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

16. Duke Blue Devils, 2015

Final Record: 35-4 | Def. Wisconsin 68-63

Some people would have this Duke team higher in these rankings as they were clearly among the best teams in the country, especially on offense as the attack headlined by Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow was one of the most efficient offenses in the country. They put that on display throughout the year as they only lost three times in the regular season, though they were upset by a top-15 Notre Dame team in the ACC Tournament.

After earned a No. 1-seed in March Madness, though, the Blue Devils never looked back, handling their business without much concern outside of a close Sweet 16 game against Utah and then the title game against Wisconsin. It was clear that this was a high-quality team capable of playing with almost anyone (and beating them).

At the end of the day, Duke deserves their credit for winning the title and doing so against a Badgers team that was an all-time great in that program’s history. Moreover, the Blue Devils boasted quite an impressive group of talent, especially considering that Allen was just a role player at the time who stepped up to win the championship.

But when you look back on the 2014-15 season, Duke wasn’t the best team in the country. The Kentucky team that Wisconsin was able to take down in the Final Four was clearly at the peak in the nation but just got caught in one game. It happens but it doesn’t speak too highly of the Blue Devils from a historical perspective — especially since they never even saw the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament.