🏀 The 1987-88 men’s college basketball season
What the record holds for this season: the champion, the tournament bracket, the AP poll week by week, the conference tables, and the Elo ratings with the biggest upsets.
Jump to any season1896–2027
1987-88 national champion
The NCAA tournament winner.
The 1988 NCAA tournament
64 teams. Winners in bold, seeds before each team.
West region
Southeast region
East region
Midwest region
Final Four and the title game
Conference tournaments
The champion and the other finalist of each of the 29 conference tournaments held in 1987-88.
| Conference | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| American South | Louisiana Tech 69-66, Mar 6 | New Orleans |
| Atlantic 10 | Temple 68-63, Mar 8 | Rhode Island |
| Atlantic Coast | Duke 65-61, Mar 13 | North Carolina |
| Big East | Syracuse 85-68, Mar 13 | Villanova |
| Big Eight | Oklahoma 88-83, Mar 13 | Kansas State |
| Big Sky | Boise State 63-61, Mar 10 | Montana State |
| Big South | Winthrop 71-56, Mar 5 | Radford |
| Colonial | Richmond 74-71, Mar 7 | George Mason |
| ECAC Metro | Fairleigh Dickinson 90-75, Mar 11 | Monmouth |
| ECAC North | Boston University 79-68, Mar 11 | Niagara |
| East Coast | Lehigh 84-78, Mar 7 | Towson |
| Metro | Louisville 81-73, Mar 13 | Memphis State |
| Metro Atlantic | La Salle 79-70, Mar 5 | Fordham |
| Mid-American | Eastern Michigan 94-80, Mar 10 | Ohio |
| Mid-Eastern | North Carolina A&T 101-86, Mar 5 | Florida A&M |
| Midwestern | Xavier 122-96, Mar 12 | Detroit |
| Missouri Valley | Bradley 89-59, Mar 7 | Illinois State |
| Ohio Valley | Murray State 73-70, Mar 9 | Austin Peay |
| Pacific Coast | Utah State | UC Irvine |
| Pacific-10 | Arizona 83-67, Mar 13 | Oregon State |
| Southeastern | Kentucky 62-57, Mar 13 | Georgia |
| Southern | UT-Chattanooga 75-61, Mar 6 | VMI |
| Southland | North Texas 87-70, Mar 10 | Northeast Louisiana |
| Southwest | SMU 75-64, Mar 13 | Baylor |
| Southwestern Athletic | Southern 78-62, Mar 12 | Grambling |
| Sun Belt | UNC Charlotte 81-79, Mar 7 | Virginia Commonwealth |
| Trans America | TX-San Antonio 76-69, Mar 12 | Georgia Southern |
| West Coast | Loyola Marymount 104-96, Mar 7 | Santa Clara |
| Western Athletic | Wyoming 79-75, Mar 12 | UTEP |
The 1987-88 AP poll, week by week
Each team's rank in every poll. Tap a rank to read it.
| Team | Nov24 | Dec1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29 | Jan5 | 12 | 19 | 26 | Feb2 | 9 | 16 | 23 | Mar1 | 8 | 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Arizona | 17 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Purdue | 2 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Oklahoma | 19 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Duke | 15 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 5 |
| Kentucky | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 7 |
| Pittsburgh | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 8 |
| Syracuse | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 9 |
| Michigan | 9 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Bradley | 18 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | ||||||||||
| UNLV | 19 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 12 | |
| Wyoming | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 13 | ||
| North Carolina State | 20 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 14 | ||||||||||
| Loyola Marymount | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | ||||||||||||
| Illinois | 19 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 16 | ||||||||||
| Iowa | 11 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 17 |
| Xavier | 20 | 20 | 18 | ||||||||||||||
| BYU | 12 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 19 | ||||||||
| Kansas State | 14 | 20 | |||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | 18 | 20 | 13 | 18 | |||||||||||||
| Vanderbilt | 15 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 19 | ||||||||||||
| Missouri | 8 | 8 | 9 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | ||||||||||
| Georgetown | 16 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 18 | |||||
| Indiana | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 19 | ||||||||
| Villanova | 19 | 20 | |||||||||||||||
| Iowa State | 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 16 | |||||||||
| Florida | 14 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 19 | ||||||||
| St. John's | 20 | 20 | |||||||||||||||
| UTEP | 18 | 18 | |||||||||||||||
| Southern Mississippi | 20 | ||||||||||||||||
| Kansas | 7 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | ||||||||
| New Mexico | 18 | ||||||||||||||||
| Auburn | 19 | ||||||||||||||||
| Memphis State | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | ||||||||||||
| Louisville | 13 | 14 | 20 | ||||||||||||||
| Notre Dame | 19 | ||||||||||||||||
| DePaul | 20 |
Tap a rank to read it.
