Article:College Hoops Perfect Chances

Tonight, the New England Patriots have accomplished a feat that many believed was nearly impossible - defeating the New York Giants and matching the 1972 Miami Dolphins undefeated streak at 16-0. With the season longer, players in better condition, and more parity in a larger NFL, it was not hard to consider a perfect season to be unreachable. But after a season in which the Pats stormed through every tough opponent in the NFL, it appears that no fan or expert can say something is "impossible" again.

With this, it is not hard to look at another perfect team that came from the 1970's. The 1976 Indiana Hoosiers, coached by Bobby Knight, are the last college hoops team to go through a season with an unblemished record, finishing at 32-0. That team won the 32-team tournament behind leading scorer and eventual #2 pick of the 1976 NBA Draft, PF Scott May. Kent Benson won the tournament Most Outstanding Player as Knight's team took down Michigan 86-68 in the final game.

Many have said that no team would be able to go undefeated again in college hoops. They base this belief, however, on a longer regular season, a deeper tournament and better athletes across the board. Those reasons, evidently, are not as insurmountable as once believed.

So, with seven teams still undefeated as we head into the new year, it is time to look at the top four contenders to reach perfection in the college hoops world. Sure, the season is still early, but didn't the "perfect" talk about the Pats start after their Week 2 dismantling of the San Diego Chargers?

To see which teams have a good chance, we will take a look at team schedules, tough remaining match-ups, and also how they have faired in recent seasons. Though every season is different, achieving perfection means knocking on the door a few times before you get there. The Pats have had three Super Bowl victories this decade before stomping through the league this season. And if Scott May had not broken his arm in 1975, the '76 Hoosiers might have been celebrating their second straight perfect season.

MEMPHIS TIGERS The Tigers got past their toughest opponent on their schedule when they beat Georgetown 85-71 on Dec. 22. Hoyas C Roy Hibbert helped Memphis out by getting into foul trouble and only scoring 6 points while collecting just 6 rebounds against a small Tigers team. From here on out... (Read the full article here: College Hoops Perfect Chances)