2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

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

2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
Preseason AP No. 1	North Carolina Tar Heels
Regular season	November 13, 2015 – March 13, 2016
NCAA Tournament	2016
Tournament dates	March 15 – April 4, 2016
National Championship	NRG Stadium Houston, Texas
NCAA Champions	Villanova Wildcats
Other champions	George Washington Colonials (NIT), Old Dominion Monarchs (Vegas 16), Nevada Wolf Pack (CBI), Columbia Lions (CIT)
Player of the Year (Naismith, Wooden)	Buddy Hield, Oklahoma Sooners
← 2014–15 2016–17 →

Rule changes

The following rule changes were proposed by the NCAA Men's Rules Committee for the 2015–16 season,^[1][2] and officially approved by the NCAA Men's Playing Rules Oversight Panel:^[3]

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

Season headlines

• May 27 – The NCAA announced its Academic Progress Rate (APR) sanctions for the 2015–16 school year. A total of 21 programs in 9 sports were declared ineligible for postseason play due to failure to meet the required APR benchmark, including the following four Division I men's basketball teams:^[4]
  • Alcorn State
  • Florida A&M
  • Stetson
  • Central Arkansas
• June 29 – Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan announced he would retire at the end of the 2015–16 season.^[5]
• August 13 – Ryan backed away from his previously announced retirement plans, saying that he was open to staying on beyond this season and that he would make his decision in the coming months.^[6]
• September 29 – The NCAA announced penalties against SMU following an investigation into a wide array of violations:^[7]
  • The Mustangs were banned from postseason play for 2015–16.
  • Head coach Larry Brown was suspended for nine games.
  • SMU lost nine men's basketball scholarships from 2016–17 through 2018–19. Since the team had only 11 scholarship players for 2015–16, two short of the NCAA limit of 13, the two unused scholarships counted toward the penalty.
  • The men's basketball program was hit with three years' probation.
• October 2 – Yahoo! Sports revealed that the University of Louisville was investigating allegations made in a soon-to-be-published book whose author, a self-described madam, claimed that she had been paid thousands of dollars by former Louisville graduate assistant and director of basketball operations Andre McGee to provide women to dance for and have sex with Cardinals players and recruits.^[8]
• November 10 – The Associated Press preseason All-American team was released. Gonzaga forward Kyle Wiltjer was the leading vote-getter (51 votes). Joining him on the team were Iowa State forward Georges Niang (46 votes), Providence guard Kris Dunn (43), Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield (40) and LSU forward Ben Simmons (28).^[9]
• December 15 – Bo Ryan announced his retirement after a win against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi, effective immediately, with associate head coach Greg Gard assuming the title of interim head coach.^[10]
• December 23 – The NCAA announced penalties against Hawaiʻi for significant violations of NCAA rules:^[11][12]
  • Former head coach Gib Arnold, who had been fired shortly before the 2014–15 season, received a three-year show-cause penalty. An assistant involved in the violations received a two-year show-cause.
  • The Rainbow Warriors were banned from postseason play in 2016–17.
  • The team lost two scholarships in both 2016–17 and 2017–18; it had previously announced a reduction of one scholarship for each of those seasons.
• January 13
  • The NCAA Division I council approved the following changes to its rules regarding declaration for the NBA draft:^[13]
    • Declaration for the draft no longer results in automatic loss of college eligibility. As long as a player does not sign a contract with a professional team outside the NBA, or sign with an agent, he will retain college eligibility as long as he makes a timely withdrawal from the draft.
    • NCAA players now have until 10 days after the end of the NBA Draft Combine to withdraw from the draft. For 2016, the withdrawal date was May 25, about five weeks after the previous mid-April deadline.
    • NCAA players may participate in the draft combine, and are also allowed to attend one tryout per year with each NBA team without losing college eligibility.
    • NCAA players may now enter and withdraw from the draft multiple times without loss of eligibility. Previously, the NCAA treated a second declaration of draft eligibility as a permanent loss of college eligibility.
  • Missouri admitted to major NCAA violations dating to 2011. While the NCAA had yet to announce its findings, Missouri voluntarily imposed the following sanctions:^[14]
    • The Tigers would not participate in any postseason play this season, including the SEC tournament.
    • All 23 of the Tigers' wins in the 2013–14 season were vacated.
    • The Tigers lost one scholarship in each of the next two seasons, and restrict recruiting in 2016–17.
• February 6
  • Louisville self-imposed a 2016 postseason ban.
• March 10
  • The Ivy League announced that it would institute men's and women's conference tournaments effective with the 2016–17 season. The top four teams in the regular-season standings qualify for each tournament. While the tournament winners receive automatic bids to the NCAA men's and women's tournaments, the official conference champions continue to be determined solely by regular-season results. The inaugural editions were held March 11–12, 2017 at the Palestra in Philadelphia.^[15]
• April 8 – The NCAA announced penalties against Southern Miss for a wide array of violations occurring during the tenure of former head coach Donnie Tyndall. The NCAA's findings indicated that mere weeks after Tyndall became head coach, he directed program staffers to complete fraudulent coursework so that several recruits would ostensibly be eligible to play. It was also found that Tyndall had arranged for cash payments to recruits, fabricated documents in an attempt to cover up the payments, and deleted emails relevant to the investigation.^[16]
  • Tyndall received a 10-year show-cause, and even after it expires in 2026, he will be suspended for 50% of his next full season as an NCAA coach. Three of his assistants receive 8-year, 7-year, and 6-year penalties. At the time, Tyndall planned to appeal his penalty.
  • The NCAA accepted the school's self-imposed two-year postseason ban, but placed the Golden Eagles on three years' probation. All wins in which ineligible players participated were vacated, and the Golden Eagles lost four scholarships over the next three seasons.

Milestones and records

• During the season, the following players reached the 2000 career point milestone – Evansville guard D. J. Balentine,^[17] High Point forward John Brown,^[18] Hofstra guard Juan'ya Green,^[19] Louisiana–Lafayette forward Shawn Long,^[20] Iowa State forward Georges Niang,^[21] Old Dominion guard Trey Freeman,^[22] Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield,^[23] Stony Brook forward Jameel Warney,^[24] Louisville guard Damion Lee,^[25] Fresno State guard Marvelle Harris, Army swingman Kyle Wilson.^[26] and Iona guard A. J. English.^[27]
• November 26 – Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo wins his 500th game.^[28]
• November 28 – Davidson head coach Bob McKillop wins his 500th game.^[29]
• November 28 – BYU's Kyle Collinsworth records his seventh career triple-double, giving him sole possession of the NCAA record.^[30]
• January 26 – Virginia beats Wake Forest on a 9–1 run in the final fifteen seconds, including a buzzer beater three-point bank shot from Darius Thompson, in a comeback highly noted for its statistical improbability.^[31][32][33]
• February 1 – Duke's streak of 167 appearances in the AP Poll ended as the 5th longest streak of all time.^[34]
• February 5 – Yale's Brandon Sherrod, who entered the Bulldogs' game against Columbia one shy of the Division I record of 26 consecutive field goals made, makes his first five field goal attempts in Yale's 86–72 win to set a new record of 30.^[35]
• February 8 – The 2015–16 Villanova Wildcats became the program's first team to reach number one in the AP Poll by climbing to the top of the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings.^[36][37]
• March 16 – In BYU's 97–79 victory over UAB in the first round of the NIT, Collinsworth posts his sixth triple-double of the season, tying his own single-season record from last season and extending his NCAA career record to 12.^[38]

Conference membership changes

After a tumultuous four years in which over 80 Division I schools moved to new conferences—some more than once—only two schools joined new conferences as full members for 2015–16:

School	Former conference	New conference
NJIT Highlanders	NCAA Division I independent	Atlantic Sun Conference[39]
Northern Kentucky Norse	Atlantic Sun Conference	Horizon League[40]

Another change in membership involved the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). This did not involve a school moving to a new league, but rather a change in identity of a Division I school. During the summer of 2015, the University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) and the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB) merged to form the new University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The UTPA athletic program was inherited by UTRGV, which retained UTPA's WAC membership.

Following UAB's decision to drop football at the end of the 2014 season, its future membership in Conference USA (C-USA) beyond 2014–15 was initially uncertain, as league bylaws require all member schools to either sponsor FBS football or be committed to establishing an FBS program. Due to ongoing efforts by boosters and other supporters to raise funds to bring UAB football back, C-USA indicated that UAB would be allowed to remain in the league for the 2015–16 season, but not beyond that time unless football was reinstated.^[41] On June 1, 2015, UAB initially announced that the football program would be reinstated in 2016,^[42] later pushing back the return of football to 2017; this was sufficient to satisfy C-USA, which announced that it would keep UAB as a member.^[43]

The 2015–16 season was the last for Coastal Carolina in the Big South Conference. On September 1, 2015, the university and the Sun Belt Conference jointly announced that the Chanticleers would join the Sun Belt in July 2016, initially as a non-football member. The football team will join the Sun Belt in 2017, the second year of its transition from FCS to FBS football.^[44]

New arenas

• The Omaha Mavericks left their home since 2012, the off-campus Ralston Arena, for the new on-campus Baxter Arena. The Mavericks' first game in the new arena was on November 13 against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, with the Mavericks losing 60–59.^[45]
• The Ole Miss Rebels also opened a new arena, but unlike Omaha, the move was from one campus venue to another. Tad Smith Coliseum, home to the Rebels since 1966, was replaced by The Pavilion at Ole Miss. The new arena, with a capacity of 9,500, opened on January 7, with the Rebels defeating Alabama 74–66.^[46]

Season outlook

Pre–season polls

See also: 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.

AP[47] Ranking Team 1 North Carolina 2 Kentucky 3 Maryland 4 Kansas 5 Duke 6 Virginia 7 Iowa State 8 Oklahoma 9 Gonzaga 10 Wichita State 11 Villanova 12 Arizona 13 Michigan State 14 California 15 Indiana 16 Utah 17 Wisconsin 18 Vanderbilt 19 Notre Dame 20 UConn 21 LSU 22 Baylor 23 Purdue 24 Butler 25 Michigan

USA Today Coaches[48] Ranking Team 1 Kentucky 1 North Carolina 3 Maryland 4 Duke 5 Kansas 6 Virginia 7 Iowa State 8 Oklahoma 9 Villanova 10 Arizona 11 Gonzaga 12 Wichita State 13 Michigan State 14 California 15 Indiana 16 Utah 17 Wisconsin 18 Notre Dame 19 LSU 20 Vanderbilt 21 Baylor 22 Butler 23 West Virginia 24 UConn 25 Purdue

Regular season

Early season tournaments

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

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Thirty-one conference regular seasons concluded with a single-elimination tournament. The teams in each conference that won their regular-season titles were given the number one seed in their respective conference tournaments. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. For the final time, the Ivy League was the only NCAA Division I conference that did not hold a conference tournament, instead sending its regular-season champion to the NCAA tournament.

Conference	Regular season first place	Conference player of the year	Conference Coach of the Year	Conference tournament	Tournament venue (city)	Tournament winner
America East Conference	Stony Brook	Jameel Warney, Stony Brook[49]	Steve Pikiell, Stony Brook[49]	2016 America East men's basketball tournament	Campus sites	Stony Brook
American Athletic Conference	Temple	Nic Moore, SMU[50]	Fran Dunphy, Temple[50]	2016 American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament	Amway Center (Orlando, Florida)	UConn
Atlantic 10 Conference	VCU, St. Bonaventure & Dayton[n 1]	DeAndre’ Bembry, Saint Joseph's[51]	Mark Schmidt, St. Bonaventure[51]	2016 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament	Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York)	Saint Joseph's
Atlantic Coast Conference	North Carolina	Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia[52][53]	Jim Larrañaga, Miami[52][53]	2016 ACC men's basketball tournament	Verizon Center (Washington, D.C.)	North Carolina
Atlantic Sun Conference	North Florida	Dallas Moore, North Florida[54]	Matthew Driscoll, North Florida[54]	2016 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament	Campus sites	Florida Gulf Coast
Big 12 Conference	Kansas	Buddy Hield, Oklahoma[55]	Tubby Smith, Texas Tech[55]	2016 Big 12 men's basketball tournament	Sprint Center (Kansas City, Missouri)	Kansas
Big East Conference	Villanova	Kris Dunn, Providence[56]	Kevin Willard, Seton Hall & Jay Wright, Villanova[56]	2016 Big East men's basketball tournament	Madison Square Garden (New York City)	Seton Hall
Big Sky Conference	Weber State	Joel Bolomboy, Weber State[57]	Bill Evans, Idaho State[58]	2016 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament	Reno Events Center (Reno, Nevada)	Weber State
Big South Conference	High Point[n 1] & Winthrop	John Brown, High Point[59]	Ritchie McKay, Liberty[59]	2016 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament	Pope Convocation Center (Buies Creek, North Carolina)	UNC Asheville
Big Ten Conference	Indiana	Denzel Valentine, Michigan State	Tom Crean, Indiana	2016 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament	Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)	Michigan State
Big West Conference	Hawaii	Stefan Janković, Hawaii[60]	Eran Ganot, Hawaii[60]	2016 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament	Honda Center (Anaheim, California)	Hawaii
Colonial Athletic Association	Hofstra[n 1] & UNC Wilmington	Juan'ya Green, Hofstra[61]	Kevin Keatts, UNC Wilmington[61]	2016 CAA men's basketball tournament	Royal Farms Arena (Baltimore)	UNC Wilmington
Conference USA	UAB	Alex Hamilton, Louisiana Tech[62]	Jerod Haase, UAB[62]	2016 Conference USA men's basketball tournament	Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex (Birmingham, Alabama)	Middle Tennessee
Horizon League	Valparaiso	Kay Felder, Oakland[63]	Bryce Drew, Valparaiso[63]	2016 Horizon League men's basketball tournament	Joe Louis Arena (Detroit)	Green Bay
Ivy League	Yale	Justin Sears, Yale[64]	James Jones, Yale[64]	No tournament
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	Monmouth	Justin Robinson, Monmouth[65]	King Rice, Monmouth[66]	2016 MAAC men's basketball tournament	Times Union Center (Albany, New York)	Iona
Mid-American Conference	Akron[n 1] (East) Ball State & Central Michigan (West)	Antonio Campbell, Ohio[67]	Keith Dambrot, Akron[67]	2016 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament	First round at campus sites Remainder at Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)	Buffalo
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference	Hampton	James Daniel III, Howard[68]	Murray Garvin, South Carolina State[68]	2016 MEAC men's basketball tournament	Norfolk Scope (Norfolk, Virginia)	Hampton
Missouri Valley Conference	Wichita State	Fred VanVleet, Wichita State[69]	Barry Hinson, Southern Illinois[70]	2016 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri)	Northern Iowa
Mountain West Conference	San Diego State	Marvelle Harris, Fresno State[71]	Steve Fisher, San Diego State[71]	2016 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament	Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada)	Fresno State
Northeast Conference	Wagner	Cane Broome, Sacred Heart[72]	Bashir Mason, Wagner[72]	2016 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament	Campus sites	Fairleigh Dickinson
Ohio Valley Conference	Belmont[n 1] (East) Murray State & Tennessee–Martin (West)	Evan Bradds, Belmont[73]	Dana Ford, Tennessee State[73]	2016 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Nashville Municipal Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee)	Austin Peay
Pac-12 Conference	Oregon	Jakob Pöltl, Utah[74]	Dana Altman, Oregon[74]	2016 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament	MGM Grand Garden Arena (Paradise, Nevada)	Oregon
Patriot League	Bucknell	Tim Kempton, Lehigh[75]	Nathan Davis, Bucknell[75]	2016 Patriot League men's basketball tournament	Campus sites	Holy Cross
Southeastern Conference	Kentucky & Texas A&M[n 1]	Tyler Ulis, Kentucky[76][77]	Billy Kennedy, Texas A&M[76][77]	2016 SEC men's basketball tournament	Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee)	Kentucky
Southern Conference	Chattanooga	Stephen Croone, Furman[78]	Matt McCall, Chattanooga[78]	2016 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament	U.S. Cellular Center (Asheville, North Carolina)	Chattanooga
Southland Conference	Stephen F. Austin	Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin[79]	Brad Underwood, Stephen F. Austin[79]	2016 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament	Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, Texas)	Stephen F. Austin
Southwestern Athletic Conference	Texas Southern	Derrick Griffin, Texas Southern[80]	Mike Davis, Texas Southern[80]	2016 SWAC men's basketball tournament	Toyota Center (Houston, Texas)	Southern
The Summit League	IPFW[n 1] & South Dakota State	Max Landis, IPFW[81]	Jon Coffman, IPFW[81]	2016 Summit League men's basketball tournament	Denny Sanford Premier Center (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)	South Dakota State
Sun Belt Conference	Little Rock	Shawn Long, Louisiana–Lafayette[82]	Chris Beard, Little Rock[82]	2016 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament	Lakefront Arena (New Orleans)	Little Rock
West Coast Conference	Gonzaga & Saint Mary's[n 1]	Kyle Collinsworth, BYU[83]	Randy Bennett, Saint Mary's[83]	2016 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament	Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada)	Gonzaga
Western Athletic Conference	New Mexico State	Pascal Siakam, New Mexico State[84]	Rod Barnes, Cal State Bakersfield[84]	2016 WAC men's basketball tournament	Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada)	Cal State Bakersfield

