What College Basketball Teams Had The Best Out Of Nowhere Seasons?
So it’s August and this is somewhat the dead time in hoops. We’re a little bit away from the start of preseason in the NBA, we’re past the July recruiting period, so really all we have are some international trips and any surprise trades. So with that in mind I decided August will be the time to reflect on the past and get yelled at by putting out different blogs involving the best/worst/rankings/whatever. So if you have something in mind, let me know. I started this with the 10 best programs in college hoops from the last 10 seasons.
It’s something people look at all the time in the preseason. What teams outside of the top-25 can end up being a threat come NCAA Tournament time? Now, the NCAA Tournament isn’t the end-all, be-all when looking at something like this. I’ve talked about it before but with how fluky the NCAA Tournament is, it’s all based on matchups and a bit of luck. So for instance, did VCU come out of nowhere during the entire season back in 2010-11 or Loyola this past season? We’ll be looking more regular season success here. So, who were the teams that had the best out of nowhere seasons? Here’s who I have:
10. 2014-15 Notre Dame Irish
Coming off of a year where they finished 11th in the ACC and lost to Wake Forest in the first round of the ACC Tournament, this version of Notre Dame was pretty damn good. Led by Jerian Grant, who returned to the team after academic discipline, the Irish went 26-5 in the regular season after starting the season unranked. They eventually made it to the Elite Eight before losing to undefeated Kentucky late in the game. Grant and Pat Connoughton were the only seniors on the roster.
9. 2012-13 Miami Hurricanes
This was both Jim Larranaga and Shane Larkin’s second year in Miami and it turned out quite good. The Hurricanes started the season unranked, but became the first team since 1974 to win the ACC regular season outright and win the ACC Tournament. They started the season with a loss at Florida Gulf Coast and no one expected much from this group. However, they went on to win their first 13 ACC games. They eventually lost in the Sweet 16 to Marquette.
8. 2015-16 Xavier Musketeers
The year prior, Xavier had a decent year, but finished 9-9 in the Big East and sort of snuck their way into the NCAA Tournament before making the Sweet 16. Despite that, they entered the 2015-16 season unranked and lost guys like Dee Davis and Matt Stainbrook. However, Xavier went undefeated in the nonconference with wins at Michigan and over USC/Dayton/Cincinnati, gave them a top-10 ranking heading into the Big East. They ended the regular season 26-4 and got a No. 2 seed before losing to Wisconsin on a Bronson Koenig buzzer beater in the Round of 32.
7. 2009-10 Kansas State Wildcats
Two words here. Jacob. Pullen. I mean there are more words, but one of the most entertaining players of recent memory combined with Frank Martin led Kansas State’s record season. The Wildcats weren’t ranked until week 5 but got two top-25 wins in the nonconference and then went 11-5 in Big 12 play. The backcourt of Pullen and Denis Clemente was one of the best in the country, which helped lead Kansas State to the Elite Eight as a No. 2 seed.
6. 2008-09 Missouri Tigers
Missouri was a .500 team in the 2007-08 season and didn’t really have high expectations heading into the 2008-09 season. However, a freshman class that included Kim English, Laurence Bowers and Marcus Denmon combined with DeMarre Carroll quickly figured it out. Hell, Missouri wasn’t even ranked though until week 13 as they picked up wins over Texas and Kansas. They finished the season 25-6, 12-4 in the Big 12 before winning the Big 12 Tournament and making the Elite Eight as a No. 3 seed.
5. 2015-16 Oregon Ducks
Oregon was okay in 2014-15, as they made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed. However, they lost Joe Young and entered the season unranked. A win over Baylor in the second game of the regular season though made people start to look at Oregon, led by Dillon Brooks, Jordan Bell, Dylan Ennis and Elgin Cook. After going 14-4 in the Pac-12 and winning the Pac-12 Tournament, Oregon was named the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, making it to the Elite Eight.
4. 2017-18 Tennessee Volunteers
Picked to finish last in the SEC by a majority of people, this Tennessee team ended up being co-champions. Led by Grant Williams, who was named SEC Player of the Year, Rick Barnes sort of took this team and everyone bought into a role. There was obviously no expectations heading into the year, but beating Purdue in Atlantis sort of was their welcoming to college basketball. They entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed after being co-champs of the regular season and losing in the SEC title game.
3. 2017-18 Auburn Tigers
Another SEC team from last season, but for a different reason. Auburn was named in the FBI investigation to begin the season losing Danjel Purifoy and Austin Wiley for the season, arguably the two most talented players on the team. They didn’t even start receiving votes for the top-25 until week 7 after some okay wins in the nonconference. The Tigers then started SEC play by beating top-25 teams Tennessee and Arkansas. They were eventually co-SEC champions and entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed.
2. 2011-12 Indiana Hoosiers
Tom Crean continued to try and rebuild the Indiana program after all the sanctions and this was the breakout year. The Hoosiers weren’t expected to do much, not receiving votes to start the season and then had the signature win on the Christian Watford buzzer-beating three over Kentucky. They then got a win over No. 2 Ohio State on New Year’s Eve and started the next calendar year with a win over top-10 Michigan. They ended the season at 24-7 during Cody Zeller’s freshman season and was the No. 4 seed before losing to Kentucky in the Sweet 16.
1. 2009-10 Syracuse Orange
There were plenty of questions heading into the 2009-10 year about this Syracuse team. You lost talented Jonny Flynn. You lost staples Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris. So because of all that, Syracuse wasn’t ranked or talked about in the preseason. However, Iowa State transfer Wes Johnson ended up being the saving grace and an All-American, as they started the year off with wins over top-15 Cal and UNC. They started Big East play 12-0 after beating No. 10 Florida and then went 15-3 in the Big East. Despite losing in their first Big East Tournament game, Syracuse was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Butler in the Sweet 16.