Last undefeated team year-by-year | The Boneyard

Last undefeated team year-by-year

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fomalhaut

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I worked on this Monday afternoon before the Notre Dame game. I think this is at least accurate for ranked teams; the
main source was the weekly AP polls, but they only give team records back to 2002. There's a possibility that a minor
conference team never got ranked despite being undefeated for part of a season. I don't have an easy way to find
the correct team for most older seasons, even as recently as 1998-1999. Any ideas or additions are welcome.

1986 Texas
1987 ????
1988 ????
1989 ????
1990 ????
1991 ????
1992 ????
1993 ????
1994 ????
1995 Connecticut
1996 ????
1997 Connecticut
1998 Tennessee
1999 ????
2000 Connecticut
2001 Notre Dame?
2002 Connecticut
2003 Connecticut
2004 Minnesota
2005 Iowa (1 day after LSU!)
2006 North Carolina
2007 Duke
2008 Connecticut
2009 Connecticut
2010 Connecticut
2011 Duke
2012 Baylor
2013 Duke
2014 Connecticut
2015 Princeton
2016 Connecticut
2017 Connecticut
2018 Connecticut
2019 NC State
2020 UCLA
2021 Louisville
2022 Colorado?
2023 South Carolina
2024 South Carolina
2025 UCLA
2026 ????
 
I don't yet know this for certain but here is a candidate for 1999

Fri, Jan 29, 1999 Virginia Tech
 
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Women's Div I Basketball Perfect Seasons by winning all their regular season and tournament games plus the NCAA Division I National Championship -

Only five teams have accomplished this: Texas(1 time) Tennessee (1) Baylor (1) South Carolina (1) and UConn (6)

1986 Texas
1995 UConn
1998 Tennessee
2002 UConn
2009 UConn
2010 UConn
2012 Baylor
2014 UConn
2016 UConn
2024 South Carolina

UConn's record is unsurpassed. Will 2026 be #7?
 
.-.
NCAAT performances for some 19/20 last-undefeated teams here.

IMG_6855.jpeg
 
Thanks to everyone for the additions! We can at least fill in a few more holes...
 
WiseWillie said:
Women's Div I Basketball Perfect Seasons by winning all their regular season and tournament games plus the NCAA Division I National Championship -

Only five teams have accomplished this: Texas(1 time) Tennessee (1) Baylor (1) South Carolina (1) and UConn (6)

1986 Texas
1995 UConn
1998 Tennessee
2002 UConn
2009 UConn
2010 UConn
2012 Baylor
2014 UConn
2016 UConn
2024 South Carolina

UConn's record is unsurpassed. Will 2026 be #7?
Expand ...
Amazing what UConn has accomplished in the program’s storied history.

We are doomed.
 
Random historical point of interest - as noted in @NycUcWbbFan post there were 2 undefeated teams heading into the 1998 tourney, whereby Liberty lost in the first round and Tennessee completed an undefeated season. Liberty was a 16 seed and lost to Tennessee in that first round loss. Proof that all schedules and competitions are not equal.
 
Phil said:
Feb 11, 1994 Penn State
Expand ...
Of the teams I've checked with the fewest losses, Penn State had the latest first loss in both 1991 (Jan. 12) and 1994 (Feb.11 as you cited here).
So far the best candidate for 1996 is Louisiana Tech (Jan. 22), and Virginia Tech looks good so far as you stated for 1999 (Jan. 29).
So we have two definites for Vermont and four maybes for 91/94/96/99.
 
.-.
KnightBridgeAZ said:
Random historical point of interest - as noted in @NycUcWbbFan post there were 2 undefeated teams heading into the 1998 tourney, whereby Liberty lost in the first round and Tennessee completed an undefeated season. Liberty was a 16 seed and lost to Tennessee in that first round loss. Proof that all schedules and competitions are not equal.
Expand ...
I was having trouble last night sleeping because I was thinking about this. I remember that there was a team way outside the power conferences that had an undefeated season going into the tournament I couldn't remember their name. Liberty is the one I was thinking of.
 
It seems almost certain that in 1993, the latest is Vermont who lost in the NCAA tournament on March 17, 1993 against Rutgers. I believe they were undefeated going into the tournament so I can't believe there's a later candidate.
 
1987: Rutgers. February 16, 1987, to Penn State (70-75).
1988: Montana. March 5, 1988, to Montana State (56-58).
1989: Auburn. March 6, 1989, to Tennessee (51-66)
1990: Louisiana Tech. March 30, 1990
1991: Penn State. January 12, 1991, to Rutgers (70-84).
1992: Vermont. March 18, 1992, to George Washington (69-70) in the NCAA Round of 64.
1993: Vermont. March 17, 1993, to Rutgers (74-80) in the NCAA Round of 64.
 
It's not the point of this thread but I'm not surprised to see Auburn there in in 1989.

They have the unfortunate record of finishing as national runner-up consecutive years 1988, 1989 and 1990.

In the 1988 year they lost a close match to Iowa on December 29, 1993 so weren't in the running for the last undefeated team to lose. In 1989 they made it through their entire nonconference schedule undefeated, as well as the regular-season conference schedule, but dropped again to LSU in the SEC tournament. They had beat Tennessee 67 – 59 in the regular-season, but Tennessee Avenza loss in the national championship game beating them 76 – 60.

In 1990 they are also national runner-up but they lost several games in a nonconference schedule so they weren't remotely in the running for last undefeated team to lose a game.

Thanks for this blast down memory lane.
 
Likely early winners:
1982 USC Feb. 15
1983 Maryland Jan. 29
1984 Louisiana Tech Feb. 4
1985 NE Louisiana Jan. 22
 
.-.
Last Undefeated Team in each season of NCAA women's basketball:
1982 USC?
1983 Maryland?
1984 Louisiana Tech?
1985 NE Louisiana?
1986 Texas
1987 Rutgers?
1988 Montana?
1989 Auburn?
1990 Louisiana Tech
1991 Penn State?
1992 Vermont
1993 Vermont
1994 Penn State?
1995 Connecticut
1996 Louisiana Tech?
1997 Connecticut
1998 Tennessee
1999 Virginia Tech?
2000 Connecticut
2001 Notre Dame?
2002 Connecticut
2003 Connecticut
2004 Minnesota
2005 Iowa (1 day after LSU!)
2006 North Carolina
2007 Duke
2008 Connecticut
2009 Connecticut
2010 Connecticut
2011 Duke
2012 Baylor
2013 Duke
2014 Connecticut (final vs. Notre Dame)
2015 Princeton
2016 Connecticut
2017 Connecticut
2018 Connecticut
2019 NC State
2020 UCLA
2021 Louisville
2022 Colorado?
2023 South Carolina
2024 South Carolina
2025 UCLA
2026 ????

Thanks to everyone, especially Phil!
 
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