1988 final AP Top 20
The last Associated Press ranking of the season, with each team's record.
1988 final AP Top 20AP
- 1Temple32-2
- 2Arizona35-3
- 3Purdue29-4
- 4Oklahoma35-4
- 5Duke28-7
- 6Kentucky27-6
- 7North Carolina27-7
- 8Pittsburgh24-7
- 9Syracuse26-9
- 10Michigan26-8
- 11Bradley26-5
- 12UNLV28-6
- 13Wyoming26-6
- 14North Carolina State24-7
- 15Loyola Marymount28-4
- 16Illinois23-10
- 17Iowa24-10
- 18Xavier26-4
- 19BYU26-6
- 20Kansas State25-9
1988 standings by conference
Overall and conference record. A star marks the regular-season champion, a trophy the conference-tournament champion.
1988 standings by conference33 conferences
American South6 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Tech | 22-9 | 7-3 | ★ 🏆 |
| New Orleans | 21-11 | 7-3 | ★ |
| Lamar | 20-11 | 5-5 | |
| Arkansas State | 21-14 | 4-6 | |
| Texas-Pan American | 14-14 | 4-6 | |
| SW Louisiana | 12-16 | 3-7 |
Atlantic 1010 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple | 32-2 | 18-0 | ★ 🏆 1 seed AP 1 |
| Rhode Island | 28-7 | 14-4 | 11 seed |
| West Virginia | 18-14 | 12-6 | |
| St. Joseph's | 15-14 | 9-9 | |
| Penn State | 13-14 | 9-9 | |
| George Washington | 13-15 | 7-11 | |
| St. Bonaventure | 13-15 | 7-11 | |
| Duquesne | 11-21 | 6-12 | |
| Massachusetts | 10-17 | 5-13 | |
| Rutgers | 7-22 | 3-15 |
Atlantic Coast8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 27-7 | 11-3 | ★ 2 seed AP 7 |
| North Carolina State | 24-7 | 10-4 | 3 seed AP 14 |
| Duke | 28-7 | 9-5 | 🏆 2 seed AP 5 |
| Georgia Tech | 22-10 | 8-6 | 5 seed |
| Maryland | 18-13 | 6-8 | 7 seed |
| Virginia | 13-18 | 5-9 | |
| Clemson | 14-15 | 4-10 | |
| Wake Forest | 10-18 | 3-11 |
Big East9 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 24-7 | 12-4 | ★ 2 seed AP 8 |
| Syracuse | 26-9 | 11-5 | 🏆 3 seed AP 9 |
| Georgetown | 20-10 | 9-7 | 8 seed |
| Villanova | 24-13 | 9-7 | 6 seed |
| Seton Hall | 22-13 | 8-8 | 8 seed |
| St. John's | 17-12 | 8-8 | 11 seed |
| Boston College | 18-15 | 6-10 | |
| Providence | 11-17 | 5-11 | |
| Connecticut | 20-14 | 4-12 |
Big Eight8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 35-4 | 12-2 | ★ 🏆 1 seed AP 4 |
| Kansas State | 25-9 | 11-3 | 4 seed AP 20 |
| Kansas | 27-11 | 9-5 | 6 seed |
| Missouri | 19-11 | 7-7 | 6 seed |
| Iowa State | 20-12 | 6-8 | 12 seed |
| Oklahoma State | 14-16 | 4-10 | |
| Nebraska | 13-18 | 4-10 | |
| Colorado | 7-21 | 3-11 |
Big Sky9 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise State | 24-6 | 13-3 | ★ 🏆 14 seed |
| Idaho | 19-11 | 11-5 | |
| Montana State | 19-11 | 10-6 | |
| Idaho State | 15-13 | 8-8 | |
| Nevada | 15-13 | 8-8 | |
| Montana | 18-11 | 7-9 | |
| Northern Arizona | 10-18 | 7-9 | |
| Weber State | 9-21 | 6-10 | |
| Eastern Washington | 6-21 | 2-14 |
Big South7 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Carolina | 17-11 | 9-3 | ★ |
| Baptist | 17-12 | 8-4 | |
| Radford | 16-14 | 8-4 | |
| Winthrop | 17-13 | 5-7 | 🏆 |
| NC-Asheville | 13-15 | 5-7 | |
| Augusta State | 8-18 | 4-8 | |
| Campbell | 11-16 | 3-9 |
Big Ten10 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purdue | 29-4 | 16-2 | ★ 1 seed AP 3 |
| Michigan | 26-8 | 13-5 | 3 seed AP 10 |
| Iowa | 24-10 | 12-6 | 5 seed AP 17 |
| Illinois | 23-10 | 12-6 | 3 seed AP 16 |
| Indiana | 19-10 | 11-7 | 4 seed |
| Ohio State | 20-13 | 9-9 | |
| Wisconsin | 12-16 | 6-12 | |
| Michigan State | 10-18 | 5-13 | |
| Minnesota | 10-18 | 4-14 | |
| Northwestern | 7-21 | 2-16 |
Colonial8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 26-7 | 11-3 | ★ 🏆 13 seed |
| George Mason | 20-10 | 9-5 | |
| American | 14-14 | 9-5 | |
| NC-Wilmington | 15-14 | 8-6 | |
| Navy | 12-16 | 6-8 | |
| James Madison | 10-18 | 5-9 | |
| William & Mary | 10-19 | 5-9 | |
| East Carolina | 8-20 | 3-11 |
East Coast8 teams
ECAC Metro9 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairleigh Dickinson | 23-7 | 13-3 | ★ 🏆 16 seed |
| Marist | 18-9 | 13-3 | ★ |
| Monmouth | 16-13 | 11-5 | |
| Robert Morris | 14-14 | 9-7 | |
| LIU-Brooklyn | 14-14 | 8-8 | |
| Loyola (MD) | 8-22 | 6-10 | |
| St. Francis (NY) | 11-18 | 5-11 | |
| St. Francis (PA) | 7-20 | 4-12 | |
| Wagner | 9-18 | 3-13 |
ECAC North10 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siena | 23-6 | 16-2 | ★ |
| Boston University | 23-8 | 14-4 | 🏆 15 seed |
| Niagara | 15-15 | 12-6 | |
| Hartford | 15-16 | 12-6 | |
| Northeastern | 15-13 | 11-7 | |
| Maine | 13-15 | 10-8 | |
| Canisius | 7-20 | 7-11 | |
| Colgate | 4-23 | 3-15 | |
| New Hampshire | 4-25 | 3-15 | |
| Vermont | 3-24 | 2-16 |
Ivy8 teams
Metro7 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | 24-11 | 9-3 | ★ 🏆 5 seed |
| Florida State | 19-11 | 7-5 | 12 seed |
| South Carolina | 19-10 | 6-6 | |
| Virginia Tech | 19-10 | 6-6 | |
| Memphis State | 20-12 | 6-6 | 9 seed |
| Southern Mississippi | 19-11 | 5-7 | |
| Cincinnati | 11-17 | 3-9 |
Metro Atlantic8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Salle | 24-10 | 14-0 | ★ 🏆 13 seed |
| St. Peter's | 20-9 | 11-3 | |
| Fordham | 18-15 | 9-5 | |
| Holy Cross | 14-15 | 8-6 | |
| Iona | 11-16 | 5-9 | |
| Army | 9-19 | 4-10 | |
| Fairfield | 8-20 | 4-10 | |
| Manhattan | 7-23 | 1-13 |
Mid-American9 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan | 22-8 | 14-2 | ★ 🏆 15 seed |
| Central Michigan | 19-13 | 10-6 | |
| Ohio | 16-14 | 9-7 | |
| Ball State | 14-14 | 8-8 | |
| Bowling Green | 12-16 | 7-9 | |
| Western Michigan | 12-17 | 7-9 | |
| Kent | 10-18 | 6-10 | |
| Miami (OH) | 9-18 | 6-10 | |
| Toledo | 15-12 | 5-11 |
Mid-Continent8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SW Missouri State | 22-7 | 12-2 | ★ 13 seed |
| Cleveland State | 22-8 | 11-3 | |
| Wisconsin-Green Bay | 18-9 | 9-5 | |
| Eastern Illinois | 17-11 | 7-7 | |
| Western Illinois | 15-12 | 6-8 | |
| Northern Iowa | 10-18 | 4-10 | |
| Illinois-Chicago | 8-20 | 4-10 | |
| Valparaiso | 12-16 | 3-11 |
Mid-Eastern9 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina A&T | 26-3 | 16-0 | ★ 🏆 14 seed |
| Florida A&M | 22-8 | 11-5 | |
| South Carolina State | 16-13 | 10-6 | |
| Howard | 15-12 | 9-7 | |
| Coppin State | 13-14 | 8-7 | |
| Morgan State | 13-17 | 7-8 | |
| MD-Eastern Shore | 7-20 | 5-11 | |
| Bethune-Cookman | 6-21 | 4-12 | |
| Delaware State | 3-25 | 1-15 |
Midwestern6 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier | 26-4 | 9-1 | ★ 🏆 11 seed AP 18 |
| Evansville | 21-8 | 6-4 | |
| Butler | 14-14 | 5-5 | |
| Saint Louis | 14-14 | 5-5 | |
| Loyola-Chicago | 13-16 | 3-7 | |
| Detroit | 7-23 | 2-8 |
