The 1996–97 Washington Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Washington for the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.

Led by fourth-year head coach Bob Bender, the Huskies were members of the Pacific-10 Conference and played their home games on campus at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Washington.

The Huskies were 17–10 overall in the regular season and 10–8 in conference play, sixth in the standings.

[2] There was no conference tournament this season; last played in 1990, it resumed in 2002.

Washington played in the National Invitation Tournament for the second straight year and lost by four points at Nebraska.