1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 27, 1981, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on March 29, 1982, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The North Carolina Tar Heels won their second NCAA national championship with a 63–62 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas. Major rule changes. Beginning in 1981–1982, the following rules changes were implemented: Season outlook. Pre-season polls. The top 20 from the AP Poll during  the pre-season. Regular season. Conference winners and tournaments. Note: From 1975 to 1982, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), a loosely organized sports federation of Northeastern colleges and universities, organized Division I ECAC regional tournaments for those of its members that were independents in basketball. Each 1982 ECAC tournament winner received an automatic bid to the 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in the same way that the tournament champions of conventional athletic conferences did. After this season, all remaining Northeastern independents joined conventional conferences, and the ECAC discontinued Division I basketball tournaments. The ECAC North was  a separate, conventional conference. Postseason tournaments. NCAA Tournament. North Carolina freshman Michael Jordan hit the game-winning shot as Dean Smith won his first national championship after many near-misses over his career, defeating the Georgetown Hoyas 63–62 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Fred Brown's errant pass to James Worthy in the closing seconds sealed the game, which featured star freshmen Jordan and the Hoyas' Patrick Ewing. Worthy was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player. National Invitation Tournament. The Bradley Braves, led by coach Dick Versace, defeated the Purdue Boilermakers 67–58 to win their fourth National Invitation  Tournament, tying them with St. John's for the most NIT championships (St. John's has since won two additional titles). Bradley's Mitchell Anderson was named NIT Most Valuable Player. NIT Semifinals and Final. Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City Awards. Consensus All-American teams. Coaching changes. A number of teams changed coaches throughout the season and after the season ended.