The 1983–84 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1983 and ended with the Final Four in Seattle, Washington on April 2, 1984. The Georgetown Hoyas won their first NCAA national championship with an 84–75 victory over the Houston Cougars, who were making their third consecutive appearance in the Final Four.
Season headlines
The NCAA implemented a significant change in Division I statistical recordkeeping, officially recording individual assists for the first time since the 1951–52 season. Under head coach John Thompson, Georgetown defeated Houston 84–75 to win the NCAA tournament, giving Georgetown its first national championship. Thompson became the first African-American head coach to win the NCAA championship. The NCAA Tournament expanded from 52 to 53 teams. The 53-team 1984 NCAA Tournament was the last to be contested with fewer than 64 teams. For the first time, the NCAA presented awards to all teams participating in the NCAA tournament. The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) restored its third-place game between the teams which lost in the semifinals. The third-place game previously had been part of the NIT from 1938 through 1981.
Major rule changes Beginning in 1983–84, the following rules changes were implemented: If a team was in the bonus situation within the last two minutes of the game and all of overtime, common fouls resulted in two free throws. This rule was changed back to the one-and-one free throw situation after a month due to its unpopularity. Several conferences were granted permission to experiment with a 45-second shot clock (either for the entire game or shut off in the last 4:00 of the second half) the three-point shot from 19 feet, and coaching boxes to limit coaches to their bench areas.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.* Associated PressRankingTeam1 North Carolina2 Kentucky3 Houston4 Georgetown5 Memphis State6 Louisville7 Iowa8 Maryland9 UCLA10 Oregon State11 12 Michigan State13 14 Arkansas15 16 17 Kansas18 DePaul19 Indiana 20 Oklahoma
Conference membership changes SchoolFormer conferenceNew conference ECAC Metro Conference Discontinued athletic programs Division II independent Division I independent ECAC North Conference Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Big Apple Conference (Division II) Division I independent East Coast Conference Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Missouri Valley Conference Pacific Coast Athletic Association Division I independent Metro Conference
Regular season Conferences Conference winners and tournaments
ConferenceRegular season winnerConference player of the yearConference Coach of the YearConference tournamentTournament venue (City)Tournament winnerAMCU–8 Illinois–Chicago Craig Lathen, Illinois–Chicago Willie Little, Illinois–Chicago & Charlie Spoonhour, Southwest Missouri State 1984 AMCU-8 men's basketball tournament Hammons Student Center(Springfield, Missouri) Western IllinoisAtlantic 10 Conference Temple Terence Stansbury, Temple2008–09 A-10 men's basketball media guide – Awards section , Atlantic 10 Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 John Chaney, Temple 1984 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, West Virginia) West VirginiaAtlantic Coast Conference North Carolina Michael Jordan, North Carolina2008–09 ACC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Year by Year section , retrieved 2009-06-27 Mike Krzyzewski, Duke 1984 ACC men's basketball tournament Greensboro Coliseum(Greensboro, North Carolina) MarylandBig East Conference Georgetown Patrick Ewing, Georgetown &Chris Mullin, St. John's2008–09 Big East Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section , Big East Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Jim Boeheim, Syracuse 1984 Big East men's basketball tournament Madison Square Garden(New York City, New York) GeorgetownBig Eight Conference Oklahoma Wayman Tisdale, Oklahoma2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Guide – Awards section, Big 12 Conference, retrieved 2009-02-04 Billy Tubbs, Oklahoma 1984 Big Eight Conference men's basketball tournament Kemper Arena(Kansas City, Missouri)(Semifinals and Finals) KansasBig Sky Conference Weber State Larry Krystkowiak, Montana, Big Sky Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Sonny Allen, Nevada–Reno 1984 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament Dee Events Center(Ogden, Utah) Nevada–RenoBig Ten Conference Illinois & Purdue None Selected Gene Keady, Purdue No TournamentEast Coast Conference Bucknell Richard Congo, Drexel Charlie Woollum, Bucknell 1984 East Coast Conference men's basketball tournament Towson Center(Towson, Maryland) RiderECAC Metro Long Island & Robert Morris Chipper Harris, Robert Morris, Robert Jackson, St. Francis (NY) & Carey Scurry, Long Island Mark Amatucci, Loyola (MD) 1984 ECAC Metro men's basketball tournament McCann Arena(Poughkeepsie, New York) Long IslandECAC North Northeastern Mark Halsel, NortheasternAmerica East Men's Basketball Players of the Year, America East Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Nick Macarchuk, Canisius 1984 ECAC North men's basketball tournament Matthews Arena(Boston, Massachusetts) NortheasternECAC South Richmond Johnny Newman, Richmond Dick Tarrant, Richmond 1984 ECAC South men's basketball tournament JMU Convocation Center(Harrisonburg, Virginia) RichmondIvy League Princeton Joe Carrabino, HarvardMen's Ivy League Outstanding performers , Ivy League, retrieved 2009-06-27 None selected No TournamentMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference Iona, St. Peter's & La Salle Steve Burtt, IonaMen's Basketball All-MAAC Awards , Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Pat Kennedy, Iona 1984 MAAC men's basketball tournament Meadowlands Arena(East Rutherford, New Jersey) IonaMetro Conference Memphis State & Louisville John Williams, Tulane Dana Kirk, Memphis State 1984 Metro Conference men's basketball tournament Mid-South Coliseum(Memphis, Tennessee) Memphis StateMid-American Conference Miami (OH) John Devereaux, Ohio2008–09 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section, Mid-American Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Darrell Hedric, Miami (OH) 1984 MAC men's basketball tournament Rockford MetroCentre(Rockford, Illinois) Miami (OH)Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference North Carolina A&T Joe Binion, North Carolina A&T Don Corbett, North Carolina A&T 1984 MEAC men's basketball tournament Greensboro Coliseum(Greensboro, North Carolina) North Carolina A&TMidwestern City Conference Oral Roberts Alfredrick Hughes, Loyola (IL)2008–09 Horizon League Men's Basketball Record Book , Horizon League, retrieved 2009-06-27 Joe Sexson, Butler& Dick Acres, Oral Roberts 1984 Midwestern City Conference men's basketball tournament UIC Pavilion(Chicago, Illinois) Oral RobertsMissouri Valley Conference Illinois State & Tulsa Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State2008–09 MVC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section, Missouri Valley Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Bob Donewald, Illinois State 1984 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament Tulsa Convention Center(Tulsa, Oklahoma) TulsaOhio Valley Conference Morehead State Joe Jakubick, Akron2008–09 OVC men's basketball media guide, Ohio Valley Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Wayne Martin, Morehead State 1984 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament E. A. Diddle Arena(Bowling Green, Kentucky) Middle Tennessee StatePacific-10 Conference Oregon State & Washington A.C. Green, Oregon State2008–09 Pacific-10 Men's Basketball Media Guide- Honors Section , Pacific-10 Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Marv Harshman, Washington No TournamentPacific Coast Athletic Association UNLV Richie Adams, UNLV2008–09 Big West Men's Basketball Media Guide , Big West Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Jerry Tarkanian, UNLV 1984 Pacific Coast Athletic Association men's basketball tournament The Forum(Inglewood, California) Fresno StateSoutheastern Conference Kentucky Charles Barkley, Auburn2008–09 SEC Men's Basketball Record Book , Southeastern Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Sonny Smith, Auburn 1984 SEC men's basketball tournament Memorial Gymnasium(Nashville, Tennessee) KentuckySouthern Conference Marshall Regan Truesdale, The Citadel2008–09 SoCon Men's Basketball Media Guide – Honors Section , Southern Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Rick Huckabay, Marshall 1984 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament Asheville Civic Center(Asheville, North Carolina) MarshallSouthland Conference Lamar Tom Sewell, Lamar2008–09 Southland Conference Men's Basketball Media Guide, Southland Conference, retrieved 2009-02-07 Pat Foster, Lamar 1984 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament Beaumont Civic Center(Beaumont, Texas) Louisiana TechSouthwest Conference Houston Akeem Olajuwon, Houston Guy Lewis, Houston 1984 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament The Summit(Houston, Texas) HoustonSouthwestern Athletic Conference Alabama State & Alcorn State Lewis Jackson, Alabama State2006–07 SWAC Men's Basketball Media Guide James Oliver, Alabama State 1984 SWAC men's basketball tournament Mississippi Coliseum(Jackson, Mississippi) Alcorn StateSun Belt Conference VCU Terry Catledge, South Alabama2007–08 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Media Guide, Sun Belt Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 J. D. Barnett, VCU 198 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex(Birmingham, Alabama) UABTrans America Athletic Conference Houston Baptist Willie Jackson, CentenaryAtlantic Sun men's basketball record book, Atlantic Sun Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Mike Hanks, Samford 1984 TAAC men's basketball tournament Don Coleman Coliseum(Houston, Texas) Houston BaptistWest Coast Athletic Conference San Diego John Stockton, Gonzaga2008–09 WCC Men's Basketball Media Guide , West Coast Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Jim Brovelli, San Diego No TournamentWestern Athletic Conference UTEP Michael Cage, San Diego State2008–09 WAC Men's Basketball Media Guide – Records Section , Western Athletic Conference, retrieved 2009-06-27 Gary Colson, New Mexico 1984 WAC men's basketball tournament Special Events Center(El Paso, Texas) UTEP
Conference standings
Division I independents A total of 20 college teams played as Division I independents. Among them, DePaul (27–3) had both the best winning percentage (.900) and the most wins.
Informal championships ConferenceRegular season winnerMost Valuable PlayerPhiladelphia Big 5 La Salle & Temple Ralph Lewis, La Salle La Salle and Temple both finished with 3–1 records in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.
Statistical leaders Player School PPG Player School RPG Player School APG Player School FG% Joe Jakubick Akron 30.1 Akeem Olajuwon Houston 13.5 Craig Lathen UIC 9.4 Akeem Olajuwon Houston 67.5 Lewis Jackson Alabama St. 29.0 Carey Scurry Long Island 13.5 Danny Tarkanian UNLV 8.5 Bobby Lee Hurt Alabama 66.4 Devin Durrant BYU 27.9 Xavier McDaniel Wichita St. 13.1 Reid Gettys Houston 8.4 Keith Walker Utica 66.0 Alfredrick Hughes Loyola (IL) 27.6 Donald Newman Ark.–Little Rock 12.9 Andre LaFleur Northeastern 7.9 Patrick Ewing Georgetown 65.8 Wayman Tisdale Oklahoma 27.0 Michael Cage San Diego St. 12.6 Tony William Florida St. 7.7 A.C. Green Oregon St. 65.7 Jeff Cross Maine 12.6 Player School FT% Steve Alford Indiana 91.3 Joe Carrabino Harvard 90.5 Chris Mullin St. John's 90.4 Bob Ferry Harvard 90.3 Vince Cunningham UTSA 87.9
Postseason tournaments
NCAA tournament
Final Four - Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
National Invitation tournament
NIT Semifinals and Final
Award winners
Consensus All-American teams
+ Consensus First Team Player Position Class Team Patrick Ewing C Junior Georgetown Michael Jordan G Junior North Carolina Akeem Olajuwon C Junior Houston Sam Perkins F Senior North Carolina Wayman Tisdale F Sophomore Oklahoma