NOTE: Although Oregon joined the Pacific Coast Conference in 1915, it did not field a basketball team during the 1915–16 season, and its first season of Pacific Coast Conference play was 1916–17.
A total of 129 college teams played as major independents.
Among independents that played at least 10 games, Navy (11–0) and Washington and Lee (13–0) were undefeated, and Louisiana State (20–2) and Trinity (20–4) finished with the most wins.
[4] The practice of selecting a Consensus All-American Team did not begin until the 1928–29 season.
The Helms Athletic Foundation later retroactively selected a list of All-Americans for the 1916–17 season.