Missouri Valley8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley | 26-5 | 12-2 | ★ 🏆 9 seed AP 11 |
| Wichita State | 20-10 | 11-3 | 12 seed |
| Illinois State | 18-13 | 9-5 | |
| Creighton | 16-16 | 6-8 | |
| Southern Illinois | 12-16 | 6-8 | |
| Drake | 14-14 | 5-9 | |
| Tulsa | 8-20 | 4-10 | |
| Indiana State | 7-21 | 3-11 |
Ohio Valley8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murray State | 22-9 | 13-1 | ★ 🏆 14 seed |
| Middle Tennessee State | 23-11 | 11-3 | |
| Eastern Kentucky | 18-11 | 10-4 | |
| Austin Peay | 17-13 | 10-4 | |
| Tennessee Tech | 12-16 | 5-9 | |
| Tennessee State | 11-17 | 4-10 | |
| Youngstown State | 7-21 | 2-12 | |
| Morehead State | 5-22 | 1-13 |
Pacific Coast10 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNLV | 28-6 | 15-3 | ★ 4 seed AP 12 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 22-8 | 13-5 | 10 seed |
| Utah State | 21-10 | 13-5 | 🏆 10 seed |
| Long Beach State | 17-12 | 11-7 | |
| UC Irvine | 16-14 | 9-9 | |
| New Mexico State | 16-16 | 8-10 | |
| San Jose State | 14-15 | 8-10 | |
| CSU-Fullerton | 12-17 | 7-11 | |
| Fresno State | 9-19 | 6-12 | |
| Pacific | 5-24 | 0-18 |
Pacific-1010 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 35-3 | 17-1 | ★ 🏆 1 seed AP 2 |
| Oregon State | 20-11 | 12-6 | 12 seed |
| UCLA | 16-14 | 12-6 | |
| Stanford | 21-12 | 11-7 | |
| Oregon | 16-14 | 10-8 | |
| Washington State | 13-16 | 7-11 | |
| Arizona State | 13-16 | 6-12 | |
| Washington | 10-19 | 5-13 | |
| California | 9-20 | 5-13 | |
| USC | 7-21 | 5-13 |
Southeastern10 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 27-6 | 13-5 | ★ 🏆 2 seed AP 6 |
| Florida | 23-12 | 11-7 | 6 seed |
| Auburn | 19-11 | 11-7 | 8 seed |
| Vanderbilt | 20-11 | 10-8 | 7 seed |
| LSU | 16-14 | 10-8 | 9 seed |
| Tennessee | 16-13 | 9-9 | |
| Georgia | 20-16 | 8-10 | |
| Mississippi State | 14-15 | 6-12 | |
| Alabama | 14-17 | 6-12 | |
| Mississippi | 13-16 | 6-12 |
Southern9 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 24-8 | 14-2 | ★ |
| Furman | 18-10 | 11-5 | |
| Davidson | 15-13 | 9-7 | |
| East Tennessee State | 14-15 | 9-7 | |
| UT-Chattanooga | 20-13 | 8-8 | 🏆 16 seed |
| Appalachian State | 16-13 | 8-8 | |
| VMI | 13-17 | 6-10 | |
| Citadel | 8-20 | 5-11 | |
| Western Carolina | 8-19 | 2-14 |
Southland8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Texas | 17-13 | 12-2 | ★ 🏆 15 seed |
| Northeast Louisiana | 21-9 | 10-4 | |
| Sam Houston State | 14-14 | 9-5 | |
| Northwestern State | 16-12 | 7-7 | |
| SW Texas State | 9-22 | 6-8 | |
| Stephen F. Austin | 10-18 | 4-10 | |
| McNeese State | 7-22 | 4-10 | |
| Texas-Arlington | 7-22 | 4-10 |
Southwest9 teams
Southwestern Athletic8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern | 24-7 | 12-2 | ★ 🏆 15 seed |
| Texas Southern | 21-8 | 11-3 | |
| Grambling | 13-17 | 9-5 | |
| Jackson State | 13-15 | 7-7 | |
| Mississippi Valley State | 8-20 | 5-9 | |
| Alcorn State | 8-21 | 5-9 | |
| Alabama State | 8-20 | 4-10 | |
| Prairie View | 5-22 | 3-11 |
Sun Belt8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNC Charlotte | 22-9 | 11-3 | ★ 🏆 13 seed |
| Virginia Commonwealth | 23-12 | 10-4 | |
| Old Dominion | 18-12 | 9-5 | |
| South Alabama | 15-14 | 8-6 | |
| UAB | 16-15 | 7-7 | |
| Western Kentucky | 15-13 | 6-8 | |
| South Florida | 6-22 | 3-11 | |
| Jacksonville | 8-21 | 2-12 |
Trans America10 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas-Little Rock | 24-7 | 15-3 | ★ |
| Georgia Southern | 24-7 | 15-3 | ★ |
| TX-San Antonio | 22-9 | 13-5 | 🏆 14 seed |
| Hardin-Simmons | 18-12 | 10-8 | |
| Mercer | 15-14 | 8-10 | |
| Centenary | 13-15 | 8-10 | |
| Stetson | 13-15 | 8-10 | |
| Georgia State | 9-19 | 5-13 | |
| Houston Baptist | 9-18 | 4-14 | |
| Samford | 7-20 | 4-14 |
West Coast8 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola Marymount | 28-4 | 14-0 | ★ 🏆 10 seed AP 15 |
| St. Mary's | 19-9 | 9-5 | |
| Santa Clara | 20-11 | 9-5 | |
| Pepperdine | 17-13 | 8-6 | |
| Gonzaga | 16-12 | 7-7 | |
| San Francisco | 13-15 | 5-9 | |
| San Diego | 11-17 | 3-11 | |
| Portland | 6-22 | 1-13 |
Western Athletic9 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYU | 26-6 | 13-3 | ★ 4 seed AP 19 |
| Wyoming | 26-6 | 11-5 | 🏆 7 seed AP 13 |
| Utah | 19-11 | 11-5 | |
| UTEP | 23-10 | 10-6 | 9 seed |
| Colorado State | 22-13 | 8-8 | |
| New Mexico | 22-14 | 8-8 | |
| San Diego State | 12-17 | 5-11 | |
| Air Force | 11-17 | 4-12 | |
| Hawaii | 4-25 | 2-14 |
Independent18 teams
| School | W-L | Conf | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 21-7 | ||
| DePaul | 22-8 | 5 seed | |
| Notre Dame | 20-9 | 10 seed | |
| Wright State | 16-11 | ||
| Miami (FL) | 17-14 | ||
| MD-Baltimore County | 13-15 | ||
| Dayton | 13-18 | ||
| Brooklyn | 11-17 | ||
| Central Connecticut State | 10-18 | ||
| Marquette | 10-18 | ||
| Nicholls State | 10-18 | ||
| US International | 10-18 | ||
| Central Florida | 9-19 | ||
| Florida International | 9-19 | ||
| Chicago State | 8-20 | ||
| Northern Illinois | 8-20 | ||
| Oral Roberts | 8-21 | ||
| SE Louisiana | 7-21 |
Elo ratings and upsets use the games in our record for this season, which is incomplete before 1995-96; team records come from the season standings.
1988 Elo and upsets
The ten highest-rated teams when the season ended, and the results the ratings gave the winner the least chance of.
1988 Elo and upsetsElo
Elo, top 10
Biggest upsets
- Nov 30 · regular season · 1.6% win chance
- Jan 21 · regular season · 2.6% win chance
- Dec 28 · regular season · 2.8% win chance
- Dec 7 · regular season · 4.0% win chance
- Dec 9 · regular season · 4.5% win chance
- Dec 21 · regular season · 4.5% win chance
- Mar 9 · conference tournament · 4.6% win chance
- Feb 18 · regular season · 4.6% win chance
- Dec 22 · regular season · 4.9% win chance
- Mar 3 · regular season · 5.7% win chance
Where these numbers come from
Enough to disbelieve this page on purpose rather than by accident.
Champions, brackets, polls and standings are read from the Citizen of Nowhere college basketball database, one season at a time. A section appears only where the database holds its data: the NCAA tournament began in 1939 (earlier champions are retroactive selections), the AP poll in 1949, and game-by-game results, and so the Elo ratings and upsets, in 1950.
Elo ratings and upsets come from the site’s own men’s college basketball Elo, built from every game since 1950. An upset’s win chance is the winner’s pre-game probability from those ratings.