2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
Encyclopedia
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:
First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009
First and Second Rounds: Friday and Sunday, March 20 and 22, 2009
The four regionals are officially named after their areas, a practice which resumed in 2007. Between 2004 and 2006, the regionals were named for their host cities. The following were the sites for the 2009 regionals:
Regionals: Thursday and Saturday, March 26 and 28, 2009
Regionals: Friday and Sunday, March 27 and 29, 2009
Regional winners advanced to the Final Four, hosted at Ford Field
in Detroit, Michigan
by the University of Detroit Mercy
on April 4 (semifinals) and April 6 (National Championship).
* – Denotes overtime period
All times in U.S. EDT
.
of Michigan State was the Midwest regional most outstanding player. He was joined by Spartan teammates Kalin Lucas
and Travis Walton
, Louisville's Earl Clark
and Kansas's Cole Aldrich
on the NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Regional team.
and Terrence Williams
, scored a combined 28 points. Morehead State has not beaten Louisville in 52 years.
In two overtimes, the Siena Saints beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 74–72. Ohio State had the advantage of playing an hour from their campus, and received 25 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists from Evan Turner
. The Saints made 6 out of 23 3-pointers and had 22 turnovers. Accordingly, Siena trailed for most of the game, but scored the last four points in regulation to force overtime. At the end of the first overtime, Siena's Ronald Moore drained his first 3-pointer to force a second overtime. With 3.9 seconds left in that overtime, he hit a second three from the same location to give the Saints a late 2-point lead. In an attempt to send the game into a third overtime, Turner shot a 15-footer immediately afterwards, but he missed it. This was Siena's fifth appearance in the tournament, after beating Vanderbilt University
in 2008 as a 13 seed.
The Arizona-Utah matchup was not as close. The Fifth-seeded Utah Utes were upset by twelfth-seeded Arizona Wildcats, one of the last teams to make it in the tournament and a questionable entry, by a score of 84–71. The Utes closed the lead to two with roughly five minutes left in the game, but the Wildcats' answer was a 10–1 run. Utah's Luke Nevill
committed two fouls less than four minutes into the game and scored only 12 points. Nic Wise
of Arizona, meanwhile, led the team with 29 points, with 21 in the second half.
The Cleveland State-Wake Forest game was an even larger upset. In their second bid in the tournament, the Cleveland State Vikings shocked the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 84–69. This 15-point win ties for third-greatest victory margin for a 13 seed over a 4 seed. Wake Forest, once ranked first in the country, had 16 turnovers in the matchup, compared to six for the Vikings. James Johnson
of the Demon Deacons scored 22 points, although this could not compensate for a substandard offense. Their scoring leader, Jeff Teague
, finished with 10 points, half his average. For these reasons, Wake Forest never obtained a lead, while Cleveland State sank three consecutive 3-pointers in the early minutes of the game.
For the first time in 19 years, Dayton advanced to the second round of the tournament with a win over West Virginia 68–60. This also ended West Virginia's first-round winning streak, which had lasted since 1992. Chris Wright led the Dayton Flyers with 27 points, a career high, while also chalking up 10 rebounds. Charles Little also aided the Flyers with 18 points. Darryl Bryant, who led West Virginia with 21 points, shot two consecutive three pointers to bring Dayton's lead to 48–47 with 11:02 minutes left in the game. However, that was the closest the Mountaineers had to a lead outside the beginning of the game.
In their first eligible year, North Dakota State appeared in the tournament, facing defending champion Kansas. The three-seeded Kansas Jayhawks staved off the fourteenth-seeded Bison's upset bid with a 84–74 victory. Ben Woodside
shined with 37 points for the Bison, his sixth game of the season with at least 30 points. However, Sherron Collins
and Cole Aldrich
proved too much for North Dakota State, accounting for 65 percent of the Jayhawks' points with 32 and 23 respectively.
The tenth-seeded USC Trojans demolished the seventh-seeded Boston College Eagles by a score of 72–55, helped by Taj Gibson
's 10-for-10 shooting from the field, tied for the second-best NCAA tournament field-goal shooting performance in history. He led the team with 24 points and recorded six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Dwight Lewis also added 20 points for the Trojans. After leading 34–30 at halfime, the Eagles scored just a single field goal during one 13-minute stretch, as part of a 23.1 shooting percentage in the second half.
Robert Morris, the region's 15 seed, was blown away by second-seeded Michigan State 77–62. The game was tied with 4:44 left in the first half, but then the Colonials went almost 20 minutes without scoring a single point. The Spartans took advantage of this for a 21–0 run that sealed the game in their favor. The Colonials' Jeremy Chappell was the only team member to score double-digit points with 11, and he also led the team with six rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. Raymar Morgan
was the Spartans' leading scorer with 16 points.
, known as one of the most relaxed players on the Cardinals roster, saved his team by grabbing rebounds and making 3s. He led the team with 24 points, 15 rebounds, two steals, and four assists. Earl Clark
also helped the Cardinals' cause with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
In a 12 vs. 13 seed Cinderella matchup, Arizona handily defeated Cleveland State. The Wildcats' zone defense puzzled Cleveland State, and their fast breaks sealed the game. The smallest deficit the Vikings faced was 48–44 about midway through the second half, though the Wilcats then went on a 13–2 run led by Nic Wise
's five consecutive points. His 21 points led the team's four double-digit scorers. Arizona was excellent behind the free-throw line, finishing 24 for 28.
Cole Aldrich
's triple-double with 13 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots paved the way for a third-seeded Kansas win over 11 seed Dayton. This was only the sixth triple-double in NCAA tournament history. With 43 points, Dayton scored the fewest points they had all season, compared to Kansas's 60. Despite their small point total, the Flyers shot 72 times, its most all season, amounting to a 22.2 shooting percentage. The Jayhawks were also not having one of their better offensive games, with Sherron Collins
being an exception; he made 25 points. This marked the third straight Sweet Sixteen appearance for Kansas.
Playing the tenth-seeded USC Trojans
, second-seeded Michigan State utilized Travis Walton's career-high 18 points for a 74–69 win. Normally known as a defensive player and averaging 4.9 points per game, Walton shot 8 for 13 from the field. His team out-rebounded USC 33 to 23, and USC made only one three-point play. Star Trojan Taj Gibson
was in foul trouble throughout much of the game, and yet his teammates rallied for 14 lead changes and 16 ties. Dwight Lewis, who gave a 19-point performance overall, scored six consecutive points for USC for a late tie. The Spartans only earned a victory after the Trojans missed their last nine shots. With the win, Michigan State has made it to the Sweet 16 eight times of the last 12 years, more than any other team except Duke.
led the Cardinals with 19 points, whose ballhandling garnered 29 assists. This was the most lopsided Sweet 16 victory since 1972.
The Michigan State-Kansas matchup was much more intense. After overcoming a 13-point first half deficit, the Spartans won 67–62. They shot 16 of 17 from the foul line, and on their only miss they rebounded the ball and gave Raymar Morgan the only points of the night on a dunk. Such rallies in the second half narrowed the deficit and occasionally took the lead, although the Jayhawks responded and were up by 2 with 2 minutes left in the game. They were helped by Sherron Collins
and Cole Aldrich
's combined 37 points. However, Kalin Lucas
of the Spartans, who had scored 11 points in the first 39 minutes of the game, made seven straight points with 48 seconds left. Goran Suton
also added nine rebounds, five steals, and a season-high 20 points for Michigan State.
, Missouri's DeMarre Carroll
and J.T. Tiller
and Memphis' Tyreke Evans
on the NCAA West All-regional team.
to a first round 71–58 win over Mississippi State Bulldogs
in the West Regional. Only Barry Stewart put up double digit points (14) for the Bulldogs.
in the second round of West Regional, falling short by two points (76–74). Leaders for Purdue were JaJuan Johnson with 22 points and Keaton Grant with 12 rebounds. Isaiah Thomas
with 24 points and Jon Brockman
with 18 rebounds led the Huskies.
was able to shoot quite well scoring 17 points, it was Hasheem Thabeet
and the Huskies who pulled away for a 72–60 win to move onto the regional finals.
In the nightcap of the sweet sixteen matchups, two sets of Tigers met, pitting Missouri against Memphis in a matchup that saw teams with similar fast-paced styles meet. Missouri was able to pull away with a 27–7 run that gave them a 64–40 lead. Though Memphis attempted to claw back into the game through Tyreke Evans
' 33 points, it was JT Tiller, DeMarre Carroll
, and Leo Lyons that moved on to meet UConn in the regional final along with the rest of their Missouri Tigers.
was named Regional most outstanding player. He was joined by teammates Dwayne Anderson
and Dante Cunningham
, Panthers Sam Young and DeJuan Blair
on the NCAA East All-Regional team.
