Syracuse also fell just short of championships in 1987 and 1996. In 1987 they lost in the final game as a No. 2 seed by one point to No. 1-seeded Indiana. In 1996 they lost as a No. 4 seed to No. 1 seed Kentucky.
Aside from their recent struggles, Syracuse has been one of the most consistent teams in the country. Their three missed tournaments from 1985 to 2006 were all spread out (1993, 1997, and 2002).
7) Connecticut Huskies – Total Points: 724
- Two NCAA Championships, five Elite Eight Appearances, four Sweet 16 Appearances, nine Missed Tournaments
- ESPN Rank: 6
The Huskies have at least four more missed tournaments than any team that is ranked higher than them in the rankings. UConn did not qualify for a single NCAA tournament from 1985 to 1989. However, they have more than had their fair share of tournament success.
Connecticut only has one first round loss in the time period, and that came this past year as a No. 4 seed to No. 13-seeded San Diego. UConn’s starting point guard, A.J. Price, was injured for most of the game.
Connecticut has won two national championships in the time period. The first was in 1999 as a No. 1 seed. They defeated No. 1-seeded Duke in the finals by three points. The other was in 2004 as a No. 2 seed, where they defeated No. 3-seeded Georgia Tech in the finals.
6) UCLA Bruins – Total Points: 731
- One NCAA Championship, one Championship Game Appearance, two Final Four Appearances, two Elite Eight Appearances, five Sweet 16 Appearances, five Missed Tournaments
- ESPN Rank: 7
No team is currently hotter than the UCLA Bruins, who have made it to at least the Final Four in each of the past three seasons. In 2006 they made the championship game as a No. 2 seed, where they lost to No. 3-seeded Florida. In 2007 they lost their semifinal matchup as a No. 2 seed, again to Florida (this time a No. 1 seed). Finally, in 2008 they also lost their semifinal game, to No. 1-seeded Memphis, as a No. 1 seed.
Even though they missed good chances to win a championship in each of the last three seasons, the Bruins did manage to win a championship in this time period. It came in 1995, and it was the only other time besides the last three seasons that they reached the Final Four. UCLA was able to defeat No. 2-seeded Arkansas as a No. 1 seed in the championship game in 1995.
UCLA struggled the most during this time period in the late 1980s. From 1985 to 1989, the Bruins had three missed tournaments and never reached the Sweet 16.
The main reason UCLA missed out on a top five spot in the rankings is their five missed tournaments. No team ranked in the top five has more than three missed tournaments.
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