{"id":830432,"date":"2026-09-08T02:28:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T02:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/830432\/"},"modified":"2026-09-08T02:28:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T02:28:01","slug":"how-every-undefeated-college-basketball-team-has-performed-in-the-ncaa-tournament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/830432\/","title":{"rendered":"How every undefeated college basketball team has performed in the NCAA tournament"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In the 86-year history of the NCAA tournament, only 20\u00a0teams have ever entered the tournament with a perfect record.<\/p>\n

The first came in 1951, when Lou Rossini led Columbia to a 21-0 regular season and an Ivy League championship. But the Lions would fall to No. 5 Illinois, 79-71, in the first round of the tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The most recent undefeated regular season was in 2021, when Gonzaga\u00a0went 24-0. The Bulldogs\u00a0drew a No. 1 seed and made it all the way to the national championship game. However, they were dominated by\u00a0Baylor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Only seven teams in the history of college basketball have won an NCAA tournament championship with a perfect record.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The first came in 1956, when Bill Russell averaged 20.6 points and 21 rebounds to lead San Francisco to its second straight championship, improving on the 28-1 record of 1955.<\/p>\n

NCAA Photos
\n \"Bill
\n Bill Russell celebrates a perfect season and a national championship in 1956.<\/p>\n

The feat was repeated in 1957, when North Carolina, coached by Frank McGuire and led by Lennie Rosenbluth, won 32 straight. The most impressive of those wins came in the national championship, when the Tar Heels survived three overtimes to beat Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas, 54-53.<\/p>\n

NCAA Photos
\n \"North
\n Lenny Rosenbluth of North Carolina argues with a referee during the NCAA national championship game against Kansas in 1957.<\/p>\n

Four of the undefeated titles unsurprisingly came from UCLA, which went 281-15 from 1964-1973, winning nine national championships and recording four perfect seasons.<\/p>\n

And the most recent undefeated title came in 1976, with Indiana. Bob Knight was in his fifth year. In 1975, Knight\u2019s fourth season with the Hoosiers, he coached the team to a perfect 29-0 regular season before falling to Kentucky in the NCAA tournament regional finals. But he and Indiana would not be denied the next year, going 32-0 and beating Michigan 86-68 for the school\u2019s third championship.<\/p>\n

Here is the full list of teams that have entered the NCAA tournament with a perfect record. Because regional and overall third place games existed until 1982, some teams finished with two losses on the season:<\/p>\n

\t\t\tTeam
\n\t\t\tCoach
\n\t\t\tRecord
\n\t\t\tNCAAT record
\n\t\t\tFINAL RECORD
\n\t\t\tResult<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1950-51 Columbia
\n\t\t\tLou Rossini
\n\t\t\t21-0
\n\t\t\t0-1
\n\t\t\t21-1
\n\t\t\tLost in first round<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1955-56
San Francisco
\n\t\t\tPhil Woolpert
\n\t\t\t25-0
\n\t\t\t4-0
\n\t\t\t29-0
\n\t\t\tWon championship<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1956-57
North Carolina
\n\t\t\tFrank McGuire
\n\t\t\t27-0
\n\t\t\t5-0
\n\t\t\t32-0
\n\t\t\tWon championship<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1960-61
Ohio State
\n\t\t\tFred Taylor
\n\t\t\t24-0
\n\t\t\t3-1
\n\t\t\t27-1
\n\t\t\tLost championship<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1963-64
UCLA
\n\t\t\tJohn Wooden
\n\t\t\t26-0
\n\t\t\t4-0
\n\t\t\t30-0
\n\t\t\tWon championship<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1966-67
UCLA
\n\t\t\tJohn Wooden
\n\t\t\t26-0
\n\t\t\t4-0
\n\t\t\t30-0
\n\t\t\tWon championship<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1967-68
Houston
\n\t\t\tGuy Lewis
\n\t\t\t28-0
\n\t\t\t3-2
\n\t\t\t31-2
\n\t\t\tLost in Final Four<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1967-68
St. Bonaventure
\n\t\t\tLarry Weise
\n\t\t\t22-0
\n\t\t\t1-2
\n\t\t\t23-2
\n\t\t\tLost in regional semifinals<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1970-71
Marquette
\n\t\t\tAl McGuire
\n\t\t\t26-0
\n\t\t\t2-1
\n\t\t\t28-1
\n\t\t\tLost in regional semifinals<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1970-71
Penn
\n\t\t\tDick Harter
\n\t\t\t26-0
\n\t\t\t2-1
\n\t\t\t28-1
\n\t\t\tLost in regional finals<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1971-72
UCLA
\n\t\t\tJohn Wooden
\n\t\t\t26-0
\n\t\t\t4-0
\n\t\t\t30-0
\n\t\t\tWon championship<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1972-73
UCLA
\n\t\t\tJohn Wooden
\n\t\t\t26-0
\n\t\t\t4-0
\n\t\t\t30-0
\n\t\t\tWon championship<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1974-75
Indiana
\n\t\t\tBob Knight
\n\t\t\t29-0
\n\t\t\t2-1
\n\t\t\t31-1
\n\t\t\tLost in regional finals<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1975-76
Indiana
\n\t\t\tBob Knight
\n\t\t\t27-0
\n\t\t\t5-0
\n\t\t\t32-0
\n\t\t\tWon championship<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1975-76
Rutgers
\n\t\t\tTom Young
\n\t\t\t28-0
\n\t\t\t3-2
\n\t\t\t31-2
\n\t\t\tLost in Final Four<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1978-79
Indiana State
\n\t\t\tBill Hodges
\n\t\t\t29-0
\n\t\t\t4-1
\n\t\t\t33-1
\n\t\t\tLost championship<\/p>\n

\t\t\t1990-91
UNLV
\n\t\t\tJerry Tarkanian
\n\t\t\t30-0
\n\t\t\t4-1
\n\t\t\t34-1
\n\t\t\tLost in Final Four<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2013-14
Wichita State
\n\t\t\tGregg Marshall
\n\t\t\t34-0
\n\t\t\t1-1
\n\t\t\t35-1
\n\t\t\tLost in second round<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2014-15
Kentucky
\n\t\t\tJohn Calipari
\n\t\t\t34-0
\n\t\t\t4-1
\n\t\t\t38-1
\n\t\t\tLost in Final Four<\/p>\n

\t\t\t2020-21
Gonzaga
\n\t\t\tMark Few
\n\t\t\t24-0
\n\t\t\t5-1
\n\t\t\t31-1
\n\t\t\tLost championship<\/p>\n

All records found in official NCAA record book<\/a><\/p>\n

Daniel Wilco has worked at the AJC, Sports Illustrated, and SEC Country. His writing has also appeared on SI.com, Men\u2019s Health, and The Cauldron.<\/p>\n

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.<\/p>\n

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