1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
Preseason AP No. 1	UNLV
NCAA Tournament	1990
Tournament dates	March 15 – April 2, 1990
National Championship	McNichols Sports Arena Denver, Colorado
NCAA Champions	UNLV
Other champions	Vanderbilt (NIT)
Player of the Year (Naismith, Wooden)	Lionel Simmons, La Salle

The 1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1989 and ended with the Final Four at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado on April 2, 1990. The UNLV Runnin' Rebels won their first NCAA national championship with a 103–73 victory over the Duke Blue Devils.

Season headlines

• The Associated Press (AP) Poll expanded from a Top 20 to a Top 25 format.^[1]
• Prior to the season, the West Coast Athletic Conference renamed itself the West Coast Conference.
• In a 1990 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament semifinal game on March 4, 1990, Loyola Marymount forward Hank Gathers collapsed during the first half and stopped breathing. He was pronounced dead two hours later. The game and the rest of the tournament were cancelled. Regular-season champion Loyola Marymount received the conference's automatic bid in the 1990 NCAA tournament and made a run to the Elite Eight.^[2][3][4][5]
• Lionel Simmons became the first NCAA Division I player to score more than 3,000 points and gather more than 1,100 rebounds. The senior forward from La Salle averaged 26.5 points and 11.1 rebounds to earn National Player of the Year.

Season outlook

Pre-season polls

The top 20 from the AP Poll and Coaches Poll during the pre-season.^[6]

Associated Press Ranking Team 1 UNLV 2 LSU 3 Syracuse 4 Michigan 5 Georgetown 6 Arizona 7 North Carolina 8 Illinois 9 Arkansas 10 Duke 11 Missouri 12 Louisville 13 UCLA 14 Indiana 15 Temple 16 Oklahoma 17 Notre Dame 18 Pittsburgh 19 NC State 20 Minnesota 21 Oklahoma State 22 Georgia Tech 23 Florida 24 Memphis 25 St. John's

UPI Coaches Ranking Team 1 UNLV 2 Syracuse 3 LSU 4 Georgetown 5 Michigan 6 Arizona 7 North Carolina 8 Illinois 9 Duke 10 Arkansas Arizona 12 Indiana 13 UCLA 14 Louisville 15 Georgia Tech 16 Oklahoma 17 Temple 18 Pittsburgh 19 Notre Dame 20 Oklahoma State

Conference membership changes

School	Former conference	New conference
Houston Baptist Huskies	Trans American Athletic Conference	NAIA independent
Loyola (Md.) Greyhounds	Northeast Conference	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Marquette Warriors	NCAA Division I independent	Midwestern Collegiate Conference
Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers	NCAA Division I independent	Northeast Conference
Oral Roberts Titans	NCAA Division I independent	non-Division I
Siena Saints	North Atlantic Conference	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Southeastern Louisiana Lions	NCAA Division I independent	No team

Regular season

Conferences

Conference winners and tournaments

Conference	Regular season first place	Conference player of the year	Conference Coach of the Year	Conference tournament	Tournament venue (city)	Tournament winner
American South Conference	Louisiana Tech & New Orleans	Tony Harris, New Orleans		1990 American South Conference men's basketball tournament	Convocation Center Jonesboro, Arkansas	New Orleans
Atlantic 10 Conference	Temple	Kenny Green, Rhode Island	Bruce Parkhill, Penn State	1990 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament	The Palestra & McGonigle Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Temple
Atlantic Coast Conference	Clemson	Dennis Scott, Georgia Tech	Cliff Ellis, Clemson	1990 ACC men's basketball tournament	Charlotte Coliseum Charlotte, North Carolina	Georgia Tech
Big East Conference	Connecticut & Syracuse	Derrick Coleman, Syracuse	Jim Calhoun, Connecticut	1990 Big East men's basketball tournament	Madison Square Garden New York, New York	Connecticut
Big Eight Conference	Missouri	Doug Smith, Missouri	Roy Williams, Kansas	1990 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament	Kemper Arena Kansas City, Missouri	Oklahoma
Big Sky Conference	Idaho	Riley Smith, Idaho	Bob Hofman, Eastern Washington	1990 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament	BSU Pavilion Boise, Idaho	Idaho
Big South Conference	Coastal Carolina	Tony Dunkin, Coastal Carolina	Russ Bergman, Coastal Carolina	1990 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament	Winthrop Coliseum Rock Hill, South Carolina	Coastal Carolina
Big Ten Conference	Michigan State	Steve Scheffler, Purdue	Gene Keady, Purdue	No Tournament
Big West Conference	UNLV	Larry Johnson, UNLV	Neil McCarthy, New Mexico State	1990 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament	Long Beach Arena Long Beach, California	UNLV
Colonial Athletic Association	James Madison	Steve Hood, James Madison	Lefty Driesell, James Madison	1990 CAA men's basketball tournament	Richmond Coliseum Richmond, Virginia	Richmond
East Coast Conference	Hofstra, Lehigh, & Towson State	Kurk Lee, Towson State	Dave Duke, Lehigh	1990 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament	Towson Center Towson, Maryland	Towson State
Ivy League	Princeton	Kit Mueller, Princeton	Not named	No Tournament
Metro Conference	Louisville	Clarence Weatherspoon, Southern Mississippi	Bob Huggins, Cincinnati	1990 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament	Mississippi Coast Coliseum Biloxi, Mississippi	Louisville
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	Holy Cross (North) La Salle (South)	Lionel Simmons, La Salle	George Blaney, Holy Cross	1990 MAAC men's basketball tournament	Knickerbocker Arena Albany, New York	La Salle
Mid-American Conference	Ball State	Dave Jamerson, Ohio	Jim McDonald, Kent State	1990 MAC men's basketball tournament	Cobo Arena Detroit, Michigan	Ball State
Mid-Continent Conference	SW Missouri State	Lee Campbell, SW Missouri State	Dick Bennett, Wisconsin-Green Bay	1990 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament	UNI-Dome Cedar Falls, Iowa	Northern Iowa
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference	Coppin State	Larry Stewart, Coppin State	Fang Mitchell, Coppin State	1990 MEAC men's basketball tournament	Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, North Carolina	Coppin State
Midwestern Collegiate Conference	Xavier	Tyrone Hill, Xavier	Pete Gillen, Xavier	1990 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball tournament	UD Arena Dayton, Ohio	Dayton
Missouri Valley Conference	Southern Illinois	Bob Harstad, Creighton	Rich Herrin, Southern Illinois	1990 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Redbird Arena Normal, Illinois	Illinois State
North Atlantic Conference	Northeastern	Steven Key, Boston University	Mike Jarvis, Boston University	1990 North Atlantic Conference men's basketball tournament	Hartford Civic Center Hartford, Connecticut	Boston University
Northeast Conference	Robert Morris	Desi Wilson, Fairleigh Dickinson	Jarrett Durham, Robert Morris	1990 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament	Charles L. Sewall Center Moon Township, Pennsylvania	Robert Morris
Ohio Valley Conference	Murray State	Popeye Jones, Murray State	Steve Newton, Murray State	1990 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Racer Arena Murray, Kentucky	Murray State
Pacific-10 Conference	Arizona & Oregon State	Gary Payton, Oregon State	Jimmy Anderson, Oregon State	1990 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament	University Activity Center Tempe, Arizona	Arizona
Southeastern Conference	Georgia	Chris Jackson, LSU	Tommy Joe Eagles, Auburn	1990 SEC men's basketball tournament	Orlando Arena Orlando, Florida	Alabama
Southern Conference	East Tennessee State	Keith Jennings, East Tennessee State, & John Taft, Marshall	Dana Altman, Marshall, & Les Robinson East Tennessee State	1990 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament	Asheville Civic Center Asheville, North Carolina	East Tennessee State
Southland Conference	Northeast Louisiana	Anthony Pullard, McNeese State	Mike Vining, Northeast Louisiana	1990 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament	Fant–Ewing Coliseum Monroe, Louisiana	Northeast Louisiana
Southwest Conference	Arkansas	Travis Mays, Texas	Nolan Richardson, Arkansas	1990 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament	Reunion Arena Dallas, Texas	Arkansas
Southwestern Athletic Conference	Southern	Joe Faulkner, Southern		1990 SWAC men's basketball tournament	Health and Physical Education Arena Houston, Texas	Texas Southern
Sun Belt Conference	UAB	Chris Gatling, Old Dominion	Bobby Paschal, South Florida	1990 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament	Birmingham–Jefferson Civic Center Birmingham, Alabama	South Florida
Trans America Athletic Conference	Centenary	Larry Robinson, Centenary	Tommy Vardeman, Centenary	1990 TAAC men's basketball tournament	Barton Coliseum Little Rock, Arkansas	Arkansas–Little Rock
West Coast Athletic Conference	Loyola Marymount	Bo Kimble, Loyola Marymount	Paul Westhead, Loyola Marymount	1990 West Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament	Gersten Pavilion Los Angeles, California	Semifinals and championship canceled
Western Athletic Conference	BYU & Colorado State	Mike Mitchell, Colorado State	Roger Reid, BYU	1990 WAC men's basketball tournament	Special Events Center El Paso, Texas	UTEP

Conference standings

1989–90 American South Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Louisiana Tech 8 – 2   .800 20 – 8   .714 New Orleans † 8 – 2   .800 21 – 11   .656 Texas–Pan American 7 – 3   .700 21 – 9   .700 Southwestern Louisiana 4 – 6   .400 20 – 9   .690 Arkansas State 2 – 8   .200 15 – 13   .536 Lamar 1 – 9   .100 7 – 21   .250 † 1990 American South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[7]	1989–90 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Temple † 15 – 3   .833 20 – 11   .645 Penn State 13 – 5   .722 25 – 9   .735 West Virginia 11 – 7   .611 16 – 12   .571 Rhode Island 11 – 7   .611 15 – 13   .536 Rutgers 11 – 7   .611 18 – 17   .514 UMass 10 – 8   .556 17 – 14   .548 George Washington 6 – 12   .333 14 – 17   .452 Saint Joseph's 5 – 13   .278 7 – 21   .250 Duquesne 5 – 13   .278 7 – 22   .241 St. Bonaventure 3 – 15   .167 8 – 20   .286 † 1990 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 ACC men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 17 Clemson 10 – 4   .714 26 – 9   .743 No. 15 Duke 9 – 5   .643 29 – 9   .763 #9 Georgia Tech† 8 – 6   .571 28 – 7   .800 North Carolina 8 – 6   .571 21 – 13   .618 Virginia 6 – 8   .429 20 – 12   .625 NC State 6 – 8   .429 18 – 12   .600 Maryland 6 – 8   .429 19 – 14   .576 Wake Forest 3 – 11   .214 12 – 16   .429 † 1990 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1989–90 Big East men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 4 Connecticut† 12 – 4   .750 31 – 6   .838 No. 6 Syracuse 12 – 4   .750 26 – 7   .788 No. 8 Georgetown 11 – 5   .688 24 – 7   .774 St. John's 10 – 6   .625 24 – 10   .706 Villanova 8 – 8   .500 18 – 15   .545 Providence 8 – 8   .500 17 – 12   .586 Seton Hall 5 – 11   .313 12 – 16   .429 Pittsburgh 5 – 11   .313 12 – 17   .414 Boston College 1 – 15   .063 8 – 20   .286 † 1990 Big East tournament winner As of April 2, 1990[8] Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 Big Eight Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 11 Missouri 12 – 2   .857 26 – 6   .813 No. 1 Oklahoma † 11 – 3   .786 27 – 5   .844 No. 5 Kansas 11 – 3   .786 30 – 5   .857 Kansas State 7 – 7   .500 17 – 15   .531 Oklahoma State 6 – 8   .429 17 – 14   .548 Iowa State 4 – 10   .286 10 – 18   .357 Nebraska 3 – 11   .214 10 – 18   .357 Colorado 2 – 12   .143 12 – 18   .400 † 1990 Big Eight tournament winner As of March 3, 2012 Rankings from AP poll	1989–90 Big Sky men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Idaho † 13 – 3   .813 25 – 6   .806 Eastern Washington 11 – 5   .688 18 – 11   .621 Montana 10 – 6   .625 18 – 11   .621 Nevada 9 – 7   .563 15 – 13   .536 Weber State 8 – 8   .500 14 – 15   .483 Montana State 8 – 8   .500 17 – 12   .586 Boise State 7 – 9   .438 12 – 15   .444 Northern Arizona 3 – 13   .188 8 – 20   .286 Idaho State 3 – 13   .188 6 – 21   .222 † Conference tournament winner
1989–90 Big South Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Coastal Carolina † 11 – 1   .917 23 – 6   .793 Campbell 7 – 5   .583 15 – 13   .536 UNC Asheville 7 – 5   .583 18 – 12   .600 Winthrop 6 – 6   .500 19 – 10   .655 Baptist 4 – 8   .333 9 – 19   .321 Augusta State 4 – 8   .333 8 – 20   .286 Radford 3 – 9   .250 7 – 22   .241 † 1990 Big South tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 3 Michigan State 15 – 3   .833 28 – 6   .824 No. 10 Purdue 13 – 5   .722 22 – 8   .733 No. 13 Michigan 12 – 6   .667 23 – 8   .742 No. 18 Illinois 11 – 7   .611 21 – 8   .724 No. 20 Minnesota 11 – 7   .611 23 – 9   .719 Ohio State 10 – 8   .556 17 – 13   .567 Indiana 8 – 10   .444 18 – 11   .621 Wisconsin 4 – 14   .222 14 – 17   .452 Iowa 4 – 14   .222 12 – 16   .429 Northwestern 2 – 16   .111 9 – 19   .321 Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 Big West men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 24 New Mexico State 16 – 2   .889 26 – 5   .839 No. 2 UNLV† 16 – 2   .889 35 – 5   .875 UC Santa Barbara 13 – 5   .722 21 – 9   .700 Long Beach State 12 – 6   .667 23 – 9   .719 Utah State 8 – 10   .444 14 – 16   .467 Pacific 7 – 11   .389 15 – 14   .517 Cal State Fullerton 6 – 12   .333 13 – 16   .448 San Jose State 5 – 13   .278 8 – 20   .286 Fresno State 4 – 14   .222 10 – 19   .345 UC Irvine 3 – 15   .167 5 – 23   .179 † 1990 Big West tournament winner Rankings from AP poll
1989–90 CAA men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT James Madison 11 – 3   .786 20 – 11   .645 Richmond † 10 – 4   .714 22 – 10   .688 American 10 – 4   .714 20 – 9   .690 George Mason 10 – 4   .714 20 – 12   .625 East Carolina 6 – 8   .429 13 – 18   .419 Navy 4 – 10   .286 5 – 23   .179 UNC Wilmington 3 – 11   .214 8 – 20   .286 William & Mary 2 – 12   .143 6 – 22   .214 † 1990 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[9]	1989–90 East Coast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Lehigh 8 – 6   .571 18 – 12   .600 Towson State † 8 – 6   .571 18 – 13   .581 Hofstra 8 – 6   .571 13 – 15   .464 Delaware 7 – 7   .500 16 – 13   .552 Lafayette 7 – 7   .500 15 – 13   .536 Drexel 7 – 7   .500 13 – 15   .464 Bucknell 6 – 8   .429 15 – 14   .517 Rider 5 – 9   .357 10 – 18   .357 † 1990 ECC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	1989-90 Ivy League men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Princeton 11 – 3   .786 20 – 7   .741 Yale 10 – 4   .714 19 – 7   .731 Dartmouth 7 – 7   .500 12 – 14   .462 Harvard 7 – 7   .500 12 – 14   .462 Penn 7 – 7   .500 12 – 14   .462 Brown 7 – 7   .500 10 – 16   .385 Cornell 5 – 9   .357 12 – 17   .414 Columbia 2 – 12   .143 4 – 22   .154 Rankings from AP Poll[10]
1989–90 Metro Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 16 Louisville † 12 – 2   .857 27 – 8   .771 Southern Miss 9 – 5   .643 20 – 12   .625 Cincinnati 9 – 5   .643 20 – 14   .588 Memphis State 8 – 6   .571 18 – 12   .600 Florida State 6 – 8   .429 16 – 15   .516 South Carolina 6 – 8   .429 14 – 14   .500 Virginia Tech 5 – 9   .357 13 – 18   .419 Tulane 1 – 13   .071 4 – 24   .143 † 1990 Metro Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 MAAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT North Holy Cross 14 – 2   .875 24 – 6   .800 Siena 11 – 5   .688 16 – 13   .552 Fordham 10 – 6   .625 20 – 13   .606 Canisius 5 – 11   .313 11 – 18   .379 Army 5 – 11   .313 10 – 19   .345 Niagara 5 – 11   .313 6 – 22   .214 South No. 12 La Salle † 16 – 0   1.000 30 – 2   .938 Iona 8 – 8   .500 13 – 15   .464 Saint Peter's 7 – 9   .438 14 – 14   .500 Manhattan 7 – 9   .438 11 – 17   .393 Fairfield 6 – 10   .375 10 – 19   .345 Loyola (MD) 2 – 14   .125 4 – 24   .143 † 1990 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	1989–90 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Ball State† 13 – 3   .813 26 – 7   .788 Kent State 12 – 4   .750 21 – 8   .724 Miami 9 – 7   .563 14 – 15   .483 Bowling Green 9 – 7   .563 18 – 11   .621 Eastern Michigan 8 – 8   .500 19 – 13   .594 Toledo 7 – 9   .438 12 – 16   .429 Central Michigan 6 – 10   .375 13 – 17   .433 Ohio 5 – 11   .313 12 – 16   .429 Western Michigan 3 – 13   .188 9 – 18   .333 † 1990 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1989–90 Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Southwest Missouri State 11 – 1   .917 22 – 7   .759 Green Bay 9 – 3   .750 24 – 8   .750 Western Illinois 6 – 6   .500 16 – 13   .552 Northern Iowa † 6 – 6   .500 23 – 9   .719 UIC 6 – 6   .500 16 – 12   .571 Eastern Illinois 3 – 9   .250 10 – 18   .357 Valparaiso 1 – 11   .083 4 – 24   .143 Cleveland State 0 – 0   – 15 – 13   .536 † 1990 Mid-Con Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 MEAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Coppin State † 15 – 1   .938 26 – 7   .788 Florida A&M 13 – 3   .813 18 – 11   .621 Delaware State 9 – 7   .563 14 – 14   .500 South Carolina State 8 – 8   .500 13 – 16   .448 Bethune–Cookman 8 – 8   .500 10 – 18   .357 North Carolina A&T 6 – 10   .375 12 – 17   .414 Howard 5 – 11   .313 8 – 19   .296 Maryland Eastern Shore 4 – 12   .250 10 – 17   .370 Morgan State 4 – 12   .250 8 – 20   .286 † 1990 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 Midwestern Collegiate Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 25 Xavier 12 – 2   .857 28 – 5   .848 Dayton † 10 – 4   .714 22 – 10   .688 Saint Louis 9 – 5   .643 21 – 12   .636 Marquette 9 – 5   .643 15 – 14   .517 Evansville 8 – 6   .571 17 – 15   .531 Loyola (IL) 3 – 11   .214 7 – 22   .241 Detroit 3 – 11   .214 10 – 18   .357 Butler 2 – 12   .143 6 – 22   .214 † 1990 MCC tournament winner Rankings from AP
1989–90 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Southern Illinois 10 – 4   .714 26 – 8   .765 Illinois State † 9 – 5   .643 18 – 13   .581 Creighton 9 – 5   .643 21 – 12   .636 Tulsa 9 – 5   .643 17 – 13   .567 Bradley 6 – 8   .429 11 – 20   .355 Wichita State 6 – 8   .429 10 – 19   .345 Drake 5 – 9   .357 13 – 18   .419 Indiana State 2 – 12   .143 8 – 20   .286 † 1990 MVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 North Atlantic Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Northeastern 9 – 3   .750 16 – 12   .571 Boston University † 9 – 3   .750 18 – 12   .600 Hartford 8 – 4   .667 17 – 11   .607 Maine 6 – 6   .500 11 – 17   .393 Vermont 4 – 8   .333 13 – 17   .433 Colgate 3 – 9   .250 8 – 21   .276 New Hampshire 3 – 9   .250 5 – 23   .179 † 1990 NAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Robert Morris† 12 – 4   .750 22 – 8   .733 Monmouth 11 – 5   .688 17 – 12   .586 Marist 10 – 6   .625 17 – 11   .607 Mount St. Mary's* 10 – 6   .625 16 – 12   .571 Saint Francis (PA) 10 – 6   .625 17 – 11   .607 Fairleigh Dickinson 8 – 8   .500 16 – 13   .552 Wagner 6 – 10   .375 11 – 17   .393 St. Francis (NY) 4 – 12   .250 9 – 18   .333 Long Island 1 – 15   .063 3 – 23   .115 † 1990 NEC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll *Ineligible for conference tournament
1989–90 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Murray State † 10 – 2   .833 21 – 9   .700 Tennessee Tech 9 – 3   .750 19 – 9   .679 Morehead State 7 – 5   .583 16 – 13   .552 Eastern Kentucky 7 – 5   .583 13 – 17   .433 Middle Tennessee 5 – 7   .417 12 – 15   .444 Tennessee State 2 – 10   .167 7 – 20   .259 Austin Peay 2 – 10   .167 10 – 19   .345 † 1990 OVC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll[11]	1989–90 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 22 Oregon State 15 – 3   .833 22 – 7   .759 No. 14 Arizona † 15 – 3   .833 25 – 7   .781 California 12 – 6   .667 22 – 10   .688 UCLA 11 – 7   .611 22 – 11   .667 Oregon 10 – 8   .556 15 – 14   .517 Stanford 9 – 9   .500 18 – 12   .600 USC 6 – 12   .333 12 – 16   .429 Arizona State 6 – 12   .333 15 – 16   .484 Washington 5 – 13   .278 11 – 17   .393 Washington State 1 – 17   .056 7 – 22   .241 † Conference tournament winner As of April 15, 1990[12] Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Georgia 13 – 5   .722 20 – 9   .690 No. 23 Alabama † 12 – 6   .667 26 – 9   .743 No. 19 LSU 12 – 6   .667 23 – 9   .719 Tennessee 10 – 8   .556 16 – 14   .533 Kentucky 10 – 8   .556 14 – 14   .500 Ole Miss 8 – 10   .444 13 – 17   .433 Auburn 8 – 10   .444 13 – 18   .419 Mississippi State 7 – 11   .389 16 – 14   .533 Vanderbilt 7 – 11   .389 21 – 14   .600 Florida 3 – 15   .167 7 – 21   .250 † 1990 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll[13]
1989–90 Southern Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Tennessee State † 12 – 2   .857 27 – 7   .794 Marshall 9 – 5   .643 15 – 13   .536 Appalachian State 8 – 6   .571 19 – 11   .633 VMI 7 – 7   .500 14 – 15   .483 Chattanooga 7 – 7   .500 14 – 14   .500 The Citadel 5 – 9   .357 12 – 16   .429 Furman 5 – 9   .357 15 – 16   .484 Western Carolina 3 – 11   .214 10 – 18   .357 † SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 1990 Rankings from AP poll	1989–90 Southland Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Northeast Louisiana † 13 – 1   .929 22 – 8   .733 McNeese State 11 – 3   .786 14 – 13   .519 Southwest Texas State 9 – 5   .643 13 – 15   .464 Sam Houston State 8 – 6   .571 10 – 18   .357 Texas–Arlington 6 – 8   .429 13 – 16   .448 Northwestern State 5 – 9   .357 10 – 19   .345 North Texas State 3 – 11   .214 5 – 25   .167 Stephen F. Austin 1 – 13   .071 2 – 25   .074 † 1990 Southland Conference tournament winner	1989–90 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 7 Arkansas † 14 – 2   .875 30 – 5   .857 Houston 13 – 3   .813 25 – 8   .758 Texas 12 – 4   .750 24 – 9   .727 TCU 9 – 7   .563 16 – 13   .552 Baylor 7 – 9   .438 16 – 14   .533 Texas A&M 7 – 9   .438 14 – 17   .452 Rice 5 – 11   .313 11 – 17   .393 SMU 5 – 11   .313 10 – 18   .357 Texas Tech 0 – 16   .000 5 – 22   .185 † 1990 SWC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1989–90 SWAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Southern 12 – 2   .857 25 – 6   .806 Texas Southern † 10 – 4   .714 19 – 12   .613 Alabama State 7 – 7   .500 15 – 13   .536 Mississippi Valley State 7 – 7   .500 11 – 18   .379 Alcorn State 6 – 8   .429 7 – 22   .241 Prairie View A&M 5 – 9   .357 9 – 18   .333 Grambling 5 – 9   .357 9 – 19   .321 Jackson State 4 – 10   .286 9 – 19   .321 † 1990 SWAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT UAB 12 – 2   .857 22 – 9   .710 South Florida † 9 – 5   .643 20 – 11   .645 Old Dominion 7 – 7   .500 14 – 14   .500 Western Kentucky 7 – 7   .500 13 – 17   .433 UNC Charlotte 6 – 8   .429 16 – 14   .533 Jacksonville 5 – 9   .357 13 – 16   .448 South Alabama 5 – 9   .357 11 – 17   .393 VCU 5 – 9   .357 11 – 17   .393 † 1990 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	1989–90 Trans America Athletic Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Centenary 14 – 2   .875 22 – 8   .733 UTSA 13 – 3   .813 22 – 7   .759 Arkansas–Little Rock † 12 – 4   .750 20 – 10   .667 Georgia Southern 11 – 5   .688 17 – 11   .607 Stetson 8 – 8   .500 15 – 17   .469 Hardin–Simmons 5 – 11   .313 9 – 18   .333 Samford 4 – 12   .250 6 – 22   .214 Georgia State 3 – 13   .188 5 – 23   .179 Mercer 2 – 14   .125 7 – 20   .259 † 1990 TAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
1989–90 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 21 Loyola Marymount 13 – 1   .929 26 – 6   .813 Pepperdine 10 – 4   .714 17 – 11   .607 San Diego 9 – 5   .643 16 – 12   .571 Portland 7 – 7   .500 11 – 17   .393 Santa Clara 6 – 8   .429 9 – 19   .321 San Francisco 4 – 10   .286 8 – 20   .286 Saint Mary's 4 – 10   .286 7 – 20   .259 Gonzaga 3 – 11   .214 8 – 20   .286 Rankings from AP poll	1989–90 WAC men's basketball standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Colorado State 11 – 5   .688 21 – 9   .700 BYU 11 – 5   .688 21 – 9   .700 Hawaii 10 – 6   .625 25 – 10   .714 UTEP † 10 – 6   .625 21 – 11   .656 New Mexico 9 – 7   .563 20 – 14   .588 Wyoming 7 – 9   .438 15 – 14   .517 Utah 7 – 9   .438 16 – 14   .533 San Diego State 4 – 12   .250 13 – 18   .419 Air Force 3 – 13   .188 12 – 20   .375 † 1990 WAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll

Division I independents

A total of 19 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, Wright State (21–7) had both the best winning percentage (.750) and the most wins.^[14]

1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings v t e Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Wright State –   – 21 – 7   .750 Northern Illinois –   – 17 – 11   .607 Akron –   – 16 – 12   .571 DePaul –   – 20 – 15   .571 Notre Dame –   – 16 – 13   .552 Miami (FL) –   – 13 – 15   .464 Missouri-Kansas City –   – 13 – 15   .464 Southern Utah –   – 13 – 15   .464 UMBC –   – 12 – 16   .429 U.S. International –   – 12 – 16   .429 Liberty –   – 11 – 17   .393 Youngstown State –   – 8 – 20   .286 Brooklyn –   – 7 – 21   .250 Central Florida –   – 7 – 21   .250 Florida International –   – 7 – 21   .250 Central Connecticut State –   – 6 – 22   .214 Chicago State –   – 6 – 22   .214 Nicholls State –   – 4 – 23   .148 Davidson –   – 4 – 24   .143 Rankings from AP Poll[15]

Informal championships

Conference	Regular season winner	Most Valuable Player
Philadelphia Big 5	La Salle	Lionel Simmons, La Salle

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

Statistical leaders

Points per game				Rebounds per game				Assists per game				Blocked shots per game
Player	School	PPG		Player	School	RPG		Player	School	APG		Player	School	BPG
Bo Kimble	Loyola Marymount	35.3		Anthony Bonner	Saint Louis	13.8		Todd Lehmann	Drexel	9.3		Kenny Green	Rhode Island	4.8
Kevin Bradshaw	U.S. International	31.3		Eric McArthur	UCSB	13.0		Aaron Mitchell	Louisiana-Lafayette	9.1		Dikembe Mutombo	Georgetown	4.1
Dave Jamerson	Ohio	31.2		LaPhonso Ellis	Notre Dame	12.6		Keith Jennings	East Tennessee State	8.7		Kevin Roberson	Vermont	3.8
Alphonso Ford	Mississippi Valley State	29.9		Tyrone Hill	Xavier	12.6		Otis Livingston	Idaho	8.5		Lorenzo Williams	Stetson	3.8
Steve Rogers	Alabama State	29.7		Lee Campbell	Missouri State	12.5		Kenny Anderson	Georgia Tech	8.1		Omar Roland	Marshall	3.6

Postseason tournaments

NCAA Tournament

Main article: 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

Final Four - McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado

	National semifinals					National championship game
	E3	Duke	97
	M4	Arkansas	83
						E3	Duke	73
						W1	UNLV	103
	S4	Georgia Tech	81
	W1	UNLV	90

National Invitation Tournament

Main article: 1990 National Invitation Tournament

NIT Semifinals and Final

	Semifinals					Finals
	Penn State		62
	Vanderbilt		75
						Vanderbilt		74
						Saint Louis		72
	Saint Louis		80
	New Mexico		73

	Third place game
	Penn State		83
	New Mexico		81

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 1990 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

Consensus First Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Derrick Coleman	F	Senior	Syracuse
Chris Jackson	G	Sophomore	Louisiana State
Larry Johnson	F	Junior	UNLV
Gary Payton	G	Senior	Oregon State
Lionel Simmons	F	Senior	La Salle

Consensus Second Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Hank Gathers	F/C	Senior	Loyola Marymount
Kendall Gill	G	Senior	Illinois
Bo Kimble	G/F	Senior	Loyola Marymount
Alonzo Mourning	C	Sophomore	Georgetown
Rumeal Robinson	G	Senior	Michigan
Dennis Scott	F	Junior	Georgia Tech
Doug Smith	F	Junior	Missouri

Major player of the year awards

• Wooden Award: Lionel Simmons, La Salle
• Naismith Award: Lionel Simmons, La Salle
• Associated Press Player of the Year: Lionel Simmons, La Salle
• UPI Player of the Year: Lionel Simmons, La Salle
• NABC Player of the Year: Lionel Simmons, La Salle
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Lionel Simmons, La Salle
• Adolph Rupp Trophy: Lionel Simmons, La Salle
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Dennis Scott, Georgia Tech

Major freshman of the year awards

• USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech

Major coach of the year awards

• Associated Press Coach of the Year: Jim Calhoun, Connecticut
• UPI Coach of the Year: Jim Calhoun, Connecticut
• Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Roy Williams, Kansas
• NABC Coach of the Year: Jud Heathcote, Michigan State
• Naismith College Coach of the Year: Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech
• CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Jim Calhoun, Connecticut
• Sporting News Coach of the Year: Jim Calhoun, Connecticut

Other major awards

• Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player under 6'0): Greg "Boo" Harvey, St. John's
• Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Lionel Simmons, La Salle (3-time recipient)
• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Greg "Boo" Harvey, St. John's

Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.

Team	Former Coach	Interim Coach	New Coach	Reason
Drake	Tom Abatemarco	Eddie Fields	Rudy Washington
Florida	Norm Sloan	Don DeVoe	Lon Kruger
Kansas State	Lon Kruger		Dana Altman
Marshall	Dana Altman		Dwight Freeman
Miami (Florida)	Bill Foster		Leonard Hamilton
Oklahoma State	Leonard Hamilton		Eddie Sutton
Virginia	Terry Holland		Jeff Jones

References

1. sports-reference.com Matchup Finder
2. Smith, Shelley (March 12, 1990). "Death on the court". Sports Illustrated. p. 14.
3. Jones, Gary (March 5, 1990). "Loyola's Gathers dies". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (Los Angeles Times). p. C1.
4. "Marymount's Gathers dies; Games halted". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 5, 1990. p. 1D.
5. "The tragedy of Hank Gathers and triumph of Loyola Marymount". March 13, 2021.
6. *ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 976. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.
7. sports-reference.com 1989-90 American South Conference Season Summary
8. "1989-90 Big East Conference Season Summary". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
9. sports-reference.com 1989-90 Colonial Athletic Association Season Summary
10. sports-reference.com 1989-90 Ivy Group Season Summary
11. sports-reference.com 1989-90 Ohio Valley Conference Season Summary
12. "2017-18 Men's Basketball Media Guide". Pac-12 Conference. p. 72. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
13. sports-reference.com 1989-90 Southeastern Conference Season Summary
14. "1989-90 Men's Independent Season Summary". Sports Reference. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
15. sports-reference.com 1989-90 Independent Season Summary