When filling out your brackets for March Madness, the obvious favorite doesn’t always win the title. Sometimes a player calls a timeout when the team has none remaining or an airball turns into a game-winning dunk. So what are the best college basketball teams to not win the national championship?
10. Ohio State, 1960-61
Jerry Lucas led the Buckeyes to a 24-0 regular season and was named the 1961 tournament’s most outstanding player, but Ohio State lost in the national championship to Cincinnati — without Oscar Robertson. Ohio State won the tournament in 1960, but couldn’t repeat.
9. Houston, 1967-68
In the first nationally televised college basketball regular season game in primetime, the Elvin Hayes-led Cougars beat an undefeated, Lew Alcindor-led UCLA team, 71-69. Houston ended the Bruins’ 47-game winning streak in the “Game of the Century.” But when the two teams met again in the NCAA semifinal, UCLA routed Houston, 101-69.
8. Indiana State, 1978-79
The start of the Magic-Bird rivalry began in the 1979 NCAA championship game. Larry Bird led the Sycamores to an undefeated regular season, but lost in the national title game to Magic Johnson and Michigan State, 75-64. Bird won about every award possible that season, but Magic won the title. The two met again a few more times in the NBA.
7. Kansas, 1996-97
This Jayhawks team featured future NBA players Paul Pierce, Jacque Vaughn, Raef LaFrentz and Scot Pollard. Kansas lost just one game that regular season — a 96-94 defeat at Missouri. Pierce & Co. got revenge by beating the Tigers by 27 points in the Big 12 championship. But Kansas was upset by eventual national champion Arizona in the Sweet Sixteen.
6. Duke, 1998-99
The Blue Devils were led by player of the year Elton Brand, starters Trajan Langdon, William Avery, Chirs Carrawell and Shane Battier, and sixth man Corey Maggette — not a bad rotation. Duke went undefeated in the ACC and entered the national title game with a 37-1 record. But the Blue Devils lost to a talented UConn team led by Richard Hamilton in the national championship, 77-74.
5. Georgetown, 1984-85
Patrick Ewing’s illustrious college career ended with a loss as the heavily favored Hoyas couldn’t repeat as national champions — falling to Villanova 66-64 in the title game. Georgetown was one of the elite defensive teams in the country — led by shot-blocking center Ewing. But the Wildcats shot a championship-game record 78.6 percent from the field to take down Goliath.
4. Michigan, 1992-93
The Fab Five — Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and that other guy (Ray Jackson) — was the best recruiting class ever in college basketball. And not surprisingly, this season has been vacated due to NCAA sanctions for a financial scandal involving Webber. As freshmen, the group lost in the title game to Duke. But their most memorable year was the Fab Five’s sophomore season where Webber’s last-second gaffe of calling a timeout when Michigan had none left blew any chance the Wolverines had to beat North Carolina in the title game. Webber, doesn’t karma stink?
3. UCLA, 1973-74
Coach John Wooden led the Bruins to seven straight national championships and two straight undefeated seasons entering the 1973-74 season. In three-time player of the year Bill Walton’s senior season, the Bruins’ 88-game winning streak came to an end to Notre Dame in the regular season and UCLA later lost to North Carolina State, 80-77, in double overtime in the NCAA semifinals.
2. Houston, 1982-83
Phi Slama Jama featured future Hall-of-Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. One of the flashiest teams with its fast-tempo and slam dunks, the Cougars raced to the title game on a 26-game winning streak. But Houston ran into North Carolina State’s unfathomable Cinderella run. Wolfpack forward Lorenzo Charles had the game-winning dunk off an airball to lead North Carolina State to a 54-52 victory.
1. UNLV, 1990-91
Coming off the most lopsided victory in national championship history — a 103-73 rout of Duke — the Runnin’ Rebels were a heavy favorite and went undefeated in the regular season. UNLV was led by player of the year Larry Johnson, the “’Plastic Man” Stacey Augmon and point guard Greg Anthony. But despite rolling into the Final Four, the Runnin’ Rebels were unable to repeat, as Duke got revenge for their drubbing the year before with a 79-77 win over UNLV.
