2008-09 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2008–09 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
. The Head Coach was Roy Williams
. The team played its home games in the Dean Smith Center
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
, and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
. The team won the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
, the fifth NCAA national title in school history.
, Danny Green
and Ty Lawson decided to withdraw from the 2008 NBA Draft
, and consensus national Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough
never declared for that draft. In addition, the players had been embarrassed in the previous season's Final Four
by Kansas, and they were motivated to atone for that poor performance. In the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll the Tar Heels were ranked #1. It is the first unanimous preseason #1 ranking in the history of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. UNC also received the first unanimous preseason #1 ranking in the history of the Associated Press Poll.
and Wake Forest
. However, they recovered to reel off 10 straight conference wins, including a 101–87 thrashing of rival Duke. Their only relatively close games during this stretch came against the ACC's two Florida teams—most notably against Florida State, in which they escaped with a Ty Lawson buzzer-beater.
They lost to Maryland in overtime, but recovered to win their last three games. A win over Virginia Tech gave the Tar Heels at least a share of their 27th regular season title, and third in a row. They won the title outright with a season-ending win over Duke.
The ACC Tournament
did not go nearly as well, largely because Ty Lawson was sidelined with an injured big toe. They needed a last-minute score to defeat Virginia Tech, then fell to Florida State in the second round. Still, the Tar Heels were rewarded with the #2 ranking in the final AP Poll, behind Louisville
. They also finished third in the final regular-season Coaches Poll, behind Louisville and Memphis
.
Despite not making it to the ACC title game, the Tar Heels received the top seed in the NCAA
South Region. It was the 13th time the Tar Heels had been selected as a #1 seed—the most since the NCAA began seeding the tournament field in 1979. It is also UNC's 41st NCAA appearance—tied with UCLA
for the second-most in history.
The Tar Heels played their first- and second-round games at the Greensboro Coliseum
, just an hour west of Chapel Hill. They easily dispatched Radford
and LSU
to advance to the regionals at the FedExForum
in Memphis
. In the regional round, the Heels dismantled Gonzaga 93–77. In the regional final, they defeated Oklahoma
72–60 to advance to the Final Four for the 18th time in school history—tied with UCLA for the most ever. The wins in the regional phase were also the school's 100th and 101st wins in the NCAA Tournament, passing Kentucky
for most all-time.
The Tar Heels were the highest seed to reach the Final Four at Ford Field
in Detroit; they were the overall #3 seed in the tournament behind Louisville and Pittsburgh
. In the national semifinal, the Tar Heels pounded Villanova
83–69 to advance to the national championship game for the ninth time in school history. They played against Michigan State
, whom the Tar Heels defeated 98–63 during the December 2008 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. They were no less dominant in the title game, winning 89–72 for the school's fifth NCAA national title—tied for the third-most all-time. The win capped off one of the most dominant runs in the tournament's history. The Tar Heels won every game by at least 12 points—a feat all the more remarkable since they upended four teams ranked in the top 15 of the final AP Poll in the process (#10 Gonzaga, #7 Oklahoma, #11 Villanova and #8 Michigan State). They also led for all but 10 minutes of a possible 240 minutes of game time. It also allowed Tyler Hansbrough and his fellow seniors to end their careers as the winningest class in school history.
Wayne Ellington was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, the fourth Tar Heel so honored.
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!colspan=8| Exhibition Game
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!colspan=8| Regular Season
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!colspan=8| ACC Tournament
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!colspan=8| NCAA Tournament
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. The Head Coach was Roy Williams
Roy Williams (coach)
Roy Williams is head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina. After averaging nearly an 80% win percentage in 15 seasons at the University of Kansas, he became the eighteenth head coach at North Carolina when he replaced Matt Doherty in 2003...
. The team played its home games in the Dean Smith Center
Dean Smith Center
The Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, usually called simply the Smith Center and popularly referred to as the Dean Dome is a multi-purpose arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The arena is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels men's basketball team, and temporary...
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
, and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. The team won the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
, the fifth NCAA national title in school history.
Preseason
The Tar Heels were a trendy pick to win the National Championship that year, primarily because Wayne EllingtonWayne Ellington
Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. , is an American basketball player who was drafted 28th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association...
, Danny Green
Danny Green (basketball)
Daniel Richard "Danny" Green, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for KK Union Olimpija in Slovenia. He is a 6'6" guard-forward from North Carolina. Danny has the most wins in North Carolina history: he played in more games and had more wins than any Tar Heel before him...
and Ty Lawson decided to withdraw from the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
, and consensus national Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough
Tyler Hansbrough
Andrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA...
never declared for that draft. In addition, the players had been embarrassed in the previous season's Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
by Kansas, and they were motivated to atone for that poor performance. In the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll the Tar Heels were ranked #1. It is the first unanimous preseason #1 ranking in the history of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. UNC also received the first unanimous preseason #1 ranking in the history of the Associated Press Poll.
Recruiting
Roster
| Name | # | Position | Height | Weight | Year | Home Town | High School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marc Campbell | 2 | G | 5–11 | 175 | Junior | Raleigh, NC Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh... |
Ravenscroft Ravenscroft School Ravenscroft School is an independent, formerly Episcopal, college preparatory school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It enrolls students from pre-school through grade 12... |
| Mike Copeland | 40 | F | 6–7 | 235 | Senior | Winston-Salem, NC Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to... |
R. J. Reynolds Richard J. Reynolds High School Richard J. Reynolds High School now the Richard J. Reynolds Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts is a high school in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Named for R. J. Reynolds, the founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the... |
| Ed Davis Ed Davis (basketball) Edward Adam "Ed" Davis is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Toronto Raptors. He played high school basketball at Benedictine High School in Richmond, Virginia... |
32 | F-C | 6–10 | 220 | Freshman | Richmond, VA Richmond, Virginia Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area... |
Benedictine Benedictine High School (Richmond, Virginia) Benedictine College Preparatory is a private, Roman Catholic military high school in Richmond, Virginia. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond, and is owned and operated by the Benedictine Society of Virginia.-History:... |
| Larry Drew II Larry Drew II Larry Drew II is an American collegiate basketball player for the University of California, Los Angeles . He is the son of Larry Drew, who was a first-round draft pick in the 1980 National Basketball Association Draft and is the current head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. At William Howard Taft... |
11 | G | 6–1 | 180 | Freshman | Encino, CA Encino, Los Angeles, California Encino is a hilly district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Specifically, it is located in the central portion of the southern San Fernando Valley and on the north slope of the Santa Monica Mountains... |
Woodland Hills Taft |
| Wayne Ellington Wayne Ellington Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. , is an American basketball player who was drafted 28th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association... |
22 | G | 6–4 | 200 | Junior | Wynnewood, PA Wynnewood, Pennsylvania Wynnewood, Pennsylvania is a suburban community located outside of Philadelphia in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania and Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Wynnewood was named in 1691 for Dr. Thomas Wynne, William Penn's physician and the first Speaker of the Pennsylvania General... |
Episcopal Academy |
| Bobby Frasor Bobby Frasor Robert John "Bobby" Frasor is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant video coordinator at the University of North Carolina. He was born in Blue Island, Illinois to Bob and Donna Frasor. Father Bob Frasor won 298 games in 27 years as head basketball coach at... |
4 | G | 6–3 | 210 | Senior | Blue Island, IL Blue Island, Illinois Blue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 22,556 at the 2010 census. Blue Island was established in the 1830s as a way station for settlers traveling on the Vincennes Trace, and the settlement prospered because it was conveniently situated a day's journey outside of Chicago... |
Brother Rice |
| Marcus Ginyard Marcus Ginyard Marcus Ginyard is an American professional basketball player from the University of North Carolina. Ginyard committed to play basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels after a high school career at Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. Ginyard’s role as a defensive... |
1 | G-F | 6–5 | 220 | Senior | Alexandria, VA Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as... |
Bishop O'Connell Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School was founded in 1957 in Arlington County, Virginia. It was operated by the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, but has been under the direction of the Diocese of Arlington since 1974. The school is named for Bishop Denis J... |
| Will Graves | 13 | F-G | 6–6 | 245 | Sophomore | Greensboro, NC Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S... |
Dudley James B. Dudley High School James Benson Dudley High School is located in the Southeastern quadrant of Guilford County in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina. Dudley High School was founded in 1929 as the first black high school in Guilford County, in a school system segregated by law... |
| Danny Green Danny Green (basketball) Daniel Richard "Danny" Green, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for KK Union Olimpija in Slovenia. He is a 6'6" guard-forward from North Carolina. Danny has the most wins in North Carolina history: he played in more games and had more wins than any Tar Heel before him... |
14 | F-G | 6–6 | 210 | Senior | North Babylon, NY North Babylon, New York North Babylon is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 17,877 at the 2000 census.North Babylon is a community in the Town of Babylon.-Geography:... |
St. Mary's St. Mary's High School (Manhasset, New York) St. Mary's College Preparatory High School is a private Catholic high school in Manhasset, New York. Located on the north shore of Nassau County, also known as the gold coast, the campus is just a few blocks from the Miracle Mile. St... |
| Tyler Hansbrough Tyler Hansbrough Andrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA... |
50 | C | 6–9 | 250 | Senior | Poplar Bluff, MO Poplar Bluff, Missouri Poplar Bluff is a city in Butler County located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is the county seat of Butler County and is known as "The Gateway to the Ozarks" among other names. As of the 2000 U.S... |
Poplar Bluff |
