
| 18 | Georgetown |
| 19 | Arizona |
| 20 | Cleveland State |

## Conference membership changes

| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Central Connecticut State Blue Devils | Division II independent | Division I independent |
| Florida A&M Rattlers | Division I independent | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
| UMBC Retrievers | Non-Division I | Division I independent |
| Northern Illinois Huskies | Mid-American Conference | Division I independent |
| Tennessee State Tigers | Division I independent | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Texas–San Antonio Roadrunners | Division I independent | Trans America Athletic Conference |

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

| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference player of the year | Conference Coach of the Year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (City) | Tournament winner |
| AMCU–8 | Southwest Missouri State | Winston Garland, Southwest Missouri State | Charlie Spoonhour, Southwest Missouri State | 1987 AMCU-8 men's basketball tournament | Hammons Student Center (Springfield, Missouri) | Southwest Missouri State |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | Temple | Nate Blackwell, Temple | John Chaney, Temple | 1987 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | McGonigle Hall (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | Temple |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | North Carolina | Horace Grant, Clemson | Cliff Ellis, Clemson | 1987 ACC men's basketball tournament | Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland) | NC State |
| Big East Conference | Georgetown, Pittsburgh & Syracuse | Reggie Williams, Georgetown | John Thompson, Georgetown | 1987 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) | Georgetown |
| Big Eight Conference | Missouri | Danny Manning, Kansas | Norm Stewart, Missouri | 1987 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament | Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) (Semifinals and Finals) | Missouri |
| Big Sky Conference | Montana State | Tom Domako, Montana State | Bobby Dye, Boise State & Jim Boutin, Idaho State | 1987 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament | Walkup Skydome (Flagstaff, Arizona) | Idaho State |
| Big South Conference | Baptist | Clarence Grier, Campbell | Billy Lee, Campbell | 1987 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Savannah Civic Center (Savannah, Georgia) | Baptist |
| Big Ten Conference | Indiana & Purdue | Dennis Hopson, Ohio State | Tom Davis, Iowa | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Navy | David Robinson, Navy | John Thurston, James Madison | 1987 CAA men's basketball tournament | Hampton Coliseum (Hampton, Virginia) | Navy |
| East Coast Conference | Bucknell | Daren Queenan, Lehigh & Ron Simpson, Rider | Charlie Woollum, Bucknell | 1987 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Towson Center (Towson, Maryland) | Bucknell |
| ECAC Metro | Marist | Rik Smits, Marist | Dave Magarity, Marist | 1987 ECAC Metro men's basketball tournament | McCann Field House (Poughkeepsie, New York) | Marist |
| ECAC North | Northeastern | Reggie Lewis, Northeastern | Karl Fogel, Northeastern | 1987 ECAC North men's basketball tournament | Matthews Arena (Boston, Massachusetts) | Northeastern |
| Ivy League | Penn | Perry Bromwell, Penn | None selected | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Saint Peter's | Kevin Houston, Army | Ted Fiore, Saint Peter's | 1987 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Meadowlands Arena (East Rutherford, New Jersey) | Fairfield |
| Metro Conference | Louisville | Herbert Crook, Louisville | Larry Finch, Memphis State | 1987 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament | Freedom Hall (Louisville, Kentucky) | Memphis State |
| Mid-American Conference | Central Michigan | Booker James, Western Michigan | Charlie Coles, Central Michigan | 1987 MAC men's basketball tournament | Centennial Hall (Toledo, Ohio) | Central Michigan |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Howard | George Cale, North Carolina A&T | A. B. Williamson, Howard | 1987 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | North Carolina A&T |
| Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Evansville & Loyola (IL) | Andre Moore, Loyola (IL) | Jim Crews, Evansville | 1987 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball tournament | Market Square Arena (Indianapolis, Indiana) | Xavier |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Tulsa | Hersey Hawkins, Bradley | Eddie Fogler, Wichita State | 1987 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Tulsa Convention Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma) | Wichita State |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Middle Tennessee State | Bob McCann, Morehead State | Max Good, Eastern Kentucky | 1987 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Murphy Center (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) | Austin Peay |
| Pacific-10 Conference | UCLA | José Ortiz, Oregon State | Walt Hazzard, UCLA | 1987 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament | Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, California) | UCLA |
| Pacific Coast Athletic Association | UNLV | Armon Gilliam, UNLV | Jerry Tarkanian, UNLV | 1987 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball tournament | The Forum (Inglewood, California) | UNLV |
| Southeastern Conference | Alabama | Derrick McKey, Alabama | Wimp Sanderson, Alabama | 1987 SEC men's basketball tournament | Omni Coliseum (Atlanta, Georgia) | Alabama |
| Southern Conference | Marshall | Gay Elmore, VMI | Butch Estes, Furman | 1987 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | Asheville Civic Center (Asheville, North Carolina) | Marshall |
| Southland Conference | Louisiana Tech | Jerome Batiste, McNeese State | Tommy Joe Eagles, Louisiana Tech | 1987 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Thomas Assembly Center (Ruston, Louisiana) | Louisiana Tech |
| Southwest Conference | TCU | Carven Holcombe, TCU | Jim Killingsworth, TCU | 1987 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament | Reunion Arena (Dallas, Texas) | Texas A&M |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Grambling State | George Ivory, Mississippi Valley State & Avery Johnson, Southern | Bob Hopkins, Grambling State | 1987 SWAC men's basketball tournament | | Southern |
| Sun Belt Conference | Western Kentucky | Tellis Frank, Western Kentucky | Murray Arnold, Western Kentucky | 1987 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament | E. A. Diddle Arena (Bowling Green, Kentucky) | UAB |
| Trans America Athletic Conference | Arkansas–Little Rock | Brian Newton, Georgia Southern | Frank Kerns, Georgia Southern | 1987 TAAC men's basketball tournament | Barton Coliseum (Little Rock, Arkansas) | Georgia Southern |
| West Coast Athletic Conference | San Diego | Scott Thompson, San Diego | Hank Egan, San Diego | 1987 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament | War Memorial Gymnasium (San Francisco, California) | Santa Clara |
| Western Athletic Conference | UTEP | Fennis Dembo, Wyoming | Don Haskins, UTEP | 1987 WAC men's basketball tournament | The Pit (Albuquerque, New Mexico) | Wyoming |

#### Conference standings

1986–87 AMCU-8 Conference men's basketball standings :
| 1986–87 AMCU-8 Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Southwest Missouri State †13–1 .92928–6  .824 Cleveland State10–4 .71425–8  .758 Illinois-Chicago9–5 .64317–15  .531 Wisconsin–Green Bay8–6 .57115–14  .517 Northern Iowa7–7 .50013–15  .464 Valparaiso4–10 .28612–16  .429 Eastern Illinois3–11 .2149–19  .321 Western Illinois2–12 .14312–16  .429 † 1987 AMCU-8 tournament winner | 1986–87 ACC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 North Carolina14–0 1.00032–4  .889 No. 13 Clemson10–4 .71425–6  .806 No. 17 Duke9–5 .64324–9  .727 Virginia8–6 .57121–10  .677 Georgia Tech7–7 .50016–13  .552 NC State †6–8 .42920–14  .588 Wake Forest2–12 .14314–15  .483 Maryland0–14 .0009–17  .346 † 1987 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 Temple †17–1 .94432–4  .889 West Virginia15–3 .83323–8  .742 Rhode Island12–6 .66720–10  .667 Penn State9–9 .50015–12  .556 Saint Joseph's9–9 .50016–13  .552 Duquesne7–11 .38912–17  .414 UMass7–11 .38911–16  .407 George Washington6–12 .33310–19  .345 Rutgers5–13 .2788–20  .286 St. Bonaventure3–15 .1675–23  .179 † 1987 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1986–87 Big East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Georgetown†12–4 .75029–5  .853 No. 12 Pittsburgh12–4 .75025–8  .758 No. 10 Syracuse12–4 .75031–7  .816 Providence10–6 .62525–9  .735 St. John's10–6 .62521–9  .700 Villanova6–10 .37515–16  .484 Seton Hall4–12 .25015–14  .517 Boston College3–13 .18811–18  .379 Connecticut3–13 .1889–19  .321 † 1987 Big East tournament winner As of March 30, 1987 Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 Big Eight Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 14 Missouri †11–3 .78624–10  .706 No. 20 Kansas9–5 .64325–11  .694 Oklahoma9–5 .64324–10  .706 Kansas State8–6 .57120–11  .645 Nebraska7–7 .50021–12  .636 Iowa State5–9 .35713–15  .464 Oklahoma State4–10 .2868–20  .286 Colorado3–11 .2149–19  .321 † 1987 Big Eight tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1986–87 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Montana State12–2 .85721–8  .724 Boise State10–4 .71422–8  .733 Montana8–6 .57118–11  .621 Nevada7–7 .50015–15  .500 Northern Arizona5–9 .35711–17  .393 Idaho5–9 .35716–14  .533 Idaho State †5–9 .35715–16  .484 Weber State4–10 .2867–22  .241 † Conference tournament winner |
| 1986–87 Big South Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Baptist †12–2 .85721–9  .700 Campbell10–4 .71417–13  .567 UNC Asheville5–3 .62515–11  .577 Radford7–7 .50017–14  .548 Winthrop1–7 .1258–20  .286 Coastal Carolina4–4 .50012–16  .429 Armstrong State2–6 .2506–22  .214 Augusta State3–11 .2148–19  .296 † 1987 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 Indiana15–3 .83330–4  .882 No. 7 Purdue15–3 .83325–5  .833 No. 6 Iowa14–4 .77830–5  .857 No. 11 Illinois13–5 .72223–8  .742 Michigan10–8 .55620–12  .625 Ohio State9–9 .50020–13  .606 Michigan State6–12 .33311–17  .393 Wisconsin4–14 .22214–17  .452 Minnesota2–16 .1119–19  .321 Northwestern2–16 .1117–21  .250 As of March 30, 1987 Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 CAA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Navy †13–1 .92926–6  .813 UNC Wilmington9–5 .64318–12  .600 Richmond8–6 .57115–14  .517 James Madison8–6 .57120–10  .667 George Mason7–7 .50015–13  .536 American5–9 .35713–14  .481 East Carolina4–10 .28612–16  .429 William & Mary2–12 .1435–22  .185 † 1987 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1986–87 East Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bucknell †11–3 .78622–9  .710 Lafayette10–4 .71416–13  .552 Rider8–6 .57112–16  .429 Lehigh8–6 .57115–14  .517 Drexel7–7 .50014–14  .500 Towson State5–9 .35714–16  .467 Hofstra4–10 .2869–19  .321 Delaware3–11 .21412–16  .429 † 1987 ECC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1986–87 ECAC Metro men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Marist †15–1 .93820–10  .667 Fairleigh Dickinson11–5 .68819–10  .655 Loyola (MD)10–6 .62515–14  .517 Wagner8–8 .50016–13  .552 Robert Morris7–9 .43813–14  .481 St. Francis (PA)7–9 .43811–16  .407 Long Island5–11 .31313–14  .481 St. Francis (NY)5–11 .31311–16  .407 Monmouth4–12 .2508–19  .296 † 1987 ECAC Metro tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 ECAC North men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northeastern †17–1 .94427–7  .794 Niagara14–4 .77821–10  .677 Boston University12–6 .66718–12  .600 Canisius12–6 .66716–12  .571 Siena12–6 .66717–12  .586 Hartford8–10 .44414–14  .500 Maine6–12 .33310–18  .357 Vermont3–15 .1675–23  .179 New Hampshire3–15 .1674–24  .143 Colgate3–15 .1674–23  .148 † 1987 ECAC North tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1986–87 Gulf Star Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Stephen F. Austin10–0 1.00022–8  .733 Sam Houston State6–4 .60016–12  .571 Southwest Texas State5–5 .50013–15  .464 Northwestern State4–6 .40015–13  .536 Southeastern Louisiana4–6 .40010–21  .323 Nicholls State1–9 .1009–18  .333 Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Penn10–4 .71413–14  .481 Princeton9–5 .64316–9  .640 Cornell9–5 .64315–11  .577 Dartmouth7–7 .50015–11  .577 Yale7–7 .50014–12  .538 Columbia6–8 .42912–14  .462 Harvard4–10 .2869–17  .346 Brown4–10 .2869–18  .333 Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Saint Peter's11–3 .78621–8  .724 La Salle10–4 .71420–13  .606 Army8–6 .57114–15  .483 Iona8–6 .57116–14  .533 Holy Cross6–8 .4299–19  .321 Fordham6–8 .42914–16  .467 Fairfield †5–9 .35715–16  .484 Manhattan2–12 .1436–21  .222 † 1987 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1986–87 Metro Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Louisville9–3 .75018–14  .563 Memphis State †8–4 .66726–8  .765 Southern Miss6–6 .50023–11  .676 Florida State6–6 .50019–11  .633 South Carolina5–7 .41715–14  .517 Virginia Tech5–7 .41710–18  .357 Cincinnati3–9 .25012–16  .429 † 1987 Metro Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Central Michigan†14–2 .87522–8  .733 Kent State11–5 .68819–10  .655 Bowling Green10–6 .62515–14  .517 Eastern Michigan8–8 .50014–15  .483 Miami7–9 .43814–14  .500 Ohio7–9 .43814–14  .500 Western Michigan7–9 .43812–16  .429 Toledo4–12 .25011–17  .393 Ball State4–12 .2509–18  .333 † Mid-American Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Howard13–1 .92924–4  .857 North Carolina A&T †12–2 .85724–6  .800 South Carolina State9–5 .64314–15  .483 Coppin State7–6 .5388–19  .296 Bethune–Cookman6–8 .42910–19  .345 Morgan State5–9 .3578–20  .286 Delaware State3–11 .2144–24  .143 Maryland Eastern Shore0–13 .0002–24  .077 Florida A&M– –12–16  .429 † 1987 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1986–87 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Evansville8–4 .66716–12  .571 Loyola (IL)8–4 .66716–13  .552 Xavier †7–5 .58319–13  .594 Saint Louis7–5 .58325–10  .714 Oral Roberts5–7 .41710–18  .357 Butler2–10 .1679–19  .321 Detroit Mercy2–10 .1677–21  .250 † 1987 MCC tournament winner | 1986–87 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Tulsa11–3 .78622–8  .733 Bradley10–4 .71417–12  .586 Wichita State †9–5 .64322–11  .667 Illinois State7–7 .50019–13  .594 Drake6–8 .42917–14  .548 Southern Illinois5–9 .35712–17  .414 Indiana State4–10 .2869–20  .310 Creighton4–10 .2869–19  .321 † 1987 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Middle Tennessee11–3 .78622–7  .759 Akron9–5 .64321–9  .700 Eastern Kentucky9–5 .64319–11  .633 Austin Peay †8–6 .57114–14  .500 Morehead State8–6 .57114–14  .500 Murray State6–8 .42913–15  .464 Youngstown State4–10 .28611–17  .393 Tennessee Tech1–13 .0717–20  .259 Tennessee State-–- –15–12  .556 † 1987 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 1986–87 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 15 UCLA †14–4 .77825–7  .781 Arizona13–5 .72218–12  .600 Washington10–8 .55620–15  .571 California10–8 .55620–15  .571 Oregon State10–8 .55619–11  .633 Stanford9–9 .50015–13  .536 Oregon8–10 .44416–14  .533 Arizona State6–12 .33311–17  .393 Washington