2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season


The 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2003, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 5, 2004 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The Connecticut Huskies won their second NCAA national championship with an 82–73 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Season headlines

Beginning in 2003–04, the following rules changes were implemented:

Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 13, 2003.

Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2003–04 season.
SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference
CentenaryNCAA Division I IndependentMid-Continent Conference
ElonBig South ConferenceSouthern Conference
Jacksonville StateAtlantic Sun ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
LipscombNCAA Division I IndependentAtlantic Sun Conference
Morris BrownNCAA Division I IndependentDefunct
SamfordAtlantic Sun ConferenceOhio Valley Conference
UMBCNortheast ConferenceAmerica East Conference
VMISouthern ConferenceBig South Conference

Regular season

Conference winners and tournaments

Statistical leaders

Postseason tournaments

NCAA Tournament

Final Four – [Alamodome], [San Antonio, Texas]

National Invitation Tournament

Semifinals & Finals

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Major player of the year awards

A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.
TeamFormer
Coach
Interim
Coach
New
Coach
Reason
Air ForceJoe ScottChris Mooney
AkronDan HipsherKeith Dambrot
AuburnCliff EllisJeff Lebo
ChattanoogaJeff LeboJohn Shulman
DartmouthDave FaucherTerry Dunn
Eastern WashingtonRay GiacolettiMike Burns
Florida InternationalDonnie MarshSergio Rouco
GeorgetownCraig EsherickJohn Thompson III
HoustonRay McCallumTom Penders
James MadisonSherman DillardDean Keener
Louisiana-LafayetteJessie EvansRobert Lee
La SalleBilly HahnJohn GianniniHahn resigned following rape allegations against two of his players.
Loyola Scott HicksJimmy Patsos
Loyola Larry FarmerJim Whitesell
MaineJohn GianniniTed Woodward
MaristDave MagarityMatt Brady
UMBCTom SullivanRandy Monroe
Maryland-Eastern ShoreThomas TrotterLarry Lessett
Miami Perry ClarkFrank Haith
MontanaPat KennedyLarry KrystkowiakMontana hired Grizzlies' all-time leading scorer & Idaho Stampede head coach Krystkowiak.
NavyDon DeVoeBilly Lange
NevadaTrent JohnsonMark FoxNevada promoted top assistant Fox after Johnson left for Stanford.
Ohio StateJim O'BrienThad MattaO'Brien was fired after recruiting violations involving Aleksandar Radojević surfaced.
PrincetonJohn Thompson IIIJoe Scott
San FranciscoPhilip MathewsJessie Evans
Southern IllinoisMatt PainterChris LoweryPainter left to be top assistant at his alma mater, Purdue.
Southern MethodistMike DementRobert LineburgJimmy TubbsSMU fired Dement with three games left in the regular-season.
Southern MissJames GreenLarry Eustachy
St. John'sMike JarvisKevin ClarkNorm Roberts
StanfordMike MontgomeryTrent JohnsonMontgomery left to become head coach of the Golden State Warriors.
Texas A&MMelvin WatkinsBilly Gillispie
Texas-Pan AmericanBob HoffmanRobert Davenport
TowsonMichael HuntPat Kennedy
UtahRick MajerusRay Giacoletti
UNLVCharlie SpoonhourLon Kruger
UTEPBilly GillispieDoc Sadler
XavierThad MattaSean Miller