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The 25 best NCAA men's tournament teams of all time
Rich Clarkson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

The 25 best NCAA men's tournament teams of all time

With the 2021 NCAA Tournament around the corner, the undefeated Gonzaga and Baylor both have a chance to finish among the best men's college basketball teams ever if they can win the tournament. That list includes some of John Wooden's best UCLA squads, Bob Knight's undefeated Hoosiers, and more.

 
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1. UCLA, 1972 (30-0)

UCLA, 1972 (30-0)
NCAA Photos

The Bruins went 30-0 and won their eighth National Championship in nine years with an incredible roster led by Player of the Year Bill Walton. The team stormed through the NCAA Tournament, winning three of four games by double digits.

 
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2. Indiana, 1976 (32-0)

Indiana, 1976 (32-0)
Collegiate Images

Bob Knight's legendary 1976 squad was perfect, led by leading scorers Scott May (23.5 points per game) and Kent Benson (17.3 ppg). The Hoosiers did win two overtime games during the regular season but cruised through the NCAA Tournament relatively unscathed.

 
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3. UCLA, 1973 (30-0)

UCLA, 1973 (30-0)
NCAA Photos

Incredibly, UCLA went a perfect 30-0 for the second consecutive year, winning its ninth National Title in 10 years. Bill Walton led the team again, averaging 20.4 points per game. The Bruins held the No. 1 ranking all season and won every Tournament game by 11 or more points.

 
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4. San Francisco, 1956 (29-0)

San Francisco, 1956 (29-0)
Collegiate Images

San Francisco's incredible defense led to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament victory, going 29-0. Led by defensive wiz Bill Russell, the Dons allowed only 52.9 points per game, first in the country.

 
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5. UCLA, 1967 (30-0)

UCLA, 1967 (30-0)
NCAA Photos

UCLA had its second undefeated season in 1967, winning its third NCAA Tournament in four years. Lew Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, averaged 29 points per game for the season. The dominant Bruins capped off their season with a 79-64 final win over Dayton.

 
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6. North Carolina, 1957 (32-0)

North Carolina, 1957 (32-0)
NCAA Photos

The Tar Heels went undefeated in 1957 for the first and still only time in their storied history. Frank McGuire's team miraculously won consecutive triple-overtime games against Michigan State and Kansas to win the NCAA Tournament.

 
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7. UCLA, 1964 (30-0)

UCLA, 1964 (30-0)
NCAA Photos

The team that started John Wooden's epic run of dominance, the 1964 UCLA squad went undefeated with a great offense that scored 88.2 points per game. The team was led by guard Gail Goodrich's 21.5 points per game.

 
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8. UTEP, 1966 (28-1)

UTEP, 1966 (28-1)
NCAA Photos

The team that inspired the film "Glory Road," the 1966 Texas Western squad had a dominant season. The Miners won two overtime games during the NCAA Tournament and beat a dominant one-loss Kentucky squad in the final. 

 
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9. San Francisco, 1955 (28-1)

San Francisco, 1955 (28-1)
NCAA Photos

The Dons started their two-year run in 1955 by going 28-1 with the top defense in the country. Bill Russell led the way at center, as the team allowed only 51.9 points per game.

 
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10. N.C. State, 1974 (30-1)

N.C. State, 1974 (30-1)
Raleigh News & Observer / Tribune News Service

The Wolfpack won its first NCAA Tournament in 1974. Star David Thompson led the team with 26 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. N.C. State faced a tough challenge in the semifinals against UCLA, winning in overtime, after losing to the Bruins in the third game of the season.

 
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11. Cincinnati, 1962 (29-2)

Cincinnati, 1962 (29-2)
John G. Zimmerman / Sports Illustrated

The Bearcats won their second consecutive National Title in 1962, led by center Paul Hogue. The team beat Jerry Lucas' Ohio State Buckeyes in the final and finished the year allowing 54.8 points per game, third in the country.

 
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12. Duke, 1992 (34-2)

Duke, 1992 (34-2)
Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

The Blue Devils won their second consecutive National Title with an elite offensive team that included Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Bobby Hurley. The team averaged 88 points per game, and the tournament run is best remembered for an incredible overtime win against Kentucky in the Elite Eight with the help of Laettner's game-winning shot.

