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10 best Final Four teams of all time

By Nathaniel Reeves

Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former UCLA Bruins player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves to the crowd at half time between the Washington State Cougars and the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former UCLA Bruins player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar waves to the crowd at half time between the Washington State Cougars and the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 2, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; American broadcaster Bill Walton before the game between the Stanford Cardinals and the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; American broadcaster Bill Walton before the game between the Stanford Cardinals and the Colorado Buffaloes at the Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

4. 1973 UCLA Bruins

UCLA capped off an undefeated season for the second straight year in the 1973 Final Four, with Bill Walton turning in the most prolific championship game performance ever.

The Bruins entered the 1973 NCAA Tournament with a run of eight championships in nine years, and hadn’t lost a game since January of 1971. Walton averaged 20.4 points and 16.9 rebounds per contest to lead UCLA to another perfect regular season, while Jamaal Wilkes also earned All-American honors.

Few teams have dominated in the Big Dance quite like the 1973 Bruins, who won their first two games by a combined 32 points. No. 6 Indiana provided the biggest challenge in the National Semifinal with second-half comeback, but eventually fell 70-59.

UCLA went on to destroy Memphis 87-66 in the championship game for Wooden’s ninth title. Walton scored 44 points on an efficient 21-of-22 shooting performance from the field while pulling down 13 rebounds.

Although the streak would be stopped by NC State in the 1974 Final Four, Wooden won his 10th and final championship the next season.

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