2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
Ford Field was the site of the season ending Final Four and Championship game for 2008-09.
Preseason AP No. 1	North Carolina Tar Heels
Regular season	November 10, 2008– March 10, 2009
NCAA Tournament	2009
Tournament dates	March 17 – April 6, 2009
National Championship	Ford Field Detroit, Michigan
NCAA Champions	North Carolina
Other champions	Penn State (NIT), Oregon State (CBI), Old Dominion (CIT)
Player of the Year (Naismith, Wooden)	Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

The 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2008, and ended with the 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament's championship game on April 6, 2009, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The season saw six different teams achieve the AP #1 ranking during the year (just one shy of the NCAA record). Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin was the dominant individual performer, sweeping National Player of the Year honors. The season began with North Carolina becoming the first unanimous preseason #1 team, and ended with the Tar Heels dominating the NCAA tournament en route to their fifth NCAA title. UNC won its six NCAA tournament games by double digits, and by an average of 19.8 points per game. Junior Wayne Ellington was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

Season headlines

• The North Carolina Tar Heels became the first team in history to be the unanimous #1 team in the AP preseason poll. The ranking came based on UNC returning the majority of their Final Four squad from the year before, most notably Tyler Hansbrough, who became the first reigning National player of the year to return to school since Shaquille O'Neal in the 1991–92 season.
• Blake Griffin was named the Associated Press, the John Wooden Award, the Naismith Award and the Sporting News player of the year for the 2008–2009 college basketball season. When combined with Sam Bradford's Heisman Trophy, Oklahoma became the first school to have a top winner in both basketball and football in the same year.
• Pittsburgh achieved the #1 ranking for the first time in school history on January 5, 2009.
• On December 18, Tyler Hansbrough passed Phil Ford to become North Carolina's all-time leading scorer. On February 28, Hansbrough also broke Dickie Hemric's NCAA record for most free throws made in a career. And on March 19, Hansbrough passed JJ Redick as the leading scorer in Atlantic Coast Conference history.
• Jodie Meeks of Kentucky scored 54 points against Tennessee on January 13, 2009. Meeks was 10–15 from 3-pt range. The output broke Kentucky's single-game scoring record, set by Hall of Famer Dan Issel 39 years before.
• 2009 marked the first time in history that three #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament came from the same conference – as Louisville, Pittsburgh and Connecticut of the Big East achieved the feat.
• Two retired Hall of Fame coaches died during the season – UTEP's Don Haskins on September 7, 2008, and California's Pete Newell on November 17, 2008. Newell's Bears won the NCAA championship in 1959, while Haskins' Miners won the title in 1966 in a historic win over Kentucky.
• The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 3. Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina was the unanimous leading vote-getter (72 of 72 votes). The rest of the team included Stephen Curry of Davidson (66 votes), Luke Harangody of Notre Dame (58), Darren Collison of UCLA (46) and Blake Griffin of Oklahoma (45).
• Kenny George of UNC Asheville, the tallest player in Division I (7'7") and the nation's leader in FG% for 2007–08, had part of his right foot amputated before the start of the season, threatening to end his career.
• The New Jersey Institute of Technology broke a 51-game losing streak that stretched back to February 19, 2007, by defeating Bryant 61–51 on January 21.
• Travis and Chavis Holmes of VMI became the highest-scoring twins in NCAA Division I history.
• Ryan Toolson of Utah Valley had the highest single-game scoring mark of the season, netting 63 points in a 123–121 quadruple-overtime win over Chicago State on January 29, 2009. Chicago State teammates David Holston and John Cantrell each scored over 40 points in the loss.
• On January 31, Texas's A. J. Abrams hit his 339th 3-point shot, breaking the previous Big 12 record of 338 held by Jeff Boschee of Kansas. In the same game, Kansas State's Denis Clemente tied his former teammate Michael Beasley's Big 12 single-game scoring record, netting 44 points in an 85–81 overtime win for the Wildcats.
• North Dakota State became the first men's team in Division I or its predecessors to reach the NCAA Tournament in its first year of postseason eligibility since 1972, when Southwestern Louisiana, now Louisiana-Lafayette, accomplished this feat. The Bison reached the "Big Dance" by defeating Oakland in the final of the 2009 Summit League tournament on March 10.
• Syracuse upset Connecticut, 127–117, in a six-overtime game in the Big East Conference tournament Quarterfinals that started on March 12 and ended after midnight on March 13. It was the longest game in Big East history, and second longest in NCAA Division I history, at 70 total playing minutes.
• Davidson guard Stephen Curry, Boston College guard Tyrese Rice, Miami (FL) guard Jack McClinton, Florida State guard Toney Douglas, Temple guard Dionte Christmas, UAB guard Robert Vaden, Wyoming guard Brandon Ewing, Chicago State guard David Holston, UTEP guard Stefon Jackson, Central Florida guard Jermaine Taylor, North Dakota State guard Ben Woodside, VMI guard Chavis Holmes, East Tennessee State guard Courtney Pigram and Coppin State guard Tywain McKee each eclipsed the career 2000-point mark during the season.
• Arkansas State changed its nickname from the "Indians" to the "Red Wolves", effective this season.
• Bryant University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville competed at the Division I level for the first time, while Houston Baptist returned to Division I play after a 20-year absence and Seattle after 28 years.
• Conference realignments: Gardner-Webb moved from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the Big South Conference, while Presbyterian competes in the Big South as well after playing as an independent in 2007–08. Samford moved from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Southern Conference.
• Don Meyer passed Bob Knight as the winningest coach in NCAA history, breaking Knight's record of 902 victories.
• Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim led the Orange to 20 wins for the 31st time in his career, a new record. Boeheim had previously been tied with Dean Smith at 30 20-win seasons.
• Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun won his 800th career game, beating Marquette on February 25, 2009.
• After the season, Northeastern's basketball program was placed on probation until 2011 due to recruiting and extra-benefits violations.
• Centenary became the first men's basketball to receive a postseason ban due to their poor showing against Academic Progress Rate (APR) standards. The Gentlemen will not be eligible for postseason play for the 2009–10 season.
• 27,767,111 fans attended Division I games during the season, the second-highest all-time for the division.
• Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Jud Heathcote, Wayman Tisdale, Gene Bartow, Travis Grant, Walter Byers and Bill Wall were inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
• During the 2008–09 Big Ten season, Evan Turner and Manny Harris became the 4th and 5th players to finish in the top ten in the Big Ten Conference in average points rebounds and assists in the same season since assists became a statistic in 1983–84. Harris is the first to finish in the top six in each one. Turner would finish in the top two the following year.
• Harvard beats Boston College for its first-ever win against a ranked opponent. During the 2008–09 Ivy League season, Harvard's Jeremy Lin was the only NCAA Division I men's college basketball player who ranked in the top ten in his conference for scoring (17.8), rebounding (5.5), assists (4.3), steals (2.4), blocked shots (0.6), field goal percentage (0.502), free throw percentage (0.744), and 3-point shot percentage (0.400).

Major rule changes

Beginning in 2008–2009, the following rules changes were implemented:

• The three-point line moved from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 9 inches.
• If the entire ball is above the rim when it comes into contact with the backboard and is subsequently touched by a player, it is goaltending. Previously only a ball moving downward after hitting the backboard could be subject to goaltending.

Season outlook

Pre-season polls

See also: 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls, October 31, 2008.

'Associated Press' Ranking Team 1 North Carolina (72) 2 Connecticut 3 Louisville 4 UCLA 5 Pittsburgh 6 Michigan State 7 Texas 8 Duke 9 Notre Dame 10 Gonzaga 11 Purdue 12 Oklahoma 13 Memphis 14 Tennessee 15 Arizona State 16 Marquette 17 Miami (FL) 18 USC 19 Florida 20 Davidson 21 Wake Forest 22 Georgetown 23 Villanova 24 Kansas 25 Wisconsin

ESPN/USA Today Coaches Ranking Team 1 North Carolina (31) 2 Connecticut 3 Louisville 4 UCLA 5 Duke 6 Pittsburgh 7 Michigan State 8 Texas 9 Notre Dame 10 Purdue 11 Gonzaga 12 Memphis 13 Tennessee 14 Oklahoma 15 Arizona State 16 Miami (FL) 17 Marquette 18 Georgetown 19 Florida 20 Davidson 21 USC 22 Wisconsin 23 Kansas 24 Wake Forest 25 Villanova

Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2008–09 season.

School	Former conference	New conference
Bryant	NCAA Division II	Northeast Conference
Gardner–Webb	Atlantic Sun Conference	Big South Conference
Houston Baptist	NAIA	NCAA Division I Independent
North Dakota	NCAA Division II	NCAA Division I Independent
Samford	Ohio Valley Conference	Southern Conference
Seattle	NCAA Division II	NCAA Division I Independent
SIU Edwardsville	NCAA Division II	Ohio Valley Conference
South Dakota	NCAA Division II	NCAA Division I Independent

Regular season

Early-season tournaments

Name	Dates	Num. teams	Championship
2k Sports Classic	Nov. 10–21	16	Duke 71 vs. Michigan 57
Charleston Classic	Nov. 14–16	8	Clemson 76 vs. Temple 72
CBE Classic	Nov. 14–25	4*	Syracuse 89 vs. Kansas 81
NIT Season Tip-Off	Nov. 17–28	16	Oklahoma 87 vs. Purdue 82
Puerto Rico Tip-Off	Nov. 20–23	8	Xavier 63 vs. Memphis 58
Paradise Jam Tournament	Nov. 21–24	8	Connecticut 76 vs. Wisconsin 57
Maui Invitational Tournament	Nov. 24-26	8	UNC 102 vs. Notre Dame 87
Great Alaska Shootout	Nov. 26–29	8	San Diego State 76 vs. Hampton 47
76 Classic	Nov. 27–30	8	Wake Forest 87 vs. Baylor 74
Old Spice Classic	Nov. 27–30	8	Gonzaga 83 vs. Tennessee 74
Las Vegas Invitational	Nov. 28–29	4*	Kentucky 54 vs. West Virginia 43
Legends Classic	Nov. 28-29	4*	Pittsburgh 57 vs. Washington State 43
Cancún Challenge	Nov. 29-30	4*	Vanderbilt 71 vs. VCU 66

• *Although these tournaments technically have more teams involved, only 4 can play for the championship.

Conference winners and tournaments

Thirty athletic conferences each end their regular seasons with a single-elimination tournament. The teams in each conference that win their regular season title are given the number one seed in each tournament. The winners of these tournaments receive automatic invitations to the 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The Ivy League does not have a conference tournament, instead giving their automatic invitation to their regular-season champion Cornell.

Conference	Regular season winner	Conference player of the year	Conference tournament	Tournament venue (City)	Tournament Winner
America East Conference	Binghamton & Vermont	Marqus Blakely, Vermont	2009 America East men's basketball tournament	SEFCU Arena (Albany, New York) Final at campus site	Binghamton
Atlantic 10 Conference	Xavier	Ahmad Nivins, St. Joseph's	2009 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament	Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, New Jersey)	Temple
Atlantic Coast Conference	North Carolina	Ty Lawson, North Carolina	2009 ACC men's basketball tournament	Georgia Dome (Atlanta)	Duke
Atlantic Sun Conference	Jacksonville	Alex Renfroe, Belmont	2009 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament	Allen Arena (Nashville, Tennessee)	East Tennessee State
Big 12 Conference	Kansas	Blake Griffin, Oklahoma	2009 Big 12 men's basketball tournament	Ford Center (Oklahoma City)	Missouri
Big East Conference	Louisville	Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut & DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh	2009 Big East men's basketball tournament	Madison Square Garden (New York City)	Louisville
Big Sky Conference	Weber State	Kellen McCoy, Weber State	2009 Big Sky men's basketball tournament	Campus Sites	Portland State
Big South Conference	Radford	Artsiom Parakhouski, Radford	2009 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament	Campus Sites	Radford
Big Ten Conference	Michigan State	Kalin Lucas, Michigan State	2009 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament	Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana)	Purdue
Big West Conference	Cal State Northridge	Josh Akognon, Cal State Fullerton	2009 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament	Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California)	Cal State Northridge
Colonial Athletic Association	VCU	Eric Maynor, VCU	2009 CAA men's basketball tournament	Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia)	VCU
Conference USA	Memphis	Jermaine Taylor, Central Florida	2009 Conference USA men's basketball tournament	FedExForum (Memphis, Tennessee)	Memphis
Horizon League	Butler	Matt Howard, Butler	2009 Horizon League men's basketball tournament	Campus Sites	Cleveland State
Independent	Seattle	David Holston, Chicago State	No Tournament
Ivy League	Cornell	Alex Barnett, Dartmouth	No Tournament
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	Siena	Kenny Hasbrouck, Siena	2009 MAAC men's basketball tournament	Times Union Center (Albany, New York)	Siena
Mid-American Conference	Buffalo & Bowling Green (East) Ball State, Central Michigan & Western Michigan (West)	Michael Bramos, Miami	2009 MAC men's basketball tournament	Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)	Akron
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference	Morgan State	Tywain McKee, Coppin State	2009 MEAC men's basketball tournament	Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)	Morgan State
Missouri Valley Conference	Creighton & Northern Iowa	Booker Woodfox, Creighton	2009 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri)	Northern Iowa
Mountain West Conference	BYU, Utah & New Mexico	Luke Nevill, Utah	2009 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament	Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, Nevada)	Utah
Northeast Conference	Robert Morris	Jeremy Chappell, Robert Morris	2009 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament	Campus Sites	Robert Morris
Ohio Valley Conference	Tennessee-Martin	Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin	2009 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament	First round at campus sites, Final Four at Sommet Center (Nashville, Tennessee)	Morehead State
Pacific-10 Conference	Washington	James Harden, Arizona State	2009 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament	Staples Center (Los Angeles)	USC
Patriot League	American	Derrick Mercer, American	2009 Patriot League men's basketball tournament	Campus Sites	American
Southeastern Conference	South Carolina & Tennessee (East) LSU (West)	Marcus Thornton, LSU	2009 SEC men's basketball tournament	St. Pete Times Forum (Tampa, Florida)	Mississippi State
Southern Conference	Western Carolina & Chattanooga (North) Davidson (South)	Stephen Curry, Davidson	2009 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament	McKenzie Arena (Chattanooga, Tennessee)	Chattanooga
Southland Conference	Stephen F. Austin (East) Sam Houston State (West)	Matt Kingsley, Stephen F. Austin	2009 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament	Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, Texas)	Stephen F. Austin
Southwestern Athletic Conference	Alabama State	Brandon Brooks, Alabama State	2009 SWAC men's basketball tournament	Fair Park Arena (Birmingham, Alabama)	Alabama State
The Summit League	North Dakota State	Ben Woodside, North Dakota State	2009 Summit League men's basketball tournament	Sioux Falls Arena (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)	North Dakota State
Sun Belt Conference	Western Kentucky (East) Arkansas–Little Rock (West)	Orlando Mendez-Valdez, Western Kentucky	2009 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament	Summit Arena (Hot Springs, Arkansas) (Except First Round)	Western Kentucky
West Coast Conference	Gonzaga	John Bryant, Santa Clara	2009 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament	Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)	Gonzaga
Western Athletic Conference	Utah State	Gary Wilkinson, Utah State	2009 WAC men's basketball tournament	Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada)	Utah State

Statistical leaders

Source for additional stats categories

Points per game				Rebounds per game				Assists per game				Steals per game
Player	School	PPG		Player	School	RPG		Player	School	APG		Player	School	SPG
Stephen Curry	Davidson	28.6		Blake Griffin	Oklahoma	14.4		Johnathon Jones	Oakland	8.1		Chavis Holmes	VMI	3.4
Lester Hudson	Tenn.-Martin	27.5		John Bryant	Santa Clara	14.2		Brock Young	East Carolina	7.6		Travis Holmes	VMI	3.2
Jermaine Taylor	Central Florida	26.2		Kenneth Faried	Morehead St.	13.0		Levance Fields	Pittsburgh	7.5		Devin Gibson	TX-San Antonio	3.0
David Holston	Chicago St.	25.9		DeJuan Blair	Pittsburgh	12.3		DiJuan Harris	Charlotte	7.2		David Holston	Chicago St.	3.0
Stefon Jackson	UTEP	24.5		Ahmad Nivins	St. Joseph's	11.8		Ashton Mitchell	Sam Houston St.	6.8		Cedric Jackson	Cleveland St.	3.0

Blocked shots per game				Field-goal percentage				Three-Point FG percentage				Free-throw percentage
Player	School	BPG		Player	School	FG%		Player	School	3FG%		Player	School	FT%
Jarvis Varnado	Miss. St.	4.7		Jeff Pendergraph	Arizona St.	66.0		Mike Rose	Eastern Kentucky	48.1		Brett Harvey	Loyola (MD)	91.0
Hasheem Thabeet	UConn	4.2		Blake Griffin	Oklahoma	65.4		Booker Woodfox	Creighton	47.6		Josh White	North Texas	90.6
Tony Gaffney	UMass	3.8		Joey Henley	Sacred Heart	62.6		Jared Stohl	Portland	45.6		Jodie Meeks	Kentucky	90.2
Kleon Penn	McNeese St.	3.5		Keith Benson	Oakland	62.2		Ryan Tillema	Green Bay	45.4		Darren Collison	UCLA	89.7
Taj Gibson	USC	2.9		Ahmad Nivins	St. Joseph's	61.2		Jimmy Baron	Rhode Island	45.4		Alan Voskuil	Texas Tech	89.6

Conference standings

2008–09 America East men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Binghamton † 13 – 3   .813 23 – 9   .719 Vermont 13 – 3   .813 24 – 9   .727 Boston University 11 – 5   .688 17 – 13   .567 New Hampshire 8 – 8   .500 14 – 16   .467 Stony Brook 8 – 8   .500 16 – 14   .533 UMBC 7 – 9   .438 15 – 17   .469 Albany 6 – 10   .375 15 – 16   .484 Maine 4 – 12   .250 9 – 21   .300 Hartford 2 – 14   .125 7 – 26   .212 † America East tournament winner As of March 20, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 20 Xavier 12 – 4   .750 27 – 8   .771 Dayton 11 – 5   .688 27 – 8   .771 Rhode Island 11 – 5   .688 23 – 11   .676 Temple† 11 – 5   .688 22 – 12   .647 Duquesne 9 – 7   .563 21 – 13   .618 La Salle 9 – 7   .563 18 – 13   .581 Richmond 9 – 7   .563 20 – 16   .556 Saint Joseph's 9 – 7   .563 17 – 15   .531 Saint Louis 8 – 8   .500 18 – 14   .563 UMass 7 – 9   .438 12 – 18   .400 St. Bonaventure 6 – 10   .375 15 – 15   .500 Charlotte 5 – 11   .313 11 – 20   .355 George Washington 4 – 12   .250 10 – 18   .357 Fordham 1 – 15   .063 3 – 25   .107 † 2009 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 ACC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 2 North Carolina 13 – 3   .813 34 – 4   .895 No. 6 Duke† 11 – 5   .688 30 – 7   .811 No. 12 Wake Forest 11 – 5   .688 24 – 7   .774 No. 16 Florida State 10 – 6   .625 25 – 10   .714 No. 24 Clemson 9 – 7   .563 23 – 9   .719 Boston College 9 – 7   .563 22 – 12   .647 Maryland 7 – 9   .438 21 – 14   .600 Virginia Tech 7 – 9   .438 19 – 15   .559 Miami (FL) 7 – 9   .438 19 – 13   .594 NC State 6 – 10   .375 16 – 14   .533 Virginia 4 – 12   .250 10 – 18   .357 Georgia Tech 2 – 14   .125 12 – 19   .387 † 2009 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
2008–09 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Jacksonville 15 – 5   .750 18 – 14   .563 East Tennessee State † 14 – 6   .700 23 – 11   .676 Belmont 14 – 6   .700 20 – 13   .606 Lipscomb 12 – 8   .600 17 – 14   .548 Mercer 11 – 9   .550 17 – 15   .531 Campbell 11 – 9   .550 14 – 16   .467 Stetson 9 – 11   .450 13 – 17   .433 USC Upstate 8 – 12   .400 9 – 21   .300 Florida Gulf Coast 7 – 13   .350 11 – 20   .355 North Florida 6 – 14   .300 8 – 22   .267 Kennesaw State 3 – 17   .150 7 – 22   .241 † 2009 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner As of March 2, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Big East men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 1 Louisville† 16 – 2   .889 31 – 6   .838 No. 4 Pittsburgh 15 – 3   .833 31 – 5   .861 No. 5 Connecticut 15 – 3   .833 31 – 5   .861 No. 11 Villanova 13 – 5   .722 30 – 8   .789 No. 23 Marquette 12 – 6   .667 25 – 10   .714 No. 13 Syracuse 11 – 7   .611 28 – 10   .737 West Virginia 10 – 8   .556 23 – 12   .657 Providence 10 – 8   .556 19 – 14   .576 Notre Dame 8 – 10   .444 21 – 15   .583 Cincinnati 8 – 10   .444 18 – 14   .563 Seton Hall 7 – 11   .389 17 – 15   .531 Georgetown 7 – 11   .389 16 – 15   .516 St. John's 6 – 12   .333 16 – 18   .471 South Florida 4 – 14   .222 9 – 22   .290 Rutgers 2 – 16   .111 11 – 21   .344 DePaul 0 – 18   .000 9 – 24   .273 † 2009 Big East tournament winner As of April 4, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Big Sky men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Weber State 15 – 1   .938 21 – 10   .677 Portland State † 11 – 5   .688 23 – 10   .697 Montana 11 – 5   .688 17 – 12   .586 Idaho State 9 – 7   .563 13 – 19   .406 Northern Colorado 8 – 8   .500 14 – 18   .438 Montana State 6 – 10   .375 14 – 17   .452 Eastern Washington 6 – 10   .375 12 – 18   .400 Northern Arizona 5 – 11   .313 8 – 19   .296 Sacramento State 1 – 15   .063 2 – 27   .069 † 2009 Big Sky tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
2008–09 Big South men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Radford † 15 – 3   .833 21 – 12   .636 VMI 13 – 5   .722 24 – 8   .750 Liberty 12 – 6   .667 23 – 12   .657 UNC Asheville 10 – 8   .556 15 – 16   .484 Winthrop 9 – 9   .500 11 – 19   .367 Gardner–Webb 9 – 9   .500 13 – 17   .433 Presbyterian 9 – 9   .500 12 – 17   .414 Coastal Carolina 5 – 13   .278 11 – 20   .355 High Point 4 – 14   .222 9 – 21   .300 Charleston Southern 4 – 14   .222 9 – 20   .310 † 2009 Big South tournament winner As of March 7, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 8 Michigan State 15 – 3   .833 31 – 7   .816 No. 17 Purdue† 11 – 7   .611 27 – 10   .730 Illinois 11 – 7   .611 24 – 10   .706 Penn State 10 – 8   .556 27 – 11   .711 Ohio State 10 – 8   .556 22 – 11   .667 Wisconsin 10 – 8   .556 20 – 13   .606 Minnesota 9 – 9   .500 22 – 11   .667 Michigan 9 – 9   .500 21 – 14   .600 Northwestern 8 – 10   .444 17 – 14   .548 Iowa 5 – 13   .278 15 – 17   .469 Indiana 1 – 17   .056 6 – 25   .194 † 2009 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	2008–09 Big 12 men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 14 Kansas 14 – 2   .875 27 – 8   .771 No. 7 Oklahoma 13 – 3   .813 30 – 6   .833 No. 9 Missouri † 12 – 4   .750 31 – 7   .816 Kansas State 9 – 7   .563 22 – 12   .647 Texas 9 – 7   .563 23 – 12   .657 Texas A&M 9 – 7   .563 24 – 10   .706 Oklahoma State 9 – 7   .563 23 – 12   .657 Nebraska 8 – 8   .500 18 – 13   .581 Baylor 5 – 11   .313 24 – 15   .615 Iowa State 4 – 12   .250 15 – 17   .469 Texas Tech 3 – 13   .188 14 – 19   .424 Colorado 1 – 15   .063 9 – 22   .290 † 2009 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll
2008–09 Big West men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Cal State Northridge † 11 – 5   .688 17 – 14   .548 Pacific 10 – 6   .625 21 – 13   .618 Long Beach State 10 – 6   .625 15 – 15   .500 UC Riverside 8 – 8   .500 17 – 13   .567 UC Santa Barbara 8 – 8   .500 16 – 15   .516 UC Irvine 8 – 8   .500 12 – 19   .387 Cal State Fullerton 7 – 9   .438 15 – 17   .469 UC Davis 7 – 9   .438 13 – 19   .406 Cal Poly 3 – 13   .188 7 – 21   .250 † 2009 Big West tournament winner As of April 10, 2009 Rankings from AP poll	2008–09 CAA men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT VCU † 14 – 4   .778 24 – 10   .706 George Mason 13 – 5   .722 22 – 11   .667 Old Dominion 12 – 6   .667 25 – 10   .714 Northeastern 12 – 6   .667 19 – 13   .594 Hofstra 11 – 7   .611 21 – 11   .656 Drexel 10 – 8   .556 15 – 14   .517 James Madison 9 – 9   .500 21 – 15   .583 Georgia State 8 – 10   .444 12 – 20   .375 Delaware 6 – 12   .333 13 – 19   .406 William & Mary 5 – 13   .278 10 – 20   .333 Towson 5 – 13   .278 12 – 22   .353 UNC Wilmington 3 – 15   .167 7 – 25   .219 † 2009 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll	2008–09 Conference USA men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 3 Memphis † 16 – 0   1.000 33 – 4   .892 Tulsa 12 – 4   .750 25 – 11   .694 UAB 11 – 5   .688 22 – 12   .647 Houston 10 – 6   .625 21 – 12   .636 UTEP 10 – 6   .625 23 – 14   .622 Marshall 7 – 9   .438 15 – 17   .469 Tulane 7 – 9   .438 14 – 17   .452 East Carolina 5 – 11   .313 13 – 17   .433 Southern Miss 4 – 12   .250 15 – 17   .469 Rice 4 – 12   .250 10 – 22   .313 SMU 3 – 13   .188 9 – 21   .300 UCF 0 – 9   .000 0 – 14   .000 † 2009 CUSA Tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll *UCF vacated its wins from the 2008–09 season after it was discovered that there was an ineligible player on the team.
2008–09 Horizon League men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 22 Butler 15 – 3   .833 26 – 6   .813 Green Bay 13 – 5   .722 22 – 11   .667 Cleveland State † 12 – 6   .667 26 – 11   .703 Wright State 12 – 6   .667 20 – 13   .606 Milwaukee 11 – 7   .611 17 – 14   .548 UIC 7 – 11   .389 16 – 15   .516 Youngstown State 7 – 11   .389 11 – 19   .367 Loyola Chicago 6 – 12   .333 14 – 18   .438 Valparaiso 5 – 13   .278 9 – 22   .290 Detroit 2 – 16   .111 7 – 23   .233 † Horizon League Tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Ivy League men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Cornell 11 – 3   .786 21 – 10   .677 Princeton 8 – 6   .571 13 – 14   .481 Yale 8 – 6   .571 13 – 15   .464 Columbia 7 – 7   .500 12 – 16   .429 Dartmouth 7 – 7   .500 9 – 19   .321 Harvard 6 – 8   .429 14 – 14   .500 Penn 6 – 8   .429 10 – 18   .357 Brown 3 – 11   .214 9 – 19   .321 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 MAAC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Siena † 16 – 2   .889 27 – 8   .771 Niagara 14 – 4   .778 26 – 9   .743 Rider 12 – 6   .667 19 – 13   .594 Manhattan 9 – 9   .500 16 – 14   .533 Fairfield 9 – 9   .500 17 – 15   .531 Saint Peter's 8 – 10   .444 11 – 19   .367 Iona 7 – 11   .389 12 – 19   .387 Loyola (MD) 7 – 11   .389 12 – 20   .375 Canisius 4 – 14   .222 11 – 20   .355 Marist 4 – 14   .222 10 – 23   .303 † 2009 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
2008–09 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Bowling Green 11 – 5   .688 19 – 14   .576 Buffalo 11 – 5   .688 21 – 12   .636 Miami 10 – 6   .625 17 – 13   .567 Akron † 10 – 6   .625 23 – 13   .639 Kent State 10 – 6   .625 19 – 15   .559 Ohio 7 – 9   .438 15 – 17   .469 West Ball State 7 – 9   .438 14 – 17   .452 Central Michigan 7 – 9   .438 12 – 19   .387 Western Michigan 7 – 9   .438 10 – 21   .323 Eastern Michigan 6 – 10   .375 8 – 24   .250 Northern Illinois 5 – 11   .313 10 – 20   .333 Toledo 5 – 11   .313 7 – 25   .219 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 MEAC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Morgan State † 13 – 3   .813 23 – 12   .657 South Carolina State 10 – 6   .625 17 – 14   .548 Bethune–Cookman 9 – 7   .563 17 – 16   .515 North Carolina A&T 9 – 7   .563 16 – 16   .500 Norfolk State 9 – 7   .563 13 – 18   .419 Coppin State 9 – 7   .563 13 – 19   .406 Hampton 8 – 8   .500 16 – 16   .500 Florida A&M 6 – 10   .375 10 – 21   .323 Howard 6 – 10   .375 8 – 23   .258 Delaware State 6 – 10   .375 8 – 24   .250 Maryland Eastern Shore 3 – 13   .188 7 – 23   .233 Winston-Salem State –   – 8 – 22   .267 † 2009 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Northern Iowa † 14 – 4   .778 27 – 8   .771 Creighton 14 – 4   .778 27 – 8   .771 Illinois State 11 – 7   .611 24 – 10   .706 Bradley 10 – 8   .556 21 – 15   .583 Southern Illinois 8 – 10   .444 13 – 18   .419 Evansville 8 – 10   .444 17 – 14   .548 Wichita State 8 – 10   .444 17 – 17   .500 Drake 7 – 11   .389 17 – 16   .515 Indiana State 7 – 11   .389 11 – 21   .344 Missouri State 3 – 15   .167 11 – 20   .355 † Missouri Valley Conference tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll
2008–09 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT BYU 12 – 4   .750 25 – 8   .758 No. 25 Utah † 12 – 4   .750 25 – 10   .714 New Mexico 12 – 4   .750 22 – 12   .647 San Diego State 11 – 5   .688 26 – 10   .722 UNLV 9 – 7   .563 21 – 11   .656 Wyoming 7 – 9   .438 19 – 14   .576 TCU 5 – 11   .313 14 – 17   .452 Colorado State 4 – 12   .250 9 – 22   .290 Air Force 0 – 16   .000 10 – 21   .323 † Mountain West tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Seattle 0 – 0   – 21 – 8   .724 South Dakota 0 – 0   – 20 – 9   .690 Utah Valley 0 – 0   – 17 – 11   .607 Chicago State 0 – 0   – 19 – 13   .594 North Dakota 0 – 0   – 16 – 12   .571 Longwood 0 – 0   – 17 – 14   .548 Savannah State 0 – 0   – 15 – 14   .517 Texas–Pan American 0 – 0   – 10 – 17   .370 SIU Edwardsville 0 – 0   – 10 – 20   .333 Cal State Bakersfield 0 – 0   – 8 – 21   .276 Bryant 0 – 0   – 8 – 21   .276 Winston–Salem State 0 – 0   – 8 – 22   .267 Houston Baptist 0 – 0   – 5 – 25   .167 North Carolina Central 0 – 0   – 4 – 27   .129 NJIT 0 – 0   – 1 – 30   .032 As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Robert Morris † 15 – 3   .833 24 – 11   .686 Mount St. Mary's 12 – 6   .667 19 – 14   .576 Sacred Heart 12 – 6   .667 17 – 14   .548 Long Island 12 – 6   .667 16 – 14   .533 Quinnipiac 10 – 8   .556 15 – 16   .484 Central Connecticut 8 – 10   .444 13 – 17   .433 Wagner 8 – 10   .444 16 – 14   .533 St. Francis (NY) 7 – 11   .389 10 – 20   .333 Monmouth 6 – 12   .333 8 – 23   .258 Fairleigh Dickinson 6 – 12   .333 7 – 23   .233 Saint Francis (PA) 3 – 15   .167 6 – 23   .207 † 2009 NEC tournament winner
