2008–09 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
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. The Big Ten Network included the team in a two and a half hour special that featured Midnight Madness
events from several Big Ten campuses on October 17, 2008.
The Spartans won the Big Ten regular season championship and received the second seed in the Midwest Regional during the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. They reached the Final Four after defeating Robert Morris, Southern California, Kansas and Louisville. In the national semifinals, Michigan State defeated Connecticut, 82-73. On April 6, 2009, they were defeated by North Carolina 89-72 in the national championship game at Ford Field
in Detroit, about 90 miles (144.8 km) from East Lansing. The two teams also played at this venue in December as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
!colspan=10| Regular Season
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!colspan=10| Big Ten Tournament
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!colspan=10| NCAA Tournament
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball 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...
. The head coach was Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo is an American college basketball coach. Since 1995, he has been the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, presiding over a prolonged period of success....
who was in his 14th year. The team played their home games at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. The Big Ten Network included the team in a two and a half hour special that featured Midnight Madness
Midnight Madness (basketball)
Midnight Madness is an annual event on college campuses that celebrates the first day in mid-October that the National Collegiate Athletic Association permits formal basketball practices each college basketball season. In some cases, the name has literal meaning since an event is scheduled...
events from several Big Ten campuses on October 17, 2008.
The Spartans won the Big Ten regular season championship and received the second seed in the Midwest Regional during the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. They reached the Final Four after defeating Robert Morris, Southern California, Kansas and Louisville. In the national semifinals, Michigan State defeated Connecticut, 82-73. On April 6, 2009, they were defeated by North Carolina 89-72 in the national championship game 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, about 90 miles (144.8 km) from East Lansing. The two teams also played at this venue in December as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
2008 Recruiting Class
Schedule and results
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!colspan=10| Big Ten Tournament
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!colspan=10| NCAA Tournament
2009 Recruiting Class
Roster
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | Wk 17 | Wk 18 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | 6 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | |
| Coaches | 7 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 2 |