State6–12 .33310–18  .357 USC4–14 .2229–19  .321 † 1987 Pacific-10 Tournament winner As of March 25, 1987 Rankings from AP poll | 1986–87 PCAA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 UNLV †18–0 1.00037–2  .949 UC Santa Barbara10–8 .55616–12  .571 San Jose State10–8 .55616–14  .533 Cal State Fullerton9–9 .50017–13  .567 New Mexico State9–9 .50015–15  .500 UC Irvine9–9 .50014–14  .500 Utah State8–10 .44415–16  .484 Long Beach State7–11 .38910–17  .370 Pacific6–12 .33310–17  .370 Fresno State4–14 .2229–20  .310 † 1987 PCAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1986–87 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Western Kentucky12–2 .85729–9  .763 Jacksonville11–3 .78619–11  .633 UAB †10–4 .71421–11  .656 Virginia Commonwealth7–7 .50017–14  .548 UNC Charlotte6–8 .42918–14  .563 South Alabama6–8 .42914–14  .500 South Florida3–11 .2148–20  .286 Old Dominion1–13 .0716–22  .214 † 1987 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1986–87 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 9 Alabama †16–2 .88928–5  .848 Florida12–6 .66723–11  .676 Georgia10–8 .55618–12  .600 Kentucky10–8 .55618–11  .621 Auburn9–9 .50018–13  .581 Ole Miss8–10 .44415–14  .517 LSU8–10 .44424–15  .615 Tennessee7–11 .38914–15  .483 Vanderbilt7–11 .38918–16  .529 Mississippi State3–15 .1677–21  .250 † 1987 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Marshall †15–1 .93825–6  .806 Chattanooga14–2 .87521–8  .724 Davidson12–4 .75020–10  .667 Furman10–6 .62517–12  .586 The Citadel6–10 .37513–15  .464 VMI5–11 .31311–17  .393 Western Carolina4–12 .25010–19  .345 Appalachian State3–13 .1887–21  .250 East Tennessee State3–13 .1887–21  .250 † 1987 Southern Conference tournament winner As of April 30, 1987 Rankings from AP poll | 1986–87 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Louisiana Tech †9–1 .90022–8  .733 Arkansas State5–5 .50021–13  .618 McNeese State5–5 .50014–14  .500 Lamar4–6 .40014–15  .483 North Texas State4–6 .40011–17  .393 Northeast Louisiana3–7 .30013–15  .464 UT Arlington– –12–18  .400 † 1987 Southland Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1986–87 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 19 TCU14–2 .87524–7  .774 Baylor10–6 .62518–13  .581 Houston9–7 .56318–12  .600 Texas Tech9–7 .56315–14  .517 Arkansas8–8 .50019–14  .576 SMU7–9 .43816–13  .552 Texas7–9 .43814–17  .452 Texas A&M †6–10 .37517–14  .548 Rice2–14 .1258–19  .296 † 1987 SWC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Grambling11–3 .78616–14  .533 Southern †9–5 .64319–12  .613 Mississippi Valley State9–5 .64313–15  .464 Jackson State8–6 .57115–14  .517 Alabama State7–7 .50014–14  .500 Texas Southern7–7 .50011–11  .500 Alcorn State8–6 .57115–14  .517 Prairie View A&M8–6 .57115–14  .517 † 1987 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1986–87 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Arkansas–Little Rock16–2 .88926–11  .703 Houston Baptist13–5 .72218–11  .621 Stetson13–5 .72218–13  .581 Georgia Southern †12–6 .66720–11  .645 Hardin–Simmons9–9 .50013–15  .464 Texas–San Antonio7–11 .38913–15  .464 Mercer7–11 .38912–16  .429 Georgia State7–11 .38911–17  .393 Centenary5–13 .27810–17  .370 Samford1–17 .0564–22  .154 † 1987 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1986–87 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT San Diego13–1 .92924–6  .800 Gonzaga9–5 .64318–10  .643 Saint Mary's7–7 .50017–13  .567 Portland6–8 .42914–14  .500 Santa Clara †6–8 .42918–14  .563 San Francisco6–8 .42916–12  .571 Pepperdine5–9 .35712–18  .400 Loyola Marymount4–10 .28612–16  .429 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1986–87 WAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UTEP13–3 .81325–7  .781 Brigham Young12–4 .75021–11  .656 New Mexico11–5 .68825–10  .714 Wyoming †11–5 .68824–10  .706 Utah9–7 .56317–13  .567 Colorado State7–9 .43813–16  .448 Air Force5–11 .31312–15  .444 Hawaii2–14 .1257–21  .250 San Diego State2–14 .1255–25  .167 † 1987 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |

### Division I independents

A total of 17 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, DePaul (28–3) had both the best winning percentage (.903) and the most wins.
1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConfOverall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* No. 5 DePaul-–- –28–3
* .903
* No. 16 New Orleans-–- –26–4
* .867
* No. 18 Notre Dame-–- –24–8
* .750
* Texas–Pan American-–- –16–12
* .571
* Marquette-–- –16–13
* .552
* Miami (FL)-–- –15–16
* .484
* Dayton-–- –13–15
* .464
* Central Florida-–- –12–15
* .444
* UMBC-–- –12–15
* .444
* Chicago State-–- –11–17
* .393
* Southwestern Louisiana-–- –11–17
* .393
* U.S. International-–- –11–17
* .393
* Utica-–- –10–16
* .385
* Brooklyn-–- –10–18
* .357
* Northern Illinois-–- –9–19
* .321
* Central Connecticut State-–- –8–21
* .276
* Eastern Washington-–- –5–23
* .179
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Temple | Nate Blackwell, Temple |
Temple finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

### Statistical leaders

| 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 |
| Kevin Houston | Army | 32.9 | Jerome Lane | Pittsburgh | 13.5 | Avery Johnson | Southern | 10.7 | Tony Fairley | Baptist | 4.1 |
| Dennis Hopson | Ohio St. | 29.0 | Chris Dudley | Yale | 13.3 | Mark Wade | UNLV | 10.7 | Doug Usitalo | Boise St. | 3.5 |
| David Robinson | Navy | 28.2 | Andre Moore | Loyola (IL) | 12.4 | Tony Fairley | Baptist | 9.6 | Joe Jeter | Delaware St. | 3.4 |
| Terrance Bailey | Wagner | 28.1 | David Robinson | Navy | 11.8 | Tyrone Bogues | Wake Forest | 9.5 | Roderick Ford | UT Arlington | 3.4 |
| Hersey Hawkins | Bradley | 27.2 | Brian Rowsom | UNC Wilmington | 11.5 | Andre Van Drost | Wagner | 9.3 | Duane Washington | Middle Tenn. St. | 3.2 |
| 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% |
| David Robinson | Navy | 4.5 | Alan Williams | Princeton | 70.3 | Reginald Jones | Prairie View | 57.1 | Kevin Houston | Army | 91.2 |
| Derrick Lewis | Maryland | 4.4 | Tyrone Howard | E. Kentucky | 67.8 | Eric Rhodes | SF Austin | 54.7 | Daryl Johnson | Michigan St. | 91.0 |
| Lester Fonville | Jackson St. | 3.9 | Horace Grant | Clemson | 65.6 | Anthony Davis | George Mason | 53.6 | Scott Haffner | Evansville | 90.9 |
| Dallas Comegys | DePaul | 3.5 | Robert Godbolt | Louisiana Tech | 64.7 | Scott Dimak | SF Austin | 53.5 | Nate Blackwell | Temple | 90.4 |
| Tim Perry | Temple | 3.2 | Claude Williams | NC A&T | 63.7 | Steve Alford | Indiana | 53.0 | Michael Smith | BYU | 90.4 |

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

| National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship game | National championship game | National championship game |
| E2 | Syracuse | 77 | | | |
| S6 | Providence | 63 | | | |
| S6 | Providence | 63 | E2 | Syracuse | 73 |
| | | | M1 | Indiana | 74 |
| M1 | Indiana | 97 | M1 | Indiana | 74 |
| W1 | UNLV | 93 | | | |

### National Invitation tournament
#### NIT Semifinals and Final

| Semifinals (March 24) | Semifinals (March 24) | Semifinals (March 24) | Finals (March 26) | Finals (March 26) | Finals (March 26) |
| La Salle | La Salle | 92 | | | |
| Arkansas–Little Rock | Arkansas–Little Rock | 73 | | | |
| Arkansas–Little Rock | Arkansas–Little Rock | 73 | La Salle | La Salle | 80 |
| | | | Southern Miss | Southern Miss | 84 |
| Southern Miss | Southern Miss | 82 | Southern Miss | Southern Miss | 84 |
| Nebraska | Nebraska | 75 | | | |
| Third place game | Third place game | Third place game |
| Arkansas–Little Rock | Arkansas–Little Rock | 67 |
| Nebraska | Nebraska | 76 |

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

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Steve Alford | G | Senior | Indiana |
| Danny Manning | F | Junior | Kansas |
| David Robinson | C | Senior | Navy |
| Kenny Smith | G | Senior | North Carolina |
| Reggie Williams | F | Senior | Georgetown |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Armon Gilliam | F | Senior | UNLV |
| Horace Grant | F/C | Senior | Clemson |
| Dennis Hopson | G | Senior | Ohio State |
| Mark Jackson | G | Senior | St. John's |
| Ken Norman | F | Senior | Illinois |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: David Robinson, Navy
* Naismith Award: David Robinson, Navy
* Associated Press Player of the Year: David Robinson, Navy
* UPI Player of the Year: David Robinson, Navy
* NABC Player of the Year: David Robinson, Navy
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): David Robinson, Navy
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: David Robinson, Navy
* Sporting News Player of the Year: David Robinson, Navy

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Tom Davis, Iowa
* UPI Coach of the Year: John Thompson, Georgetown
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): John Chaney, Temple
* NABC Coach of the Year: Rick Pitino, Providence
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Bob Knight, Indiana
* CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Joey Meyer, DePaul
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Rick Pitino, Providence

### Other major awards

* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Muggsy Bogues, Wake Forest
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Nate Blackwell, Temple
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in NYC): Mark Jackson, St. John's and Kevin Houston, Army

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Canisius | Nick Macarchuk | Marty Marbach | |
| George Mason | Joe Harrington | Rick Barnes | |
| Long Beach State | Ron Palmer | Joe Harrington | |
| Monmouth | Ron Kornegay | Ron Krayl | Kornegay resigned on December 19, 1986. Krayl served as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. |
| Monmouth | Ron Krayl | Wayne Szoke | Krayl's tenure as interim head coach ended with the end of the season. Szoke took over as permanent head coach for the following season. |
| Providence | Rick Pitino | Gordon Chiesa | Following a season in which he led Providence to the Final Four, Pitino accepted the head coaching position for the New York Knicks. He was replaced with top assistant Chiesa. |