Every National Champion Ranked By ESPN

Where does Virginia rank among all the national championship teams?

I agreed with many picks but the truth is this guy doesn’t really know these teams very well.

Texas Western in the top ten? Somebody watched the movie rather than the real team.

A lot of love for the San Francisco Dons.

I thought some of the UNC teams were out of order.

Surprised UK 1978 was number 20. Surprised they were that respected.

Also, who puts 1951 over Fabulous Five in 1948 or 1949?

What do you think?

1982 North Carolina is always grossly overrated in lists like this. People evaluate them as though Michael Jordan of 1982 was the same player we saw during his incredible pro career.

I also hold the belief that those teams from the 50's and 60's wouldn't be able to hang with teams from the 80's to the present. It's just a different level of athleticism.

The UNLV team from 89 & 90, Duke 92, UK 96, Duke 01, North Carolina 05 & 07, the Florida team from whenever...those are the best teams I have ever watched.

1982 North Carolina is always grossly overrated in lists like this. People evaluate them as though Michael Jordan of 1982 was the same player we saw during his incredible pro career.

 

I also hold the belief that those teams from the 50's and 60's wouldn't be able to hang with teams from the 80's to the present. It's just a different level of athleticism.

 

The UNLV team from 89 & 90, Duke 92, UK 96, Duke 01, North Carolina 05 & 07, the Florida team from whenever...those are the best teams I have ever watched.

Agree with every word of this. Even the UNC praise.

1982 North Carolina is always grossly overrated in lists like this. People evaluate them as though Michael Jordan of 1982 was the same player we saw during his incredible pro career.

 

I also hold the belief that those teams from the 50's and 60's wouldn't be able to hang with teams from the 80's to the present. It's just a different level of athleticism.

 

The UNLV team from 89 & 90, Duke 92, UK 96, Duke 01, North Carolina 05 & 07, the Florida team from whenever...those are the best teams I have ever watched.

The '82 UNC thing is probably my biggest pet peeve in college basketball.

I am pretty much with you on modern history, as far as teams I watched and able to process. UK '96 is still my #1. It was a Tour de Force each time they took the court. Duke '92 is #2. I want to put the repeat Gators in there, but they went through the motions much of the season so I have a hard time putting them up there. I was thinking back to the UK/Duke game in '92 last night. I still believe Laettner's game that night was the best college basketball performance ever.

As a UK fan, I guess I'm a bit biased, but I have a hard time believing that there were 12 better teams than the 96 Wildcats. Easily the best team I have seen in my memory.

I also hold the belief that those teams from the 50's and 60's wouldn't be able to hang with teams from the 80's to the present. It's just a different level of athleticism.

Absolutely true, which is why I think it's important to consider each of them as a product of the era they played in.

If a team was dominant against the opposition of its time, then I think it's fair to call that an historically great team, even if they couldn't have possibly kept pace with the modern game. I may still make fun of it (because a lot of those great teams played in Lexington), but I think it's fair to consider them discretely within their own era.

 

Texas Western in the top ten? Somebody watched the movie rather than the real team.

 

Here is why this team was ranked as highly as they were:

For the first time, a team with five black starters won the national title, a feat Don Haskins' Miners achieved by defeating an all-white Kentucky team 72-65 at Cole Field House, in College Park, Maryland.

I am not really sure what that has to do with their on-court performance. Historic, without a doubt. Granted, I was not around then, but I have never heard of them as being regarded as an all time great team.

Yeah...90 UNLV might have lost a few games, but by the time they got to the Title Game, they were a force of nature. Very much undervalued on this list.

Larry Johnson in college was a man amongst boys. Offense was certainly much different then, so he played a lot more in the post, but probably the best comp for Zion Williamson that I could think of.

Here is why this team was ranked as highly as they were:

 

For the first time, a team with five black starters won the national title, a feat Don Haskins' Miners achieved by defeating an all-white Kentucky team 72-65 at Cole Field House, in College Park, Maryland.

 

I am not really sure what that has to do with their on-court performance. Historic, without a doubt. Granted, I was not around then, but I have never heard of them as being regarded as an all time great team.

I find it hard to rank them so high because they were a shot and then never competed in the Final Four again. They had a great year and were worthy champions but they don't belong in the Top Ten All Time. Maybe in the 30's.

1982 North Carolina is always grossly overrated in lists like this. People evaluate them as though Michael Jordan of 1982 was the same player we saw during his incredible pro career.

 

I also hold the belief that those teams from the 50's and 60's wouldn't be able to hang with teams from the 80's to the present. It's just a different level of athleticism.

 

The UNLV team from 89 & 90, Duke 92, UK 96, Duke 01, North Carolina 05 & 07, the Florida team from whenever...those are the best teams I have ever watched.

I too find 1982 UNC over rated. They had awesome talent but had many close games along the way that the best of teams should not and did not have. They base it on how James Worthy, Jordan and Perkins were as pros. If that's the measuring stick then 2012 UK would be higher up with Anthony Davis.

Personally I would put the 06 and 07 Florida Gators teams that won back to back national titles as the best team I’ve ever seen. They were the NCAA equivalent of the Warriors.

1982 North Carolina is always grossly overrated in lists like this. People evaluate them as though Michael Jordan of 1982 was the same player we saw during his incredible pro career.

 

I also hold the belief that those teams from the 50's and 60's wouldn't be able to hang with teams from the 80's to the present. It's just a different level of athleticism.

 

The UNLV team from 89 & 90, Duke 92, UK 96, Duke 01, North Carolina 05 & 07, the Florida team from whenever...those are the best teams I have ever watched.

I think the second North Carolina team should be 09 instead of 07. I can't remember the years.

Personally I would put the 06 and 07 Florida Gators teams that won back to back national titles as the best team I’ve ever seen. They were the NCAA equivalent of the Warriors.

The first title win was a surprise, but the second one was not. They were a dominant team. Everyone knew they were going to win, and I believe that was the year they had four #1 seeds in the Final Four.

The first title win was a surprise, but the second one was not. They were a dominant team. Everyone knew they were going to win, and I believe that was the year they had four #1 seeds in the Final Four.

I think that was 2008 with KU and Memphis in the title game. UCLA was great but only a 2 seed in 2007.

But that Championship game against the Conley/Oden Buckeyes was fun as heck.

I think that was 2008 with KU and Memphis in the title game. UCLA was great but only a 2 seed in 2007.

 

But that Championship game against the Conley/Oden Buckeyes was fun as heck.

Correct. In '07 it was a couple of two seeds and a couple of one seeds.