2008–09 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Tennessee–Martin 14 – 4   .778 22 – 10   .688 Murray State 13 – 5   .722 19 – 12   .613 Austin Peay 13 – 5   .722 19 – 14   .576 Morehead State † 12 – 6   .667 20 – 16   .556 Eastern Kentucky 10 – 8   .556 18 – 13   .581 Tennessee State 9 – 9   .500 12 – 18   .400 Eastern Illinois 8 – 10   .444 12 – 18   .400 Tennessee Tech 6 – 12   .333 12 – 18   .400 Jacksonville State 5 – 13   .278 11 – 17   .393 Southeast Missouri State 0 – 18   .000 3 – 27   .100 † Ohio Valley Conference tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 15 Washington 14 – 4   .778 26 – 9   .743 No. 18 UCLA 13 – 5   .722 26 – 9   .743 No. 19 Arizona State 11 – 7   .611 25 – 10   .714 California 11 – 7   .611 22 – 11   .667 USC† 9 – 9   .500 22 – 13   .629 Arizona 9 – 9   .500 21 – 14   .600 Washington State 8 – 10   .444 17 – 16   .515 Oregon State 7 – 11   .389 18 – 18   .500 Stanford 6 – 12   .333 20 – 14   .588 Oregon 2 – 16   .111 8 – 23   .258 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Patriot League men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT American † 13 – 1   .929 24 – 8   .750 Holy Cross 11 – 3   .786 18 – 14   .563 Navy 8 – 6   .571 19 – 11   .633 Army 6 – 8   .429 11 – 19   .367 Lehigh 5 – 9   .357 15 – 14   .517 Colgate 5 – 9   .357 10 – 20   .333 Bucknell 4 – 10   .286 7 – 23   .233 Lafayette 4 – 10   .286 8 – 22   .267 † 2009 Patriot League tournament winner
2008–09 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East South Carolina 10 – 6   .625 21 – 10   .677 Tennessee 10 – 6   .625 21 – 13   .618 Florida 9 – 7   .563 25 – 11   .694 Vanderbilt 8 – 8   .500 19 – 12   .613 Kentucky 8 – 8   .500 22 – 14   .611 Georgia 3 – 13   .188 12 – 20   .375 West No. 21 LSU 13 – 3   .813 27 – 8   .771 Auburn 10 – 6   .625 24 – 12   .667 Mississippi State† 9 – 7   .563 23 – 13   .639 Alabama 7 – 9   .438 18 – 14   .563 Ole Miss 7 – 9   .438 16 – 15   .516 Arkansas 2 – 14   .125 14 – 16   .467 † SEC Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Southern Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT North Western Carolina 11 – 9   .550 16 – 15   .516 Chattanooga † 11 – 9   .550 18 – 17   .514 Samford 9 – 11   .450 16 – 16   .500 Appalachian State 9 – 11   .450 13 – 18   .419 Elon 7 – 13   .350 11 – 20   .355 UNC Greensboro 4 – 16   .200 5 – 25   .167 South Davidson 18 – 2   .900 27 – 8   .771 The Citadel 15 – 5   .750 20 – 13   .606 Charleston 15 – 5   .750 27 – 9   .750 Wofford 12 – 8   .600 16 – 14   .533 Georgia Southern 5 – 15   .250 8 – 22   .267 Furman 4 – 16   .200 6 – 24   .200 † SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Southland Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Stephen F. Austin † 13 – 3   .813 24 – 8   .750 Nicholls State 12 – 4   .750 20 – 11   .645 Southeastern Louisiana 7 – 9   .438 13 – 17   .433 McNeese State 5 – 11   .313 11 – 18   .379 Northwestern State 3 – 13   .188 11 – 20   .355 Central Arkansas 3 – 13   .188 10 – 19   .345 West Sam Houston State 12 – 4   .750 18 – 12   .600 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi 11 – 5   .688 18 – 15   .545 Texas–Arlington 9 – 7   .563 16 – 14   .533 UTSA 8 – 8   .500 19 – 13   .594 Texas State 7 – 9   .438 14 – 16   .467 Lamar 6 – 10   .375 15 – 15   .500 † 2009 Southland tournament winner
2008–09 SWAC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Alabama State † 16 – 2   .889 22 – 10   .688 Jackson State 15 – 3   .833 18 – 15   .545 Prairie View A&M 12 – 6   .667 17 – 16   .515 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 11 – 7   .611 13 – 18   .419 Southern 8 – 10   .444 8 – 23   .258 Mississippi Valley State 7 – 11   .389 7 – 25   .219 Texas Southern 7 – 11   .389 7 – 25   .219 Alabama A&M 6 – 12   .333 8 – 19   .296 Grambling State 4 – 14   .222 6 – 23   .207 Alcorn State 4 – 14   .222 6 – 25   .194 † 2009 SWAC tournament winner As of March 12, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Summit League men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT North Dakota St. † 16 – 2   .889 26 – 7   .788 Oral Roberts 14 – 4   .778 16 – 15   .516 Oakland 13 – 5   .722 23 – 13   .639 IUPUI 9 – 9   .500 16 – 14   .533 Southern Utah 8 – 10   .444 11 – 20   .355 IPFW 8 – 10   .444 13 – 17   .433 South Dakota St. 7 – 11   .389 13 – 20   .394 Centenary 6 – 12   .333 8 – 23   .258 Western Illinois 6 – 12   .333 9 – 20   .310 UMKC 3 – 15   .167 7 – 24   .226 † Summit League Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll	2008–09 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT East Western Kentucky † 15 – 3   .833 25 – 9   .735 Troy 14 – 4   .778 19 – 13   .594 Middle Tennessee 10 – 8   .556 18 – 14   .563 South Alabama 10 – 8   .556 20 – 13   .606 Florida International 7 – 11   .389 13 – 20   .394 Florida Atlantic 2 – 16   .111 6 – 26   .188 West Arkansas-Little Rock 15 – 3   .833 23 – 8   .742 North Texas 11 – 7   .611 20 – 12   .625 Denver 9 – 9   .500 15 – 16   .484 Louisiana–Lafayette 7 – 11   .389 10 – 20   .333 Louisiana–Monroe 6 – 12   .333 10 – 20   .333 New Orleans 6 – 12   .333 11 – 19   .367 Arkansas State 5 – 13   .278 13 – 17   .433 † 2009 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll
2008–09 WAC men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT Utah State † 14 – 2   .875 30 – 5   .857 Nevada 11 – 5   .688 21 – 13   .618 Idaho 9 – 7   .563 17 – 16   .515 Boise State 9 – 7   .563 19 – 13   .594 New Mexico State 9 – 7   .563 17 – 15   .531 Louisiana Tech 6 – 10   .375 15 – 18   .455 San Jose State 6 – 10   .375 13 – 17   .433 Hawaii 5 – 11   .313 13 – 17   .433 Fresno State 3 – 13   .188 13 – 21   .382 † Conference tournament winner	2008–09 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings Conf Overall Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT No. 10 Gonzaga† 14 – 0   1.000 28 – 6   .824 Saint Mary's 10 – 4   .714 28 – 7   .800 Portland 9 – 5   .643 19 – 13   .594 Santa Clara 7 – 7   .500 16 – 17   .485 San Diego 6 – 8   .429 16 – 16   .500 Pepperdine 5 – 9   .357 9 – 23   .281 San Francisco 3 – 11   .214 11 – 19   .367 Loyola Marymount 2 – 12   .143 3 – 28   .097 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll

Post-season tournaments

NCAA tournament

Main article: 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament

The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 18, 2009, with the opening round game in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded on April 6 at the Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Of the 65 teams that were invited to participate, 31 were automatic bids while 34 were at-large bids. The 34 at-large teams came from 8 conferences, with the Big East, ACC and Big Ten each receiving seven bids. The Big 12 and Pac-10 each received six bids. The SEC and Atlantic 10 each received three bids. This season also marked the first time that three teams from the same conference were selected as #1 seeds (Louisville, Pittsburgh and Connecticut). North Carolina tore through the tournament, winning each game by 12 or more points and beating Michigan State in the Final 89–72 behind an NCAA-record 55 first-half points to win its fifth National championship. Ty Lawson recorded a record 8 steals, while Wayne Ellington was named tournament Most Outstanding Player.

Final Four – Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

	National semifinals April 4 6:07 p.m.; 40 min. after first game					National championship game April 6 9:21 p.m.
	M2	Michigan State	82
	W1	Connecticut	73
						2	Michigan State	72
						1	North Carolina	89
	S1	North Carolina	83
	E3	Villanova	69

National Invitation tournament

Main article: 2009 National Invitation Tournament

After the NCAA Tournament field was announced, the National Invitation Tournament invited 32 teams to participate. Five teams were automatic qualifiers for winning their conference regular-season championships, while the remaining 27 bids were named from an at-large pool. Notable entrants included Kentucky, who broke a 17-year NCAA tournament appearance streak by missing the field, as well as preseason top ten team Notre Dame and 2008 Regional Finalist Davidson. Penn State defeated Baylor 69–63 in the Final on April 2. The Nittany Lions' Jamelle Cornley was named tournament Most Outstanding Player.

NIT Semifinals and Final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2

	Semifinals					Final
	1	San Diego State	62
	3	Baylor	76
						3	Baylor	63
						2	Penn State	69
	2	Notre Dame	59
	2	Penn State	67

College Basketball Invitational

Main article: 2009 College Basketball Invitational

The second College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Tournament was held beginning March 17 and ended with a best-of-three final, ending March 30. It was the second year that the CBI tournament has conducted a post-season tournament. Oregon State defeated UTEP 2-1 in the final series to win the title. Oregon State's Roeland Schaftenaar was named tournament MVP.

CollegeInsider.com tournament

Main article: 2009 CollegeInsider.com Tournament

The inaugural CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was held beginning March 17 and ended with a championship game on March 30. This tournament places an emphasis on selecting successful teams from "mid-major" conferences who were left out of the NCAA Tournament and NIT. Old Dominion defeated Bradley 66–62 to win the first CIT championship in Peoria, Illinois. The Monarchs' Frank Hassell was named tournament MVP.

	Semi-Finals					Finals
	James Madison		43
	Old Dominion		81
						Old Dominion		66
						Bradley		62
	Pacific		49
	Bradley		59

Award winners

Consensus All-American teams

Main article: 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

Consensus First Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
DeJuan Blair	C	Sophomore	Pittsburgh
Stephen Curry	PG	Junior	Davidson
Blake Griffin	PF	Sophomore	Oklahoma
Tyler Hansbrough	C	Senior	North Carolina
James Harden	SG	Sophomore	Arizona State

Consensus Second Team

Player	Position	Class	Team
Sherron Collins	PG	Junior	Kansas
Luke Harangody	PF	Junior	Notre Dame
Ty Lawson	PG	Junior	North Carolina
Jodie Meeks	SG	Junior	Kentucky
Jeff Teague	PG	Sophomore	Wake Forest
Hasheem Thabeet	C	Junior	Connecticut

Major player of the year awards

• Wooden Award: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
• Naismith Award: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
• Associated Press Player of the Year: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
• NABC Player of the Year: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
• Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA): Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
• Adolph Rupp Trophy: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
• CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Year: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
• Sporting News Player of the Year: Blake Griffin, Oklahoma

Major freshman of the year awards

• USBWA Freshman of the Year: Tyreke Evans, Memphis
• Sporting News Freshman of the Year: Tyreke Evans, Memphis

Major coach of the year awards

• Associated Press Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas
• Henry Iba Award (USBWA): Bill Self, Kansas
• NABC Coach of the Year: Mike Anderson, Missouri & John Calipari, Memphis
• Naismith College Coach of the Year: Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh
• CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas
• Adolph Rupp Cup: Rick Pitino, Louisville
• Sporting News Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas

Other major awards

• Bob Cousy Award (Best point guard): Ty Lawson, North Carolina
• Pete Newell Big Man Award (Best big man): Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
• NABC Defensive Player of the Year: Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
• Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player 6'0"/1.83 m or shorter): Darren Collison, UCLA
• Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• Robert V. Geasey Trophy (Top player in Philadelphia Big 5): Ahmad Nivins, St. Joseph's
• NIT/Haggerty Award (Top player in New York City metro area): Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
• Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award (Strong personal character): Jon Brockman, Washington

Coaching changes

A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.

Team	Former Coach	Interim Coach	New Coach	Reason
Alabama	Mark Gottfried	Philip Pearson	Anthony Grant	Gottfried resigned mid-season and was replaced by VCU's Grant after the season
Appalachian State	Houston Fancher		Buzz Peterson	Fancher resigned, the Mountaineers re-hired former head coach Peterson.
Arizona	Lute Olson	Russ Pennell	Sean Miller	Olson retired after learning from his doctor that he had a stroke.
Army	Jim Crews		Zach Spiker	Crews was fired only weeks before the start of practice
Boston University	Dennis Wolff		Pat Chambers	Wolff was fired after 15 seasons at BU.
Cal Poly	Kevin Bromley		Joe Callero	Bromley was fired following a 3-win season.
Elon	Ernie Nestor		Matt Matheny	Nestor resigned, Davidson assistant Matt Matheny was hired as head coach after the season
Fairleigh Dickinson	Tom Green		Greg Vetrone	Green was fired after 26 years at the helm.
Florida International	Sergio Rouco		Isiah Thomas	Rouco was fired after five losing seasons in his five years at FIU.
Georgia	Dennis Felton	Pete Herrman	Mark Fox	Felton is fired after seven straight losses
Georgia Southern	Jeff Price		Charlton Young	Price resigned after an 8-win season
Grambling	Rick Duckett		Bobby Washington	Duckett left under uncertain circumstances following the death of Grambling player Henry White
Hampton	Kevin Nickelberry		Edward Joyner	Nickelberry resigned after three seasons.
High Point	Bart Lundy		Scott Cherry	Lundy was fired after a 21-loss season and last-place Big South finish
Holy Cross	Ralph Willard		Sean Kearney	Willard returns to Rick Pitino's Louisville staff as an assistant
Kentucky	Billy Gillispie		John Calipari	Gillispie was fired after two years and missing the NCAA tournament
Liberty	Ritchie McKay		Dale Layer	McKay left Liberty after the transfer of Seth Curry to become Associate head coach for new Virginia coach Tony Bennett.
Loyola Marymount	Bill Bayno		Max Good	Bayno resigned for medical reasons.
Memphis	John Calipari		Josh Pastner	Calipari left to take the Kentucky job.
Nevada	Mark Fox		David Carter	Fox left to take the Georgia job. Nevada elevated assistant Carter to replace him.
NC Central	Henry Dickerson		LeVelle Moton
North Florida	Matt Kilcullen		Matthew Driscoll
Portland State	Ken Bone		Tyler Geving	Portland State promoted assistant Geving after Bone keft for Washington State
Seattle	Joe Callero		Cameron Dollar	Callero keft for the Cal Poly job.
Southern California	Tim Floyd		Kevin O'Neill	Floyd resigned following allegations that player O. J. Mayo was paid during his time at USC.
Southeast Missouri State	Scott Edgar	Zac Roman	Dickey Nutt	Edgar was fired while on administrative leave over possible major NCAA violations.
Tennessee-Martin	Bret Campbell		Jason James	Campbell resigned after an audit turned up check-cashing irregularities. UTM then hired James, who became the second-youngest coach in Division I.
Tennessee State	Cy Alexander	Mark Pittman	John Cooper	Alexander was fired after starting 6-16, TSU hired Auburn associate head coach Cooper.
Texas-Pan American	Tom Schuberth		Ryan Marks
Virginia	Dave Leitao		Tony Bennett	Leitao resigned just two years removed from an ACC regular-season title.
Virginia Commonwealth	Anthony Grant		Shaka Smart	Popular Grant left for Alabama. VCU hired Florida assistant Smart as his replacement.
Xavier	Sean Miller		Chris Mack	Miller left Xavier to fill the vacancy at Arizona. He had reportedly turned down the job only to change his mind less than 24 hours later.
Washington State	Tony Bennett		Ken Bone	Bennett left for the Virginia job.