Through the Phog
Fansided

Kansas basketball: How the past ten Preseason No. 1 teams have fared

By Kyle Jones

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 08: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after being called for a foul against the Boston College Eagles during the second half of their game in the second round of the ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 08, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 08: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after being called for a foul against the Boston College Eagles during the second half of their game in the second round of the ACC Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 08, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Mar 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Devin Booker (1) and guard Tyler Ulis (3) against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the semifinals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Devin Booker (1) and guard Tyler Ulis (3) against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the semifinals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /

2014 Preseason No. 1: Kentucky

Final Record: 38-1
NCAA Tournament Result: No. 1 Seed – Lost in Final Four

The 2014 Kentucky Wildcats may very well be the greatest college basketball team to NOT win the National Championship.

It featured eight top-20 recruits, five of whom were in the top 10. It featured two current NBA stars and was so loaded with talent that the 12th overall pick in the following year’s NBA Draft played just 23 minutes per game, while one of the best players in the NBA (Devin Booker) came off the bench.

They flexed their muscles in nearly every contest they played, winning their games by an average of 20 points. They played five ranked teams during the regular season and beat them by an average of 16.5 points.

The first three games of the NCAA Tournament were much of the same, with wins of 23, 13, and 39 points. After surviving a scare from Notre Dame in the Elite Eight, they were just two wins away from history. Unfortunately for them, the Wisconsin Badgers had other plans. Led by Naismith Award winner Frank Kaminsky, the Badgers brought an abrupt end to the Wildcats’ pursuit of destiny and history.

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