The Not Top Ten
Who are the best teams not to win the NCAA Tournament? I’ve been thinking on this for a little while, and here’s the list I’ve come up with. And no, Butler is not on it.
Best Teams not to win the NCAA Tournament
10. Houston 67-68
Record: 31-2
Best Player: Elvin Hayes
This team actually beat Kareem and UCLA in the so called “Game of the Century”. Slight problem, they did it during the regular season. That’s just bad luck. Due to the fact that Coach Wooden suffered by my count about 3 losses in his 27 years as coach he probably doesn’t forget those who beat him. Kareem and company routed the Cougars in the finals to take home the trophy.
9. Kansas 96-97
Record: 34-2
Best Player: Paul Pierce
Sure they were a great team. And sure they only lost two games all year. And yea they had an entire NBA team as their starting five. But they didn’t even make the Final Four, losing to eventual champion Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet Sixteen. So on that note, they only get the number nine spot on this list.
8. Duke 98-99
Record: 37-2
Best Player: Elton Brand
Elton Brand was the number one overall pick. They also had the 11th, 13th, and 14th picks in the draft. So this group had more than enough talent to get the job done. Their coach was pretty good too. But the UConn Huskies weren’t to shabby either. They had Jim Calhoun and Richard Hamilton. So you can’t blame the Blue Devils to much for not getting the job done, at least they made the final four which is more than you can say for the team before them.
7. Indiana State 78-79
Record: 33-1
Best Player: Larry Bird
Easy pick for the list, given that had they not had to go through a certain Johnson and his Michigan State Spartans in the championship game they easily would’ve won the whole thing. All this despite having one player. Lucky for them Larry Bird has the ability of eleven average players.
6. Kentucky 09-10
Record: 35-3
Best Player: John Wall
In John Calipari’s first season with the Wildcats, he assembled one of the best recruiting classes in history, which included top recruit John Wall. For most of the season, Kentucky dominated teams. Including not losing a contest until 21 games into the season. Overall this team had all 5 of its starters taken in the 2010 NBA Draft, but when it came tourney time in March, they choked against Bob Huggins and West Virginia. Soon after the loss, all four star freshman declared for the draft.
5. Georgetown 84-85
Record: 35-3
Best Player: Patrick Ewing
The only reason this team doesn’t make the top three is that they ran into Cinderella. And everyone knows you can’t fight fate so they get a little bit of a break from me. But still. They had Patrick Ewing, arguably the most dominant college player of all time. And John Thompson, one of the greatest coaches in the game. They had also beaten the Wildcats twice already that season in Big East play. So while they get a bit of a break, they’re still in the top 5. YOU HAD PATRICK EWING FOR CHRIST SAKE!!!
4. Houston 82-83
Record: 31-3
Best Player: Hakeem Olajuwon
Better known as Phi-Slamma-Jamma, This Cougars team was one of the most dominant teams of all time. The combo of Hakeem and Clyde “The Glide” Drexler seemed impossible to stop. Unfortunately for them they ran into North Carolina State in the championship game in what is still considered the greatest buzzer beater of all time.
3. UNLV 90-91
Record: 34-1
Best Player: Larry Johnson
I know some may be surprised their not number 1, but there’s several reasons for this. First off, this same group of players won a title the year before so complacency had to effect them. Second off, they beat Duke in the title game the year before then ran into the Blue Devils again in the final four. Beating Coach K once is tough, embarrassing him in the championship and then beating him again is impossible. Also, people may not realize this but Duke was actually the better team that year. And finally, I’m still not one hundred percent sure this game wasn’t rigged. A photo of UNLV players in a hot tub with a known game fixer surfaced a few months after this loss, which is more than enough to put some doubts in my mind.
2. Michigan 92-93
Record: 31-5
Best Player: Chris Webber
The Fab Five. This team gets in over the one from the year before because of this. When they were freshman no one expected them to make the finals. When they were sophomores, no one expected them not to. 4 future NBA players. Including the number 1 overall pick. Okay so technically according to the NCAA this “never happened” but whatever I’ve seen the tapes, and that time-out has haunted me since I first saw it at age 5. HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW MANY YOU HAVE LEFT!!!! The only reason you’re not in the top spot is that number 1 is the impossible becoming a reality. Learn to count C-Webb. Seriously.
1. UCLA 73-74
Record: 26-4
Best Player: Bill Walton
They’d won 88 straight games. They’d won 7 straight NCAA Titles. They had John Wooden and Bill Walton. No argument. Any UCLA team under John Wooden not to win it has to be on here. Why? Because he won 10 in 12 years. I don’t care if it was the UCLA Junior Varsity he was coaching, any time his team loses, they get the top spot on this list.