' Alfred Aboya
scored two free-throw points with 48 seconds remaining in the game to help UCLA get by VCU
in the first round at the East Regional in Philadelphia's Wachovia Center
with Maynor's potential game winning jumper bouncing off the rim at the buzzer. Top scorers in the game were Eric Maynor
(21) for VCU and Josh Shipp
(16) for UCLA.
Villanova Wildcats
, playing at home against an American University
team that featured 5 seniors, fell behind early as American hit a barrage of 3 pointers. However, in the 2nd half, Villanova was able to take advantage of 20 free throws in the final 13 minutes of the game to win against American.
No. 12 seed Wisconsin
upset #5 seed Florida St. 61–59 in OT. Down 31–19 at the half, the Badgers' Jason Bohannon
made a three point jumper to give Wisconsin the lead with 45 seconds left in regulation. Trevon Hughes fouled Toney Douglas, who made two free throws to send the game into over-time. In over-time, the Badgers trailed by one with just seconds left when Hughes made a twisting shot from the lane over two defenders to put the Badgers ahead 60–59. Hughes was also fouled on the shot, and made the resulting free throw to make the score 61–59. Florida State had just enough time to run a full court in-bounds play but, the pass was deflected at half court thus securing the Badger victory.
ended UCLA's hope of going to the Final Four for the fourth time in a row. Dante Cunningham
had 18 points; Reggie Redding and Corey Fisher
had 13; Corey Stokes
put up 12; eleven points came from Scottie Reynolds
and ten points were put up by Dwayne Anderson for the winning team. Josh Shipp had 18 points and Alfred Aboya had 8 rebounds for UCLA.
(#3) upset Duke (#2), 77–54, to advance to the Regional Championship game to face Pittsburgh
(#1). The Wildcats, who were ahead by 3 at half-time, were led in scoring by Scottie Reynolds
(16), Dante Cunningham
(14) and Reggie Redding (11).
was upset by the Villanova Wildcats
, 78–76 in the East Regional Finals, denying the Panthers a chance for a first national championship in men's basketball. With five seconds remaining, Levance Fields
, who was fouled by Corey Fisher
, shot two free-throws to tie the game for Pitt. But Scottie Reynolds
' one-second jumper was good to give Villanova an upset victory. Pitt's Sam Young scored 28 points and DeJuan Blair
had 20 points. Dwayne Anderson
was top scorer for the Wildcats with 17 points.
and Tyler Hansbrough
as well as Blake Griffin
and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn
.
, 1982
, 1993
, 2005
); Connecticut had two (1999
, 2004
); Michigan State also had two (1979
, 2000
), and Villanova won one (1985
).
The Spartans had home court advantage by playing in their home state. Six teams have played the Final Four in their home states, but only four of them won. UCLA (1968
, 1972
, 1975
) and North Carolina State (1974
) won the national title, but Duke (1994
) and Purdue (1980
) lost in the Final Four. The biggest advantage came in 1968 and 1972 when UCLA played the championship game at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
, which is a short distance from Pauley Pavilion
, their home court since 1965.
, with 7 minutes to play, finally took hold of the game and defeated the number one seed Connecticut
to advance to the championship game against North Carolina. The Spartans started the game with a 7 point run, but the Huskies would come back to take a lead in the first half. Michigan State took it back and was leading by two at the half. Connecticut had the lead twice early in the second period. Michigan State, led by guard Kalin Lucas
with 21 points and forward Raymar Morgan
with 18 points, was just too much at the end for the Huskies. Scoring for Connecticut was shared by Jeff Adrien
(13), Stanley Robinson (15), Hasheem Thabeet
(17) and A.J. Price (15).
used an 11-point run to end Villanova's hope for a national championship and put the Tar Heels into the championship game for a chance to win their fifth title in nine trips. Ty Lawson produced 22 points, followed by Wayne Ellington
with 20 points and Tyler Hansbrough
with 18 points. Hansbrough, the sixth-leading scorer in tournament history, pulled down 11 rebounds. For Roy Williams
, who coached North Carolina to a national championship in 2005, it is back to the title game again.
This 71st title game featured #1 seed North Carolina
, which had a 4–4 record in the finals, versus #2 seed Michigan State
, which had a 2–0 record going into the game. It was also a matchup featuring future Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo
, who guided Michigan State to the championship in 2000 in his 5 trips to the Final Four, against current Hall of Famer Roy Williams
, who won the title in 2005 in 7 Final Fours.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1979 national title game between Michigan State Spartans
and the Sycamores of Indiana State
, Hall of Fame players Earvin "Magic" Johnson
and Larry Bird
, who had played against each other, presented the game ball at the 2009 NCAA national championship game Monday night.
The game was a rematch of "BasketBowl II", of 2009's ACC-Big Ten Challenge, won by the Tar Heels 98–63. That game was also played at Ford Field.
North Carolina
, with a first bucket from Deon Thompson
, took off and ran to a 21-point lead at the 10-minute mark. The lead grew to 24 with less than 5 minutes remaining in the first half, with most points coming from Wayne Ellington
(15). The Spartans were behind 34–55 at the half, a tournament record lead for the Tar Heels. Goran Suton
had the most points for Michigan State.
In the second half, Michigan State made a comeback to within 13 points of North Carolina with 4:56 to go in the game, but was unable to overcome the record 21 turnovers. Roy Williams and his Tar Heels defeated the Spartans 89–72 to take home his second trophy for the university. Ty Lawson set a record with 8 steals.
* Morehead State won the Opening Round game.
The America East
, Atlantic Sun
, Big Sky
, Big South
, Big West
, CAA
, Ivy
, MAC
, MEAC, MVC
, NEC
, Patriot
, Southland
, SoCon
, SWAC
, Summit, and WAC
conferences all went 0–1.
The columns R32, S16, E8, F4, and CG respectively stand for the Round of 32, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and Championship Game.
, CBS
and CBS College Sports Network served as broadcasters on television for the tournament. The only change from past years at the Final Four was that Jim Nantz
worked with Clark Kellogg
in the color commentary position instead of Billy Packer
, who left CBS in July 2008.
For the play-in game in Dayton, ESPN had Brent Musburger
, Steve Lavin
and Erin Andrews
working as the announcers.
Some CBS affiliates put additional game broadcasts on digital subchannels, or, as in the following two instances, on other stations:
, uses the CBS broadcast and commentators.: ESPN Brasil
, uses the CBS broadcast.
Yahoo! Sports
and NCAA.com also broadcasted the entire tournament live for free on the internet.
First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009
- Greensboro ColiseumGreensboro ColiseumThe 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...
, (host: Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe 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...
) - Sprint CenterSprint CenterSprint Center is a large, multi-use indoor arena in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The building is located at 14th Street and Grand Boulevard, on the east side of the Power & Light District...
, (host: Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceThe Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
) - Wachovia CenterWachovia CenterThe Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
(host: St. Joseph's UniversitySaint Joseph's UniversitySaint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
) - Rose Garden ArenaRose Garden ArenaRose Garden, commonly known as the Rose Garden Arena, is the primary indoor sports arena in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is suitable for large indoor events of all sorts, including basketball, ice hockey, rodeos, circuses, conventions, ice shows, concerts, and dramatic productions...
, (host: University of OregonUniversity of Oregon-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
)
First and Second Rounds: Friday and Sunday, March 20 and 22, 2009
- Taco Bell ArenaTaco Bell ArenaThe Taco Bell Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena, on the campus of Boise State University, in Boise, Idaho. The arena is located on the east end of campus, between West Campus Lane & Cesar Chavez Circle, immediately northwest of Bronco Stadium....
, (host: Boise State UniversityBoise State UniversityBoise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
) - University of Dayton ArenaUniversity of Dayton ArenaUniversity of Dayton Arena is a 13,455-seat multi-purpose arena in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams....
, (host: University of DaytonUniversity of DaytonThe University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
) - American Airlines Arena, Miami, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(host: Florida International UniversityFlorida International UniversityFlorida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
) - Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeHubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
, Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
(host: University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
)
The four regionals are officially named after their areas, a practice which resumed in 2007. Between 2004 and 2006, the regionals were named for their host cities. The following were the sites for the 2009 regionals:
Regionals: Thursday and Saturday, March 26 and 28, 2009
- East, TD Banknorth Garden, BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
(host: Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
) - West, University of Phoenix StadiumUniversity of Phoenix StadiumUniversity of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
, (host: Arizona State UniversityArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
)
Regionals: Friday and Sunday, March 27 and 29, 2009
- South, FedExForumFedExForumThe 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...
