Undefeated College Basketball Teams: Who is Last to Lose?
Trio of Undefeated Teams Remaining
As college basketball teams get ready to resume play after the Christmas break, there are three that have yet to taste defeat. They are the Houston Cougars, James Madison Dukes and Ole Miss Rebels. The chances are all three will lose, and the Rebels will likely lose soon.
History shows there aren’t many undefeated college basketball teams after the NCAA Tournament. The last was the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers.
The last team to lose in the 2022-23 season was New Mexico, which started the season out 14-0 before losing on Jan. 3, 2023, to Fresno State, 71-67.
We’ll look at the three remaining unbeaten teams and their odds to win March Madness, along with when they could suffer their first loss.
Houston Cougars (12-0)
The Cougars are the best of the three remaining undefeated college basketball teams. But Houston also has some challenging games ahead in January. A Jan. 9 road game at 10-2 Iowa State is going to be a tough one. If the Cougars get past the Cyclones, a Jan. 13 road game at TCU is on tap. And if that’s not bad enough, Houston has road games at BYU and Texas later on in January. The Cougars open February with a trip to Allen Fieldhouse to play the Kansas Jayhawks.
The Cougars are +1000 to win the NCAA championship and +280 to advance to the Final Four. Houston has a solid chance to win its remaining home games.
But the chances are pretty good the Cougars will lose at least one of their games on the road.
Houston plays eight teams on the road, ranked in Ken Pomeroy’s top 40. It’s little wonder Pomeroy gives the Cougars just a 1.5% chance of going undefeated.
Ole Miss Rebels (12-0)
The Rebels must enjoy their 12-0 start because it’s about to end. Ole Miss should be able to take care of Bryant on New Year’s Eve. But things should come to a crashing halt on Jan. 6 when the team makes a trip to Tennessee.
The Volunteers will likely be double-digit favorites in that game. And it’s going to get worse for Ole Miss. The college basketball predictions show the Rebels are unlikely to finish above .500 in the Southeastern Conference.
Ole Miss is +10000 to win the NCAA Tournament and +2800 to reach the Final Four. That might be a little optimistic for a team that will have a tough time advancing past the second round of the SEC tournament. Pomeroy gives the Rebels a 0% chance of finishing undefeated.
James Madison Dukes (12-0)
J. Madison is the last of the remaining undefeated college basketball teams. The college basketball scores show the Dukes are a strong offensive team, but not quite as good on defense. James Madison naturally has the easiest remaining schedule of the three teams.
But the Dukes have played down to their competition at times this season. After defeating Michigan State in overtime to open the season, James Madison needed double-overtime to beat Kent State, defeated Radford by three and beat Southern Illinois by six.
The most formidable remaining team on James Madison’s schedule is Appalachian State, which is ranked No. 95 by Pomeroy. The Dukes play the Mountaineers twice, and the game on the road will be tough. But James Madison will have to get past a scrappy Louisiana team on the road Jan. 4. That game isn’t a gimme for JMU.
The Dukes are +12000 to win the NCAA title and +3400 to reach the Final Four. That’s likely aiming too high for a mid-major program. But Pomeroy does give James Madison the best chance to finish the regular season undefeated. He has the Dukes with a 2.5% chance to win their remaining regular season games.
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