| Ty Lawson | 5 | G | 5–11 | 195 | Junior | Clinton, MD Clinton, Maryland Clinton is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Clinton was formerly known as Surrattsville until after the time of the American Civil War. The population of Clinton was 26,064 at the 2000 census. However, as of 2007, there is an... |
Oak Hill Academy Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) Oak Hill Academy is a co-educational, private Baptist-affiliated secondary school in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, United States. Oak Hill's enrollment of approximately 150 students is 98% boarders, serving grades 8–12... |
| Patrick Moody | 35 | F | 6–4 | 195 | Senior | Asheville, NC Asheville, North Carolina Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active... |
T. C. Roberson T. C. Roberson High School T.C. Roberson is a high school in the Buncombe County Schools System in Asheville, North Carolina. It is located at 250 Overlook Road, Asheville, NC 28803. TC Roberson High School was founded when Valley Springs High School and Biltmore High School were combined to form one high school... |
| J.B. Tanner | 15 | G | 6–0 | 185 | Senior | Hendersonville, NC Hendersonville, North Carolina Hendersonville is a city in Henderson County, North Carolina, USA, southeast of Asheville. In 1900, 1,917 persons lived in Hendersonville; in 1910, 2,818; and in 1940, 5,381 people lived here. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,223, up fivefold in one century. It is the county... |
West Henderson |
| Deon Thompson Deon Thompson Deon Thompson is an American college basketball player that played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Thompson is 6'9" tall and played the forward position.... |
21 | F | 6–8 | 240 | Junior | Torrance, CA Torrance, California Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring... |
Torrance Torrance High School Torrance High School is a high school located in Torrance, California. Founded in 1917, it is one of the oldest high schools in continuous use in California and is the oldest of the four high schools in the Torrance Unified School District. Four of its buildings are listed on the U.S... |
| Justin Watts | 24 | G | 6–4 | 205 | Freshman | Durham, NC Durham, North Carolina Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census... |
Jordan Charles E. Jordan High School Charles E. Jordan High School is located in Durham, North Carolina. It is one of seven high schools in Durham Public Schools. It is located on Garrett Road near Hope Valley Road in southwest Durham... |
| Jack Wooten | 30 | G | 6–2 | 190 | Senior | Burlington, NC Burlington, North Carolina Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located. The population was 49,963 at the 2010... |
Williams |
| Tyler Zeller Tyler Zeller Tyler Paul Zeller is an American college basketball player who is currently a Senior at the University of North Carolina... |
44 | C | 7–0 | 220 | Freshman | Washington, IN Washington, Indiana Washington is a city in Daviess County, Indiana, United States. The population was 11,509 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Daviess County.-History:... |
Washington Washington High School (Washington, Indiana) for schools of the same nameWashington High School is a high school in Washington, Indiana. Its athletic mascot is "The Hatchets". The School's primary colors are old gold and black. WHS plays in the Big Eight Conference... |
Schedule
The Tar Heels rolled through the nonconference schedule, along the way winning the Maui Invitational for the third time. They sputtered out of the gate to start ACC play, dropping their first two conference games to Boston College2008–09 Boston College Eagles men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Boston College Eagles men's basketball team played basketball for the Boston College Eagles. In 2007–08, they went 14–17 . Boston College's basketball program is one of the most popular and successful college basketball programs in the Northeast...
and Wake Forest
2008–09 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Wake Forest Demon Deacon's men's basketball team represents the Wake Forest University. The Head Coach is Dino Gaudio. The team plays its home games in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.On...
. However, they recovered to reel off 10 straight conference wins, including a 101–87 thrashing of rival Duke. Their only relatively close games during this stretch came against the ACC's two Florida teams—most notably against Florida State, in which they escaped with a Ty Lawson buzzer-beater.
They lost to Maryland in overtime, but recovered to win their last three games. A win over Virginia Tech gave the Tar Heels at least a share of their 27th regular season title, and third in a row. They won the title outright with a season-ending win over Duke.
The ACC Tournament
2009 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, the culmination of the 2008–09 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season and a part of the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place from March 12–March 15, 2009, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
did not go nearly as well, largely because Ty Lawson was sidelined with an injured big toe. They needed a last-minute score to defeat Virginia Tech, then fell to Florida State in the second round. Still, the Tar Heels were rewarded with the #2 ranking in the final AP Poll, behind Louisville
2008–09 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team represented the University of Louisville in basketball. The team was coached by Rick Pitino in his eighth year at the school...
. They also finished third in the final regular-season Coaches Poll, behind Louisville and Memphis
Memphis Tigers basketball
The Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Memphis in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Tigers compete in Conference USA, in which they have won six regular season and four conference tournament championships. As of 2011, the Tigers have the 29th highest...
.
