Sometimes the team that didn’t win it all is remembered more than the team that did.
Gonzaga is the latest team to join this list. The Bulldogs finished 31-1 after losing 86-70 to Baylor in the 2021 men’s basketball tournament. Gonzaga missed out on a chance to complete the perfect season.
That has made it difficult to pick a team from 2019-20. Since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1984-85, several memorable teams, including several No. 1 seeds, fell short of winning the national championship.
Sporting News selected one team from each year of the expanded bracket era (which started in 1985), then ranked those teams 1-36. No. 1 was an easy choice, but which teams came next? These are the teams you remember that did not cut down the nets.
Here’s a closer look:
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Record: 29-7
That year’s champion: Louisville
Lowdown: Indiana won a loaded Big Ten conference with the help of Cody Zeller (16.5 ppg.) and Victor Oladipo (13.6), and that included a regular-season sweep of NCAA runner-up Michigan. The Hoosiers needed a late 3-pointer to seal a second-round win against Temple before losing to Syracuse in the Sweet 16.
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Record: 27-5
That year’s champion: UNLV
Lowdown: The Sooners appeared to be the stiffest challenge for UNLV heading into the 1990 NCAA tournament. Oklahoma had six players who averaged double figures, led by Skeeter Henry (17.3). The Sooners, however, were bounced in the second round by North Carolina 79-77. UNLV went on to beat Duke 103-73 in the NCAA championship game.
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Record: 31-5
That year’s champion: North Carolina
Lowdown: Jamie Dixon put together his best squad at Pitt, and DeJuan Blair (15.7 ppg, 12.3 rpg) proved the signature piece on this bruising team. The Panthers lost their first game in the Big East tournament but still got the No. 1 seed in the East Region. Pitt advanced to the Elite Eight and faced Villanova, and that’s when Scottie Reynolds punched his ticket in tournament lore with a coast-to-coast layup that gave the Wildcats a 78-76 win.
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Record: 29-8
That year’s champion: Villanova
Lowdown: It’s tough to pick one. Virginia was the first team to ever go 17-1 in the ACC and won the conference tournament, but it lost to No. 16 UMBC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. National runner-up Michigan and semifinalist Kansas have cases, too, but people will look back and wonder how a Duke team loaded with NBA talent, including Marvin Bagley III, didn’t win a championship. This was the most talented team in the country; the young Blue Devils just didn’t put it together at the right time.
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#33
North Carolina (2011-12)
Record: 32-6
That year’s champion: Kentucky
Lowdown: North Carolina appeared to be the team best equipped to challenge Kentucky and Anthony Davis. The Tar Heels lost 73-72 in Lexington that season and won the ACC with a 14-2 record with a team that featured Kendall Marshall, Tyler Zeller and Harrison Barnes. Marshall, however, suffered a broken wrist in a second-round win against Creighton. North Carolina beat Ohio in the Sweet 16 with some late-game heroics from Barnes, but Kansas knocked the Tar Heels out in the Elite Eight.
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Record: 32-4
That year’s champion: Syracuse
Lowdown: Kentucky earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest regional after winning the SEC with a perfect 16-0 record in conference play. Senior guard Keith Bogans led a high-scoring Tubby Smith team that averaged 77.3 points per game. The Wildcats, however, lost to Dwyane Wade-led Marquette 83-69 in the Elite Eight.
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Record: 27-7
That year’s champion: Duke
Lowdown: The Hoosiers did notwin the Big Ten (Ohio State did), and they didn’t get much attention in the tournament (the Fab Five did), but Bob Knight led Indiana through the West Region as a No. 2 seed anyway, where they destroyed UCLA 106-79. Five Hoosiers averaged double digits, led by Calbert Cheaney. Indiana lost the national semifinal to eventual national champion Duke.
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Record: 31-3
That year’s champion: Duke
Lowdown: Stanford — led by twin big men Jason and Jarron Collins — finished 16-2 in Pac-12 play. The Cardinal rolled into the West Region final before losing to No. 3 seed Maryland 87-73. Stanford watched as rival Arizona advanced to the NCAA championship game before losing to Duke.
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Record: 33-5
That year’s champion: Villanova
Lowdown: The Jayhawks had four players who averaged double figures in Perry Ellis, Wayne Selden, Frank Mason and Devonte’ Graham and roared into the tournament as the top seed, but they lost to eventual national champion Villanova 64-59 in the Elite Eight.
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Record: 28-3
That year’s champion: None
Lowdown: Kansas ended the season on a 16-game win streak. The Jayhawks would have entered the tournament as the top overall seed, but they did not get a chance to show that in the Big 12 tournament. Devon Dotson (18.1 ppg.) and Udoka Azubuike (13.7 ppg.) gave Kansas a formidable inside-outside game, and Ochai Agbaji (10.0) was a solid contributor. Bill Self had a team that looked capable of making another Final Four run.
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Record: 34-3
That year’s champion: Connecticut
Lowdown: The Buckeyes won the Big Ten with a 16-2 conference record. Jared Sullinger (17.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg) dominated the middle, but he had help with William Buford (14.4 ppg), Jon Diebler (12.5 ppg) and Aaron Craft (6.9 ppg). Ohio State earned the top seed in the tournament, but Kentucky knocked off the Buckeyes 62-60 in the Sweet 16.
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Record: 32-2
That year’s champion: Kansas
Lowdown: Who could forget Mark Macon? The star guard averaged 20.6 points per game and led the Owls to the No. 1 seed in the East Region, but Duke ended John Chaney’s bid at the Final Four in the regional final where Temple lost 63-53.
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#25
St. Joseph’s (2003-04)
Record: 30-2
That year’s champion: Connecticut
Lowdown: The Hawks, led by the backcourt of Jameer Nelson (20.6 ppg) and Delonte West (18.9 ppg), finished the regular season with a perfect 27-0 record before losing their first game in the Atlantic 10 tournament. St. Joe’s recovered to reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament before losing 64-62 to Oklahoma State.
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Record: 35-2
That year’s champion: Kentucky
Lowdown: John Calipari’s first Final Four team featured center Marcus Camby, who averaged 20.5 points and finished with 128 blocks. The Minutemen proved their worth in the NCAA tournament by knocking off Arkansas and Georgetown in the East Region. Eventual national champion Kentucky beat UMass 81-74 in the Final Four.
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Record: 32-4
That year’s champion: Florida
Lowdown: The Blue Devils had a dominant scorer outside in J.J. Redick (26.8 ppg.) and inside in Shelden Williams (18.8 ppg.), and that was good enough to win the ACC with a 16-2 record. Duke, however, caught the wrong team on the wrong day in the Sweet 16. LSU, led by Tyrus Thomas and Glen “Big Baby” Davis, beat the Blue Devils 62-54.
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#22
Cincinnati (1999-2000)
Record: 29-4
That year’s champion: Michigan State
Lowdown: The Bearcats finished the regular season with a 28-2 record, including a perfect 16-0 record in Conference-USA. But disaster struck in the conference tournament when star power forward Kenyon Martin suffered a broken leg. The committee gave Cincinnati a No. 2 seed in the tournament, and Tulsa knocked off the Bearcats 69-61 in the second round.
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Record: 35-3
That year’schampion: Duke
Lowdown: Kansas and Kentucky both took identical 32-2 records into the NCAA tournament, but Northern Iowa knocked off the Jayhawks in the second round. The Wildcats — led by a star-studded team that included John Wall (16.6 ppg.) and DeMarcus Cousins (15.1 ppg.) — reached the East Region final before getting knocked off by No. 2 seed West Virginia 73-66.
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Record: 37-2
That year’s champion: Indiana
Lowdown: The Runnin’ Rebels averaged 92.5 points per game, led by Armon Gilliam, who averaged 23.2 points per game. UNLV tore through the West Region and reached its first Final Four under Jerry Tarkanian, but the Rebels lost a 97-93 shootout to eventual national champion Indiana.
