2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 5, 2007 ended with the 2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament's championship game on April 7, 2008, in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
Preseason AP No. 1	North Carolina Tar Heels
Regular season	November 5, 2007– March 16, 2008
NCAA Tournament	2008
Tournament dates	March 20 – April 7, 2008
National Championship	Alamodome San Antonio, Texas
NCAA Champions	Kansas
Other champions	Ohio State (NIT), Tulsa (CBI)
Player of the Year (Naismith, Wooden)	Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
← 2006–07 2008–09 →

Season headlines

• Behind Mario Chalmers' clutch three-pointer at the end of regulation, the Kansas Jayhawks won an overtime battle against the Memphis Tigers to take their third NCAA tournament title, twenty years after Danny Manning led the Jayhawks to their last championship. Bill Self sheds the title of "best coach never to go to a Final Four" in dramatic fashion.
• For the first time since teams were seeded for the NCAA tournament, all four number one seeds (Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, and UCLA) advanced to the Final Four.^[1]
• In February, Kelvin Sampson agreed to a buyout and was relieved of his duties as coach of Indiana University following a recruiting scandal concerning impermissible phone calls. Dan Dakich was named interim coach, but the damage had been done as the Hoosiers (ranked No. 14 at the time Sampson was fired) go 3–4 the rest of the season and bow out to Arkansas in a listless performance in the first round of the NCAA tournament.^[2] After the season, IU hired Marquette coach Tom Crean to tackle the major rebuilding job ahead.
• Sophomore Stephen Curry put on a shooting display as the Davidson Wildcats upset Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin - then narrowly succumbed to eventual champion Kansas 59–57 - to go to their first Elite Eight since 1969. Curry scored 40, 30, 33 and 25 points in the four games and was named the Midwest Region Most Outstanding Player.^[3]
• North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough and Kansas State's Michael Beasley engaged in a season-long battle for National player of the year honors. Hansbrough swept the POY awards, while Beasley won all Freshman of the Year awards and joined Hansbrough as a unanimous first-team All-American.
• Memphis flirted with being the first undefeated team since 1976. They started the season 26–0, but on February 23 cross-state rival Tennessee defeated the Tigers 66–62 on Memphis' home floor in a battle of the #1 and #2 teams.^[4] The Tigers finished the season 38–2, setting a single-season record for wins. However, all 38 wins were vacated by the NCAA in 2009, due to an invalid SAT score for star Derrick Rose.^[5]
• After beating Memphis, Tennessee attained the #1 ranking for the first time in school history.^[6] They lost their next game at Vanderbilt.
• The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 5. Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina was the leading vote-getter (71 of 72 votes). The rest of the team included Roy Hibbert of Georgetown (62 votes), Chris Lofton of Tennessee (61), Drew Neitzel of Michigan State (31) and Darren Collison of UCLA (31).^[7]
• The Drake Bulldogs — picked in the preseason to finish ninth in the 10-team Missouri Valley Conference^[8] — had a dream season, starting 13–0, finishing 28–5 - and were ranked as high as #14 at one point during the season. Drake's charge was led by an unlikely hero — senior point guard Adam Emmenecker, a three-year walk-on who would go on to capture both the MVC's regular-season and tournament Most Valuable Player awards.
• On February 4, career coaching wins leader Bob Knight retired as head coach of Texas Tech,^[9] handing the reins to his son Pat. Knight would reappear as a studio host for ESPN in the postseason.
• A severe storm ripped a hole in the Georgia Dome, wreaking havoc on the SEC tournament. After game delays and a venue change, the Georgia Bulldogs scored an unlikely championship run that included winning two games in one day.^[10]
• At Arizona, coach Lute Olson took an unexpected leave of absence just prior to the season's start. Kevin O'Neill, assistant coach and supposed Olson successor, was named interim coach. Olson announced he would return for 2008–09 and did not retain O'Neill on his staff as rumors of a disagreement between the two swirled.^[11]
• The first College Basketball Invitational was held, offering a post-season alternative to teams not selected for the NCAA tournament or NIT. Tulsa defeats Bradley in a best of three series to take the inaugural title.
• Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser died at 56 of an apparent heart attack the July before the season began.^[12] Assistant Dino Gaudio was named successor and led the Deacons through an emotional year punctuated by an upset of Duke.
• Lester Hudson of Tennessee-Martin recorded the first-ever quadruple-double in NCAA history. Against Central Baptist College, Hudson scored 25 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out 10 assists and recorded 10 steals in a 116–74 win.^[13]
• On January 23, Baylor beat Texas A&M 116–110 in five overtimes in the season's longest (and perhaps wildest) game.^[14]
• Houston's Rob McKiver scored 52 points (including seven three-pointers) in a game against Southern Mississippi to set the single-game scoring high for the season.^[15]
• Stephen Curry broke the NCAA record for three-pointers made in a season, connecting on 162. The previous record had been held by Butler's Darrin Fitzgerald set in 1987.^[16]
• Mike Krzyzewski,^[17] and Eddie Sutton^[18] each won their 800th career games.
• North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, Tennessee's Chris Lofton, Vanderbilt's Shan Foster, Virginia's Sean Singletary, Western Kentucky's Courtney Lee, Utah State's Jaycee Carroll, Colorado's Richard Roby, UNC Greensboro's Kyle Hines, High Point's Arizona Reid, Rider's Jason Thompson, Hofstra's Antoine Agudio, New Orleans' Bo McCalebb and VMI's Reggie Williams all eclipsed the career 2000-point mark during the season.
• Effective this season, the Mid-Continent Conference changed its name to The Summit League.
• Presbyterian, Cal State Bakersfield, Florida Gulf Coast, South Carolina Upstate and North Carolina Central, all moved up to Division I competition.
• Conference realignments: IPFW, North Dakota State and South Dakota State began play in the Summit League, while UC Davis competed in the Big West Conference for the first time. All four programs were independent in 2006–07. Valparaiso began play in the Horizon League after leaving the Summit League. Florida Gulf Coast and South Carolina Upstate joined the Atlantic Sun Conference.
• Charles Barkley, Arnie Ferrin, Danny Manning, Billy Packer, Jim Phelan, Nolan Richardson and Dick Vitale were inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame.^[19]
• Billy Packer announced his last Final Four after 34 years of broadcasting the event.^[20]

Major rule changes

Beginning in 2007–08, the following rules changes were implemented:^[21]

• During free throws, eliminated the first lane space nearest the basket on each side of the lane and used the second, third and fourth lane space on each side as an alignment for free throws. This rule had been used in NCAA women's basketball since the 2001–02 season.
• Use of courtside monitor allowed for determining whether a flagrant foul occurred or to assess the situation during a fight.

Season outlook

Pre-season polls

Main article: 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 5, 2007.^[22]

Associated Press Ranking Team 1 North Carolina (29) 2 UCLA (24) 3 Memphis (18) 4 Kansas 5 Georgetown (1) 6 Louisville 7 Tennessee 8 Michigan State 9 Indiana 10 Washington State 11 Marquette 12 Oregon 13 Duke 14 Gonzaga 15 Texas 16 Texas A&M 17 Arizona 18 USC 19 Arkansas 20 Kentucky 21 North Carolina State 22 Pittsburgh 23 Stanford 24 Southern Illinois 25 Kansas State

ESPN/USA Today Coaches Ranking Team 1 North Carolina (10) 2 UCLA (12) 3 Memphis (8) 4 Kansas (1) 5 Georgetown 6 Louisville 7 Tennessee 8 Michigan State 9 Indiana 10 Washington State 11 Duke 12 Marquette 13 Oregon 14 Gonzaga 15 Texas A&M 16 Texas 17 Arizona 18 USC 19 Arkansas 20 Pittsburgh 21 Stanford 22 Kentucky 23 Southern Illinois 24 North Carolina State 25 Villanova

Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2007–08 season.

School	Former conference	New conference
UC Davis Aggies	NCAA Division I independent	Big West Conference
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles	NCAA Division II independent	Atlantic Sun Conference
Indiana–Purdue Fort Wayne (IPFW) Mastodons	NCAA Division I independent	Summit League
North Carolina Central Eagles	NCAA Division II	NCAA Division I independent
North Dakota State Bison	NCAA Division I independent	Summit League
Presbyterian Blue Hose	South Atlantic Conference (NCAA Division II)	Big South Conference
South Carolina (USC) Upstate Spartans	Peach Belt Conference (NCAA Division II)	Atlantic Sun Conference
South Dakota State Jackrabbits	NCAA Division I independent	Summit League
Valparaiso Crusaders	Summit League	Horizon League
Winston-Salem State Rams	NCAA Division I independent	Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Thirty conference seasons concluded with a single-elimination tournament. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The Ivy League was the only NCAA Division I conference that did not hold a conference tournament, instead sending its regular-season champion, Cornell,^[23] to the NCAA tournament.

Conference	Regular Season Winner	Conference Player of the Year	Conference Tournament	Tournament Venue (City)	Tournament winner
America East Conference	UMBC[24]	Marqus Blakely, Vermont[25]	2008 America East men's basketball tournament	Binghamton University Events Center (Binghamton, New York)	UMBC[26]
Atlantic 10 Conference	Xavier[27]	Gary Forbes, Massachusetts[28]	2008 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament	Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, New Jersey)	Temple[29]
Atlantic Coast Conference	North Carolina[30]	Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina[31]	2008 ACC men's basketball tournament	Charlotte Bobcats Arena (Charlotte, North Carolina)	North Carolina[32]
Atlantic Sun Conference	Belmont[33]	Thomas Sanders, Gardner-Webb[34]	2008 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament	Allen Arena (Nashville, Tennessee)	Belmont[35]
Big 12 Conference	Kansas[36] & Texas[37]	Michael Beasley, Kansas State[38]	2008 Big 12 men's basketball tournament	Sprint Center (Kansas City, Missouri)	Kansas[39]
Big East Conference	Georgetown[40]	Luke Harangody, Notre Dame[41]	2008 Big East men's basketball tournament	Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York)	Pittsburgh[42]
Big Sky Conference	Portland State[43]	Jeremiah Dominguez, Portland State[44]	2008 Big Sky men's basketball tournament	Rose Garden (Portland, Oregon)	Portland State[45]
Big South Conference	UNC Asheville[46] & Winthrop[47]	Arizona Reid, High Point[48]	2008 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament	Campus Sites	Winthrop[49]
Big Ten Conference	Wisconsin[50]	D. J. White, Indiana[51]	2008 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament	Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana)	Wisconsin[52]
Big West Conference	Cal State Fullerton,[53] Cal State Northridge[53] & UC Santa Barbara[53]	Scott Cutley, Cal State Fullerton & Alex Harris, UC Santa Barbara[54]	2008 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament	Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California)	Cal State Fullerton[55]
Colonial Athletic Association	VCU[56]	Eric Maynor, VCU[57]	2008 CAA men's basketball tournament	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)	George Mason[58]
Conference USA	Memphis[59]	Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis[60]	2008 Conference USA men's basketball tournament	FedExForum (Memphis, Tennessee)	Memphis[61]
Horizon League	Butler[62]	Mike Green, Butler[63]	2008 Horizon League men's basketball tournament	Campus Sites	Butler[64]
Ivy League	Cornell[65]	Louis Dale, Cornell[66]	No Tournament
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	Rider[67] & Siena[68]	Jason Thompson, Rider[69]	2008 MAAC men's basketball tournament	Times Union Center (Albany, New York)	Siena[70]
Mid-American Conference	Kent State[71] (East) Western Michigan[72] (West)	Al Fisher, Kent State[73]	2008 MAC men's basketball tournament	Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)	Kent State[74]
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference	Morgan State[75]	Jamar Smith, Morgan State[76]	2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament	RBC Center (Raleigh, North Carolina)	Coppin State[77]
Missouri Valley Conference	Drake[78]	Adam Emmenecker, Drake[79]	2008 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri)	Drake[80]
Mountain West Conference	BYU[81]	Lee Cummard, BYU & J. R. Giddens, New Mexico[82]	2008 MWC men's basketball tournament	Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, Nevada)	UNLV[83]
Northeast Conference	Robert Morris[84]	Tony Lee, Robert Morris[85]	2008 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament	Campus Sites	Mount St. Mary's[86]
Ohio Valley Conference	Austin Peay[87]	Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin[88]	2008 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Nashville Municipal Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee)	Austin Peay[89]
Pacific-10 Conference	UCLA[90]	Kevin Love, UCLA[91]	2008 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament	Staples Center (Los Angeles, California)	UCLA[92]
Patriot League	American[93]	Greg Sprink, Navy[94]	2008 Patriot League men's basketball tournament	Campus Sites	American[95]
Southeastern Conference	Tennessee[96] (East) Mississippi State[97] (West)	Shan Foster, Vanderbilt[98]	2008 SEC men's basketball tournament	Georgia Dome and Alexander Memorial Coliseum (Atlanta, Georgia)	Georgia[99]
Southern Conference	Appalachian State[100] & Chattanooga[101] (North) Davidson[102] (South)	Stephen Curry, Davidson[103]	2008 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament	North Charleston Coliseum (North Charleston, South Carolina)	Davidson[104]
Southland Conference	Lamar[105] (East) Stephen F. Austin[106] (West)	Josh Alexander, Stephen F. Austin[107]	2008 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament	Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, Texas)	Texas-Arlington[108]
Southwestern Athletic Conference	Alabama State[109]	Andrew Hayles, Alabama State[110]	2008 Southwestern Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament	Fair Park Arena (Birmingham, Alabama)	Mississippi Valley State[111]
The Summit League	Oral Roberts[112]	George Hill, IUPUI[113]	2008 Summit League men's basketball tournament	John Q. Hammons Arena (Tulsa, Oklahoma)	Oral Roberts[114]4Tea
Sun Belt Conference	South Alabama[115] (East) Arkansas-Little Rock[116] & Louisiana-Lafayette[117] (West)	Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky[118]	2008 Sun Belt men's basketball tournament	Mitchell Center (Mobile, Alabama)	Western Kentucky[119]
West Coast Conference	Gonzaga[120]	Jeremy Pargo, Gonzaga[121]	2008 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament	Jenny Craig Pavilion (San Diego, California)	San Diego[122]
Western Athletic Conference	Utah State[123] Nevada[124] New Mexico State[125] & Boise State[126]	Jaycee Carroll, Utah State[127]	2008 WAC men's basketball tournament	Pan American Center (Las Cruces, New Mexico)	Boise State[128]

Conference standings

2007–08 America East men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT UMBC † 13 – 3   .813 24 – 9   .727 Hartford 10 – 6   .625 18 – 16   .529 Albany 10 – 6   .625 15 – 15   .500 Vermont 9 – 7   .563 16 – 15   .516 Binghamton 9 – 7   .563 14 – 16   .467 Boston University 9 – 7   .563 14 – 17   .452 New Hampshire 6 – 10   .375 9 – 20   .310 Stony Brook 3 – 13   .188 7 – 23   .233 Maine 3 – 13   .188 7 – 23   .233 † America East tournament winner As of March 17, 2008 Rankings from AP Poll	2007–08 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 12 Xavier 14 – 2   .875 30 – 7   .811 Temple † 11 – 5   .688 21 – 13   .618 UMass 10 – 6   .625 25 – 11   .694 Saint Joseph's 9 – 7   .563 21 – 13   .618 Charlotte 9 – 7   .563 20 – 14   .588 Richmond 9 – 7   .563 16 – 15   .516 Dayton 8 – 8   .500 23 – 11   .676 La Salle 8 – 8   .500 15 – 17   .469 Rhode Island 7 – 9   .438 21 – 12   .636 Duquesne 7 – 9   .438 17 – 13   .567 Saint Louis 7 – 9   .438 16 – 15   .516 Fordham 6 – 10   .375 12 – 17   .414 George Washington 5 – 11   .313 9 – 17   .346 St. Bonaventure 2 – 14   .125 8 – 22   .267 † 2008 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	2007–08 ACC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 1 North Carolina † 14 – 2   .875 36 – 3   .923 No. 9 Duke 13 – 3   .813 28 – 6   .824 No. 22 Clemson 10 – 6   .625 24 – 10   .706 Virginia Tech 9 – 7   .563 21 – 14   .600 Miami (FL) 8 – 8   .500 23 – 11   .676 Maryland 8 – 8   .500 19 – 15   .559 Georgia Tech 7 – 9   .438 15 – 17   .469 Wake Forest 7 – 9   .438 17 – 13   .567 Florida State 7 – 9   .438 19 – 15   .559 Virginia 5 – 11   .313 17 – 16   .515 Boston College 4 – 12   .250 14 – 17   .452 NC State 4 – 12   .250 15 – 16   .484 † 2008 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
2007–08 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Belmont † 14 – 2   .875 25 – 9   .735 Jacksonville 12 – 4   .750 18 – 13   .581 East Tennessee State 11 – 5   .688 19 – 13   .594 Stetson 11 – 5   .688 16 – 16   .500 Gardner–Webb 9 – 7   .563 16 – 16   .500 Lipscomb 9 – 7   .563 15 – 16   .484 Kennesaw State 7 – 9   .438 10 – 20   .333 Mercer 6 – 10   .375 11 – 19   .367 Florida Gulf Coast 6 – 10   .375 10 – 21   .323 Campbell 5 – 11   .313 10 – 20   .333 USC Upstate 5 – 11   .313 7 – 23   .233 North Florida 1 – 15   .063 3 – 26   .103 † 2008 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner As of March 3, 2008 Rankings from AP Poll	2007–08 Big East men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 8 Georgetown 15 – 3   .833 28 – 6   .824 No. 13 Louisville 14 – 4   .778 27 – 9   .750 No. 15 Notre Dame 14 – 4   .778 25 – 8   .758 No. 16 Connecticut 13 – 5   .722 24 – 9   .727 West Virginia 11 – 7   .611 26 – 11   .703 No. 25 Marquette 11 – 7   .611 25 – 10   .714 No. 17 Pittsburgh† 10 – 8   .556 27 – 10   .730 Villanova 9 – 9   .500 22 – 13   .629 Syracuse 9 – 9   .500 21 – 14   .600 Cincinnati 8 – 10   .444 13 – 19   .406 Seton Hall 7 – 11   .389 17 – 15   .531 Providence 6 – 12   .333 15 – 16   .484 *DePaul 6 – 12   .333 11 – 19   .367 *St. John's 5 – 13   .278 11 – 19   .367 *South Florida 3 – 15   .167 12 – 19   .387 *Rutgers 3 – 15   .167 11 – 20   .355 † 2008 Big East tournament winner As of April 7, 2008[129] Rankings from AP Poll *Did not qualify for 2008 Big East tournament.	2007–08 Big Sky men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Portland State † 14 – 2   .875 23 – 10   .697 Northern Arizona 11 – 5   .688 21 – 11   .656 Weber State 10 – 6   .625 16 – 14   .533 Montana 8 – 8   .500 14 – 16   .467 Idaho State 8 – 8   .500 12 – 19   .387 Montana State 7 – 9   .438 15 – 15   .500 Northern Colorado 6 – 10   .375 13 – 16   .448 Eastern Washington 6 – 10   .375 11 – 19   .367 Sacramento State 2 – 14   .125 4 – 24   .143 † 2008 Big Sky tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[130]
