# 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1997 and concluded with the 64-team 1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, whose finals were held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Kentucky Wildcats earned their seventh national championship by defeating the Utah Utes 78–69 on March 30, 1998. They were coached by Tubby Smith and the NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player was Kentucky's Jeff Shepherd.
In the 32-team 1998 National Invitation Tournament, the Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Following the season, the 1998 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American Consensus First Team included Mike Bibby, Antawn Jamison, Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, and Miles Simon. The consensus second team was composed of Vince Carter, Mateen Cleaves, Pat Garrity, Richard Hamilton, and Ansu Sesay.

## Season headlines

* All NCAA Division I teams played as members of conferences for the first time in American college basketball history.
* Tubby Smith led the Kentucky Wildcats to their seventh national championship.

## Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the pre-season AP Poll.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Arizona |
| 2 | Kansas |
| 3 | Duke |
| 4 | North Carolina |
| 5 | Clemson |
| 6 | UCLA |
| 7 | South Carolina |
| 8 | Kentucky |
| 9 | Purdue |
| 10 | Xavier |
| 11 | New Mexico |
| 12 | Connecticut |
| 13 | Fresno State |
| 14 | Stanford |
| 15 | Iowa |
| 16 | Utah |
| 17 | Indiana |
| 18 | Charlotte |
| 19 | Georgia |
| 20 | Oklahoma |
| 21 | Rhode Island |
| 22 | Texas |
| 23 | Ole Miss |
| 24 | Temple |
| 25 | Louisville |

## Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 1997–98 season.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions | NCAA Division II | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
| Central Connecticut State Blue Devils | Mid-Continent Conference | Northeast Conference |
| Marist Red Foxes | Northeast Conference | Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference |
| Marshall Thundering Herd | Southern Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| Norfolk State Spartans | NCAA Division II | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
| Northern Illinois Huskies | Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| Oral Roberts Golden Eagles | NCAA Division I independent | Mid-Continent Conference |
| Rider Broncs | Northeast Conference | Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference |
| Southeastern Louisiana Lions | Trans America Athletic Conference | Southland Conference |
| Southern Utah Thunderbirds | NCAA Division I independent | Mid-Continent Conference |
| Troy State Trojans | Mid-Continent Conference | Trans America Athletic Conference |
| UNC Greensboro Spartans | Big South Conference | Southern Conference |
| Wofford Terriers | NCAA Division I independent | Southern Conference |

## New arenas

Georgetown, which had used off-campus USAirways Arena (previously known as Capital Centre and USAir Arena) in Landover, Maryland, as its home court since the 1981–82 season, played three last home games there in November 1997 before moving in December 1997 to the new MCI Center (later known as the Verizon Center and as Capital One Arena), an off-campus site in Washington, D.C. The Hoyas played their first home game at the MCI Center on December 3, 1997, losing their Big East Conference opener to Villanova 73–69 before a crowd of 13,181.

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

Twenty-eight conferences concluded their regular seasons with a single-elimination tournament, with only the Ivy League and the Pacific-10 Conference choosing not to conduct conference tournaments. Most conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference player of the year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (City) | Tournament winner |
| America East Conference | Delaware | Speedy Claxton, Hofstra | 1998 America East men's basketball tournament | Bob Carpenter Center (Newark, Delaware) | Delaware |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | Temple (East) Xavier (West) | Cuttino Mobley, Rhode Island | 1998 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | The Spectrum (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | Xavier |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Duke | Antawn Jamison, North Carolina | 1998 ACC men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | North Carolina |
| Big 12 Conference | Kansas | Raef LaFrentz, Kansas | 1998 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) | Kansas |
| Big East Conference | Connecticut (Big East 6) Syracuse (Big East 7) | Richard Hamilton, Connecticut | 1998 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York) | Connecticut |
| Big Sky Conference | Northern Arizona | Andrew Mavis, Northern Arizona | 1998 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament | Dee Events Center (Ogden, Utah) | Northern Arizona |
| Big South Conference | UNC Asheville | Josh Pittman, UNC Asheville | 1998 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Vines Center (Lynchburg, Virginia) | Radford |
| Big Ten Conference | Michigan State | Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State | 1998 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament | United Center (Chicago, Illinois) | Michigan |
| Big West Conference | Pacific (Eastern) Utah State (Western) | Michael Olowokandi, Pacific | 1998 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada) | Utah State |
| Colonial Athletic Association | William & Mary | Jarod Stevenson, Richmond | 1998 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | Richmond |
| Conference USA | Cincinnati (American) Memphis (National) | DeMarco Johnson, Charlotte | 1998 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | Shoemaker Center (Cincinnati, Ohio) | Cincinnati |
| Ivy League | Princeton | Steve Goodrich, Princeton | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Iona | Kashif Hameed, Iona | 1998 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Pepsi Arena (Buffalo, New York) | Iona |
| Mid-American Conference | Akron (East) Ball State (West) | Bonzi Wells, Ball State | 1998 MAC men's basketball tournament | SeaGate Convention Centre (Toledo, Ohio) | Eastern Michigan |
| Mid-Continent Conference | Valparaiso | Bryce Drew, Valparaiso | 1998 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament | The MARK of the Quad Cities (Moline, Illinois) | Valparaiso |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Coppin State | Antoine Brockington, Coppin State | 1998 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | South Carolina State |
| Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Detroit | Mark Miller, Illinois-Chicago | 1998 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball tournament | Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena (Green Bay, Wisconsin) | Butler |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Illinois State | Rico Hill, Illinois State | 1998 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Savvis Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Illinois State |
| Northeast Conference | Long Island | Charles Jones, Long Island | 1998 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Spiro Sports Center (Staten Island, New York) | Fairleigh Dickinson |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Murray State | De'Teri Mayes, Murray State | 1998 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Gaylord Entertainment Center (Nashville, Tennessee) (Semifinals and Finals) | Murray State |
| Pacific-10 Conference | Arizona | Mike Bibby, Arizona | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Patriot League | Lafayette | Stefan Ciosici, Lafayette | 1998 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Kirby Sports Center (Easton, Pennsylvania) | Navy |
| Southeastern Conference | Kentucky (East) Ole Miss (West) | Ansu Sesay, Ole Miss | 1998 SEC men's basketball tournament | Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Georgia) | Kentucky |
| Southern Conference | Appalachian State (North) Chattanooga (South) | Bobby Phillips, Western Carolina (Coaches) & Chuck Vincent, Furman (Media) | 1998 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | Davidson |
| Southland Conference | UTSA | Roderic Hall, UTSA | 1998 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Hirsch Memorial Coliseum (Shreveport, Louisiana) (Semifinals & Finals) | Nicholls State |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Texas Southern | Randy Bolden, Texas Southern | 1998 SWAC men's basketball tournament | F. G. Clark Center (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) | Prairie View A&M |
| Sun Belt Conference | South Alabama | Chico Fletcher, Arkansas State | 1998 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament | Cajundome (Lafayette, Louisiana) | South Alabama |
| Trans America Athletic Conference | Charleston (East) Georgia State (West) | Mark Jones, UCF | 1998 TAAC men's basketball tournament | Memorial Coliseum (Jacksonville, Florida) | Charleston |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | Bakari Hendrix, Gonzaga | 1998 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, California) | San Francisco |
| Western Athletic Conference | TCU (Mountain) Utah (Pacific) | Lee Nailon, TCU | 1998 WAC men's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, Nevada) | UNLV |

#### Conference standings

1997–98 America East Conference men's basketball standings :
| 1997–98 America East Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Delaware †12–6 .66720–10  .667 Boston University12–6 .66719–11  .633 Vermont11–7 .61116–11  .593 Hartford11–7 .61115–12  .556 Hofstra11–7 .61119–12  .613 Drexel10–8 .55613–15  .464 Northeastern9–9 .50014–14  .500 New Hampshire6–12 .33310–17  .370 Towson4–14 .2228–20  .286 Maine4–14 .2227–20  .259 † 1998 America East tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1997–98 ACC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 Duke15–1 .93832–4  .889 No. 1 North Carolina†13–3 .81334–4  .895 No. 20 Maryland10–6 .62521–11  .656 Wake Forest7–9 .43816–14  .533 Clemson7–9 .43818–14  .563 Georgia Tech6–10 .37519–14  .576 Florida State6–10 .37518–4  .818 NC State5–11 .31317–15  .531 Virginia3–13 .18811–19  .367 † 1998 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1997–98 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 24 Temple13–3 .81321–9  .700 Rhode Island12–4 .75025–9  .735 UMass12–4 .75021–11  .656 St. Bonaventure6–10 .37517–15  .531 Saint Joseph's3–13 .18811–17  .393 Fordham2–14 .1256–21  .222 West No. 23 Xavier †11–5 .68822–8  .733 George Washington11–5 .68824–9  .727 Dayton11–5 .68821–12  .636 Virginia Tech5–11 .31310–17  .370 Duquesne5–11 .31311–19  .367 La Salle5–11 .3139–18  .333 † 1998 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1997–98 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 Kansas †15–1 .93835–4  .897 Oklahoma State11–5 .68822–7  .759 Oklahoma11–5 .68822–11  .667 Nebraska10–6 .62520–12  .625 Baylor8–8 .50014–14  .500 Missouri8–8 .50017–15  .531 Texas Tech7–9 .43813–14  .481 Kansas State7–9 .43817–12  .586 Colorado7–9 .43813–14  .481 Texas6–10 .37514–17  .452 Iowa State5–11 .31312–18  .400 Texas A&M1–15 .0637–20  .259 † 1998 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1997–98 Big East men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Big East 6 No. 6 Connecticut†15–3 .83332–5  .865 St. John's13–5 .72222–10  .688 West Virginia11–7 .61124–9  .727 Villanova8–10 .44412–17  .414 Notre Dame7–11 .38913–14  .481 Boston College6–12 .33315–16  .484 Big East 7 No. 21 Syracuse12–6 .66726–9  .743 Miami11–7 .61118–10  .643 Seton Hall9–9 .50015–15  .500 Providence7–11 .38913–16  .448 Pittsburgh6–12 .33311–16  .407 Rutgers6–12 .33314–15  .483 Georgetown6–12 .33316–15  .516 † 1998 Big East tournament winner As of March 30, 1998 Rankings from AP poll | 1997–98 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northern Arizona †13–3 .81321–8  .724 Weber State12–4 .75014–13  .519 Portland State10–6 .62515–12  .556 Eastern Washington10–6 .62516–11  .593 Montana9–7 .56316–14  .533 Montana State9–7 .56319–11  .633 Cal State Northridge7–9 .43812–16  .429 Idaho State2–14 .1256–20  .231 Sacramento State0–16 .0001–25  .038 † Conference tournament winner |
| 1997–98 Big South Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UNC Asheville11–1 .91719–9  .679 Radford †10–2 .83320–10  .667 UMBC6–6 .50014–14  .500 Liberty5–7 .41711–17  .393 Coastal Carolina4–8 .3338–19  .296 Winthrop4–8 .3337–20  .259 Charleston Southern2–10 .1675–22  .185 † 1998 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 16 Michigan State13–3 .81322–8  .733 No. 22 Illinois13–3 .81323–10  .697 No. 11 Purdue12–4 .75028–8  .778 Iowa9–7 .56320–11  .645 Indiana9–7 .56320–12  .625 Penn State8–8 .50019–13  .594 Northwestern3–13 .18810–17  .370 Wisconsin3–13 .18812–19  .387 Ohio State1–15 .0638–22  .267 No. 12 Michigan* †0–5 .0000–8  .000 Minnesota**0–10 .0000–15  .000 † 1998 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll *Michigan: 24 reg. season games including Big Ten Tourn. Champ.; 2 NCAA Tourn. games vacated due to sanctions against the program **Minnesota: 15 games including 5 NIT games and championship vacated due to sanctions against the program Disputed records: Michigan 25–9, 11–5; Minnesota 20–15, 6–10 | 1997–98 Big West men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Division Utah State†13–3 .81325–8  .758 Nevada11–5 .68816–12  .571 Boise State9–7 .56317–13  .567 Idaho9–7 .56315–12  .556 New Mexico State8–8 .50018–12  .600 North Texas4–12 .2505–21  .192 West Division Pacific14–2 .87523–10  .697 Cal Poly7–9 .43814–14  .500 Cal State Fullerton6–10 .37512–16  .429 UC Irvine6–10 .3759–18  .333 Long Beach State5–11 .31310–19  .345 UC Santa Barbara4–12 .2507–19  .269 † 1998 Big West tournament winner As of April 10, 1998 Rankings from AP poll |
