2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2009 Final Four logo
Season	2008–09
Teams	65
Finals site	Ford Field Detroit, Michigan
Champions	North Carolina (5th title, 9th title game, 18th Final Four)
Runner-up	Michigan State (3rd title game, 7th Final Four)
Semifinalists	Connecticut (3rd Final Four) Villanova (4th Final Four)
Winning coach	Roy Williams (2nd title)
MOP	Wayne Ellington North Carolina
Attendance	708,296
Top scorer	Wayne Ellington North Carolina (115 points)
NCAA Men's Division I Tournaments «2008  2010»

United States President Barack Obama filled out his picks for the NCAA Men's Division I Tournament. He picked North Carolina to win the National Championship when he shared his "Barack-etology" with ESPN's Andy Katz on March 18, 2009. The other teams in his Final Four were Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Memphis. President Obama correctly picked one team, North Carolina, in the Final Four and winning the national title.^[1]

The 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was a tournament involving 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2008–09 basketball season. It began on March 17, 2009, and concluded with the championship game on April 6 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, where North Carolina defeated Michigan State to become champion. The 2009 tournament marked the first time not only for a Final Four had a minimum seating capacity of 70,000 but also by having most of the tournament in the February Sweeps of the Nielsen Ratings due to the digital television transition in the United States on June 12, 2009, which also made this the last NCAA Basketball Tournament, in all three divisions, to air in analog television. The University of Detroit Mercy hosted the Final Four, which was the 71st edition.

Prior to the start of the tournament, the top ranked team was Louisville in both the AP Top 25 and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Polls, followed by North Carolina, Memphis and Pittsburgh.^[2] Only the Tar Heels of North Carolina were the regional winners and played in the Final Four. The Tar Heels completed one of the most dominant runs in the tournament's history by winning each of their games by at least twelve points.

For the first time since seeding began, all #1-#3 seeds made it into the Sweet 16, and for the third consecutive time, all #1 seeds made the Elite Eight.

Tournament procedure

For more details on this topic, see NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship#Tournament format.

Sixty-five teams were selected for the tournament. Thirty of the teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments. The automatic bid of the Ivy League, which does not conduct a postseason tournament, went to Cornell, its regular season champion. The remaining 34 teams were granted "at-large" bids by the NCAA Selection Committee.

Two teams play an opening-round game, popularly called the "play-in game". The winner of that game advances to the main draw of the tournament as a 16 seed and plays a top seed in one of the regionals. The 2009 game was played on Tuesday, March 17, at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, as it has since its inception in 2001.

All 64 teams were seeded 1 to 16 within their regions; the winner of the play-in game automatically received a 16 seed. The Selection Committee seeded the entire field from 1 to 65. SEC commissioner Mike Slive served his last year as chairman of the committee.

Greensboro

Kansas City

Philadelphia

Portland

Boise

Dayton

Miami

Minneapolis

2009 subregionals — Green 19/21 March — Orange 20/22 March

The first and second round games were played at the following sites:^[3]

First and Second Rounds

Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009

Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina (host: Atlantic Coast Conference)

Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri (host: Big 12 Conference)

Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (host: St. Joseph's University)

Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon (host: University of Oregon)

First and Second Rounds

Friday and Sunday, March 20 and 22, 2009

Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho (host: Boise State University)

University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio (host: University of Dayton)

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida (host: Florida International University)

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota (host: University of Minnesota)

Boston

Glendale

Memphis

Indianapolis

Detroit

2009 Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red)

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, Boston, Massachusetts (host: Boston College)

West, University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona (host: Arizona State University)

Regionals

Friday and Sunday, March 27 and 29, 2009

South, FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee (host: University of Memphis)

Midwest, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana (hosts: Horizon League & Butler University)

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).

Qualifying teams

For more details on this topic, see 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament: qualifying teams.

East Regional – Boston Seed School Conference Record Berth type #1 Pittsburgh Big East 28–4 At-large #2 Duke ACC 28–6 Tournament Winner #3 Villanova Big East 26–7 At-large #4 Xavier Atlantic 10 25–7 At-large #5 Florida State ACC 25–9 At-large #6 UCLA Pac-10 25–8 At-large #7 Texas Big 12 22–11 At-large #8 Oklahoma State Big 12 22–11 At-large #9 Tennessee SEC 21–12 At-large #10 Minnesota Big Ten 22–10 At-large #11 Virginia Commonwealth Colonial 24–9 Tournament Winner #12 Wisconsin Big Ten 19–12 At-large #13 Portland State Big Sky 23–9 Tournament Winner #14 American Patriot 24–7 Tournament Winner #15 Binghamton America East 23–8 Tournament Winner #16 East Tennessee State Atlantic Sun 23–10 Tournament Winner

West Regional – Glendale Seed School Conference Record Berth type #1 Connecticut Big East 27–4 At-large #2 Memphis C-USA 31–3 Tournament Winner #3 Missouri Big 12 28–6 Tournament Winner #4 Washington Pac-10 25–8 At-large #5 Purdue Big Ten 25–9 Tournament Winner #6 Marquette Big East 24–9 At-large #7 California Pac-10 22–10 At-large #8 BYU Mountain West 25–7 At-large #9 Texas A&M Big 12 23–9 At-large #10 Maryland ACC 20–13 At-large #11 Utah State WAC 30–4 Tournament Winner #12 Northern Iowa Missouri Valley 23–10 Tournament Winner #13 Mississippi State SEC 23–12 Tournament Winner #14 Cornell Ivy League 21–9 Regular season Champion #15 Cal State-Northridge Big West 17–13 Tournament Winner #16 Chattanooga Southern 18–16 Tournament Winner

Midwest Regional – Indianapolis Seed School Conference Record Berth type #1 Louisville Big East 28–5 Tournament Winner #2 Michigan State Big Ten 26–6 At-large #3 Kansas Big 12 25–7 At-large #4 Wake Forest ACC 24–6 At-large #5 Utah Mountain West 24–9 Tournament Winner #6 West Virginia Big East 23–11 At-large #7 Boston College ACC 22–11 At-large #8 Ohio State Big Ten 22–10 At-large #9 Siena MAAC 26–7 Tournament Winner #10 USC Pac-10 21–12 Tournament Winner #11 Dayton Atlantic 10 26–7 At-large #12 Arizona Pac-10 19–13 At-large #13 Cleveland State Horizon 25–10 Tournament Winner #14 North Dakota State Summit 26–6 Tournament Winner #15 Robert Morris Northeast 24–10 Tournament Winner #16 Alabama State SWAC 22–9 Tournament Winner Morehead State Ohio Valley 19–15 Tournament Winner

South Regional – Memphis Seed School Conference Record Berth type #1 North Carolina ACC 28–4 At-large #2 Oklahoma Big 12 27–5 At-large #3 Syracuse Big East 26–9 At-large #4 Gonzaga West Coast 26–5 Tournament Winner #5 Illinois Big Ten 24–9 At-large #6 Arizona State Pac-10 24–9 At-large #7 Clemson ACC 23–8 At-large #8 LSU SEC 26–7 At-large #9 Butler Horizon 26–5 At-large #10 Michigan Big Ten 20–13 At-large #11 Temple Atlantic 10 22–11 Tournament Winner #12 Western Kentucky Sun Belt 24–8 Tournament Winner #13 Akron Mid-American 23–12 Tournament Winner #14 Stephen F. Austin Southland 24–7 Tournament Winner #15 Morgan State MEAC 23–11 Tournament Winner #16 Radford Big South 21–11 Tournament Winner

Brackets

Results to date ^[4]

* – Denotes overtime period

All times in U.S. EDT.

Opening Round Game – Dayton, Ohio

Winner advanced to 16th seed in Midwest Regional vs. (1) Louisville.

	Opening Round Game March 17
	16a	Morehead State	58
	16b	Alabama State	41

Midwest Regional – Indianapolis, Indiana

	First round March 19–20					Second round March 21–22					Regional semifinals March 27					Regional finals March 29
	1	Louisville	74
	16	Morehead State	54
						1	Louisville	79
	Dayton
						9	Siena	72
	8	Ohio State	72
	9	Siena	74**
											1	Louisville	103
										12	Arizona	64
	5	Utah	71
	12	Arizona	84
						12	Arizona	71
	Miami
						13	Cleveland State	57
	4	Wake Forest	69
	13	Cleveland State	84
																1	Louisville	52
															2	Michigan State	64
	6	West Virginia	60
	11	Dayton	68
						11	Dayton	43
	Minneapolis
						3	Kansas	60
	3	Kansas	84
	14	North Dakota State	74
											3	Kansas	62
										2	Michigan State	67
	7	Boston College	55
	10	USC	72
						10	USC	69
	Minneapolis
						2	Michigan State	74
	2	Michigan State	77
	15	Robert Morris	62

West Regional – Glendale, Arizona

	First round March 19–20					Second round March 21–22					Regional semifinals March 26					Regional finals March 28
	1	Connecticut	103
	16	Chattanooga	47
						1	Connecticut	92
	Philadelphia
						9	Texas A&M	66
	8	BYU	66
	9	Texas A&M	79
											1	Connecticut	72
										5	Purdue	60
	5	Purdue	61
	12	Northern Iowa	56
						5	Purdue	76
	Portland
						4	Washington	74
	4	Washington	71
	13	Mississippi State	58
																1	Connecticut	82
															3	Missouri	75
	6	Marquette	58
	11	Utah State	57
						6	Marquette	79
	Boise
						3	Missouri	83
	3	Missouri	78
	14	Cornell	59
											3	Missouri	102
										2	Memphis	91
	7	California	71
	10	Maryland	84
						10	Maryland	70
	Kansas City
						2	Memphis	89
	2	Memphis	81
	15	Cal State Northridge	70

East Regional – Boston, Massachusetts

	First round March 19–20					Second round March 21–22					Regional semifinals March 26					Regional finals March 28
	1	Pittsburgh	72
	16	East Tennessee St.	62
						1	Pittsburgh	84
	Dayton
						8	Oklahoma State	76
	8	Oklahoma State	77
	9	Tennessee	75
											1	Pittsburgh	60
										4	Xavier	55
	5	Florida St.	59
	12	Wisconsin	61*
						12	Wisconsin	49
	Boise
						4	Xavier	60
	4	Xavier	77
	13	Portland St.	59
																1	Pittsburgh	76
															3	Villanova	78
	6	UCLA	65
	11	VCU	64
						6	UCLA	69
	Philadelphia
						3	Villanova	89
	3	Villanova	80
	14	American	67
											3	Villanova	77
										2	Duke	54
	7	Texas	76
	10	Minnesota	62
						7	Texas	69
	Greensboro
						2	Duke	74
	2	Duke	86
	15	Binghamton	62

South Regional – Memphis, Tennessee

	First round March 19–20					Second round March 21–22					Regional semifinals March 27					Regional finals March 29
	1	North Carolina	101
	16	Radford	58
						1	North Carolina	84
	Greensboro
						8	LSU	70
	8	LSU	75
	9	Butler	71
											1	North Carolina	98
										4	Gonzaga	77
	5	Illinois	72
	12	Western Kentucky	76
						12	Western Kentucky	81
	Portland
						4	Gonzaga	83
	4	Gonzaga	77
	13	Akron	64
																1	North Carolina	72
															2	Oklahoma	60
	6	Arizona State	66
	11	Temple	57
						6	Arizona State	67
	Miami
						3	Syracuse	78
	3	Syracuse	59
	14	Stephen F. Austin	44
											3	Syracuse	71
										2	Oklahoma	84
	7	Clemson	59
	10	Michigan	62
						10	Michigan	63
	Kansas City
						2	Oklahoma	73
	2	Oklahoma	82
	15	Morgan State	54

Final Four – Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

	National Semifinals April 4					National Championship Game April 6
	M2	Michigan State	82
	W1	Connecticut	73
						M2	Michigan State	72
						S1	North Carolina	89
	S1	North Carolina	83
	E3	Villanova	69

Game summaries

Midwest Region

Goran Suton 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.^[5]

