The Walton Belt (2018-19 edition)

[uh_no]

(bringing the thread back to the first page)

With MSU's victories over Bradley and Minnesota, they will keep the belt into the second weekend. Their Sweet 16 match-up is against LSU on Friday.

with the NCAA victors map, it's fun to watch...but I imagine the walton belt is just the entire country colored by whoever the current title holder is!

[Neals384]

Texas Tech wears the belt into the final game. This thread could be more interesting next year if the belt spends time in the ACC.

[Acymetric]

Has there ever been a year where the team with the Walton belt did not make the tournament? I think the only way this could happen is if a bottom feeder beat a belt holder in one of the final regular season games in a conference where the bottom teams don't make the tournament.

[EKU1969]

It would mean that a team from say the OVC, like either Belmont or Murray State won the belt (not horribly unlikely) but then lost their season finale to say Eastern Kentucky. EKU does not make the OVC tourney, thus holds onto the belt!😇😃

[Acymetric]

It would mean that a team from say the OVC, like either Belmont or Murray State won the belt (not horribly unlikely) but then lost their season finale to say Eastern Kentucky. EKU does not make the OVC tourney, thus holds onto the belt!😇😃

Don't one or two of the major conferences keep people out still? I know the old Big East did at one point.

[pfrduke]

Don't one or two of the major conferences keep people out still? I know the old Big East did at one point.

Because I'm masochistic, I will, at some point over the next few days, track the belt from it's initial holder (the 1939 Oregon Ducks, winner of the 1st NCAA tournament) to present (presumably, Texas Tech).

[JasonEvans]

Because I'm masochistic, I will, at some point over the next few days, track the belt from it's initial holder (the 1939 Oregon Ducks, winner of the 1st NCAA tournament) to present (presumably, Texas Tech).

I have sporked pfr in advance for this... and if he fails to produce said results I will be very disappointed

[pfrduke]

So, the early years of the NCAA are, to put it politely, a complete mess. I started with Oregon in the 1939-40 season and was able to track it into the 1943 season when Pittsburgh lost to Westminster which lost to Bethany and I'm sure it will shock no one to know that it's not easy to track down Bethany College basketball results from 1943. I then tried to start with Kentucky after it won the 1949 title - in that season the belt ended up with Siena (winner of the National Catholic Invitational Tournament) which then in 1950 lost to LeMoyne which lost to St. Francis (PA) which lost to Geneva College (where I think it ended the season) and, again, it will shock no one to learn that it's not easy to track down Geneva College basketball results from 1950-51.

So then I restarted with CCNY after it won the 1950 title, and lo and behold there is a clean and clear path from CCNY at the start of the 1950-51 season to UVA at the end of the 2018-19 season. Table in two posts below split up between 1951-79 and 1980-2019 (chart is too big for one post). Some notes:

Once CCNY won the title, the next four champions did not end the season with the belt. In 15 of the seasons from 1951-1979, the belt holder at the end of the year was not the NCAA champion. Since 1979, that number is 0 - the 1979 Wisconsin Badgers are the last team to hold the belt at the end of a season without winning the title. I may try to figure out paths if one assumes new belts are award to each champion and when those belts consolidate on the larger path (likely in the 1980 season at the latest).

Two teams defended a belt over an entire season - they won the title and then went undefeated the next year: 1955-56 San Francisco and 1972-73 UCLA.

There was a four-year run (the 1994-97 seasons) where the defending champion lost its opening game. Massachusetts was responsible for two of those dethronings.

In the 64-team era, there is one season where the belt changed hands each round of the tournament: in 2006, Iowa entered as Big 10 champion and belt-holder, then lost to Northwestern State, which lost to West Virginia, which lost to Texas, which lost to LSU (sigh), which lost to UCLA, which lost to Florida.

2007 is probably the weirdest modern year for the belt. Florida repeated as champions, but the belt went on a long frolic and detour through the Southern Conference and the Colonial before ending up back in Gainesville. It shares the record with 2013 for most times the belt changed hands (21 times) and holds the record for most individual teams to own the belt (19).

On the other end, the shortest path in the 64-team era is 1991 (UNLV-Duke).

[pfrduke]

1951

CCNY

Missouri

Nebraska

Kansas State

Oklahoma

Missouri

(no postseason)

1952

Missouri

Iowa

Indiana

St. John's

Holy Cross

Boston College

(no postseason)

1953

Boston College

Rhode Island

St. Joseph's

Western Kentucky

Idaho

Oklahoma State

Kansas

Colorado

Missouri

Kansas State

(no postseason)

1954

Kansas State

Indiana

Oregon State

Duke

Wake Forest

NC State

La Salle

Temple

St. John's

(no postseason)

1955

St. John's

Temple

Kentucky

Georgia Tech

Vanderbilt

Mississippi

Tulane

Alabama

Kentucky

Marquette

Iowa

La Salle

San Francisco

1956

San Francisco

1957

San Francisco

Illinois

Kentucky

Tulane

Mississippi State

Florida

Vanderbilt

(no postseason)

1958

Vanderbilt

Minnesota

North Carolina

West Virginia

Duke

Virginia

Maryland

Temple

Kentucky

1959

Kentucky

Vanderbilt

Mississippi State

(no postseason)

1960

Mississippi State

Memphis

Dayton

Duquesne

St. Bonaventure

Bradley

(NIT)

1961

Bradley

Houston

Miami

Saint Louis

Providence

(NIT)

1962

Providence

Depaul

St. Bonaventure

Detroit

Loyola (Chi.)

Marquette

Saint Louis

Bradley

Cincinnati

1963

Cincinnati

Wichita State

Bradley

Duquesne

(no postseason)

1964

Duquesne

Pittsburgh

Wisconsin

Cincinnati

Utah

Utah State

Utah

Arizona

Utah

Arizona State

Utah State

San Francisco

UCLA

1965

UCLA

Illinois

Saint Louis

Missouri

SMU

Memphis

Indiana

Illinois

Michigan

Ohio State

(no postseason)

1966

Ohio State

UCLA

Duke

West Virginia

Richmond

Davidson

Syracuse

Duke

Kentucky

Texas Western

1967

Texas Western

New Mexico

New Mexico State

Villanova

Princeton

Louisville

Cincinnati

Saint Louis

Louisville

Wichita State

Tulsa

Marquette

Southern Illinois

(NIT)

1968

Southern Illinois

Iowa

Drake

Saint Louis

Wichita State

Drake

Wichita State

Saint Louis

North Texas

Bradley

Long Island

Notre Dame

Dayton

(NIT)

1969

Dayton

Louisville

Tulsa

Louisville

Drake

UCLA

1970

UCLA

Oregon

Washington

Washington State

(no postseason)

1971

Washington State

Gonzaga

Utah State

BYU

Hawaii

Loyola (LA)

Dayton

Louisville

Bradley

Murray State

Eastern Kentucky

Western Kentucky

Austin Peay

(no postseason)

1972

Austin Peay

Texas-Pan American

Florida State

Houston

Jacksonville

Providence

Pennsylvania

North Carolina

Florida State

UCLA

1973

UCLA

1974

UCLA

Notre Dame

UCLA

Oregon State

USC

UCLA

NC State

1975

NC State

Wake Forest

Maryland

Clemson

NC State

Clemson

Maryland

NC State

North Carolina

Syracuse

Kentucky

UCLA

1976

UCLA

Indiana

1977

Indiana

Toledo

Western Michigan

Alabama

Tennessee

UCLA

Washington

Stanford

Washington State

Washington

(no postseason)

1978

Washington

Utah State

Utah

Colorado State

Arizona

Arizona State

UTEP

Arizona

Utah

Notre Dame

Duke

Kentucky

1979

Kentucky

Indiana

Michigan State

Illinois

Ohio State

Michigan State

Wisconsin

(no postseason)

Bold font indicates where the belt was consolidated with split belts awarded to intervening champions (see later post on the topic).

[pfrduke]

1980

Wisconsin

Depaul

Notre Dame

Missouri

LSU

Louisville

1981

Louisville

Depaul

Old Dominion

Rhode Island

St. Bonaventure

Penn State

Memphis

Florida State

Cincinnati

Louisville

Arkansas

Indiana

1982

Indiana

Kentucky

North Carolina

Wake Forest

Virginia

Maryland

NC State

North Carolina

1983

North Carolina

St. John's

Boston College

Syracuse

St. John's

Pittsburgh

Villanova

Syracuse

Connecticut

Villanova

St. John's

Georgia

NC State

1984

NC State

Virginia Tech

Richmond

VCU

South Alabama

Old Dominion

Charlotte

Jacksonville

UAB

South Florida

VCU

Richmond

James Madison

William & Mary

Navy

Richmond

Indiana

Virginia

Houston

Georgetown

1985

Georgetown

St. John's

Georgetown

Villanova

1986

Villanova

Lamar

LSU

Alabama

Kentucky

NC State

Maryland

Clemson

Virginia

North Carolina

Duke

Louisville

1987

Louisville

Northeastern

Iowa

Ohio State

Purdue

Indiana

Purdue

Michigan

North Carolina

Syracuse

Indiana

1988

Indiana

Kentucky

Auburn

Georgia

Vanderbilt

LSU

Alabama

Mississippi

Auburn

Georgia

Kentucky

Villanova

Oklahoma

Kansas

1989

Kansas

Seton Hall

Syracuse

Villanova

Seton Hall

Pittsburgh

Villanova

Syracuse

Georgetown

Syracuse

Georgetown

Duke

Seton Hall

Michigan

1990

Michigan

Arizona

Oregon

UAB

BYU

California

Arizona

UCLA

Stanford

Arizona

Pittsburgh

Georgetown

Providence

Connecticut

Georgetown

Syracuse

Connecticut

Duke

UNLV

1991

UNLV

Duke

1992

Duke

North Carolina

Virginia

Georgia Tech

North Carolina

Duke

1993

Duke

Georgia Tech

North Carolina

Wake Forest

Florida State

Duke

North Carolina

Georgia Tech

Southern

George Washington

Michigan

North Carolina

1994

North Carolina

Massachusetts

Kansas

Temple

Georgia Tech

Maryland

North Carolina

Georgia Tech

Louisville

Charlotte

George Washington

Rhode Island

George Washington

Temple

Massachusetts

Maryland

Michigan

Arkansas

1995

Arkansas

Massachusetts

Kansas

Indiana

Iowa

Michigan State

Indiana

Illinois

Michigan

Michigan State

Purdue

Indiana

Michigan

Michigan State

Iowa

Indiana

Missouri

UCLA

1996

UCLA

Santa Clara

Villanova

Temple

Cincinnati

UAB

Memphis

Louisville

Tulane

Cincinnati

Marquette

Cincinnati

Mississippi State

Syracuse

Kentucky

1997

Kentucky

Clemson

Minnesota

Alabama

San Jose State

UNLV

Hawaii

Fresno State

Air Force

UNLV

Colorado State

SMU

Utah

Kentucky

Arizona

1998

Arizona

Duke

Michigan

Indiana

Michigan State

Illinois

Purdue

Iowa

Illinois

Purdue

Michigan

UCLA

Kentucky

1999

Kentucky

Pittsburgh

Maryland

Kentucky

Duke

Connecticut

[pfrduke]

2000

Connecticut

Iowa

Stanford

Arizona

USC

Oregon

Arizona

Oregon State

Arizona State

Stanford

North Carolina

Florida

Michigan State

2001

Michigan State

Indiana

Michigan

Illinois

Penn State

Indiana

Illinois

Ohio State

Iowa

Kentucky

USC

Duke

2002

Duke

Florida State

NC State

Duke

Maryland

NC State

Duke

Indiana

Maryland

2003

Maryland

Indiana

Kentucky

Louisville

Saint Louis

UAB

Louisville

Butler

Oklahoma

Syracuse

2004

Syracuse

Charlotte

Alabama

Xavier

Duquesne

George Washington

Richmond

Dayton

St. Joseph's

Xavier

Duke

Connecticut

2005

Connecticut

Massachusetts

Miami

Georgia Tech

North Carolina

Wake Forest

Florida State

Duke

Maryland

Clemson

Georgia Tech

NC State

North Carolina

Georgia Tech

Duke

Michigan State

North Carolina

2006

North Carolina

Illinois

Iowa

Michigan State

Michigan

Iowa

Northwestern

Illinois

Michigan

Ohio State

Iowa

Northwestern State

West Virginia

Texas

LSU

UCLA

Florida

2007

Florida

Kansas

Depaul

UAB

VCU

Appalachian State

Elon

Chattanooga

Wofford

Charleston

Appalachian State

Furman

Georgia Southern

Elon

Georgia State

George Mason

Northeastern

Drexel

VCU

Pittsburgh

UCLA

Florida

2008

Florida

Florida State

Butler

Cleveland State

Green Bay

Wright State

Illinois State

Drake

Western Kentucky

UCLA

Memphis

Kansas

2009

Kansas

Syracuse

Cleveland State

Wright State

Butler

Green Bay

Youngstown State

Cleveland State

Wichita State

Southern Illinois

Bradley

Northern Iowa

Purdue

Connecticut

Michigan State

North Carolina

2010

North Carolina

Syracuse

Pittsburgh

Georgetown

Syracuse

Louisville

Georgetown

Notre Dame

West Virginia

Duke

2011

Duke

Florida State

Clemson

Virginia

Miami

Duke

Virginia Tech

Boston College

Clemson

North Carolina

Duke

Arizona

Connecticut

2012

Connecticut

Central Florida

Harvard

Connecticut

Seton Hall

South Florida

Marquette

Notre Dame

St. John's

Pittsburgh

Connecticut

Syracuse

Cincinnati

Louisville

Kentucky

2013

Kentucky

Duke

NC State

Maryland

North Carolina

NC State

Virginia

Georgia Tech

Florida State

Wake Forest

Boston College

Florida State

NC State

North Carolina

Duke

Maryland

North Carolina

Miami

Marquette

Syracuse

Michigan

Louisville

2014

Louisville

North Carolina

UAB

LSU

Rhode Island

Saint Louis

Duquesne

Massachusetts

Saint Louis

St. Bonaventure

St. Joseph's

Connecticut

2015

Connecticut

West Virginia

LSU

Missouri

Auburn

Florida

Georgia

South Carolina

Arkansas

Kentucky

Wisconsin

Duke

2016

Duke

Kentucky

UCLA

North Carolina

Louisville

Duke

Louisville

Miami

Virginia Tech

Miami

Virginia

North Carolina

Villanova

2017

Villanova

Butler

Creighton

Marquette

Providence

Villanova

Butler

Seton Hall

Villanova

Wisconsin

Florida

South Carolina

Gonzaga

North Carolina

2018

North Carolina

Michigan State

Ohio State

Penn State

Michigan State

Michigan

Villanova

2019

Villanova

Michigan

Wisconsin

Michigan

Penn State

Purdue

Minnesota

Maryland

Nebraska

Wisconsin

Michigan State

Texas Tech

Virginia

[Indoor66]

My Lord! Too much time on someone's hands.

[rsvman]

Impressive.

[Acymetric]

Wow, impressive work. You've inspired me to follow up on what I was curious about, and a little more. I'm not interested to see how often the belt was "in dispute". This would be years where the belt did not eventually pass to the NCAA champion.

For example, at the start of the 1952 season, the belt would be disputed with CCNY and Kentucky (ew, bad year) laying a claim. This will take a fair bit of time I think, so we'll see how it goes. I may not go as far back as 1951 in the interest of not doing tons and tons of work.

[BLPOG]

Tremendous work. Regrettably, I'm unable to spork.

[Neals384]

This curmudgeon must point out that Bill Walton was born in November 1952. Maybe that explains why it was so hard to track the belt before that.

[Reddevil]

Tremendous work. Regrettably, I'm unable to spork.

Gotter done. Of course I could not help but think, "Wasn't the NIT the bigger championship some of that time?" (Ducks)

[Truth&Justise]

Mighty impressive!

Particularly neat when a team loses the belt and then wins it back later in the year. In both 2002 and 2011, Duke started out with the belt, lost it, regained it, lost it again, and then somehow got it back for a third time.

Even more fun: NC State managed to win the belt twice in 2002, and then promptly lost it to Duke both times! And 2013 looks like a particularly wild year, with the ACC teams trading it back and forth, with multiple teams holding it multiple times.

[TruBlu]

Gotter done. Of course I could not help but think, "Wasn't the NIT the bigger championship some of that time?" (Ducks)

Nope. I checked. The Oregon Ducks never won the NIT. (Just kidding)

[kako]

Can't spork, so thanks for the work!

9F