Greatest hoops programs
My ranking of the best college basketball schools
Here’s a question: What has more than 1,000 pages and is guaranteed to both infuriate and delight readers?
OK, as a guy who took part in “Infinite Summer,” I realize there’s probably more than one answer to that question. But this is a college hoops blog. The correct answer is “ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men’s Game.”
That’s right, “Complete History.” In other words, the book that can sit on your coffee table for the next 20 years and you’ll always have something to read. And, thanks to the rankings in the back of the book, fans can argue for the next 20 years as well.
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It feels like I’m a student again, sitting down to write a “How I spent my summer” essay.
The last 26 weeks of ranking the greatest college basketball programs was a fun, enriching and, at times, difficult experience that was one of the best ways to spend the summer doldrums of college hoops.
It certainly beats reading the endless glut of campaign stories…
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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.
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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.
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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.
That tradition, mixed with consistent excellence and modern prosperity makes Kansas No. 3 on the list of greatest programs.
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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?
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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 comes in at No. 5 on the list of greatest college programs.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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