1. Kentucky
The greatest college basketball program has it all.
Kentucky has the titles, tradition, consistent success, iconic coaches and the passionate fan base to make it No. 1 on the list of greatest programs.
And really, there shouldn’t be much debate about No. 1. The Wildcats have a lengthy tradition to match North Carolina, Kansas and Indiana. Like Duke, they’re among the perennial title contenders. And if any school comes close to dominating the hoops landscape like UCLA did, it’s Kentucky, which won four NCAA titles and an NIT trophy between 1946 and 1958.
No team won more games in the 1940s and ‘50s. The ‘Cats won the 2nd most in the ‘30s and ‘90s, were fifth winningest team in the ‘60s and ‘70s and finished among the top 10 in the ‘80s and ‘2000s. That’s eight decades either leading or being among the best programs. No other school is close.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
2. North Carolina
North Carolina’s all-time hoops roster reads like a who’s who in college basketball. Michael Jordan. Phil Ford. Walter Davis. Jerry Stackhouse. James Worthy. Bob McAdoo. Len Rosenbluth. Vince Carter.
In Dean Smith, the Tar Heels have one of the game’s coaching icons.
And that’s just for starters.
After nearly 100 years of hoops, the Heels have had just 10 losing seasons (three came in their first five seasons). They’ve won titles (NCAA, ACC, NIT, Helms), produced NBA talent and been a NCAA tournament contender every decade. They’re the only school to play in the title game in the ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s.
That lasting excellence and periods of dominance make Carolina No. 2 on the list of greatest programs.
It’s essentially a testimony to the Heels’ overall résumé. They rank among the best teams in nearly every measure of success.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
3. Kansas
If there’s a cradle of college basketball, it may be the University of Kansas.
James Naismith, the game’s inventor, coached there. As a coach, Phog Allen influenced two of the game’s winningest coaches, Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp, and was a driving force behind the NCAA tournament. Wilt Chamberlain was a Jayhawk. Few schools boast that kind of history.
Beyond the lore, Kansas is one of today’s preeminent programs. It’s one of six schools with at least 2 NCAA titles in the last 20 years, and no team has won more games since 1990. (Kansas also had its share of NCAA disappointments. More on that later.)
That tradition, mixed with consistent excellence and modern prosperity makes Kansas No. 3 on the list of greatest programs.
It begins with coaching.
Kansas has had eight coaches in 110 seasons. Only one (Naismith) sports a losing record. Three (Larry Brown, Roy Williams and Bill Self) won at least 75 percent of their games. Even Ted Owens, a coach fired because his teams failed to thrive, reached two Final Fours, won 348 games in 19 years and claimed seven conference crowns. Most schools would envy those results.
But that’s how it goes at one of the elite programs. Winning is paramount.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
4. UCLA
No school can match UCLA’s 11 NCAA tournament titles and 18 Final Fours.
The Bruins won 10 of those championships between 1964 and 1975 and established one of sports’ most celebrated dynasties when John Wooden coached legendary players like Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Sidney Wicks and Gail Goodrich.
So a simple question remains: How did the celebrated Bruins only land at No. 4 on the list of greatest college basketball programs? In a word, consistency.
UCLA’s place among the elite – college basketball’s elite of Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Indiana – was assured thanks to those titles, but it never again equaled that run under Wooden (who could?). Its basketball fortunes have been uneven ever since, to say nothing of when Wooden first started at UCLA or before him.
The Bruins haven’t suffered in the post-Wooden era. They won it all in ’95 and have been to the last three Final Fours. But that isn’t the same consistency shown by North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
5. Duke
No matter what your feelings are about the Blue Devils, it’s impossible to ignore their success in every aspect: titles, Final Fours, wins, conference championships, NBA players, etc.
It’s all a huge reason why people love to hate Duke. The Devils are the envy of just about every program. Almost.
Duke may dominate the recent results, but it’s No. 5 on the list of greatest college programs. Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA all have more consistent, longer winning traditions or have more championships. Or both.
Before Mike Krzyzewski arrived in 1980, Duke was a good basketball program. Four Final Fours, 10 regular-season conference championships and a national player of the year attest to as much.
It’s Coach K’s tenure that has elevated the Devils to an elite program, which they’re still building on. When he retires, that’s the test for Duke’s standing among the all-time programs.
Still, it’s not like the Devils are going to drop in these rankings anytime soon.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
6. Indiana
Indiana has the tradition. It has the titles. It has legendary coaches, players and a fan base few teams can match.
What the Hoosiers don’t have is a recent résumé comparable to the rest of its storied history. Just one Final Four since 1993. One Big Ten title since 1994. NCAA tournament misses in 2004 and 2005, their first since the mid-80s.
Those kind of on-court struggles – complicated by their coaching issues since 2000 – are why the Hoosiers are No. 6 on the list of greatest college basketball programs.
Not that six is low, mind you. It’s just a little strange to think of five programs being better than Indiana. But someone from Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina and UCLA was going to miss out on the top five. The Hoosiers can make up the difference, though. They certainly have a rich history to build on.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
7. Louisville
Quick: The most storied coach in your school’s history has retired and you’re trying to maintain your status among the all-time elite programs. How do you do it? By transitioning from one Hall of Fame coach to a future Hall of Famer.
That’s how they roll at Louisville, No. 7 on the list of greatest college basketball programs.
When the Cardinals made the transition from Denny Crum – he of the two NCAA tournament titles, five Final fours and nearly 700 career wins – to Rick Pitino in 2001, they’d just missed the NCAA tourney for the second time in four seasons. Heck, it was the second time in four years that they’d failed to finish above .500.
When Pitino guided Louisville to its eighth Final Four in 2005 – four years into the job – it was a sign that one of the game’s legendary schools was firmly re-established as a perennial contender. Must be nice to have that kind of coaching pedigree in Freedom Hall.
Consider what Crum, Pitino and Louisville’s first great coach, “Peck” Hickman have built.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
8. Arizona
Arizona hasn’t missed the NCAA tournament since 1984. That streak alone – the second longest in NCAA history – would necessitate inclusion among the greatest college basketball programs of all time.
But the Wildcats have done more since ’84 than just consistently win. They’ve produced some of the NCAA's most talented teams, several memorable games (the ’05 regional final against Illinois still amazes) and developed into one of college hoops' truly elite programs.
How else would they end up at No. 8 on this list?
Arizona’s won at least 25 games 12 times during that remarkable streak, a feat few teams can match. Same with their 29 weeks atop the AP rankings. Even more impressive are Arizona’s five times as a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. Only UNC, Duke, Kentucky and Kansas have more.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
9. Syracuse
Few college basketball programs can match Syracuse’s consistent excellence. Yes, the Orange have had their postseason bumps (Richmond, Vermont), but that’s true for any elite team. Everyone has an occasional NCAA tournament misstep.
And ‘Cuse more than makes up for any misstep with their overwhelming hoops résumé. That’s why they’re No. 9 on the list of greatest programs.
Since 1912, Syracuse has had just six losing seasons, and none since 1969. That’s success most teams dream of.
Syracuse has 1,725 wins, fifth most all-time. Its .684 win percentage is seventh best.
The Orange have 31 NCAA tournament berths (eighth most), been in 14 Sweet 16s (as many as Indiana), four Final Fours and a national title.
That's damn impressive.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
10. Connecticut
Once upon a time, Connecticut hoops had a nice, cozy existence as a regional powerhouse.
Between 1947 and 1967, the Huskies won 17 Yankee Conference regular-season titles and reached the NCAA tournament 11 times. Sure, they only won onethree games in the Big Dance during that time, but that didn’t prevent them from developing a rabid local fan base.
Then two things happened: UConn joined the fledgling Big East in 1979, and it hired Jim Calhoun as its head coach in 1986.
Those two signaled the change from regional powerhouse to No. 10 on the list of greatest college basketball programs.
Yes, that’s a massive jump. But there’s plenty behind it.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
11. Cincinnati
Few college basketball programs have hit Cincinnati’s highs. Multiple national titles and Final Fours, legendary players and a bevy of conference crowns make the Bearcats among the all-time elite.
They’ve hit some lows, too. Cincinnati’s endured some serious Big Dance drought and heartbreak through the years, not to mention its off-court issues.
Still, it’s impossible to overlook how good the Bearcats have been. If not for its forgettable seasons between 1978 and Bob Huggins’ arrival in 1989, Cincinnati likely would’ve been higher than No. 11 on the list of the greatest college basketball programs. (Having Sandy Koufax as a hoops recruit doesn’t hurt the school’s lore, either.)
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
12. Utah
Nearly every team on this top 25 list of the greatest college basketball programs comes from a BCS conference: The Big Ten, ACC, Big East, Big 12, SEC or Pac-10. Those schools usually receive more media exposure, tend to draw highly touted prospects and feature plenty of big-name coaches.
So what to make of the schools on the list that aren’t from a BCS conference?
What to make of Utah, which lands at No. 12 on this list?
Simply put, the Utes have been one college basketball’s most consistent and most impressive winners since the 1920s. (Click here for an impressive run of video highlights and here for an impressive list of players on the school’s all-century team.)
Compare the Utes’ 1,613 victories and .6554 win percentage to a school like Indiana, one of the NCAA’s legendary powerhouses. The Hoosiers have just 22 more victories, won at a .6493 clip.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
13. Villanova
Any mention of Villanova basketball always circles back to the 1985 national champions. It just can’t be helped.
That Wildcats team pulled off one of college hoops’ most memorable upsets, beating defending national champion Georgetown, a squad analysts had been trying to place among the all-time greats. The ‘Cats made 90 percent of their field-goal attempts in the second half, and shot nearly 80 percent for the game, a remarkable feat on the national stage.
It could go on and on (in fact, more later). But that’s the point. Villanova has more hoops lore than just than ’85 team.
The ‘Cats are another example of sustained excellence (they’re one of two programs to play in the Big Dance in each decade) and recent success to pair with a strong tradition. Add it up, and Villanova is No. 13 on the list of the greatest college basketball programs.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
14. Illinois
No team on the list of the 25 greatest college basketball programs is underrated. They’ve all been considered an elite team or been consistently good throughout the years.
But some simply get more attention than the others. And some can get outright overlooked.
Which brings us to No. 14 on this list, Illinois.
The Illini are ranked the highest of six teams in this top 25 without an NCAA tournament title (they also have the most Final Four berths among schools without a crown). Also, they stunk last season, which never helps in this age of short-term memory.
Still, this list is recognition of college hoops history that acknowledges success in several areas, not just winning it all. And that sums up the Illini perfectly.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
15. Michigan State
Gotta love the names from Michigan State hoops. Magic and Mateen. Jud and Izzo. Smooth Steve Smith. Shootin’ Shawn Respert. The Izzone.
There was plenty of game behind those names, making it easy to place the Spartans at No. 15 on the list of the greatest college basketball programs.
MSU’s been to six Final Fours (more than Georgetown), has won 67 percent of its NCAA tournament games (better than Indiana), has logged 22 appearances in the Big Dance, has 10 regular-season conference titles to go with 1,418 wins, more than its fair share of great NBA players and hasn’t missed an NCAA tourney since 1997.
And probably most memorable, they’ve cut down the nets twice in the NCAAs – the first of which vaulted the NCAA tournament into must-see TV.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
16. Georgetown
John Thompson Jr. built Georgetown into one of the nation’s elite basketball programs.
His son, John III, is ensuring the Hoyas stay that way. That father-son combination places Georgetown at No. 16 on the list of the greatest college basketball programs.
Sure, the Hoyas have been hoopin’ for 100 years, with the occasional standout season (13-1 in 1919-‘20 or 12-1 in ’27-’28, or most impressively 22-5 and NCAA tournament runner-up in ’42-‘43), but it wasn’t until Thompson arrived in the ‘70s that the school became a hoops haven.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
17. Arkansas
Between “The Triplets” and “40 Minutes of Hell,” Arkansas was a no-brainer for the greatest college basketball programs of all time.
The Razorbacks, behind their six Final Four appearances, 1,473 wins, 26 regular-season conference titles, 29 NCAA tournament berths and a host of NBA players produced, ended up No. 17 on this list.
They don’t excel in any one area, but they don’t lag behind anyone either, which is the main reason the Hogs are in the top 20. If not for the dropoff in the last 10 years, they’d be higher.
Still, when it comes to college basketball, Arkansas has two things going for it that few other schools have:
A true shining moment from the Big Dance in Scotty Thurman’s rainbow 3-pointer over Duke’s Tony Lang that sealed the school’s lone NCAA title.
A jaw-dropping Sports Illustrated cover of a ready-to-throw-down-a-rim-rattling-dunk Sidney Moncreif that helped introduce Arkansas hoops to the rest of the world.
The rest of the college basketball world should be so lucky.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
18. Ohio State
The handful of football schools on the list of greatest college basketball programs ends with No. 18, Ohio State.
Well, the last of this list’s traditional football powerhouses concludes with Ohio State. There are still a couple of teams left that could be considered football schools, but the Buckeyes are a clear-cut football school – with a great basketball legacy.
It’s funny, too. At one time, basketball could’ve been considered THE sport for THE Ohio State University. That’s what happens when a school has Final Four runs like the Buckeyes.
They made three straight Final Fours twice (from ’44-’46 and ’60-62) and reached the NCAA tournament’s first title game in 1939. Add Final Fours in ’68, ’99 and 2007, and only UCLA, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky and Kansas have played in the Big Dance’s semifinals more than OSU’s 10 appearances.
Ohio State also scores thanks to 19 conference titles, 24 NCAA tourney appearances, 10 consensus first-team All-Americans, nearly 40 players sent to the NBA and a strong showing in the NIT, boosted by their 2008 title.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
19. St. John's
This ranking of the greatest college basketball programs was incredibly tight. By assigning a numerical value to how schools compare in several categories (NCAA tournament success, number of wins, tournament titles, NBA players produced, among others), it came down to the slimmest of margins.
This is important because No. 19, St. John’s, starts off a run of nine programs separated by essentially a great season or two. Perhaps a Final Four berth or a conference crown combined with another team’s sub-par season would vault one school ahead of another.
And that’s what St. John’s has been missing for some time – some semblance of hoops success. It’s been to just five NCAA tournaments since Lou Carnesecca retired after the 1992 season and has missed the last six. NCAA penalties for rules violations haven’t helped, either.
That’s a rough run for one of college hoops’ traditional powers.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
20. UNLV
Some college basketball programs are synonymous with one name. When it comes to UNLV hoops, that name’s Jerry Tarkanian. Even fewer names invoke a bigger love-hate relationship than Tark the Shark’s.
Yet there’s one unassailable fact when it comes to Tarkanian and hoops – the man won games at ridiculous rate.
And that reason makes UNLV is No. 20 among the greatest college basketball programs.
After all, unlike most of the schools on this list, the Runnin’ Rebels haven’t been playing hoops since before World War I. Their first season was 5-13 campaign in the 1958-59 season when the school was still Nevada Southern University (or “Tumbleweed Tech” depending on whom you asked). Yet the school didn’t have another losing season until 1995.
So when a coach like Tarkanian spends 19 seasons in Vegas, wins 509 of 614 games (an .829 win percentage, better than Adolph Rupp), reaches four Final Fours and claims an NCAA title in 1990, it vaults a school without an excessively rich hoops history into the ranks of the elite.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
21. Texas
When it comes to football schools as hoops contenders, few can match what Rick Barnes has done with Texas. Behind a host of NBA lottery picks, UT has truly become one of college sports’ dual threats on the hardwood and the gridiron.
But it took more than just Barnes’ recent success to establish the Longhorns as No. 21 among the greatest college basketball programs.
The Horns have more wins (1,563) than hoops schools like Louisville and Cincinnati and have won at a higher rate (.626) than N.C. State and Marquette. They’ve logged 26 NCAA tournament appearances and 25 regular-season conference titles, both just behind Arkansas, the ‘Horns’ longtime nemesis in the SWC.
In fact, given Texas’ recent success (228 wins since 2000, 6th best among D-I schools) and Barnes’ propensity to recruit NBA lottery-type talent, it seems like just a matter of time before it accomplishes the one thing that’s eluded it thus far: winning an NCAA crown.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
22. Notre Dame
One win doesn't propel a team into the ranks of the greatest college basketball programs.
But it's a good place to start.
Notre Dame's win against undefeated and seemingly unbeatable UCLA in 1974 ranks among the game's all-time great stories. After all, the Irish not only ended the Bruins' 88-game win streak -- the best in NCAA history by a wide margin -- they were also the previous team UCLA had lost to, back in 1971. For nearly three seasons, the Bruins had been perfect behind Bill Walton & Co. until a trip to South Bend.
"This is the greatest thing that could happen for collegiate basketball," said then coach Digger Phelps.
A slight overstatement, but cut Phelps a small break. Who wouldn't be excited?
