In the past century, seven teams have gone undefeated and won the NCAA title in the same season. The first to do it was San Francisco (29-0) in 1956. North Carolina accomplished the feat the next year. Four of John Wooden’s national championship teams had a perfect record — 1964 (30-0), 1967 (30-0), 1972 (30-0), and 1973 (30-0). In 1976, the Indiana Hoosiers (32-0) became the seventh team to win a NCAA title with an undefeated record.

While their achievement was considered remarkable, nobody realized the ’76 Hoosiers would be the last team to have a perfect record. In fact, since Indiana won the NCAA title in 1976, all of the other national champions have had at least two losses thru the 2007 college season.

Memphis coach John Calipari wanted to challenge his team with a tough non-conference schedule this season. It wasn’t tough enough to derail the Tigers.

Robert Dozier had 18 points, Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 17 and second-ranked Memphis beat No. 17 Arizona 76-63 on Saturday night, the third time the Tigers have knocked off a ranked opponent this season.

“It wasn’t easy,” Douglas-Roberts said. “None of these games have been. We’ve been playing the best teams in the nation. Any one of them we could see in the Final Four. To be able to beat them, we feel like we can beat anyone.”

Shawn Taggart added 15 points and seven rebounds to help the Tigers (11-0) match the second best start in school history, dating to the 1982-83 season.

Despite one of the nation’s toughest schedules, Memphis still doesn’t have a blemish. 

Calipari scheduled tougher opponents this season to help offset the Conference USA schedule his Tigers begin playing in January.

Memphis has rolled through the thick of its daunting non-conference schedule this season much like it has through C-USA in years past: untouched.

The Tigers already have defeated Georgetown, Southern California, Oklahoma, Connecticut and Cincinnati.

The strong schedule should not only make the Tigers better come March, it may bolster their bid for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

They still host Gonzaga on Jan. 26, and in-state rival Tennessee on Feb. 23. The Tigers went 16-0 against C-USA opponents last season.

If the Tigers can get past Gonzaga and Tennessee they have a good chance of entering the NCAA tournament with a 34-0 record.

Memphis is looking to match the New England Patriots this year. One thing they definitely have in common is that they both play in a weak division/conference.

While the Patriots were mopping up on the likes of Buffalo, NY Jets, and Miami on a way to an unblemished season, the Tigers will be mowing down C-USA opponents like Ricky Williams was smoking grass in Jamaica a couple of years ago – one after another.

The Tigers are the only legit tournament team in C-USA. Memphis was ranked number 2 behind Arizona in the latest CBSsports.com RPI ratings. The Tigers should move to number 1 next week and remain their the rest of the season.

The Tigers opponents ratings in C-USA, bases on the top 341 teams in Division 1 men’s basketball, are as follows: Tulane (51), UAB (80), Houston (89), UTEP (109), Tulsa (121), Southern Miss (160), UCF (161), East Carolina (199), Marshall (249), Rice (270), and SMU (214).

Memphis has reached the elite eight the last two season only to be turned away from the final four by UCLA and Ohio State respectively.

Calipari is using those two losses as motivation for the Tigers to take the next step and make the Final four this year in the AlamoDome in San Antonio. Once their the head coach of the Tigers should be able to motivate the most young, talented team to a pair of victories. 

Memphis and Calipari will be cutting the nets down in April as the first undefeated national champion since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers. 

Even if Memphis trips up along the way in the regular season, they have nothing to worry about. Since 2000, no national champion has finished with fewer than four losses: 2001 Duke (35-4), 2002 Maryland (32-4), and 2005 North Carolina (33-4).

Once again Hookscenter gives it to you first: Memphis finishes 40-0 and wins the school’s first national championship.