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.^[6] 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 Samuels and Terrence Williams, scored a combined 28 points. Morehead State has not beaten Louisville in 52 years.^[7]

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.^[8]

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,^[9] 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.^[10]

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.^[11]

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.^[12]

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.^[13]

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.^[14]

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.^[15]

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 Williams, 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.^[16]

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.^[17]

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.^[18]

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.^[19]

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 Clark led the Cardinals with 19 points, whose ballhandling garnered 29 assists. This was the most lopsided Sweet 16 victory since 1972.^[20]

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.^[21]

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 Walker, Missouri's DeMarre Carroll and J.T. Tiller and Memphis' Tyreke Evans on the NCAA West All-regional team.^[22]

First round

Forward Quincy Pondexter scored 23 points to lead his Washington Huskies 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.

Second round

Pac-10 champions Washington Huskies scored 46 points in the second half, but it was not enough to beat the Purdue Boilermakers 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.

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 Hummel 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.

Regional final (Elite Eight)

Kemba Walker came off the UConn bench to spark them to a victory over the 3 seeded Missouri Tigers

East Region

Scottie Reynolds 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.^[23]

First round

UCLA Bruins' 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.^[24]

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.^[25]

Second round

By six Wildcats scoring double-digit points, Villanova 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.

Regional semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

Villanova (#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).

Regional final (Elite Eight)

Number one seed Pittsburgh 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.

South Region

Ty Lawson was the South regional MVP and he was joined on the All-regional team by teammates Danny Green and Tyler Hansbrough as well as Blake Griffin and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn.^[26]

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.

Second round

Regional semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

Regional final (Elite Eight)

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 (1957, 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.

Michigan State vs. Connecticut

April 4 6:07 EDT		Michigan State 82, Connecticut 73				Ford Field, Detroit Attendance: 72,456 Referees: John Cahill, Mike Stuart, Les Jones	CBS
		Scoring by half: 38–36, 44–37
		Pts: K. Lucas 21 Rebs: R. Morgan 8 Asts: T. Walton 8 Steals: R. Morgan 5 Blocks: D. Roe 2		Pts: H. Thabeet 17 Rebs: S. Robinson 13 Asts: C. Austrie 2 Steals: A. Price 2 Blocks: H. Thabeet 2

Michigan State, 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).^[27]

Villanova vs. North Carolina

April 4 8:47 EDT		Villanova 69, North Carolina 83				Ford Field, Detroit Attendance: 72,456 Referees: Scott Thornley, Karl Hess, Pat Driscoll	CBS
		Scoring by half: 40–49, 29–34
		Pts: S. Reynolds 17 Rebs: D. Cunningham 12 Asts: S. Reynolds 5 Steals: D. Anderson 3 Blocks: S. Clark 1		Pts: T. Lawson 22 Rebs: T. Hansbrough 11 Asts: T. Lawson 8 Steals: T. Hansbrough 4 Blocks: D. Green 3

After the first five minutes, North Carolina 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.

Championship game – Michigan State vs. North Carolina

Ford Field was the host of the 2009 Final Four and Championship game.

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.^[28]

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.

April 6 9:21 EDT	Recap	Michigan State 72, North Carolina 89				Ford Field, Detroit Attendance: 72,922 Referees: Tom O'Neill, Curtis Shaw, Tony Greene	CBS
		Scoring by half: 34–55, 38–34
		Pts: G. Suton 17 Rebs: G. Suton 11 Asts: K. Lucas 7 Steals: D. Green 1		Pts: T. Lawson 21 Rebs: E. Davis 8 Asts: T. Lawson 6 Steals: T. Lawson 8

Running score of the championship game.

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.

All Tournament team

• Wayne Ellington, North Carolina (Most Outstanding Player)
• Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
• Ty Lawson, North Carolina
• Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
• Goran Suton, Michigan State

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 Williams is one of four active coaches to win multiple titles (Jim Calhoun, Billy Donovan and Mike Krzyzewski are others)
• Nielsen ratings 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.^[29]
• Blake Griffin of Oklahoma was the winner of the John Wooden Award, presented by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 10 in Los Angeles.
• 708,296 fans in attendance over the course of 35 sessions.^[30]

Record by conference

Conference	# of Bids	Record	Win %	R32	S16	E8	F4	CG
ACC	7	9–6	.600	3	2	1	1	1
Big East	7	17–7	.708	6	5	4	2	–
Big Ten	7	9–7	.563	4	2	1	1	1
Big 12	6	11–6	.647	6	3	2	–	–
Pac-10	6	6–6	.500	5	1	–	–	–
Atlantic 10	3	3–3	.500	2	1	–	–	–
SEC	3	1–3	.250	1	0–	–	–	–
Horizon	2	1–2	.333	1	0–	–	–	–
Mountain West	2	0–2	.000	0–	0–	–	–	–
C–USA	1	2–1	.667	1	1	–	–	–
MAAC	1	1–1	.500	1	0–	–	–	–
Ohio Valley	1	1–1*	.500	0–	0–	–	–	–
Sun Belt	1	1–1	.500	1	0–	–	–	–
WCC	1	2–1	.667	1	1	–	–	–

*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.

Media

Television

Once again, except for the play-in game, which was telecast on ESPN, 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.

• Studio: Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony and Seth Davis
• Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Tracy Wolfson (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 Enberg/Carter Blackburn and Jay Bilas – Blackburn Thursday afternoon; Enberg Thursday night, second round at Philadelphia, PA; West Regional at Glendale, AZ
• Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery – 1st & 2nd Round at Dayton, OH; East Regional at Boston, MA
• Gus Johnson and Len Elmore – 1st & 2nd Round at Minneapolis, MN; Midwest Regional at Indianapolis, IN
• Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner – 1st & 2nd Round at Portland, OR
• Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel – 1st & 2nd Round at Miami, FL
• Craig Bolerjack and Bob Wenzel – 1st & 2nd Round at Boise, ID
• Tim Brando and Mike Gminski – 1st & 2nd Round at Kansas City, MO

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:

• WOIO and WUAB (Raycom Media duopoly): On March 20, WOIO aired Ohio State vs. Siena, while Cleveland State vs. Wake Forest was on WUAB at the same time. The Cleveland area has a substantial number of OSU alumni, and Mansfield, although part of the Cleveland market, is equidistant to both Columbus and Cleveland.
• KOTV and KQCW (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 Coffeyville and other communities at the southern end of Kansas.

Radio

Westwood One was once again the radio home for the tournament.

Opening Round Game

• Marc Vandermeer and Steve Lappas – at Dayton, OH

First/Second Round

• Wayne Larrivee and John Thompson – 1st & 2nd rounds at Philadelphia, PA
• Bill Rosinski and Kyle Macy – 1st & 2nd rounds at Greensboro, NC
• Kevin Kugler and Pete Gillen – 1st & 2nd rounds at Kansas City, MO
• Dave Sims and P.J. Carlesimo – 1st & 2nd rounds at Portland, OR
• Tom McCarthy and Kevin Grevey – 1st & 2nd rounds at Miami, FL
• Mark Champion and Kelly Tripucka – 1st & 2nd rounds at Dayton, OH
• Brad Sham and Reid Gettys – 1st & 2nd rounds at Minneapolis, MN
• Ted Robinson and Bill Frieder – 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 Harlan and P.J. Carlesimo – South Regional at Memphis, TN
• Ian Eagle and Pete Gillen – Midwest Regional at Indianapolis, IN

Final Four

• Kevin Kugler, John Thompson and Bill Raftery – at Detroit, MI

International broadcasters

•  Canada: The Score
•  Australia: One HD / ESPN Australia, uses the CBS broadcast and commentators.
•  Brazil: ESPN Brasil, uses the CBS broadcast.
• Europe, North Africa and Middle East: ESPN America
•  Philippines: Live/delayed on Basketball TV, and recorded on C/S9; uses the CBS broadcast and commentators.

Yahoo! Sports and NCAA.com also broadcasted the entire tournament live for free on the internet.

See also

• 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
• 2009 National Invitation Tournament
• 2009 College Basketball Invitational
• 2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
• 2009 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

References

1. ^ Presidential pick 'em at the White House
2. ^ 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Rankings (Mar. 16) on ESPN.com
3. ^ "NCAA Championships". Archived from the original on 2009-08-01. http://www.ncaa.com/champ/m-baskbl-d1-champ.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
4. ^ "NCAA.com – The Official Web Site of the NCAA". Archived from the original on 2009-08-01. http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/basketball/men/. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
5. ^ "Kansas Center Cole Aldrich Named to NCAA Tournament All-Midwest Regional Team". WIBW. 2009-03-29. http://www.wibw.com/sports/headlines/42097582.html. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
6. ^ "Morehead St. earns matchup with Louisville in tourney". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290762011. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
7. ^ "Louisville applies pressure in second half to cruise past Morehead State". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000047. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
8. ^ "Moore's clutch shots spur Siena by Ohio St. in 2OT". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000048. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
9. ^ "Scouting Friday's Sweet 16 games – cleveland.com". Archived from the original on 2009-08-01. http://www.cleveland.com/marchmadness/index.ssf/2009/03/scouting_fridays_sweet_16_game.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
10. ^ "Wise's 21 after half propel Arizona past fifth-seeded Utah". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000050. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
11. ^ "Cleveland State races to early lead to knock out Wake Forest". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000051. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
12. ^ "Flyers shake Huggins hex, take down sixth-seeded West Virginia". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000054. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
13. ^ "Kansas holds off North Dakota State as Collins pours in 32". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000055. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
14. ^ "USC rolls as Gibson's 10-for-10 shooting leads to upset of Boston College". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000057. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
15. ^ "Morgan, Michigan State bully Robert Morris in Midwest opener". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000058&confId=100. Retrieved 2009-04-02. 
16. ^ "Louisville reaches 2nd straight Sweet 16 behind Williams' double-double". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000049. Retrieved 2009-04-02. 
17. ^ "Wildcats reach final 16 for 12th time since '88". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000052. Retrieved 2009-04-03. 
18. ^ "Aldrich's 13 points, 20 boards, 10 blocked shots lead KU to Sweet 16". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000056. Retrieved 2009-04-03. 
19. ^ "Walton's career-high 18 lift Spartans over USC, into Sweet 16". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000059. Retrieved 2009-04-04. 
20. ^ "Cardinals fly into Elite 8 with one-sided victory over Wildcats". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000053. Retrieved 2009-04-04. 
21. ^ "Lucas, Spartans eliminate Jayhawks with late free throws". Associated Press. ESPN. 2009. http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000060. Retrieved 2009-04-04. 
22. ^ Casacchia, Chris (2009-03-28). "Notes from Glendale: Huskies thrive in Arizona". Sporting News. http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=532518. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
23. ^ Gerstner, Joanne C. (2009-03-28). "NCAA East Region Insider: Villanova bringing back the 1980s". Detroit News. http://www.detnews.com/article/20090328/OPINION03/903280485/1133/SPORTS0203/NCAA+East+Region+Insider++Villanova+bringing+back+the+1980s. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
24. ^ Anderson, Cunningham lead way as Villanova ousts upset-minded American
25. ^ CBSSports.com wire (2009-03-21). "Hughes' improbable shot in OT lifts 12th-seeded Wisconsin past FSU". CBS Interactive. http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20090320_WI@FLST. Retrieved 2009-04-08. 
26. ^ Murtaugh, Frank (2009-03-29). "NCAA South Regional: North Carolina 72, Oklahoma 60". Memphis Flyer. http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=oid%3A57976. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
27. ^ "Morgan breaks out of slump as Michigan State topples Connecticut in Final Four". Associated Press. ESPN.com. April 4, 2009. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=294000031. Retrieved April 7, 2009. 
28. ^ "Bird, Magic to present game ball at title game". Archived from the original on 2009-08-01. http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=48017. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
29. ^ Title game down, overall ratings up
30. ^ The NCAA News: Basketball attendance unaffected by economic slide, May 12, 2009

External links

• NCAA Men's Basketball website