Best team to not win title?

[Titpwhami2014]

I think it’s ‘91 UNLV. Won the title the year before, returned all 5 starters. Was undefeated heading into the Final Four. Lost to a transcendent team that won it all in ‘91 and ‘92. Same team they had waxed in the title game the year prior. Had the #1 overall draft pick in Larry Johnson.

 

[Yardeth]

IU ‘75.

c’mon.

IU still sucks!!!

 

[fatguy87]

I think it’s ‘91 UNLV. Won the title the year before, returned all 5 starters. Was undefeated heading into the Final Four. Lost to a transcendent team that won it all in ‘91 and ‘92. Same team they had waxed in the title game the year prior. Had the #1 overall draft pick in Larry Johnson.

They were 10 point favorites over that Duke team.

 

[JonathanW_rivals]

All time:
1. 1975 IU
2. 1954 UK
3. 1991 UNLV
4. 1999 Duke
5. 2015 UK
6. 1961 Ohio State
7. 1985 Georgetown

I am limiting to my lifetime. So would go:
1 - 99 Duke (K is a great coach, no idea how he screwed that one up)
2 - 75 IU (didn't see them, but supposedly better than the undefeated team the next year)
3 - 15 UK (had Poythress not got hurt, and we had same ending, I would maybe put this team #1, the Platoon made that team better than the tremendous talent it had)
4 - 91 UNLV (great starting 5 w/ a dominant player, for you youngins LJ was Zion)

I was not that impressed by the 85 G-town team. They in that next group of 10 or so teams, that may include 84 UK and 10 UK.

 

[JonathanW_rivals]

I still think it’s our 2010 team. That team was better than 2015 in my opinion.

Post Poythress injury, maybe so.

 

[The_Answer1313_rivals]

I think that 2015 Notre Dame team is really being overlooked. They were really clicking when we played them. They beat duke 2 out if 3 times that season, the second win was in the ACCT by 10 points and it really wasn't that close.

Yeah, having to play Wisconsin was a bad break, but we had them beat, all we had to do was keep playing instead of going to stall ball. Just get the ball down low to KAT and we win. It's the way we lost that really stunk.

We were better than duke that year, I have no doubt we win the title if we beat Wiscy.

I always thought that UK Notre Dame Elite 8 game kind of foreshadowed the Wisconsin game.

In terms of offensive efficiency that season, Wisconsin was #1 and Notre Dame was #2. Both of those teams were crazy good on offense. They both shot the ball extremely well and never turned it over.

The problem with Notre Dame was they had a terrible defense that year. Wisconsin was basically Notre Dame, just with a better defense.

The fact that we only beat ND by 2 points maybe should have given a little indication on what was to come.

All of that being said, any other year in recent history that 15 teams wins a title IMO. It was just the fact that year had three really really good teams and only one of them could win it all unfortunately.

 

[The_Answer1313_rivals]

I dunno. I mean when I think of the three best teams in the Cal era they are obviously 10, 12 and 15.

But I think 12 and 15 was way ahead of 10.

10 had some flaws. Bad three point shooting team, bad free throw shooting team and wasn't great taking care of the ball. Still a great team no doubt but I'd put them solidly behind 12 and 15.

 

[dlh331]

I dunno. I mean when I think of the three best teams in the Cal era they are obviously 10, 12 and 15.

But I think 12 and 15 was way ahead of 10.

10 had some flaws. Bad three point shooting team, bad free throw shooting team and wasn't great taking care of the ball. Still a great team no doubt but I'd put them solidly behind 12 and 15.

That team needed Meeks. Had he returned, UK would have had the nation's best Point guard, best shooting guard, and best center. Plus Patterson, Miller, Bledsoe, etc.

40-0 would have been very possible.

 

[UK90]

I think it’s ‘91 UNLV. Won the title the year before, returned all 5 starters.

False.

 

[bigsmoothie]

2010 was Jodie Meeks away from going 40-0.

 

[bigsmoothie]

I think that 2015 Notre Dame team is really being overlooked. They were really clicking when we played them. They beat duke 2 out if 3 times that season, the second win was in the ACCT by 10 points and it really wasn't that close.

Yeah, having to play Wisconsin was a bad break, but we had them beat, all we had to do was keep playing instead of going to stall ball. Just get the ball down low to KAT and we win. It's the way we lost that really stunk.

We were better than duke that year, I have no doubt we win the title if we beat Wiscy.

Wisconsin was the only team that could have beaten Kentucky and that because of the way we beat them in 14. They wanted us all year. Then they **** the bed against duke. I want to say Wisconsin played maybe Arizona to go to the final four. I rooted for Arizona so hard in that game. 15 still hurt to this day

 

[ruppcat]

Zion being the most overrated player? Cmon... we all obviously dont like Duke but that is just a terrible take.

did they win a title with the most heralded player in the entire history of the universe? nope.

they almost got beat by ucf until the stripes helped pUKe out.

he passed up a shot with time running down.

so yes....overrated

 

[crazed_hoosier2]

That 2002 Duke team deserves an honorable mention, at least. It was a lot of fun to watch them lose.

I was at that game at Rupp. One of the stranger experiences of my life seeing UK fans cheering for IU.

I asked one about it in the pisser after the game. He said “Oh we weren’t cheering for you. We still hate you…just hate Duke more.”

Ah…of course. Laettner.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

54’ Kentucky
68’ Houston

 

[BigCat241]

did they win a title with the most heralded player in the entire history of the universe? nope.

they almost got beat by ucf until the stripes helped pUKe out.

he passed up a shot with time running down.

so yes....overrated

If Zion was overrated then so were Wall and Boogie then.

 

[ruppcat]

If Zion was overrated then so were Wall and Boogie then.

They didn't pass up the big moments.

I blame their loss more on coaching....jacking up 3s like they were layups....and uconvict shot lights out from three in the first half....an unreal night.

 

[Schwagg]

Probably my favorite team of all-time, and the hands down best team to not win a title is the 1989 Flying Illini. They lost in the Final Four to a lucky Michigan squad on a fluke play.

 

[jameslee32]

1991 UNLV is the best college team I ever saw.

 

[dlh331]

1991 UNLV is the best college team I ever saw.

Their coach (Tarkanian) said 1996 UK would have beaten his team by 10+ points

 

[Blueheart32]

In my opinion, its
1. 1991 UNLV
2. 1999 Duke
3. 1997 UK

 

[Tubbyfan78]

Probably my favorite team of all-time, and the hands down best team to not win a title is the 1989 Flying Illini. They lost in the Final Four to a lucky Michigan squad on a fluke play.

I think that ones a bit of a reach. They were very good and could easily have won the title but best team not to win a title? They didn’t win their conference and weren’t even the favorite in that tournament.

 

[kyjeff1]

We could set this up as a poll and end it. To me, it's up to 2015 UK, 1991 UNLV and 1975 IU.

 

[JoeBeeHall]

1.) 2015 Cats.
2.) The Houston team with Akeem,Michau and Drexler.

 

[Blueaz]

15 Cats
19 Duke
97 Cats
91 UUNLV
84 Cats

 

[gojvc]

Just curious as to who you guys think we’re the best 5 teams who didn’t when a title. I’m 41 so anything pre 88’ really doesn’t register for me. So I’ll go; thoughts?

1. UNLV (Larry Johnson team)
2. 2015 UK
3. Cincy (Kenyon Martin team)
4. 1998 UNC
5. 1997 Kansas

Right off the top of my head, 1993 Kentucky was better than any of your last three. I really don’t agree with your last three at all but good offseason topic.

 

[guitarmane]

Y'all gonna include Cal's last team at Memphis in 2008. If Cal had just made sure his guys fouled with 9 seconds left, he would have another ring to wear.

 

[Catfan2226]

All time:
1. 1975 IU
2. 1954 UK
3. 1991 UNLV
4. 1999 Duke
5. 2015 UK
6. 1961 Ohio State
7. 1985 Georgetown

Very good list...I might add the 1983 Houston Cougars..Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon led them but Larry Micheaux Alvin Franklin and company were one hell of a team.Should have smoked NC State in the finals

 

[DelkBowl]

I think more interesting is "who's the worst team to win a title"?

 

[kyjeff1]

I think more interesting is "who's the worst team to win a title"?

Probably UConn 2014

 

[dlh331]

Probably UConn 2014

Without a doubt

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

I think more interesting is "who's the worst team to win a title"?

2011 Uconn
2014 Uconn
1983 NC State

 

[Bratkartoffeln]

Just curious as to who you guys think we’re the best 5 teams who didn’t when a title. I’m 41 so anything pre 88’ really doesn’t register for me. So I’ll go; thoughts?

1. UNLV (Larry Johnson team)
2. 2015 UK
3. Cincy (Kenyon Martin team)
4. 1998 UNC
5. 1997 Kansas

For UK only...
1953-1954 Kentucky Wildcats at 25-0
1966 Kentucky
1970 Kentucky
1997 Kentucky
2015 Kentucky

 

[JonathanW_rivals]

2011 Uconn
2014 Uconn
1983 NC State

Agree

 

[bthaunert]

Probably my favorite team of all-time, and the hands down best team to not win a title is the 1989 Flying Illini. They lost in the Final Four to a lucky Michigan squad on a fluke play.

They were fun as hell to watch, but they didn’t even win their own conference.

 

[Tubbyfan78]

They were fun as hell to watch, but they didn’t even win their own conference.

They were fun to watch and they were really good. I honestly wish they would have won it that year.

 

[serdi]

UK 1970
UK 1966

 

[UKcats1988]

91 UNLV, 15 UK, 99 Duke

 

[Titpwhami2014]

False.

Okay, so it was 4/5. David Butler moved on and they replaced him with George Ackles. Also added Elmore Spencer and Evric Gray who both played in the NBA. Johnson-Augmon-Anthony were their three best players. Anderson Hunt was the 1990 Final 4 MVP. You could easily make the argument their ‘91 team was better than the team that won it.

 

[UK90]

Okay, so it was 4/5. David Butler moved on and they replaced him with George Ackles. Also added Elmore Spencer and Evric Gray who both played in the NBA. Johnson-Augmon-Anthony were their three best players. Anderson Hunt was the 1990 Final 4 MVP. You could easily make the argument their ‘91 team was better than the team that won it.

Oh, the 91 team was definitely better, I wasn’t disputing your overriding point, I just have a weird little pet peeve about needing to correct factual misstatements.

And the 91 Duke team was also considerably better than the one year before. That’s another common misstatement I’ve seen, people claim that was the “same” Duke team, when that’s not accurate at all. For starters, the 91 team added Grant Hill, who made a HUGE difference for them, and the rest were a year older and more experienced. That 91 Duke team was far better equipped to handle UNLV than the one that got rolled the year before.

 

[ruppcat]

I think it’s ‘91 UNLV. Won the title the year before, returned all 5 starters. Was undefeated heading into the Final Four. Lost to a transcendent team that won it all in ‘91 and ‘92. Same team they had waxed in the title game the year prior. Had the #1 overall draft pick in Larry Johnson.

Their starting five might have equaled the starting five of the 96 team.

That would have been a good series.