| Mode: | Basketball |
| Year: | 1996–97 |
| Team: | UMass Minutemen |
| Conference: | Atlantic 10 Conference |
| Short Conf: | A-10 |
| Record: | 19–14 |
| Conf Record: | 11–5 |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Asst Coach1: | Geoff Arnold |
| Bowl: | NCAA Tournament |
| Bowl Result: | Round of 64 |
The 1996–97 UMass Minutemen basketball team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst during the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Minutemen, led by first year head coach Bruiser Flint, played their home games at William D. Mullins Memorial Center and are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The team finished the season 19–14, 11–5 in A-10 play to finish in third place. In the postseason, the team lost in the quarterfinal of the A-10 tournament and in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
| Number | Name | Position | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Charlton Clarke | Guard | 6–3 | 205 | Sophomore | Bronx, New York |
| 4 | Lari Ketner | Center | 6-10 | 270 | Sophomore | Philadelphia |
| 10 | Ross Burns | Guard | 6–3 | 180 | Sophomore | Greenfield, Massachusetts |
| 12 | Edgar Padilla | Guard | 6-2 | 175 | Senior | Toa Alta, Puerto Rico |
| 14 | Andy Maclay | Guard | 6–4 | 190 | Sophomore | Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania |
| 20 | Winston Smith | Forward | 6–5 | 195 | Freshman | Summit, New Jersey |
| 22 | Chris Kirkland | Forward | 6–6 | 200 | Freshman | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 23 | Mike Babul | Forward | 6–6 | 190 | Freshman | North Attleboro, Massachusetts |
| 24 | Carmelo Travieso | Guard | 6–2 | 180 | Senior | Boston, Massachusetts |
| 34 | Tyrone Weeks | Forward | 6-7 | 260 | Senior | Philadelphia |
| 42 | Ajmal Basit | Center/Forward | 6–9 | 220 | Freshman | Brooklyn, New York |
| 50 | Inus Norville | Forward | 6–8 | 225 | Junior | Fayetteville, North Carolina |
|-!colspan=9| Regular season|-!colspan=9| 1997 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament|-!colspan=9| 1997 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
See main article: 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings.