The 5 Best College Basketball Teams That Fell Short of a Title

Who was better: 2014-15 Kentucky or the 1990-91 UNLV squad?
The 5 Best College Basketball Teams That Fell Short of a Title
The 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats went 31–0 in the regular season but fell two wins shy of a national title. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Dave Martin
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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.

Derrick Rose (L) led the Memphis Tigers to 38 wins, but the team fell short against Sasha Kaun (R) and Kansas in the title game. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Derrick Rose (L) led the Memphis Tigers to 38 wins, but the team fell short against Sasha Kaun (R) and Kansas in the title game. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Dave Martin
Dave Martin
Author
Dave Martin is a New-York based writer as well as editor. He is the sports editor for the Epoch Times and is a consultant to private writers.
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