If only last year’s dominant Kentucky squad was around during this free-for-all college basketball season—a year in which no team has established themselves as a consensus No.1. The Wildcats would surely run the table to be 40–0 champions, with no team coming within single digits of beating them.
But they’re not.
Instead, they’re in the running for greatest team to fall short of a title. Here are the five most dominant teams—that failed to cut down the nets—since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
5. 1997–98 Kansas; 34–2 record: The Jayhawks were No. 1 in the nation from Dec. 3 through the final poll in March, but were shocked in the NCAA tournament 85–82 by eventual champion Arizona (featuring Mike Bibby and company) in the third round. Up to that point, Kansas—led by future NBA players Paul Pierce, Raef LaFrentz, Scot Pollard, and Jacque Vaughn—had just one loss, and it was via a buzzer-beater in a 2OT thriller at rival Missouri.
