NCAA basketball: Ranking every national champion this century: Is Baylor the best?

17. UConn Huskies, 2011

Final Record: 32-9 | Def. Butler 53-41

Every once in a while, college basketball fans are treated to a truly special performance by a player who is able to capture the imagination of everyone watching March Madness throughout the country. Stephen Curry fit that bill while at Davidson but he was just one of many examples. However, there aren’t many who have made as long of a run as Kemba Walker did in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

After flexing some unforgettable heroics in the Big East Tournament to win the conference, the Huskies earned a No. 3 seed that allowed them to open with Bucknell in the West Region. They made quick work of them, did the same with Cincinnati and then outlasted San Diego State and Arizona. A nail-biter in the Final Four against Kentucky and then a solid, albeit ugly, win over Butler to win the championship was fantastic.

Over that run, Walker averaged 23.5 points, 5.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals to lead the way to a championship, etching his name in history as UConn won their second title in of the century.

While they’re a memorable team, we can’t overlook that Walker’s magical run in tournaments hid some blemishes. Namely, UConn went just 9-9 in the Big East that season and was having a tough time separating themselves prior to the tournament. And as fun as the one-man show act was, it does the Huskies no favors in these rankings.