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5 Schools You Had No Idea Actually Made a Final Four

By Alexander Wildes

Princeton was one of most surprising Final Four teams ever
Princeton was one of most surprising Final Four teams ever / Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

There are plenty of programs that are perennial NCAA tournament contenders, as they recruit the best players from around the country. Schools such as Kentucky, Duke and Kansas seem to be top seeds and advancing far into the tournament every year because of their ability to attract top talent. However, due to the one-and-done style of the tournament, upsets are abound almost ever year. Here are five most surprising teams to advance to the Final Four.

5. 1979 Penn

The 1979 University of Pennsylvania basketball team is the best in school history. They were led by Tony Price, who averaged 19.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists-per-game. In the Final Four matchup against Michigan State, they got blown out, with Magic Johnson leading the way for the Spartans with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

4. 1987 Providence

Led by coach Rick Pitino, Providence went on a surprising run to the Final Four. The team starred Billy Donavan (yes, THAT Billy Donavan) who was averaging over 20 points and 7 assists per night. The team's run came to an end come the Final Four, losing to Syracuse. While Donavan was never that great of an NBA player, he was well liked enough to carve out an extensive coaching career.

3. 1967 Dayton

The 1967 Dayton Flyers made it all the way to the National Championship before falling to Lou Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul Jabbar) and the UCLA Bruins 79-64. The Flyers were led by future NBA 20 point-per-game scorer Don May, who averaged an incredible 22.2 points and 16.7 rebounds a night for the Flyers.

2. 1965 Princeton

While Princeton is more known for their academics, the 1965 Final Four team sported maybe the most dominant player in college hoops at the time. Bill Bradley, a 6-5 do-it-all player, averaged a mind-numbing 30.2 points and 12.1 rebounds a game throughout his college career. However, they lost to the Michigan Wolverines in the semifinals. Bradley became a fantastic player in the NBA.

1. 1950 City College of NY

The CCNY Beavers of 1950 were by far the best team in the nation, becoming the only team to ever win the NIT and the NCAA tournaments in the same year. They were led by former basketball legend Nat Holman. However, the team would be virtually wiped out in the following years due to their part in the point-shaving scandal.