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Overrated

In 1993, Michigan's Fab Five (Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Jimmy King, Juwan Howard, Ray Jackson) returned to the championship game a year after they were eliminated by Duke. They again lost, to North Carolina this time, but had they not made it back to the final as sophomores, the country would have labled them underachievers. As it was, the core wasn't around long enough to make a third run at the title. Had they bowed out in the first round of either tourney, prognosticators would have placed less pressure on the team to return.

There have been other disappointing championship-game teams to return to the playoffs the next season only to lose in the opening round. Since the tournament field went permanently to at least 25 entrants in 1969, there have been three teams that reached the national final one year then didn't win a playoff game the next season despite losing no more than one starter who wasn't the leading scorer for the Final Four squad:

Team (Rec.) W-L Next Year Key Loss
Jacksonville '70 (27-2) 22-4 Rex Morgan
1971 NCAA Performance: The Dolphins blew a 14-point halftime cushion and lost in the first round of the Mideast Regional against eventual Final Four team Western Kentucky (74-72). Western Kentucky's Jim McDaniels outscored Jacksonville's Artis Gilmore, 23-12, in a battle of 7-foot first-team All-Americas. A "hidden man/shoelace" trick by WKU's Clarence Glover set up the winning basket in the final seconds.
 
N. Carolina St. '74 (30-1) 22-6 Tom Burleson
1975 NCAA Performance: Despite the presence of national player of the year David Thompson, the ACC Tournament runner-up Wolfpack did not compete in the NCAA playoffs after losing twice against regular-season champion Maryland in league play.
 
Marquette '77 (25-7) 24-4 Bo Ellis
1978 NCAA Performance: The Warriors, making their eighth of 10 consecutive tournament appearances, wasted a five-point halftime lead and lost in the first round of the Mideast Regional against Miami of Ohio (84-81 in overtime). Current Ohio State coach Randy Ayers collected 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Redskins to help offset national player of the year Butch Lee's 27 points for Marquette.

NOTES: Jacksonville '71 (Tom Wasdin succeeded Joe Williams) and Marquette '78 (Hank Raymonds succeeded Al McGuire) had new coaches. North Carolina State's coach both seasons was Norman Sloan. ... The five schools other than Marquette to participate in the NCAA playoffs as defending champions but lose their opening-round game were Indiana '87 (defeated by Richmond in East Regional the next year), Louisville '80 (Arkansas in Midwest Regional), Kentucky '58 (Louisville in Mideast Regional), Indiana '53 (Notre Dame in East Regional) and Utah '44 (Oklahoma State in Western Regional).