We Shall Return: No School Ducked Final Four Longer Span Than Oregon
March 26th, 2017 - 12:33
Try, try again! Oregon, which captured the inaugural NCAA Tournament title in 1939, has the longest drought between Final Four appearances. Of the schools reaching the national semifinals at least twice, following are the 10 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |