Underated College Basketball Teams

College Basketball > Rankings: AP Poll | Coaches Poll | RPI

Underrated Teams

Just as there are consistently Overrated Teams, there are also consistently underrated teams. These are teams that often rank higher in the Final AP Poll than the Preseason AP Poll (if they were ranked at all).

Gonzaga, the mother of all underrated teams, tops the list since 2000 as you might expect. Wake Forest and Illinois are the only teams to make all 4 lists. Utah and Purdue were are on the lists prior to 2000.

See the Overrated Teams report for an explationan of the tables below.

Underrated Since 2000

* Teams must be ranked in at least 4 out of 7 seasons to be included.

Rank	Team	Seasons	Avg Diff	Season by Season Diff
1	Gonzaga	6	5.2	20, -4, 7, 15, 3, -10
2	Wisconsin	6	4.7	-6, 5, 5, 1, 3, 20
3	Pittsburgh	7	4.1	17, 1, 13, -9, 10, -8, 5
4	Cincinnati	5	4.0	-8, 21, -3, 7, 3
5	Stanford	6	2.8	2, -11, 8, 18, -13, 13
6	Illinois	6	2.8	4, -10, 15, 0, 4, 4
7	Boston College	6	2.7	19, -9, 1, 12, 4, -11
8	Oklahoma	6	1.7	9, 22, 0, -12, 9, -18
9	Memphis	7	1.6	-14, 7, 2, -2, 8, 9, 1
10	Notre Dame	6	1.5	-4, 4, -5, -6, 9, 11
11	Wake Forest	5	1.4	-3, 18, 3, -3, -8
12	Mississippi State	4	1.2	9, -8, 18, -14

Underrated Since 1990

* Teams must be ranked in at least 7 out of 17 seasons to be included.

Rank	Team	Seasons	Avg Diff	Season by Season Diff
1	Ohio State	7	8.0	5, 4, 12, -3, 12, 20, 6
2	Purdue	8	6.0	4, 18, 14, 20, -2, -10, -2, 6
3	Iowa State	7	4.4	-7, 2, 9, -7, 20, 15, -1
4	Gonzaga	7	4.1	-2, 20, -4, 7, 15, 3, -10
5	Cincinnati	14	3.6	14, 14, -6, -13, 14, -9, 17, 4, -5, -8, 21, -3, 7, 3
6	Wisconsin	8	3.4	-9, 8, -6, 5, 5, 1, 3, 20
7	Wake Forest	10	3.1	-4, 10, 21, 2, -5, -3, 18, 3, -3, -8
8	Oklahoma State	10	3.1	12, 2, 3, -8, 7, -13, 8, -2, 21, 1
9	Massachusetts	7	3.0	9, 9, 14, -4, 6, -11, -2
10	Boston College	7	2.0	-2, 19, -9, 1, 12, 4, -11
11	Pittsburgh	8	1.9	-14, 17, 1, 13, -9, 10, -8, 5
12	Utah	11	1.5	16, -12, 7, 7, -2, 4, 9, 4, -11, -13, 8
13	Marquette	8	1.5	5, 6, -1, 14, 9, -3, -4, -14
14	Stanford	11	1.5	-8, -3, 4, -4, 10, 2, -11, 8, 18, -13, 13
15	Illinois	11	1.2	-9, -1, 7, 4, -5, 4, -10, 15, 0, 4, 4
16	Mississippi State	7	1.1	5, 8, -10, 9, -8, 18, -14

Underrated Since 1980

* Teams must be ranked in at least 10 out of 27 seasons to be included.

Rank	Team	Seasons	Avg Diff	Season by Season Diff
1	Purdue	12	6.3	16, -3, -1, 16, 4, 18, 14, 20, -2, -10, -2, 6
2	UNLV	12	5.9	14, 13, 2, 7, 4, 14, -5, -1, 0, 19, -3, 7
3	Wake Forest	13	3.7	15, -5, 7, -4, 10, 21, 2, -5, -3, 18, 3, -3, -8
4	Cincinnati	14	3.6	14, 14, -6, -13, 14, -9, 17, 4, -5, -8, 21, -3, 7, 3
5	Oklahoma State	12	2.8	7, -5, 12, 2, 3, -8, 7, -13, 8, -2, 21, 1
6	Utah	12	2.4	12, 16, -12, 7, 7, -2, 4, 9, 4, -11, -13, 8
7	Stanford	12	1.9	7, -8, -3, 4, -4, 10, 2, -11, 8, 18, -13, 13
8	Illinois	19	1.4	7, 20, -10, -12, 3, 10, 6, -10, -9, -1, 7, 4, -5, 4, -10, 15, 0, 4, 4

Underrated Since 1961

* Teams must be ranked in at least 13 out of 46 seasons to be included.

Rank	Team	Seasons	Avg Diff	Season by Season Diff
1	Utah	16	5.2	19, 11, 12, 12, 12, 16, -12, 7, 7, -2, 4, 9, 4, -11, -13, 8
2	UNLV	18	4.2	-7, 9, 23, 3, -18, -6, 14, 13, 2, 7, 4, 14, -5, -1, 0, 19, -3, 7
3	DePaul	17	3.6	17, -6, 9, -8, 23, 20, 8, 1, 6, 14, -23, 21, -6, 2, -6, -6, -5
4	Wake Forest	16	2.1	-23, 17, -9, 15, -5, 7, -4, 10, 21, 2, -5, -3, 18, 3, -3, -8
5	Illinois	21	1.6	0, 6, 7, 20, -10, -12, 3, 10, 6, -10, -9, -1, 7, 4, -5, 4, -10, 15, 0, 4, 4
6	Purdue	20	1.4	-20, 4, -23, 15, -13, -14, 11, -9, 16, -3, -1, 16, 4, 18, 14, 20, -2, -10, -2, 6
7	Oklahoma	22	1.0	-6, 10, -6, 13, 1, -2, -19, 15, 1, 15, -11, -4, -11, 9, -6, 14, 9, 22, 0, -12, 9, -18

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