NCAA basketball: 25 best college basketball teams of all time

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 02: (L-R) Darius Miller #1, Anthony Davis #23, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist #14, Terrence Jones #3 and Marquis Teague #25 of the Kentucky Wildcats walk on the court in the second half against the Kansas Jayhawks in the National Championship Game of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on April 2, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

19 of 25

Best college basketball teams of all time

(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

7. 1981-1982 North Carolina Tar Heels

Let’s stick with the Tar Heels’ theme as we look back at one of their most iconic teams in school history. North Carolina’s 1981-82 team, featuring future NBA legends like James Worthy and Jordan, deserve their rightful place in the top 10 of this list.

There was a lot of pressure on head coach Dean Smith to deliver a championship to Chapel Hill. Since taking over for Frank McGuire in 1961, Smith had led the Tar Heels to five Final Fours but had yet to cut down the nets in the season’s final game.

This Tar Heels’ team certainly had the ability to win it all. Worthy and Sam Perkins were the established stars of that North Carolina team, but a new one emerged in the form of Jordan, a 6-foot-6 freshman guard from Wilmington.

After winning the ACC Tournament, North Carolina was given the East Region’s top seed by the NCAA Tournament’s selection committee. The Tar Heels played a lot of close games throughout the tournament but reached the final, where they faced off with Ewing and Georgetown.

The contest was a nip-and-tuck affair throughout, but a clutch late jumper by Jordan gave the Tar Heels the lead for good. Smith finally got the monkey off his back as the greatest North Carolina team ever assembled claimed the school’s first championship since 1957.