The greatest teams in NCAA college basketball history

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but greatness is something everyone can see and agree upon. In the world of college basketball, it manifests itself in national championships, tournament victories, and record-setting runs. We think you'll agree that the five NCAA teams below are greatness personified.

5. 1981-82 North Carolina Tar Heels

Just how good were the 1981-82 Tar Heels? Michael Jordan was their third leading scorer. His Airness played second banana that season to future NBA Hall of Famer James Worthy and longtime NBA vet Sam Perkins. Together they held teams to a scant 55.4 points per game and cruised to a 32-2 record and an ACC championship. Jordan's defining moment in 1982 came during the national championship against Georgetown, when he hit the game-winning jumper with 18 seconds remaining to help earn coach Dean Smith his first title. North Carolina went 56-11 during the remainder of Jordan's tenure in Chapel Hill, but didn't win another national championship until 1993.

4. 1955-56 San Francisco Dons

The Dons weren’t just good in 1955-56. They were untouchable. San Francisco blew out teams by an outrageous 20 points per game en route to a 29-0 season and the program’s second straight NCAA championship. Leading the way was Bill Russell, who averaged 20.6 points and 21 rebounds per game and played the kind of smothering defense that made opposing players question their life decisions. The 6-foot-9 center went on to to enjoy a spectacular career in the NBA, where he won 11 championships in 13 seasons.