UCLA 1972 — the only back-to-back undefeated team in college basketball history — improved to 8–0 against the greatest Value Add Basketball Game teams of all time and will now face the last remaining undefeated team, Indiana 1976, for our all-time title.
Duke 2001 was a worthy All-Time Final Four opponent. Our recent advanced calculations of the top 50 teams of all time show that Shane Battier is one of only three players to lead two top-10 all-time teams (along with Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Battier’s two free throws with five minutes remaining created an extra possession while pulling Duke within 64–59. Battier scored again with 1:30 to play to cut the lead to 69–63, but Duke could get no closer as UCLA pulled away for a 74–65 win to advance to the all-time championship.
In the end, Bill Walton’s nine blocked shots gave UCLA a decisive edge in the paint. UCLA finished with 28 two-point baskets compared to Duke’s 21, which proved to be the difference in the game. Walton led all scorers with 20 points. In nearly every other phase, Duke played UCLA even. Duke held a slight 5–4 edge in three-pointers, made two more free throws (8–9 shooting), and used strong team rebounding to match UCLA 32–32 on the boards. Both teams committed 16 fouls, and both rosters featured five future NBA players.
The 1972 UCLA team improves to 8–0 and is now one game away from winning back-to-back titles, having won our original tournament of the first 96 teams created in the Value Add Basketball Game. They are now on the verge of winning the tournament to determine the best team among all 300 teams created to date, five years later.
The 2001 Duke team falls to 5–2 against elite competition, with their only other loss coming in an upset against Paul Pierce’s 1997 Kansas team, alongside five wins over other all-time great teams.
The 1976 Indiana team, which will face UCLA in the all-time title game, features the best defense of any team in our game. Indiana is 6–1, allowing just 54 points per game against the greatest teams in history, with their only loss coming in a 70–68 stunner against Draymond Green’s Michigan State team in the original 96-team tournament.
While Kareem’s UCLA team still ranks as having the best individual cards in the game, these are the top two teams based on the results of hundreds of Value Add Basketball Games played to date, making this a true No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup — with no Cinderella story involved.
| Pos | Duke 2001 | Pts | 3pt | 2pt | FT | Att | Reb | Stl | Blk | Fl | NBA?,Season Stats, Ht |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-PG | Jay Williams | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | nba,21.6 Pts, 3.3 reb,6'2 |
| 2-SG | Nate James | 19 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12.3 Pts, 5.2 reb,6'6 |
| 3-SG | Shane Battier | 8 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | nba,19.9 Pts, 7.3 reb,6'8 |
| 4-PF | Mike Dunleavy | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 3 | nba,12.6 Pts, 5.7 reb,6'9 |
| 5-C | Carlos Boozer | 10 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | nba,13.3 Pts, 6.5 reb,6'9 |
| Pos | Bench | Pts | 3pt | 2pt | FT | Att | Reb | Stl | Blk | Fl | NBA?,Season Stats, Ht |
| 1-PG | Chris Duhon | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | nba,7.2 Pts, 3.2 reb,6'1 |
| 2-SG | Matt Christensen | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.6 Pts, 2.3 reb,6'10 |
| 3-SG | Nick Horvath | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.8 Pts, 2.3 reb,6'10 |
| 4-PF | Casey Sanders | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.5 Pts, 1.8 reb,6'11 |
| 5-C | Andre Sweet | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.1 Pts, 2.6 reb,6'6 |
| 15 Turnovers | 65 | 5 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 32 | 4 | 8 | 16 | ||
| Pos | UCLA 1972 | Pts | 3pt | 2pt | FT | Att | Reb | Stl | Blk | Fl | NBA?,Season Stats, Ht |
| 1-PG | Greg Lee | 9 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | nba,8.7 Pts, 2.0 Reb,6'4 |
| 2-SG | Henry Bibby | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | nba,15.7 Pts, 3.5 Reb,6'1 |
| 3-SG | Larry Farmer | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10.7 Pts, 5.5 Reb,6'5 |
| 4-PF | Jamaal Wilkes | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | nba,13.5 Pts, 8.2 Reb,6'6 |
| 5-C | Bill Walton | 20 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 2 | nba,21.1 Pts, 15.5 Reb,6'11 |
| Pos | Bench | Pts | 3pt | 2pt | FT | Att | Reb | Stl | Blk | Fl | NBA?,Season Stats, Ht |
| 1-PG | Andy Hill | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2.7 Pts, 0.8 Reb,6'0 |
| 2-SG | Jon Chapman | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.6 Pts, 1.6 Reb,6'5 |
| 3-SG | Tommy Curtis | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.1 Pts, 2.1 Reb,5'11 |
| 4-PF | Larry Hollyfield | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7.3 Pts, 3.3 Reb,6'4 |
| 5-C | Swen Nater | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | nba,6.7 Pts, 4.8 Reb,6'11 |
| 14 Turnovers | 74 | 4 | 28 | 6 | 10 | 32 | 8 | 10 | 16 |
