B1G Disappointment: The teams that have won national titles since the Big Ten last cut down the nets

Facebook hadn’t been invented yet, Zion Williamson didn’t exist, Mad Cow Disease was the “pandemic” of the time, and Y2K is what so many thought would be the end of modern civilization. The year 2000 feels like it was so long ago, but it feels even further away for Big Ten hoops fans. Twenty-three years ago, Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans won their second national title in program history. But, it was also the last time the Big Ten won the Big Dance.

The Big Ten Tournament kicks off this week in Chicago, as 14 teams will compete for a conference tournament title. Over the last 20-plus years, the winner of this tournament has been the only net a Big Ten team has cut down. And if it wasn’t for the Spartans’ upset win over the Florida Gators in 2000, the league’s drought would be even longer as Michigan’s national title win from 1989 is the only one that precedes Michigan State’s.

With Purdue ( No. 5) being one of the best teams in the country all season, and the best team in the Big Ten by a country mile, it feels like the league’s dreams now rest on the Boilermakers’ shoulders. And as we get ready to enter March Madness, here’s a look back at the teams that have won it all since the Spartans did it in 2000.

This is just the first time you’ll see this school on this list, but it was Coach K’s third national title. Between Jay Williams, Chris Duhon, Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy Jr., and Carlos Boozer — this team was loaded.

The Terps may be in the Big Ten now, but back then they were in the ACC. And crazy enough, Maryland beat Indiana — a Big Ten program — to win it all that season.

While it feels like Jim Boeheim has been at Syracuse for 100 years, this is still the lone NCAA Tournament national title the program has ever won.

With two national titles within six years, the Huskies were turning into a program that was putting the sport’s bluebloods on watch.

The Tar Heels were loaded that season and were really good. And to win it all they had to beat a loaded and really good Fighting Illini team from the Big Ten.

This was a really good college basketball team that played its best basketball in March and April.

This was a really, really good college basketball team that played its best basketball in March and April for two years in a row. Ohio State was the Big Ten’s sacrificial lamb this time in the national title game.

People remember this game for two reasons: All the free throws Memphis missed down the stretch or the miraculous shot that Mario Chalmers knocked down to send the game into overtime.

Guess who the Tar Heels blew out in this national title game that was played in Detroit? Michigan State.

Gordon Hayward and Brad Stevens were so close to turning Butler into the school from the movie Hoosiers. But, their fairytale moment wasn’t meant to be.

Butler shot 18.8 percent from the field. UConn made 9.1 percent of their three-pointers. It might have been the worst national title game of all time.

If I told you that this was the only national championship that John Calipari has ever won would you believe me? Welp, it’s true.

According to the NCAA, this game never happened as the win had to be vacated. But, we all saw it. Louisville beat Michigan — a Big Ten team.

I think many of us are still wondering how this team pulled it off. But, it happened, as the veteran Huskies knocked off a Kentucky team that started five freshmen.

A year after Kentucky couldn’t win with all freshmen, Duke won with four freshmen leading the way and beat Wisconsin — another Big Ten team.

Marcus Paige hit a crazy shot to tie the game. Kris Jenkins followed that up with a walk-off buzzer-beater to win it all. It was amazing.

A year after experiencing heartbreak, the Tar Heels redeemed themselves by beating the biggest fraud in the history of the sport — Gonzaga.

The Wildcats were back again as they won their second title in three years over Michigan — another Big Ten program.

It’s one of the greatest turnarounds in college basketball history. A year after the Cavaliers were the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed, they won it all the following season.

The Coronavirus won.

It was like watching a T-Rex versus a kitten. Baylor pulverized Gonzaga from start to finish. The Bulldogs never led or even tied the game.

North Carolina went to the half up 15 points. Kansas flipped a switch during the break. The Jayhawks won by three.