The 2008–09 Pacific‑10 (Pac‑10) Conference men’s basketball season was the 38th season of basketball competition among the conference’s ten member institutions: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, and Washington State.
Season overview
- Regular‑season champion: UCLA finished atop the conference standings with a 15–3 record, earning the Pac‑10 regular‑season title.
- Conference tournament: The Pac‑10 tournament was held March 12‑14, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. USC captured the tournament championship by defeating UCLA 73–61 in the final, thereby securing the conference’s automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.
Post‑season participation
- NCAA tournament bids: Four Pac‑10 teams received NCAA tournament bids: UCLA (automatic regular‑season champion, 2‑seed in the South Region), USC (automatic tournament champion, 9‑seed in the West Region), Arizona (at‑large 5‑seed in the South Region), and Washington State (at‑large 10‑seed in the Midwest Region).
- Tournament results:
- UCLA advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Villanova.
- USC was eliminated in the round of 64.
- Arizona lost in the round of 32.
- Washington State fell in the round of 64.
Individual honors
- Player of the Year: Brook Lopez (UCLA) received the Pac‑10 Men’s Basketball Player of the Year award.
- Coach of the Year: Ben Howland (UCLA) was named Pac‑10 Coach of the Year.
- All‑Pac‑10 selections: The conference announced first‑team, second‑team, and honorable‑mention All‑Pac‑10 squads, featuring players such as Brook Lopez (UCLA), Jeff Pendergraph (Washington), and JaJuan Johnson (Arizona).
Statistical leaders (per conference records)
- Points per game: Brook Lopez (UCLA) led the conference.
- Rebounds per game: Brook Lopez also topped the rebounding category.
- Assists per game: Aaron Johnson (UCLA) was among the leaders in assists.
Contextual notes
The 2008–09 season marked the final year the conference operated under the “Pacific‑10” name; it expanded to twelve members and became the Pac‑12 in 2011. The season was characterized by UCLA’s dominance in regular‑season play, USC’s surprise tournament victory, and a strong overall representation of Pac‑10 teams in the national NCAA tournament.
