1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 1995–96 NCAA Division I men's basketball season concluded in the 64-team 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament whose finals were held at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Kentucky Wildcats earned their sixth national championship by defeating the Syracuse Orangemen 76–67 on April 1, 1996. They were coached by Rick Pitino and the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player was Kentucky's Tony Delk.
In the 32-team 1997 National Invitation Tournament, the Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the St. Joseph's Hawks at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Following the season, the 1996 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American Consensus First team included Ray Allen, Marcus Camby, Tony Delk, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, and Kerry Kittles.
Season headlines
- Rick Pitino led the Kentucky Wildcats to its sixth National Championship, his first.
Pre-season polls
Conference membership changes
These schools joined new conferences for the 1995–96 season.| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Charlotte | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| Cincinnati | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Dayton | Great Midwest Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| DePaul | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Fordham | Patriot League | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Hampton | NCAA Division II | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference |
| Jacksonville State | NCAA Division II | Trans America Athletic Conference |
| La Salle | Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Louisville | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| Marquette | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Memphis | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| Notre Dame | NCAA Division I Independent | Big East Conference |
| Rutgers | Atlantic 10 Conference | Big East Conference |
| Saint Louis | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| South Florida | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| Southern Miss | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| Towson | Big South Conference | North Atlantic Conference |
| Tulane | Metro Conference | Conference USA |
| UAB | Great Midwest Conference | Conference USA |
| VCU | Metro Conference | Colonial Athletic Association |
| Virginia Tech | Metro Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| West Virginia | Atlantic 10 Conference | Big East Conference |
| Wofford | NCAA Division II | NCAA Division I Independent |
| Xavier | Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Atlantic 10 Conference |
Regular season
Conference winners and tournaments
29 conference seasons concluded with a single-elimination tournament, with only the Big Ten Conference, Ivy League and the Pac-10 Conference choosing not to conduct conference tournaments. Conference tournament winners, with the exception of the American West Conference received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.Statistical leaders
Post-Season Tournaments
NCAA Tournament
Final Four – [RCA Dome], [Indianapolis, Indiana]
National Invitation Tournament
Semifinals & Finals
- Third Place – Tulane 87, Alabama 76
Award winners
Consensus All-American teams
Major player of the year awards
- Wooden Award: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
- Naismith Award: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
- Associated Press Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
- NABC Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
- Oscar Robertson Trophy : Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
- Adolph Rupp Trophy: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
- Sporting News Player of the Year: Marcus Camby, Massachusetts
- UPI College Basketball Player of the Year: Ray Allen, Connecticut
Major freshman of the year awards
- USBWA Freshman of the Year: No Award Given
Major coach of the year awards
- Associated Press Coach of the Year: Gene Keady, Purdue
- Henry Iba Award : Gene Keady, Purdue
- NABC Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Massachusetts
- Naismith College Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Massachusetts
Other major awards
- NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest
- Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award : Eddie Benton, Vermont
- Robert V. Geasey Trophy : Kerry Kittles, Villanova
- NIT/Haggerty Award : Adrian Griffin, Seton Hall