, (host: University of MemphisUniversity of MemphisThe University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
) - Midwest, Lucas Oil StadiumLucas Oil StadiumLucas Oil Stadium is a multi-purpose sports stadium in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The stadium celebrated its grand opening on August 24, 2008, and its ribbon-cutting ceremony August 16, 2008. It replaced the RCA Dome as the home field of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The stadium was built to...
, IndianapolisIndianapolisIndianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(hosts: Horizon LeagueHorizon LeagueThe Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
& Butler UniversityButler UniversityButler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
)
Regional winners advanced to the Final Four, hosted 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, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
by the University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university...
on April 4 (semifinals) and April 6 (National Championship).
Qualifying teams
Brackets
Results to dateAll times in U.S. EDT
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
.
Opening Round Game – Dayton, Ohio
Winner advanced to 16th seed in Midwest Regional vs. (1) Louisville.Midwest Regional – Indianapolis, Indiana
West Regional – Glendale, Arizona
East Regional – Boston, Massachusetts
South Regional – Memphis, Tennessee
Final Four – Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Midwest Region
Goran SutonGoran Suton
Goran Suton is a Bosnian-born American basketball player who completed his college career with the Michigan State Spartans in 2009. He has played with the Russian Super League team Spartak St...
of Michigan State was the Midwest regional most outstanding player. He was joined by Spartan teammates Kalin Lucas
Kalin Lucas
Kalin Lucas is an American professional basketball player with Olympiacos. He attended St. Mary's Preparatory in Orchard Lake, Michigan and played college basketball at Michigan State.-College career:...
and Travis Walton
Travis Walton (Basketball)
Travis Walton is a collegiate basketball player for the Michigan State University Spartans. In 2009 he was selected as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Travis was born in Lima, Ohio to Lakita and Nathaniel Walton. Walton played four consecutive years at Lima for Lima Senior...
, Louisville's Earl Clark
Earl Clark
Earl Rashad Clark is an American professional basketball player. Clark played collegiate basketball for the University of Louisville men's basketball team and was drafted 14th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2009 NBA Draft....
and Kansas's Cole Aldrich
Cole Aldrich
Cole David Aldrich is an American basketball player who is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association . He completed his junior year at the University of Kansas in March 2010. Aldrich was selected as a McDonald's All American in 2006. He attended...
on the NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Regional team.
First round
To play the top-seeded Louisville Cardinals in the first round, Morehead State defeated Alabama State 58–43, with the Eagles keeping the Hornets without a lead the entire game. This marked the first time either team had played in the tournament in five years; the Eagles had not played since 1984. Morehead State fell to Louisville 74–54, the 100th time a 1 seed beat a 16 seed in the tournament since seeding began. However, the Eagles managed to keep the game close until halftime, when Louisville led by only 2 points. In the second half, the Cardinals began to apply their signature fullcourt pressure, forcing turnovers and outscoring Morehead State 22–6 at the beginning of the half. Leon Buchanan's 17 points for the Eagles were not enough to upset Louisville, whose top scorers, Samardo SamuelsSamardo Samuels
Samardo Samuels is a Jamaican professional basketball player with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. He is a 6-foot-9-inch, 265-pound power forward/center who attended college at the University of Louisville....
and Terrence Williams
Terrence Williams
Terrence Deshon Williams is an American professional basketball player with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Nets. He was the senior co-captain for Rick Pitino's 2008-09 University of Louisville Cardinals...
, scored a combined 28 points. Morehead State has not beaten Louisville in 52 years.
In two overtimes, the Siena Saints beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 74–72. Ohio State had the advantage of playing an hour from their campus, and received 25 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists from Evan Turner
Evan Turner
Evan Marcel Turner , nicknamed The Villain, is an American basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers. Turner was drafted 2nd overall by the 76ers in the 2010 NBA draft. Turner plays the point guard, shooting guard and small forward positions. Turner is a first-team 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball...
. The Saints made 6 out of 23 3-pointers and had 22 turnovers. Accordingly, Siena trailed for most of the game, but scored the last four points in regulation to force overtime. At the end of the first overtime, Siena's Ronald Moore drained his first 3-pointer to force a second overtime. With 3.9 seconds left in that overtime, he hit a second three from the same location to give the Saints a late 2-point lead. In an attempt to send the game into a third overtime, Turner shot a 15-footer immediately afterwards, but he missed it. This was Siena's fifth appearance in the tournament, after beating Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in 2008 as a 13 seed.
The Arizona-Utah matchup was not as close. The Fifth-seeded Utah Utes were upset by twelfth-seeded Arizona Wildcats, one of the last teams to make it in the tournament and a questionable entry, by a score of 84–71. The Utes closed the lead to two with roughly five minutes left in the game, but the Wildcats' answer was a 10–1 run. Utah's Luke Nevill
Luke Nevill
Luke Nevill is an Australian basketball player.Nevill played collegiately at the University of Utah, where as a senior in 2008–09 he led the Utes to the NCAA Tournament...
committed two fouls less than four minutes into the game and scored only 12 points. Nic Wise
Nic Wise
Dominique Giovanni Wise is a point guard for the STB Le Havre in France.-High school:At Kingwood High School, Nic Wise was a two year letterwinner. He played his freshmen Highschool year at Cinco Ranch in Katy. The following year he played under his father at Hightower Highschool...
of Arizona, meanwhile, led the team with 29 points, with 21 in the second half.
The Cleveland State-Wake Forest game was an even larger upset. In their second bid in the tournament, the Cleveland State Vikings shocked the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 84–69. This 15-point win ties for third-greatest victory margin for a 13 seed over a 4 seed. Wake Forest, once ranked first in the country, had 16 turnovers in the matchup, compared to six for the Vikings. James Johnson
James Johnson (basketball)
James Patrick Johnson is an American basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. He was drafted 16th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. Johnson was the starting power forward for the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest University from 2007-2009...
of the Demon Deacons scored 22 points, although this could not compensate for a substandard offense. Their scoring leader, Jeff Teague
Jeff Teague (basketball)
Jeffrey Demarco Teague is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association. He was selected 19th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Hawks. Teague played college basketball for Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
, finished with 10 points, half his average. For these reasons, Wake Forest never obtained a lead, while Cleveland State sank three consecutive 3-pointers in the early minutes of the game.
For the first time in 19 years, Dayton advanced to the second round of the tournament with a win over West Virginia 68–60. This also ended West Virginia's first-round winning streak, which had lasted since 1992. Chris Wright led the Dayton Flyers with 27 points, a career high, while also chalking up 10 rebounds. Charles Little also aided the Flyers with 18 points. Darryl Bryant, who led West Virginia with 21 points, shot two consecutive three pointers to bring Dayton's lead to 48–47 with 11:02 minutes left in the game. However, that was the closest the Mountaineers had to a lead outside the beginning of the game.
In their first eligible year, North Dakota State appeared in the tournament, facing defending champion Kansas. The three-seeded Kansas Jayhawks staved off the fourteenth-seeded Bison's upset bid with a 84–74 victory. Ben Woodside
Ben Woodside
Ben Woodside is an American basketball player. He currently plays point guard for Union Olimpija in Slovenia.-High school:He attended Albert Lea High School where he set school career records for points, assists and steals.-College:...
shined with 37 points for the Bison, his sixth game of the season with at least 30 points. However, Sherron Collins
Sherron Collins
Sherron Marlon Collins is an American professional basketball player who plays for Hacettepe Üniversitesi, in the Turkish Basketball League. He formerly played for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. He has also played for Lietuvos Rytas, Maine Red Claws and Quebradillas...
and Cole Aldrich
Cole Aldrich
Cole David Aldrich is an American basketball player who is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association . He completed his junior year at the University of Kansas in March 2010. Aldrich was selected as a McDonald's All American in 2006. He attended...
proved too much for North Dakota State, accounting for 65 percent of the Jayhawks' points with 32 and 23 respectively.
The tenth-seeded USC Trojans demolished the seventh-seeded Boston College Eagles by a score of 72–55, helped by Taj Gibson
Taj Gibson
Taj Jami Gibson is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Following the 2010 signing of Carlos Boozer, he has played as the second string power forward...
's 10-for-10 shooting from the field, tied for the second-best NCAA tournament field-goal shooting performance in history. He led the team with 24 points and recorded six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Dwight Lewis also added 20 points for the Trojans. After leading 34–30 at halfime, the Eagles scored just a single field goal during one 13-minute stretch, as part of a 23.1 shooting percentage in the second half.
Robert Morris, the region's 15 seed, was blown away by second-seeded Michigan State 77–62. The game was tied with 4:44 left in the first half, but then the Colonials went almost 20 minutes without scoring a single point. The Spartans took advantage of this for a 21–0 run that sealed the game in their favor. The Colonials' Jeremy Chappell was the only team member to score double-digit points with 11, and he also led the team with six rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. Raymar Morgan
Raymar Morgan
Raymar Morgan is an American basketball player for Pınar Karşıyaka in Turkey. Morgan attended Canton McKinley High School and Michigan State University.-High school:...
was the Spartans' leading scorer with 16 points.
Second round
Ninth-seeded Siena faced top seed Louisville, with the Cardinals emerging victorious 79–72. Taking advantage of Louisville's 19 turnovers, the Saints came back from a 12-point deficit with 17:21 left in the game to snatch the lead around the 9-minute mark. Edwin Ubiles broke through Louisville's full-court pressure and added 24 points for Siena. Terrence WilliamsTerrence Williams
Terrence Deshon Williams is an American professional basketball player with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Nets. He was the senior co-captain for Rick Pitino's 2008-09 University of Louisville Cardinals...
, known as one of the most relaxed players on the Cardinals roster, saved his team by grabbing rebounds and making 3s. He led the team with 24 points, 15 rebounds, two steals, and four assists. Earl Clark
Earl Clark
Earl Rashad Clark is an American professional basketball player. Clark played collegiate basketball for the University of Louisville men's basketball team and was drafted 14th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2009 NBA Draft....
also helped the Cardinals' cause with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
In a 12 vs. 13 seed Cinderella matchup, Arizona handily defeated Cleveland State. The Wildcats' zone defense puzzled Cleveland State, and their fast breaks sealed the game. The smallest deficit the Vikings faced was 48–44 about midway through the second half, though the Wilcats then went on a 13–2 run led by Nic Wise
Nic Wise
Dominique Giovanni Wise is a point guard for the STB Le Havre in France.-High school:At Kingwood High School, Nic Wise was a two year letterwinner. He played his freshmen Highschool year at Cinco Ranch in Katy. The following year he played under his father at Hightower Highschool...
's five consecutive points. His 21 points led the team's four double-digit scorers. Arizona was excellent behind the free-throw line, finishing 24 for 28.
Cole Aldrich
Cole Aldrich
Cole David Aldrich is an American basketball player who is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association . He completed his junior year at the University of Kansas in March 2010. Aldrich was selected as a McDonald's All American in 2006. He attended...
's triple-double with 13 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots paved the way for a third-seeded Kansas win over 11 seed Dayton. This was only the sixth triple-double in NCAA tournament history. With 43 points, Dayton scored the fewest points they had all season, compared to Kansas's 60. Despite their small point total, the Flyers shot 72 times, its most all season, amounting to a 22.2 shooting percentage. The Jayhawks were also not having one of their better offensive games, with Sherron Collins
Sherron Collins
Sherron Marlon Collins is an American professional basketball player who plays for Hacettepe Üniversitesi, in the Turkish Basketball League. He formerly played for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. He has also played for Lietuvos Rytas, Maine Red Claws and Quebradillas...
being an exception; he made 25 points. This marked the third straight Sweet Sixteen appearance for Kansas.
Playing the tenth-seeded USC Trojans
USC Trojans
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy...
, second-seeded Michigan State utilized Travis Walton's career-high 18 points for a 74–69 win. Normally known as a defensive player and averaging 4.9 points per game, Walton shot 8 for 13 from the field. His team out-rebounded USC 33 to 23, and USC made only one three-point play. Star Trojan Taj Gibson
Taj Gibson
Taj Jami Gibson is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association . Following the 2010 signing of Carlos Boozer, he has played as the second string power forward...
was in foul trouble throughout much of the game, and yet his teammates rallied for 14 lead changes and 16 ties. Dwight Lewis, who gave a 19-point performance overall, scored six consecutive points for USC for a late tie. The Spartans only earned a victory after the Trojans missed their last nine shots. With the win, Michigan State has made it to the Sweet 16 eight times of the last 12 years, more than any other team except Duke.
Regional semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)
Louisville, the region's top seed, routed twelfth-seeded Arizona 103–64. In NCAA tournament history, this was Louisville's largest win and Arizona's largest loss. It was no surprise, given the Cardinals' 57.6 field goal percentage and their 48% shooting behind the arc. Their fullcourt pressure forced 15 turnovers on the Wildcats the entire game, including nine in the first half. Earl ClarkEarl Clark
Earl Rashad Clark is an American professional basketball player. Clark played collegiate basketball for the University of Louisville men's basketball team and was drafted 14th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2009 NBA Draft....
led the Cardinals with 19 points, whose ballhandling garnered 29 assists. This was the most lopsided Sweet 16 victory since 1972.
The Michigan State-Kansas matchup was much more intense. After overcoming a 13-point first half deficit, the Spartans won 67–62. They shot 16 of 17 from the foul line, and on their only miss they rebounded the ball and gave Raymar Morgan the only points of the night on a dunk. Such rallies in the second half narrowed the deficit and occasionally took the lead, although the Jayhawks responded and were up by 2 with 2 minutes left in the game. They were helped by Sherron Collins
Sherron Collins
Sherron Marlon Collins is an American professional basketball player who plays for Hacettepe Üniversitesi, in the Turkish Basketball League. He formerly played for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. He has also played for Lietuvos Rytas, Maine Red Claws and Quebradillas...
and Cole Aldrich
Cole Aldrich
Cole David Aldrich is an American basketball player who is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association . He completed his junior year at the University of Kansas in March 2010. Aldrich was selected as a McDonald's All American in 2006. He attended...
's combined 37 points. However, Kalin Lucas
Kalin Lucas
Kalin Lucas is an American professional basketball player with Olympiacos. He attended St. Mary's Preparatory in Orchard Lake, Michigan and played college basketball at Michigan State.-College career:...
of the Spartans, who had scored 11 points in the first 39 minutes of the game, made seven straight points with 48 seconds left. Goran Suton
Goran Suton
Goran Suton is a Bosnian-born American basketball player who completed his college career with the Michigan State Spartans in 2009. He has played with the Russian Super League team Spartak St...
also added nine rebounds, five steals, and a season-high 20 points for Michigan State.
Regional final (Elite Eight)
Michigan State blew out overall number one seed Louisville, 64–52, to advance to their fifth Final Four since 1999. Michigan State held Louisville to their second lowest point total of the season with their man-to-man defense keeping them out of sync all game. Center Goran Suton had 19 points and Durrel Summers had 12 in the rout. Earl Clark had 19 for Louisville.West Region
AJ Price was named MVP of the West Regional. He was joined by teammate Kemba WalkerKemba Walker
Kemba Hudley Walker is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Bobcats. Walker grew up in The Bronx, New York and graduated from Rice High School in 2008. With the Huskies basketball team at Connecticut, Walker was the 2nd leading college basketball scorer in the United States...
, Missouri's DeMarre Carroll
DeMarre Carroll
DeMarre LaEdrick Carroll is an American professional basketball player who was drafted 27th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association in the 2009 NBA Draft. Carroll formerly played for the University of Missouri and Vanderbilt University...
and J.T. Tiller
J.T. Tiller
J.T. Tiller is an American professional basketball player with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
and Memphis' Tyreke Evans
Tyreke Evans
Tyreke Jamir Evans is an American professional basketball player with Virtus Roma in Italy. He is also under contract with the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association , but is not currently playing with them because of the 2011 NBA lockout...
on the NCAA West All-regional team.
First round
Forward Quincy Pondexter scored 23 points to lead his Washington HuskiesWashington Huskies
Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The school is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The athletic program is made up of 9 men's sports and 10 women's sports Washington Huskies is the nickname of the University of Washington's athletic teams. The...
to a first round 71–58 win over Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Mississippi State University. They participate in NCAA's Division I in the competitive 12-member Southeastern Conference under the mascot Bulldogs and the school colors of maroon and white...
in the West Regional. Only Barry Stewart put up double digit points (14) for the Bulldogs.
