The Best College Basketball Teams Who Didn’t Win a Title

As we’re approaching the quarter point of the year, college basketball fans are gearing up for another exhilarating tournament full of upsets, drama, and heartbreaks. The best college basketball teams who didn’t win a title know how badly some seasons can end.

1992-93 Michigan Wolverines

The only thing missing from the “Fab Five’s” reign at Michigan was cutting down the nets at the end of the tournament. After the previous year’s 20-point loss to Duke in the national championship game, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson were looking to avenge their embarrassing defeat and deliver a championship for the Ann Arbor faithful against North Carolina.

With the Tar Heels up two in the final seconds, Chris Webber called a timeout when UNC cornered the NBA Hall of Famer, forcing him to call a timeout. The only problem with Webber’s decision is that Michigan didn’t have any timeouts left, leading to North Carolina sinking game-clinching free throws.

2004-05 Illinois Fightin’ Illini

It would be a rare occasion for any college basketball team to have a 30-win season as we entered the new millennium because of the parity among 358 Division I men’s basketball teams. But Bruce Weber’s Illinois team was a different breed.

With a backcourt of Dee Brown, Luther Head, and Deron Williams controlling the perimeter and James Augustine manning the paint, it seemed like the Illini were a lock to bring a title back to Champaign, Illinois—especially after their miraculous comeback against Arizona in the Sweet 16.

Regrettably, Illinois played their worst game of the season against North Carolina in the title game, as their guards missed 28 shots from behind the arc, and Augustine fouled out after only nine minutes on the court.

1990-91 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels

Before Michigan fell in their second attempt to win the crown, the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels suffered the same fate. Like Michigan, UNLV lost in the title game against Duke the year before reaching the Final Four again. Unlike Michigan, however, UNLV had a chance to seek revenge against the Blue Devils this time.

A team that featured prominent NBA players like Stacey Augmon, Larry Johnson, and Greg Anthony went into the game with a 34-0 record—averaging nearly 100 points per game. But with all that talent and coach Jerry Tarkanian chomping on his towel from the sidelines, UNLV fell to Duke 79-77.

2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats

John Calipari has had his fair share of exceptional teams at Kentucky, including a 2012 squad that won the title, but no one rivals his 2014-15 Kentucky Wildcats. NBA All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker led Kentucky to an undefeated regular season.

Sadly for “Big Blue Nation,” Kentucky ran into the red-hot Wisconsin Badgers, losing 71-64 after Frank Kaminsky dropped 20 points against them in the Final Four semifinal.

1982-83 Houston Cougars

Nigeria’s Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Cougars team was must-see TV during the 1982-83 NCAA season. Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Michael Young’s Cougars were the odds-on favorite to climb the ladder at the end of the tournament. Although there is one thing we know about the NCAA tournament, upsets make the tourney great. Unfortunately for Houston, coach Jim Valvano led his underdog North Carolina State Wolfpack to win a defensive battle 54-52. Despite the losing effort, Olajuwon won the tournament MVP honors.

Even though the best college basketball teams who didn’t win a title will never be champions in history books, college basketball fans will likely remember them more for their past failure than for winning a ring.