2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 8, 2010 with the preliminary games of the 2010 Coaches Vs. Cancer Classic, and ended with the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 4, 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. The tournament's first-round games occurred March 15–16, 2011 in Dayton, followed by second and third rounds on Thursday through Sunday, March 17–20, 2011. Regionals games will be played on Thursday through Sunday, March 24–27, 2011, with the Final Four played on Saturday and Monday, April 2 and 4, 2011.
Season headlines
- Butler became the first program outside of one of the six "power conferences" to go to back-to-back Final Fours since UNLV in 1990 and 1991.
- On April 12, 2010, Centenary announced that it will be re-classifying to Division III for all of its sports upon the conclusion of the 2010–11 school year. First year men's basketball coach Adam Walsh led the Gentlemen in their final year as a Division I program. Notable Centenary basketball alumni include Hall of Famer Robert Parish and the 2000–01 NCAA scoring champion Ronnie McCollum.
- On June 4, 2010 legendary college basketball player and coach John Wooden died at the age of 99.
- The NCAA Tournament officially expanded to 68 teams as the NCAA announced that Dayton, Ohio would be the site of the "First Four" opening games.
- The AP preseason All-American team was named on November 1. Duke's Kyle Singler was the leading vote-getter with 62 of a possible 65 votes. Joining Singler were Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen, BYU guard Jimmer Fredette, Purdue center JaJuan Johnson and North Carolina forward Harrison Barnes. Barnes became the first freshman in history to be named to the preseason team.
- Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo had to serve a one-game suspension in December for a secondary violation of NCAA recruitment rules. He had hired an associate of a potential recruit to help during a youth basketball camp in June. Also, Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl was suspended for the first eight conference games and received a $1.5 million salary reduction due to recruiting violations and providing false information during the NCAA investigation.
- On February 22, 2011, Matt Howard of Butler was named Academic All-American of the Year.
- The March 13 airing of the ESPN films documentary The Fab Five, a followup to its 30 for 30 series, sparked national outrage that lead to a series of media exchanges between members of the press, Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players and Duke Blue Devils men's basketball players in forums such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
Milestones and records
- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski won his 800th game at Duke on November 24, making him the fifth ever coach to reach that milestone at one school.
- Belmont coach Rick Byrd won his 600th game on January 30.
- Jimmer Fredette became the all-time leading scorer in Mountain West Conference history on February 4, 2011. Then, behind his career high 52-point outburst against New Mexico on March 11, he became BYU's all-time leading scorer after surpassing Danny Ainge.
- On February 19, 2011, Morehead State's Kenneth Faried grabbed 12 rebounds, giving him 1,576 for his career, and broke Tim Duncan's modern-era NCAA rebounding record. Duncan's rebounding total of 1,570 had stood since 1997.
- Charles Jenkins of Hofstra surpassed Antoine Agudio as the school's all-time leading scorer. He broke the previous record of 2,286 points on January 29, 2011, in a game against Drexel. Jenkins graduated as the Colonial Athletic Association's second all-time leading scorer behind Navy's David Robinson, whose 2,669 points remain the CAA's most ever.
- Providence's Marshon Brooks set a new Big East regular season record for single-game scoring as he netted 52 points against Notre Dame in a 94–93 loss to the Irish.
- Hofstra guard Charles Jenkins, College of Charleston guard Andrew Goudelock, Duke forward Kyle Singler, UTEP guard Randy Culpepper, BYU guard Jimmer Fredette, Baylor guard LaceDarius Dunn, Boston University forward John Holland, Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney, Appalachian State guard Donald Sims, Seton Hall guard Jeremy Hazell, Penn State guard Talor Battle, Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore, Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen, Richmond guard Kevin Anderson, Nicholls State forward Anatoly Bose, Lipscomb center Adnan Hodzic, Ole Miss guard Chris Warren, Wofford forward Noah Dahlman Morehead State center Kenneth Faried, and Colorado guard Cory Higgins each passed the 2,000 point mark for their careers.
- After defeating Texas A&M in their next to last regular season game of the year, Kansas clinched at least a share of their seventh straight Big 12 Conference regular season title. It is the most consecutive conference championships from a power conference since John Wooden's UCLA Bruins won 13 straight from 1967–1979.
- Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon set the Division I record for most wins in a coach's first eight seasons after defeating South Florida on March 2. It was his 214th career win.
- Butler set a Horizon League record with their fifth straight conference championship, shared or outright, breaking the previous record of four consecutive regular season championships, also set by Butler from 2000 to 2003.
- Xavier won their fifth straight conference championship, shared or outright, which matched the Atlantic 10 Conference record.
- Over the course of the 2010–11 Ivy League season, Harvard became the final member of the Ivy League to win at least a share of one men's basketball regular season championship since the league was formed during the 1956–57 season.
- Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli won his 300th game on March 11. It happened after a 93–90 overtime win against Duquesne in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament.
- Ohio State guard David Lighty broke the all-time career games played record on March 12. The fifth-year senior appeared in his 153rd game, breaking the previous record of 152 set by Deon Thompson in 2009–10.
- Duke's Kyle Singler and Morehead State's Kenneth Faried each eclipsed the dual 2000 points and 1000 rebounds thresholds, joining an exclusive list of NCAA Division I players to accomplish both feats.
New arenas
- Auburn moved from one on-campus venue to another, leaving behind their home since 1969, Beard–Eaves–Memorial Coliseum, for the new Auburn Arena. The Tigers' first game at their new home was a 79–66 win in a preseason exhibition against Division II West Alabama on November 3, 2010. The first regular-season game was a 70–69 overtime loss to UNC Asheville on November 13, 2010.
- Louisville moved from Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center, their home since 1956, to the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville. The Cardinals' first game at their new home was an 83–66 win in a preseason exhibition against then-Division II Northern Kentucky on October 31, 2010. The first regular-season game was an 88–73 win over Butler on November 16, 2010.
- Oregon opened Matthew Knight Arena, the replacement for venerable McArthur Court, on January 13, 2011. The Ducks defeated USC, 68–62.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls, October 28, 2010.Conference membership changes
These schools joined new conferences for the 2010–11 season.| School | Former conference | New conference |
| New Orleans | Sun Belt Conference | NCAA Division II |
| Savannah State | NCAA Division I Independent | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
| Winston-Salem State | NCAA Division I Independent | CIAA |
Regular season
A number of early-season tournaments marked the beginning of the college basketball season.Early-season tournaments
*Although these tournaments include more teams, only 4 play for the championship.Conference standings
Conference winners and tournaments
Thirty athletic conferences each end their regular seasons with a single-elimination tournament. The teams in each conference that win their regular season title are given the number one seed in each tournament. The winners of these tournaments receive automatic invitations to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The Ivy League does not have a conference tournament, instead giving their automatic invitation to their regular-season champion. By contrast, the Atlantic Coast Conference does not have a regular-season champion, using the standings only for seeding purposes in its conference tournament.Statistical leaders
Postseason tournaments
NCAA Tournament
Final Four – Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Tournament upsets
A "major upset" is defined as a win by a team seeded 7 or more spots below its defeated opponent.| Date | Winner | Score | Loser |
| March 17 | #13 Morehead State | 62-61 | #4 Louisville |
| March 17 | #12 Richmond | 69-66 | #5 Vanderbilt |
| March 19 | #8 Butler | 71-70 | #1 Pittsburgh |
| March 20 | #11 VCU | 94-76 | #3 Purdue |
| March 20 | #11 Marquette | 66-62 | #3 Syracuse |
| March 20 | #10 Florida State | 71-57 | #2 Notre Dame |
| March 27 | #11 VCU | 71-61 | #1 Kansas |
National Invitation Tournament
After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the National Invitation Tournament invited 32 teams to participate.NIT Semifinals and Final
Played at Madison Square Garden in New York CityCollege Basketball Invitational
The fourth College Basketball Invitational Tournament was held beginning March 15 and ended with a best-of-three final, ending April 1. Oregon defeated Creighton, 2 games to 1.CollegeInsider.com Tournament
The third CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was held beginning March 14 and ended with a championship game on March 30. This tournament places an emphasis on selecting successful teams from "mid-major" conferences who were left out of the NCAA Tournament and NIT. Santa Clara defeated Iona 76–69 in the final, as Santa Clara's Kevin Foster was tournament MVP.Award winners
Consensus All-American teams
Major player of the year awards
- Wooden Award: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
- Naismith Award: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
- Associated Press Player of the Year: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
- NABC Player of the Year: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
- Oscar Robertson Trophy : Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
- Adolph Rupp Trophy: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
- Sporting News Player of the Year: Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
Major freshman of the year awards
- USBWA Freshman of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
- Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Major coach of the year awards
- Associated Press Coach of the Year: Mike Brey, Notre Dame
- Henry Iba Award : Mike Brey, Notre Dame
- NABC Coach of the Year: Steve Fisher, San Diego State
- Naismith College Coach of the Year: Steve Fisher, San Diego State
- Adolph Rupp Cup: Steve Fisher, San Diego State
- Sporting News Coach of the Year: Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh
Other major awards
- Bob Cousy Award : Kemba Walker, Connecticut
- Pete Newell Big Man Award : JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
- NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
- Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award : Jacob Pullen, Kansas State
- Lowe's Senior CLASS Award : Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
- Robert V. Geasey Trophy : Lavoy Allen, Temple
- NIT/Haggerty Award : Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
- Ben Jobe Award : Cuonzo Martin, Missouri State
- Hugh Durham Award : Rick Byrd, Belmont
- Jim Phelan Award : Stew Morrill, Utah State
- Lefty Driesell Award : Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
- Lou Henson Award : Matt Howard, Butler
- Lute Olson Award : Kemba Walker, Connecticut
- Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award : Chris Mack, Xavier
- Elite 88 Award : Matt Howard, Butler
Coaching changes
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Alabama A&M | L. Vann Pettaway | Willie Hayes | ||
| Alcorn State | Larry Smith | Luther Riley | ASU alum Smith was moved to director of athletic development for the school. | |
| Arkansas | John Pelphrey | Mike Anderson | ||
| Boston University | Pat Chambers | Joe Jones | Chambers left to take the newly opened job at Penn State. | |
| Bradley | Jim Les | Geno Ford | ||
| Cal State Bakerfield | Keith Brown | Rod Barnes | Brown's contract was not renewed after the Roadrunners finished 9–19. | |
| Colgate | Emmett Davis | Matt Langel | ||
| Dayton | Brian Gregory | Archie Miller | Gregory accepted the head coaching job at Georgia Tech. | |
| Eastern Michigan | Charles Ramsey | Rob Murphy | ||
| Eastern Washington | Kirk Earlywine | Jim Hayford | Earlywine was informed his contract would not be renewed. | |
| Fairfield | Ed Cooley | Sydney Johnson | Cooley accepted the vacant job at Providence | |
| Florida A&M | Eugene Harris | Clemon Johnson | FAMU replaced Harris with star alum Johnson. | |
| Florida Gulf Coast | Dave Balza | Andy Enfield | ||
| Fresno State | Steve Cleveland | Rodney Terry | ||
| George Mason | Jim Larranaga | Paul Hewitt | Larranaga accepted the University of Miami coaching job on April 22. Mason replaced him with Hewitt, who had just been fired by Georgia Tech. | |
| George Washington | Karl Hobbs | Mike Lonergan | Hobbs was fired a week after GW hired a new athletic director. He had struggled in his last four seasons, going 25–39 in the A10. New hire Lonergan, previously Vermont head coach, has deep roots in the Washington area—he was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs, attended The Catholic University of America, coached Catholic for 13 seasons, including a Division III national title in 2001, and spent a year under Gary Williams at Maryland. | |
| Georgia State | Rod Barnes | Paul Graham | Ron Hunter | Barnes was fired after four seasons at the conclusion of the 2010–11 regular season. Overall wins versus losses was the reason cited. |
| Georgia Tech | Paul Hewitt | Brian Gregory | Hewitt was fired six years following his lone Final Four appearance. Brian Gregory from Dayton was hired. | |
| IPFW | Dane Fife | Tony Jasick | Fife left IPFW to become an assistant at Michigan State. | |
| IUPUI | Ron Hunter | Todd Howard | Hunter left for Georgia State after 17 years. | |
| Kennesaw State | Tony Ingle | Lewis Preston | The school decided not to renew Ingle or his staff to help turn around the team's academic performance. | |
| Kent State | Geno Ford | Rob Senderoff | Ford left Kent State for Bradley after leading the team to a first-place MAC finish. The school promoted assistant Senderoff to the top job. At the time of his promotion, he was still under a show-cause penalty stemming from the Kelvin Sampson scandal at Indiana. The penalty expired on May 25. | |
| Lamar | Steve Roccaforte | Pat Knight | ||
| Louisiana Tech | Kerry Rupp | Michael White | ||
| Loyola | Jim Whitesell | Porter Moser | ||
| Manhattan | Barry Rohrssen | Steve Masiello | ||
| Maryland | Gary Williams | Mark Turgeon | Williams retired at the end of the season after 22 years and a 461-252 record at his alma mater. | |
| Miami | Frank Haith | Jim Larranaga | Haith left for the open Missouri job. | |
| Missouri | Mike Anderson | Frank Haith | Arkansas hired former Nolan Richardson assistant Anderson. | |
| Missouri State | Cuonzo Martin | Paul Lusk | Martin accepted the head coaching job at Tennessee. | |
| Monmouth | Dave Calloway | King Rice | Calloway resigned under pressure, effective at the end of the season. | |
| Murray State | Billy Kennedy | Steve Prohm | Kennedy left for the opening at Texas A&M. Steve Prohm had been an assistant coach at Murray State and was promoted on May 23 to be their new head coach. | |
| Navy | Billy Lange | Ed DeChellis | Lange left to become Associate Head Coach at Villanova. | |
| North Carolina State | Sidney Lowe | Mark Gottfried | Wolfpack alum Lowe resigned after failing to make the NCAA Tournament in his five-year tenure. | |
| New Orleans | Joe Pasternack | Mark Slessinger | Pasternack resigned to become an assistant coach at Arizona under head coach Sean Miller. Mark Slessinger was hired to pilot the Privateers out of division I. | |
| Northern Illinois | Ricardo Patton | Mark Montgomery | Former Colorado coach was fired from NIU after a 35-83 overall record in four seasons. | |
| Oklahoma | Jeff Capel | Lon Kruger | Capel was fired just two years removed from an Elite Eight finish. | |
| Penn State | Ed DeChellis | Pat Chambers | DeChellis made the unusual move of leaving a Big Ten school for Navy of the Patriot League. | |
| Pepperdine | Tom Asbury | Marty Wilson | Asbury retired, turning the Waves program over to Associate Head Coach Wilson. | |
| Princeton | Sydney Johnson | Mitch Henderson | Johnson left for the open Fairfield Job | |
| Providence | Keno Davis | Ed Cooley | Davis was fired after only three seasons. | |
| Radford | Brad Greenberg | Mike Jones | Greenberg was fired following a 5–24 season and after sitting out the final four games of the season for NCAA violations. In February 2012, he would be hit with a five-year show-cause penalty for misleading NCAA investigators. | |
| Southern | Rob Spivery | Roman Banks | ||
| Stetson | Derek Waugh | Casey Alexander | Waugh resigned after guiding the Hatters to only two winning seasons in 10+ years as coach. | |
| Tennessee | Bruce Pearl | Cuonzo Martin | Pearl was fired on March 21 after finishing the season with a 30-point loss to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64. This followed a tumultuous season in which he was suspended for recruiting violations, fined, admitted to misleading NCAA investigators and finishing with only a 19–15 overall record. | |
| Tennessee Tech | Mike Sutton | Steve Payne | Sutton retired and was replaced by top assistant Payne. | |
| Texas A&M | Mark Turgeon | Billy Kennedy | Turgeon left in May for the Maryland job. | |
| Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | Perry Clark | Willis Wilson | Clark was fired after finishing 10–21 in his fourth season. Athletic director Tim Fitzpatrick claimed that success for the men's basketball program is "critically important." | |
| Texas Tech | Pat Knight | Billy Gillispie | Fired on March 7, 2011 after finishing the regular season 13-18 and missing NCAA tournament. Stated in preseason that he should lose his job if Texas Tech missed the NCAA tournament again. | |
| Towson | Pat Kennedy | Pat Skerry | Announced on March 7, 2011, after finishing the regular season with a 4–26 record that included 19 straight losses. | |
| UC Davis | Gary Stewart | Jim Les | ||
| UNLV | Lon Kruger | Dave Rice | Kruger left for Oklahoma after reportedly turning the job down. | |
| Utah | Jim Boylen | Larry Krystkowiak | Announced on March 12, 2011, after consecutive losing seasons, Boylen was relieved of his duties. Utah finished with a 13-18 overall record, the second-straight losing season for the Utes, who were 14–17 in 2009–10. | |
| Valparaiso | Homer Drew | Bryce Drew | Homer's son, Bryce, had served as the associate head coach for a number of years prior to taking over the program in May 2011. | |
| Vermont | Mike Lonergan | John Becker | ||
| Wyoming | Heath Schroyer | Fred Langley | Larry Shyatt | Schroyer was the first coach fired during the season as he was let go on February 7, 2011 following an 8–15 start. |