Record: 24-8

Coach: Bill Henderson

Best players: F Jack Robinson, G Don Heathington.

During the regular season: After a pedestrian 7-4 start, the Bears caught fire and cruised to their third SWC championship. They won 12 of their last 13 regular season games in a run marred only by a 32-28 loss at Texas in their next-to-last game before the tournament.

NCAA history: The Bears beat Washington and then Kansas State in the national semifinals to advance to the national championship game at New York City. Kentucky’s “Fabulous Five,” coached by legendary Hall of Famer Adolph Rupp, cruised to a 58-42 victory in the final. Baylor had no starter taller than 6-3 and struggled against 6-9 Kentucky center Alex Groza. Bill Johnson led Baylor with 10 points in the title game.

What makes them special: Robinson, a two-time All-American who earned a gold medal at the 1948 Olympics and was an ordained minister, and three-time All-SWC player Heathington were two of the greatest players in Baylor history. Henderson, who inherited a team that was 0-17 in 1944-45, won three SWC titles in the next six seasons and made Final Four trips in 1948 and 1950.

Record: 27-7

Coach: Don Haskins

Best players: F Marlon Maxey (15.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg), C David Van Dyke (13.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg), G Prince Stewart (11.7 ppg).

During the regular season: The Miners utilized a 10-game winning streak that helped pushed them to No. 19 nationally in late January. They lost four of six in February, forcing them to finish second in the Western Athletic Conference. But they set the stage for their tournament run with seven straight victories before losing to BYU in the WAC final.

NCAA history: The Miners notched two tournament upsets as they beat Evansville and No. 1 ranked Kansas behind a three-guard lineup keyed by 18 points from Johnny Melvin. They were eliminated in a 69-67 loss to Cincinnati in the Sweet 16.

What makes them special: The Miners were the last great team coached by Haskins, who showed his Hall of Fame coaching acumen by directing this undersized team with a backcourt-heavy, defensive-oriented squad. They were the last UTEP team to win an NCAA tournament game and Haskins’ fourth team to make the Sweet 16.