Second round
Pac-10 champions Washington Huskies scored 46 points in the second half, but it was not enough to beat the Purdue Boilermakers2008–09 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team represented Purdue University. The Head Coach was Matt Painter, then in his 4th season with the Boilers. The team played its home games in Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana, and is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
in the second round of West Regional, falling short by two points (76–74). Leaders for Purdue were JaJuan Johnson with 22 points and Keaton Grant with 12 rebounds. Isaiah Thomas
Isaiah Thomas (basketball)
Isaiah Thomas is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings and was taken as the final pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He is a 5 ft 9 in and 170 - 180 lb point guard. During his freshman year, he averaged 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per...
with 24 points and Jon Brockman
Jon Brockman
Jonathan Rodney Brockman is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. He was the starting power forward and team captain for the University of Washington men's basketball team. He is the all-time leading rebounder and 2nd all-time scorer in University of...
with 18 rebounds led the Huskies.
Regional semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)
Connecticut faced Purdue at University of Phoenix Stadium in a West Regional semifinal. It was UConn who took full advantage of many Purdue mistakes and, even though Robbie HummelRobbie Hummel
Robert John Hummel is an American college basketball player for Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana...
was able to shoot quite well scoring 17 points, it was Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted as the 2nd pick overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft after playing with the Connecticut Huskies...
and the Huskies who pulled away for a 72–60 win to move onto the regional finals.
In the nightcap of the sweet sixteen matchups, two sets of Tigers met, pitting Missouri against Memphis in a matchup that saw teams with similar fast-paced styles meet. Missouri was able to pull away with a 27–7 run that gave them a 64–40 lead. Though Memphis attempted to claw back into the game through Tyreke Evans
Tyreke Evans
Tyreke Jamir Evans is an American professional basketball player with Virtus Roma in Italy. He is also under contract with the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association , but is not currently playing with them because of the 2011 NBA lockout...
' 33 points, it was JT Tiller, DeMarre Carroll
DeMarre Carroll
DeMarre LaEdrick Carroll is an American professional basketball player who was drafted 27th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association in the 2009 NBA Draft. Carroll formerly played for the University of Missouri and Vanderbilt University...
, and Leo Lyons that moved on to meet UConn in the regional final along with the rest of their Missouri Tigers.
Regional final (Elite Eight)
Kemba Walker came off the UConn bench to spark them to a victory over the 3 seeded Missouri TigersEast Region
Scottie ReynoldsScottie Reynolds
Scottie Reynolds is an American professional basketball player who will play for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. The Huntsville, Alabama native played for Villanova University in the Big East Conference of the NCAA...
was named Regional most outstanding player. He was joined by teammates Dwayne Anderson
Dwayne Anderson
Dwayne Anderson, Jr. is a former American college basketball player who most recently played for BG Göttingen in German Basketball League. He played as both a forward and a guard at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.-Early life:...
and Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats. Dante was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA...
, Panthers Sam Young and DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Lamont Blair is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Before turning pro Blair played center for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team from 2007 to 2009...
on the NCAA East All-Regional team.
First round
UCLA BruinsUCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
' Alfred Aboya
Alfred Aboya
Alfred Aboya Baliaba is a Cameroonian college basketball player with the UCLA Bruins and Cameroon national basketball team. Aboya was one of only four Bruins to play in all 39 games, making 17 starts and playing 594 minutes in the 2007–08 season...
scored two free-throw points with 48 seconds remaining in the game to help UCLA get by VCU
Virginia Commonwealth University Rams
The VCU Rams are the athletic teams of Virginia Commonwealth University that represent the university in college athletics. Members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I, the Rams' eight varsity sports compete in the Colonial Athletic Association...
in the first round at the East Regional in Philadelphia's Wachovia Center
Wachovia Center
The Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
with Maynor's potential game winning jumper bouncing off the rim at the buzzer. Top scorers in the game were Eric Maynor
Eric Maynor
Eric Demarqua Maynor is an American professional basketball player at point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA. He played college basketball for the VCU Rams...
(21) for VCU and Josh Shipp
Josh Shipp
Josh Shipp is an American teen behavior expert, motivational speaker, author, and TV show host. Josh began professionally speaking at age 17. He was president of Oklahoma DECA in High school. Starting in 2005, he was selected as a spokesperson for National Foster Care Month...
(16) for UCLA.
Villanova Wildcats
Villanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats is the name of the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport except football, where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association .-Men's basketball:The Villanova Wildcats compete in the Big EAST and are currently coached by Jay...
, playing at home against an American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
team that featured 5 seniors, fell behind early as American hit a barrage of 3 pointers. However, in the 2nd half, Villanova was able to take advantage of 20 free throws in the final 13 minutes of the game to win against American.
No. 12 seed Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball
The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin....
upset #5 seed Florida St. 61–59 in OT. Down 31–19 at the half, the Badgers' Jason Bohannon
Jason Bohannon
Jason Bohannon is a basketball player that plays Professional Basketball in Germany for USC Heidelberg. He is a Shooting Guard that is 6-2 198 pounds.-High school career:...
made a three point jumper to give Wisconsin the lead with 45 seconds left in regulation. Trevon Hughes fouled Toney Douglas, who made two free throws to send the game into over-time. In over-time, the Badgers trailed by one with just seconds left when Hughes made a twisting shot from the lane over two defenders to put the Badgers ahead 60–59. Hughes was also fouled on the shot, and made the resulting free throw to make the score 61–59. Florida State had just enough time to run a full court in-bounds play but, the pass was deflected at half court thus securing the Badger victory.
Second round
By six Wildcats scoring double-digit points, VillanovaVillanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats is the name of the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport except football, where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association .-Men's basketball:The Villanova Wildcats compete in the Big EAST and are currently coached by Jay...
ended UCLA's hope of going to the Final Four for the fourth time in a row. Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats. Dante was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA...
had 18 points; Reggie Redding and Corey Fisher
Corey Fisher
Anthony Guy Corey Fisher is an American professional basketball player. A point guard, he attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Fisher decided on Villanova due to its combination of athletics and academics. Fisher played high school basketball for St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New...
had 13; Corey Stokes
Corey Stokes
Corey Stokes is an American basketball player, formerly for Villanova University, best known for his three-point shooting. , he's under contract with Bundesliga club BBC Bayreuth.-High school:...
put up 12; eleven points came from Scottie Reynolds
Scottie Reynolds
Scottie Reynolds is an American professional basketball player who will play for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. The Huntsville, Alabama native played for Villanova University in the Big East Conference of the NCAA...
and ten points were put up by Dwayne Anderson for the winning team. Josh Shipp had 18 points and Alfred Aboya had 8 rebounds for UCLA.
Regional semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)
Villanova2008–09 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...
(#3) upset Duke (#2), 77–54, to advance to the Regional Championship game to face 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...
(#1). The Wildcats, who were ahead by 3 at half-time, were led in scoring by Scottie Reynolds
Scottie Reynolds
Scottie Reynolds is an American professional basketball player who will play for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. The Huntsville, Alabama native played for Villanova University in the Big East Conference of the NCAA...
(16), Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham
Dante Cunningham is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats. Dante was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA...
(14) and Reggie Redding (11).
Regional final (Elite Eight)
Number one seed Pittsburgh2008–09 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...
was upset by the Villanova Wildcats
Villanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats is the name of the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport except football, where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association .-Men's basketball:The Villanova Wildcats compete in the Big EAST and are currently coached by Jay...
, 78–76 in the East Regional Finals, denying the Panthers a chance for a first national championship in men's basketball. With five seconds remaining, Levance Fields
Levance Fields
Levance E. Fields is an American basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Pittsburgh.-Early life and high school career:...
, who was fouled by Corey Fisher
Corey Fisher
Anthony Guy Corey Fisher is an American professional basketball player. A point guard, he attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Fisher decided on Villanova due to its combination of athletics and academics. Fisher played high school basketball for St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New...
, shot two free-throws to tie the game for Pitt. But Scottie Reynolds
Scottie Reynolds
Scottie Reynolds is an American professional basketball player who will play for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. The Huntsville, Alabama native played for Villanova University in the Big East Conference of the NCAA...
' one-second jumper was good to give Villanova an upset victory. Pitt's Sam Young scored 28 points and DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Lamont Blair is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association . Before turning pro Blair played center for the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team from 2007 to 2009...
had 20 points. Dwayne Anderson
Dwayne Anderson
Dwayne Anderson, Jr. is a former American college basketball player who most recently played for BG Göttingen in German Basketball League. He played as both a forward and a guard at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.-Early life:...
was top scorer for the Wildcats with 17 points.
