NCAA Basketball: Ranking of 20 best college teams from last 20 years
By Joey Loose
9. 2021 Gonzaga
We’ve already covered that Gonzaga team that made the title game in 2017, a team that basically marked the start of Gonzaga as more of a Blue Blood than mid-major team. Four years later, the Bulldogs had arguably the best roster in the nation and regularly showcased it, winning their first 31 games of the season. Unfortunately, things ended in a similar manner, falling in the national title game.
Star forward Drew Timme (19.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) remains in Spokane two seasons later and is an early favorite to be the nation’s best player. Three more starters from that team are in the NBA today, highlighted by talented forward Corey Kispert (18.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg), freshman phenom Jalen Suggs (14.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg), and French guard Joel Ayayi (12.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg). That rotation also included Andrew Nembhard, Anton Watson, and Aaron Cook playing a major role on a team that marched to the title game without a loss.
Gonzaga had the nation’s best offense and were regularly blowing out their opponents, and not just their foes in the WCC. They won by at least 16 points in their first four NCAA Tournament games before surviving an instant classic against UCLA in the Final Four. The Bulldogs then met their match in Baylor, dropping a stunning 16-point game for their only loss of the year. Had this team won the title, it would’ve been the first unbeaten team in 45 years and certainly would have skyrocketed up this list.