1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game

1990 NCAA Tournament Championship Game
National championship game
Duke Blue Devils UNLV Runnin' Rebels
ACC Big West
(29–8) (34–5)
73 103
Head coach:
Mike Krzyzewski
Head coach:
Jerry Tarkanian
1st half2nd half Total
Duke Blue Devils 3538 73
UNLV Runnin' Rebels 4756 103
DateApril 2, 1990
VenueMcNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
MVPAnderson Hunt, UNLV
FavoriteUNLV by 4.5
RefereesEd Hightower, Tim Higgins, Richie Ballesteros
Attendance17,675
United States TV coverage
NetworkCBS
AnnouncersBrent Musburger (play-by-play)
Billy Packer (color)
← 1989
1991 →

The 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game was the final round of the 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. It determined the national champion for the 1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, and was contested by the East Regional Champions, No. 3-seeded Duke Blue Devils of the ACC and the West Regional Champions, No. 1-seeded UNLV Runnin' Rebels of the Big West. Both teams were seeking their first national title. The game was played on April 2, 1990, at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. This was the first of three consecutive championship game appearances for Duke.

The Runnin' Rebels defeated the Blue Devils, 103–73,[1] to claim their first, and only, NCAA title. It was also the first title for head coach Jerry Tarkanian. UNLV guard Anderson Hunt was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP).

The 30-point margin of victory remains the largest in championship game history.

  1. ^ "Rebels rule NCAA: UNLV No. 1 with beDeviling win". The Las Vegas Sun. April 3, 1990. Retrieved January 8, 2022.