1990–91 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 1990–91 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1990 and ended with the Final Four at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 1, 1991. The Duke Blue Devils won their first NCAA national championship with a 72–65 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks.

1990–91 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
Preseason AP No. 1	UNLV Runnin' Rebels
NCAA Tournament	1991
Tournament dates	March 14 – April 1, 1991
National Championship	Hoosier Dome Indianapolis, Indiana
NCAA Champions	Duke Blue Devils
Other champions	Stanford Cardinal (NIT)
Player of the Year (Naismith, Wooden)	Larry Johnson, UNLV Runnin' Rebels
← 1989–90 1991–92 →

Season headlines

• The Patriot League began play, with seven original members.
• In a game on January 5, 1991, between two teams specializing in the fast-break offense, Kevin Bradshaw of U.S.International set a new NCAA record for points scored by a single player against an NCAA Division I opponent, scoring 72 points in a 186–140 loss to Loyola Marymount. Bradshaw broke LSU shooting guard Pete Maravich's record of 69 points, set in a February 1970 game against Alabama.^[1][2]
• In the 1991 NCAA tournament, a No. 15 seed defeated a No. 2 seed for the first time in tournament history, when Richmond topped Syracuse 73–69 in a first-round game.^[3]
• UNLV was the first team since the 1975–76 Indiana Hoosiers to enter the NCAA tournament unbeaten. The Runnin' Rebels reached 34–0 (and 45 straight wins dating to the previous season) before losing 79–77 to Duke in the national semifinals.
• Eddie Sutton of Oklahoma State became the first head coach to take four different teams to the NCAA tournament. He had done it previously with Creighton in 1974, Arkansas in 1977, and Kentucky in 1986.^[4]
• North Carolina's Dean Smith became the first head coach to take a school to the NCAA tournament's Final Four in four different decades. He coached North Carolina to the Final Four 11 times between 1967 and 1997.^[4]
• Duke won its first national championship in its ninth (and fourth consecutive) Final Four appearance.
• The American South Conference disbanded at the end of the season.

Major rule changes

Beginning in 1990–91, the following rule changes were implemented:

• Players fouled in the act of shooting a missed three-pointer received three free throws instead of the previous two.

Season outlook

Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.^[5]

Associated Press Ranking Team 1 UNLV 2 Arkansas 3 Arizona 4 Michigan State 5 North Carolina 6 Duke 7 Alabama 8 Indiana 9 Georgetown 10 Ohio State 11 UCLA 12 Pittsburgh 13 Syracuse 14 LSU 15 Oklahoma 16 Georgia Tech 17 Connecticut 18 Virginia 19 Temple 20 Missouri 21 Georgia 22 Texas 23 Louisville 24 Southern Miss 25 St. John's

UPI Coaches Ranking Team 1 UNLV 2 Arizona 3 Arkansas 4 North Carolina 5 Michigan State 6 Duke 7 Georgetown 8 Indiana 9 Alabama 10 UCLA 11 Ohio State 12 Oklahoma 13 LSU Connecticut 15 Pittsburgh 16 Syracuse 17 Georgia Tech 18 Southern Miss 19 Virginia 20 Kansas 21 Texas 22 Louisville 23 Georgia 24 Temple 25 Notre Dame

Conference membership changes

School	Former conference	New conference
Akron Zips	NCAA Division I independent	Mid-Continent Conference
Army Cadets	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	Patriot League
Augusta State Jaguars	Big South Conference	Peach Belt Conference (NCAA Division II)
Bucknell Bison	East Coast Conference	Patriot League
Buffalo Bulls	NCAA Division II	East Coast Conference
Cal State Northridge Matadors	NCAA Division II	NCAA Division I independent
Central Connecticut State Blue Devils	NCAA Division I independent	East Coast Conference
Central Florida Knights	NCAA Division I independent	American South Conference
Colgate Raiders	North Atlantic Conference	Patriot League
Davidson Wildcats	NCAA Division I independent	Big South Conference
Fordham Rams	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	Patriot League
Hardin–Simmons Cowboys	Trans America Athletic Conference	Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Division III)
Holy Cross Crusaders	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	Patriot League
Lafayette Leopards	East Coast Conference	Patriot League
Lehigh Engineers	East Coast Conference	Patriot League
UMBC Retrievers	NCAA Division I independent	East Coast Conference
Milwaukee Panthers	NCAA Division II independent	NCAA Division I independent
Northeastern Illinois Golden Eagles	NCAA Division II independent	NCAA Division I independent
Northern Illinois Huskies	NCAA Division I independent	Mid-Continent Conference
Southeastern Louisiana Lions	No team	NCAA Division I independent
Southwest Missouri State Bears	Mid-Continent Conference	Missouri Valley Conference