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#19
North Carolina (1993-94)
Record: 28-7
That year’s champion: Arkansas
Lowdown: North Carolina opened and closed the regular season at No. 1 in the AP Poll with a team that added Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace to go along with Eric Montross and Donald Williams. That group grabbed the No. 1 seed in the East region. The Tar Heels, however, were upset by Bill Curley-led Boston College in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
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#18
Wichita State (2013-14)
Record: 35-1
That year’s champion: Connecticut
Lowdown: Wichita State, coming off a Final Four appearance in 2013, entered the tournament with a perfect 34-0 record. Four Shockers players – led by Cleanthony Early (16.4 ppg.) averaged double digits. Wichita State, however, was a victim to a brutal bracket that set up a second-round matchup with Kentucky. The Wildcats edged the Shockers 78-76 and advanced to the NCAA championship game before losing to Connecticut.
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Record: 37-2
That year’s champion: North Carolina
Lowdown: The Bulldogs finally had a break-through year to the Final Four under longtime coach Mark Few. Gonzaga lost just one game in the regular season with a lineup that featured five players who averaged double digits. The Bulldogs breezed through the West Region and made the championship game, but North Carolina ended the run in an ugly 71-65 title game.
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Record: 31-5
That year’s champion:Michigan
Lowdown:Two words: Flyin’ Illini. That’s all you need, right? Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, Kenny Battle and Lowell Hamilton all averaged double digits for one of the most crazy-fun teams to watch in NCAA history. Illinois rolled through the Midwest Region and faced Michigan in the Final Four, a team the Illini swept in the regular season. The Wolverines beat the Illini 83-81 on a buzzer-beater by Sean Higgins.
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Record: 37-3
That year’s champion: Louisville
Lowdown: The trio of Johnny Dawkins, Mark Alarie and David Henderson helped the Blue Devils breeze through the ACC with a 12-2 record and finish No. 1 in the final regular season AP Poll. Mike Krzyzewski reached his first Final Four at Duke. Louisville defeated the Blue Devils 72-69 in the championship game behind 25 points from Pervis Ellison.
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Record: 38-2
That year’s champion: Kansas
Lowdown: It’s a toss-up this season between Memphis and North Carolina, which opened and closed the regular season as No. 1 in the AP Poll. The Tar Heels lost to Kansas in the Final Four. Memphis, led by Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts, drew the Jayhawks in the championship game. Mario Chalmers hit a last-second three-pointer to send the championship game into overtime, which Kansas won 75-68.
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Record: 35-4
That year’s champion: Florida
Lowdown: Thad Matta took the “Thad Five” – anchored by Greg Oden and Mike Conley – to a 15-1 record in the Big Ten. Ron Lewis’ three-pointer helped the Buckeyes avoid an upset bid from Xavier in the second round of the tournament, and Ohio State advanced to the national championship game. The Buckeyes, however, couldn’t stop Florida’s bid for back-to-back championships in an 84-75 loss.
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Record: 32-6
That year’s champion: Virginia
Lowdown: Duke, led by freshman All-Americans Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, was the No. 1 seed entering the tournament. We know the Blue Devils lost to Michigan State in the Elite Eight and Texas Tech made the national championship game. Duke, however, swept national champion Virginia in the regular season and won the ACC tournament championship. This all-lottery team will be wondering why it did not win it, especially because fo Williamson, for years to come.
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Record: 29-3
That year’s champion: Maryland
Lowdown: The defending national champions opened and closed the season atop the AP Poll. Three players averaged more than 17 points per game in Jason Williams (21.3), Carlos Boozer (18.2) and Mike Dunleavy (17.3). Duke, however, suffered a shocking 74-73 loss to Indiana in the Sweet 16. What’s worse, ACC rival Maryland later beat Indiana in the NCAA championship game.
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Record: 37-2
That year’s champion: North Carolina
Lowdown: The Illini missed out on a perfect regular season on the last day of the season when Ohio State’s Matt Sylvester hit a buzzer beater. Illinois won the Big Ten tournament and capped an amazing comeback against Arizona for a 90-89 overtime win in the Midwest Region final. The Illini advanced to the national championship game before losing 75-70 to North Carolina.
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Record: 31-5
That year’s champion: North Carolina
Lowdown: The Fab Five returned as sophomores expected to win the national championship. Michigan survived a scare in the second round of the NCAA tournament when Jimmy King’s tip-in helped beat UCLA 86-84. The Wolverines returned to the Final Four, beat Kentucky and faced North Carolina in the championship game. We all know what happened next. Chris Webber received a technical foul for calling a timeout Michigan didn’t have in the final seconds, and North Carolina won 77-71.
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Record: 34-2
That year’s champion: Arizona
Lowdown: North Carolina and Kentucky were loaded too that season, but Kansas entered the tournament with a star-studded team led by Raef LaFrentz, Paul Pierce, Scott Pollard, Jerod Haase and Jacque Vaughn. Arizona, however, knocked off Kansas 85-82 in the Sweet 16. Don’t feel bad, Jayhawks fans. Arizona beat North Carolina and Kentucky in the tournament, too.
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Record: 32-7
That year’s champion: UCLA
Lowdown: Arkansas returned several pieces from its defending national championship team, including Corliss Williamson, Scott Thurman and Clint McDaniel. UCLA closed the regular season atop the AP Poll. The Razorbacks escaped a 79-78 first-round scare from Texas Southern before reaching the championship game, where they lost to the Bruins 89-78.
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#6
North Carolina (1997-98)
Record: 34-4
That year’s champion: Kentucky
Lowdown: Bill Guthridge’s first team at North Carolina was loaded. Antwan Jamison (22.2 ppg.) and Vince Carter (15.6 ppg.) were high-flying studs on a team that finished No.1 in the final regular season AP Poll. The Tar Heels breezed to the Final Four before getting beat 65-59 by Utah, which lost to Kentucky in the NCAA championship game.
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Record:31-1
That year’s champion: Baylor
Lowdown:The Bulldogs were the highest-scoring team in Division I with an offense that featured All-Americans Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs and Drew Timme. Gonzaga burned through the first rounds of the NCAA tournament by winning by 24 points per game. Suggs then led the Bulldogs to a 93-90 victory against UCLA with a thrilling buzzer-beater in the Final Four. Gonzaga, however, lost 86-70 to Baylor in the national championship game.
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Record: 37-2
That year’s champion: Connecticut
Lowdown: Duke’s lone regular-season loss came to Cincinnati in the Great Alaska Shootout, but the Blue Devils rolled from there. Elton Brand and William Avery led Mike Krzyzewski’s only undefeated team in ACC play, and Duke won its first four tournament games by an average of 30.2 points before beating Michigan State 68-62 in the Final Four. Duke’s run, however, came to a shocking end when UConn knocked off the Blue Devils 77-74 in the championship game.
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Record: 35-3
That year’s champion: Villanova
Lowdown: The Hoyas didn’t win the Big East, but the defending national champions rolled through conference champion St. John’s 77-59 in the national semifinals. John Thompson and Patrick Ewing led Georgetown to its third NCAA championship game in four years in the first year of the expanded format, and the Hoyas were heavily-favored to beat Villanova. The Wildcats, however, shocked Georgetown 66-64 in one of the biggest upsets of all time.
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Record: 38-1
That year’s champion: Duke
Lowdown: The Wildcats embraced the 40-0 talk under John Calipari and nearly achieved perfection after an unbeaten regular season. Karl-Anthony Towns and Willie Cauley-Stein were almost an unstoppable force down low, and Andrew and Aaron Harrison kept the back-court humming. Kentucky advanced to the Final Four before losing in shocking fashion to Wisconsin 71-64.
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Record: 34-1
That year’s champion: Duke
Lowdown: This still might be the greatest college basketball team of all time. Larry Johnson, Greg Anthony and Stacey Augmon were all NBA Lottery picks in 1991 for a team that averaged 97.7 points per game. The Rebels reached the Final Four and faced Duke in a rematch from the 1990 championship game, but Anderson Hunt’s three-point attempt in the final seconds missed. Duke shocked UNLV 79-77 and went on to win the national championship.
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