# 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

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

## Season headlines

* The North Carolina Tar Heels became the first team in history to be the unanimous #1 team in the AP preseason poll. The ranking came based on UNC returning the majority of their Final Four squad from the year before, most notably Tyler Hansbrough, who became the first reigning National player of the year to return to school since Shaquille O'Neal in the 1991–92 season.
* Blake Griffin was named the Associated Press, the John Wooden Award, the Naismith Award and the Sporting News player of the year for the 2008–2009 college basketball season. When combined with Sam Bradford's Heisman Trophy, Oklahoma became the first school to have a top winner in both basketball and football in the same year.
* Pittsburgh achieved the #1 ranking for the first time in school history on January 5, 2009.
* On December 18, Tyler Hansbrough passed Phil Ford to become North Carolina's all-time leading scorer. On February 28, Hansbrough also broke Dickie Hemric's NCAA record for most free throws made in a career. And on March 19, Hansbrough passed JJ Redick as the leading scorer in Atlantic Coast Conference history.
* Jodie Meeks of Kentucky scored 54 points against Tennessee on January 13, 2009. Meeks was 10–15 from 3-pt range. The output broke Kentucky's single-game scoring record, set by Hall of Famer Dan Issel 39 years before.
* 2009 marked the first time in history that three #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament came from the same conference – as Louisville, Pittsburgh and Connecticut of the Big East achieved the feat.
* Two retired Hall of Fame coaches died during the season – UTEP's Don Haskins on September 7, 2008, and California's Pete Newell on November 17, 2008. Newell's Bears won the NCAA championship in 1959, while Haskins' Miners won the title in 1966 in a historic win over Kentucky.
* The preseason AP All-American team was named on November 3. Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina was the unanimous leading vote-getter (72 of 72 votes). The rest of the team included Stephen Curry of Davidson (66 votes), Luke Harangody of Notre Dame (58), Darren Collison of UCLA (46) and Blake Griffin of Oklahoma (45).
* Kenny George of UNC Asheville, the tallest player in Division I (7'7") and the nation's leader in FG% for 2007–08, had part of his right foot amputated before the start of the season, threatening to end his career.
* The New Jersey Institute of Technology broke a 51-game losing streak that stretched back to February 19, 2007, by defeating Bryant 61–51 on January 21.
* Travis and Chavis Holmes of VMI became the highest-scoring twins in NCAA Division I history.
* Ryan Toolson of Utah Valley had the highest single-game scoring mark of the season, netting 63 points in a 123–121 quadruple-overtime win over Chicago State on January 29, 2009. Chicago State teammates David Holston and John Cantrell each scored over 40 points in the loss.
* On January 31, Texas's A. J. Abrams hit his 339th 3-point shot, breaking the previous Big 12 record of 338 held by Jeff Boschee of Kansas. In the same game, Kansas State's Denis Clemente tied his former teammate Michael Beasley's Big 12 single-game scoring record, netting 44 points in an 85–81 overtime win for the Wildcats.
* North Dakota State became the first men's team in Division I or its predecessors to reach the NCAA Tournament in its first year of postseason eligibility since 1972, when Southwestern Louisiana, now Louisiana-Lafayette, accomplished this feat. The Bison reached the "Big Dance" by defeating Oakland in the final of the 2009 Summit League tournament on March 10.
* Syracuse upset Connecticut, 127–117, in a six-overtime game in the Big East Conference tournament Quarterfinals that started on March 12 and ended after midnight on March 13. It was the longest game in Big East history, and second longest in NCAA Division I history, at 70 total playing minutes.
* Davidson guard Stephen Curry, Boston College guard Tyrese Rice, Miami (FL) guard Jack McClinton, Florida State guard Toney Douglas, Temple guard Dionte Christmas, UAB guard Robert Vaden, Wyoming guard Brandon Ewing, Chicago State guard David Holston, UTEP guard Stefon Jackson, Central Florida guard Jermaine Taylor, North Dakota State guard Ben Woodside, VMI guard Chavis Holmes, East Tennessee State guard Courtney Pigram and Coppin State guard Tywain McKee each eclipsed the career 2000-point mark during the season.
* Arkansas State changed its nickname from the "Indians" to the "Red Wolves", effective this season.
* Bryant University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville competed at the Division I level for the first time, while Houston Baptist returned to Division I play after a 20-year absence and Seattle after 28 years.
* Conference realignments: Gardner-Webb moved from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the Big South Conference, while Presbyterian competes in the Big South as well after playing as an independent in 2007–08. Samford moved from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Southern Conference.
* Don Meyer passed Bob Knight as the winningest coach in NCAA history, breaking Knight's record of 902 victories.
* Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim led the Orange to 20 wins for the 31st time in his career, a new record. Boeheim had previously been tied with Dean Smith at 30 20-win seasons.
* Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun won his 800th career game, beating Marquette on February 25, 2009.
* After the season, Northeastern's basketball program was placed on probation until 2011 due to recruiting and extra-benefits violations.
* Centenary became the first men's basketball to receive a postseason ban due to their poor showing against Academic Progress Rate (APR) standards. The Gentlemen will not be eligible for postseason play for the 2009–10 season.
* 27,767,111 fans attended Division I games during the season, the second-highest all-time for the division.
* Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Jud Heathcote, Wayman Tisdale, Gene Bartow, Travis Grant, Walter Byers and Bill Wall were inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
* During the 2008–09 Big Ten season, Evan Turner and Manny Harris became the 4th and 5th players to finish in the top ten in the Big Ten Conference in average points rebounds and assists in the same season since assists became a statistic in 1983–84. Harris is the first to finish in the top six in each one. Turner would finish in the top two the following year.
* Harvard beats Boston College for its first-ever win against a ranked opponent. During the 2008–09 Ivy League season, Harvard's Jeremy Lin was the only NCAA Division I men's college basketball player who ranked in the top ten in his conference for scoring (17.8), rebounding (5.5), assists (4.3), steals (2.4), blocked shots (0.6), field goal percentage (0.502), free throw percentage (0.744), and 3-point shot percentage (0.400).
* Bradley played in the 2009 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, becoming the first school to play in four different postseaon tournaments in four consecutive years. The Braves previously had played in the 2006 NCAA tournament, the 2007 National Invitation Tournament, and the 2008 College Basketball Invitational.

## Major rule changes

Beginning in 2008–2009, the following rules changes were implemented:
* The three-point line moved from 19 feet, 9 inches to 20 feet, 9 inches.
* If the entire ball is above the rim when it comes into contact with the backboard and is subsequently touched by a player, it is goaltending. Previously only a ball moving downward after hitting the backboard could be subject to goaltending.

## Season outlook
### Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Polls, October 31, 2008.
'Associated Press' :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | North Carolina (72) |
| 2 | Connecticut |
| 3 | Louisville |
| 4 | UCLA |
| 5 | Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Michigan State |
| 7 | Texas |
| 8 | Duke |
| 9 | Notre Dame |
| 10 | Gonzaga |
| 11 | Purdue |
| 12 | Oklahoma |
| 13 | Memphis |
| 14 | Tennessee |
| 15 | Arizona State |
| 16 | Marquette |
| 17 | Miami (FL) |
| 18 | USC |
| 19 | Florida |
| 20 | Davidson |
| 21 | Wake Forest |
| 22 | Georgetown |
| 23 | Villanova |
| 24 | Kansas |
| 25 | Wisconsin |
ESPN/USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | North Carolina (31) |
| 2 | Connecticut |
| 3 | Louisville |
| 4 | UCLA |
| 5 | Duke |
| 6 | Pittsburgh |
| 7 | Michigan State |
| 8 | Texas |
| 9 | Notre Dame |
| 10 | Purdue |
| 11 | Gonzaga |
| 12 | Memphis |
| 13 | Tennessee |
| 14 | Oklahoma |
| 15 | Arizona State |
| 16 | Miami (FL) |
| 17 | Marquette |
| 18 | Georgetown |
| 19 | Florida |
| 20 | Davidson |
| 21 | USC |
| 22 | Wisconsin |
| 23 | Kansas |
| 24 | Wake Forest |
| 25 | Villanova |

## Conference membership changes

These schools joined new conferences for the 2008–09 season.
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Bryant Bulldogs | Northeast-10 Conference (NCAA Division II) | Northeast Conference |
| Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs | Atlantic Sun Conference | Big South Conference |
| Houston Baptist Huskies | NAIA | NCAA Division I Independent |
| North Dakota Fighting Sioux | North Central Conference (NCAA Division II) | NCAA Division I Independent |
| Samford Bulldogs | Ohio Valley Conference | Southern Conference |
| Seattle Redhawks | Great Northwest Athletic Conference (NCAA Division II) | NCAA Division I Independent |
| Southern Illinois University (SIU) Edwardsville Cougars | Great Lakes Valley Conference (NCAA Division II) | Ohio Valley Conference |
| South Dakota Coyotes | North Central Conference (NCAA Division II) | NCAA Division I Independent |

## Regular season
### Early-season tournaments

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

### Conferences
#### Conference winners and tournaments

Thirty conference seasons concluded with a single-elimination tournament. The teams in each conference that won their regular-season conference title received the number one seed in each tournament. Conference tournament winners received an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The Ivy League was the only NCAA Division I conference that did not hold a conference tournament, instead sending its regular-season champion, Cornell, to the NCAA tournament.
| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference player of the year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (City) | Tournament Winner |
| America East Conference | Binghamton & Vermont | Marqus Blakely, Vermont | 2009 America East men's basketball tournament | SEFCU Arena (Albany, New York) Final at campus site | Binghamton |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | Xavier | Ahmad Nivins, St. Joseph's | 2009 Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament | Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, New Jersey) | Temple |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | North Carolina | Ty Lawson, North Carolina | 2009 ACC men's basketball tournament | Georgia Dome (Atlanta) | Duke |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | Jacksonville | Alex Renfroe, Belmont | 2009 Atlantic Sun men's basketball tournament | Allen Arena (Nashville, Tennessee) | East Tennessee State |
| Big 12 Conference | Kansas | Blake Griffin, Oklahoma | 2009 Big 12 men's basketball tournament | Ford Center (Oklahoma City) | Missouri |
| Big East Conference | Louisville | Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut & DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh | 2009 Big East men's basketball tournament | Madison Square Garden (New York City) | Louisville |
| Big Sky Conference | Weber State | Kellen McCoy, Weber State | 2009 Big Sky men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Portland State |
| Big South Conference | Radford | Artsiom Parakhouski, Radford | 2009 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Radford |
| Big Ten Conference | Michigan State | Kalin Lucas, Michigan State | 2009 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament | Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) | Purdue |
| Big West Conference | Cal State Northridge | Josh Akognon, Cal State Fullerton | 2009 Big West Conference men's basketball tournament | Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California) | Cal State Northridge |
| Colonial Athletic Association | VCU | Eric Maynor, VCU | 2009 CAA men's basketball tournament | Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) | VCU |
| Conference USA | Memphis | Jermaine Taylor, Central Florida | 2009 Conference USA men's basketball tournament | FedExForum (Memphis, Tennessee) | Memphis |
| Horizon League | Butler | Matt Howard, Butler | 2009 Horizon League men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Cleveland State |
| Ivy League | Cornell | Alex Barnett, Dartmouth | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Siena | Kenny Hasbrouck, Siena | 2009 MAAC men's basketball tournament | Times Union Center (Albany, New York) | Siena |
| Mid-American Conference | Buffalo & Bowling Green (East) Ball State, Central Michigan & Western Michigan (West) | Michael Bramos, Miami | 2009 MAC men's basketball tournament | Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | Akron |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Morgan State | Tywain McKee, Coppin State | 2009 MEAC men's basketball tournament | Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) | Morgan State |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Creighton & Northern Iowa | Booker Woodfox, Creighton | 2009 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri) | Northern Iowa |
| Mountain West Conference | BYU, Utah & New Mexico | Luke Nevill, Utah | 2009 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, Nevada) | Utah |
| Northeast Conference | Robert Morris | Jeremy Chappell, Robert Morris | 2009 Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | Robert Morris |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Tennessee-Martin | Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin | 2009 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites, Final Four at Sommet Center (Nashville, Tennessee) | Morehead State |
| Pacific-10 Conference | Washington | James Harden, Arizona State | 2009 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball tournament | Staples Center (Los Angeles) | USC |
| Patriot League | American | Derrick Mercer, American | 2009 Patriot League men's basketball tournament | Campus Sites | American |
| Southeastern Conference | South Carolina & Tennessee (East) LSU (West) | Marcus Thornton, LSU | 2009 SEC men's basketball tournament | St. Pete Times Forum (Tampa, Florida) | Mississippi State |
| Southern Conference | Western Carolina & Chattanooga (North) Davidson (South) | Stephen Curry, Davidson | 2009 Southern Conference men's basketball tournament | McKenzie Arena (Chattanooga, Tennessee) | Chattanooga |
| Southland Conference | Stephen F. Austin (East) Sam Houston State (West) | Matt Kingsley, Stephen F. Austin | 2009 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, Texas) | Stephen F. Austin |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Alabama State | Brandon Brooks, Alabama State | 2009 SWAC men's basketball tournament | Fair Park Arena (Birmingham, Alabama) | Alabama State |
| The Summit League | North Dakota State | Ben Woodside, North Dakota State | 2009 Summit League men's basketball tournament | Sioux Falls Arena (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) | North Dakota State |
| Sun Belt Conference | Western Kentucky (East) Arkansas–Little Rock (West) | Orlando Mendez-Valdez, Western Kentucky | 2009 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament | Summit Arena (Hot Springs, Arkansas) (Except First Round) | Western Kentucky |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | John Bryant, Santa Clara | 2009 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada) | Gonzaga |
| Western Athletic Conference | Utah State | Gary Wilkinson, Utah State | 2009 WAC men's basketball tournament | Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada) | Utah State |

#### Conference standings

2008–09 America East men's basketball standings :
| 2008–09 America East men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Binghamton †13–3 .81323–9  .719 Vermont13–3 .81324–9  .727 Boston University11–5 .68817–13  .567 New Hampshire8–8 .50014–16  .467 Stony Brook8–8 .50016–14  .533 UMBC7–9 .43815–17  .469 Albany6–10 .37515–16  .484 Maine4–12 .2509–21  .300 Hartford2–14 .1257–26  .212 † America East tournament winner As of March 20, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Atlantic 10 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 20 Xavier12–4 .75027–8  .771 Dayton11–5 .68827–8  .771 Rhode Island11–5 .68823–11  .676 Temple†11–5 .68822–12  .647 Duquesne9–7 .56321–13  .618 La Salle9–7 .56318–13  .581 Richmond9–7 .56320–16  .556 Saint Joseph's9–7 .56317–15  .531 Saint Louis8–8 .50018–14  .563 UMass7–9 .43812–18  .400 St. Bonaventure6–10 .37515–15  .500 Charlotte5–11 .31311–20  .355 George Washington4–12 .25010–18  .357 Fordham1–15 .0633–25  .107 † 2009 Atlantic 10 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 ACC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 North Carolina13–3 .81334–4  .895 No. 6 Duke†11–5 .68830–7  .811 No. 12 Wake Forest11–5 .68824–7  .774 No. 16 Florida State10–6 .62525–10  .714 No. 24 Clemson9–7 .56323–9  .719 Boston College9–7 .56322–12  .647 Maryland7–9 .43821–14  .600 Virginia Tech7–9 .43819–15  .559 Miami (FL)7–9 .43819–13  .594 NC State6–10 .37516–14  .533 Virginia4–12 .25010–18  .357 Georgia Tech2–14 .12512–19  .387 † 2009 ACC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2008–09 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Jacksonville15–5 .75018–14  .563 East Tennessee State †14–6 .70023–11  .676 Belmont14–6 .70020–13  .606 Lipscomb12–8 .60017–14  .548 Mercer11–9 .55017–15  .531 Campbell11–9 .55014–16  .467 Stetson9–11 .45013–17  .433 USC Upstate8–12 .4009–21  .300 Florida Gulf Coast7–13 .35011–20  .355 North Florida6–14 .3008–22  .267 Kennesaw State3–17 .1507–22  .241 † 2009 Atlantic Sun Tournament winner As of March 2, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Big East men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 Louisville†16–2 .88931–6  .838 No. 4 Pittsburgh15–3 .83331–5  .861 No. 5 Connecticut15–3 .83331–5  .861 No. 11 Villanova13–5 .72230–8  .789 No. 23 Marquette12–6 .66725–10  .714 No. 13 Syracuse11–7 .61128–10  .737 West Virginia10–8 .55623–12  .657 Providence10–8 .55619–14  .576 Notre Dame8–10 .44421–15  .583 Cincinnati8–10 .44418–14  .563 Seton Hall7–11 .38917–15  .531 Georgetown7–11 .38916–15  .516 St. John's6–12 .33316–18  .471 South Florida4–14 .2229–22  .290 Rutgers2–16 .11111–21  .344 DePaul0–18 .0009–24  .273 † 2009 Big East tournament winner As of April 4, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Big Sky men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Weber State15–1 .93821–10  .677 Portland State †11–5 .68823–10  .697 Montana11–5 .68817–12  .586 Idaho State9–7 .56313–19  .406 Northern Colorado8–8 .50014–18  .438 Montana State6–10 .37514–17  .452 Eastern Washington6–10 .37512–18  .400 Northern Arizona5–11 .3138–19  .296 Sacramento State1–15 .0632–27  .069 † 2009 Big Sky tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2008–09 Big South men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Radford †15–3 .83321–12  .636 VMI13–5 .72224–8  .750 Liberty12–6 .66723–12  .657 UNC Asheville10–8 .55615–16  .484 Winthrop9–9 .50011–19  .367 Gardner–Webb9–9 .50013–17  .433 Presbyterian9–9 .50012–17  .414 Coastal Carolina5–13 .27811–20  .355 High Point4–14 .2229–21  .300 Charleston Southern4–14 .2229–20  .310 † 2009 Big South tournament winner As of March 7, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 Michigan State15–3 .83331–7  .816 No. 17 Purdue†11–7 .61127–10  .730 Illinois11–7 .61124–10  .706 Penn State10–8 .55627–11  .711 Ohio State10–8 .55622–11  .667 Wisconsin10–8 .55620–13  .606 Minnesota9–9 .50022–11  .667 Michigan9–9 .50021–14  .600 Northwestern8–10 .44417–14  .548 Iowa5–13 .27815–17  .469 Indiana1–17 .0566–25  .194 † 2009 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2008–09 Big 12 men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 14 Kansas14–2 .87527–8  .771 No. 7 Oklahoma13–3 .81330–6  .833 No. 9 Missouri †12–4 .75031–7  .816 Kansas State9–7 .56322–12  .647 Texas9–7 .56323–12  .657 Texas A&M9–7 .56324–10  .706 Oklahoma State9–7 .56323–12  .657 Nebraska8–8 .50018–13  .581 Baylor5–11 .31324–15  .615 Iowa State4–12 .25015–17  .469 Texas Tech3–13 .18814–19  .424 Colorado1–15 .0639–22  .290 † 2009 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2008–09 Big West men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Cal State Northridge †11–5 .68817–14  .548 Pacific10–6 .62521–13  .618 Long Beach State10–6 .62515–15  .500 UC Riverside8–8 .50017–13  .567 UC Santa Barbara8–8 .50016–15  .516 UC Irvine8–8 .50012–19  .387 Cal State Fullerton7–9 .43815–17  .469 UC Davis7–9 .43813–19  .406 Cal Poly3–13 .1887–21  .250 † 2009 Big West tournament winner As of April 10, 2009 Rankings from AP poll | 2008–09 CAA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT VCU †14–4 .77824–10  .706 George Mason13–5 .72222–11  .667 Old Dominion12–6 .66725–10  .714 Northeastern12–6 .66719–13  .594 Hofstra11–7 .61121–11  .656 Drexel10–8 .55615–14  .517 James Madison9–9 .50021–15  .583 Georgia State8–10 .44412–20  .375 Delaware6–12 .33313–19  .406 William & Mary5–13 .27810–20  .333 Towson5–13 .27812–22  .353 UNC Wilmington3–15 .1677–25  .219 † 2009 CAA tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2008–09 Conference USA men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 Memphis †16–0 1.00033–4  .892 Tulsa12–4 .75025–11  .694 UAB11–5 .68822–12  .647 Houston10–6 .62521–12  .636 UTEP10–6 .62523–14  .622 Marshall7–9 .43815–17  .469 Tulane7–9 .43814–17  .452 East Carolina5–11 .31313–17  .433 Southern Miss4–12 .25015–17  .469 Rice4–12 .25010–22  .313 SMU3–13 .1889–21  .300 UCF0–9 .0000–14  .000 † 2009 CUSA Tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll *UCF vacated its wins from the 2008–09 season after it was discovered that there was an ineligible player on the team. |
| 2008–09 Horizon League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 22 Butler15–3 .83326–6  .813 Green Bay13–5 .72222–11  .667 Cleveland State †12–6 .66726–11  .703 Wright State12–6 .66720–13  .606 Milwaukee11–7 .61117–14  .548 UIC7–11 .38916–15  .516 Youngstown State7–11 .38911–19  .367 Loyola Chicago6–12 .33314–18  .438 Valparaiso5–13 .2789–22  .290 Detroit2–16 .1117–23  .233 † Horizon League Tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Ivy League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Cornell11–3 .78621–10  .677 Princeton8–6 .57113–14  .481 Yale8–6 .57113–15  .464 Columbia7–7 .50012–16  .429 Dartmouth7–7 .5009–19  .321 Harvard6–8 .42914–14  .500 Penn6–8 .42910–18  .357 Brown3–11 .2149–19  .321 Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 MAAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Siena †16–2 .88927–8  .771 Niagara14–4 .77826–9  .743 Rider12–6 .66719–13  .594 Manhattan9–9 .50016–14  .533 Fairfield9–9 .50017–15  .531 Saint Peter's8–10 .44411–19  .367 Iona7–11 .38912–19  .387 Loyola (MD)7–11 .38912–20  .375 Canisius4–14 .22211–20  .355 Marist4–14 .22210–23  .303 † 2009 MAAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2008–09 Mid-American Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Bowling Green11–5 .68819–14  .576 Buffalo11–5 .68821–12  .636 Miami10–6 .62517–13  .567 Akron †10–6 .62523–13  .639 Kent State10–6 .62519–15  .559 Ohio7–9 .43815–17  .469 West Ball State7–9 .43814–17  .452 Central Michigan7–9 .43812–19  .387 Western Michigan7–9 .43810–21  .323 Eastern Michigan6–10 .3758–24  .250 Northern Illinois5–11 .31310–20  .333 Toledo5–11 .3137–25  .219 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 MEAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Morgan State †13–3 .81323–12  .657 South Carolina State10–6 .62517–14  .548 Bethune–Cookman9–7 .56317–16  .515 North Carolina A&T9–7 .56316–16  .500 Norfolk State9–7 .56313–18  .419 Coppin State9–7 .56313–19  .406 Hampton8–8 .50016–16  .500 Florida A&M6–10 .37510–21  .323 Howard6–10 .3758–23  .258 Delaware State6–10 .3758–24  .250 Maryland Eastern Shore3–13 .1887–23  .233 Winston-Salem State– –8–22  .267 † 2009 MEAC tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Northern Iowa †14–4 .77823–11  .676 Creighton14–4 .77827–8  .771 Illinois State11–7 .61124–10  .706 Bradley10–8 .55621–15  .583 Southern Illinois8–10 .44413–18  .419 Evansville8–10 .44417–14  .548 Wichita State8–10 .44417–17  .500 Drake7–11 .38917–16  .515 Indiana State7–11 .38911–21  .344 Missouri State3–15 .16711–20  .355 † Missouri Valley Conference tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2008–09 Mountain West Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT BYU12–4 .75025–8  .758 No. 25 Utah †12–4 .75025–10  .714 New Mexico12–4 .75022–12  .647 San Diego State11–5 .68826–10  .722 UNLV9–7 .56321–11  .656 Wyoming7–9 .43819–14  .576 TCU5–11 .31314–17  .452 Colorado State4–12 .2509–22  .290 Air Force0–16 .00010–21  .323 † Mountain West tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Northeast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Robert Morris †15–3 .83324–11  .686 Mount St. Mary's12–6 .66719–14  .576 Sacred Heart12–6 .66717–14  .548 Long Island12–6 .66716–14  .533 Quinnipiac10–8 .55615–16  .484 Central Connecticut8–10 .44413–17  .433 Wagner8–10 .44416–14  .533 St. Francis (NY)7–11 .38910–20  .333 Monmouth6–12 .3338–23  .258 Fairleigh Dickinson6–12 .3337–23  .233 Saint Francis (PA)3–15 .1676–23  .207 † 2009 NEC tournament winner | 2008–09 Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Tennessee–Martin14–4 .77822–10  .688 Murray State13–5 .72219–12  .613 Austin Peay13–5 .72219–14  .576 Morehead State †12–6 .66720–16  .556 Eastern Kentucky10–8 .55618–13  .581 Tennessee State9–9 .50012–18  .400 Eastern Illinois8–10 .44412–18  .400 Tennessee