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference	Regular season first place	Conference player of the year	Conference Coach of the Year	Conference tournament	Tournament venue (city)	Tournament winner
American South Conference	Arkansas State & New Orleans[a]	Tank Collins, New Orleans	Nelson Catalina, Arkansas State	1991 American South Conference men's basketball tournament	Lakefront Arena (New Orleans, LA)	Louisiana Tech
Atlantic 10 Conference	Rutgers	Keith Hughes, Rutgers	John Carroll, Duquesne	1991 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament	Palestra (Philadelphia, PA)	Penn State
Atlantic Coast Conference	Duke	Rodney Monroe, NC State	Dave Odom, Wake Forest	1991 ACC men's basketball tournament	Charlotte Coliseum Charlotte, NC	North Carolina
Big East Conference	Syracuse	Billy Owens, Syracuse	Jim Boeheim, Syracuse	1991 Big East men's basketball tournament	Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)	Seton Hall
Big Eight Conference	Kansas & Oklahoma State[a]	Byron Houston, Oklahoma State & Doug Smith, Missouri	Danny Nee, Nebraska	1991 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament	Kemper Arena (Kansas City, MO)	Missouri
Big Sky Conference	Montana	Kevin Kearney, Montana	Stew Morrill, Montana	1991 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament	Dahlberg Arena (Missoula, MT)	Montana
Big South Conference	Coastal Carolina	Tony Dunkin, Coastal Carolina	Oliver Purnell, Radford	1991 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament	Civic Center of Anderson (Anderson, SC)	Coastal Carolina
Big Ten Conference	Indiana & Ohio State	Jim Jackson, Ohio State	Randy Ayers, Ohio State	No Tournament
Big West Conference	UNLV	Larry Johnson, UNLV	Jerry Tarkanian, UNLV	1991 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament	Long Beach Arena (Long Beach, CA)	UNLV
Colonial Athletic Association	James Madison	Steve Hood, James Madison	Dick Tarrant, Richmond	1991 CAA men's basketball tournament	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, VA)	Richmond
East Coast Conference	Towson State	Devin Boyd, Towson State	Terry Truax, Towson State	1991 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament	Towson Center (Towson, MD)	Towson State
Ivy League	Princeton	Kit Mueller, Princeton	Not named	No Tournament
Metro Conference	Southern Miss	Clarence Weatherspoon, Southern Miss	Perry Clark, Tulane	1991 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament	Roanoke Civic Center (Roanoke, VA)	Florida State
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	La Salle & Siena[a]	Marc Brown, Siena	Ted Fiore, Saint Peter's	1991 MAAC men's basketball tournament	Knickerbocker Arena (Albany, NY)	Saint Peter's
Mid-American Conference	Eastern Michigan	Marcus Kennedy, Eastern Michigan	Ben Braun, Eastern Michigan	1991 MAC men's basketball tournament	Cobo Arena (Detroit, MI)	Eastern Michigan
Mid-Continent Conference	Northern Illinois	Tony Bennett, Wisconsin–Green Bay	Jim Molinari, Northern Illinois	1991 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament	Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena (Green Bay, WI)	Wisconsin–Green Bay
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference	Coppin State	Larry Stewart, Coppin State	Fang Mitchell, Coppin State	1991 MEAC men's basketball tournament	Norfolk Scope (Norfolk, VA)	Florida A&M
Midwestern Collegiate Conference	Xavier	Darin Archbold, Butler	Barry Collier, Butler	1991 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball tournament	UD Arena (Dayton, OH)	Xavier
Missouri Valley Conference	Creighton	Chad Gallagher, Creighton	Tates Locke, Indiana State	1991 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Kiel Auditorium (St. Louis, MO)	Creighton
North Atlantic Conference	Northeastern	Matt Johnson, Vermont	Tom Brennan, Vermont	1991 North Atlantic Conference men's basketball tournament	Matthews Arena (Boston, MA)	Northeastern
Northeast Conference	Fairleigh Dickinson & Saint Francis (PA)[a]	Mike Iuzzolino, Saint Francis (PA)	Rich Zvosec, St. Francis (NY)	1991 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament	DeGol Arena (Loretto, PA)	Saint Francis (PA)
Ohio Valley Conference	Murray State	Popeye Jones, Murray State	Dave Loos, Austin Peay	1991 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Racer Arena (Murray, KY)	Murray State
Pacific-10 Conference	Arizona	Terrell Brandon, Oregon	Kelvin Sampson, Washington State	No Tournament
Patriot League	Fordham	Damon Lopez, Fordham	Nick Macarchuk, Fordham	1991 Patriot League men's basketball tournament	Hart Center (Worcester, MA)	Fordham
Southeastern Conference	LSU & Mississippi State	Shaquille O'Neal, LSU	Rick Pitino, Kentucky	1991 SEC men's basketball tournament	Memorial Gymnasium (Nashville, TN)	Alabama
Southern Conference	East Tennessee State & Furman[a]	Keith Jennings, East Tennessee State	Butch Estes, Furman	1991 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament	Asheville Civic Center (Asheville, NC)	East Tennessee State
Southland Conference	Northeast Louisiana	Carlos Funchess, Northeast Louisiana & Anthony Jones, Northeast Louisiana	Ned Fowler, Stephen F. Austin	1991 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament	Fant–Ewing Coliseum (Monroe, LA)	Northeast Louisiana
Southwest Conference	Arkansas	Oliver Miller, Arkansas	Nolan Richardson, Arkansas	1991 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament	Reunion Arena (Dallas, TX)	Arkansas
Southwestern Athletic Conference	Jackson State	Steve Rogers, Alabama State	Andy Stoglin, Jackson State	1991 SWAC men's basketball tournament	Health and Physical Education Arena (Houston, TX)	Jackson State
Sun Belt Conference	South Alabama	Chris Gatling, Old Dominion	Ronnie Arrow, South Alabama	1991 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament	Mobile Civic Center (Mobile, AL)	South Alabama
Trans America Athletic Conference	Texas–San Antonio	Patrick Greer, Centenary	Tommy Vardeman, Centenary	1991 TAAC men's basketball tournament	Edmunds Center (DeLand, FL)	Georgia State
West Coast Athletic Conference	Pepperdine	Doug Christie, Pepperdine	Tom Asbury, Pepperdine	1991 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament	Toso Pavilion (Santa Clara, CA)	Pepperdine
Western Athletic Conference	Utah	Josh Grant, Utah	Rick Majerus, Utah	1991 WAC men's basketball tournament	Arena-Auditorium (Laramie, WY)	BYU

