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

 

That's right.

 

I just looked up 2009, and North Carolina plowed through the competition. Won by 43, 14, 21, 12, 14, & 17. That's the most dominant Tournament run I can ever remember. Best Carolina team I've ever seen by far.

That's right.

 

I just looked up 2009, and North Carolina plowed through the competition. Won by 43, 14, 21, 12, 14, & 17. That's the most dominant Tournament run I can ever remember. Best Carolina team I've ever seen by far.

 

Didn't six or seven guys off that 2009 UNC squad end up getting drafted? They were loaded.

Didn't six or seven guys off that 2009 UNC squad end up getting drafted? They were loaded.

 

Six according to Wikipedia. Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, Ed Davis, & Tyler Zeller. All but Green were first round picks, albeit not in the same year.

Six according to Wikipedia. Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, Ed Davis, & Tyler Zeller. All but Green were first round picks, albeit not in the same year.

 

Interesting. Lawson had a productive run for a bit, but Danny Green I would say has been the most successful in the NBA. Dude is still one of the top defenders in the league.

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.

 

I understand what you're saying, and if you're bringing the older teams into the modern game, you very well may be 100% correct.

 

But, here's a twist, how well would modern teams fair if they had to play the "old way" (no shot clock, no 3-pt. line)? Yes, the accuracy of today's shooters would still be there...but, they wouldn't be rewarded for the extra point. And with no shot clock, teams would have to potentially play much longer on defense.

Interesting. Lawson had a productive run for a bit, but Danny Green I would say has been the most successful in the NBA. Dude is still one of the top defenders in the league.

 

Exactly what I thought.

 

I understand what you're saying, and if you're bringing the older teams into the modern game, you very well may be 100% correct.

 

But, here's a twist, how well would modern teams fair if they had to play the "old way" (no shot clock, no 3-pt. line)? Yes, the accuracy of today's shooters would still be there...but, they wouldn't be rewarded for the extra point. And with no shot clock, teams would have to potentially play much longer on defense.

 

I think that's a valid point. But I still think the athleticism would be a more significant advantage than the 3-point line & shot clock.

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.

 

I’ll go to my grave saying that was the best college team I ever watched and that Larry Johnson was one of the most dominant forces I have ever seen in college basketball.

I’ll go to my grave saying that was the best college team I ever watched and that Larry Johnson was one of the most dominant forces I have ever seen in college basketball.

 

I agree and the UK 96 and Duke 92 would probably round out of my top 3.

I agree and the UK 96 and Duke 92 would probably round out of my top 3.

 

I have no problem with all those UCLA teams up at the top or IU in '76 for that matter. The Dons were great but I don't know if they were Top 10 or Top 15 worthy.

 

I do think the two teams you mention should be higher. :thumb:

I have no problem with all those UCLA teams up at the top or IU in '76 for that matter. The Dons were great but I don't know if they were Top 10 or Top 15 worthy.

 

I do think the two teams you mention should be higher. :thumb:

@PurplePride92 said the ones that he has watched. I am not old enough to remember anything before 1978. With that said, the UNLV team, UK 96, and Duke 92 are the best three I have watched.

I have no problem with all those UCLA teams up at the top or IU in '76 for that matter. The Dons were great but I don't know if they were Top 10 or Top 15 worthy.

 

I do think the two teams you mention should be higher. :thumb:

 

Some of those old teams were defined by transcendent players that fundamentally altered a game that was still developing. Bill Russell was one of those players.

 

Blocks were not an official stat back then, but Russell is unofficially credited with 20 blocks in the title game against Iowa in 1956 to go with 26 points and 27 rebounds. That is absolutely silly.

 

Like the 2009 UNC team we discussed earlier, they dispatched all their opponents in the tournament with complete ease, the closest game being an 11-point win over UCLA in the first round of the "Far West" Region (which should totally still be a thing by the way).

 

I think you can draw a straight line from how Bill Russell dominated college basketball when he was there to the way teams dealt with Wilt Chamberlain when he was at KU a few years later. To me, that's what makes that San Francisco team so great. Fundamental alteration of what basketball can be and utter dominance along the way.

They’ve got ‘66 Texas Western rated #7. No way. Any team from 1970 to 2019 would beat that team with ease. Or Rupp’s Runts as well if they had won the title that year. That wasn’t a strong year for college basketball in the least.

 

The ‘78 UK team would win by 20 and ‘96 by 25-30. ‘12 would thump them too.

I feel like I always under value just how good 96 UK was historically. I think part of it is because I was on campus at that time and in my 21 year old brain at the time it was hard for me to accept that the greatness that I was around. I took it for granted. Looking back I wish I had taken a better appreciation for what they were accomplishing. They truly belong in the conversation of top 10 teams ever.

I’ll go to my grave saying that was the best college team I ever watched and that Larry Johnson was one of the most dominant forces I have ever seen in college basketball.

 

I don't know who I would put at 1, but they're certainly in the mix.

I feel like I always under value just how good 96 UK was historically. I think part of it is because I was on campus at that time and in my 21 year old brain at the time it was hard for me to accept that the greatness that I was around. I took it for granted. Looking back I wish I had taken a better appreciation for what they were accomplishing. They truly belong in the conversation of top 10 teams ever.

 

They just swarmed and overwhelmed teams. So fun to watch.