2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 6, 2005, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Championship Game on April 3, 2006, at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Florida Gators won their first NCAA national championship with a 73–56 victory over the UCLA Bruins. This was the final Final Four site at the RCA Dome. The Final Four will return to the city of Indianapolis, but will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Season headlines
- The University of Florida won its first national title in basketball, defeating UCLA in the championship game 73–57. The team was led by a group of sophomores, several of whom were the offspring of retired professional athletes, nicknamed "The Oh-fours." Forward Al Horford and guard Taurean Green were the sons of former NBA players, while center and Final Four MOP Joakim Noah was the son of retired tennis pro Yannick Noah. These three surprised many by choosing not to enter the NBA Draft, but instead returning to try to repeat as champions in 2006–07.
- George Mason made an improbable run to the Final Four, becoming the first true mid-major to do so since Penn in 1979. The Patriots’ path was not easy, as they defeated schools that had won three of the past six titles – national powers Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut – en route to its first Final Four berth.
- J. J. Redick of Duke and Adam Morrison of Gonzaga engaged in a year-long battle for the National scoring title and Player of the Year honors. Morrison won the scoring race, edging Redick by 1.3 points per game. However, Redick won most National POY Awards, though he and Morrison were the first co-winners of the 2006 Oscar Robertson Trophy.
- Paul Millsap of Louisiana Tech became the first player ever to lead the Nation in rebounding for three consecutive years.
- A major realignment of teams in the Big East and ACC sent shock waves across college basketball. Boston College followed Virginia Tech and Miami from the Big East to the ACC. The Big East brought in five teams from Conference USA – Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida.
- To replace the teams that defected to the Big East, Conference USA brought in six new members: Rice, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP from the Western Athletic Conference; Marshall from the Mid-American Conference and Central Florida from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
- Other conference realignments effective this season: The WAC added New Mexico State, Idaho and Utah State. East Tennessee State moved from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic Sun. The Colonial Athletic Association added Northeastern from the America East Conference and Georgia State from the Atlantic Sun. Troy moved from the Atlantic Sun to the Sun Belt Conference.
- The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 8. J. J. Redick of Duke was the leading vote-getter. The rest of the team included Shelden Williams of Duke, Dee Brown of Illinois, Adam Morrison of Gonzaga and Craig Smith of Boston College.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls November 7, 2005.Conference membership changes
These schools joined new conferences for the 2005–06 season.| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Boston College | Big East Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Charlotte | Conference USA | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Cincinnati | Conference USA | Big East Conference |
| DePaul | Conference USA | Big East Conference |
| East Tennessee State | Southern Conference | Atlantic Sun Conference |
| Georgia State | Atlantic Sun Conference | Colonial Athletic Association |
| Idaho | Big West Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| Kennesaw State | NCAA Division II | Atlantic Sun Conference |
| Louisville | Conference USA | Big East Conference |
| Marquette | Conference USA | Big East Conference |
| Marshall | Mid-American Conference | Conference USA |
| New Mexico State | Sun Belt Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| NJIT | NCAA Division II | NCAA Division I Independent |
| North Dakota State | NCAA Division II | NCAA Division I Independent |
| North Florida | NCAA Division II | Atlantic Sun Conference |
| Northeastern | America East Conference | Colonial Athletic Association |
| Rice | Western Athletic Conference | Conference USA |
| Saint Louis | Conference USA | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| SMU | Western Athletic Conference | Conference USA |
| South Dakota State | NCAA Division II | NCAA Division I Independent |
| South Florida | Conference USA | Big East Conference |
| TCU | Conference USA | Mountain West Conference |
| Troy | Atlantic Sun Conference | Sun Belt Conference |
| Tulsa | Western Athletic Conference | Conference USA |
| UCF | Atlantic Sun Conference | Conference USA |
| Utah State | Big West Conference | Western Athletic Conference |
| UTEP | Western Athletic Conference | Conference USA |
Regular season
Conference winners and tournaments
Thirty conference seasons conclude with a single-elimination tournament. Traditionally, all conference schools are eligible, regardless of record. However, some conferences, most notably the Big East, do not invite the teams with the worst records. The conference tournament winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. A school that wins the conference regular season title is guaranteed an NIT bid; however, it may receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.Statistical leaders
Post-Season Tournaments
NCAA Tournament
The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 14, 2006 with the opening round game in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded on April 3 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. A total of 65 teams entered the tournament. Thirty of the teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments. The automatic bid of the Ivy League, which does not conduct a post-season tournament, went to its regular season champion. The remaining 34 teams were granted "at-large" bids, which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. The Big East Conference led the way with eight bids. Florida won their first NCAA title, beating UCLA 73–56 in the final. Florida forward Joakim Noah was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.Final Four – [RCA Dome], [Indianapolis, Indiana]
A-Atlanta, O-Oakland, W-Washington, D.C., M-Minneapolis.National Invitation Tournament
After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the National Invitation Tournament invited 32 teams to participate, reducing the field's size from 40. Eight teams were given automatic bids for winning their conference regular seasons, and 24 other teams were also invited. Dave Odom's South Carolina Gamecocks won their second consecutive title, defeating the Tommy Amaker-coached Michigan Wolverines 76–64 in the championship game. Gamecock forward Renaldo Balkman was named tournament MVP.Semifinals & Finals
Conference standings
Award winners
Consensus All-American teams
Major player of the year awards
- Wooden Award: J. J. Redick, Duke
- Naismith Award: J. J. Redick, Duke
- Associated Press Player of the Year: J. J. Redick, Duke
- NABC Player of the Year: J. J. Redick, Duke and Adam Morrison, Gonzaga
- Oscar Robertson Trophy : J. J. Redick, Duke and Adam Morrison, Gonzaga
- Adolph Rupp Trophy: J. J. Redick, Duke
- CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Year: J. J. Redick, Duke
- Sporting News Player of the Year: J. J. Redick, Duke
Major freshman of the year awards
- USBWA Freshman of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
- Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Major coach of the year awards
- Associated Press Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
- Henry Iba Award : Roy Williams, North Carolina
- NABC Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
- Naismith College Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
- CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
- Adolph Rupp Cup: Roy Williams, North Carolina
- Sporting News Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova
Other major awards
- Bob Cousy Award : Dee Brown, Illinois
- Pete Newell Big Man Award : Glen Davis, LSU
- NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Shelden Williams, Duke
- Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award : Dee Brown, Illinois
- Lowe's Senior CLASS Award : J. J. Redick, Duke
- Robert V. Geasey Trophy : Randy Foye, Villanova
- NIT/Haggerty Award : Quincy Douby, Rutgers
Coaching changes
| Team | Former Coach | Interim Coach | New Coach | Reason |
| Alabama-Birmingham | Mike Anderson | Mike Davis | After leaving Indiana, Davis returned to his home state – bringing guard Robert Vaden with him. | |
| Arizona State | Rob Evans | Herb Sendek | After a high-profile flirtation with Pitt's Jamie Dixon, Arizona State pulled Sendek from the ACC. | |
| Ball State | Tim Buckley | Ronny Thompson | Buckley was reassigned after a 10–18 season. | |
| Brown | Glen Miller | Craig Robinson | Brown hired former 2-time Ivy player of the year Robinson after Miller leaves for conference rival Penn. | |
| Canisius | Mike MacDonald | Tom Parrotta | ||
| Central Michigan | Jay Smith | Ernie Ziegler | Two-time MAC coach of the year Smith left the coaching profession. | |
| Cincinnati | Bob Huggins | Andy Kennedy | Mick Cronin | UC alum Cronin was hired for the head job over interim boss Kennedy. |
| The Citadel | Pat Dennis | Ed Conroy | ||
| Cleveland State | Mike Garland | Gary Waters | ||
| College of Charleston | Tom Herrion | Bobby Cremins | College of Charleston made a splash hiring former Georgia Tech head man Cremins after Winthrop's Gregg Marshall accepted the job but then reneged. | |
| Delaware | David Henderson | Monte Ross | Henderson is fired after consecutive 20-loss seasons. | |
| Duquesne | Danny Nee | Ron Everhart | Coaching veteran Nee was fired after a 3–24 season. | |
| Fairfield | Tim O'Toole | Ed Cooley | O'Toole was fired only two years removed from winning MAAC coach of the year honors. | |
| Florida Atlantic | Matt Doherty | Rex Walters | Doherty leaves FAU for SMU after only one year. | |
| Furman | Larry Davis | Jeff Jackson | ||
