The Best Team Some Schools have ever had
Written by Kim Farricker
Every year college basketball change a lot because of graduations, transfers, early NBA entries and incoming freshman. College basketball has become popular because of the intensity the coaches and players have. A college basketball fan can reminisce about past college basketball players, teams and coaches that made him/her hooked onto college basketball. Here are some of the best teams that many remember about.
UCLA has had a long storied history of basketball. They have 11 National Championships, which is more than any other team. Through the way, UCLA has had many great players and teams. The team that stands out the most would be the team in 1968. UCLA went 29-1 that year and they had Lew Alcindor. 5 players on the UCLA team averaged double digits in points.
In the movie Hoosiers, one can see how important basketball is to the community. The Indiana Hoosiers have been very successful college basketball. The Hoosiers have had players such as Steve Alford, Isiah Thomas and Scott May. The best Hoosiers team would have to be in 1976, where they went undefeated, 32-0 under coach Bob Knight and won the National Championship. Scott May, Bob Wilkerson and Quinn Buckner led that team and were all top 15 picks in the NBA draft year.
The Georgetown Hoyas were one of the best teams in the 1980’s. They reached three Final Fours in the 1980’s. They had very dominant teams with a Princeton style offense. Players like Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo all played during that era. Out of those many good teams, the 1984 team is the most popular. The 34-3 Hoyas had Patrick Ewing, Reggie Williams, David Wingate and Michael Jackson.
The Florida Gators are mostly known for having great football teams, but they have had some very talented teams in Gainesville. The best basketball team they have had would be the team in 2007, when they repeated as National Champions by beating Ohio State. They had a star-studded lineup. Some of those players were Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green and Lee Humphries. The Gators finished 35-5 that year.
The North Carolina Tarheels are one of the most popular teams in college basketball. They have a lot of history to their program. They became popular because of players like Michael Jordan and teams like the 1982 Tarheels who beat Georgetown in the National Championship. The roster consisted of Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and James Worthy. The Tarheels finished that year, 32-2.
The UNLV Running Rebels had many opponents running in the early 90’s. There were two great teams, but the 1990 team would get the edge because they won the National Championship. UNLV’s roster was filled with talent such as Greg Anthony and Larry Johnson.
Kentucky is one of the most well-known basketball programs. They have a long history, which includes 7 National Championships. The 1996 Kentucky team was full of talent. The Wildcats finished 34-2 and won the National Championship. The roster consisted of Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer, Walter McCarthy, Tony Delk and Derek Anderson.
The 2008 Kansas Jayhawks won their second National Championship and first under coach Bill Self. They finished 37-3 with a very deep roster. The Jayhawks were very experienced and dominating. Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers were two of the main players. Kansas won a thriller game against Memphis to win the National Championship.
Louisville was one of the best teams in the 1980’s. They won two National Championship in that decade. The 1980 Louisville team was the best in their history. They finished 33-3 under the leadership of Denny Crum. Darrell Griffith was the MOP of the NCAA tournament that year.
The Duke Blue Devils, like many of the teams on this list have had many talented teams that have accomplished a lot. The best team would be the 1992 team that repeated as National Championship. The Blue Devils were 34-2 that year. The most dramatic game of the year was the buzzer beater Christian hit against Kentucky in the Elite Eight. The big three were; Bobby Hurley, Christian Laettner and Grant Hill.
The Syracuse Orangemen won their only National Championship in 2003 past powerhouse and finished the season 30-5. This roster was deep and talented. Carmelo Anthony, Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick were the big three that led Syracuse that year
The Big East was loaded in 1985 and St. John’s was one of the teams that were stacked. Though St. John’s has never won a National Championship, they have a lot of tournament appearances. The Red Storm made the Final Four and finished the season 31-5. This team had Mark Jackson, Walter Berry, Chris Mullin, and Bill Wennigton.
Though Michigan didn’t win the National Championship in 1993, the Wolverines had a very successful year. The Fab 5 will always be remembered in college basketball. This was the last season the Fab 5 was together. The roster featured the Fab 5 when they were sophomores. They finished the season 31-5 and they lost the National Championship to UNC.
UCONN was not a premiere basketball program until Coach Jim Calhoun came along and changed that al. UCONN has won 3 National Championships in 12 years. The 2004 UCONN Huskies were a team that nobody wanted to mess with. The top two players were Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor. They also become the first school ever to win a National Championship in both the men’s and women’s program.
NC State may not be the program it used to be, but they have had some successful teams. David Thompson led the Wolfpack to a 30-1 record in 1974. That was NC State first National Championship.
Arizona won their only National Championship in 1997, but the 1988 team was the best team. They finished the season 35-3 and lost in the Final Four. Olsen’s roster featured Steve Kerr, Sean Elliot and former baseball star, Kenny Lofton. Arizona became well-known after that season.