There is something magical about a team that never loses. And having the perfect season is that magic on display. Bill Russell and the 1956 San Francisco Dons were the first to pull it off. Then, over the next two decades, a bunch of teams joined them. However, since 1979, not a single one has joined in.
Not even with the 3-point line arriving in 1987. Even teams like Kentucky (2015) and Gonzaga (2021) have come close but not been able to go without tripping. So, who are the legends who ran the table with no asterisks and no ‘what ifs’?
Which Teams Were Undefeated NCAA Champions?
1973 UCLA Bruins
Record: 30-0
Bill Walton and the Bruins were on an absolute journey in ‘73. The big man averaged 16.9 rebounds a game and dropped 20.4 points. Fourteen of their wins came by 20+ points, and they took down every ranked opponent in the tournament. This was title number nine for the Bruins. And of those titles, seven were won in a row!
1972 UCLA Bruins
Record: 30-0
A year before the ‘73 win, the Bruins saw the beginning of the Bill Walton era. Freshmen couldn’t even play back then, so 1972 was his first taste of action. With senior Henry Bibby leading the charge, the Bruins went seven straight 100+ point games. They burned through Louisville and then Florida State in the tourney. It was another perfect 30-0 season. It was almost like it was business as usual in Westwood.
1967 UCLA Bruins
Record: 30-0
When speaking of the NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, there is one thing that cannot be ignored. And that is his undefeated season at UCLA. Jabbar and Lew Alcindor brought in the best defense game that season. Jabbar had 29 points and 15.5 boards per game that season. UCLA was untouchable. They outclassed Houston in the Final Four and crushed Dayton in the title game. This was the first of three titles Kareem would win. But this was the only undefeated one.
1964 UCLA Bruins
Record: 30-0
It was 1964 that the UCLA dynasty began. It was John Wooden’s first title. And it did not come with a great center but with two absolutely lethal guards, Gail Goodrich and Walt Hazzard. UCLA wasn’t even at No. 1; they were No.6. But they beat Kansas and Michigan early, and that set the momentum. The finals saw a 98-83 win over Duke. That was the beginning of the great legacy.
1956 San Francisco Dons
Record: 29-0
Before Bill Russell became a name synonymous with the Celtics, that name went hand in hand with the San Francisco Dons. The Dons were on a 55-game win streak when they captured their second straight title. Russell put up over 20 points and 21 rebounds per game. This was the birth of the perfect season.
1957 North Carolina Tar Heels
Record: 32-0
North Carolina needed triple overtime to edge Kansas in the championship, with Wilt Chamberlain on the other side. But Lennie Rosenbluth was in his peak form, averaging 28 points a game. That was the Tar Heels’ trump card. They went on with a perfect 32-0 record.
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1976 Indiana Hoosiers
Record: 32-0
This was the last time the world saw a perfect title. Bobby Knight’s crew was ruthless. Scott May was averaging 23.5 points per game, and Kent Benson was at his best. Indiana opened their season by crushing defending champs UCLA by 20. They stayed No. 1 all the way through, beat Michigan for the title, and ended 32-0.
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