Despite not making it to the ACC title game, the Tar Heels received the top seed in the NCAA
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
South Region. It was the 13th time the Tar Heels had been selected as a #1 seed—the most since the NCAA began seeding the tournament field in 1979. It is also UNC's 41st NCAA appearance—tied with UCLA
2008–09 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
The 2008–09 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team opened the season on November 3 when it took on Cal Baptist in an exhibition game in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins participated in the 2K Sports Classic, Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series, and the John R...
for the second-most in history.
The Tar Heels played their first- and second-round games at the Greensboro Coliseum
Greensboro Coliseum
The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is an entertainment complex located in College Hill neighborhood of Greensboro, North Carolina. Opening in 1959, the arena was one of the largest venues in the South, with a seating capacity of over 7,000...
, just an hour west of Chapel Hill. They easily dispatched Radford
Radford Highlanders
The Radford Highlanders are the athletic teams of Radford University. The school's athletic program includes 16 NCAA Division I varsity sports which compete in the Colonial Athletic Association....
and LSU
LSU Tigers basketball
The Louisiana State Tigers basketball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The team is currently coached by Trent Johnson and has enjoyed recent success, including a Final Four run in the 2005–2006 season. Past coaches include John Brady, Press...
to advance to the regionals at the FedExForum
FedExForum
The FedEx Forum is an arena located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. It is the home of the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA and the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Memphis, both of whom previously played home games at the Pyramid Arena...
in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. In the regional round, the Heels dismantled Gonzaga 93–77. In the regional final, they defeated Oklahoma
2008–09 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team represented the University of Oklahoma in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach is Jeff Capel, who was in his third year with the team...
72–60 to advance to the Final Four for the 18th time in school history—tied with UCLA for the most ever. The wins in the regional phase were also the school's 100th and 101st wins in the NCAA Tournament, passing Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
for most all-time.
The Tar Heels were the highest seed to reach the Final Four at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
in Detroit; they were the overall #3 seed in the tournament behind Louisville and Pittsburgh
2008–09 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team
The 2008-09 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represents the University of Pittsburgh in the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Head Coach is Jamie Dixon, who is serving for his 6th year as head coach at Pittsburgh and 10th overall at the University...
. In the national semifinal, the Tar Heels pounded Villanova
2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
The Villanova Wildcats had a 22–13 record in the 2008 season. Their season resulted in a trip to the Final Four, with their last second win over the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Elite 8.For the 2008–09 season, Villanova returned all but one from their entire roster that made it to the Sweet 16 of...
83–69 to advance to the national championship game for the ninth time in school history. They played against Michigan State
2008–09 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Tom Izzo who was in his 14th year. The team played their home games at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI...
, whom the Tar Heels defeated 98–63 during the December 2008 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. They were no less dominant in the title game, winning 89–72 for the school's fifth NCAA national title—tied for the third-most all-time. The win capped off one of the most dominant runs in the tournament's history. The Tar Heels won every game by at least 12 points—a feat all the more remarkable since they upended four teams ranked in the top 15 of the final AP Poll in the process (#10 Gonzaga, #7 Oklahoma, #11 Villanova and #8 Michigan State). They also led for all but 10 minutes of a possible 240 minutes of game time. It also allowed Tyler Hansbrough and his fellow seniors to end their careers as the winningest class in school history.
Wayne Ellington was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, the fourth Tar Heel so honored.
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!colspan=8| Exhibition Game
|-
!colspan=8| Regular Season
2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2008 and ended with the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I 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...
|-
!colspan=8| ACC Tournament
2009 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, the culmination of the 2008–09 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season and a part of the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place from March 12–March 15, 2009, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
|-
!colspan=8| NCAA Tournament
2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
Team players drafted into the NBA
| Year | Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
| 2009 2009 NBA Draft The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S... |
1 | 13 | Tyler Hansbrough Tyler Hansbrough Andrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA... |
Indiana Pacers Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association... |
| 2009 | 1 | 18 | Ty Lawson | Denver Nuggets Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams... |
| 2009 | 1 | 28 | Wayne Ellington Wayne Ellington Wayne Robert Ellington Jr. , is an American basketball player who was drafted 28th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association... |
Minnesota Timberwolves Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor... |
| 2009 | 2 | 46 | Danny Green Danny Green (basketball) Daniel Richard "Danny" Green, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for KK Union Olimpija in Slovenia. He is a 6'6" guard-forward from North Carolina. Danny has the most wins in North Carolina history: he played in more games and had more wins than any Tar Heel before him... |
Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team... |
| 2010 2010 NBA Draft The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur... |
1 | 13 | Ed Davis Ed Davis (basketball) Edward Adam "Ed" Davis is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Toronto Raptors. He played high school basketball at Benedictine High School in Richmond, Virginia... |
Toronto Raptors Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion... |