NCAA Basketball: Revisiting the 2003-04 college basketball season

Final AP Top 10 (Prior to NCAA Tournament play)

1. Stanford Cardinals: Ending the regular season as the top ranked team in the country, Stanford had an incredible year. They went 30-2 overall with a staggering 17-1 record in the Pac-10. The Cardinals won both the Pac-10 regular season and the conference tournament. Yet, after receiving a #1 seed in the Big Dance, they fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide, a #8 seed, in just the second round. They were led by junior forward Josh Childress.

2. Kentucky Wildcats: Under the coaching of Tubby Smith, Kentucky went 27-5 (13-3 SEC) and were the SEC regular season and conference tournament champions. Like Stanford, Kentucky was awarded a #1 seed, but lost in the second round to UAB. Five Wildcats averaged in double figures in 2003-04, led by 16.2 per game from Gerald Fitch.

3. Gonzaga Bulldogs: Even though Gonzaga started their season with a loss to Saint Joseph’s, they ended the season with a remarkable total record of 28-3. Coach Mark Few took the team to the NCAA Tournament, where they were a #2 seed and lost in the second round to the #10 seed Nevada. Ronny Turiaf was their leading scorer while freshman Adam Morrison chipped in an impressive 11.4 points per game.

4. Oklahoma State Cowboys: The regular season and conference tournament champions in the Big 12, Oklahoma State went 31-4 (14-2 Big 12) during this season. They were led by star Tony Allen and made it all the way to the Final Four. They eventually lost to Georgia Tech, but it was a great run for the #2 seed.

5. Saint Joseph’s Hawks: Led by National Player of the Year Jameer Nelson and fellow star Delonte West, Saint Joseph’s secured one of their best seasons in program history. Along with an undefeated 16-0 record in Atlantic 10 play, the team went an overall 30-2 and was awarded a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After making a deep run, the Hawks were eliminated by Oklahoma State in the Elite Eight, thanks to this shot by John Lucas.

6. Duke Blue Devils: A staple at the top of AP rankings, Duke had no trouble doing the same in 2003-04. J.J. Redick and Luol Deng led this team to a 31-6 (13-3 ACC) record and a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After cruising through their first games against Alabama State and Seton Hall, the Blue Devils took care of Illinois and Xavier to reach the Final Four. It was there, however, that the team’s run was halted by the Connecticut Huskies, 79-78.

7. **Connecticut Huskies**: The NCAA Tournament Champions in this year, the Huskies were led by a combination of Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor. The team went 33-6 (12-4 Big East) and were awarded a #2 seed in the Big Dance. To close their regular season, the Huskies lost on the road against Syracuse but bounced back quickly. After that loss, Connecticut won their next nine games to come away with a Big East Tournament title and the NCAA Championship.

8. Mississippi State Bulldogs: Three double digit scorers in Lawrence Roberts, Timmy Bowers, and Winsome Frazier led the way for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State ended their year at 26-4 and was the #2 seed in the region headlined by Duke. After casually taking their first game of the tournament, the Bulldogs lost by 15 points to the #7 seed Xavier. A tough end to a great season.

9. Pittsburgh Panthers: Much like Connecticut, Pittsburgh dominated Big East play. For the season, they were 31-5 (13-3 Big East). While giving up just 56.4 points per game, this was the 2nd-best scoring defense in the entire country. They were given a #3 seed in the Big Dance and lost in the Sweet 16 to Oklahoma State.

10. Wisconsin Badgers: The lowest seeded team in the final top-10, Wisconsin was given a #6 seed in the Big Dance. They went 25-7 (12-4 Big Ten) on the season and were led by All-American Devin Harris. They lost in the second round of the tournament to the previously mentioned Pitt Panthers.

Closing out the rankings (in order): Cincinnati, Texas, Illinois, Georgia Tech, NC State, Kansas, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Maryland, Syracuse, Providence, Arizona, South Carolina, Memphis, Boston College