South Region
Ty Lawson was the South regional MVP and he was joined on the All-regional team by teammates Danny GreenDanny 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 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...
as well as Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin
Blake Austin Griffin is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association . Griffin had a renowned high school career at Oklahoma Christian School, winning state titles each of his four years under his father, Tommy Griffin, who was the...
and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn
Jonny Flynn
Jonny William Flynn is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
.
First round
Western Kentucky advanced to the second round for a second consecutive year as a 12 seed, beating 5th seeded Illinois. 10th seeded Michigan upset 7th seeded Clemson 62–59 in its first tournament win since 1998. It was Michigan's first tournament appearance in 11 years after the school was rocked with sanctions and punishments from the Chris Webber scandal in the mid-2000s.Final Four
All final four teams in the tournament had won at least one national championship. Entering the tournament, North Carolina had the most with four (19571957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1957 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1957, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Kansas City, Missouri...
, 1982
1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, 1993
1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1993, and ended with the championship game on April 5 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, 2005
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
); Connecticut had two (1999
1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1999 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1999, and ended with the championship game on March 29 at Tropicana Field in St....
, 2004
2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
); Michigan State also had two (1979
1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 40 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 9, 1979, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Salt Lake City, Utah...
, 2000
2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2000, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
), and Villanova won one (1985
1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. This was the first year the field was expanded to 64 teams, from 53 in the previous year's tournament. It began...
).
The Spartans had home court advantage by playing in their home state. Six teams have played the Final Four in their home states, but only four of them won. UCLA (1968
1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1968, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Los Angeles, California...
, 1972
1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1972 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 11, 1972, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Los Angeles, California...
, 1975
1975 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1975 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1975, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in San Diego, California...
) and North Carolina State (1974
1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1974 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It was the first tournament to officially be designated as a Division I championship—previously, NCAA member...
) won the national title, but Duke (1994
1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1994 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 17, 1994, and ended with the championship game on April 4 in Charlotte, North Carolina...
) and Purdue (1980
1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1980 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 6, 1980, and ended with the championship game on March 24 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
) lost in the Final Four. The biggest advantage came in 1968 and 1972 when UCLA played the championship game at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in the University Park neighborhood, of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park. It is located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, just south of the campus of the University of Southern California.-History:The Los Angeles...
, which is a short distance from Pauley Pavilion
Pauley Pavilion
Edwin W. Pauley Pavilion, commonly known as Pauley Pavilion, is an indoor arena located in the Westwood Village district of Los Angeles, California, on the campus of UCLA. It is home to the UCLA Bruins men's and women's basketball teams...
, their home court since 1965.
Michigan State vs. Connecticut
Michigan StateMichigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
, with 7 minutes to play, finally took hold of the game and defeated the number one seed Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies men's basketball
The Connecticut Huskies is the name of the men's college basketball team representing the University of Connecticut, in Storrs, Connecticut, USA. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
to advance to the championship game against North Carolina. The Spartans started the game with a 7 point run, but the Huskies would come back to take a lead in the first half. Michigan State took it back and was leading by two at the half. Connecticut had the lead twice early in the second period. Michigan State, led by guard Kalin Lucas
Kalin Lucas
Kalin Lucas is an American professional basketball player with Olympiacos. He attended St. Mary's Preparatory in Orchard Lake, Michigan and played college basketball at Michigan State.-College career:...
with 21 points and forward Raymar Morgan
Raymar Morgan
Raymar Morgan is an American basketball player for Pınar Karşıyaka in Turkey. Morgan attended Canton McKinley High School and Michigan State University.-High school:...
with 18 points, was just too much at the end for the Huskies. Scoring for Connecticut was shared by Jeff Adrien
Jeff Adrien
Jeff Adrien is an American professional basketball player. He is a 6'7" forward. Adrien formerly served as captain for the University of Connecticut Huskies.-High school:...
(13), Stanley Robinson (15), Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet
Hasheem Thabeet is a Tanzanian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted as the 2nd pick overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft after playing with the Connecticut Huskies...
(17) and A.J. Price (15).
Villanova vs. North Carolina
After the first five minutes, North Carolina2008-09 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
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...
used an 11-point run to end Villanova's hope for a national championship and put the Tar Heels into the championship game for a chance to win their fifth title in nine trips. Ty Lawson produced 22 points, followed by 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...
with 20 points and 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...
with 18 points. Hansbrough, the sixth-leading scorer in tournament history, pulled down 11 rebounds. For 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...
, who coached North Carolina to a national championship in 2005, it is back to the title game again.
Championship game – Michigan State vs. North Carolina
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...
, which had a 4–4 record in the finals, versus #2 seed Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
, which had a 2–0 record going into the game. It was also a matchup featuring future Hall of Fame coach 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 guided Michigan State to the championship in 2000 in his 5 trips to the Final Four, against current Hall of Famer 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...
, who won the title in 2005 in 7 Final Fours.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1979 national title game between Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
and the Sycamores of Indiana State
Indiana State Sycamores
The Indiana State University Sycamores are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Indiana State University. They are members of the Missouri Valley Conference, joining in the 1977-78 academic year; past conference memberships include the Indiana College Athletic League , the Indiana Intercollegiate...
, Hall of Fame players Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
and Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
, who had played against each other, presented the game ball at the 2009 NCAA national championship game Monday night.
The game was a rematch of "BasketBowl II", of 2009's ACC-Big Ten Challenge, won by the Tar Heels 98–63. That game was also played at Ford Field.
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...
, with a first bucket from 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....
, took off and ran to a 21-point lead at the 10-minute mark. The lead grew to 24 with less than 5 minutes remaining in the first half, with most points coming from 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...
(15). The Spartans were behind 34–55 at the half, a tournament record lead for the Tar Heels. Goran Suton
Goran Suton
Goran Suton is a Bosnian-born American basketball player who completed his college career with the Michigan State Spartans in 2009. He has played with the Russian Super League team Spartak St...
had the most points for Michigan State.
In the second half, Michigan State made a comeback to within 13 points of North Carolina with 4:56 to go in the game, but was unable to overcome the record 21 turnovers. Roy Williams and his Tar Heels defeated the Spartans 89–72 to take home his second trophy for the university. Ty Lawson set a record with 8 steals.
All Tournament team
- Wayne EllingtonWayne EllingtonWayne 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...
, North Carolina (Most Outstanding PlayerNCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding PlayerAt the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships , the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team, especially since the third place game was eliminated after 1981...
) - Tyler HansbroughTyler HansbroughAndrew 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...
, North Carolina - Ty Lawson, North Carolina
- Kalin LucasKalin LucasKalin Lucas is an American professional basketball player with Olympiacos. He attended St. Mary's Preparatory in Orchard Lake, Michigan and played college basketball at Michigan State.-College career:...
, Michigan State2008–09 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball teamThe 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... - Goran SutonGoran SutonGoran Suton is a Bosnian-born American basketball player who completed his college career with the Michigan State Spartans in 2009. He has played with the Russian Super League team Spartak St...
, Michigan State2008–09 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball teamThe 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...
Tournament notes
- Largest tournament point differential (+121) by the champion since 1996
- Highest attended National Semifinal Games (72,456) in Final Four history (old record: 64,959)
- Highest attended National Championship Game (72,922) in Final Four history (old record: 64,959)
- Highest total Final Four attendance (145,378) ever (old record: 129,918)
- Roy WilliamsRoy 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...
is one of four active coaches to win multiple titles (Jim CalhounJim CalhounJames A. Calhoun is the head coach of the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team. His teams have won three national championships , played in four Final Fours , won the 1988 NIT championship, and have won seven Big East tournament championships...
, Billy DonovanBilly DonovanWilliam John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
and Mike Krzyzewski are others) - Nielsen ratingsNielsen RatingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
for the Championship Game were down 7% to 11.9/19 versus a 12.8/20 the previous year. The entire tournament averaged a 6.3/13, a 5% increase. - Blake GriffinBlake GriffinBlake Austin Griffin is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association . Griffin had a renowned high school career at Oklahoma Christian School, winning state titles each of his four years under his father, Tommy Griffin, who was the...
of OklahomaOklahoma Sooners men's basketball-1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980...
was the winner of the John Wooden Award, presented by the Los Angeles Athletic ClubLos Angeles Athletic ClubLos Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year....
on Friday, April 10 in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. - 708,296 fans in attendance over the course of 35 sessions.
Record by conference
| Conference | # of Bids | Record | Win % | R32 | S16 | E8 | F4 | CG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACC 2008–09 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season The 2008–09 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season was the 56th season for the league. North Carolina won the regular season crown while Duke won the ACC Tournament championship... |
7 | 9–6 | .600 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Big East 2008–09 Big East Conference men's basketball season The 2008–09 Big East Conference men's basketball season was the 30th in conference history, and involved its 16 full-time member schools. Leading up to, during, and following the season, it has been widely regarded as one of the most successful seasons in Big East Conference history, fielding... |
7 | 17–7 | .708 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | – |
| Big Ten 2008–09 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season The 2008–09 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season marked the continuation of the annual tradition of competitive basketball among Big Ten Conference members that began in 1904. It was the 104th season of Big Ten Conference basketball play... |
7 | 9–7 | .563 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Big 12 2008–09 Big 12 Conference men's basketball season The 2008–09 Big 12 Conference men's basketball season marks the 13th season of Big 12 Conference basketball.-Big 12 Coaches Poll:-All-Big 12 players:*Curtis Jerrells, Baylor*Sherron Collins, Kansas*Blake Griffin, Oklahoma*A.J... |
6 | 11–6 | .647 | 6 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
| Pac-10 2008–09 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball season The 2008–09 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball season ended with six teams participating in the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and two teams playing in the College Basketball Invitational .... |
6 | 6–6 | .500 | 5 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Atlantic 10 | 3 | 3–3 | .500 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – |
| SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama... |
3 | 1–3 | .250 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Horizon Horizon League The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States.... |
2 | 1–2 | .333 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Mountain West Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999... |
2 | 0–2 | .000 | – | – | – | – | – |
| C–USA Conference USA Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports... |
1 | 2–1 | .667 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
| MAAC Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. MAAC teams compete in the NCAA's Division I. Most of the members are Catholic or formerly Catholic institutions; the only exception is the private but secular Rider... |
1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Ohio Valley Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I... |
1 | 1–1* | .500 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sun Belt Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions... |
1 | 1–1 | .500 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| WCC West Coast Conference The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington.... |
1 | 2–1 | .667 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
The America East
America East Conference
The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring...
, Atlantic Sun
Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference is a college athletic conference operating in the Southeastern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I; it does not sponsor football. The conference was established in 1978 as the Trans America Athletic Conference...
, Big Sky
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
, Big South
Big South Conference
The Big South Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. The conference's football teams are part of the Football Championship Subdivision...
, Big West
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...
, CAA
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
, Ivy
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
, MAC
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
, MEAC, MVC
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
, NEC
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
, Patriot
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
, Southland
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
, SoCon
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
, SWAC
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
, Summit, and WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
conferences all went 0–1.
The columns R32, S16, E8, F4, and CG respectively stand for the Round of 32, Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and Championship Game.
Television
Once again, except for the play-in game, which was telecast on ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, CBS
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
and CBS College Sports Network served as broadcasters on television for the tournament. The only change from past years at the Final Four was that Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz
James William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
worked with Clark Kellogg
Clark Kellogg
Clark Clifton Kellogg, Jr. is the VP of player relations for the Indiana Pacers as well as the lead college basketball analyst for CBS Sports and former player in the National Basketball Association.-High School:...
in the color commentary position instead of Billy Packer
Billy Packer
Anthony William "Billy" Packer is a former American sportscaster for CBS Sports and a published author.-Early life:Packer is a graduate of Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania...
, who left CBS in July 2008.
- Studio: Greg GumbelGreg GumbelGreg Gumbel is an American television sportscaster. He is best known for his various assignments on the CBS network...
, Greg AnthonyGreg AnthonyGregory Carlton Anthony is an American former National Basketball Association basketball player and former personality on the ESPN family of networks. He is currently an analyst for CBS's college basketball coverage...
and Seth DavisSeth DavisSeth Davis is a writer for Sports Illustrated magazine and an in-studio analyst for CBS' NCAA men's college basketball coverage with Greg Anthony and host Greg Gumbel. Davis attended Duke University, graduating in 1992 with a degree in political science... - Jim NantzJim NantzJames William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
, Clark KelloggClark KelloggClark Clifton Kellogg, Jr. is the VP of player relations for the Indiana Pacers as well as the lead college basketball analyst for CBS Sports and former player in the National Basketball Association.-High School:...
and Tracy WolfsonTracy WolfsonTracy Wolfson is an American sportscaster for CBS Sports. She is a University of Michigan graduate with a degree in communications.-Early life and career:...
(she was only used as sideline reporter for the Final Four and NCAA Championship game) – 1st & 2nd Round at Greensboro, NC; South Regional at Memphis, TN; Final Four at Detroit, MI - Dick EnbergDick EnbergRichard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
/Carter BlackburnCarter BlackburnCarter Blackburn is an American sportscaster. He currently works for ESPN and ESPNU as play-by-play announcer on various telecasts. By age thirty-one, Blackburn had called the NFL on Fox, NCAA Basketball Tournaments on CBS, and college football on ABC...
and Jay BilasJay BilasJay Scot Bilas is an American lawyer and basketball analyst for ESPN and CBS Sports. He is also a former college basketball player.-Playing career:...
– Blackburn Thursday afternoon; Enberg Thursday night, second round at Philadelphia, PA; West Regional at Glendale, AZ - Verne LundquistVerne LundquistMerton Laverne "Verne" Lundquist, Jr. is an American sportscaster, currently employed by CBS Sports television.-Early life and career:Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota...
and Bill RafteryBill RafteryBill Raftery is an American basketball analyst and play-by-play announcer and former college basketball coach.-High School:...
– 1st & 2nd Round at Dayton, OH; East Regional at Boston, MA - Gus JohnsonGus Johnson (sportscaster)Augustus Cornelius "Gus" Johnson, Jr. is an American sportscaster. Formerly employed by CBS Sports, he currently calls play-by-play for Fox Sports, Showtime, the Big Ten Network and EA Sports.-Education:...
and Len ElmoreLen ElmoreLeonard J. "Len" Elmore is an American sportscaster, lawyer and former National Basketball Association player....
– 1st & 2nd Round at Minneapolis, MN; Midwest Regional at Indianapolis, IN - Kevin HarlanKevin HarlanKevin Harlan is an American television sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he currently broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS. Harlan is also a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT...
and Dan BonnerDan BonnerDan Bonner is an analyst and color commentator covering NCAA men's basketball. He previously played basketball at the University of Virginia and coached the UVa women's team for two seasons. He also coached girls' basketball and soccer at Robert E...
– 1st & 2nd Round at Portland, OR - Ian EagleIan EagleIan Eagle is an American sports announcer calling National Football League games on CBS, New Jersey Nets games on the YES Network and hosts Full Court Press, a basketball talk show with former player Kenny Smith on Sirius Satellite Radio...
and Jim SpanarkelJim SpanarkelJames Gerard Spanarkel is an American television analyst for the National Basketball Association. Spanarkel, who himself was a professional basketball player, was selected 16th overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1980...
– 1st & 2nd Round at Miami, FL - Craig BolerjackCraig BolerjackCraig Bolerjack is an American sportscaster. He is currently an announcer for FOX Sports, working mostly college football and college basketball games.-Biography:...
and Bob WenzelBob WenzelBob Wenzel is a former American college basketball coach and a current broadcaster for ESPN, the Big East Network, and CBS Sports.-College playing/Coaching career:...
– 1st & 2nd Round at Boise, ID - Tim BrandoTim BrandoTim Brando is a radio host and CBS Sports studio host and play-by-play announcer.-Biography:...
and Mike GminskiMike GminskiMichael Thomas Gminski is a retired American college and professional basketball player. Gminski played his high school ball for Masuk High School in Monroe, CT. From there he played four seasons with the Duke Blue Devils, from 1977 to 1980. He led the team in scoring during his junior and senior...
– 1st & 2nd Round at Kansas City, MO
For the play-in game in Dayton, ESPN had Brent Musburger
Brent Musburger
Brent Woody Musburger is an American sportscaster for the ESPN and ABC television networks. Formerly with CBS Sports and one of the original members of their legendary program The NFL Today, Musburger has covered NASCAR, NBA, MLB, NCAA football and basketball games. Musburger has also served as a...
