Will we ever see another undefeated NCAA men's basketball champion?

[pearl31]

I ask you, orangelings, will we?

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Nope. Too hard. If it didn't happen in a covid shortened year, it's not going to happen.

 

[Alsacs]

Yes.
It will happen.

Kentucky and Gonzaga have gotten close.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Sure.

 

[ROCuse]

I could easily see Gonzaga doing it in the next few years. They have the road map... usually have good teams with returning upperclassmen, OOC schedule is always a toss up where most teams are still figuring things out, easy conference schedule for 3 months, tournament. They are getting more 5-star guys now so the teams will probably get better.

 

[gbo]

I'm voting yes and it starts with Clemson in the fall...

 

[pearl31]

I'm voting yes and it starts with Clemson in the fall...

(pssst - "men's basketball" was included in title/question on purpose)

 

[Cusefan0307]

Depends how old you are

 

[dollarbill44]

 

[pearl31]

Depends how old you are

touche!

 

[MikeSU02]

100%

Someone will catch lightning in a bottle with talent/chemistry/coaching.

I would guess it happens after the NBA changes the HS rule and there are more G-League Ignite teams so there is more stability in recruiting (ie - targeting guy ranked 20 and higher versus trying to land the top five guy that might come to a school). So if you can nab two or three guys that are ranked 20-30, have them stick around for two years, pair them with some veterans that might be juniors or seniors, then I can see it.

The top 10 guys or so never step foot on a campus. A team locks in a few guys that will be two and done. Maybe that second year they can ride the wave.

 

[LaggyJon]

Given that we came within one game of it happening this very season, “never” would seem a bit strong.

I do think that it’ll be a powerhouse team in a mid-major conference, like this year’s Zags team, or the ‘14 Wichita State team, or the Jameer Nelson/Delonte West St. Joe’s team. Even though Kentucky almost pulled it off a few years ago, I just think you need incredible talent and luck to get through a power conference schedule unbeaten these days.

 

[sufandu]

100%

Someone will catch lightning in a bottle with talent/chemistry/coaching.

I would guess it happens after the NBA changes the HS rule and there are more G-League Ignite teams so there is more stability in recruiting (ie - targeting guy ranked 20 and higher versus trying to land the top five guy that might come to a school). So if you can nab two or three guys that are ranked 20-30, have them stick around for two years, pair them with some veterans that might be juniors or seniors, then I can see it.

The top 10 guys or so never step foot on a campus. A team locks in a few guys that will be two and done. Maybe that second year they can ride the wave.

Interesting. I think the change in the high school rule and added stability would make it harder. I think there will be more balance.

 

[oTTo113445]

I think it's possible as some teams manage to stack talent. Baylor had 4 centers playing, Literally.
Really hard to win a major conference tourney though, especially when unbeaten.

 

[HyattsCuse]

Nope. Too hard. If it didn't happen in a covid shortened year, it's not going to happen.

I'd argue that covid likely derailed Baylor's chances this year. They looked awesome until their covid break and once they got going again, they were unbeatable. I think the chances of having two undefeated teams in the championship game this year would have been much higher without covid.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I'd argue that covid likely derailed Baylor's chances this year. They looked awesome until their covid break and once they got going again, they were unbeatable. I think the chances of having two undefeated teams in the championship game this year would have been much higher without covid.

It's an interesting conversation for sure. If they hadn't gotten hit so badly by covid, they would have played the Zags early in the year. I'd be really curious to see how the NC game would have played out if Few had tape on how his players reacted to the athleticism, speed, and blazing shooting the Bears would have showed in the first game. Lots of questions would have been answered about Few's coaching if he got his team to be ultra competitive the second time around.

 

[SWC75]

Not until we get both Boeheims.

 

[Briancuse]

Not in a p5 conference. Way too hard to navigate a perfect season. Perhaps one day the zags do it.

 

[TheHaze315]

Gonzaga will do it eventually. WCC is too easy, anytime they get through the non conference without a blemish they'll have a chance.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

I doubt we see a P5 school do so. First it is very hard to go undefeated in conference. Two there is too much parity in the sport.

Three there would be a ton of pressure on a team being undefeated which is hard to overcome. Even more so when very few teams nowadays are led by upperclassmen whose maturity would be able to handle the pressure better.

Four there is no incentive to do so. The season is a grind. You play to win every game but you don’t play every game like it is a game 7. Resting, rotating, developing kids can be more important big picture. Is going all out to win your conference tournament (3 games in 3 days) really help you win a title?

I think 2014 wore us down a bit.

 

[SWC75]

Of the four teams that have made it to Final Four undefeated since Indiana went 32-0, three were from non-power five conferences:

Indiana State in 1979
UNLV in 1991
Kentucky in 2015
Gonzaga in 2021

All were defeated by power conference teams.

 

[HOFCeluck]

We had a two teams make it to the conference tournament undefeated in 04. One team made it to the second round undefeated in 14. A team made it to the final four undefeated in 15 and 21. A teams gonna break through. It’s just a matter of time.

 

[NKR1978]

100%

Someone will catch lightning in a bottle with talent/chemistry/coaching.

I would guess it happens after the NBA changes the HS rule and there are more G-League Ignite teams so there is more stability in recruiting (ie - targeting guy ranked 20 and higher versus trying to land the top five guy that might come to a school). So if you can nab two or three guys that are ranked 20-30, have them stick around for two years, pair them with some veterans that might be juniors or seniors, then I can see it.

The top 10 guys or so never step foot on a campus. A team locks in a few guys that will be two and done. Maybe that second year they can ride the wave.

Could also see it go the opposite way. 20-60 players are pretty similar. Maybe even up to 150. More teams recruiting the same, more recruits with similar skill sets, more parity.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Gonzaga will do it eventually. WCC is too easy, anytime they get through the non conference without a blemish they'll have a chance.

Was gonna post something like this with them becoming Kentucky in terms of recruiting. If someone had taken out Baylor they do it this year


The path they got was ridiculously easy compared to Baylor who saw Wiscy first weekend after they annihilated UNC then Nova in the sweet 16.

Since they will enter every season ranked top 5 they don’t need to play that tough a non conference either. Teams will give them what they want and go to Spokane with no return.

 

[Cusefannotindc]

If college basketball moves towards NBA share of % of shots from 3, it will become much more difficult. The higher variance will make it more likely a good team will hit a bad three point shooting night and a bad team will hit a good one.