Still, the Irish didn't land at No. 22 in our list of the greatest programs because of a few big wins. They sport an impressive résumé when it comes to wins (1,630, five fewer than Indiana), win percentage (.6461, better than Arizona), NCAA tournament berths (29, more than UConn), consensus first-team All-Americans, NBA players produced and NIT performance.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
23. Temple
Temple has all the makings of an elite hoops program.
One of Philadelphia’s legendary “Big Five,” the Owls have 26 NCAA tournament appearances, 16 conferences titles, claimed the first NIT trophy and produced their share of NBA players.
The most impressive number though? Temple’s 1,689 victories, sixth most among D-I schools. Yes, the program’s been around since 1895 (longer than any other school, though two seasons without a varsity team prevents the Owls from having the most overall seasons), but it’s won 64 percent of those games – the same percentage as Indiana and Arizona.
That kind of prolonged success is a big reason behind Temple’s position at No. 23 in the greatest college basketball programs of all time.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
24. Oklahoma
A handful of football schools made the list of the greatest basketball programs of all time. Couldn’t be helped. Even football schools produce good hoops teams, though it seems like more and more are emerging.
And at No. 24, the Oklahoma Sooners are the first football school on this list.
It may seem strange that Oklahoma landed one spot ahead of N.C. State, one of the game’s historic powers, but give the Sooners their due. They’re worthy.
They score thanks to four Final Four appearances, 15 regular-season conference crowns and plenty of recent success. Oklahoma has 1,469 wins, 30th most among D-I schools, right behind Villanova and more than schools like Connecticut, Oklahoma State and St. Joe’s all of whom are basketball schools. If not for struggling in the 50s and 60s when only football mattered in Norman, the Sooners might be higher on this list.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
25. N.C. State
N.C. State doesn’t lack for hoops history.
The Pack has multiple NCAA Tournament titles, more than 1,500 wins and their 36-game winning streak is among the best in NCAA history.
Prefer your history by years? Only Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky squads had a higher win percentage in the 1950s, the 1973-74 squad could be considered the greatest ever, while Jimmy V’s 1983 team pulled off perhaps the biggest upset the Big Dance has ever seen.
The topper? N.C. State started the tradition of cutting down the nets after winning a title.
In fact, if not for playing in the same conference with North Carolina and Duke, N.C. might rank higher than No. 25 on the list of the greatest college basketball programs.
To read the rest of the original entry and comment, click here.
Best of the rest
26. Marquette. Been to Big Dance often, but could use some conference crowns.
27. Oklahoma State. Two NCAA titles, but Cowboys have been up and down lately.
28. Purdue. Somehow didn’t mention Boilermakers in initial post. An oversight. Two Final Fours and no NCAA titles kept them from top 25.
29. Michigan. Another early omission. Wolverines’ NCAA penalties cost them more than 100 wins and two Final Fours. Otherwise, top 20 program.
30. Western Kentucky. Lots of conference crowns (26) and 7th in win percentage.
31. Memphis. As long as Calipari sticks around, Tigers will keep climbing.
32. Maryland. Good in NCAA tourney (4 Final Fours, better win percentage than Louisville).
33. Wisconsin. An NCAA title and haven’t missed Big Dance since ’98, 6th best current streak.
34. Florida. This is what happens when you win back-to-back titles.
35. West Virginia. Lots of wins.
36. Penn. Quakers have wins (8th) and conference crowns (3rd most).
37. BYU. Excellent in every but Big Dance.
38. Princeton. Just like Penn, but without the Final Four.
39. St. Joe’s. Fourth school from Big Five. Bravo, Philly.
40. Stanford. If Montgomery had stayed, Cardinal may have been in top 25.
41. Bradley. Once proud power has been to two Final Fours.
42. Kansas State. Four Final Fours make up for pitiful ‘90s and 2000s.
43. Iowa. Hawkeyes have wins, and 3 Final Fours.
44. Wake Forest. Could be big year in Winston-Salem.
45. California. Not much since Bears won NCAA title in ’59.
46. Xavier. Musketeers rising behind recent tourney success.
47. LSU. Four Final Fours and plenty of NBA players.
48. Missouri. Norm Stewart built a hoops school, but it didn’t last.
49. San Francisco. Two NCAA titles won’t keep Russell’s alma mater in top 50 much longer.
50. Houston. Cougars have five Final Fours.