1. Top seed in conference tournament.

Conference standings

1990–91 American South Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT New Orleans 9 – 3   .750 23 – 8   .742 Arkansas State 9 – 3   .750 23 – 9   .719 Louisiana Tech † 8 – 4   .667 21 – 10   .677 Southwestern Louisiana 6 – 6   .500 21 – 10   .677 Lamar 4 – 8   .333 15 – 13   .536 UCF 3 – 9   .250 10 – 17   .370 Texas–Pan American 3 – 9   .250 7 – 21   .250 † 1991 American South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[6]	1990–91 ACC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 6 Duke 11 – 3   .786 32 – 7   .821 No. 4 North Carolina † 10 – 4   .714 29 – 6   .829 Wake Forest 8 – 6   .571 19 – 11   .633 NC State 8 – 6   .571 20 – 11   .645 Georgia Tech 6 – 8   .429 17 – 13   .567 Virginia 6 – 8   .429 21 – 12   .636 Maryland 5 – 9   .357 16 – 12   .571 Clemson 2 – 12   .143 11 – 17   .393 † 1991 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	1990–91 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Rutgers 14 – 4   .778 19 – 10   .655 Temple 13 – 5   .722 24 – 10   .706 Penn State † 10 – 8   .556 21 – 11   .656 George Washington 10 – 8   .556 19 – 12   .613 UMass 10 – 8   .556 20 – 13   .606 West Virginia 10 – 8   .556 17 – 14   .548 Duquesne 10 – 8   .556 13 – 15   .464 Saint Joseph's 7 – 11   .389 13 – 17   .433 Rhode Island 6 – 12   .333 11 – 17   .393 St. Bonaventure 0 – 18   .000 5 – 23   .179 † 1991 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1990–91 Big East men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 7 Syracuse 12 – 4   .750 26 – 6   .813 No. 20 St. John's 10 – 6   .625 23 – 9   .719 Connecticut 9 – 7   .563 20 – 11   .645 No. 13 Seton Hall † 9 – 7   .563 25 – 9   .735 Pittsburgh 9 – 7   .563 21 – 12   .636 Georgetown 8 – 8   .500 19 – 13   .594 Providence 7 – 9   .438 19 – 13   .594 Villanova 7 – 9   .438 17 – 15   .531 Boston College 1 – 15   .063 11 – 19   .367 † 1991 Big East tournament winner As of April 1, 1991[7] Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 Big Eight Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 14 Oklahoma State 10 – 4   .714 24 – 8   .750 No. 12 Kansas 10 – 4   .714 27 – 8   .771 No. 11 Nebraska 9 – 5   .643 26 – 8   .765 Missouri † 8 – 6   .571 20 – 10   .667 Iowa State 6 – 8   .429 12 – 19   .387 Oklahoma 5 – 9   .357 20 – 15   .571 Colorado 5 – 9   .357 19 – 14   .576 Kansas State 3 – 11   .214 13 – 15   .464 † 1991 Big Eight tournament winner As of April 1, 1991 Rankings from AP poll	1990–91 Big Sky men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Montana † 13 – 3   .813 23 – 8   .742 Nevada 12 – 4   .750 17 – 14   .548 Idaho 11 – 5   .688 19 – 11   .633 Boise State 10 – 6   .625 17 – 10   .630 Idaho State 7 – 9   .438 11 – 18   .379 Weber State 7 – 9   .438 12 – 16   .429 Montana State 6 – 10   .375 12 – 16   .429 Eastern Washington 5 – 11   .313 11 – 16   .407 Northern Arizona 1 – 15   .063 4 – 23   .148 † Conference tournament winner
1990–91 Big South Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Coastal Carolina † 13 – 1   .929 24 – 8   .750 Radford 12 – 2   .857 22 – 7   .759 Augusta State 9 – 5   .643 14 – 16   .467 Davidson 6 – 8   .429 10 – 19   .345 Winthrop 5 – 9   .357 8 – 20   .286 UNC Asheville 4 – 10   .286 8 – 20   .286 Charleston Southern 4 – 10   .286 9 – 19   .321 Campbell 3 – 11   .214 9 – 19   .321 † 1991 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 5 Ohio State 15 – 3   .833 27 – 4   .871 No. 3 Indiana 15 – 3   .833 29 – 5   .853 Illinois 11 – 7   .611 21 – 10   .677 Michigan State 11 – 7   .611 19 – 11   .633 Iowa 9 – 9   .500 21 – 11   .656 Purdue 9 – 9   .500 17 – 12   .586 Wisconsin 8 – 10   .444 15 – 15   .500 Michigan 7 – 11   .389 14 – 15   .483 Minnesota 5 – 13   .278 12 – 16   .429 Northwestern 0 – 18   .000 5 – 