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#15 -2021, Andy Enfield, 25-8
This team is hard to peg since it was the no fans Bubble year. Coming off the Covid year where SC would have been in the NCAAT if it was held, SC was unranked until early February. SC beat UCLA's F4 team twice, and after losing in round 2 of the Conference tournament, was a 6 seed in the NCAAT bubble. SC crushed Drake, Kansas and Oregon in the first three rounds of the tournament by 16, 34 and 14 points. Led by Evan Mobley, this did seem like THE season SC would get to their first Final Four in 67 year. Unfortunately in the Regional Final against Gonzaga they got boat raced at the start, and were down 19 at half. Mobley had one of the great seasons in SC history, being named conference freshman, defensive player and player of the year.
#14, 1970, Bob Boyd, 18-8
This was the second time Boyd's team finish second in conference behind National Champion UCLA. SC was preseason #16, but jumped to #6 after an opening win against #10 Colorado. Like so many other SC teams, was 12-3 at one point, but ended the season 18-8, with one of those wins being against arguably the greatest college basketball team of all time, #1 and eventual Champion UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, spoiling Lou Alcindor's senior night. Led by Sophomores Paul Westphal and Ron Riley, SC would be ranked 20th is the final AP poll.
#13- 1979, Bob Boyd, 20-9
Boyd's last year, During the season SC lost at #1 Duke, but beat #7 Kansas at home. They were 9-3 when they faced #6 UCLA at home, and lost by 3. They would finish the season on a six game win streak, 19-8, 2nd in the conference, and finally make Boyd's first NCAA tournament with an at large bid. They won their first round game against Utah State, but lost in the second round against #8 DePaul. Both games were at Pauley Pavilion, and the UCLA fans booed SC both games. They were led by super soph Cliff Robinson, who would be the 11th player picked in the draft.
#12 - 1968, Bob Boyd, 18-8
In his second season at SC, Boyd's team finished second in the Conference behind Lew Alcindor and UCLA. SC only lost 3 conference games that year, two to UCLA. Having finally started to recruit black players, SC was led by future NBA players Bill Hewitt (19 pts, 12 rbs) and Mack Calvin. Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke was so impressed that after Butch Van Breda Kloff flamed out he offered the Lakers job to Boyd, who shockingly turned it down. Boyd knew the Freshman he had coming in, and truly thought he could build a team to beat Wooden and UCLA.
#11 - 1930, Sam Barry, 15-5
Sam Barry's first year at SC, and his impact was immediate. The previous year SC finished 2-7 in conference, but under Barry they reversed that to finish 7-2 in Conference, and won the Southern Division by closing the season with six wins in a row, and then beat Washington 2-1 in the championship series to win SC's second Conference Championship.
This team is hard to peg since it was the no fans Bubble year. Coming off the Covid year where SC would have been in the NCAAT if it was held, SC was unranked until early February. SC beat UCLA's F4 team twice, and after losing in round 2 of the Conference tournament, was a 6 seed in the NCAAT bubble. SC crushed Drake, Kansas and Oregon in the first three rounds of the tournament by 16, 34 and 14 points. Led by Evan Mobley, this did seem like THE season SC would get to their first Final Four in 67 year. Unfortunately in the Regional Final against Gonzaga they got boat raced at the start, and were down 19 at half. Mobley had one of the great seasons in SC history, being named conference freshman, defensive player and player of the year.
#14, 1970, Bob Boyd, 18-8
This was the second time Boyd's team finish second in conference behind National Champion UCLA. SC was preseason #16, but jumped to #6 after an opening win against #10 Colorado. Like so many other SC teams, was 12-3 at one point, but ended the season 18-8, with one of those wins being against arguably the greatest college basketball team of all time, #1 and eventual Champion UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, spoiling Lou Alcindor's senior night. Led by Sophomores Paul Westphal and Ron Riley, SC would be ranked 20th is the final AP poll.
#13- 1979, Bob Boyd, 20-9
Boyd's last year, During the season SC lost at #1 Duke, but beat #7 Kansas at home. They were 9-3 when they faced #6 UCLA at home, and lost by 3. They would finish the season on a six game win streak, 19-8, 2nd in the conference, and finally make Boyd's first NCAA tournament with an at large bid. They won their first round game against Utah State, but lost in the second round against #8 DePaul. Both games were at Pauley Pavilion, and the UCLA fans booed SC both games. They were led by super soph Cliff Robinson, who would be the 11th player picked in the draft.
#12 - 1968, Bob Boyd, 18-8
In his second season at SC, Boyd's team finished second in the Conference behind Lew Alcindor and UCLA. SC only lost 3 conference games that year, two to UCLA. Having finally started to recruit black players, SC was led by future NBA players Bill Hewitt (19 pts, 12 rbs) and Mack Calvin. Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke was so impressed that after Butch Van Breda Kloff flamed out he offered the Lakers job to Boyd, who shockingly turned it down. Boyd knew the Freshman he had coming in, and truly thought he could build a team to beat Wooden and UCLA.
#11 - 1930, Sam Barry, 15-5
Sam Barry's first year at SC, and his impact was immediate. The previous year SC finished 2-7 in conference, but under Barry they reversed that to finish 7-2 in Conference, and won the Southern Division by closing the season with six wins in a row, and then beat Washington 2-1 in the championship series to win SC's second Conference Championship.