2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
| 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season | |
|---|---|
| Preseason AP No. 1 | North Carolina Tar Heels |
| Regular season | November 10, 2008– March 10, 2009 |
| NCAA Tournament | 2009 |
| Tournament dates | March 17 – April 6, 2009 |
| National Championship | Ford Field Detroit, Michigan |
| NCAA Champions | North Carolina Tar Heels |
| Other champions | Penn State Nittany Lions (NIT), Oregon State Beavers (CBI), Old Dominion Monarchs (CIT) |
| Player of the Year (Naismith, Wooden) | Blake Griffin, Oklahoma Sooners |
The 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 10, 2008, and ended with the 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament's championship game on April 6, 2009, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The season saw six different teams achieve the AP #1 ranking during the year (just one shy of the NCAA record). Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin was the dominant individual performer, sweeping National Player of the Year honors. The season began with North Carolina becoming the first unanimous preseason #1 team, and ended with the Tar Heels dominating the NCAA tournament en route to their fifth NCAA title. UNC won its six NCAA tournament games by double digits, and by an average of 19.8 points per game. Junior Wayne Ellington was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player.