23   .179 Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 Big West men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 1 UNLV 18 – 0   1.000 34 – 1   .971 No. 15 New Mexico State 15 – 3   .833 23 – 6   .793 Pacific 9 – 9   .500 14 – 15   .483 UC Santa Barbara 8 – 10   .444 14 – 15   .483 Utah State 8 – 10   .444 11 – 17   .393 Cal State Fullerton 7 – 11   .389 14 – 14   .500 Fresno State 7 – 11   .389 14 – 16   .467 Long Beach State 7 – 11   .389 11 – 17   .393 UC Irvine 6 – 12   .333 11 – 19   .367 San Jose State 5 – 13   .278 7 – 20   .259 † 1991 Big West tournament winner Rankings from AP poll
1990–91 CAA men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT James Madison 12 – 2   .857 19 – 10   .655 Richmond † 10 – 4   .714 22 – 10   .688 American 8 – 6   .571 15 – 14   .517 George Mason 8 – 6   .571 14 – 16   .467 UNC Wilmington 6 – 8   .429 11 – 17   .393 William & Mary 6 – 8   .429 13 – 15   .464 East Carolina 4 – 10   .286 12 – 16   .429 Navy 2 – 12   .143 8 – 21   .276 † 1991 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[8]	1990–91 East Coast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Towson State † 10 – 2   .833 19 – 11   .633 Delaware 8 – 4   .667 16 – 13   .552 Hofstra 7 – 5   .583 14 – 14   .500 Drexel 7 – 5   .583 12 – 16   .429 Rider 4 – 8   .333 14 – 16   .467 UMBC 4 – 8   .333 7 – 22   .241 Central Connecticut State 2 – 10   .167 4 – 24   .143 † 1991 ECC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	1990–91 Ivy League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 18 Princeton 14 – 0   1.000 24 – 3   .889 Yale 9 – 5   .643 15 – 11   .577 Cornell 6 – 8   .429 13 – 13   .500 Brown 6 – 8   .429 11 – 15   .423 Harvard 6 – 8   .429 9 – 17   .346 Penn 6 – 8   .429 9 – 17   .346 Columbia 5 – 9   .357 7 – 19   .269 Dartmouth 4 – 10   .286 9 – 17   .346 Rankings from AP Poll[9]
1990–91 Metro Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 25 Southern Miss 10 – 4   .714 21 – 8   .724 Florida State † 9 – 5   .643 21 – 11   .656 Cincinnati 8 – 6   .571 18 – 12   .600 Tulane 7 – 7   .500 15 – 13   .536 Memphis 7 – 7   .500 17 – 15   .531 Virginia Tech 6 – 8   .429 13 – 16   .448 South Carolina 5 – 9   .357 20 – 13   .606 Louisville 4 – 10   .286 14 – 16   .467 † 1991 Metro Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 MAAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Siena 12 – 4   .750 25 – 10   .714 La Salle 12 – 4   .750 19 – 10   .655 Saint Peter's † 11 – 5   .688 24 – 7   .774 Iona 11 – 5   .688 17 – 13   .567 Manhattan 8 – 8   .500 13 – 15   .464 Niagara 6 – 10   .375 8 – 20   .286 Loyola (MD) 5 – 11   .313 12 – 16   .429 Fairfield 4 – 12   .250 8 – 20   .286 Canisius 3 – 13   .188 10 – 19   .345 † 1991 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Eastern Michigan † 13 – 3   .813 26 – 7   .788 Miami (OH) 10 – 6   .625 16 – 12   .571 Ball State 10 – 6   .625 21 – 10   .677 Bowling Green 9 – 7   .563 17 – 13   .567 Ohio 9 – 7   .563 16 – 12   .571 Central Michigan 8 – 8   .500 14 – 14   .500 Toledo 7 – 9   .438 17 – 16   .515 Kent State 4 – 12   .250 10 – 18   .357 Western Michigan 2 – 14   .125 5 – 22   .185 † 1991 Mid-American Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1990–91 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Northern Illinois 14 – 2   .875 25 – 6   .806 Wiscinsin–Green Bay † 13 – 3   .813 24 – 7   .774 Eastern Illinois 10 – 6   .625 17 – 12   .586 Cleveland State 8 – 8   .500 12 – 16   .429 Northern Iowa 8 – 8   .500 13 – 19   .406 Western Illinois 6 – 10   .375 13 – 15   .464 Akron 6 – 10   .375 15 – 13   .536 Illinois–Chicago 5 – 11   .313 15 – 15   .500 Valparaiso 2 – 14   .125 5 – 22   .185 † 1991 Mid-Con Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 MEAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Coppin State 14 – 2   .875 19 – 11   .633 Delaware State 10 – 6   .625 19 – 11   .633 North Carolina A&T 10 – 6   .625 17 – 10   .630 South Carolina State 10 – 6   .625 13 – 15   .464 Florida A&M † 9 – 7   .563 17 – 14   .548 Howard 7 – 9   .438 8 – 20   .286 Morgan State 6 – 10   .375 7 – 22   .241 Maryland Eastern Shore 3 – 13   .188 5 – 23   .179 Bethune–Cookman 3 – 13   .188 5 – 24   .172 † 1991 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Xavier † 11 – 3   .786 22 – 10   .688 Butler 10 – 4   .714 18 – 11   .621 Saint Louis 8 – 6   .571 19 – 14   .576 Dayton 8 – 6   .571 14 – 15   .483 Evansville 7 – 7   .500 14 – 14   .500 Marquette 7 – 7   .500 11 – 18   .379 Loyola (IL) 3 – 11   .214 10 – 19   .345 Detroit Mercy 2 – 12   .143 9 – 19   .321 † 1991 MCC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1990–91 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Creighton † 12 – 4   .750 24 – 8   .750 Southwest Missouri State 11 – 5   .688 22 – 12   .647 Tulsa 10 – 6   .625 18 – 12   .600 Indiana State 9 – 7   .563 14 – 14   .500 Southern Illinois 9 – 7   .563 18 – 14   .563 Wichita State 7 – 9   .438 14 – 17   .452 Bradley 6 – 10   .375 8 – 20   .286 Illinois State 4 – 12   .250 5 – 23   .179 Drake 4 – 12   .250 8 – 21   .276 † 1991 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 North Atlantic Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Northeastern † 8 – 2   .800 22 – 11   .667 Maine 7 – 3   .700 13 – 16   .448 Boston University 5 – 5   .500 11 – 18   .379 Vermont 5 – 5   .500 15 – 13   .536 Hartford 5 – 5   .500 13 – 16   .448 New Hampshire 0 – 10   .000 3 – 25   .107 † 1991 NAC tournament winner	1990–91 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Saint Francis (PA)† 13 – 3   .813 24 – 8   .750 Fairleigh Dickinson 13 – 3   .813 22 – 9   .710 Robert Morris* 12 – 4   .750 17 – 11   .607 Monmouth 10 – 6   .625 19 – 8   .704 St. Francis (NY) 8 – 8   .500 15 – 14   .517 Mount St. Mary's* 6 – 10   .375 8 – 19   .296 Long Island 4 – 12   .250 10 – 18   .357 Marist 4 – 12   .250 6 – 22   .214 Wagner 2 – 14   .125 4 – 26   .133 † 1991 NEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament
1990–91 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Murray State † 10 – 2   .833 24 – 9   .727 Eastern Kentucky 9 – 3   .750 19 – 10   .655 Tennessee Tech 6 – 6   .500 12 – 16   .429 Austin Peay 6 – 6   .500 15 – 14   .517 Middle Tennessee 6 – 6   .500 21 – 9   .700 Morehead State 4 – 8   .333 16 – 13   .552 Tennessee State 1 – 11   .083 5 – 23   .179 † 1991 OVC tournament[10] winner	1990–91 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 8 Arizona 14 – 4   .778 28 – 7   .800 No. 16 UCLA 11 – 7   .611 23 – 9   .719 Arizona State 10 – 8   .556 20 – 10   .667 USC 10 – 8   .556 19 – 10   .655 Stanford 8 – 10   .444 20 – 13   .606 Washington State 8 – 10   .444 16 – 12   .571 Oregon State 8 – 10   .444 14 – 14   .500 Oregon 8 – 10   .444 13 – 15   .464 California 8 – 10   .444 13 – 15   .464 Washington 5 – 13   .278 14 – 14   .500 As of April 15, 1991[11] Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 Patriot League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Fordham † 11 – 1   .917 25 – 8   .758 Lehigh 10 – 2   .833 19 – 10   .655 Holy Cross 8 – 4   .667 18 – 12   .600 Bucknell 7 – 5   .583 18 – 13   .581 Army 3 – 9   .250 6 – 22   .214 Colgate 2 – 10   .167 5 – 23   .179 Lafayette 1 – 11   .083 7 – 21   .250 † 1991 Patriot League tournament winner
