We Shall Return: Only 3 Schools Away From Final Four Longer Than Wichita
March 30th, 2013 - 20:41
Try, try again! Wichita State, which finished in fourth place in the 1965 NCAA Tournament, has the fourth-longest drought between Final Four appearances. Iowa State, which reached the Final Four in 1944, will move atop this list if coach Fred Hoiberg lives up to his new hefty contract. Of the schools reaching the national semifinals at least twice, following are the nine institutions to go more than 35 years before returning to the Promised Land:
| Final Four School | Famine Years | Coaches Between Final Fours | NCAA Tournament Appearances During Lapse |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |