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 The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 12. Emeka Okafor of Connecticut was the leading vote-getter (71 of 72 votes). The rest of the team included Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's (49 votes), Rickey Paulding of Missouri (37), Ike Diogu of Arizona State (34) and Raymond Felton of North Carolina (24).Okafor Near Unanimous Selection to Preseason AP All-America Squad , Connecticut Huskies. Retrieved 2010-07-29. The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) abolished its third-place game between the teams which lost in the semifinals. The tournament had included a third-place game from 1938 through 1981 and again from 1984 through 2003.
Major rule changes Beginning in 2003–04, the following rules changes were implemented: Officials could consult courtside monitor at the end of either half or any extra period to determine: (1) if a field-goal try beat the horn; (2) whether a shot-clock violation at the end of the first half beat the horn; or, (3) whether a shot-clock violation that would determine the outcome of a game beat the horn. The officials also could use a courtside monitor to correct a timer’s mistake or to determine if the game clock or shot clock expired at or near the end of a period. A team would have control when a player of that team had disposal of the ball for a throw-in.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 13, 2003. Associated PressRankingTeam1Connecticut (69)2 Duke (1)3Michigan State (1)4Arizona5Missouri6Kansas (1)7Syracuse8Florida9North Carolina10Kentucky11Texas12Illinois13St. Joseph's14Oklahoma15Wisconsin16Gonzaga17Louisville18Cincinnati19Wake Forest20Stanford21Notre Dame22Pittsburgh23Marquette24North Carolina State25Oklahoma State ESPN/USA Today CoachesRankingTeam1Connecticut (25)2Duke (3)3Michigan State (1)4Arizona5Kansas6Missouri7Syracuse8Florida9Kentucky10North Carolina11Texas12Gonzaga13Illinois14Wisconsin15Oklahoma16Louisville17Stanford18St. Joseph's19CincinnatiNotre Dame21Wake Forest22Pittsburgh23Marquette24Oklahoma State25Maryland
Conference membership changes
These schools joined new conferences for the 2003–04 season.
SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference NCAA Division I independent Big South Conference NCAA Division I independent Mid-Continent Conference Big South Conference Southern Conference Atlantic Sun Conference Ohio Valley Conference NCAA Division I Independent Atlantic Sun Conference Northeast Conference America East Conference NCAA Division I independent Discontinued athletic programs Atlantic Sun Conference Ohio Valley Conference Scenic West Athletic Conference (NJCAA) NCAA Division I Independent Southern Conference Big South Conference
Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments