Each year in men’s college basketball, certain teams find themselves on undefeated watch, especially when the calendar hits January. Though the wait for a season of perfection continues since Indiana last did it in 1975-76, there are teams that have gone deep into the season without a loss.
That led us to wonder — how do the final undefeated teams each season perform in March Madness? Are the last undefeated teams usually one of the last standing teams in the NCAA tournament? Here’s what we found:
2009-10 — Kentucky
Undefeated start: 19-0
Suffered first loss to: South Carolina 68-62 on the road | Jan. 26, 2010
Final Record: 35-3
NCAA tournament seed: No. 1
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 2 seed West Virginia 73-66 in the Elite Eight
Kentucky’s 2009-10 squad featured eight future NBA players, delivering a 35-win season for the Wildcats. Freshmen stars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins led the team to SEC regular season and tournament titles.
Their undefeated run came to an end on the road against South Carolina, but the loss did little to slow Kentucky’s momentum. Entering March as a No. 1 seed, the Wildcats cruised through the bracket before meeting their match against West Virginia, falling just short of the Final Four, as Kentucky missed 28 of its 32 3-point attempts.
2010-11 — Ohio State
Undefeated start: 24-0
Suffered first loss to: Future No. 4 seed Wisconsin 71-67 on the road — Feb. 12, 2011
Final record: 34-3
NCAA tournament seed: No. 1
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 4 seed Kentucky 62-60 in the Sweet 16
The Buckeyes owned the No. 1 offense and the No. 12-ranked defense in the country, and for a while Ohio State looked like the best team in the nation. The Buckeyes had a 24-0 start, not going down until falling to Wisconsin in February, the first time the Badgers had beaten a No. 1 team since 1962 (also Ohio State).
Ohio State entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, making it to the Sweet 16 before they were eliminated in a heartbreaking two-point loss to Kentucky. Despite the early exit, the 24-0 start remains the second-best opening in program history.
2011-12 — Murray State
Undefeated start: 23-0
Suffered first loss to: Tennessee State 72-68 — Feb. 9, 2012
Final record: 31-2
NCAA tournament seed: No. 6
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 3 seed Marquette 62-53 in the Round of 32
Under first-year head coach Steve Prohm, the Racers opened the season 23-0, the best start in program history.
Murray State entered the national rankings for the first time since 1997-98 and became the final unbeaten team in Division I before falling to Tennessee State in early February. The Racers entered March Madness 30-1, beating Tennessee State in the OVC tournament final, but saw their magical run end in the Round of 32 to Marquette. Still, the season marked a historic moment for the program.
2012-13 — Michigan
Undefeated start: 16-0
Suffered first loss to: Future No. 2 seed Ohio State 56-53 on the road — Jan. 13, 2013
Final Record: 31-8
NCAA tournament seed: No. 4
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 1 Louisville 82-76 in the national championship game (title later vacated)
Michigan’s perfect start was snapped by rival Ohio State, and February brought more losses than expected, as the Wolverines went 6-6 down the stretch after starting 20-1. Yet once March Madness arrived, Michigan surged through the tournament — memorably stunning No. 1 Kansas in OT — and reached the national championship game before falling to Louisville, 82-76.
2013-2014 — Wichita State
Undefeated start: 35-0
Suffered first loss to: No. 8 seed Kentucky 78-76 in the Round of 32 — March 23, 2014
Final record: 35-1
NCAA tournament seed: No. 1
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 8 Kentucky in the Round of 32
With a 35-0 start, Wichita State entered the tournament with massive expectations. Led by Cleanthony Early, Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, the Shockers became the first team since UNLV in 1991 to enter the NCAA tournament undefeated. That perfection vanished quickly. Kentucky handed Wichita State its first loss of the season in the second round — a Kentucky team that would later reach the national championship.
2014-15 — Kentucky
Undefeated start: 38-0
Suffered first loss to: No. 1 seed Wisconsin 71-64 in the Final Four — April 4, 2015
Final record: 38-1
NCAA tournament seed: No. 1
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 1 Wisconsin in the Final Four
After losing the 2014 national championship game, John Calipari’s Wildcats returned on a mission. Kentucky went undefeated through nonconference play, SEC play and the first four rounds of the NCAA tournament. The 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers’ legacy appeared in jeopardy. But Wisconsin ended the dream in the Final Four, ending Kentucky’s perfect season. Perfection slipped away just one win shy of the title game.
2015-16 — SMU
Undefeated start: 18-0
Suffered first loss to: Future No. 10 seed Temple 89-80 on the road — Jan. 24, 2016
Final record: 25-5
NCAA tournament seed: Ineligible for postseason
NCAA tournament finish: Ineligible for postseason
SMU’s undefeated start ended at Temple, and the Mustangs struggled down the stretch, losing four of their final six road games. Due to NCAA sanctions, SMU was ineligible for postseason play.
2016-17 — Gonzaga
Undefeated start: 29-0
Suffered first loss to: BYU 79-71 at home — Feb. 25, 2017
Final record: 37-2
NCAA tournament seed: No. 1
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 1 North Carolina 71-65 in the national championship game
Gonzaga’s perfect run ended in the final game before the conference tournament, but the Zags rebounded to win the WCC tournament crown and then swept through the NCAA tournament before falling to fellow No. 1 seed North Carolina in the national championship game, 71-65.
2017-18 — Arizona State
Undefeated start: 12-0
Suffered first loss to: Future No. 4 seed Arizona 84-78 on the road — Dec. 30, 2017
Final record: 20-12
NCAA tournament seed: No. 11 seed
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 11 Syracuse 60-56 in the First Four
The final three undefeated teams during the 2017-18 season all lost on the same day, leaving Arizona State to be the final DI team. The Sun Devils won their first 12 games but then lost 12 of their final 20. As they reached March, they earned a No. 11 seed, playing in the First Four against Syracuse. The Orange won that and went on a Sweet 16 run.
2018-19 — Virginia
Undefeated start: 16-0
Suffered first loss to: Future No. 1 seed Duke 72-70 on the road — Jan. 19, 2019
Final record: 35-3
NCAA Tournament seed: No. 1 seed
NCAA tournament finish: Won the national championship, beating No. 3 Texas Tech 85-77 (OT) for the title
Virginia was tied with Michigan for holding the longest undefeated start during this season, but Michigan had lost earlier on the same day, technically giving Virginia the rights to hold the final-undefeated honors.
The Cavaliers’ NCAA tournament triumph came the season after Virginia was the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 team in the men’s NCAA tournament.
2019-20 — San Diego State
Undefeated start: 26-0
Suffered first loss to: UNLV 66-63 at home — Feb. 22, 2020
Final record: 30-2
NCAA tournament seed: N/A
NCAA tournament finish: N/A
If it wasn’t for the global pandemic, we would have the stats for the Aztecs during March Madness. We can only assume how far they would’ve travelled in the tournament.
2020-21 — Gonzaga
Undefeated start: 31-0
Suffered first loss to: No. 1 seed Baylor 86-70 in the national championship — April 5, 2021
Final record: 31-1
NCAA tournament seed: No. 1 seed
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 1 Baylor 86-70 in the national championship
The 1975-76 Hoosiers had to be on the edge of their seats watching this team. Gonzaga could not lose. The Bulldogs became the first team to enter the NCAA tournament undefeated since Kentucky in 2015. Led by Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert, Drew Timme and Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga’s offense powered the program to its first unbeaten regular season.
After escaping UCLA in the Final Four with an overtime win on Suggs’ clutch, game-winning 3-pointer, the undefeated Zags advanced to the national championship to face Baylor. Denying Gonzaga a perfect season, the Bears pulled away to take their first title.
2021-22 — Baylor
Undefeated start: 15-0
Suffered first loss to: Future No. 3 seed Texas Tech 65-62 — Jan. 11, 2022
Final record: 27-7
NCAA tournament seed: No. 1
NCAA tournament finish: Lost in second round to No. 8 North Carolina, 93-86 (OT)
The defending champions opened the season unbeaten before stumbling late. Baylor’s title defense ended abruptly with a second round upset loss to North Carolina, underscoring just how thin the margin is in March.
2023-24 — Houston
Undefeated start: 14-0
Suffered first loss to: Future No. 2 seed Iowa State 57-53 on the road — Jan. 9, 2024
Final record: 32-5
NCAA Tournament seed: No. 1 seed
NCAA Tournament finish: Lost to No. 4 Duke 54-51 in the Sweet 16
In the NCAA tournament, the Cougars beat No. 16 Longwood in the first round 86-46 before topping No. 9 Texas A&M in a wild 100-95 OT game. But with All-America point guard Jamal Shead getting injured, Houston fell to No. 4 Duke in the Sweet 16.
2024-25 — Tennessee
Undefeated start: 14-0
Suffered first loss to: Future No. 1 seed Florida 73-43 on the road — Jan. 7, 2025
Final record: 30-8
NCAA tournament seed: No. 2 seed
NCAA tournament finish: Lost to No. 1 Houston 69-50 in the Elite Eight
Tennessee’s unbeaten campaign ended loudly, going down to Florida by 30 points after shooting only 21 percent. Despite that setback, Tennessee went on to have a historic season. For the first time in program history, the Vols reached the Elite Eight and won 30 games in the same season.
About the Author
