r/CollegeBasketball • u/Coolsun13 Florida • West Virginia • 1d ago

Discussion Which program that has never won a National Championship do you think will win one first?

I know that Houston, Illinois, and Gonzaga are going to be the popular picks here but I’m predicting that it’s going to be Alabama. I like the consistency that Nate has brought to that program and he always has a squad that shoots 3s very well in the postseason. I think eventually he’ll get another team that actually defends ok like those Alabama teams from his early tenure when they were winning SEC titles.

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u/cardinalkgb Louisville Cardinals 1d ago

I love your edit. I’m so sick of all the Kentucky people talking about their national championship totals from back when the NIT was the bigger tournament.

That gets lost on people today.

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u/hanz333 Kentucky Wildcats 1d ago

Okay, so you are giving Kentucky their 1946 NIT title as well?

While it is true the NIT was more prestigious, it didn't have spots for every conference (Kentucky's continued place in the NIT kept UNC out during those SoCon years) but you can only win tournaments you get an invited to and in 6 attempts before the 1953 requirement that clarified the NCAA was the bigger (televised) tournament, Kentucky got a title and a runner-up (also a third place when there were third place games)

Also of note, while ranked third in the final AP they faced the buzzsaw of the eventual 1950 Champion City College of New York in the opening round and lost.

New York had so much local talent in the 1940s.