| 1997–98 CAA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UNC Wilmington13–3 .81320–11  .645 William & Mary13–3 .81320–7  .741 Richmond †12–4 .75023–8  .742 Old Dominion8–8 .50012–16  .429 James Madison6–10 .37511–16  .407 George Mason6–10 .3759–18  .333 American5–11 .3139–19  .321 East Carolina5–11 .31310–17  .370 VCU4–12 .2509–19  .321 † 1998 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT American No. 9 Cincinnati †14–2 .87527–6  .818 UNC Charlotte13–3 .81320–11  .645 Saint Louis11–5 .68822–11  .667 Marquette8–8 .50020–11  .645 Louisville5–11 .31312–20  .375 DePaul3–13 .1887–23  .233 National Memphis12–4 .75017–12  .586 UAB10–6 .62521–12  .636 Southern Miss9–7 .56322–11  .667 South Florida7–9 .43817–13  .567 Houston2–14 .1259–20  .310 Tulane2–14 .1257–22  .241 † 1998 Conference USA Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 Princeton14–0 1.00027–2  .931 Penn10–4 .71417–12  .586 Yale7–7 .50012–14  .462 Harvard6–8 .42913–13  .500 Columbia6–8 .42911–15  .423 Cornell6–8 .4299–17  .346 Dartmouth4–10 .2867–19  .269 Brown3–11 .2146–20  .231 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1997–98 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Iona †15–3 .83327–6  .818 Rider12–6 .66718–10  .643 Siena10–8 .55617–12  .586 Niagara10–8 .55614–13  .519 Loyola (MD)9–9 .50012–16  .429 Canisius9–9 .50013–14  .481 Manhattan7–11 .38912–17  .414 Marist7–11 .38911–17  .393 Fairfield7–11 .38912–15  .444 Saint Peter's4–14 .2228–19  .296 † 1998 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Akron13–5 .72217–10  .630 Kent State9–9 .50013–17  .433 Miami9–9 .50017–12  .586 Marshall7–11 .38911–16  .407 Bowling Green7–11 .38910–16  .385 Ohio3–15 .1675–21  .192 West Ball State14–4 .77821–8  .724 Western Michigan14–4 .77821–8  .724 Eastern Michigan †13–5 .72220–10  .667 Toledo10–8 .55615–12  .556 Northern Illinois6–12 .33310–16  .385 Central Michigan3–15 .1675–21  .192 † 1998 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Valparaiso †13–3 .81323–10  .697 Oral Roberts12–4 .75019–12  .613 Youngstown State11–5 .68820–9  .690 Western Illinois11–5 .68816–11  .593 Buffalo9–7 .56315–13  .536 Missouri-Kansas City7–9 .4389–18  .333 Southern Utah4–12 .2507–20  .259 Northeastern Illinois3–13 .1886–19  .240 Chicago State2–14 .1252–25  .074 † 1998 Mid-Con Tournament winner Rankings from |
| 1997–98 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Coppin State17–1 .94421–8  .724 South Carolina State †16–2 .88922–8  .733 Hampton11–7 .61114–12  .538 Morgan State11–7 .61112–16  .429 Florida A&M8–10 .44411–17  .393 Delaware State7–11 .3899–18  .333 Maryland Eastern Shore7–11 .3899–18  .333 North Carolina A&T7–11 .3898–19  .296 Howard5–13 .2788–20  .286 Bethune–Cookman1–17 .0561–26  .037 Norfolk State0–0 –6–21  .222 † 1998 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Detroit12–2 .85725–6  .806 UIC12–2 .85722–6  .786 Butler †8–6 .57122–11  .667 Green Bay7–7 .50017–12  .586 Cleveland State6–8 .42912–15  .444 Loyola Chicago6–8 .42915–15  .500 Wright State3–11 .21410–18  .357 Milwaukee2–12 .1433–24  .111 † 1998 MCC tournament winner | 1997–98 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Illinois State †16–2 .88925–6  .806 Creighton12–6 .66718–10  .643 Southwest Missouri State11–7 .61116–16  .500 Wichita State11–7 .61116–15  .516 Indiana State10–8 .55616–11  .593 Evansville9–9 .50015–15  .500 Bradley9–9 .50015–14  .517 Southern Illinois8–10 .44414–18  .438 Northern Iowa4–14 .22210–17  .370 Drake0–18 .0003–24  .111 † 1998 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1997–98 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Long Island14–2 .87521–11  .656 Fairleigh Dickinson †13–3 .81323–7  .767 St. Francis (NY)10–6 .62515–12  .556 Saint Francis (PA)10–6 .62517–10  .630 Mount St. Mary's8–8 .50013–15  .464 Wagner7–9 .43813–16  .448 Robert Morris4–12 .2508–19  .296 Monmouth3–13 .1884–23  .148 Central Connecticut3–13 .1884–22  .154 † 1998 NEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 25 Murray State †16–2 .88929–4  .879 Eastern Illinois13–5 .72216–11  .593 Middle Tennessee12–6 .66719–9  .679 Austin Peay11–7 .61117–11  .607 Southeast Missouri State10–8 .55614–13  .519 Tennessee State8–10 .44413–16  .448 Eastern Kentucky8–10 .44410–17  .370 Tennessee Tech5–13 .2789–21  .300 UT Martin5–13 .2787–20  .259 Morehead State2–16 .1113–23  .115 † 1998 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings ConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Arizona17–1 .94430–5  .857 No. 10 Stanford15–3 .83330–5  .857 No. 19 UCLA12–6 .66724–9  .727 Washington11–7 .61120–10  .667 Arizona State8–10 .44418–14  .563 Oregon8–10 .44413–14  .481 California8–10 .44412–15  .444 USC5–13 .2789–19  .321 Oregon State3–15 .16713–17  .433 Washington State3–15 .16710–19  .345 As of November 23, 2011 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1997–98 