5 Teams That Should Declare Themselves National Champs After NCAA Tournament Cancellation

The NCAA Tournament is officially canceled, which is devastating news to all the teams who worked so hard to play in March. Teams now have the option to pull a UCF and declare themselves as the true national champion for the year. Several teams have a claim to the title, and here are some programs that may try to claim the throne as its own.

5. Dayton Flyers

The Dayton Flyers were having a historic season. / Joe Robbins/Getty Images

The Dayton Flyers finished 29-2 with an 18-0 record in conference play this season. The team's only losses were at the hands of Kansas and Colorado, with both defeats coming by six or fewer points. The Flyers were set to be a top seed in the NCAA Tournament and can easily claim the title for themselves. Obi Toppin led the team to greatness and a No. 3 overall ranking in the country, a rare feat for the mid-major. That is something to celebrate in itself.

4. Gonzaga Bulldogs

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are among the best teams in the country. / Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Gonzaga finished the year with a 31-2 record and only suffered one loss in conference play. The team won the West Coast Conference Tournament and were poised for a No. 1 seed for the second straight season. The Bulldogs had a balanced scoring attack as six players averaged over 10 points per game. Such balance is rare in the college game and Gonzaga could claim it had the best shot of winning it all.

3. San Diego State Aztecs

San Diego State finished the year with 30 wins. / Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images

San Diego State looked like a champion all season even though the Aztecs fell in the Mountain West Tournament final. The team won 30 games and suffered two losses by a combined six points. The last time the program made it to the Sweet Sixteen was in 2014 and this seemed to be the year where they went further. Alas, a 30-2 record is good enough to claim at least a share of the national championship.

2. UMBC Retrievers

UMBC would stay on brand by declaring themselves champions. / Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

UMBC did not have a great season and lost in the semi-finals of the America East Tournament. Most fans would not think of UMBC right away when thinking of a national champion, however, this would be a perfect declaration for a team that took down No. 1 seed Virginia in the 2018 Tournament and became a viral hit on Twitter. Why not declare the team to be the one and true champion? There is no way to prove otherwise.

1. Kansas Jayhawks

Bill Self led the Kansas Jayhawks to a top ranking in the country. / Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

The Kansas Jayhawks officially finish the season ranked No. 1 overall in the nation. That means Bill Self's squad has the best claim to be national champions of any team in the country. The team finished 28-3 and two losses both came by a combined three points. Finishing No. 1 overall is how teams used to be named national champions. Kansas can take the vintage route and celebrate a great season.