College basketball almost never fails to entertain, delivering memorable moments in every season that’s played.
With the offseason in full swing, let’s take a look at the last 10 seasons in college hoops — ranking them from best to worst.
Ranking Every College Basketball Season Since 2015
1) 2021-22
In addition to a highly entertaining regular season that featured Kentucky Wildcats’ Oscar Tshiebwe being named the Naismith Player of the Year after scoring 17.4 points and collecting an absurd 15.1 rebounds, the Saint Peter’s Peacocks took the entire sports world by storm during the NCAA Tournament.
#15 SAINT PETERS TAKES DOWN #2 KENTUCKY…MADNESS @stoolbenchmob
pic.twitter.com/W0n4AmiFEH— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 18, 2022
A 15-seed, they upset the second-seeded Kentucky Wildcats in overtime in the Round of 64 before beating Murray State and the Purdue Boilermakers in making their way to the Elite Eight.
The national title game was also one to remember, as the Kansas Jayhawks erased a 15-point North Carolina Tar Heels halftime deficit to win by three points. It was a fitting end to an excellent season and one fans won’t forget.
2) 2024-25
The most recent college basketball season didn’t produce a marquee tournament until the Final Four, but the regular season was as competitive as we’ve seen in modern history.
Both the Big Ten and SEC were bloodbaths of conferences, with ranked teams facing off almost nightly. The competition was through the roof before the season even reached March.
Speaking of the Final Four, all four No. 1 seeds made it. While that may seem like a dud compared to what “March Madness” is known for, the madness ensued in San Antonio, Texas, with the top four teams in the country facing off.
The stars were out, as Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. out-dueled Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome while the Houston Cougars engineered one of the most improbable comebacks in tournament history in the final minutes against the Duke Blue Devils.
The championship featured another comeback, as Clayton finally found his scoring touch in the second half and led a furious Gators comeback over the Cougars.
3) 2017-18
Featuring the first No. 16-seed victory in NCAA Tournament history, UMBC entered the dance as mere unknowns and came out with a permanent spot in the record books. It wasn’t just that they won either; in fact, they handled the Virginia, pulling away for a 20-point victory.
One year ago today, No. 16-seeded UMBC did the impossible vs. No. 1-seeded Virginia.
(via @marchmadness)pic.twitter.com/ymGOCX7BNz
— Bleacher Report CBB (@br_CBB) March 16, 2019
Another surprise tournament run saw the Loyola Chicago Ramblers and Sister Jean go more viral after every win, advancing all the way to the Final Four.
In the end, it was the Villanova Wildcats that came away with the 2019 national title thanks to Naismith Player of the Year Jalen Brunson’s excellence all season long and sixth man Donte DiVincenzo’s 31-point, five three-pointer performance in the title game. It was a truly wild season, yet it ended with a familiar champion.
4) 2018-19
Duke’s trio of talented freshmen took the nation by storm this season, as Zion Williamson produced high-flying slam dunks, R.J. Barrett’s dynamic all-around ability was on full display, and Cam Reddish’s shooting ability was something to see.
Their Round of 32 matchup against Tacko Fall and the UCF Knights was a must-watch, as it came down to the final possession after a go-ahead Williamson lay-up over Fall.
The national champion Virginia Cavaliers claimed the No. 1 seed a year after losing to the UMBC Retrievers as the first top-seeded team to lose to a 16-seed. Avenging the year-long embarrassment, they pulled away with an overtime victory in the national title game over the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who made their own surprise run as a three seed.
5) 2015-16
This season, rightfully so, was most remembered for the national title game in which North Carolina and Villanova traded baskets down the stretch before a Kris Jenkins three-pointer at the buzzer sealed the deal for the Huskies. It was a thrilling game that will be remembered for decades to come.
But it wasn’t just that game that brought them here. It was the year of the two guards in college hoops, as Oklahoma Sooners’ Buddy Hield won the Naismith Award and Michigan State Spartans’ Denzel Valentine won the AP Player of the Year. The two competed from afar as standout shooters and scorers for their respective squads.
6) 2023-24
This was the second consecutive year of the Zach Edey show with the Purdue Boilermakers, as he claimed his second straight Naismith Award after dominating throughout the entire season. He and his team faced a surprising foe in the Final Four: the NC State Wolfpack.
Needing five wins in five days in the ACC tournament to reach the tournament, the Wolfpack did just that. And they didn’t stop there, as they followed big man D.J. Burns all the way to the Final Four. Though they lost to the Boilermakers, it was a run that will be discussed for years.
Purdue was then handled by UConn, which repeated as national champions after a truly dominant 37-3 season. Their 30-0 run in the Elite Eight against the Illinois Fighting Illini is the stuff of legends.
7) 2020-21
Post-COVID, fans were sparse during this season. Yet it still produced many memorable moments, such as UCLA’s First Four to Final Four run in the tournament and Iowa Hawkeyes center Luka Garza absolutely dominating every single opponent on his way to averaging 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game and being given the Naismith Award.
Perhaps the most memorable moment was Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Jalen Suggs’ pull-up three-pointer to win against the Bruins in the Final Four. Unfortunately for him and his squad, it was all for naught. They were promptly taken down by the Baylor Bears in dominant fashion as they won their first national championship in program history.
8) 2022-23
Edey’s first Naismith Award was spoiled right away, as the No. 1-seeded Boilermakers were stunned by the No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights for just the second time in tournament history.
The Final Four followed suit with an unpredictable group of teams: the No. 9 Florida Atlantic Owls, No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs, No. 5 Miami Hurricanes, and No. 4 UConn. Though the Aztecs defeated the Owls in a thrilling buzzer-beating jumpshot, it was a rather unentertaining Final Four.
The Huskies began their two-year dynamic run, however, claiming their first of two straight national titles.
9) 2016-17
Kansas’ Frank Mason III became the rare point guard to win the Naismith Award, although his team was upset by the Oregon Ducks in the Elite Eight.
On the other side of the bracket, the Wisconsin Badgers produced two highly entertaining games in their upset victory over the No. 1 Villanova Wildcats after a Nigel Hayes layup and a buzzer-beating loss to Florida in the Sweet Sixteen after a Chris Chiozza running three-point floater.
RELATED: Ranking the 10 Best Men’s College Basketball Games of the 2024-25 Season
Behind Sindarious Thornwell, the South Carolina Gamecocks made a surprise run to the Final Four. Still, ultimately, North Carolina emerged as national champions thanks to Joel Barry II’s 22 points in their six-point win over Gonzaga.
10) 2019-20
This is a no-brainer for a simple reason: there was no NCAA Tournament held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, it was an extremely entertaining and compelling regular season, as Dayton Flyers forward Obi Toppin was given the Naismith Award as a rare non-power conference player to receive the honor.
His team was widely projected to be named a No. 1 seed, along with the surprising seasons by Florida State and the Creighton Blue Jays, who were projected as two seeds. Unfortunately, the season ended in mid-March 2020, just as the conference tournament was getting underway.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