| Hampton | Bobby Collins | Kevin Nickelberry | ||
| Hartford | Larry Harrison | Dan Leibovitz | Harrison resigned despite being named America East coach of the year. | |
| Idaho | Leonard Perry | George Pfeifer | ||
| Idaho State | Doug Oliver | Joe O'Brien | Oliver announced his resignation mid-season and was replaced in March by three-time JUCO national championship coach O'Brien. | |
| Indiana | Mike Davis | Kelvin Sampson | Davis announced his resignation in February – effective at the end of the season. After a long search process, Indiana hired former Oklahoma coach Sampson. | |
| Iowa State | Wayne Morgan | Greg McDermott | Iowa State fired Morgan in the wake of a recruiting scandal. | |
| Kansas State | Jim Wooldridge | Bob Huggins | K-State hired Huggins after a one-year absence from coaching. | |
| Lamar | Billy Tubbs | Steve Roccaforte | Tubbs stepped down as head coach but remained as Lamar's Athletic Director, turning the team over to assistant Roccaforte. | |
| Manhattan | Bobby Gonzalez | Barry Rohrssen | A hot coach for several seasons, Gonzalez made the move to the Big East and Seton Hall. | |
| McNeese State | Tic Price | Dave Simmons | ||
| Mississippi | Rod Barnes | Andy Kennedy | Ole Miss hired native son Kennedy after he was passed over for the permanent head coaching position at Cincinnati after serving as interim for the entire season. | |
| Missouri | Quin Snyder | Melvin Watkins | Mike Anderson | Snyder was fired in February as his status became distracting due to a disappointing season and off-court scandal. |
| Montana | Larry Krystkowiak | Wayne Tinkle | Montana all-time leading scorer Krystkowiak left Montana for an assistant coaching job with the Milwaukee Bucks, while his former Grizzly teammate and assistant Tinkle is promoted. | |
| Montana State | Mick Durham | Brad Huse | ||
| Morehead State | Kyle Macy | Donnie Tyndall | Former Kentucky All-American Macy resigns after a 4–23 season. | |
| Morgan State | Butch Beard | Todd Bozeman | Bozeman returns to coaching after an eight-year ban over recruiting violations at Cal. | |
| Murray State | Mick Cronin | Billy Kennedy | ||
| Nebraska | Barry Collier | Doc Sadler | Collier left Nebraska to become athletic director at Butler. | |
| New Orleans | Monte Towe | Buzz Williams | Towe made the unusual move of leaving a head coaching spot to take the Associate head coach spot at his alma mater, NC State. | |
| North Carolina State | Herb Sendek | Sidney Lowe | After a lengthy search process, former Wolfpack guard Lowe comes in from an assistant coaching job with the Detroit Pistons. | |
| UNC-Wilmington | Brad Brownell | Benny Moss | ||
| Northeastern | Ron Everhart | Bill Coen | ||
| Northern Colorado | Craig Rasmuson | Tad Boyle | ||
| Northern Iowa | Greg McDermott | Ben Jacobson | UNI promoted top assistant Jacobson after McDermott left for Iowa State. | |
| Oklahoma | Kelvin Sampson | Jeff Capel | Oklahoma tapped VCU's Capel after Sampson left for Indiana. | |
| Oklahoma State | Eddie Sutton | Sean Sutton | Eddie Sutton turned the Cowboys over to son Sean. | |
| Penn | Fran Dunphy | Glen Miller | Penn raided conference foe Brown to hire Miller away after Dunphy moved across town to coach Temple. | |
| Pepperdine | Paul Westphal | Vance Walberg | Former Phoenix Suns coach Westphal was fired after a 7–20 season. | |
| Portland | Michael Holton | Eric Reveno | ||
| Rutgers | Gary Waters | Fred Hill | Waters announced that he would resign late in the season. After the season, he was replaced by assistant Hill | |
| Saint Peter's | Bob Leckie | John Dunne | ||
| Seton Hall | Louis Orr | Bobby Gonzalez | Seton Hall turns to Manhattan's Gonzalez after Orr is fired. | |
| Southern Methodist | Jimmy Tubbs | Matt Doherty | Tubbs was fired after an internal investigation uncovered NCAA violations. | |
| South Carolina State | Ben Betts | Jammal Brown | Betts left to join Jeff Capel's staff at Oklahoma. | |
| Southeast Missouri State | Gary Garner | Scott Edgar | ||
| Temple | John Chaney | Fran Dunphy | Chaney retired after 24 seasons at Temple, allowing Dunphy to become the first man ever to coach at two different Big 5 schools. | |
| Texas-Arlington | Eddie McCarter | Scott Cross | ||
| Texas-Pan American | Robert Davenport | Tom Schuberth | ||
| Texas-San Antonio | Tim Carter | Brooks Thompson | ||
| Texas State | Dennis Nutt | Doug Davalos | ||
| UTEP | Doc Sadler | Tony Barbee | UTEP tapped Memphis assistant Barbee after Sadler left for Nebraska. | |
| Virginia Commonwealth | Jeff Capel | Anthony Grant | VCU hired Florida assistant Grant after Capel left for the Big 12. | |
| Washington State | Dick Bennett | Tony Bennett | Dick Bennett retired, handing the reins to his son and assistant Tony. | |
| Weber State | Joe Cravens | Randy Rahe | ||
| Winston-Salem State | Phillip Stitt | Bobby Collins | Collins was hired from Hampton to lead the Rams into their first season of Division I play. | |
| Wright State | Paul Biancardi | Brad Brownell | Biancardi stepped down after being barred from recruiting by the NCAA over recruiting violations that occurred while Biancardi was at Ohio State. |