Fansided

10 best Final Four teams that didn’t win the national championship

By Mike Phillips

02 APR 2005: Guard Luther Head (4) of Illinois drives the to the basket past Louisville's Taquan Dean (5) during the Division I Men's Final Four semi final game held the the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO. The University of Illinois went on to defeat Louisville 72-57 to advance to the championship game. Photo: Ryan McKee/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
02 APR 2005: Guard Luther Head (4) of Illinois drives the to the basket past Louisville's Taquan Dean (5) during the Division I Men's Final Four semi final game held the the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO. The University of Illinois went on to defeat Louisville 72-57 to advance to the championship game. Photo: Ryan McKee/NCAA Photos via Getty Images /
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RALEIGH, NC – NOVEMBER 19: Akeem Olajuwon #35 of the Houston Cougars takes the tip-off at the start of the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on November 19, 1983, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – NOVEMBER 19: Akeem Olajuwon #35 of the Houston Cougars takes the tip-off at the start of the game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on November 19, 1983, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images) /

7. 1983 Houston Cougars

Everything we said about how the Fab Five is one of the most talented teams to not win a title also applies to the Houston Cougars of the early 1980s. The Cougars played an aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball known as Phi Slama Jama, emphasizing athleticism, fast-break offense, and dunking over the traditional set plays that were the bread and butter of college basketball at the time.

Houston, which was coached by Hall of Famer Guy Lewis, featured two more future Hall of Famers on its roster in 1983: Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. The pair teamed with two more future NBA players in Michael Young, who led the Cougars in scoring with 17.3 points per game, and Larry Micheaux to carry Houston to a 27-2 mark entering the NCAA Tournament.

Houston was awarded the top seed in the Midwest Region for their excellent season, and they cruised to the national title game on the strength of Olajuwon, who put up 21 points and an absurd 22 rebounds to help the Cougars top Louisville in the Final Four. The opposition for that game was North Carolina State, a 6-seed that entered the contest with 10 losses on the season.

The Wolfpack had narrowly gotten to the Final Four, winning three of their four games by one or two points to get out of the West Region, setting up what amounted to a potentially huge mismatch in the championship. N.C. State coach Jim Valvano was able to capitalize on the high-flying Cougars’ difficulty with the altitude in Albuquerque, keeping the contest close and utilizing the foul game to extend the contest.

The Wolfpack ended up winning on a dunk in the final seconds, delivering one of the greatest upsets in tournament history. Olajuwon, who went for 20 and 18 in the defeat, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and to this day he is the last player to claim that honor without cutting down the nets.

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