The Greatest Teams in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament History
April 1, 2015
Every year since 1939, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has been played at venues across the nation in order to determine the best team in the country. Below is an arguable “Final Four” list of the greatest teams throughout NCAA Tournament history.
1981-1982 University of North Carolina Tar Heels
The 1981-1982 Tar Heels went 32-2 on their way to an NCAA title. Led by James Worthy and Michael Jordan, this team came up big in crunch time. They only beat James Madison University by two points in the first round of the tournament. They also beat the Georgetown Hoyas in the NCAA title game on a game winning jump shot by Michael Jordan. Jordan, a freshman during the 1981-1982 season, averaged just 13.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, before emerging the next season with an average of 20 points and 5 rebounds per game.
1991- 1992 Duke Blue Devils
Led by two players who would eventually have their jerseys retired by Duke University, Christian Laettner and Grant Hill, the Blue Devils won their second National Championship in two years. They started the season 17-0 before eventually losing to University of North Carolina by just 2 points. On their conquest to the title, they only lost one other game throughout the entire season. When they finally reached the National Championship, they beat Michigan’s “Fab Five” by a score of 71-51.
1989- 1990 UNLV Rebels
The UNLV Rebels won the 1990 NCAA title game by 30 points. Yes, you read that correctly, 30 points; the game was a 103-73 demolition of the Duke Blue Devils. This team’s player leaders were point guard Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon, and Anderson Hunt, and the team was notorious for running the fast break. At the Final Four, Anderson Hunt was named “Most Outstanding Player” for his outstanding play during the tournament.
1966-1967 UCLA Bruins
Legendary head coach John Wooden led this squad, who rolled to a 30-0 record, eventually winning the third NCAA Tournament title with a 79-64 win over University of Dayton. Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, lead this Bruins squad. Averaging 29 points and 15.5 rebounds per game in the 1966-1967 season, Jabbar was an unstoppable force throughout the entire season. Kareem was not the only scorer on the team with Lynn Shackelford, Mike Warren, and Lucius Allen all averaging double digit scoring totals. This team was great mostly because of the domination of Jabbar, and because of that, is arguably one of the greatest teams in NCAA basketball history.
These four teams all showed excellence during their seasons. They all had a solid group of players, who were led by outstanding coaches, and cheered on by enthusiastic fans. They both dominated opponents, and fought to come out victorious in some closer games.
The bottom line is that each of these teams put all of the right elements together on their way to an NCAA Tournament Championship.
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I want your opinion! What do you think are the greatest teams in NCAA Men’s Tournament history? Write your opinion in the comments below!