2007–08 Big South men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT UNC Asheville 10 – 4   .714 23 – 10   .697 Winthrop † 10 – 4   .714 22 – 12   .647 High Point 8 – 6   .571 17 – 14   .548 Liberty 7 – 7   .500 16 – 16   .500 VMI 6 – 8   .429 14 – 15   .483 Coastal Carolina 6 – 8   .429 13 – 15   .464 Radford 5 – 9   .357 10 – 20   .333 Charleston Southern 4 – 10   .286 10 – 20   .333 † 2008 Big South tournament winner As of March 8, 2008 Rankings from AP Poll	2007–08 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 6 Wisconsin† 16 – 2   .889 31 – 5   .861 No. 20 Purdue 15 – 3   .833 25 – 9   .735 Indiana 14 – 4   .778 25 – 8   .758 No. 18 Michigan State 12 – 6   .667 27 – 9   .750 Ohio State 10 – 8   .556 24 – 13   .649 Minnesota 8 – 10   .444 20 – 14   .588 Penn State 7 – 11   .389 15 – 16   .484 Iowa 6 – 12   .333 13 – 19   .406 Illinois 5 – 13   .278 16 – 19   .457 Michigan 5 – 13   .278 10 – 22   .313 Northwestern 1 – 17   .056 8 – 22   .267 † 2008 Big Ten tournament winner As of March 23, 2008 Rankings from AP poll[131]	2007–08 Big 12 men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 7 Texas 13 – 3   .813 31 – 7   .816 No. 4 Kansas † 13 – 3   .813 37 – 3   .925 Kansas State 10 – 6   .625 21 – 12   .636 Oklahoma 9 – 7   .563 23 – 12   .657 Baylor 9 – 7   .563 21 – 11   .656 Texas A&M 8 – 8   .500 25 – 11   .694 Nebraska 7 – 9   .438 20 – 13   .606 Texas Tech 7 – 9   .438 16 – 15   .516 Oklahoma State 7 – 9   .438 17 – 16   .515 Missouri 6 – 10   .375 16 – 16   .500 Iowa State 4 – 12   .250 14 – 18   .438 Colorado 3 – 13   .188 12 – 20   .375 † 2008 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll [132]
2007–08 Big West men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT UC Santa Barbara 12 – 4   .750 23 – 9   .719 Cal State Northridge 12 – 4   .750 20 – 10   .667 Cal State Fullerton† 12 – 4   .750 24 – 9   .727 Pacific 11 – 5   .688 21 – 10   .677 UC Irvine 9 – 7   .563 18 – 16   .529 Cal Poly 7 – 9   .438 12 – 18   .400 UC Riverside 4 – 12   .250 9 – 21   .300 Long Beach State 3 – 13   .188 6 – 25   .194 UC Davis 2 – 14   .125 9 – 22   .290 † 2008 Big West tournament winner As of April 10, 2008[133] Rankings from AP poll	2007–08 CAA men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT VCU 15 – 3   .833 24 – 8   .750 UNC Wilmington 12 – 6   .667 20 – 13   .606 George Mason † 12 – 6   .667 23 – 11   .676 Old Dominion 11 – 7   .611 18 – 16   .529 William & Mary 10 – 8   .556 17 – 16   .515 Northeastern 9 – 9   .500 14 – 17   .452 Delaware 9 – 9   .500 14 – 17   .452 Hofstra 8 – 10   .444 12 – 18   .400 Towson 7 – 11   .389 13 – 18   .419 Drexel 5 – 13   .278 12 – 20   .375 James Madison 5 – 13   .278 13 – 17   .433 Georgia State 5 – 13   .278 9 – 21   .300 † 2008 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	2007–08 Conference USA men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 2 Memphis 16 – 0   1.000 38 – 2   .950 UAB 12 – 4   .750 23 – 11   .676 Houston 11 – 5   .688 24 – 10   .706 Southern Miss 9 – 7   .563 19 – 14   .576 UCF 9 – 7   .563 16 – 15   .516 Tulsa 8 – 8   .500 25 – 14   .641 UTEP 8 – 8   .500 19 – 14   .576 Marshall 8 – 8   .500 16 – 14   .533 Tulane 6 – 10   .375 17 – 15   .531 East Carolina 5 – 11   .313 11 – 19   .367 SMU 4 – 12   .250 10 – 20   .333 Rice 0 – 16   .000 3 – 27   .100 † 2008 C-USA Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
2007–08 Horizon League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 11 Butler † 16 – 2   .889 30 – 4   .882 Cleveland State 12 – 6   .667 21 – 13   .618 Wright State 12 – 6   .667 21 – 10   .677 Valparaiso 9 – 9   .500 22 – 14   .611 UIC 9 – 9   .500 18 – 15   .545 Green Bay 9 – 9   .500 15 – 15   .500 Milwaukee 9 – 9   .500 14 – 16   .467 Loyola Chicago 6 – 12   .333 12 – 19   .387 Youngstown State 5 – 13   .278 9 – 21   .300 Detroit 3 – 15   .167 7 – 23   .233 † Horizon League Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	2007–08 Ivy League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Cornell 14 – 0   1.000 22 – 6   .786 Brown 11 – 3   .786 19 – 10   .655 Penn 8 – 6   .571 13 – 18   .419 Columbia 7 – 7   .500 14 – 15   .483 Yale 7 – 7   .500 13 – 15   .464 Dartmouth 3 – 11   .214 10 – 18   .357 Harvard 3 – 11   .214 8 – 22   .267 Princeton 3 – 11   .214 6 – 23   .207 Rankings from AP Poll	2007–08 MAAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Siena † 13 – 5   .722 23 – 11   .676 Rider 13 – 5   .722 23 – 11   .676 Niagara 12 – 6   .667 19 – 10   .655 Loyola (MD) 12 – 6   .667 19 – 14   .576 Fairfield 11 – 7   .611 14 – 16   .467 Marist 11 – 7   .611 18 – 14   .563 Iona 8 – 10   .444 12 – 20   .375 Manhattan 5 – 13   .278 12 – 19   .387 Saint Peter's 3 – 15   .167 6 – 24   .200 Canisius 2 – 16   .111 6 – 25   .194 † 2008 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
2007–08 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Kent State † 13 – 3   .813 28 – 7   .800 Akron 11 – 5   .688 24 – 11   .686 Ohio 9 – 7   .563 20 – 13   .606 Miami (OH) 9 – 7   .563 17 – 16   .515 Bowling Green 7 – 9   .438 13 – 16   .448 Buffalo 3 – 13   .188 10 – 20   .333 West Western Michigan 12 – 4   .750 20 – 12   .625 Central Michigan 8 – 8   .500 14 – 17   .452 Eastern Michigan 8 – 8   .500 14 – 17   .452 Toledo 7 – 8   .467 11 – 19   .367 Ball State 5 – 11   .313 6 – 24   .200 Northern Illinois 3 – 12   .200 6 – 22   .214 † 2008 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	2007–08 MEAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Morgan State 14 – 2   .875 22 – 11   .667 Hampton 11 – 5   .688 18 – 12   .600 Norfolk State 11 – 5   .688 16 – 15   .516 Delaware State 10 – 6   .625 14 – 16   .467 North Carolina A&T 9 – 7   .563 15 – 16   .484 Florida A&M 9 – 7   .563 15 – 17   .469 Coppin State † 7 – 9   .438 16 – 21   .432 South Carolina State 7 – 9   .438 13 – 20   .394 Bethune–Cookman 5 – 11   .313 11 – 21   .344 Howard 3 – 13   .188 6 – 26   .188 Maryland Eastern Shore 2 – 14   .125 4 – 28   .125 Winston-Salem State –   – 12 – 18   .400 † 2008 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[134]	2007–08 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 14 Drake † 15 – 3   .833 28 – 5   .848 Illinois State 13 – 5   .722 25 – 10   .714 Southern Illinois 11 – 7   .611 18 – 15   .545 Creighton 10 – 8   .556 22 – 11   .667 Bradley 9 – 9   .500 21 – 17   .553 Northern Iowa 9 – 9   .500 18 – 14   .563 Missouri State 8 – 10   .444 17 – 16   .515 Indiana State 8 – 10   .444 15 – 16   .484 Wichita State 4 – 14   .222 11 – 20   .355 Evansville 3 – 15   .167 9 – 21   .300 † 2008 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[135]
2007–08 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT BYU 14 – 2   .875 27 – 8   .771 UNLV † 12 – 4   .750 27 – 8   .771 New Mexico 11 – 5   .688 24 – 9   .727 San Diego State 9 – 7   .563 20 – 13   .606 Air Force 8 – 8   .500 16 – 14   .533 Utah 7 – 9   .438 18 – 15   .545 TCU 6 – 10   .375 14 – 16   .467 Wyoming 5 – 11   .313 12 – 18   .400 Colorado State 0 – 16   .000 7 – 25   .219 † 2008 Mountain West tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[136]	2007–08 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Robert Morris 16 – 2   .889 26 – 8   .765 Wagner 15 – 3   .833 23 – 8   .742 Sacred Heart 13 – 5   .722 18 – 14   .563 Mount St. Mary's † 11 – 7   .611 19 – 15   .559 Quinnipiac 11 – 7   .611 15 – 15   .500 Central Connecticut 10 – 8   .556 14 – 16   .467 Long Island 7 – 11   .389 15 – 15   .500 Monmouth 4 – 14   .222 7 – 24   .226 Fairleigh Dickinson 4 – 14   .222 8 – 20   .286 St. Francis (NY) 4 – 14   .222 7 – 22   .241 Saint Francis (PA) 4 – 14   .222 6 – 23   .207 † 2008 NEC tournament winner	2007–08 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Austin Peay † 16 – 4   .800 24 – 11   .686 Murray State 13 – 7   .650 18 – 13   .581 Morehead State 12 – 8   .600 15 – 15   .500 UT Martin 11 – 9   .550 17 – 16   .515 Samford 10 – 10   .500 14 – 16   .467 Tennessee State 10 – 10   .500 15 – 17   .469 Tennessee Tech 10 – 10   .500 13 – 19   .406 Eastern Kentucky 10 – 10   .500 14 – 16   .467 Eastern Illinois 6 – 14   .300 7 – 22   .241 Jacksonville State 5 – 15   .250 7 – 22   .241 Southeast Missouri State 7 – 13   .350 12 – 19   .387 † 2008 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
2007–08 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 2 UCLA† 16 – 2   .889 35 – 4   .897 No. 11 Stanford 13 – 5   .722 28 – 8   .778 No. 21 Washington State 11 – 7   .611 26 – 9   .743 Arizona State 9 – 9   .500 21 – 13   .618 Oregon 9 – 9   .500 18 – 14   .563 Arizona 8 – 10   .444 19 – 15   .559 Washington 7 – 11   .389 16 – 17   .485 California 6 – 12   .333 17 – 16   .515 Oregon State 0 – 18   .000 6 – 25   .194 USC* 0 – 7   .000 0 – 12   .000 † Conference tournament winner As of April 5, 2008 Rankings from AP Poll *USC vacated 11 conference and 21 overall wins, due to NCAA rules violations.	2007–08 Patriot League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT American † 10 – 4   .714 21 – 12   .636 Navy 9 – 5   .643 16 – 14   .533 Colgate 7 – 7   .500 18 – 14   .563 Lehigh 7 – 7   .500 14 – 15   .483 Army 6 – 8   .429 14 – 16   .467 Lafayette 6 – 8   .429 15 – 15   .500 Bucknell 6 – 8   .429 12 – 19   .387 Holy Cross 5 – 9   .357 15 – 14   .517 † 2008 Patriot League tournament winner	2007–08 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East No. 5 Tennessee 14 – 2   .875 31 – 5   .861 Kentucky 12 – 4   .750 18 – 13   .581 No. 19 Vanderbilt 10 – 6   .625 26 – 8   .765 Florida 8 – 8   .500 24 – 12   .667 South Carolina 5 – 11   .313 14 – 18   .438 Georgia † 4 – 12   .250 17 – 17   .500 West Mississippi State 12 – 4   .750 23 – 11   .676 Arkansas 9 – 7   .563 23 – 12   .657 Ole Miss 7 – 9   .438 24 – 11   .686 LSU 6 – 10   .375 13 – 18   .419 Alabama 5 – 11   .313 17 – 16   .515 Auburn 4 – 12   .250 14 – 16   .467 † 2008 SEC tournament winner As of April 7, 2008 Rankings from AP Poll