 
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13. Kentucky, 1996 (34-2)

Kentucky, 1996 (34-2)
Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

Kentucky won its first National Title in 18 years with a dominant offensive squad that lost only two games. Rick Pitino's team averaged 91.4 points per game, second in the country, led by Tony Delk and Antoine Walker.

 
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14. Kentucky, 2012 (38-2)

Kentucky, 2012 (38-2)
Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Head coach John Calipari had an impressive squad of one-and-dones and veteran players, led by star freshman center Anthony Davis. Despite losing in the SEC Tournament to Vanderbilt, the Wildcats rebounded to cruise through the NCAA Tournament.

 
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15. UCLA, 1971 (29-1)

UCLA, 1971 (29-1)
Neil Leifer / Sports Illustrated

The Bruins won their fifth consecutive National Championship and seventh in eight years, winning all four games easily in the NCAA Tournament. Their only loss came at Notre Dame in January.

 
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16. UConn, 1999 (34-2)

UConn, 1999 (34-2)
Robert W. Stowell Jr. / Archive Photos

The Huskies won their first men's National Title with star Richard Hamilton leading the way. Jim Calhoun's team won over an impressive and favored Duke team in the National Championship.

 
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17. Kentucky, 1978 (30-2)

Kentucky, 1978 (30-2)
NCAA Photos

The Wildcats won their first NCAA Tournament in 20 years after a disappointing end the previous season. The team was ranked No. 1 in the country for nearly the entire season and finished on a 13-game winning streak. Senior Jack Givens led the team with 18.1 points per game.

 
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18. Arkansas, 1994 (31-3)

Arkansas, 1994 (31-3)
Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

Head coach Nolan Richardson's "40 Minutes of Hell" wreaked havoc on opposing offenses, with the Razorbacks creating turnovers and finishing third in the country with 92.3 points per game. Corliss Williamson was the team's star player with 20.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

 
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19. Georgetown, 1984 (34-3)

Georgetown, 1984 (34-3)
NCAA Photos

The Hoyas were driven by center Patrick Ewing, who averaged 16.4 points per game. After claiming the Big East Tournament, Georgetown struggled to a 37-36 win over SMU in the NCAA Tournament but got back on its feet to win the next four games easily.

 
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20. UCLA, 1970 (28-2)

UCLA, 1970 (28-2)
Focus on Sport

The Bruins won their sixth National Championship in seven years, winning all four of their NCAA Tournament games by double digits. Forward Sidney Wicks led the team with 18.6 points per game, and UCLA finished sixth in the country with 92.0 points per game.

 
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21. UCLA, 1995 (31-2)

UCLA, 1995 (31-2)
Stephen Dunn / Getty Images

The Bruins were one of the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament but found themselves a Tyus Edney full-court drive against Missouri away from failing in the second round. After pulling off their win at the buzzer, Edney, Ed O'Bannon and company easily won out the rest of the way.

 
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22. UCLA, 1965 (28-2)

UCLA, 1965 (28-2)
NCAA Photos

UCLA's second National Championship in its streak of 10 in 12 years featured top scorer Gail Goodrich and a great offense that scored at least 91 points in every NCAA Tournament game.

 
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23. Kansas, 2008 (37-3)

Kansas, 2008 (37-3)
Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

Bill Self's only National Title came with the help of Memphis' awful free throw shooting late in the title game, helping the Jayhawks win in overtime. Despite eking out a victory, it was arguably KU's best team ever with a well-rounding squad that included Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers.

 
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24. Duke, 2001 (35-4)

Duke, 2001 (35-4)
Brian Bahr / Getty Images

The Blue Devils won every Tournament game by double digits with an outstanding front court that featured Shane Battier, Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy. The team's offense was second in the country with 90.7 points per game.

 
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25. Florida, 2007 (35-5)

Florida, 2007 (35-5)
Andy Lyons / Getty Images

The Gators won back-to-back titles with a team that was nearly the same as their 2006 title squad. Florida had a balanced team with five double-digit points scorers: Taurean Green, Corey Brewer, Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Lee Humphrey.

Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.

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