Conference standings

2015–16 America East Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Stony Brook † 14 – 2   .875 26 – 7   .788 Albany 13 – 3   .813 24 – 9   .727 Vermont 11 – 5   .688 23 – 14   .622 New Hampshire 11 – 5   .688 20 – 13   .606 UMass Lowell* 7 – 9   .438 11 – 18   .379 Binghamton 5 – 11   .313 8 – 22   .267 Hartford 4 – 12   .250 10 – 23   .303 Maine 4 – 12   .250 8 – 22   .267 UMBC 3 – 13   .188 7 – 25   .219 † 2016 America East tournament winner * Ineligible for postseason during transition to Division I.	2015–16 American Athletic Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Temple 14 – 4   .778 21 – 12   .636 No. 24 SMU* 13 – 5   .722 25 – 5   .833 Houston 12 – 6   .667 22 – 10   .688 Cincinnati 12 – 6   .667 22 – 11   .667 Tulsa 12 – 6   .667 20 – 12   .625 UConn † 11 – 7   .611 25 – 11   .694 Memphis 8 – 10   .444 19 – 15   .559 UCF 6 – 12   .333 12 – 18   .400 East Carolina 4 – 14   .222 12 – 20   .375 South Florida 4 – 14   .222 8 – 25   .242 Tulane 3 – 15   .167 12 – 22   .353 * Ineligible for postseason due to postseason ban † American Athletic Conference tournament Champions Rankings from AP poll	2015–16 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Dayton 14 – 4   .778 25 – 8   .758 VCU 14 – 4   .778 25 – 11   .694 St. Bonaventure 14 – 4   .778 22 – 9   .710 Saint Joseph's † 13 – 5   .722 28 – 8   .778 George Washington 11 – 7   .611 28 – 10   .737 Davidson 10 – 8   .556 20 – 13   .606 Rhode Island 9 – 9   .500 17 – 15   .531 Fordham 8 – 10   .444 17 – 14   .548 Richmond 7 – 11   .389 16 – 16   .500 UMass 6 – 12   .333 14 – 18   .438 Duquesne 6 – 12   .333 17 – 17   .500 George Mason 5 – 13   .278 11 – 21   .344 Saint Louis 5 – 13   .278 11 – 21   .344 La Salle 4 – 14   .222 9 – 22   .290 † 2016 A10 Tournament winner
2015–16 ACC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 3 North Carolina † 14 – 4   .778 33 – 7   .825 No. 4 Virginia 13 – 5   .722 29 – 8   .784 No. 10 Miami (FL) 13 – 5   .722 27 – 8   .771 No. 16 Louisville* 12 – 6   .667 23 – 8   .742 Notre Dame 11 – 7   .611 24 – 12   .667 No. 19 Duke 11 – 7   .611 25 – 11   .694 Virginia Tech 10 – 8   .556 20 – 15   .571 Clemson 10 – 8   .556 17 – 14   .548 Pittsburgh 9 – 9   .500 21 – 12   .636 Syracuse 9 – 9   .500 23 – 14   .622 Georgia Tech 8 – 10   .444 21 – 15   .583 Florida State 8 – 10   .444 20 – 14   .588 NC State 5 – 13   .278 16 – 17   .485 Wake Forest 2 – 16   .111 11 – 20   .355 Boston College 0 – 18   .000 7 – 25   .219 † 2016 ACC tournament winner * Ineligible for both the 2016 ACC tournament and the 2016 NCAA tournament due to self-imposed postseason ban. Rankings from AP poll	2015–16 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT North Florida 10 – 4   .714 22 – 12   .647 NJIT 8 – 6   .571 20 – 15   .571 Jacksonville 8 – 6   .571 16 – 16   .500 Florida Gulf Coast † 8 – 6   .571 21 – 14   .600 Kennesaw State 7 – 7   .500 11 – 20   .355 Lipscomb 7 – 7   .500 12 – 21   .364 Stetson* 4 – 10   .286 12 – 22   .353 USC Upstate 4 – 10   .286 10 – 22   .313 † 2016 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner *ineligible for the 2016 NCAA tournament due to APR violations	2015–16 Big East men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 6 Villanova 16 – 2   .889 35 – 5   .875 No. 9 Xavier 14 – 4   .778 28 – 5   .848 No. 20 Seton Hall † 12 – 6   .667 25 – 9   .735 Providence 10 – 8   .556 24 – 11   .686 Butler 10 – 8   .556 22 – 11   .667 Creighton 9 – 9   .500 20 – 15   .571 Marquette 8 – 10   .444 20 – 13   .606 Georgetown 7 – 11   .389 15 – 18   .455 DePaul 3 – 15   .167 9 – 22   .290 St. John's 1 – 17   .056 8 – 24   .250 † 2016 Big East tournament winner Rankings from AP poll
2015–16 Big Sky men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Weber State † 15 – 3   .833 26 – 9   .743 Montana 14 – 4   .778 21 – 12   .636 Idaho 12 – 6   .667 21 – 13   .618 Idaho State 11 – 7   .611 16 – 15   .516 Eastern Washington 10 – 8   .556 18 – 16   .529 North Dakota 10 – 8   .556 17 – 16   .515 Montana State 9 – 9   .500 14 – 17   .452 Portland State 8 – 10   .444 13 – 18   .419 Northern Colorado 7 – 11   .389 10 – 21   .323 Sacramento State 6 – 12   .333 14 – 17   .452 Northern Arizona 3 – 15   .167 5 – 25   .167 Southern Utah 3 – 15   .167 5 – 24   .172 † Conference tournament winner	2015–16 Big South men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Winthrop 13 – 5   .722 23 – 9   .719 High Point 13 – 5   .722 21 – 11   .656 UNC Asheville † 12 – 6   .667 22 – 12   .647 Coastal Carolina 12 – 6   .667 21 – 12   .636 Gardner–Webb 10 – 8   .556 17 – 16   .515 Liberty 10 – 8   .556 13 – 19   .406 Radford 9 – 9   .500 16 – 15   .516 Campbell 5 – 13   .278 12 – 18   .400 Presbyterian 5 – 13   .278 11 – 20   .355 Longwood 5 – 13   .278 10 – 23   .303 Charleston Southern 5 – 13   .278 9 – 21   .300 † 2016 Big South tournament winner	2015–16 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 14 Indiana 15 – 3   .833 27 – 8   .771 No. 2 Michigan State † 13 – 5   .722 29 – 6   .829 No. 18 Maryland 12 – 6   .667 27 – 9   .750 No. 12 Purdue 12 – 6   .667 26 – 9   .743 No. 25 Iowa 12 – 6   .667 22 – 11   .667 Wisconsin 12 – 6   .667 22 – 13   .629 Ohio State 11 – 7   .611 21 – 14   .600 Michigan 10 – 8   .556 23 – 13   .639 Northwestern 8 – 10   .444 20 – 12   .625 Penn State 7 – 11   .389 16 – 16   .500 Nebraska 6 – 12   .333 16 – 18   .471 Illinois 5 – 13   .278 15 – 19   .441 Minnesota 2 – 16   .111 11 – 20   .355 Rutgers 1 – 17   .056 7 – 25   .219 † 2016 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll
2015–16 Big 12 men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 1 Kansas † 15 – 3   .833 33 – 5   .868 No. 8 West Virginia 13 – 5   .722 26 – 9   .743 No. 7 Oklahoma 12 – 6   .667 29 – 8   .784 Texas 11 – 7   .611 20 – 13   .606 No. 21 Baylor 10 – 8   .556 22 – 12   .647 No. 22 Iowa State 10 – 8   .556 23 – 12   .657 Texas Tech 9 – 9   .500 19 – 13   .594 Kansas State 5 – 13   .278 17 – 16   .515 Oklahoma State 3 – 15   .167 12 – 20   .375 TCU 2 – 16   .111 12 – 21   .364 † 2016 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll [85]	2015–16 Big West men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Hawai'i † 13 – 3   .813 28 – 6   .824 UC Irvine 13 – 3   .813 28 – 10   .737 Long Beach State 12 – 4   .750 20 – 15   .571 UC Santa Barbara 11 – 5   .688 19 – 14   .576 UC Davis 6 – 10   .375 11 – 19   .367 UC Riverside 5 – 11   .313 14 – 19   .424 Cal State Northridge* 5 – 11   .313 10 – 20   .333 Cal Poly 4 – 12   .250 10 – 20   .333 Cal State Fullerton 3 – 13   .188 10 – 20   .333 † 2016 Big West tournament winner *ineligible for postseason due to self-imposed ban due to academic fraud violations	2015–16 CAA men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Hofstra 14 – 4   .778 24 – 10   .706 UNC Wilmington † 14 – 4   .778 25 – 8   .758 Towson 11 – 7   .611 20 – 13   .606 James Madison 11 – 7   .611 21 – 11   .656 William & Mary 11 – 7   .611 20 – 11   .645 Northeastern 9 – 9   .500 18 – 15   .545 College of Charleston 8 – 10   .444 17 – 14   .548 Elon 7 – 11   .389 16 – 16   .500 Drexel 3 – 15   .167 6 – 25   .194 Delaware 2 – 16   .111 7 – 23   .233 † 2016 CAA tournament winner
2015–16 Conference USA men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT UAB 16 – 2   .889 26 – 7   .788 Middle Tennessee † 13 – 5   .722 25 – 10   .714 Marshall 12 – 6   .667 17 – 16   .515 Louisiana Tech 12 – 6   .667 23 – 10   .697 Old Dominion 12 – 6   .667 25 – 13   .658 UTEP 10 – 8   .556 19 – 14   .576 Charlotte 9 – 9   .500 14 – 19   .424 Western Kentucky 8 – 10   .444 18 – 16   .529 North Texas 7 – 11   .389 12 – 20   .375 Rice 7 – 11   .389 12 – 20   .375 FIU 7 – 11   .389 13 – 19   .406 Florida Atlantic 5 – 13   .278 8 – 25   .242 Southern Miss* 5 – 13   .278 8 – 21   .276 UTSA 3 – 15   .167 5 – 27   .156 † 2016 C-USA Tournament winner *Ineligible for postseason play due to self-imposed postseason ban.	2015–16 Horizon League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Valparaiso 16 – 2   .889 30 – 7   .811 Oakland 13 – 5   .722 23 – 12   .657 Wright State 13 – 5   .722 22 – 13   .629 Green Bay † 11 – 7   .611 23 – 13   .639 Milwaukee 10 – 8   .556 20 – 13   .606 Detroit 9 – 9   .500 16 – 15   .516 Youngstown State 6 – 12   .333 11 – 21   .344 Northern Kentucky* 5 – 13   .278 9 – 21   .300 Cleveland State 4 – 14   .222 9 – 23   .281 UIC 3 – 15   .167 5 – 25   .167 † 2016 Horizon League Tournament winner * Ineligible for NCAA postseason during transition to Division I.	2015–16 Ivy League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT x-Yale † 13 – 1   .929 23 – 7   .767 Princeton 12 – 2   .857 22 – 7   .759 Columbia 10 – 4   .714 25 – 10   .714 Harvard 6 – 8   .429 14 – 16   .467 Penn 5 – 9   .357 11 – 17   .393 Dartmouth 4 – 10   .286 10 – 18   .357 Cornell 3 – 11   .214 10 – 18   .357 Brown 3 – 11   .214 8 – 20   .286 x – Ivy League champions † – NCAA Tournament participant
2015–16 MAAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Monmouth 17 – 3   .850 28 – 8   .778 Iona † 16 – 4   .800 22 – 11   .667 Siena 13 – 7   .650 21 – 13   .618 Fairfield 12 – 8   .600 19 – 14   .576 Saint Peter's 12 – 8   .600 14 – 16   .467 Manhattan 9 – 11   .450 13 – 18   .419 Canisius 8 – 12   .400 14 – 19   .424 Rider 8 – 12   .400 13 – 20   .394 Quinnipiac 6 – 14   .300 9 – 21   .300 Niagara 5 – 15   .250 7 – 25   .219 Marist 4 – 16   .200 7 – 23   .233 † 2016 MAAC tournament winner	2015–16 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Akron 13 – 5   .722 26 – 9   .743 Ohio 11 – 7   .611 23 – 12   .657 Kent State 10 – 8   .556 19 – 13   .594 Buffalo † 10 – 8   .556 20 – 15   .571 Miami (OH) 6 – 12   .333 13 – 20   .394 Bowling Green 5 – 13   .278 16 – 18   .471 West Ball State 10 – 8   .556 21 – 14   .600 Central Michigan 10 – 8   .556 17 – 16   .515 Northern Illinois 9 – 9   .500 21 – 13   .618 Eastern Michigan 9 – 9   .500 18 – 15   .545 Toledo 8 – 10   .444 17 – 15   .531 Western Michigan 7 – 11   .389 13 – 19   .406 † 2016 MAC tournament winner	2015–16 MEAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Hampton † 13 – 3   .813 21 – 11   .656 South Carolina State 12 – 4   .750 19 – 15   .559 Norfolk State 12 – 4   .750 17 – 17   .500 Bethune–Cookman 10 – 6   .625 14 – 18   .438 Savannah State 9 – 7   .563 16 – 16   .500 North Carolina Central 7 – 9   .438 13 – 19   .406 North Carolina A&T 7 – 9   .438 10 – 22   .313 Md. Eastern Shore 7 – 9   .438 10 – 22   .313 Howard 6 – 10   .375 12 – 20   .375 Morgan State 6 – 10   .375 9 – 22   .290 Coppin State 6 – 10   .375 9 – 22   .290 Delaware State 5 – 11   .313 7 – 25   .219 Florida A&M* 4 – 12   .250 8 – 21   .276 † 2016 MEAC tournament winner *ineligible for postseason due to APR violations As of March 18, 2016
2015–16 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Wichita State 16 – 2   .889 26 – 9   .743 Evansville 12 – 6   .667 25 – 9   .735 Illinois State 12 – 6   .667 18 – 14   .563 Southern Illinois 11 – 7   .611 22 – 10   .688 Northern Iowa † 11 – 7   .611 23 – 13   .639 Indiana State 8 – 10   .444 15 – 17   .469 Missouri State 8 – 10   .444 13 – 19   .406 Loyola Chicago 7 – 11   .389 15 – 17   .469 Bradley 3 – 15   .167 5 – 27   .156 Drake 2 – 16   .111 7 – 24   .226 † 2016 MVC tournament winner	2015–16 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT San Diego State 16 – 2   .889 28 – 10   .737 Fresno State † 13 – 5   .722 25 – 10   .714 Boise State 11 – 7   .611 20 – 12   .625 Nevada 10 – 8   .556 24 – 14   .632 New Mexico 10 – 8   .556 17 – 15   .531 Colorado State 8 – 10   .444 18 – 16   .529 UNLV 8 – 10   .444 18 – 15   .545 Utah State 7 – 11   .389 16 – 15   .516 Wyoming 7 – 11   .389 14 – 18   .438 Air Force 5 – 13   .278 14 – 18   .438 San Jose State 4 – 14   .222 9 – 22   .290 † Conference tournament winner	2015–16 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Wagner 13 – 5   .722 23 – 11   .676 Fairleigh Dickinson † 11 – 7   .611 18 – 15   .545 Sacred Heart 11 – 7   .611 12 – 18   .400 St. Francis Brooklyn 11 – 7   .611 15 – 17   .469 Mount St. Mary's 10 – 8   .556 14 – 19   .424 LIU Brooklyn 9 – 9   .500 16 – 15   .516 Saint Francis 9 – 9   .500 13 – 17   .433 Robert Morris 8 – 10   .444 10 – 22   .313 Bryant 5 – 13   .278 8 – 23   .258 Central Connecticut 3 – 15   .167 4 – 25   .138 † 2016 NEC tournament winner
2015–16 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Belmont 12 – 4   .750 20 – 12   .625 Tennessee State 11 – 5   .688 20 – 11   .645 Tennessee Tech 11 – 5   .688 19 – 12   .613 Morehead State 11 – 5   .688 23 – 14   .622 Eastern Kentucky 6 – 10   .375 15 – 16   .484 Jacksonville State 4 – 12   .250 8 – 23   .258 West UT Martin 10 – 6   .625 20 – 15   .571 Murray State 10 – 6   .625 17 – 14   .548 Eastern Illinois 9 – 7   .563 13 – 17   .433 Austin Peay † 7 – 9   .438 18 – 18   .500 SIU Edwardsville 3 – 13   .188 6 – 22   .214 Southeast Missouri St. 2 – 14   .125 5 – 24   .172 † 2016 OVC tournament winner	2015–16 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 5 Oregon † 14 – 4   .778 31 – 7   .816 No. 13 Utah 13 – 5   .722 27 – 9   .750 No. 17 Arizona 12 – 6   .667 25 – 9   .735 No. 23 California 12 – 6   .667 23 – 11   .676 Colorado 10 – 8   .556 22 – 12   .647 USC 9 – 9   .500 21 – 13   .618 Oregon State 9 – 9   .500 19 – 13   .594 Washington 9 – 9   .500 19 – 15   .559 Stanford 8 – 10   .444 15 – 15   .500 UCLA 6 – 12   .333 15 – 17   .469 Arizona State 5 – 13   .278 15 – 17   .469 Washington State 1 – 17   .056 9 – 22   .290 † Pac-12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	2015–16 Patriot League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Bucknell 14 – 4   .778 17 – 14   .548 Lehigh 13 – 5   .722 17 – 15   .531 Boston University 11 – 7   .611 19 – 15   .559 Army 9 – 9   .500 19 – 14   .576 Navy 9 – 9   .500 19 – 14   .576 Colgate 9 – 9   .500 13 – 17   .433 American 9 – 9   .500 12 – 19   .387 Loyola (MD) 8 – 10   .444 9 – 21   .300 Holy Cross † 5 – 13   .278 15 – 20   .429 Lafayette 3 – 15   .167 6 – 24   .200 † 2016 Patriot League tournament winner
2015–16 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 15 Texas A&M 13 – 5   .722 28 – 9   .757 No. 10 Kentucky † 13 – 5   .722 27 – 9   .750 South Carolina 11 – 7   .611 25 – 9   .735 Vanderbilt 11 – 7   .611 19 – 14   .576 LSU 11 – 7   .611 19 – 14   .576 Ole Miss 10 – 8   .556 20 – 12   .625 Georgia 10 – 8   .556 20 – 14   .588 Florida 9 – 9   .500 21 – 15   .583 Arkansas 9 – 9   .500 16 – 16   .500 Alabama 8 – 10   .444 18 – 15   .545 Mississippi State 7 – 11   .389 14 – 17   .452 Tennessee 6 – 12   .333 15 – 19   .441 Auburn 5 – 13   .278 11 – 20   .355 Missouri* 3 – 15   .167 10 – 21   .323 † 2016 SEC tournament winner *Ineligible for postseason play due to self-imposed postseason ban. Rankings from AP poll	2015–16 Southern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Chattanooga † 15 – 3   .833 29 – 6   .829 East Tennessee State 14 – 4   .778 24 – 12   .667 Furman 11 – 7   .611 19 – 16   .543 Wofford 11 – 7   .611 15 – 17   .469 Western Carolina 10 – 8   .556 16 – 18   .471 UNC Greensboro 10 – 8   .556 15 – 19   .441 Mercer 8 – 10   .444 19 – 15   .559 Samford 4 – 14   .222 14 – 19   .424 VMI 4 – 14   .222 9 – 21   .300 The Citadel 3 – 15   .167 10 – 22   .313 † 2016 SoCon Tournament winner	2015–16 Southland Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Stephen F. Austin † 18 – 0   1.000 28 – 6   .824 Texas A&M–CC 15 – 3   .833 25 – 8   .758 Sam Houston State 12 – 6   .667 18 – 16   .529 Incarnate Word* 12 – 6   .667 17 – 12   .586 Houston Baptist 10 – 8   .556 17 – 17   .500 Southeastern Louisiana 9 – 9   .500 12 – 21   .364 Abilene Christian* 8 – 10   .444 13 – 18   .419 McNeese State 7 – 11   .389 9 – 20   .310 Central Arkansas** 6 – 12   .333 7 – 21   .250 New Orleans 6 – 12   .333 10 – 20   .333 Nicholls State 6 – 12   .333 11 – 23   .324 Northwestern State 5 – 13   .278 8 – 20   .286 Lamar 3 – 15   .167 11 – 19   .367 † 2016 Southland tournament winner * Ineligible for postseason during transition to Division I ** Ineligible for postseason due to APR violations
2015–16 SWAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Texas Southern 16 – 2   .889 18 – 15   .545 Alcorn State* 13 – 5   .722 15 – 15   .500 Jackson State 12 – 6   .667 20 – 16   .556 Southern † 11 – 7   .611 22 – 13   .629 Alabama State 9 – 9   .500 14 – 17   .452 Prairie View A&M 7 – 11   .389 7 – 24   .226 Alabama A&M 6 – 12   .333 11 – 18   .379 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 6 – 12   .333 8 – 25   .242 Mississippi Valley State 6 – 12   .333 8 – 27   .229 Grambling State 4 – 14   .222 7 – 24   .226 † 2016 SWAC tournament winner *ineligible for postseason due to APR violations	2015–16 Summit League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT IPFW 12 – 4   .750 24 – 10   .706 South Dakota State † 12 – 4   .750 26 – 8   .765 Omaha 10 – 6   .625 18 – 14   .563 IUPUI 9 – 7   .563 13 – 19   .406 North Dakota State 8 – 8   .500 20 – 13   .606 Denver 7 – 9   .438 16 – 15   .516 Oral Roberts 6 – 10   .375 14 – 17   .452 South Dakota 5 – 11   .313 14 – 18   .438 Western Illinois 3 – 13   .188 10 – 17   .370 † 2016 Summit League Tournament winner	2015–16 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Little Rock † 17 – 3   .850 30 – 5   .857 Louisiana–Monroe 15 – 5   .750 20 – 14   .588 Texas–Arlington 13 – 7   .650 24 – 11   .686 Louisiana–Lafayette 12 – 8   .600 19 – 15   .559 Georgia Southern 10 – 10   .500 14 – 17   .452 Georgia State 9 – 11   .450 16 – 14   .533 Texas State 8 – 12   .400 15 – 16   .484 South Alabama 8 – 12   .400 14 – 19   .424 Arkansas State 7 – 13   .350 11 – 20   .355 Appalachian State 7 – 13   .350 9 – 22   .290 Troy 4 – 16   .200 9 – 22   .290 † 2016 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner
2015–16 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Saint Mary's 15 – 3   .833 29 – 6   .829 Gonzaga † 15 – 3   .833 28 – 8   .778 BYU 13 – 5   .722 26 – 11   .703 Pepperdine 10 – 8   .556 18 – 14   .563 San Francisco 8 – 10   .444 15 – 15   .500 Santa Clara 7 – 11   .389 11 – 20   .355 Portland 6 – 12   .333 12 – 20   .375 Loyola Marymount 6 – 12   .333 14 – 17   .452 Pacific* 6 – 12   .333 8 – 20   .286 San Diego 4 – 14   .222 9 – 21   .300 † Conference tournament winner *ineligible for postseason due to self probation	2015–16 WAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT New Mexico State 13 – 1   .929 23 – 11   .676 Grand Canyon * 11 – 3   .786 27 – 7   .794 Cal State Bakersfield † 11 – 3   .786 24 – 9   .727 Seattle 7 – 7   .500 15 – 17   .469 Utah Valley 6 – 8   .429 12 – 18   .400 UMKC 4 – 10   .286 12 – 19   .387 Texas–Rio Grande Valley 4 – 10   .286 8 – 22   .267 Chicago State 0 – 14   .000 4 – 28   .125 † 2016 WAC tournament winner * Ineligible for postseason during transition to Division I.

Informal championships

Conference	Regular season winner	Most Valuable Player
Philadelphia Big 5	Villanova	DeAndre' Bembry, Saint Joseph's

Villanova finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

Statistical leaders

Source for additional stats categories

Points per game				Rebounds per game				Assists per game				Steals per game
Player	School	PPG		Player	School	RPG		Player	School	APG		Player	School	SPG
James Daniel III	Howard	27.1		Egidijus Mockevičius	Evansville	14.0		Kay Felder	Oakland	9.3		Tra-Deon Hollins	Omaha	4.0
Buddy Hield	Oklahoma	25.0		Rokas Gustys	Hofstra	13.0		Jordan Johnson	Milwaukee	8.1		Hameed Ali	Texas A&M–CC	2.7
Josh Adams	Wyoming	24.7		Joel Bolomboy	Weber State	12.6		Jaaron Simmons	Ohio	7.9		Carrington Love	Green Bay	2.6
Kay Felder	Oakland	24.4		Shawn Long	LA-Lafayette	12.1		Denzel Valentine	Michigan State	7.8		Gary Payton II	Oregon State	2.5
Stefan Moody	Ole Miss	23.6		Chris Horton	Austin Peay	12.0		Kyle Collinsworth	BYU	7.4		Kris Dunn	Providence	2.5

Blocked shots per game				Field goal percentage				Three-point field goal percentage				Free throw percentage
Player	School	BPG		Player	School	FG%		Player	School	3FG%		Player	School	FT%
Vashil Fernandez	Valparaiso	3.3		Evan Bradds	Belmont	71.4		Giddy Potts	Middle Tennessee	50.6		Fletcher Magee	Wofford	92.5
Tai Odiase	UIC	3.2		Venky Jois	Eastern Washington	67.9		Bryn Forbes	Michigan State	48.1		Ben Millaud-Meunier	St. Francis (PA)	91.0
Jameel Warney	Stony Brook	3.0		Derrick Griffin	Texas Southern	66.2		Fletcher Magee	Wofford	47.9		Q. J. Peterson	VMI	90.5
Laron Smith	Bethune–Cookman	3.0		Rokas Gustys	Hofstra	66.0		Matt Donlan	Youngstown State	46.3		Sam Hunt	NC A&T	90.4
Luke Kornet	Vanderbilt	3.0		Adrian Diaz	FIU	65.0		Trent Mackey	North Florida	46.0		Jaleen Smith	New Hampshire	90.0

Postseason

NCAA tournament

Main article: 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Tournament upsets

For this list, a "major upset" is defined as a win by a team seeded 7 or more spots below its defeated opponent.

Date	Winner	Score	Loser	Region	Round
March 17	Yale (12)	79–75	Baylor (5)	West	Round of 64
March 17	Little Rock (12)	85–83 (2OT)	Purdue (5)	Midwest	Round of 64
March 18	Hawaii (13)	77–66	California (4)	South	Round of 64
March 18	Middle Tennessee (15)	90–81	Michigan State (2)	Midwest	Round of 64
March 18	Stephen F. Austin (14)	70–56	West Virginia (3)	East	Round of 64
March 19	Gonzaga (11)	82–59	Utah (3)	Midwest	Round of 32
March 27	Syracuse (10)	68–62	Virginia (1)	Midwest	Elite 8

Final Four – NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, hosted the NCAA men's Final Four.

Main article: 2016 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game

	National Semifinals April 2					National Championship game Apr 4
	2 (W)	Oklahoma	51
	2 (S)	Villanova	95
						2 (S)	Villanova	77
						1 (E)	North Carolina	74
	1 (E)	North Carolina	83
	10 (MW)	Syracuse	66

National Invitation tournament

Main article: 2016 National Invitation Tournament

After the NCAA tournament field was announced, the NCAA invited 32 teams to participate in the National Invitation Tournament. The tournament began on March 15, 2016 with all games prior to the semifinals were played on campus sites.

NIT Semifinals and Final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 29 and 31

The semifinals and final were held on March 29 and March 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

	Semifinals March 29					Championship game March 31
	1	Valparaiso	72
	2	BYU	70
						1	Valparaiso	60
						4	George Washington	76
	4	George Washington	65
	2	San Diego State	46

Vegas 16 tournament

Main article: 2016 Vegas 16 Tournament

After the NCAA tournament field was announced, eight teams were invited to participate in the first-ever Vegas 16 Tournament. The tournament began on March 28, 2016, with all eight teams playing in the opening round. The semifinals was played on March 29, and the championship game on March 30. All games were played at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Vegas 16 Tournament was never held again.

	Semifinals March 29					Championship game March 30
	Old Dominion		64
	UC Santa Barbara		49
						Old Dominion		68
						Oakland		67
	Oakland		104
	East Tennessee State		81

College Basketball Invitational

Main article: 2016 College Basketball Invitational

The ninth College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Tournament began on March 15, 2016. This tournament featured 16 teams who were left out of the NCAA tournament and NIT.

	Semifinals March 23				Championship Series March 28, April 1
	Morehead State	77
	Ohio	72
					Morehead State	86	68	82
					Nevada	83	77	85*
	Nevada	86
	Vermont	72

CollegeInsider.com Postseason tournament

Main article: 2016 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament

The eighth CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament began on March 14 and ended with that championship game on March 29. This tournament places an emphasis on selecting successful teams from "mid-major" conferences who were left out of the NCAA tournament and NIT. 26 teams participated in this tournament.

	Semifinals March 27					Championship March 29
	NJIT		65
	Columbia		80
						Columbia		73
						UC Irvine		67
	UC Irvine		66
	Coastal Carolina		47

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

The following players are recognized as the 2016 Consensus All-Americans:

Consensus First Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Malcolm Brogdon	SG	Senior	Virginia
Buddy Hield	SG	Senior	Oklahoma
Brice Johnson	PF	Senior	North Carolina
Ben Simmons	F	Freshman	Louisiana State
Tyler Ulis	PG	Sophomore	Kentucky
Denzel Valentine	SG	Senior	Michigan State

Consensus Second Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Kris Dunn	PG	Junior	Providence
Perry Ellis	PF	Senior	Kansas
Georges Niang	PF/SF	Senior	Iowa State
Jakob Pöltl	C	Sophomore	Utah
Jarrod Uthoff	PF	Senior	Iowa

Major player of the year awards

• Wooden Award: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma^[86]
• Naismith Award: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma^[87]
• Associated Press Player of the Year: Denzel Valentine, Michigan State^[88]
• NABC Player of the Year: Denzel Valentine, Michigan State^[89]
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Buddy Hield, Oklahoma^[90]
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma^[91]

Major freshman of the year awards

• Wayman Tisdale Award (USBWA): Ben Simmons, LSU^[92]

Major coach of the year awards

• Associated Press Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas^[93]
• Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Chris Mack, Xavier^[94]
• NABC Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas^[95]
• Naismith College Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova^[96]
• Sporting News Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Texas Tech^[97]

Other major awards

• Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): Tyler Ulis, Kentucky
• Jerry West Award (Best shooting guard): Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
• Julius Erving Award (Best small forward): Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
• Karl Malone Award (Best power forward): Georges Niang, Iowa State
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Best center): Jakob Pöltl, Utah
• Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): Jakob Pöltl, Utah^[98]
• NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia^[99]
• Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Denzel Valentine, Michigan State^[100]
• Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): DeAndre' Bembry, Saint Joseph's^[101]
• Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Isaiah Whitehead, Seton Hall^[102]
• Ben Jobe Award (Top minority coach): Dana Ford, Tennessee State^[103]
• Hugh Durham Award (Top mid-major coach): James Jones, Yale^[104]
• Jim Phelan Award (Top head coach): Greg Gard, Wisconsin^[105]
• Lefty Driesell Award (Top defensive player): Vashil Fernandez, Valparaiso^[106]
• Lou Henson Award (Top mid-major player): Thomas Walkup, Stephen F. Austin^[107]
• Lute Olson Award (Top non-freshman or transfer player): Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
• Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award (Coach with moral character): Zach Spiker, Army^[108]
• Academic All-American of the Year (Top scholar-athlete): Jarrod Uthoff, Iowa^[109]
• Elite 90 Award (Top GPA among upperclass players at Final Four): C. J. Cole, Oklahoma

Coaching changes

Several teams changed coaches during and after the season.

Team	Former coach	Interim coach	New coach	Reason
Arkansas State	John Brady		Grant McCasland	Resigned, effective end of the season.[110] Baylor assistant McCasland was named the new head coach.[111]
Army	Zach Spiker		Jimmy Allen	Spiker left after 7 seasons for the Drexel job,[112] and was replaced by top assistant Allen.[113]
Canisius	Jim Baron		Reggie Witherspoon	Baron announced his immediate retirement on May 20, 2016,[114] with Chattanooga assistant coach and former Buffalo head Coach Witherspoon succeeding him.[115]
Central Connecticut	Howie Dickenman		Donyell Marshall	Dickenman announced his retirement from his alma mater after 20 seasons on February 18, effective at the end of the season.[116] Central Connecticut hired Buffalo assistant Marshall, a former UConn star and NBA player.[117]
Columbia	Kyle Smith		Jim Engles	Smith left after 6 seasons for the San Francisco job.[118] NJIT coach Engles was hired as a replacement.[119]
Cornell	Bill Courtney		Brian Earl	Courtney's contract was not renewed by Cornell for the 2016-17 season.[120] The Big Red hired Princeton assistant Earl.[121]
Dartmouth	Paul Cormier		David McLaughlin	Cormier was fired after 6 seasons into his 2nd stint as Dartmouth head coach.[122] David McLaughlin is named as the new HC of the Dartmouth Big Green after being at Northeastern.[123]
Delaware	Monté Ross		Martin Ingelsby	Ross was fired after 10 seasons at Delaware[124] and replaced by Notre Dame assistant Ingelsby.[125]
Denver	Joe Scott		Rodney Billups	Scott was fired after 9 seasons at Denver and replaced by Colorado assistant and ex-Pioneer player Billups.[126][127]
Detroit	Ray McCallum		Bacari Alexander	Detroit cleaned out its program after the season, starting with McCallum and two of his assistants.[128] Michigan assistant Bacari Alexander returns to his alma mater to become the head coach the Titans.[129]
Drexel	Bruiser Flint		Zach Spiker	On March 7, 2016, following the end of Drexel's season, Flint was fired as head basketball coach after 15 seasons with the team.[130] Spiker was hired from Army.[112]
George Washington	Mike Lonergan	Maurice Joseph		Despite leading the Colonials to the NIT title, Lonergan was fired on September 16 amid a university investigation into alleged verbal and emotional abuse of players.[131] GW promoted assistant Joseph on an interim basis[132] and removed the "interim" tag after the 2016–17 season, signing him to a 5-year contract.[133]
Georgia Tech	Brian Gregory		Josh Pastner	Gregory was fired after missing the NCAA tournament in all five of his seasons at Georgia Tech.[134] Memphis head coach Pastner was ultimately hired.[135]
Jacksonville State	James Green		Ray Harper	Green was fired after the season[136] and succeeded by recently departed Western Kentucky coach Harper.[137]
James Madison	Matt Brady		Louis Rowe	On March 14, 2016, Brady "mutually parted ways" with the Dukes as after eight seasons and one NCAA appearance. JMU's athletic director cited declining attendance and poor performances in the CAA tournament.[138] Former JMU player and Bowling Green assistant Rowe was named the new head coach.[139]
Little Rock	Chris Beard		Wes Flanigan	Beard left after a single season to take the UNLV job,[140] though he would later move to Texas Tech.[141] Assistant coach Flanigan was elevated to the head coaching role.[142]
Memphis	Josh Pastner		Tubby Smith	Pastner left Memphis after 7 seasons for the Georgia Tech job[135] and was replaced by Texas Tech coach Smith.[143]
Milwaukee	Rob Jeter		LaVall Jordan	Jeter was fired after 11 seasons at Milwaukee[144] and was replaced by Michigan assistant Jordan.[145]
New Mexico State	Marvin Menzies		Paul Weir	Menzies left after 9 seasons for the Rebels of UNLV HC job.[146] After being the Associate HC of the Aggies, Paul Weir now will take the reins of the HC of the Aggies.[147]
Nicholls State	J. P. Piper		Richie Riley	Piper was fired following the season.[148] Former Assistant Coach at Clemson, Richie Riley has become the new HC of the Colonels.[149]
NJIT	Jim Engles		Brian Kennedy	Engles left NJIT after 8 seasons for Columbia.[119] Assistant coach Brian Kennedy was named as the next HC of the Highlanders.[150]
North Carolina A&T	Cy Alexander	Jay Joyner		Alexander resigned on January 29 to pursue other opportunities within North Carolina A&T's athletics department.[151] Alexander compiled an overall record of 43–80 during his 3+ years as North Carolina A&T's head coach, including a 5–17 mark in 2015–16 at the time of his resignation.[151] Joyner had the interim tag removed on March 7 to become the next full-time head coach.[152]
Northern Colorado	B. J. Hill		Jeff Linder	Hill was fired while Northern Colorado was under NCAA investigation.[153] The Bears hired Boise State assistant Linder.[154]
Oklahoma State	Travis Ford		Brad Underwood	Ford was fired after nine seasons at Oklahoma State[155] Underwood took the job after leading Stephen F. Austin to NCAA tournament success.[156]
Pacific	Ron Verlin	Mike Burns	Damon Stoudamire	Pacific fired Verlin on March 3, along with assistant Dwight Young. Both had been suspended since December amid an NCAA investigation into alleged academic misconduct.[157] The Tigers hired Memphis assistant Stoudamire, better known for his 13 seasons as an NBA player.[158]
Pittsburgh	Jamie Dixon		Kevin Stallings	Dixon left Pittsburgh after 13 years to take the head coach job at his alma mater, TCU.[159] The Panthers hired Stallings away from Vanderbilt.[160]
Portland	Eric Reveno		Terry Porter	Reveno was fired after 10 seasons and an overall 140–178 record, finishing with a 12–20 season in 2015–16.[161] The Pilots hired one of their city's basketball icons in Porter, a longtime star for the Portland Trail Blazers who later had extensive NBA coaching experience.[162]
Prairie View	Byron Rimm	Byron Smith		Rimm announced his resignation on January 27, effective immediately, with the Panthers at 1–18 on the season. Rimm had only two winning seasons in 10 seasons as head coach. Assistant Byron Smith was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[163] Prairie View removed the interim tag from Smith on March 13.[164]
Rutgers	Eddie Jordan		Steve Pikiell	Jordan was fired on March 10 after three seasons at his alma mater. Jordan compiled an overall record of 29–68, ending with a 7–25 overall record and a 1–15 Big Ten record in 2015–16.[165] The Scarlet Knights turned to Stony Brook coach Pikiell.[166]
Saint Louis	Jim Crews		Travis Ford	Crews was fired on March 9 after four seasons. The Billikens made the NCAA tournament in each of Crews' first two seasons as head coach, but went 11–21 in each of the last two seasons.[167] SLU replaced Crews with newly departed Oklahoma State coach Ford.[168]
San Francisco	Rex Walters		Kyle Smith	Walters was fired on March 9, following the West Coast Conference tournament, after eight seasons in charge. After a run of three postseason appearances in four seasons, the Dons finished under .500 in WCC play in both 2014–15 and 2015–16.[169] USF hired Columbia's Smith fresh off the Lions' CIT victory.[118]
Santa Clara	Kerry Keating		Herb Sendek	Keating was fired after 9 seasons at Santa Clara.[170] Ex-Arizona State head coach Sendek was hired as head coach of the Broncos.[171]
SMU	Larry Brown		Tim Jankovich	Brown surprisingly stepped down as SMU coach on July 8, 2016 after 4 seasons. Jankovich, who had been hired along with Brown in 2012 as his top assistant and designated successor, was elevated to the top spot.[172]
South Dakota State	Scott Nagy		T. J. Otzelberger	Nagy left S. Dakota St. after 21 seasons for the Wright State job[173] and was replaced by Iowa State assistant Otzelberger.[174]
Southern Utah	Nick Robinson		Todd Simon	Robinson was fired after a 28-90 record in 4 seasons at SUU.[175] Former UNLV interim head coach Simon was hired to replace Robinson.[176]
Stanford	Johnny Dawkins		Jerod Haase	Dawkins was fired after eight seasons,[177] and replaced by UAB head coach Haase.[178]
Stephen F. Austin	Brad Underwood		Kyle Keller	Underwood left SFA after 3 seasons for Oklahoma State and was replaced by Texas A&M assistant Keller.[179][180]
Stony Brook	Steve Pikiell		Jeff Boals	Pikiell left Stony Brook after 11 seasons for the Rutgers job and was replaced by Ohio State assistant Boals.[181][182]
TCU	Trent Johnson		Jamie Dixon	Johnson was fired after four seasons, a 50–79 overall record at the school, and an 8–64 record in Big 12 play.[183] He was replaced by Pittsburgh head coach and former TCU player Dixon.[159]
Tennessee–Martin	Heath Schroyer	Anthony Stewart		Schroyer left his post to become assistant head coach at NC State.[184] Assistant Stewart was initially named interim head coach for the 2016–17 season[185] but had the interim tag removed before the start of the season on November 3, 2016, signing a 4-year contract with UT Martin.[186]
Texas Tech	Tubby Smith		Chris Beard	Smith left Texas Tech after 3 seasons for Memphis.[143] After leaving Little Rock for UNLV less than a month earlier, Beard left for Texas Tech, where he had served as an assistant from 2001 to 2011.[141]
Texas–Rio Grande Valley	Dan Hipsher		Lew Hill	Hipsher was fired after 3 seasons at UTRGV.[187] The Vaqueros hired Oklahoma assistant Hill.[188]
Tulane	Ed Conroy		Mike Dunleavy	Word of Conroy's impending firing came to him as he was coaching the Green Wave to an upset victory in the 2016 AAC tournament. The move was made official a few days later.[189] Former NBA coach Dunleavy was hired for his first college coaching job, after a six-year hiatus from coaching.[190]
UAB	Jerod Haase		Robert Ehsan	Haase left UAB after 4 seasons to take the Stanford job[178] and was replaced by assistant Ehsan.[191]
UCF	Donnie Jones		Johnny Dawkins	Jones was fired on March 10 after six seasons. Although he compiled a 100–88 overall record, the Knights went 12–18 overall and 6–12 in American Athletic play this season.[192] Dawkins was hired fresh off his firing by Stanford.[193]
UMBC	Aki Thomas		Ryan Odom	Thomas was fired after 4 seasons and an overall record of 28-95 at UMBC.[194] The Retrievers hired former Charlotte interim head coach Odom.[195]
UNLV	Dave Rice	Todd Simon	Marvin Menzies	Rice was fired from his alma mater on January 10. Despite Rice's 98–54 record in four-plus seasons at UNLV, the Runnin' Rebels failed to make the postseason in either of the last two seasons, and an 0–3 start in Mountain West play was apparently the final straw for UNLV; top assistant Simon was named as interim head coach.[196] Following the season, Chris Beard was initially hired from Little Rock after leading the Trojans to NCAA tournament success,[140][197] but left less than a month later for Texas Tech.[141] NMSU head coach Menzies, a UNLV assistant during the Lon Kruger era, was hired to replace Beard.[198]
UTSA	Brooks Thompson		Steve Henson	Thompson was fired on March 10 after 10 seasons. He had a 133–178 overall record, with the Roadrunners finishing this season 5–27 overall and 3–15 in Conference USA play. He was replaced by Oklahoma assistant Henson.[199][200]
Valparaiso	Bryce Drew		Matt Lottich	Drew left his alma mater after 5 seasons to take over at Vanderbilt and was replaced by assistant Lottich.[201][202]
Vanderbilt	Kevin Stallings		Bryce Drew	Stallings left Vanderbilt after 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh job.[160] Vanderbilt hired Bryce Drew from Valparaiso.[201]
Western Kentucky	Ray Harper		Rick Stansbury	Harper resigned on March 17, 2016 after three WKU players were suspended following a school disciplinary hearing,[203] eventually landing at Jacksonville State.[137] The Hilltoppers hired longtime Mississippi State head coach Stansbury from his then-current post as an assistant at Texas A&M.[204]
Wisconsin	Bo Ryan	Greg Gard		Ryan announced his retirement on December 15, 2015, effective immediately.[205] Top assistant Gard was named as interim head coach; Wisconsin removed the interim tag after the regular season, signing Gard to a 5-year contract.[206]
Wright State	Billy Donlon		Scott Nagy	Despite making it into the finals of the Horizon League tournament, Donlon was fired on March 17 after 6 seasons at Wright State with a 109-93 career record.[207] The Raiders then hired Nagy away from South Dakota State.[173]
Wyoming	Larry Shyatt		Allen Edwards	Shyatt announced his retirement after 5 seasons into his 2nd stint at Wyoming on March 21, 2016, turning the program over to top assistant Edwards.[208]

See also

• 2015–16 NCAA Division I women's basketball season

Notes

1. Top seed in conference tournament