Tech6–12 .33312–18  .400 Jacksonville State5–13 .27811–17  .393 Southeast Missouri State0–18 .0003–27  .100 † Ohio Valley Conference tournament winner As of April 1, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2008–09 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings Conf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 15 Washington14–4 .77826–9  .743 No. 18 UCLA13–5 .72226–9  .743 No. 19 Arizona State11–7 .61125–10  .714 California11–7 .61122–11  .667 USC†9–9 .50022–13  .629 Arizona9–9 .50021–14  .600 Washington State8–10 .44417–16  .515 Oregon State7–11 .38918–18  .500 Stanford6–12 .33320–14  .588 Oregon2–16 .1118–23  .258 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Patriot League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT American †13–1 .92924–8  .750 Holy Cross11–3 .78618–14  .563 Navy8–6 .57119–11  .633 Army6–8 .42911–19  .367 Lehigh5–9 .35715–14  .517 Colgate5–9 .35710–20  .333 Bucknell4–10 .2867–23  .233 Lafayette4–10 .2868–22  .267 † 2009 Patriot League tournament winner | 2008–09 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East South Carolina10–6 .62521–10  .677 Tennessee10–6 .62521–13  .618 Florida9–7 .56325–11  .694 Vanderbilt8–8 .50019–12  .613 Kentucky8–8 .50022–14  .611 Georgia3–13 .18812–20  .375 West No. 21 LSU13–3 .81327–8  .771 Auburn10–6 .62524–12  .667 Mississippi State†9–7 .56323–13  .639 Alabama7–9 .43818–14  .563 Ole Miss7–9 .43816–15  .516 Arkansas2–14 .12514–16  .467 † SEC Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2008–09 Southern Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Western Carolina11–9 .55016–15  .516 Chattanooga †11–9 .55018–17  .514 Samford9–11 .45016–16  .500 Appalachian State9–11 .45013–18  .419 Elon7–13 .35011–20  .355 UNC Greensboro4–16 .2005–25  .167 South Davidson18–2 .90027–8  .771 The Citadel15–5 .75020–13  .606 Charleston15–5 .75027–9  .750 Wofford12–8 .60016–14  .533 Georgia Southern5–15 .2508–22  .267 Furman4–16 .2006–24  .200 † SoCon Tournament winner As of April 30, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Southland Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Stephen F. Austin †13–3 .81324–8  .750 Nicholls State12–4 .75020–11  .645 Southeastern Louisiana7–9 .43813–17  .433 McNeese State5–11 .31311–18  .379 Northwestern State3–13 .18811–20  .355 Central Arkansas3–13 .18810–19  .345 West Sam Houston State12–4 .75018–12  .600 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi11–5 .68818–15  .545 Texas–Arlington9–7 .56316–14  .533 UTSA8–8 .50019–13  .594 Texas State7–9 .43814–16  .467 Lamar6–10 .37515–15  .500 † 2009 Southland tournament winner | 2008–09 SWAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Alabama State †16–2 .88922–10  .688 Jackson State15–3 .83318–15  .545 Prairie View A&M12–6 .66717–16  .515 Arkansas–Pine Bluff11–7 .61113–18  .419 Southern8–10 .4448–23  .258 Mississippi Valley State7–11 .3897–25  .219 Texas Southern7–11 .3897–25  .219 Alabama A&M6–12 .3338–19  .296 Grambling State4–14 .2226–23  .207 Alcorn State4–14 .2226–25  .194 † 2009 SWAC tournament winner As of March 12, 2009 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2008–09 Summit League men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT North Dakota State †16–2 .88926–7  .788 Oral Roberts14–4 .77816–15  .516 Oakland13–5 .72223–13  .639 IUPUI9–9 .50016–14  .533 Southern Utah8–10 .44411–20  .355 IPFW8–10 .44413–17  .433 South Dakota State7–11 .38913–20  .394 Centenary6–12 .3338–23  .258 Western Illinois6–12 .3339–20  .310 UMKC3–15 .1677–24  .226 † Summit League Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2008–09 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Western Kentucky †15–3 .83325–9  .735 Troy14–4 .77819–13  .594 Middle Tennessee10–8 .55618–14  .563 South Alabama10–8 .55620–13  .606 Florida International7–11 .38913–20  .394 Florida Atlantic2–16 .1116–26  .188 West Arkansas-Little Rock15–3 .83323–8  .742 North Texas11–7 .61120–12  .625 Denver9–9 .50015–16  .484 Louisiana–Lafayette7–11 .38910–20  .333 Louisiana–Monroe6–12 .33310–20  .333 New Orleans6–12 .33311–19  .367 Arkansas State5–13 .27813–17  .433 † 2009 Sun Belt Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2008–09 WAC men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Utah State †14–2 .87530–5  .857 Nevada11–5 .68821–13  .618 Idaho9–7 .56317–16  .515 Boise State9–7 .56319–13  .594 New Mexico State9–7 .56317–15  .531 Louisiana Tech6–10 .37515–18  .455 San Jose State6–10 .37513–17  .433 Hawaii5–11 .31313–17  .433 Fresno State3–13 .18813–21  .382 † Conference tournament winner | 2008–09 West Coast Conference men's basketball standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 10 Gonzaga†14–0 1.00028–6  .824 Saint Mary's10–4 .71428–7  .800 Portland9–5 .64319–13  .594 Santa Clara7–7 .50016–17  .485 San Diego6–8 .42916–16  .500 Pepperdine5–9 .3579–23  .281 San Francisco3–11 .21411–19  .367 Loyola Marymount2–12 .1433–28  .097 † Conference tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |

### Division I independents

Fifteen schools played as Division I independents. However, only Chicago State, Longwood, Savannah State, and Texas–Pan American were considered full NCAA Division I schools, as the rest were still in a transition phase from NCAA Division II. David Holston of Chicago State was named Independent Player of the Year.
2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings :
* 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball independents standings
* vteConf.Overall
* TeamW L PCTW L PCT
* Seattle– –21–8
* .724
* South Dakota– –20–9
* .690
* Utah Valley– –17–11
* .607
* Chicago State– –19–13
* .594
* North Dakota– –16–12
* .571
* Longwood– –17–14
* .548
* Savannah State– –15–14
* .517
* Texas–Pan American– –10–17
* .370
* SIU Edwardsville– –10–20
* .333
* Cal State Bakersfield– –8–21
* .276
* Bryant– –8–21
* .276
* Winston–Salem State– –8–22
* .267
* Houston Baptist– –5–25
* .167
* North Carolina Central– –4–27
* .129
* NJIT– –1–30
* .032
* Rankings from AP Poll

### Informal championships

| Conference | Regular season winner | Most Valuable Player |
| Philadelphia Big 5 | Villanova | Ahmad Nivins, Saint Joseph's |
Villanova finished with a 4–0 record in head-to-head competition among the Philadelphia Big 5.

