Take this year's Final Four as the best example of how difficult it is to consistently win in March.
One team, NC State, is a No. 11 seed that needed a miraculous ACC Tournament run just to reach the NCAA Tournament. Another, Alabama, was the No. 1 overall last year but lost in the Sweet 16 and reached the Final Four this year despite sharp defensive regression. A third, Purdue, was one of the best teams in the country last season but lost to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round.
Then there is UConn. The Huskies dominated in March last season, lost only three games in this past regular season, and now find themselves two wins away from another national championship after tearing through the East Region.
One team has to win the NCAA Tournament. The same team going back and doing it again the next year? It's extraordinarily difficult, regardless of how talented each roster is. Yet, UConn is well positioned to finish the job.
Here's a look back at the last repeat national champion and how rare it is for a men's college basketball program to go back-to-back.
MORE: UConn, NC State enter rare territory with men's and women's teams in Final Four
Who was the last March Madness winner to repeat?
The Florida Gators were the last team to repeat as men's March Madness champions, winning titles in both 2006 and '07.
Coached by Billy Donovan, the Gators weren't favorites entering the 2006 NCAA Tournament -- just like UConn. Florida was a No. 3 seed and had to earn its respect, knocking off No. 1 Villanova in the Elite Eight and a UCLA team loaded with NBA talent in the national championship game.
Florida had title expectations the second time around. The Gators were a No. 1 seed in 2007 and won each tournament game by at least seven points. Florida took down UCLA again, this time in the Final Four, and won the championship with an 84-75 victory over Ohio State.
There is one key difference between the Florida repeat and a potential UConn repeat: the Gators had the same starting five for both title runs.
The Huskies had to replace three key starters (Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins, and Andre Jackson Jr.) from their 2023 championship team. Dan Hurley did it every way possible, adding one transfer (Cam Spencer), one freshman (Stephon Castle), and elevating one player from the bench (Donovan Clingan).
Considering the level of parity and roster turnover compared to 17 years ago, a second title run by UConn would be a remarkable accomplishment that arguably hasn't been seen before.
DeCOURCY: Donovan Clingan and UConn leading a March Madness run for the ages
2006-07 Florida basketball roster
The following players were starters on both the 2006 and ;07 championship teams at Florida:
- G Taurean Green
- G Lee Humphrey
- F Al Horford
- F Corey Brewer
- C Joakim Noah
In hindsight, it shouldn't be surprising that Florida was so dominant over a two-year stretch. The Gators boasted a frontcourt loaded with players who carved out long NBA careers, with Marreese Speights even coming off the bench as a freshman on the 2006-07 team.
Horford is still in the NBA as of 2024. Noah was a Defensive Player of the Year winner, and Brewer spent 13 seasons in the league.
Donovan has also proven to be an exceptional leader, as he took Florida back to the Final Four in 2014 and came within a win of the NBA Finals while coaching the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.
March Madness repeat winners
| Team | Years | Coach |
| Florida | 2006-07 | Billy Donovan |
| Duke | 1991-92 | Mike Krzyzewski |
| UCLA | 1967-73 | John Wooden |
| UCLA | 1964-65 | John Wooden |
| Cincinnati | 1961-62 | Ed Jucker |
| San Francisco | 1955-56 | Phil Woolpert |
| Kentucky | 1948-49 | Adolph Rupp |
| Oklahoma A&M | 1945-46 | Henry Iba |
Seven different schools have repeated as NCAA Tournament champions, with only UCLA doing it multiple times.
The Bruins are quite the outlier, as they won seven consecutive titles from 1967-73. They won nine national championships in a span of 10 years under coach John Wooden, and no men's basketball dynasty of that caliber has been seen since.
Only two teams have repeated as champions since UCLA's run ended more than 50 years ago: Florida in 2006 and '07, and Duke in 1991 and '92 under Mike Krzyzewski.
Hurley and the Huskies joining that group would be no small feat, and all it requires now is a pair of wins in Arizona.
