Dean Smith had some rebuilding to do. A guy named Michael Jordan had departed from Chapel Hill. After winning a national title in 1982, UNC had continued to produce great teams with Jordan in 1983 and 1984, but there was disappointment in March. The Tar Heels had failed to win the conference tournament—a big deal […]
The 2015 Final Four was defined by Kentucky’s pursuit of history and an epic rematch with Wisconsin. But it ended with a familiar sight—Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils hoisting their fifth NCAA championship banner. Here’s a look back at the paths Duke, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Michigan State all took to get to Indianapolis: […]
Just three years removed from making a surprise run to the national title, the University of Connecticut had an even more out-of-nowhere run to the top of college basketball. Here’s a look back at how UConn, along with Kentucky, Florida, and Wisconsin, all reached the 2014 Final Four in Dallas. UCONN After the 2011 NCAA […]
Dean Smith was on a high. The Tar Heel coach, ultimately headed for the Hall of Fame, was already one of college basketball’s best. He had reached four Final Fours in his first 15 years at Chapel Hill. In the summer of 1976, he won an Olympic gold medal. The 1977 North Carolina basketball team […]
Dean Smith came to North Carolina in 1962, and over his first decade, he took the Tar Heels to the Final Four on four different occasions. From 1973 through 1975, UNC took a back seat to N.C. State and Maryland in the ACC but winning the conference tournament in ’75 got them back into an […]
Louisville was seeking their first national title since 1986, when the legendary Denny Crum was still on the sidelines. The Cardinals reached the summit, triumphing in a 2013 Final Four that included Michigan, Syracuse, and Wichita State. Here’s a look back on the road those four teams traveled to reach Atlanta. LOUISVILLE Rick Pitino had […]
John Calipari changed college basketball with his ability to bring in top-flight “one-and-done” players, who would leave for the NBA after their freshman year, and still mold them into winning teams at Kentucky. That was never more evident than in 2012. Kentucky was joined by Kansas, Ohio State, and Louisville on the sport’s biggest stage […]
Even by the often-chaotic standards of college basketball in March, 2011 had some unique storylines. It isn’t often you use the seemingly contradictory phrase “repeat Cinderella”. But that’s what Butler was. It isn’t often a proud blueblood like Kentucky has to pull consecutive upsets to make the Final Four. But they did. It was—and remains—unprecedented […]
The national championship in 2010 came down to a battle between a Blueblood and a Cinderella. It came down to a single shot from halfcourt. In the end, there was no Cinderella ending and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski won his fourth NCAA title. Here’s a look back on the paths that Duke, along with Butler, West […]
The 2009 Final Four brought together three teams who had won relatively recent national championships—North Carolina in 2005, Michigan State in 2000, and UConn in 2004. They were joined by Villanova, no stranger to the winner’s circle themselves, with a historic 1985 title run. Here’s a look back at the road these teams took to […]
Tom Crean came to Bloomington in 2009, inheriting an Indiana team that had contended for the Big Ten title and made the NCAA Tournament in 2008, but ran afoul of NCAA recruiting rules. Crean was brought in to clean house and a housecleaning is exactly what followed. IU started over from scratch and over Crean’s […]
The University of Iowa has been playing basketball in the Big Ten since 1909 and for the most part, have been successful. The Hawkeyes are consistently in the running for the NCAA Tournament. One thing they haven’t done much of is win the conference championship. 1970 was the last time the program won the Big […]