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Lafayette10–2 .83319–9  .679 Navy †10–2 .83319–11  .633 Bucknell8–4 .66713–15  .464 Colgate5–7 .41710–18  .357 Lehigh4–8 .33310–17  .370 Holy Cross3–9 .2507–20  .259 Army2–10 .1678–19  .296 † 1998 Patriot League tournament winner | 1997–98 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East No. 5 Kentucky †14–2 .87535–4  .897 No. 14 South Carolina11–5 .68823–8  .742 Tennessee9–7 .56320–9  .690 Georgia7–9 .43820–15  .571 Vanderbilt7–9 .43820–13  .606 Florida6–10 .37514–15  .483 West No. 13 Ole Miss12–4 .75022–7  .759 No. 17 Arkansas11–5 .68824–9  .727 Auburn7–9 .43816–14  .533 Alabama6–10 .37515–16  .484 Mississippi State4–12 .25015–15  .500 LSU2–14 .1259–18  .333 † 1998 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Davidson †13–2 .86720–10  .667 Appalachian State13–2 .86721–8  .724 VMI8–7 .53314–13  .519 Western Carolina6–9 .40012–15  .444 East Tennessee State6–9 .40011–16  .407 UNC Greensboro6–9 .4009–19  .321 South Chattanooga7–7 .50013–15  .464 Wofford6–8 .4299–18  .333 The Citadel6–8 .42915–13  .536 Georgia Southern5–9 .3579–20  .310 Furman4–10 .28610–18  .357 † 1998 SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 1998 Rankings from AP poll |
| 1997–98 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Nicholls State †15–1 .93819–10  .655 Texas State10–6 .62517–11  .607 UTSA10–6 .62516–11  .593 Northwestern State10–6 .62513–14  .481 Louisiana-Monroe8–8 .50013–16  .448 Texas-Arlington8–8 .50013–16  .448 Sam Houston State7–9 .4389–17  .346 Stephen F. Austin6–10 .37510–16  .385 McNeese State4–12 .2507–19  .269 Southeastern Louisiana2–14 .1256–20  .231 † 1998 Southland tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Texas Southern12–4 .75015–16  .484 Jackson State11–5 .68814–13  .519 Grambling10–6 .62516–12  .571 Southern10–6 .62514–13  .519 Alcorn State8–8 .50012–15  .444 Prairie View A&M †6–10 .37513–17  .433 Alabama State6–10 .37511–17  .393 Mississippi Valley State6–10 .3756–21  .222 Arkansas–Pine Bluff3–13 .1884–23  .148 † 1998 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 1997–98 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT South Alabama †14–4 .77821–7  .750 Arkansas State14–4 .77820–9  .690 Southwestern Louisiana12–6 .66718–13  .581 Arkansas–Little Rock10–8 .55615–13  .536 Louisiana Tech9–9 .50012–15  .444 New Orleans9–9 .50015–12  .556 Lamar7–11 .38915–14  .517 Jacksonville6–12 .3338–19  .296 Western Kentucky6–12 .33310–19  .345 Texas–Pan American3–15 .1673–24  .111 † 1998 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1997–98 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East College of Charleston †14–2 .87524–6  .800 Florida International13–3 .81321–8  .724 Central Florida11–5 .68817–11  .607 Stetson8–8 .50011–15  .423 Florida Atlantic5–11 .3135–22  .185 Campbell4–12 .25010–17  .370 West Georgia State11–5 .68816–12  .571 Samford9–7 .56314–13  .519 Centenary8–8 .50010–20  .333 Jacksonville State6–10 .37512–14  .462 Troy5–11 .3137–20  .259 Mercer2–14 .1255–21  .192 † 1998 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1997–98 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings ConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Gonzaga10–4 .71424–10  .706 Pepperdine9–5 .64317–10  .630 Santa Clara8–6 .57118–10  .643 Saint Mary's7–7 .50011–15  .423 San Francisco †7–7 .50019–11  .633 Portland7–7 .50014–13  .519 San Diego5–9 .35714–14  .500 Loyola Marymount3–11 .2147–20  .259 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 1997–98 WAC men's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Mountain No. 7 Utah12–2 .85730–4  .882 No. 18 New Mexico11–3 .78624–8  .750 Wyoming9–5 .64319–9  .679 Colorado State8–6 .57120–9  .690 UNLV †7–7 .50020–13  .606 BYU4–10 .2869–21  .300 UTEP3–11 .21412–14  .462 Air Force2–12 .14310–16  .385 Pacific No. 15 TCU14–0 1.00027–6  .818 Fresno State10–4 .71421–13  .618 Tulsa9–5 .64319–12  .613 Hawaii8–6 .57121–9  .700 SMU6–8 .42918–10  .643 San Diego State5–9 .35713–15  .464 Rice3–11 .2146–22  .214 San Jose State1–13 .0713–23  .115 † 1998 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph's, Temple, & Villanova | Rashid Bey, Saint Joseph's |
For the seventh consecutive season, the Philadelphia Big 5 did not play a full round-robin schedule in which each team met each other team once, a format it had used from its first season of competition in 1955–56 through the 1990–91 season. Instead, each team played only two games against other Big 5 members, and all five teams finished with 1–1 records in head-to-head competition among the Big 5. The Big 5 did not revive its full round-robin schedule until the 1999–2000 season.

### 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 |
| Charles Jones | Long Island | 29.0 | Ryan Perryman | Dayton | 12.5 | Ahlon Lewis | Arizona St. | 9.2 | Bonzi Wells | Ball St. | 3.6 |
| Earl Boykins | E. Michigan | 25.7 | Eric Taylor | St. Francis (PA) | 11.9 | Chico Fletcher | Arkansas State | 8.3 | Pepe Sánchez | Temple | 3.4 |
| Lee Nailon | TCU | 24.9 | Raef LaFrentz | Kansas | 11.4 | Sean Colson | UNC Charlotte | 8.0 | Willie Coleman | DePaul | 3.3 |
| Brett Eppehimer | Lehigh | 24.7 | Tremaine Fowlkes | Fresno St. | 11.2 | Ed Cota | North Carolina | 7.4 | J. R. Camel | Montana | 3.1 |
| Cory Carr | Texas Tech | 23.3 | Michael Olowokandi | Pacific | 11.2 | Charles Jones | Long Island | 7.4 | Jason Rowe | Loyola (MD) | 3.1 |
| Blocked shots per game | Blocked shots per game | Blocked shots per game | Field-goal percentage | Field-goal percentage | Field-goal percentage | Three-Point FG percentage | Three-Point FG percentage | Three-Point FG percentage | Free-throw percentage | Free-throw percentage | Free-throw percentage |
| Player | School | BPG | Player | School | FG% | Player | School | 3FG% | Player | School | FT% |
| Jerome James | Florida A&M | 4.6 | Todd MacCulloch | Washington | 65.0 | Jim Cantamessa | Siena | 56.4 | Matt Sundblad | Lamar | 92.3 |
| Calvin Booth | Penn St. | 4.4 | Ryan Moss | UALR | 65.0 | Coby Turner | Dayton | 51.7 | Louis Bullock | Michigan | 91.1 |
| Alvin Jones | Georgia Tech | 4.3 | Jarrett Stephens | Penn St. | 64.0 | Royce Olney | New Mexico | 51.3 | Shammond Williams | N. Carolina | 91.1 |
| Etan Thomas | Syracuse | 3.9 | Isaac Spencer | Murray St. | 63.3 | Mike Beam | Harvard | 51.3 | Kevin Ault | Missouri St. | 90.0 |
| Brian Skinner | Baylor | 3.5 | Brad Miller | Purdue | 63.2 | Kenyan Weaks | Florida | 50.8 | Clifton Ellis | Texas St. | 90.0 |

## Postseason tournaments
### NCAA tournament
#### Final Four – Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

| National semifinals | National semifinals | National semifinals | National championship game | National championship game | National championship game |
| E1 | North Carolina | 59 | | | |
| W3 | Utah | 65 | | | |
| W3 | Utah | 65 | W3 | Utah | 69 |
| | | | S2 | Kentucky | 78 |
| S2 | Kentucky | 86 | S2 | Kentucky | 78 |
| M3 | Stanford | 85 | | | |

### National Invitation tournament
#### Semifinals & finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals |
| Georgia | 60 | | |
| Penn State | 66 | | |
| Penn State | 66 | Penn State | 72 |
| | | Minnesota | 79 |
| Fresno State | 89 | Minnesota | 79 |
| Minnesota | 91 | Third place | Third place |
| | | Georgia | 95 |
| | | Fresno State | 79 |

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

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Mike Bibby | G | Sophomore | Arizona |
| Antawn Jamison | F | Junior | North Carolina |
| Raef LaFrentz | C | Senior | Kansas |
| Paul Pierce | F | Junior | Kansas |
| Miles Simon | G | Senior | Arizona |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Vince Carter | F | Junior | North Carolina |
| Mateen Cleaves | G | Sophomore | Michigan State |
| Pat Garrity | F | Senior | Notre Dame |
| Richard Hamilton | F-G | Sophomore | Connecticut |
| Ansu Sesay | F | Senior | Mississippi |

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
* Naismith Award: Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
* NABC Player of the Year: Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
* Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
* Adolph Rupp Trophy: Antawn Jamison, North Carolina
* Sporting News Player of the Year: Antawn Jamison, North Carolina

### Major freshman of the year awards

* USBWA Freshman of the Year: Larry Hughes, St. Louis
* Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Larry Hughes, St. Louis

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Tom Izzo, Michigan State
* Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Tom Izzo, Michigan State
* NABC Coach of the Year: Bill Guthridge, North Carolina
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Bill Guthridge, North Carolina
* Sporting News Coach of the Year: Bill Guthridge, North Carolina

### Other major awards

* NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Steve Wojciechowski, Duke
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Earl Boykins, Eastern Michigan
* Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Rashid Bey, St. Joseph's
* NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Felipe López, St. John's
* Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Hassan Booker, Navy

## Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Monmouth | Wayne Szokel | | Dave Calloway | Szoke resigned on January 18, 1998. Calloway at first served as interim head coach, then was named permanent head coach in February 1998. |