The College Basketball Belt
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The belt vs. the standings

77 completed seasons

Is the belt a good judge of the best team? Here's who held it when each regular season ended, next to the best record that year.

10Seasons it matched
13%Match rate
15Holder in the top 3
37.0Holder's average rank
SeasonBest recordHolder at the endHolder's rank
2025–26Miami (OH) 28–1Arizona 32–22nd of 365
2024–25Duke 31–3Duke 31–31st of 364 Same
2023–24UConn 31–3Iowa State 27–714th of 362
2022–23Houston 31–3Arizona 28–69th of 363
2021–22Murray State 27–2Tennessee 26–716th of 359
2020–21Gonzaga 26–0Georgetown 13–12151st of 342
2019–20Gonzaga 31–2USC 22–940th of 353
2018–19Houston 31–3Michigan State 28–613th of 353
2017–18Virginia 31–2Michigan 27–612th of 351
2016–17Gonzaga 32–1Villanova 31–32nd of 351
2015–16Kansas 29–4North Carolina 28–610th of 351
2014–15Kentucky 34–0Kentucky 34–01st of 351 Same
2013–14Wichita State 33–0Saint Joseph's 24–939th of 350
2012–13Gonzaga 30–2Miami 27–610th of 347
2011–12Murray State 27–1Louisville 26–938th of 344
2010–11Ohio State 32–2Duke 30–45th of 345
2009–10Kansas 32–2West Virginia 27–614th of 347
2008–09Memphis 31–3Northern Iowa 23–1052nd of 345
2007–08Memphis 33–1Drake 26–48th of 341
2006–07Ohio State 30–3VCU 27–611th of 336
2005–06George Washington 26–2Iowa 25–831st of 334
2004–05Illinois 32–1Duke 24–510th of 330
2003–04Stanford 29–1Xavier 23–1050th of 326
2002–03Kentucky 29–3Louisville 24–615th of 327
2001–02Cincinnati 30–3Duke 29–32nd of 322
2000–01Stanford 28–2Iowa 22–1164th of 319
1999–00Cincinnati 23–2St. John's 24–619th of 319
1998–99Duke 24–0Michigan State 23–36th of 315
1997–98Princeton 20–1Clemson 15–989th of 309
1996–97Charleston 24–1South Carolina 21–47th of 306
1995–96Texas Tech 24–0Temple 15–975th of 305
1994–95UCLA 24–2St. John's 13–11132nd of 302
1993–94UConn 23–2Rhode Island 10–11175th of 301
1992–93Indiana 24–1North Carolina 22–24th of 299
1991–92Duke 24–2Duke 24–21st of 299 Same
1990–91UNLV 26–0UNLV 26–01st of 296 Same
1989–90La Salle 23–1Michigan State 23–512th of 293
1988–89Ball State 23–2Stanford 22–514th of 294
1987–88Temple 24–1Temple 24–11st of 291 Same
1986–87UNLV 28–1Georgetown 18–418th of 290
1985–86Bradley 26–1Duke 25–22nd of 283
1984–85Louisiana Tech 24–1Michigan 25–34th of 282
1983–84North Carolina 18–0The Citadel 11–10120th of 275
1982–83Houston 24–1Louisville 21–37th of 273
1981–82DePaul 25–1LSU 13–10109th of 273
1980–81LSU 25–1Louisville 20–625th of 264
1979–80Alcorn State 20–0Notre Dame 21–517th of 259
1978–79Indiana State 25–0Wisconsin 12–14139th of 247
1977–78Temple 13–1Indiana 20–737th of 243
1976–77San Francisco 22–1Ole Miss 7–16182nd of 238
1975–76Indiana 26–0Indiana 26–01st of 224 Same
1974–75Indiana 27–0Maryland 21–37th of 225
1973–74NC State 18–0UCLA 22–36th of 221
1972–73UCLA 24–0UCLA 24–01st of 210 Same
1971–72UCLA 26–0Pennsylvania 0–0206th of 207
1970–71Marquette 23–0Austin Peay 5–10149th of 200
1969–70Penn State (Beaver) 18–0Washington State 15–634th of 189
1968–69UCLA 24–1Arizona State 9–12109th of 186
1967–68Houston 18–0NC State 12–863rd of 181
1966–67UCLA 25–0Florida 20–411th of 177
1965–66Kentucky 23–1Richmond 11–1187th of 175
1964–65Providence 20–1Vanderbilt 21–27th of 169
1963–64UCLA 22–0Miami (OH) 14–629th of 169
1962–63Cincinnati 22–1Providence 14–37th of 167
1961–62Ohio State 22–1Niagara 10–760th of 171
1960–61Ohio State 21–0Ohio State 21–01st of 166 Same
1959–60California 22–1California 22–11st of 169 Same
1958–59Cincinnati 21–1Kentucky 22–24th of 166
1957–58West Virginia 23–1Mississippi State 12–527th of 158
1956–57North Carolina 16–0Vanderbilt 16–514th of 154
1955–56San Francisco 19–0San Francisco 19–01st of 153 Same
1954–55Dayton 21–1Kentucky 21–23rd of 156
1953–54Kentucky 19–0Notre Dame 17–26th of 152
1952–53LSU 16–1Valparaiso 3–5108th of 151
1951–52Kentucky 20–1Boston College 7–553rd of 147
1950–51Kentucky 23–0Missouri 15–517th of 137
1949–50St. John's 12–1City College of New York 11–519th of 129

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