CiteFinal AP Top 20
Writers' poll taken before tournament.
| Before NCAAs | Head Coach | Final Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DePaul | 26–1 | Ray Meyer | 26–2 |
| 2 | Louisville | 28–3 | Denny Crum | 33–3 |
| 3 | LSU | 24–5 | Dale Brown | 26–6 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 28–5 | Joe B. Hall | 29–6 |
| 5 | Oregon St. | 26–3 | Ralph Miller | 26–4 |
| 6 | Syracuse | 25–3 | Jim Boeheim | 26–4 |
| 7 | Indiana | 20–7 | Bob Knight | 21–8 |
| 8 | Maryland | 23–6 | Lefty Driesell | 24–7 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 20–7 | Digger Phelps | 20–8 |
| 10 | Ohio St. | 24–5 | Eldon Miller | 21–8 |
| 11 | Georgetown | 24–5 | John Thompson | 26–6 |
| 12 | BYU | 24–4 | Frank Arnold | 24–5 |
| 13 | St. John's | 24–4 | Lou Carnesecca | 24–5 |
| 14 | Duke | 22–8 | Bill Foster | 24–9 |
| 15 | North Carolina | 21–7 | Dean Smith | 21–8 |
| 16 | Missouri | 23–5 | Norm Stewart | 25–6 |
| 17 | Weber St. | 26–2 | Neil McCarthy | 26–3 |
| 18 | Arizona St. | 21–6 | Ned Wulk | 22–7 |
| 19 | Iona | 28–4 | Jim Valvano | 29–5 |
| 20 | Purdue | 19–9 | Lee Rose | 23–10 |
Note: Louisville won the NCAAs.
| 1980 College Basketball Recap | Major Conference Champions |