2007–08 Southern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT North Appalachian State 13 – 7   .650 18 – 13   .581 Chattanooga 13 – 7   .650 18 – 13   .581 UNC Greensboro 12 – 8   .600 19 – 12   .613 Elon 9 – 11   .450 14 – 19   .424 Western Carolina 6 – 14   .300 10 – 21   .323 South No. 23 Davidson† 20 – 0   1.000 29 – 7   .806 Georgia Southern 13 – 7   .650 20 – 12   .625 College of Charleston 9 – 11   .450 16 – 17   .485 Wofford 8 – 12   .400 16 – 16   .500 Furman 6 – 14   .300 7 – 23   .233 The Citadel 1 – 19   .050 6 – 24   .200 † SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 2008 Rankings from AP poll	2007–08 Southland Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Lamar 13 – 3   .813 19 – 11   .633 Southeastern Louisiana 9 – 7   .563 17 – 13   .567 Northwestern State 9 – 7   .563 15 – 18   .455 McNeese State 7 – 9   .438 13 – 16   .448 Nicholls State 5 – 11   .313 10 – 21   .323 Central Arkansas 4 – 12   .250 14 – 16   .467 West Stephen F. Austin 13 – 3   .813 26 – 6   .813 Sam Houston State 10 – 6   .625 23 – 8   .742 Texas–Arlington † 7 – 9   .438 21 – 12   .636 UTSA 7 – 9   .438 13 – 17   .433 Texas State 6 – 10   .375 13 – 16   .448 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 6 – 10   .375 9 – 20   .310 † 2008 Southland tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	2007–08 SWAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Alabama State 15 – 3   .833 20 – 11   .645 Mississippi Valley State † 12 – 6   .667 17 – 16   .515 Alabama A&M 11 – 7   .611 14 – 15   .483 Jackson State 10 – 8   .556 14 – 20   .412 Southern 9 – 9   .500 11 – 19   .367 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 8 – 10   .444 13 – 18   .419 Grambling State 7 – 11   .389 7 – 19   .269 Prairie View A&M 6 – 12   .333 8 – 22   .267 Alcorn State 6 – 12   .333 7 – 24   .226 Texas Southern 6 – 12   .333 7 – 25   .219 † 2008 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[137]
2007–08 Summit League men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Oral Roberts † 16 – 2   .889 24 – 9   .727 IUPUI 15 – 3   .833 26 – 7   .788 Oakland 11 – 7   .611 17 – 14   .548 North Dakota State 10 – 8   .556 16 – 13   .552 Southern Utah 9 – 9   .500 11 – 19   .367 IPFW 9 – 9   .500 13 – 18   .419 Western Illinois 7 – 11   .389 12 – 18   .400 UMKC 6 – 12   .333 11 – 21   .344 Centenary 4 – 14   .222 10 – 21   .323 South Dakota State 3 – 15   .167 8 – 21   .276 † 2008 Summit League Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[138]	2007–08 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East South Alabama 16 – 2   .889 26 – 7   .788 Western Kentucky † 16 – 2   .889 29 – 7   .806 Middle Tennessee 11 – 7   .611 17 – 15   .531 Florida Atlantic 8 – 10   .444 15 – 18   .455 Florida International 6 – 12   .333 9 – 20   .310 Troy 4 – 14   .222 12 – 19   .387 West Arkansas-Little Rock 11 – 7   .611 20 – 11   .645 Louisiana–Lafayette 11 – 7   .611 15 – 15   .500 North Texas 10 – 8   .556 20 – 11   .645 New Orleans 8 – 10   .444 19 – 13   .594 Denver 7 – 11   .389 11 – 19   .367 Arkansas State 5 – 13   .278 10 – 20   .333 Louisiana–Monroe 4 – 14   .222 10 – 21   .323 † 2008 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
2007–08 WAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Utah State 12 – 4   .750 24 – 11   .686 Nevada 12 – 4   .750 21 – 12   .636 New Mexico State 12 – 4   .750 21 – 14   .600 Boise State † 12 – 4   .750 25 – 9   .735 Hawaii 7 – 9   .438 11 – 19   .367 Idaho 5 – 11   .313 8 – 21   .276 Fresno State 5 – 11   .313 13 – 19   .406 San Jose State 4 – 12   .250 13 – 19   .406 Louisiana Tech 3 – 13   .188 6 – 24   .200 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll[139]	2007–08 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 20 Gonzaga 13 – 1   .929 25 – 8   .758 Saint Mary's 12 – 2   .857 25 – 7   .781 San Diego † 11 – 3   .786 22 – 14   .611 Santa Clara 6 – 8   .429 15 – 16   .484 San Francisco 5 – 9   .357 10 – 21   .323 Pepperdine 4 – 10   .286 11 – 21   .344 Portland 3 – 11   .214 9 – 22   .290 Loyola Marymount 2 – 12   .143 5 – 26   .161 † 2008 WCC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[140]

Division I independents

Nine schools played as Division I independents.^[141] Only Chicago State, Longwood, Savannah State, and Texas–Pan American were considered full NCAA Division I schools, as the rest were still in a transition phase from NCAA Division II.^[141]

2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Texas–Pan American –   – 18 – 13   .581 Utah Valley State –   – 15 – 14   .517 Savannah State –   – 13 – 18   .419 Chicago State –   – 11 – 17   .393 Longwood –   – 9 – 22   .290 Cal State Bakersfield –   – 8 – 21   .276 Presbyterian –   – 5 – 25   .167 North Carolina Central –   – 4 – 26   .133 NJIT –   – 0 – 29   .000 Rankings from AP Poll

Informal championships

Conference	Regular season winner	Most Valuable Player
Philadelphia Big 5	Temple & Villanova	Pat Calathes, Saint Joseph's, & Mark Tyndale, Temple

Temple and Villanova finished with 3–1 records 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
Reggie Williams	VMI	27.8		Michael Beasley	Kansas State	12.4		Jason Richards	Davidson	8.1		Devin Gibson	TX-San Antonio	3.3
Charron Fisher	Niagara	27.6		Jason Thompson	Rider	12.1		TeeJay Bannister	Liberty	7.2		Devan Downey	South Carolina	3.2
Michael Beasley	Kansas State	26.2		Jon Brockman	Washington	11.6		Paul Stoll	TX-Pan American	7.2		Chris Gaynor	Winthrop	2.9
Stephen Curry	Davidson	25.9		Durell Vinson	Wagner	11.5		Jay Greene	UMBC	7.2		Lester Hudson	Tenn.-Martin	2.8
Lester Hudson	Tenn.-Martin	25.7		Marqus Blakely	Vermont	11.0		Mike Jefferson	High Point	7.0		Tony Lee	Robert Morris	2.8
				Arizona Reid	High Point	11.0

Blocked shots per game				Field goal percentage				Three-point FG percentage				Free throw percentage
Player	School	BPG		Player	School	FG%		Player	School	3FG%		Player	School	FT%
Jarvis Varnado	Miss. St.	4.6		Kenny George	UNC-Asheville	69.6		Jaycee Carroll	Utah St.	49.8		Tyler Relph	St. Bonaventure	93.8
Mickell Gladness	Alabama A&M	4.5		Vladimir Kuljanin	UNC-Wilmington	66.7		Chad Toppert	New Mexico	48.0		Jaycee Carroll	Utah St.	91.9
Hasheem Thabeet	UConn	4.5		Matt Nelson	Boise St.	64.7		Shawn Huff	Valparaiso	47.9		Jack McClinton	Miami (FL)	91.9
Kleon Penn	McNeese St.	4.0		Ahmad Nivins	St. Joseph's	64.7		Darnell Harris	La Salle	47.9		Justin Hare	Belmont	91.8
Shawn James	Duquesne	4.0		Will Thomas	George Mason	64.2		Henry Salter	TCU	47.7		Julio Anthony	E. Illinois	91.5

Post-season tournaments

NCAA tournament

Main article: 2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 18, 2008 with the opening round game in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded on April 7 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Of the 65 teams that were invited to participate, 31 were automatic bids while 34 were at-large bids. The 34 at-large teams came from 10 conferences, with the Big East tying its own 2006 record with eight bids.^[142] Three other conferences, the Big 12, Pacific-10 Conference, and Southeastern Conference, had six teams invited to the tournament. Notably absent from the field were Florida and Ohio State, the champions and runners-up of the 2007 tournament, the first time that both teams from a previous year's finals failed to make the tournament since 1980.^[143] Kansas defeated Memphis, 75–68 in overtime to win their third NCAA Tournament championship, and Jayhawks guard Mario Chalmers was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Final Four – Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas was the site of the season-ending Final Four and Championship game for 2007-08.

	National semifinals April 5					National championship game April 7
	E1	North Carolina	66
	M1	Kansas	84
						M1	Kansas	75*
						S1	Memphis	68
	S1	Memphis	78
	W1	UCLA	63

National Invitation tournament

Main article: 2008 National Invitation Tournament

After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the National Invitation Tournament invited teams to participate. Eight teams were given automatic bids for winning their conference regular seasons, and 24 other teams were also invited. The field came from 10 conferences, with the Atlantic 10 having the most teams invited with four. The Atlantic Coast and Missouri Valley Conferences each had three bids, and five other conferences placed two teams in the tournament.^[144] Last year's NCAA finalists, Ohio State and Florida both made the semifinals, with the Buckeyes winning the tournament, defeating UMass 92–85 in the final. Ohio State center Kosta Koufos was named tournament MVP.

NIT semifinals and final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 1 and 3

	Semifinals					Final
	1	Ohio State	81
	2	Mississippi	69
						1	Ohio State	92
						2	UMass	85
	2	Florida	66
	2	UMass	78

College Basketball Invitational

Main article: 2008 College Basketball Invitational

The inaugural College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Tournament was held starting March 18 and ended with a best-of-three final which saw Tulsa defeat Bradley for the championship. Jerome Jordan of Tulsa was named tournament MVP.

	Semifinals (Reseeded)					Finals (Best of three)
	1	Virginia	85
	4	Bradley	96
						4	Bradley	68	83	64
						2	Tulsa	73	74	70
	2	Tulsa	73
	3	Houston	69

Major upsets

Regular season and conference tournaments

• Oakland 68, Oregon 62^[145]
• Gardner-Webb 84, Kentucky 68^[146]
• Robert Morris 57, Boston College 51^[147]
• Winthrop 76, Miami (FL) 71^[148]
• Dayton 80, Pittsburgh 55^[149]
• Maryland 82, North Carolina 80^[150]
• Kentucky 72, Tennessee 66^[151]
• Wake Forest 86, Duke 73^[152]
• Washington 71, UCLA 61^[153]

NCAA tournament

• #13 San Diego 70, #4 Connecticut 69 (OT)^[154]
• #13 Siena 83, #4 Vanderbilt 64^[155]
• #10 Davidson 74, #2 Georgetown 70^[156]
• #10 Davidson 73, #3 Wisconsin 56^[157]
• #12 Western Kentucky 101, #5 Drake 99 (OT)^[158]

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

Consensus First Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
D. J. Augustin	G	Sophomore	Texas
Michael Beasley	F	Freshman	Kansas State
Chris Douglas-Roberts	G-F	Junior	Memphis
Tyler Hansbrough	C	Junior	North Carolina
Kevin Love	C	Freshman	UCLA

Consensus Second Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Stephen Curry	G	Sophomore	Davidson
Shan Foster	G-F	Senior	Vanderbilt
Luke Harangody	F	Sophomore	Notre Dame
Roy Hibbert	C	Senior	Georgetown
Chris Lofton	G	Senior	Tennessee
D. J. White	F-C	Senior	Indiana

Major player of the year awards

• Wooden Award: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• Naismith Award: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• Associated Press Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• NABC Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• Adolph Rupp Trophy: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina

Major freshman of the year awards

• USBWA Freshman of the Year: Michael Beasley, Kansas State
• Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Michael Beasley, Kansas State

Major coach of the year awards

• Associated Press Coach of the Year: Keno Davis, Drake
• Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Keno Davis, Drake
• NABC Coach of the Year: Bob McKillop, Davidson
• Naismith College Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Memphis
• CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Keno Davis, Drake
• Adolph Rupp Cup: Bruce Pearl, Tennessee
• Sporting News Coach of the Year: Keno Davis, Drake

Other major awards

• Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): D. J. Augustin, Texas
• Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): Michael Beasley, Kansas State
• NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
• Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Mike Green, Butler
• Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Shan Foster, Vanderbilt
• Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Pat Calathes, St. Joseph's and Mark Tyndale, Temple (Co-MVPs)
• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Jason Thompson, Rider
• Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Mike Green, Butler

Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.^[159]

Team	Former Coach	Interim Coach	New Coach	Reason
Alcorn State	Samuel West		Larry Smith[160]	West was fired after a 7–23 season, former Alcorn State star and ex-NBA player Smith was hired
Arizona	Lute Olson	Kevin O'Neill	Lute Olson	Olsen took a leave of absence due to a divorce; but announced he would return in 2008–09. O'Neill left following season. However, Olson would ultimately retire on October 23, 2008, before the 2008–09 season; several days later, Olson revealed (through his personal physician) that he had suffered a stroke during the season.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Van Holt		George Ivory	Holt resigned after going 50–124 in six years.
Arkansas State	Dickey Nutt	Shawn Forest Al Grushkin	John Brady[161]	Nutt resigned three wins shy of becoming the Red Wolves' winningest coach. Coincidentally, his resignation came shortly after his brother, Houston Nutt, was forced out as football coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Brown	Craig Robinson		Jesse Agel	Robinson left to take the Oregon State job
Bucknell	Pat Flannery		Dave Paulsen	Flannery retires as coach.
California	Ben Braun		Mike Montgomery	Montgomery goes across the bay from Stanford, where he coached before going to the Golden State Warriors.
Centenary	Rob Flaska		Greg Gary
Detroit	Perry Watson	Kevin Mondro	Ray McCallum	Retired after taking a medical leave of absence during the season.[162]
Drake	Keno Davis		Mark Phelps	Davis left to take the Providence job. Phelps was an assistant at Arizona State.
Florida Atlantic	Rex Walters		Mike Jarvis	Walters left for San Francisco, while Jarvis comes back after a self-imposed retitrement.
Grambling	Larry Wright		Rick Duckett
Idaho	George Pfeifer		Don Verlin	Pfeifer was fired following a 12–48 record in two years.
Indiana	Kelvin Sampson	Dan Dakich	Tom Crean	Sampson was embroiled in a cell phone controversy.
James Madison	Dean Keener		Matt Brady
Kent State	Jim Christian		Geno Ford	Ford replaces Christian, who went to TCU.
LSU	John Brady	Butch Pierre	Trent Johnson	Brady was fired in midst of disappointing season, two years after guiding LSU to the Final Four.
Loyola Marymount	Rodney Tention		Bill Bayno
Marist	Matt Brady		Chuck Martin	Brady left to go to JMU. Martin takes his first head coaching job after serving as an assistant at Memphis.
Marquette	Tom Crean		Buzz Williams	Crean resigned to take Indiana job; ex-University of New Orleans coach takes over after serving as an assistant.
UMass	Travis Ford		Derek Kellogg	Ford left for the Oklahoma State job. UMass alum Kellogg was hired off of ex-Minutemen coach John Calipari's staff at Memphis.
Mercer	Mark Slonaker		Bob Hoffman
Missouri State	Barry Hinson		Cuonzo Martin
NJIT	Jim Casciano		Jim Engles	Team in first year of D-I hoops went 5-24
Oklahoma State	Sean Sutton		Travis Ford	Son of Eddie Sutton resigned.
Oregon State	Jay John	Kevin Mouton	Craig Robinson	John was fired in midst of horrid season. The brother-in-law of Barack Obama comes in from Brown as permanent coach.
Pepperdine	Vance Walberg	Eric Bridgeland	Tom Asbury	Walberg resigned mid-season with 12–48 overall mark. Former Waves head coach Asbury returned to take the position.
Providence	Tim Welsh		Keno Davis
Rice	Willis Wilson		Ben Braun	After firing at Cal, Braun comes to C-USA.
Sacramento State	Jerome Jenkins		Brian Katz
San Francisco	Jessie Evans	Eddie Sutton	Rex Walters	Sutton won his 800th game this year, coming out of retirement for an interim stint.
South Carolina	Dave Odom		Darrin Horn	Odom retired after the season.
Stanford	Trent Johnson		Johnny Dawkins	Johnson leaves Stanford to take the job at LSU. Duke associate head coach Dawkins takes his first head coaching job.
TCU	Neil Dougherty		Jim Christian
Texas Tech	Bob Knight	Pat Knight	Pat Knight	Winningest coach in D-I resigned, son Pat took over.
Toledo	Stan Joplin		Gene Cross
Western Illinois	Derek Thomas		Jim Molinari
Western Kentucky	Darrin Horn		Ken McDonald	Horn goes to South Carolina.