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.

1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
Preseason AP No. 1	Arizona Wildcats
Regular season	November 1997 – March 1998
NCAA Tournament	1998
Tournament dates	March 12 – 30, 1998
National Championship	Alamodome San Antonio, Texas
NCAA Champions	Kentucky Wildcats
Other champions	Minnesota Golden Gophers (NIT)
Player of the Year (Naismith, Wooden)	Antawn Jamison, North Carolina Tar Heels
← 1996–97 1998–99 →

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

Early-season tournaments

Name	Dates	Site	Teams	Champions
Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic	Nov. 11–12	Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ	4	North Carolina State
Red Auerbach Classic	Nov. 14–15	Charles E. Smith Center, Washington, DC	4	George Washington
AT&T Shootout	Nov. 21–22	Alumni Hall, Fairfield, CT	4	Fairfield
Lobo Classic	Nov. 21–22	University Arena, Albuquerque, NM	4	New Mexico
Top of the World Classic	Nov. 21–23	Carlson Center, Fairbanks, AK	8	Gonzaga

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[1]	Conference player of the year	Conference tournament	Tournament venue (City)	Tournament winner
America East Conference	Delaware	Speedy Claxton, Hofstra[2]	1998 America East men's basketball tournament	Bob Carpenter Center (Newark, Delaware)	Delaware[3]
Atlantic 10 Conference	Temple (East) Xavier (West)	Cuttino Mobley, Rhode Island[4]	1998 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament	The Spectrum (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)	Xavier[5]
Atlantic Coast Conference	Duke	Antawn Jamison, North Carolina[6]	1998 ACC men's basketball tournament	Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina)	North Carolina[7]
Big 12 Conference	Kansas	Raef LaFrentz, Kansas[8]	1998 Big 12 men's basketball tournament	Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri)	Kansas[9]
Big East Conference	Connecticut (Big East 6) Syracuse (Big East 7)	Richard Hamilton, Connecticut[10]	1998 Big East men's basketball tournament	Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York)	Connecticut[10]
Big Sky Conference	Northern Arizona	Andrew Mavis, Northern Arizona[11]	1998 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament	Dee Events Center (Ogden, Utah)	Northern Arizona[11]
Big South Conference	UNC Asheville	Josh Pittman, UNC Asheville[12]	1998 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament	Vines Center (Lynchburg, Virginia)	Radford[12]
Big Ten Conference	Michigan State	Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State[13]	1998 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament	United Center (Chicago, Illinois)	Michigan[13]
Big West Conference	Pacific (Eastern) Utah State (Western)	Michael Olowokandi, Pacific[14]	1998 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament	Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada)	Utah State[14]
Colonial Athletic Association	William & Mary	Jarod Stevenson, Richmond[15]	1998 CAA men's basketball tournament	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)	Richmond[15]
Conference USA	Cincinnati (American) Memphis (National)	DeMarco Johnson, Charlotte[16]	1998 Conference USA men's basketball tournament	Shoemaker Center (Cincinnati, Ohio)	Cincinnati[16]
Ivy League	Princeton	Steve Goodrich, Princeton[17]	No Tournament
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	Iona	Kashif Hameed, Iona[18]	1998 MAAC men's basketball tournament	Pepsi Arena (Buffalo, New York)	Iona[19]
Mid-American Conference	Akron (East) Ball State (West)	Bonzi Wells, Ball State[20]	1998 MAC men's basketball tournament	SeaGate Convention Centre (Toledo, Ohio)	Eastern Michigan[20]
Mid-Continent Conference	Valparaiso	Bryce Drew, Valparaiso[21]	1998 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament	The MARK of the Quad Cities (Moline, Illinois)	Valparaiso[21]
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[22]	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[23]	1998 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Savvis Center (St. Louis, Missouri)	Illinois State
Northeast Conference	Long Island	Charles Jones, Long Island[24]	1998 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament	Spiro Sports Center (Staten Island, New York)	Fairleigh Dickinson[25]
Ohio Valley Conference	Murray State	De'Teri Mayes, Murray State[26]	1998 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Gaylord Entertainment Center (Nashville, Tennessee) (Semifinals and Finals)	Murray State[26]
Pacific-10 Conference	Arizona	Mike Bibby, Arizona[27]	No Tournament
Patriot League	Lafayette	Stefan Ciosici, Lafayette[28]	1998 Patriot League men's basketball tournament	Kirby Sports Center (Easton, Pennsylvania)	Navy[29]
Southeastern Conference	Kentucky (East) Ole Miss (West)	Ansu Sesay, Ole Miss[30]	1998 SEC men's basketball tournament	Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Georgia)	Kentucky
Southern Conference	Appalachian State (North) Chattanooga (South)	Bobby Phillips, Western Carolina (Coaches)[31] & Chuck Vincent, Furman (Media)[31]	1998 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament	Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina)	Davidson[32]
Southland Conference	UTSA	Roderic Hall, UTSA[33]	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[34]	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[35]	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[36]	1998 TAAC men's basketball tournament	Memorial Coliseum (Jacksonville, Florida)	Charleston
West Coast Conference	Gonzaga	Bakari Hendrix, Gonzaga[37]	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[38]	1998 WAC men's basketball tournament	Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, Nevada)	UNLV

Conference standings

1997–98 America East Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Delaware † 12 – 6   .667 20 – 10   .667 Boston University 12 – 6   .667 19 – 11   .633 Vermont 11 – 7   .611 16 – 11   .593 Hartford 11 – 7   .611 15 – 12   .556 Hofstra 11 – 7   .611 19 – 12   .613 Drexel 10 – 8   .556 13 – 15   .464 Northeastern 9 – 9   .500 14 – 14   .500 New Hampshire 6 – 12   .333 10 – 17   .370 Towson 4 – 14   .222 8 – 20   .286 Maine 4 – 14   .222 7 – 20   .259 † 1998 America East tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	1997–98 ACC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 3 Duke 15 – 1   .938 32 – 4   .889 No. 1 North Carolina† 13 – 3   .813 34 – 4   .895 No. 20 Maryland 10 – 6   .625 21 – 11   .656 Wake Forest 7 – 9   .438 16 – 14   .533 Clemson 7 – 9   .438 18 – 14   .563 Georgia Tech 6 – 10   .375 19 – 14   .576 Florida State 6 – 10   .375 18 – 4   .818 NC State 5 – 11   .313 17 – 15   .531 Virginia 3 – 13   .188 11 – 19   .367 † 1998 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	1997–98 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East No. 24 Temple 13 – 3   .813 21 – 9   .700 Rhode Island 12 – 4   .750 25 – 9   .735 UMass 12 – 4   .750 21 – 11   .656 St. Bonaventure 6 – 10   .375 17 – 15   .531 Saint Joseph's 3 – 13   .188 11 – 17   .393 Fordham 2 – 14   .125 6 – 21   .222 West No. 23 Xavier † 11 – 5   .688 22 – 8   .733 George Washington 11 – 5   .688 24 – 9   .727 Dayton 11 – 5   .688 21 – 12   .636 Virginia Tech 5 – 11   .313 10 – 17   .370 Duquesne 5 – 11   .313 11 – 19   .367 La Salle 5 – 11   .313 9 – 18   .333 † 1998 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1997–98 Big 12 men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 2 Kansas † 15 – 1   .938 35 – 4   .897 Oklahoma State 11 – 5   .688 22 – 7   .759 Oklahoma 11 – 5   .688 22 – 11   .667 Nebraska 10 – 6   .625 20 – 12   .625 Baylor 8 – 8   .500 14 – 14   .500 Missouri 8 – 8   .500 17 – 15   .531 Texas Tech 7 – 9   .438 13 – 14   .481 Kansas State 7 – 9   .438 17 – 12   .586 Colorado 7 – 9   .438 13 – 14   .481 Texas 6 – 10   .375 14 – 17   .452 Iowa State 5 – 11   .313 12 – 18   .400 Texas A&M 1 – 15   .063 7 – 20   .259 † 1998 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll [39]	1997–98 Big East men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Big East 6 No. 6 Connecticut† 15 – 3   .833 32 – 5   .865 St. John's 13 – 5   .722 22 – 10   .688 West Virginia 11 – 7   .611 24 – 9   .727 Villanova 8 – 10   .444 12 – 17   .414 Notre Dame 7 – 11   .389 13 – 14   .481 Boston College 6 – 12   .333 15 – 16   .484 Big East 7 No. 21 Syracuse 12 – 6   .667 26 – 9   .743 Miami 11 – 7   .611 18 – 10   .643 Seton Hall 9 – 9   .500 15 – 15   .500 Providence 7 – 11   .389 13 – 16   .448 Pittsburgh 6 – 12   .333 11 – 16   .407 Rutgers 6 – 12   .333 14 – 15   .483 Georgetown 6 – 12   .333 16 – 15   .516 † 1998 Big East tournament winner As of March 30, 1998[40][41][42] Rankings from AP poll	1997–98 Big Sky men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Northern Arizona † 13 – 3   .813 21 – 8   .724 Weber State 12 – 4   .750 14 – 13   .519 Portland State 10 – 6   .625 15 – 12   .556 Eastern Washington 10 – 6   .625 16 – 11   .593 Montana 9 – 7   .563 16 – 14   .533 Montana State 9 – 7   .563 19 – 11   .633 Cal State Northridge 7 – 9   .438 12 – 16   .429 Idaho State 2 – 14   .125 6 – 20   .231 Sacramento State 0 – 16   .000 1 – 25   .038 † Conference tournament winner
1997–98 Big South Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT UNC Asheville 11 – 1   .917 19 – 9   .679 Radford † 10 – 2   .833 20 – 10   .667 UMBC 6 – 6   .500 14 – 14   .500 Liberty 5 – 7   .417 11 – 17   .393 Coastal Carolina 4 – 8   .333 8 – 19   .296 Winthrop 4 – 8   .333 7 – 20   .259 Charleston Southern 2 – 10   .167 5 – 22   .185 † 1998 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1997–98 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No.  16 Michigan State 13 – 3   .813 22 – 8   .733 No. 22 Illinois 13 – 3   .813 23 – 10   .697 No. 11 Purdue 12 – 4   .750 28 – 8   .778 Iowa 9 – 7   .563 20 – 11   .645 Indiana 9 – 7   .563 20 – 12   .625 Penn State 8 – 8   .500 19 – 13   .594 Northwestern 3 – 13   .188 10 – 17   .370 Wisconsin 3 – 13   .188 12 – 19   .387 Ohio State 1 – 15   .063 8 – 22   .267 No. 12 Michigan* † 0 – 5   .000 0 – 8   .000 Minnesota** 0 – 10   .000 0 – 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 v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Division Utah State† 13 – 3   .813 25 – 8   .758 Nevada 11 – 5   .688 16 – 12   .571 Boise State 9 – 7   .563 17 – 13   .567 Idaho 9 – 7   .563 15 – 12   .556 New Mexico State 8 – 8   .500 18 – 12   .600 North Texas 4 – 12   .250 5 – 21   .192 West Division Pacific 14 – 2   .875 23 – 10   .697 Cal Poly 7 – 9   .438 14 – 14   .500 Cal State Fullerton 6 – 10   .375 12 – 16   .429 UC Irvine 6 – 10   .375 9 – 18   .333 Long Beach State 5 – 11   .313 10 – 19   .345 UC Santa Barbara 4 – 12   .250 7 – 19   .269 † 1998 Big West tournament winner As of April 10, 1998[43] Rankings from AP poll
1997–98 CAA men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT UNC Wilmington 13 – 3   .813 20 – 11   .645 William & Mary 13 – 3   .813 20 – 7   .741 Richmond † 12 – 4   .750 23 – 8   .742 Old Dominion 8 – 8   .500 12 – 16   .429 James Madison 6 – 10   .375 11 – 16   .407 George Mason 6 – 10   .375 9 – 18   .333 American 5 – 11   .313 9 – 19   .321 East Carolina 5 – 11   .313 10 – 17   .370 VCU 4 – 12   .250 9 – 19   .321 † 1998 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1997–98 Conference USA men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT American No. 9 Cincinnati † 14 – 2   .875 27 – 6   .818 UNC Charlotte 13 – 3   .813 20 – 11   .645 Saint Louis 11 – 5   .688 22 – 11   .667 Marquette 8 – 8   .500 20 – 11   .645 Louisville 5 – 11   .313 12 – 20   .375 DePaul 3 – 13   .188 7 – 23   .233 National Memphis 12 – 4   .750 17 – 12   .586 UAB 10 – 6   .625 21 – 12   .636 Southern Miss 9 – 7   .563 22 – 11   .667 South Florida 7 – 9   .438 17 – 13   .567 Houston 2 – 14   .125 9 – 20   .310 Tulane 2 – 14   .125 7 – 22   .241 † 1998 Conference USA Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[44]	1997–98 Ivy League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 8 Princeton 14 – 0   1.000 27 – 2   .931 Penn 10 – 4   .714 17 – 12   .586 Yale 7 – 7   .500 12 – 14   .462 Harvard 6 – 8   .429 13 – 13   .500 Columbia 6 – 8   .429 11 – 15   .423 Cornell 6 – 8   .429 9 – 17   .346 Dartmouth 4 – 10   .286 7 – 19   .269 Brown 3 – 11   .214 6 – 20   .231 Rankings from AP Poll[45]
1997–98 MAAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Iona † 15 – 3   .833 27 – 6   .818 Rider 12 – 6   .667 18 – 10   .643 Siena 10 – 8   .556 17 – 12   .586 Niagara 10 – 8   .556 14 – 13   .519 Loyola (MD) 9 – 9   .500 12 – 16   .429 Canisius 9 – 9   .500 13 – 14   .481 Manhattan 7 – 11   .389 12 – 17   .414 Marist 7 – 11   .389 11 – 17   .393 Fairfield 7 – 11   .389 12 – 15   .444 Saint Peter's 4 – 14   .222 8 – 19   .296 † 1998 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[46]	1997–98 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Akron 13 – 5   .722 17 – 10   .630 Kent State 9 – 9   .500 13 – 17   .433 Miami 9 – 9   .500 17 – 12   .586 Marshall 7 – 11   .389 11 – 16   .407 Bowling Green 7 – 11   .389 10 – 16   .385 Ohio 3 – 15   .167 5 – 21   .192 West Ball State 14 – 4   .778 21 – 8   .724 Western Michigan 14 – 4   .778 21 – 8   .724 Eastern Michigan † 13 – 5   .722 20 – 10   .667 Toledo 10 – 8   .556 15 – 12   .556 Northern Illinois 6 – 12   .333 10 – 16   .385 Central Michigan 3 – 15   .167 5 – 21   .192 † 1998 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1997–98 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Valparaiso † 13 – 3   .813 23 – 10   .697 Oral Roberts 12 – 4   .750 19 – 12   .613 Youngstown State 11 – 5   .688 20 – 9   .690 Western Illinois 11 – 5   .688 16 – 11   .593 Buffalo 9 – 7   .563 15 – 13   .536 Missouri–Kansas City 7 – 9   .438 9 – 18   .333 Southern Utah 4 – 12   .250 7 – 20   .259 Northeastern Illinois 3 – 13   .188 6 – 19   .240 Chicago State 2 – 14   .125 2 – 25   .074 † 1998 Mid-Con Tournament winner Rankings from [47]
1997–98 MEAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Coppin State 17 – 1   .944 21 – 8   .724 South Carolina State † 16 – 2   .889 22 – 8   .733 Hampton 11 – 7   .611 14 – 12   .538 Morgan State 11 – 7   .611 12 – 16   .429 Florida A&M 8 – 10   .444 11 – 17   .393 Delaware State 7 – 11   .389 9 – 18   .333 Maryland Eastern Shore 7 – 11   .389 9 – 18   .333 North Carolina A&T 7 – 11   .389 8 – 19   .296 Howard 5 – 13   .278 8 – 20   .286 Bethune–Cookman 1 – 17   .056 1 – 26   .037 Norfolk State 0 – 0   – 6 – 21   .222 † 1998 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[48]	1997–98 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Detroit 12 – 2   .857 25 – 6   .806 UIC 12 – 2   .857 22 – 6   .786 Butler † 8 – 6   .571 22 – 11   .667 Green Bay 7 – 7   .500 17 – 12   .586 Cleveland State 6 – 8   .429 12 – 15   .444 Loyola Chicago 6 – 8   .429 15 – 15   .500 Wright State 3 – 11   .214 10 – 18   .357 Milwaukee 2 – 12   .143 3 – 24   .111 † 1998 MCC tournament winner	1997–98 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Illinois State † 16 – 2   .889 25 – 6   .806 Creighton 12 – 6   .667 18 – 10   .643 Southwest Missouri State 11 – 7   .611 16 – 16   .500 Wichita State 11 – 7   .611 16 – 15   .516 Indiana State 10 – 8   .556 16 – 11   .593 Evansville 9 – 9   .500 15 – 15   .500 Bradley 9 – 9   .500 15 – 14   .517 Southern Illinois 8 – 10   .444 14 – 18   .438 Northern Iowa 4 – 14   .222 10 – 17   .370 Drake 0 – 18   .000 3 – 24   .111 † 1998 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[49]
1997–98 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Long Island 14 – 2   .875 21 – 11   .656 Fairleigh Dickinson † 13 – 3   .813 23 – 7   .767 St. Francis (NY) 10 – 6   .625 15 – 12   .556 Saint Francis (PA) 10 – 6   .625 17 – 10   .630 Mount St. Mary's 8 – 8   .500 13 – 15   .464 Wagner 7 – 9   .438 13 – 16   .448 Robert Morris 4 – 12   .250 8 – 19   .296 Monmouth 3 – 13   .188 4 – 23   .148 Central Connecticut 3 – 13   .188 4 – 22   .154 † 1998 NEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1997–98 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 25 Murray State † 16 – 2   .889 29 – 4   .879 Eastern Illinois 13 – 5   .722 16 – 11   .593 Middle Tennessee 12 – 6   .667 19 – 9   .679 Austin Peay 11 – 7   .611 17 – 11   .607 Southeast Missouri State 10 – 8   .556 14 – 13   .519 Tennessee State 8 – 10   .444 13 – 16   .448 Eastern Kentucky 8 – 10   .444 10 – 17   .370 Tennessee Tech 5 – 13   .278 9 – 21   .300 UT Martin 5 – 13   .278 7 – 20   .259 Morehead State 2 – 16   .111 3 – 23   .115 † 1998 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[50]	1997–98 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 4 Arizona 17 – 1   .944 30 – 5   .857 No. 10 Stanford 15 – 3   .833 30 – 5   .857 No. 19 UCLA 12 – 6   .667 24 – 9   .727 Washington 11 – 7   .611 20 – 10   .667 Arizona State 8 – 10   .444 18 – 14   .563 Oregon 8 – 10   .444 13 – 14   .481 California 8 – 10   .444 12 – 15   .444 USC 5 – 13   .278 9 – 19   .321 Oregon State 3 – 15   .167 13 – 17   .433 Washington State 3 – 15   .167 10 – 19   .345 As of November 23, 2011[51] Rankings from AP Poll
1997–98 Patriot League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Lafayette 10 – 2   .833 19 – 9   .679 Navy † 10 – 2   .833 19 – 11   .633 Bucknell 8 – 4   .667 13 – 15   .464 Colgate 5 – 7   .417 10 – 18   .357 Lehigh 4 – 8   .333 10 – 17   .370 Holy Cross 3 – 9   .250 7 – 20   .259 Army 2 – 10   .167 8 – 19   .296 † 1998 Patriot League tournament winner	1997–98 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East No. 5 Kentucky † 14 – 2   .875 35 – 4   .897 No. 14 South Carolina 11 – 5   .688 23 – 8   .742 Tennessee 9 – 7   .563 20 – 9   .690 Georgia 7 – 9   .438 20 – 15   .571 Vanderbilt 7 – 9   .438 20 – 13   .606 Florida 6 – 10   .375 14 – 15   .483 West No. 13 Ole Miss 12 – 4   .750 22 – 7   .759 No. 17 Arkansas 11 – 5   .688 24 – 9   .727 Auburn 7 – 9   .438 16 – 14   .533 Alabama 6 – 10   .375 15 – 16   .484 Mississippi State 4 – 12   .250 15 – 15   .500 LSU 2 – 14   .125 9 – 18   .333 † 1998 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[52]	1997–98 Southern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT North Davidson † 13 – 2   .867 20 – 10   .667 Appalachian State 13 – 2   .867 21 – 8   .724 VMI 8 – 7   .533 14 – 13   .519 Western Carolina 6 – 9   .400 12 – 15   .444 East Tennessee State 6 – 9   .400 11 – 16   .407 UNC Greensboro 6 – 9   .400 9 – 19   .321 South Chattanooga 7 – 7   .500 13 – 15   .464 Wofford 6 – 8   .429 9 – 18   .333 The Citadel 6 – 8   .429 15 – 13   .536 Georgia Southern 5 – 9   .357 9 – 20   .310 Furman 4 – 10   .286 10 – 18   .357 † 1998 SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 1998 Rankings from AP poll
1997–98 Southland Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Nicholls State † 15 – 1   .938 19 – 10   .655 Texas State 10 – 6   .625 17 – 11   .607 UTSA 10 – 6   .625 16 – 11   .593 Northwestern State 10 – 6   .625 13 – 14   .481 Louisiana-Monroe 8 – 8   .500 13 – 16   .448 Texas-Arlington 8 – 8   .500 13 – 16   .448 Sam Houston State 7 – 9   .438 9 – 17   .346 Stephen F. Austin 6 – 10   .375 10 – 16   .385 McNeese State 4 – 12   .250 7 – 19   .269 Southeastern Louisiana 2 – 14   .125 6 – 20   .231 † 1998 Southland tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[53]	1997–98 SWAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Texas Southern 12 – 4   .750 15 – 16   .484 Jackson State 11 – 5   .688 14 – 13   .519 Grambling 10 – 6   .625 16 – 12   .571 Southern 10 – 6   .625 14 – 13   .519 Alcorn State 8 – 8   .500 12 – 15   .444 Prairie View A&M † 6 – 10   .375 13 – 17   .433 Alabama State 6 – 10   .375 11 – 17   .393 Mississippi Valley State 6 – 10   .375 6 – 21   .222 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 3 – 13   .188 4 – 23   .148 † 1998 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1997–98 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT South Alabama † 14 – 4   .778 21 – 7   .750 Arkansas State 14 – 4   .778 20 – 9   .690 Southwestern Louisiana 12 – 6   .667 18 – 13   .581 Arkansas–Little Rock 10 – 8   .556 15 – 13   .536 Louisiana Tech 9 – 9   .500 12 – 15   .444 New Orleans 9 – 9   .500 15 – 12   .556 Lamar 7 – 11   .389 15 – 14   .517 Jacksonville 6 – 12   .333 8 – 19   .296 Western Kentucky 6 – 12   .333 10 – 19   .345 Texas–Pan American 3 – 15   .167 3 – 24   .111 † 1998 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1997–98 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East College of Charleston † 14 – 2   .875 24 – 6   .800 Florida International 13 – 3   .813 21 – 8   .724 Central Florida 11 – 5   .688 17 – 11   .607 Stetson 8 – 8   .500 11 – 15   .423 Florida Atlantic 5 – 11   .313 5 – 22   .185 Campbell 4 – 12   .250 10 – 17   .370 West Georgia State 11 – 5   .688 16 – 12   .571 Samford 9 – 7   .563 14 – 13   .519 Centenary 8 – 8   .500 10 – 20   .333 Jacksonville State 6 – 10   .375 12 – 14   .462 Troy 5 – 11   .313 7 – 20   .259 Mercer 2 – 14   .125 5 – 21   .192 † 1998 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll[54]	1997–98 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Gonzaga 10 – 4   .714 24 – 10   .706 Pepperdine 9 – 5   .643 17 – 10   .630 Santa Clara 8 – 6   .571 18 – 10   .643 Saint Mary's 7 – 7   .500 11 – 15   .423 San Francisco † 7 – 7   .500 19 – 11   .633 Portland 7 – 7   .500 14 – 13   .519 San Diego 5 – 9   .357 14 – 14   .500 Loyola Marymount 3 – 11   .214 7 – 20   .259 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	1997–98 WAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Mountain No. 7 Utah 12 – 2   .857 30 – 4   .882 No. 18 New Mexico 11 – 3   .786 24 – 8   .750 Wyoming 9 – 5   .643 19 – 9   .679 Colorado State 8 – 6   .571 20 – 9   .690 UNLV † 7 – 7   .500 20 – 13   .606 BYU 4 – 10   .286 9 – 21   .300 UTEP 3 – 11   .214 12 – 14   .462 Air Force 2 – 12   .143 10 – 16   .385 Pacific No. 15 TCU 14 – 0   1.000 27 – 6   .818 Fresno State 10 – 4   .714 21 – 13   .618 Tulsa 9 – 5   .643 19 – 12   .613 Hawaii 8 – 6   .571 21 – 9   .700 SMU 6 – 8   .429 18 – 10   .643 San Diego State 5 – 9   .357 13 – 15   .464 Rice 3 – 11   .214 6 – 22   .214 San Jose State 1 – 13   .071 3 – 23   .115 † 1998 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[55]

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				Rebounds per game				Assists 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				Field-goal percentage				Three-Point FG 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

Main article: 1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Final Four – Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

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

National Invitation tournament

Main article: 1998 National Invitation Tournament

Semifinals & finals

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

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 1998 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

^[56]

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.