, Steve Lavin
Steve Lavin
Steve Lavin is an American basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head men's basketball coach at St. John's University in Queens, New York. Lavin previously served as the head coach for UCLA....
and Erin Andrews
Erin Andrews
Erin Jill Andrews is an American sportscaster, journalist, and television personality. As of 2011 she is a co-host of the ESPN entertainment show College GameDay and a contributor for Good Morning America on the ABC network...
working as the announcers.
Some CBS affiliates put additional game broadcasts on digital subchannels, or, as in the following two instances, on other stations:
- WOIOWOIOWOIO, virtual channel 19 , is the CBS affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio. It is licensed to the nearby suburb of Shaker Heights. WOIO is owned by Raycom Media and its sister station to MyNetworkTV affiliate WUAB . The two stations share a studio facility in Cleveland and WOIO's transmitter is located in...
and WUAB (Raycom MediaRaycom Media- History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations....
duopolyDuopolyA true duopoly is a specific type of oligopoly where only two producers exist in one market. In reality, this definition is generally used where only two firms have dominant control over a market...
): On March 20, WOIO aired Ohio State vs. Siena, while Cleveland State vs. Wake Forest was on WUAB at the same time. The ClevelandCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
area has a substantial number of OSU alumni, and MansfieldMansfield, OhioMansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately southwest of Cleveland and northeast of Columbus....
, although part of the Cleveland market, is equidistant to both ColumbusColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and Cleveland. - KOTV and KQCWKQCWKQCW-DT, virtual channel 19 , is The CW-affiliated television station in the Tulsa, Oklahoma DMA, licensed to Muskogee. The station is owned by Oklahoma City-based Griffin Communications, in a duopoly with CBS affiliate KOTV-DT...
(Griffin Media duopoly): Also on March 20, KOTV aired Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee; at the same time, Kansas vs. North Dakota State was on KQCW. The reason for this simulcast is that part of the Tulsa market includes CoffeyvilleCoffeyville, KansasCoffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295...
and other communities at the southern end of Kansas.
First/Second Round
- Wayne LarriveeWayne LarriveeWayne Larrivee is an American sportscaster, who is the radio play-by-play voice of the Green Bay Packers and football and basketball play-by-play voice for the Big Ten Network.-Early life and career:...
and John ThompsonJohn Thompson (basketball)John R. Thompson, Jr. is an American former basketball coach for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator...
– 1st & 2nd rounds at Philadelphia, PA - Bill RosinskiBill RosinskiBill Rosinski is an American sportscaster and talk show host, operating primarily out of Charlotte, North Carolina.Rosinski currently works for ESPN Radio as its lead college football and college basketball commentator, as well as for ISP Sports calling ACC sports...
and Kyle Macy – 1st & 2nd rounds at Greensboro, NC - Kevin KuglerKevin KuglerKevin Kugler is a radio personality at 1620 the Zone in Omaha, Nebraska, co-host of the afternoon program "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" from 2:00pm to 6:00pm Central Time. He is also the lead play-by-play announcer on the Westwood One/NCAA Radio Network for college football and college basketball. He...
and Pete GillenPete GillenPete Gillen is an American former college basketball head coach of the Division I Xavier Musketeers, Providence Friars and Virginia Cavaliers and is a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame...
– 1st & 2nd rounds at Kansas City, MO - Dave SimsDave SimsDave Sims is an American sportscaster. He currently is the television play-by-play commentator for the Seattle Mariners, the radio play-by-play man for Sunday Night Football on Westwood One, and the host of Basketball and Beyond with Coach K on Sirius XM Satellite Radio...
and P.J. Carlesimo – 1st & 2nd rounds at Portland, OR - Tom McCarthyTom McCarthy (broadcaster)Tom McCarthy is an American sports broadcaster. He is the play-by-play announcer for Philadelphia Phillies television broadcasts...
and Kevin GreveyKevin GreveyKevin Michael Grevey is a retired American professional basketball player. A 6'5" swingman, the left-handed Grevey played for the Washington Bullets from 1975-1983 and the Milwaukee Bucks from 1983-1985...
– 1st & 2nd rounds at Miami, FL - Mark ChampionMark ChampionMark Champion is an American radio sportscaster who is the current primary radio play-by-play voice of the Detroit Pistons, a position he has served in since 2001...
and Kelly TripuckaKelly TripuckaPeter Kelly Tripucka is a former American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association from 1981 to 1991. During his ten seasons in the league, he played for the Detroit Pistons, Utah Jazz, and Charlotte Hornets...
– 1st & 2nd rounds at Dayton, OH - Brad ShamBrad ShamBrad Michael Sham is an American sportscaster who is known as the "Voice of the Dallas Cowboys". Sham is currently heard on the Dallas Cowboys Radio Network, including the flagship stations 1080 AM KRLD, where Sham held the position of Sports Director between 1976 and 1981; and 105.3 KRLD-FM "The...
and Reid GettysReid GettysA "set up man" in large part, Reid Gettys played a pivotal role in the success of the powerhouse Phi Slama Jama basketball teams at the University of Houston during the early-to-mid 1980s....
– 1st & 2nd rounds at Minneapolis, MN - Ted RobinsonTed Robinson (sportscaster)Theodore "Ted" Robinson is an American sportscaster. He is currently the radio play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco 49ers, having taken over for longtime 49ers announcer, Joe Starkey, following Starkey's retirement in 2009.-Early life:Ted Robinson grew up in Rockville Centre, New York and...
and Bill FriederBill FriederBill Frieder is a former basketball coach at the University of Michigan and Arizona State University . Just before the 1989 NCAA Tournament, Frieder announced that he would leave Michigan for Arizona State at the end of the season...
– 1st & 2nd rounds at Boise, ID
Regionals
- Kevin Kugler and John Thompson – East Regional at Boston, MA
- Wayne Larrivee and Bill Frieder – West Regional at Glendale, AZ
- Kevin HarlanKevin HarlanKevin Harlan is an American television sports announcer. The son of former Green Bay Packers executive Bob Harlan, he currently broadcasts NFL and college basketball games on CBS. Harlan is also a play-by-play announcer for the NBA on TNT...
and P.J. Carlesimo – South Regional at Memphis, TN - Ian EagleIan EagleIan Eagle is an American sports announcer calling National Football League games on CBS, New Jersey Nets games on the YES Network and hosts Full Court Press, a basketball talk show with former player Kenny Smith on Sirius Satellite Radio...
and Pete Gillen – Midwest Regional at Indianapolis, IN
International broadcasters
: The Score: One HD / ESPN AustraliaESPN Australia
ESPN Australia is a 24 hour sports channel offered in Australia and New Zealand.Initially, ESPN was known as Sports ESPN on the Optus Vision cable television system, and focused on sports aired by its home network in the United States, including American football, baseball, and basketball...
, uses the CBS broadcast and commentators.: ESPN Brasil
ESPN Brasil
ESPN Brasil is a Brazilian cable television network. Launched in June 1995 through a joint venture between ESPN Inc. and Grupo Abril's television arm TVA, ESPN Brasil was the first country-specific version of ESPN outside the United States. Today, the network has 12.2 million subscribers...
, uses the CBS broadcast.
- Europe, North Africa and Middle East: ESPN America: Live/delayed on Basketball TVBasketball TVBasketball TV or BTV is a 24-hour all-basketball cable channel in the Philippines owned by the Solar Entertainment Corporation. It was launched on October 1, 2006, rebranding the Sports Plus channel....
, and recorded on C/S9Radio Philippines NetworkRadio Philippines Network, Inc. is a broadcast television network in the Philippines co-owned by the Government Communications Group, Solar Entertainment Corporation, Far East Managers and Investors Inc., and private sectors. This station studios are located at Broadcast City, Old Balara, Capitol...
; uses the CBS broadcast and commentators.
Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports
Yahoo! Sports was launched on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc., employs various writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American sport...
and NCAA.com also broadcasted the entire tournament live for free on the internet.
See also
- 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball seasonThe 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...
- 2009 National Invitation Tournament2009 National Invitation Tournament-Semifinals and finals:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2* denotes each overtime played-NIT Championship:...
- 2009 College Basketball Invitational2009 College Basketball InvitationalThe 2009 College Basketball Invitational was a single-elimination tournament of 16 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams that did not participate in the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament or the 2009 National Invitation Tournament. The opening round began...
- 2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball TournamentThe regionals, held in the city rather than the geographic area as a practice that has been used since 2005, were held there from March 28 to 31 at these sites:...
- 2009 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament2009 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 72nd Buffalo Funds - NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held from March 18 to 24 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 72nd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The Heart of America Athletic Conference was the...