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.

11Seasons it matched
14%Match rate
21Holder in the top 3
26.6Holder'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 28–3Stanford 25–32nd of 319
1998–99Duke 32–1Duke 32–11st of 315 Same
1997–98Princeton 25–1Michigan 23–832nd of 309
1996–97Kansas 31–1Utah 25–34th of 306
1995–96Massachusetts 31–1Cincinnati 25–49th of 305
1994–95UCLA 25–2Indiana 18–1187th of 302
1993–94Pennsylvania 23–2Temple 22–727th of 301
1992–93Indiana 28–3Georgia Tech 19–1067th of 299
1991–92Duke 28–2Duke 28–21st of 299 Same
1990–91UNLV 30–0UNLV 30–01st of 296 Same
1989–90La Salle 29–1UConn 27–58th of 293
1988–89Ball State 27–2Georgetown 22–47th of 294
1987–88Temple 29–1Kentucky 24–511th of 291
1986–87UNLV 33–1Michigan 17–1173rd of 290
1985–86Duke 32–2Duke 32–21st of 283 Same
1984–85Louisiana Tech 26–2Georgetown 25–22nd of 282
1983–84North Carolina 27–2Richmond 18–956th of 275
1982–83UNLV 28–2St. John's 27–48th of 274
1981–82DePaul 26–1Arkansas 21–515th of 273
1980–81DePaul 27–1Cincinnati 14–13122nd of 264
1979–80DePaul 26–1Notre Dame 21–515th of 259
1978–79Indiana State 26–0Wisconsin 12–15144th of 249
1977–78Kentucky 25–2Utah 22–514th of 243
1976–77San Francisco 26–1Washington 16–1071st of 238
1975–76Indiana 27–0Indiana 27–01st of 225 Same
1974–75Indiana 29–0North Carolina 20–728th of 226
1973–74NC State 26–1UCLA 23–34th of 222
1972–73UCLA 26–0UCLA 26–01st of 207 Same
1971–72UCLA 26–0UCLA 26–01st of 204 Same
1970–71Pennsylvania 26–0UCLA 25–13rd of 193
1969–70Kentucky 25–1San Francisco 14–1171st of 185
1968–69UCLA 25–1USC 15–1165th of 182
1967–68Houston 21–0Kentucky 21–49th of 176
1966–67UCLA 26–0Marquette 14–847th of 173
1965–66Kentucky 24–1Davidson 20–515th of 170
1964–65Saint Joseph's 21–1Ohio State 10–1299th of 164
1963–64UCLA 25–0Utah State 18–620th of 166
1962–63Cincinnati 22–1Duquesne 9–974th of 165
1961–62Ohio State 23–1Cincinnati 24–23rd of 173
1960–61Ohio State 23–0Ohio State 23–01st of 165 Same
1959–60Cincinnati 24–1California 23–12nd of 167
1958–59Kansas State 23–1Kentucky 23–23rd of 164
1957–58West Virginia 26–1Mississippi State 16–514th of 157
1956–57North Carolina 26–0Vanderbilt 16–512th of 157
1955–56San Francisco 23–0San Francisco 23–01st of 150 Same
1954–55San Francisco 21–1Kentucky 22–22nd of 155
1953–54Kentucky 24–0St. John's 6–996th of 153
1952–53LSU 18–1Kansas State 17–49th of 147
1951–52Kentucky 28–2Oklahoma State 17–833rd of 146
1950–51Columbia 20–0Pennsylvania 17–829th of 142
1949–50Holy Cross 20–2Villanova 15–48th of 131

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