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Come Fan with UsWednesday, August 5, 2026

Is the greatest NCAA team that came up short 2015 Kentucky or 1993 Michigan?

There have been plenty of outstanding college basketball teams that coulda/woulda/shoulda won it all, but for one reason or another ultimately came up short. But which was the best? Sports Court sets out to determine the answer to that very question.Watch on YouTube | Subscribe to SB Nation on YouTube

Every year, when March Madness rolls around, a college basketball champion is crowned -- 68 teams fight, scratch, and claw to be the last team standing. Sometimes, the best team doesn’t always win, hence the madness. There have been countless teams that have come up short in which many thought they were the best team and should have won it all. But which team can truly stake a claim to being the best ever team that failed to win the championship?

SB Nation officially settles the debate in Judge Susannah Collins’ courtroom with her hearing arguments on behalf of both the 2015 Kentucky Wildcats, who went 38-1 before falling to Wisconsin in the Final Four, and the Fab Five’s 1993 Michigan Wolverines, who lost the Championship Game to North Carolina. Though neither team captured the ultimate prize, they were true powerhouses who deserve mention among the all-time legendary teams.

Compelling arguments are made on both sides, but there can only be one winner. Would the Kentucky team, so close to perfection, convince the judge that it’s gotta be them? Or would the star power of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, and Juwan Howard lead to the conclusion that the ‘93 Wolverines are the only right answer?

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