The 20 Best Teams Who Could Not Win a NCAA Title
By Jason Lisk
Who are the best teams and group of players that have not won a NCAA title? When I put together this list, I excluded teams where the main core of players did win a title, just maybe not in one particularly great season. This is why you won’t see UNLV (won in 1990 before losing to Duke in 1991), Kentucky from 1997, or the Ewing-era Georgetown Hoyas on the list.
There are plenty of teams who came close but could not win a title. These are their stories.
#20 Indiana Hoosiers, 1991-1993
This was the last great Bob Knight run at Indiana. Calbert Cheaney’s three-year run as the star for the Hoosiers produced an 87-16 record, two #2 seeds, and a #1 seed in 1993 when they entered the tournament ranked 1st in the country. They only advanced to one Final Four–in 1992 when they lost to Laettner’s Duke Blue Devils in the game after the Kentucky miracle, and lost to the Kansas Jayhawks in the other two years.
Key Players: Calbert Chaney (91-93); Greg Graham (91-93), Damon Bailey (91-93), Alan Henderson (92-93)
#19 St. John’s Redmen, 1983-1986
For a stretch in the 1980’s, Lou Carnesecca ruled New York and Chris Mullin dominated. From 1983 to 1986, St. John’s was a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament three times. Twice, they got upset in the 2nd round (by Georgia and Auburn). In 1985, they finally went to the Final Four–only to run into Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas.
Key Players: Chris Mullin (83-85), Walter Berry (85-86), Bill Wennington (83-85), Mark Jackson (84-86)
#18 Illinois Fighting Illini, 2003-2005
This is the only team on the list who had two different coaches. The core of players put together by Bill Self, including Dee Brown and Deron Williams, had their dominant season after Self left for Kansas and Bruce Weber took over. They went 37-1, until they lost to North Carolina in one of the elite finals matchups of the last 20 years.
Key Players: Luther Head (03-05), Dee Brown (03-05), Deron Williams (03-05), Roger Powell (03-05), James Augustine (03-05)
#17 Kansas Jayhawks, 1995-1998
Over a four-year span, Kansas went 123-17, and were a #1 seed three times (and a #2 in the other year). They entered the tournament #1 in 1997 and #2 in 1998. They never reached a Final Four, losing to Virginia in 1995, in an Elite Eight to national finalist Syracuse in 1996, losing to national champ Arizona in 1997 in the Sweet 16, and getting stunned by Rhode Island in 1998.
Key Players: Raef La Frentz (95-98), Paul Pierce (96-98), Jacque Vaughn (95-97), Scot Pollard (95-97), Jerod Haase (95-97)
#16 Wisconsin Badgers, 2014-2015
The best run in Wisconsin basketball (and yes, I know they won a title back in 1941, before it became the event it is now) saw the Badgers and Bo Ryan go to consecutive Final Fours as top seeds. The 2015 team pulled one of the great upsets in Final Four history by beating undefeated Kentucky, but could not quite get past Duke two days later.
Key Players: Frank Kaminsky (14-15), Sam Dekker (14-15), Nigel Hayes (14-15), Ben Brust (14)
#15 Duke Blue Devils, 1985-1986
Key Players: Johnny Dawkins (85-86), Mark Alarie (85-86), Jay Bilas (85-86), Dave Henderson (85-86), Tommy Amaker (85-86), Danny Ferry (86)
#14 Memphis Tigers, 2006-2008
The Memphis Tigers lost only 10 games over this three-year span. They twice lost in the Elite Eight as a top seed, but then with the addition of freshman Derrick Rose, finally broke trough in 2008. They lost the title game to Kansas in the most heart-breaking way possible in overtime, in a game they should have won in regulation but for some foul shooting woes and a great shot by Mario Chalmers.
Key Players: Derrick Rose (08), Chris Douglas-Roberts (06-08), Robert Dozier (06-08), Antonio Anderson (06-08), Rodney Carney (06)
#13 Syracuse Orangemen, 1987-1990
Syracuse is another team that lost in the Final in heartbreaking fashion on Keith Smart’s shot from the corner. They were a consistent force over the next three years with many of the same key players, most notably Derrick Coleman. But they could never get back to the Final Four.
Key Players: Derrick Coleman (87-90), Sherman Douglas (87-89), Stephen Thompson (87-90), Billy Owens (88-90), Rony Seikaly (87-88)
#12 Virginia Cavaliers, 1981-1983
The Ralph Sampson era Cavaliers reached #1 in the country in three straight seasons and were a #1 seed entering the tournament each year. They lost to conference rival North Carolina in the Final Four in 1981, got upset by UAB the next year, and then were a game from returning to the Final Four in 1983, but could not get past the Cinderella NC State Wolfpack (not the last team on this list to fall to Valvano’s miracle crew).
Key Players: Ralph Sampson (81-83), Jeff Lamp (81), Othell Wilson (81-83), Rick Carlisle (83), Craig Robinson (81-83)
#11 Arizona Wildcats, 1988-1989
Arizona’s first great team under Lute Olsen, the Wildcats went 64-7 over a two-year span. In 1988, with All-American Sean Elliott, they entered the tournament as the 2nd-ranked team in the nation, and advanced to the first Final Four in school history, but lost to Oklahoma. The next year, they were #1 in the nation entering the tournament, but were upset by a point in the Sweet 16 by the young UNLV core that would go on to win a national title the next year.
Key Players: Sean Elliott (88-89), Tom Tolbert (88), Steve Kerr (88), Anthony Cook (88-89), Jud Bueschler (88-89), Kenny Lofton (88-89)
#10 Kentucky Wildcats, 1991-1993
This team will forever be defined by the Christian Laettner shot. This core of players won the SEC in 1991 but could not participate in the NCAA Tournament (probation). In 1992, they were within a second and a full length pass of knocking off defending champion Duke, and in 1993, they went 30-4 and lost to Michigan at the Final Four.
Key Players: Jamal Mashburn (91-93), John Pelphrey (91-92), Deron Feldhaus (91-92), Richie Farmer (91-92), Sean Woods (91-92), Travis Ford (92-93), Dale Brown (92-93)
#9 Oklahoma Sooners, 1988-1990
There was a time when Billy Tubbs was the most entertaining thing about college basketball, whether you loved him or hated him. His Sooners were brash and high-scoring. In 1988, it all came together with All-American Stacey King and star point guard Mookie Blaylock. But the Sooners lost to Danny Manning and the Miracles in Kemper Arena. They entered the next two tournaments as a #1 seed as well, but were upset early, by Virginia and North Carolina.
Key Players: Stacey King (88-89), Harvey Grant (88), Mookie Blaylock (88-89), Skeeter Henry (89-90), William Davis (89-90), Jackie Jones (90)
#8 Kansas Jayhawks, 1957-1958
Wilt Chamberlain was perhaps the most dominant college basketball player ever, averaging 29 points a game and controlling the paint as Kansas went to the NCAA Title game in 1957 against North Carolina, where they lost an epic triple overtime game by a point. The next year, Kansas missed the tournament when they lost the Big 8 to Kansas State (they actually beat Kansas State 2 out of 3 times, including the holiday tournament, but this pre-dated tournament auto bids, and only one team from each conference went). They were still the 2nd best team in the country according to SRS, and Wilt averaged 30 points and 18 rebounds.
Key Players: Wilt Chamberlain (57-58), Gene Elstun (57), Ron Loneski (57-58)
#7 UCLA Bruins, 2006-2008
The UCLA Bruins made three straight Final Fours, reached a championship game, but could never break through with loads of talented players that included future NBA stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love.
Key Players: Russell Westbrook (07-08), Kevin Love (08), Arron Afflalo (06-07), Darren Collison (06-08), Jordan Farmar (06), Josh Shipp (07-08), Luc Mbah a Moute (06-08)
#6 Kansas Jayhawks, 2001-2003
In what was the end the Roy Williams era, Kansas went to a Final Four in 2002, and then looked like the favorite at the Final Four the next year, but were upset by Carmelo Anthony and Syracuse.
Key Players: Nick Collison (01-03), Kirk Hinrich (01-03), Drew Gooden (01-02), Wayne Simien (02-03), Keith Langford (02-03)
#5 Kentucky Wildcats, 2014-2015
The same core that went all the way to the title game as a #8 seed as freshmen, before losing to Connecticut, returned, were joined by NBA talent like Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker, and went undefeated–until they played Wisconsin in the Final Four.
Key Players: Aaron Harrison (14-15), Andrew Harrison (14-15), Karl-Anthony Towns (15), Devin Booker (15), Willie Cauley-Stein (14-15), Julius Randle (14), James Young (14).
#4 Cincinnati Bearcats, 1958-1960
Oscar Robertson, the Big O, was a three-time All-American and averaged over 30 points each season at Cincinnati. The Bearcats were first in SRS entering each tournament, and ranked in the Top 5 each year. They lost to Kansas State in 1958 (there was no seeding then) and then advanced to the Final Four the next two years but lost to California both times.
In the ultimate “Ewing Theory” move, the Bearcats won the national title with new coach Ed Jucker, and without Robertson, the next season.
Key Players: Oscar Robertson (58-60), Connie Dierking (58), Ralph Davis (58-60)
#3 Duke Blue Devils, 1997-1999
Duke had the Christian Laettner/Bobby Hurley title teams, and the 2001 champs led by Shane Battier, Jay Williams and Mike Dunleavy, but in between they had another dominant group that could not get over the hump. (And yes, Shane Battier was 6th in scoring on the 1999 version, but the core players were different).
In 1997, Duke was stunned by Providence as a #2 seed. The next year, they lost a showdown with Kentucky in the Elite Eight, and in 1999, as the #1 team in the nation, they lost in the national final to Connecticut, to give Jim Calhoun his first title. That ’99 team is the highest rated team by SRS to not win a title in the last 30 years (yes, above 1991 UNLV).
Key Players: Trajan Langdon (97-99), Roshown McLeod (97-98), Elton Brand (98-99, William Avery (98-99), Corey Maggette (99), Chris Carrawell (97-99)
#2 Michigan Wolverines, 1992-1993
The Fab Five took college basketball by storm. In today’s one-and-done era, we are used to great freshman teams at big programs. Michigan did it first, and they went on a run in the NCAA Tournament as a #6 seed all the way to the Final. The next year, they earned the #1 seed, knocked off Kentucky in the Final Four, but lost to North Carolina in one of the most dramatic endings in NCAA Tournament history, when Chris Webber called a timeout the team did not have.
Key Players: Chris Webber (92-93), Jalen Rose (92-93), Juwan Howard (92-93), Jimmy King (92-93), Ray Jackson (92-93)
#1 Houston Cougars, 1982-1984
Phi Slamma Jamma has to be #1. This high-flying group was loaded with NBA talent, could get up and down, and made three straight trips to the Final Four. They lost in the biggest NCAA Final upset on a crazy air ball putback. They then lost the next year to Patrick Ewing and Georgetown as John Thompson got his title.
Key Players: Clyde Drexler (82-83), Hakeem Olajuwon (82-84), Michael Young (82-84), Larry Micheaux (82-83), Alvin Franklin (83-84), Reid Gettys (82-84)