The 2008–09 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represented the University of Minnesota in the college basketball season of 2008–2009.

This was Smith's second year as Minnesota's head coach.

The Golden Gophers played their home games at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Big Ten Network included the team in a two-and-a-half-hour special that featured Midnight Madness events from several Big Ten campuses on October 17, 2008; the Minnesota event to kick off the season was called "Tubby's Tipoff".

[3] Recruit Royce White signed with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, but did not play due to shoplifting and trespassing charges.