### Statistical leaders

Source for additional stats categories
| Points per game | Points per game | Points per game | Rebounds per game | Rebounds per game | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Assists per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Steals per game | Steals per game |
| Player | School | PPG | Player | School | RPG | Player | School | APG | Player | School | SPG |
| Stephen Curry | Davidson | 28.6 | Blake Griffin | Oklahoma | 14.4 | Johnathon Jones | Oakland | 8.1 | Chavis Holmes | VMI | 3.4 |
| Lester Hudson | Tenn.-Martin | 27.5 | John Bryant | Santa Clara | 14.2 | Brock Young | East Carolina | 7.6 | Travis Holmes | VMI | 3.2 |
| Jermaine Taylor | Central Florida | 26.2 | Kenneth Faried | Morehead St. | 13.0 | Levance Fields | Pittsburgh | 7.5 | Devin Gibson | TX-San Antonio | 3.0 |
| David Holston | Chicago St. | 25.9 | DeJuan Blair | Pittsburgh | 12.3 | DiJuan Harris | Charlotte | 7.2 | David Holston | Chicago St. | 3.0 |
| Stefon Jackson | UTEP | 24.5 | Ahmad Nivins | St. Joseph's | 11.8 | Ashton Mitchell | Sam Houston St. | 6.8 | Cedric Jackson | Cleveland St. | 3.0 |
| Blocked shots per game | Blocked shots per game | Blocked shots per game | Field-goal percentage | Field-goal percentage | Field-goal percentage | Three-Point FG percentage | Three-Point FG percentage | Three-Point FG percentage | Free-throw percentage | Free-throw percentage | Free-throw percentage |
| Player | School | BPG | Player | School | FG% | Player | School | 3FG% | Player | School | FT% |
| Jarvis Varnado | Miss. St. | 4.7 | Jeff Pendergraph | Arizona St. | 66.0 | Mike Rose | Eastern Kentucky | 48.1 | Brett Harvey | Loyola (MD) | 91.0 |
| Hasheem Thabeet | UConn | 4.2 | Blake Griffin | Oklahoma | 65.4 | Booker Woodfox | Creighton | 47.6 | Josh White | North Texas | 90.6 |
| Tony Gaffney | UMass | 3.8 | Joey Henley | Sacred Heart | 62.6 | Jared Stohl | Portland | 45.6 | Jodie Meeks | Kentucky | 90.2 |
| Kleon Penn | McNeese St. | 3.5 | Keith Benson | Oakland | 62.2 | Ryan Tillema | Green Bay | 45.4 | Darren Collison | UCLA | 89.7 |
| Taj Gibson | USC | 2.9 | Ahmad Nivins | St. Joseph's | 61.2 | Jimmy Baron | Rhode Island | 45.4 | Alan Voskuil | Texas Tech | 89.6 |

## Post-season tournaments
### NCAA tournament

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

#### Final Four – Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

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

### National Invitation tournament

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

#### NIT Semifinals and Final

Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2
| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | San Diego State | 62 | | | |
| 3 | Baylor | 76 | | | |
| 3 | Baylor | 76 | 3 | Baylor | 63 |
| | | | 2 | Penn State | 69 |
| 2 | Notre Dame | 59 | 2 | Penn State | 69 |
| 2 | Penn State | 67 | | | |

### College Basketball Invitational

The second College Basketball Invitational (CBI) Tournament was held beginning March 17 and ended with a best-of-three final, ending March 30. Oregon State defeated UTEP 2–1 in the final series to win the title. Oregon State's Roeland Schaftenaar was named tournament MVP.
| Semifinals (Reseeded) | Semifinals (Reseeded) | Semifinals (Reseeded) | Finals (Best of three) | Finals (Best of three) | Finals (Best of three) | Finals (Best of three) | Finals (Best of three) |
| 1 | Richmond | 69 | | | | | |
| 4 | UTEP | 81 | | | | | |
| 4 | UTEP | 81 | 4 | UTEP | 69 | 70 | 73 |
| | | | 2 | Oregon State | 75 | 63 | 81 |
| 2 | Oregon State | 65$^{OT}$ | 2 | Oregon State | 75 | 63 | 81 |
| 3 | Stanford | 62 | | | | | |

### CollegeInsider.com tournament

The inaugural CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament was held beginning March 17 and ended with a championship game on March 30. This tournament places an emphasis on selecting successful teams from "mid-major" conferences who were left out of the NCAA Tournament and NIT. Old Dominion defeated Bradley 66–62 to win the first CIT championship in Peoria, Illinois. The Monarchs' Frank Hassell was named tournament MVP.
| Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| James Madison | James Madison | 43 | | | |
| Old Dominion | Old Dominion | 81 | | | |
| Old Dominion | Old Dominion | 81 | Old Dominion | Old Dominion | 66 |
| | | | Bradley | Bradley | 62 |
| Pacific | Pacific | 49 | Bradley | Bradley | 62 |
| Bradley | Bradley | 59 | | | |

## Award winners
### Consensus All-American teams

Consensus First Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| DeJuan Blair | C | Sophomore | Pittsburgh |
| Stephen Curry | PG | Junior | Davidson |
| Blake Griffin | PF | Sophomore | Oklahoma |
| Tyler Hansbrough | C | Senior | North Carolina |
| James Harden | SG | Sophomore | Arizona State |
Consensus Second Team :
| Player | Position | Class | Team |
| Sherron Collins | PG | Junior | Kansas |
| Luke Harangody | PF | Junior | Notre Dame |
| Ty Lawson | PG | Junior | North Carolina |
| Jodie Meeks | SG | Junior | Kentucky |
| Jeff Teague | PG | Sophomore | Wake Forest |
| Hasheem Thabeet | C | Junior | Connecticut |

### Major player of the year awards

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

### Major freshman of the year awards

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

### Major coach of the year awards

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

### Other major awards

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

## Coaching changes

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