We Shall Return: Baylor Back at National Semifinals First Time in 71 Years
March 30th, 2021 - 21:11
Try, try again! History repeats itself but can take longer than anyone wants or expects. Baylor will participate in the Final Four for the first time since 1950. The Bears' 71-year absence between national semifinal appearances is exceeded only by Oregon (78). Of the universities reaching the national semifinals at least twice, Houston is also among the following 13 institutions going more than 35 years before returning to the Promised Land:
| Final Four School | Famine Years | Coaches Between Final Fours | NCAA Tournament Appearances During Lapse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 78 | Howard Hobson (1939) to Dana Altman (2017) | 13: 1945-60-61-95-00-02-03-07-08-13-14-15-16 |
| Baylor | 71 | Bill Henderson (1950) to Scott Drew (2021) | nine: 1988-08-10-12-14-15-16-17-19 |
| Wisconsin | 59 | Bud Foster (1941) to Dick Bennett (2000) | four: 1947-94-97-99 |
| Stanford | 56 | Everett Dean (1942) to Mike Montgomery (1998) | five: 1989-92-95-96-97 |
| Texas | 56 | Jack Gray (1947) to Rick Barnes (2003) | 17: 1960-63-72-74-79-89-90-91-92-94-95-96-97-99-00-01-02 |
| Loyola of Chicago | 54 | George Ireland (1963-64) to Porter Moser (2016-17) | four: 1964-66-68-85 |
| Wichita State | 48 | Gary Thompson (1965) to Gregg Marshall (2013) | seven: 1976-81-85-87-88-06-12 |
| Oklahoma State | 44 | Hank Iba (1951) to Eddie Sutton (1995) | nine: 1953-54-58-65-83-91-92-93-94 |
| Oklahoma | 41 | Bruce Drake (1947) to Billy Tubbs (1988) | six: 1979-83-84-85-86-87 |
| Georgetown | 39 | Elmer Ripley (1943) to John Thompson Jr. (1982) | five: 1975-76-79-80-81 |
| Houston | 37 | Guy Lewis (1984) to Kelvin Sampson (2021) | six: 1987-90-92-10-18-19 |
| Illinois | 37 | Harry Combes (1952) to Lou Henson (1989) | eight: 1963-81-83-84-85-86-87-88 |
| DePaul | 36 | Ray Meyer (1943) to Ray Meyer (1979) | seven: 1953-56-59-60-65-76-78 |