1990–91 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 9 Kentucky 14 – 4   .778 22 – 6   .786 No. 21 Mississippi State 13 – 5   .722 20 – 9   .690 No. 22 LSU 13 – 5   .722 20 – 10   .667 No. 19 Alabama † 12 – 6   .667 23 – 10   .697 Vanderbilt 11 – 7   .611 17 – 13   .567 Georgia 9 – 9   .500 17 – 13   .567 Florida 7 – 11   .389 11 – 17   .393 Auburn 5 – 13   .278 13 – 16   .448 Ole Miss 3 – 15   .167 9 – 19   .321 Tennessee 3 – 15   .167 12 – 22   .353 † 1991 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll[12]	1990–91 Southern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Furman 11 – 3   .786 20 – 9   .690 No. 17 East Tennessee State† 11 – 3   .786 28 – 5   .848 Chattanooga 11 – 3   .786 19 – 10   .655 Appalachian State 7 – 7   .500 16 – 14   .533 Marshall 7 – 7   .500 14 – 14   .500 VMI 5 – 9   .357 10 – 18   .357 Western Carolina 3 – 11   .214 11 – 17   .393 The Citadel 1 – 13   .071 6 – 22   .214 † 1991 SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 1991 Rankings from AP poll	1990–91 Southland Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT NE Louisiana † 13 – 1   .929 25 – 8   .758 UT Arlington 11 – 3   .786 20 – 9   .690 North Texas State 11 – 3   .786 17 – 13   .567 Stephen F. Austin 6 – 8   .429 11 – 17   .393 Sam Houston State 5 – 9   .357 7 – 20   .259 Texas State 4 – 10   .286 10 – 17   .370 McNeese State 4 – 10   .286 8 – 19   .296 Northwestern State 2 – 12   .143 6 – 22   .214 † 1991 Southland Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1990–91 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 2 Arkansas † 15 – 1   .938 34 – 4   .895 No. 23 Texas 13 – 3   .813 23 – 9   .719 Houston 10 – 6   .625 18 – 11   .621 TCU 9 – 7   .563 18 – 10   .643 Rice 9 – 7   .563 16 – 14   .533 SMU 6 – 10   .375 12 – 17   .414 Baylor 4 – 12   .250 12 – 15   .444 Texas Tech 4 – 12   .250 8 – 23   .258 Texas A&M 2 – 14   .125 8 – 21   .276 † 1991 SWC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 SWAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Jackson State † 10 – 2   .833 17 – 13   .567 Southern 8 – 4   .667 19 – 9   .679 Alabama State 7 – 5   .583 18 – 11   .621 Texas Southern 7 – 5   .583 13 – 17   .433 Mississippi Valley State 4 – 8   .333 9 – 19   .321 Alcorn State 3 – 9   .250 8 – 21   .276 Grambling 3 – 9   .250 6 – 22   .214 Prairie View A&M 0 – 0   – 4 – 21   .160 † 1991 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT South Alabama † 11 – 3   .786 22 – 9   .710 UAB 9 – 5   .643 18 – 13   .581 South Florida 8 – 6   .571 19 – 11   .633 Western Kentucky 8 – 6   .571 14 – 14   .500 VCU 7 – 7   .500 14 – 17   .452 Old Dominion 5 – 9   .357 14 – 18   .438 UNC Charlotte 6 – 8   .429 14 – 14   .500 Jacksonville 2 – 12   .143 6 – 22   .214 † 1991 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1990–91 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT UTSA 12 – 2   .857 21 – 8   .724 Centenary 10 – 4   .714 17 – 12   .586 Georgia Southern 9 – 5   .643 14 – 13   .519 Stetson 9 – 5   .643 15 – 16   .484 Georgia State † 7 – 7   .500 16 – 15   .516 Arkansas–Little Rock 6 – 8   .429 10 – 20   .333 Samford 2 – 12   .143 6 – 22   .214 Mercer 1 – 13   .071 2 – 25   .074 † 1991 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1990–91 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Pepperdine † 13 – 1   .929 22 – 9   .710 Loyola Marymount 9 – 5   .643 16 – 15   .516 San Diego 8 – 6   .571 17 – 12   .586 Saint Mary's 7 – 7   .500 13 – 17   .433 Santa Clara 7 – 7   .500 16 – 13   .552 Gonzaga 5 – 9   .357 14 – 14   .500 San Francisco 4 – 10   .286 12 – 17   .414 Portland 3 – 11   .214 5 – 23   .179 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	1990–91 WAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 10 Utah 15 – 1   .938 30 – 4   .882 BYU † 11 – 5   .688 21 – 13   .618 New Mexico 10 – 6   .625 20 – 10   .667 Wyoming 8 – 8   .500 20 – 12   .625 UTEP 7 – 9   .438 16 – 13   .552 Hawaii 7 – 9   .438 16 – 13   .552 Colorado State 6 – 10   .375 15 – 14   .517 San Diego State 6 – 10   .375 13 – 16   .448 Air Force 2 – 14   .125 9 – 20   .310 † 1991 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll

Division I independents

A total of 17 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, DePaul (20–9) had both the best winning percentage (.690) and the most wins.^[13]

1990–91 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 24 DePaul - – -   – 20 – 9   .690 Wright State - – -   – 19 – 9   .679 Milwaukee - – -   – 18 – 10   .643 Southern Utah - – -   – 16 – 12   .571 Missouri–Kansas City - – -   – 15 – 14   .517 Youngstown State - – -   – 12 – 16   .429 Brooklyn - – -   – 11 – 16   .407 Notre Dame - – -   – 12 – 20   .375 Miami (FL) - – -   – 9 – 19   .321 Southeastern Louisiana - – -   – 9 – 19   .321 Cal State Northridge - – -   – 8 – 20   .286 Florida International - – -   – 6 – 22   .214 Liberty - – -   – 5 – 23   .179 Chicago State - – -   – 4 – 24   .143 Nicholls State - – -   – 3 – 25   .107 Northeastern Illinois - – -   – 2 – 25   .074 US International - – -   – 2 – 26   .071 Rankings from AP Poll

Informal championships

Conference	Regular season winner	Most Valuable Player
Philadelphia Big 5	Saint Joseph's & Temple	Mark Macon, Temple

Saint Joseph's and Temple both finished with 3–1 records in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5. After this season, the Big 5 dropped its full round-robin schedule in which each team met each other team once, which it had used since its first season of competition in 1955–56. Instead, each team played only two games against other Big 5 members from the 1991–92 season through the 1998–99 season. The Big 5 did not revive its full round-robin schedule until 1999–2000 season.

Statistical leaders

Points per game				Rebounds per game				Assists per game				Steals per game
Player	School	PPG		Player	School	RPG		Player	School	APG		Player	School	SPG
Kevin Bradshaw	US International	37.6		Shaquille O'Neal	LSU	14.7		Chris Corchiani	NC State	9.6		Van Usher	Tenn. Tech	3.7
Alphonso Ford	Miss. Valley St.	32.7		Popeye Jones	Murray St.	14.2		Danny Tirado	Jacksonville	9.3		Scott Burrell	Connecticut	3.6
Von McDade	UW–Milwaukee	29.6		Larry Stewart	Coppin St.	13.4		Terrell Lowery	Loyola Marymount	9.1		Eric Murdock	Providence	3.5
Steve Rogers	Alabama St.	29.4		Tim Burroughs	Jacksonville	13.0		Keith Jennings	E. Tenn. St.	9.1		Von McDade	UW–Milwaukee	3.5
Terrell Lowery	Loyola Marymount	28.5		Warren Kidd	Middle Tenn St.	12.3		Greg Anthony	UNLV	8.9		Lynn Smith	St. Francis (NY)	3.4

Blocked shots per game				Field goal percentage				Three-point field goal percentage				Free throw percentage
Player	School	BPG		Player	School	FG%		Player	School	3FG%		Player	School	FT%
Shawn Bradley	BYU	5.2		Oliver Miller	Arkansas	.704		Keith Jennings	E. Tenn St.	.592		Darin Archbold	Butler	.912
Cedric Lewis	Maryland	5.1		Warren Kidd	Middle Tenn. St.	.700		Tony Bennett	UW–Green Bay	.533		William Lewis	Monmouth	.901
Shaquille O'Neal	LSU	5.0		Pete Freeman	Akron	.700		Mike Iuzzolino	St. Francis (PA)	.528		Darwyn Alexander	Oklahoma St.	.897
Dikembe Mutombo	Georgetown	4.7		Lester James	St. Francis (NY)	.693		Ross Richardson	Loyola Marymount	.526		Keith Jennings	E. Tenn. St.	.895
Kevin Roberson	Vermont	3.7		Marcus Kennedy	E. Michigan	.692		David Mitchell	Samford	.526		Rodney Monroe	NC State	.895

Postseason tournaments

NCAA tournament

Main article: 1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Final Four - Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, Indiana

	National Semifinals					National Championship Game
	E1	North Carolina	73
	S3	Kansas	79
						S3	Kansas	65
						M2	Duke	72
	M2	Duke	79
	W1	UNLV	77

National Invitation tournament

Main article: 1991 National Invitation Tournament

NIT Semifinals and Final

	Semifinals					Finals
	Oklahoma		88
	Colorado		78
						Oklahoma		72
						Stanford		78
	Massachusetts		71
	Stanford		78

	Third place game
	Colorado		98
	Massachusetts		91

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 1991 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

Consensus First Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Kenny Anderson	G	Sophomore	Georgia Tech
Jimmy Jackson	G/F	Sophomore	Ohio State
Larry Johnson	F	Senior	UNLV
Shaquille O'Neal	C	Sophomore	Louisiana State
Billy Owens	F	Junior	Syracuse

Consensus Second Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Stacey Augmon	F	Senior	UNLV
Keith Jennings	G	Senior	East Tennessee State
Christian Laettner	F	Junior	Duke
Eric Murdock	G	Senior	Providence
Steve Smith	G	Senior	Michigan State

Major player of the year awards

• Wooden Award: Larry Johnson, UNLV
• Naismith Award: Larry Johnson, UNLV
• Associated Press Player of the Year: Shaquille O'Neal, LSU
• UPI Player of the Year: Shaquille O'Neal, LSU
• NABC Player of the Year: Larry Johnson, UNLV
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Larry Johnson, UNLV
• Adolph Rupp Trophy: Shaquille O'Neal, LSU
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Larry Johnson, UNLV

Major coach of the year awards

• Associated Press Coach of the Year: Randy Ayers, Ohio State
• UPI Coach of the Year: Rick Majerus, Utah
• Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Randy Ayers, Ohio State
• NABC Coach of the Year: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke
• Naismith College Coach of the Year: Randy Ayers, Ohio State
• CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Randy Ayers, Ohio State
• Sporting News Coach of the Year: Rick Pitino, Kentucky

Other major awards

• Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Keith Jennings, East Tennessee State
• Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Mark Macon, Temple
• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Malik Sealy, St. John's
• USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Rodney Rogers, Wake Forest

Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.

Team	Former Coach	Interim Coach	New Coach	Reason
Bradley	Stan Albeck		Jim Molinari
Brown	Mike Cingiser		Frank Dobbs
Central Michigan	Charlie Coles		Keith Dambrot
Colorado State	Boyd Grant		Stew Morrill
Cornell	Mike Dement		Jan van Breda Kolff
Creighton	Tony Barone		Rick Johnson
Dartmouth	Paul Cormier		Dave Faucher
Drexel	Eddie Burke		Bill Herrion
East Carolina	Mike Steele		Eddie Payne
Fairfield	Mitch Buonaguro		Paul Cormier
Harvard	Peter Roby		Frank Sullivan
Iona	Gary Brokaw		Jerry Welsh
Jacksonville	Rich Haddad		Matt Kilcullen
Middle Tennessee State	Bruce Stewart		David Farrar
Montana	Stew Morrill		Blaine Taylor
Morehead State	Tommy Gaither		Dick Fick
Murray State	Steve Newton		Scott Edgar
Northern Illinois	Jim Molinari		Brian Hammel
Notre Dame	Digger Phelps		John MacLeod
Old Dominion	Tom Young		Oliver Purnell
Radford	Oliver Purnell		Ron Bradley
Saint Mary's	Paul Landreaux	Dave Fehte	Ernie Kent
South Carolina	George Felton		Steve Newton
Texas A&M	Kermit Davis		Tony Barone
UNC Greensboro	Bob McEvoy		Mike Dement