BROOKLYN, NY – March 24: The March Madness logo on the floor before a second round NCAA Tournament game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Northwestern Wildcats at Barclays Center on March 24, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)
With March Madness 2025 in the books, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at the past 10 National Champions and rank them:
1. 2021 Baylor
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – JANUARY 18: The Baylor Bears logo on pair of shorts before a college basketball game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at the WVU Coliseum on January 18, 2022 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The COVID-shortened season is difficult to evaluate, but the Bears were never tested in the NCAA Tournament and beat a previously unbeaten Gonzaga squad by 16 points to cut down the nets.
2. 2025 Florida
CHARLESTON, SC – NOVEMBER 22: The Florida Gators logo on a pair of shorts during a second round Charleston Classic basketball game against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes at the TD Arena on November 22, 2019 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
I’m not a prisoner of the moment – this Gators squad was REALLY good. They won the conference tournament of the best single-year conference we have ever seen, beat four top-10 KenPom teams on their way to the title, lost only one non-road game all season, and own the highest overall KenPom rating of any team on this list.
3. 2024 UConn
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 10: A view of the Connecticut Huskies logo on their uniform during the game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Capital One Arena on February 10, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
While the regular season resume does not match some of the very top teams, their dominance in the NCAA Tournament can not be understated, winning every game by at least 14 points.
4. 2018 Villanova
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 04: The Villanova Wildcats logo on a pair of shorts during a college basketball game against the Providence Friars at Wells Fargo Center on February 4, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
They were one of the best offensive teams in the last 15 years, had multiple NBA talents and was un-tested in the NCAA Tournament.
5. 2016 Villanova
Dec 31, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Villanova Wildcats fans celebrate the win against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Villanova defeated Creighton 80-70. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
The Wildcats battled through a tough draw, beating 5 straight top-25 (including #2 and #3) ranked KenPom teams to win the title in dramatic fashion thanks to a balanced attack that ranked top-5 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
6. 2015 Duke
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski talks to reporter after win over Cal State Fullerton during the first round of NCAA tournament on Friday, March 18, 2022, in Greenville, South Carolina.
Coach K’s final champion was the beneficiary of the bracket, as Wisconsin was able to eliminate Kentucky, a team that I would have envisioned Duke struggling against. But still, this Duke team’s KenPom rating of 32.48 is right around the average of this list.
7. 2017 North Carolina
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 14: A general view of the NC logo on the shorts of RJ Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels. During a game against the La Salle Explorers at Dean E. Smith Center on December 14, 2024 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 93-67. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images)
The 2017 season was one where no team truly reached great heights, and UNC was just the last team standing at the end, despite ranking only 9th and 11th, respectively, in offensive and defensive efficiency on the season.
8. 2023 UConn
Apr 3, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Jordan Hawkins (24) holds the trophy after defeating the San Diego State Aztecs in the national championship game of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
It would be easy to pick on this UConn team for not having to beat a 1 or 2-seed on their way to the title, but they were so dominant in the tournament (winning every game by 13 or more) that they avoided the basement of this ranking.
9. 2022 Kansas
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – JANUARY 20: A view of the Kansas Jayhawks logo on their uniform during the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum on January 20, 2024 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
While the order does not match exactly, this Kansas team had the 13th-best KenPom rating of any team on this list and sits here at #13 on my list.
10. 2019 Virginia
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 14: A view of the Virginia Cavaliers logo on their uniform during the game against the Boston College Eagles in the Quarterfinals of the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 14, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
Call me unimpressed – this Virginia team lost in the semifinals of their conference tournament (and were arguably the 3rd-best team in their conference), beat no teams seeded higher than 3 in the NCAA Tournament, had no wins of greater than 15 points in that tournament, and relied on numerous improbable escapes that are mathematically unlikely to ever happen again.
