Five undefeated NCAA Basketball teams remain in early December. Which of those teams is the most likely to stay unbeaten the longest?
For as topsy-turvy as the first part of the NCAA Basketball season has been, there are still a handful of undefeated teams around the country.
However, that field was nearly cut in half on Tuesday night as three programs suffered the first loss of their respective campaigns. Louisville became the fourth No. 1 team to lose when they fell to Texas Tech at Madison Square Garden in the biggest upset of the night. Maryland went on the road and lost to Penn State while Butler came up short against Baylor in Waco.
That leaves five teams without a blemish on their record. Ohio State is one, and they may take the No. 1 ranking away from the Cardinals next week. Auburn (No. 12) and San Diego State (No. 25) are also ranked an unbeaten, and they are joined by Liberty and a surprise Duquesne team.
All five have performed admirably well through the season’s first month and a half, but no one is expected to finish the year undefeated. No college basketball team has accomplished that feat since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers, who went 32-0. The 2015 Kentucky team came close to replicating that feat as they were 38-0 entering the Final Four, but they were knocked off by Wisconsin.
None of these teams are expected to last that long as each will face some difficult games over the next month or so. Who is the most likely to be the last undefeated team? Here are the five teams ranked from least likely to most likely: