OT: The 10 greatest college basketball programs all-time

[saturdaysarebetter]

I "only" go back to the late '60s and am unfamiliar with the great Philadelphia college programs' success prior to that.

I'm interested in seeing which basketball programs overcome personal bias to make your top 10 and those that make it by consensus.

Here are 11 that merit consideration since the late '60s (in alphabetical order):
Duke
Georgetown
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisville
Michigan State
North Carolina
Syracuse
UCLA
Villanova

Which schools are in your all-time top 10?

 

[VicVaselino]

I "only" go back to the late '60s and am unfamiliar with the great Philadelphia college programs' success prior to that.

I'm interested in seeing which basketball programs overcome personal bias to make your top 10 and those that make it by consensus.

Here are 11 that merit consideration since the late '60s (in alphabetical order):
Duke
Georgetown
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisville
Michigan State
North Carolina
Syracuse
UCLA
Villanova

Which schools are in your all-time top 10?

Syracuse blows. Screw 'em.

 

[PSU12046]

Syracuse blows. Screw 'em.

Wait! What???

 

[Nits74]

UCLA is #1 in my book. (I'm including the early 60's also). Hard to argue with any school on your list. Perhaps Arizona instead of Syracuse, though.

 

[Shadow99]

I "only" go back to the late '60s and am unfamiliar with the great Philadelphia college programs' success prior to that.

I'm interested in seeing which basketball programs overcome personal bias to make your top 10 and those that make it by consensus.

Here are 11 that merit consideration since the late '60s (in alphabetical order):
Duke
Georgetown
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisville
Michigan State
North Carolina
Syracuse
UCLA
Villanova

Which schools are in your all-time top 10?

North Carolina
Full disclosure UNC has been my favorite basketball team since childhood...

but fwiw I know one of our late great brethren from this site would be in agreement! ......

 

[IrishHerb]

UCLA is #1 in my book. (I'm including the early 60's also). Hard to argue with any school on your list. Perhaps Arizona instead of Syracuse, though.

Especially the John Wooden coached UCLA teams.

 

[SLion_on3]

I "only" go back to the late '60s and am unfamiliar with the great Philadelphia college programs' success prior to that.

I'm interested in seeing which basketball programs overcome personal bias to make your top 10 and those that make it by consensus.

Here are 11 that merit consideration since the late '60s (in alphabetical order):
Duke
Georgetown
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisville
Michigan State
North Carolina
Syracuse
UCLA
Villanova

Which schools are in your all-time top 10?

How quickly people forget that UCONN has 4 NCs in 15 years. No other school on list can say that.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

I’d probably eliminate Georgetown if we were talking Top Ten.

 

[LionJim]

I’d probably eliminate Georgetown if we were talking Top Ten.

Likewise. My Hoyas came very close to three championships in four years but only one cigar. UConn and Villanova deserve to be ranked higher.

 

[BobPSU92]

Penn State under DeChellis. Won the NIT.

 

[psupride1997]

UNLV without a doubt - remember cheating was only bad when they did it, for some reason! When Kansas (Larry Brown) and UCLA (booster Ed Warren) did it, nothing to see here!

 

[lemonears]

The Wooden UCLA teams are at the top. Everyone else is far below.

 

[manatree]

UConn has to be in the top ten list.

 

[Woodpecker]

No other school on list can say that.

Except for UCLA who won 9 in 10 years.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Interesting how UCLA has not won a National Championship in 27 years (1995) and only that one in 47 years.

All of Woden’s championships were 4 game tournament wins unlike today’s 6 game tournament victors.

 

[OuiRPSU]

Penn State under DeChellis. Won the NIT.

Don't forget that the Nittany Lions also beat the Tar Heels in the tournament in 2001:

 

[Daveb9127]

Interesting how UCLA has not won a National Championship in 27 years (1995) and only that one in 47 years.

All of Woden’s championships were 4 game tournament wins unlike today’s 6 game tournament victors.

They still would've won them, they were that dominant !

 

[PrtLng Lion]

UNLV had one of the best teams I've ever seen, but I guess I wouldn't place them within the elite "programs" overall.

I could see UConn making the list over Cuse. Otherwise, hard for me to argue with the OP's list.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

They still would've won them, they were that dominant !

They were dominant, no question, but always playing their first two of their four tournament games only against teams from the Western Region certainly gave them a tremendous advantage.

 

[bbb2021]

Especially the John Wooden coached UCLA teams.

Considering how hard it is to win a NC in college basketball, the Wooden-Alcindor-Walton run was probably the greatest dynasty in college sports history

 

[Bison13]

I know they dont have national championships and have not been good for a while but Temple is 5th all time in wins. ND is 8th and St Johns 9th. Western Kentucky is 16th but has the 8th highest win % of all time. (.660)

Going by win % its:

Kentucky .762
UNC 735
Kansas 729
DUke 711
Ucla 689
cuse 673
AZ 660
W Kent 660
nova 659
murray state 650

 

[manatree]

I'd put UConn ahead of Syracuse, Georgetown & Indiana.

 

[MrTailgate]

They were dominant, no question, but always playing their first two of their four tournament games only against teams from the Western Region certainly gave them a tremendous advantage.

Not to mention that their teams featured a lot of all time great players.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Saw the National Championship Finals in 1971 in the Astrodome.

UCLA beat 27-1 KU by 8 in the semis, Howard Porter and Villanova by 6 in the finals.

UCLA had Wickes, Rowe, Patterson and Bibby that year…..not sure if they had a fifth player or not.

Strange watching the game with seats on the floor, looking up at a raised / elevated playing surface!

 

[LionJim]

Saw the National Championship Finals in 1971 in the Astrodome.

UCLA beat 27-1 KU by 8 in the semis, Howard Porter and Villanova by 6 in the finals.

UCLA had Wickes, Rowe, Patterson and Bibby that year…..not sure if they had a fifth player or not.

Strange watching the game with seats on the floor, looking up at a raised / elevated playing surface!

John Valleley was the fifth starter, going by memory.

 

[bbb2021]

Saw the National Championship Finals in 1971 in the Astrodome.

UCLA beat 27-1 KU by 8 in the semis, Howard Porter and Villanova by 6 in the finals.

UCLA had Wickes, Rowe, Patterson and Bibby that year…..not sure if they had a fifth player or not.

Strange watching the game with seats on the floor, looking up at a raised / elevated playing surface!

Didn't need one

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Saw the National Championship Finals in 1971 in the Astrodome.

UCLA beat 27-1 KU by 8 in the semis, Howard Porter and Villanova by 6 in the finals.

UCLA had Wickes, Rowe, Patterson and Bibby that year…..not sure if they had a fifth player or not.

Strange watching the game with seats on the floor, looking up at a raised / elevated playing surface!

Wow! What a trip! I've only been to one Final Four - Rupp Arena in 1985. That worked out all right. Been to two Regionals, North Carolina beat Temple at Brendan Byrne Arena and PSU - Temple in Atlanta.

Been to New York countless times for the Big East Tournament.

Postseason basketball is unbelievable. Anybody ever gets a chance to go - don't hesitate.

 

[bbb2021]

I "only" go back to the late '60s and am unfamiliar with the great Philadelphia college programs' success prior to that.

I'm interested in seeing which basketball programs overcome personal bias to make your top 10 and those that make it by consensus.

Here are 11 that merit consideration since the late '60s (in alphabetical order):
Duke
Georgetown
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisville
Michigan State
North Carolina
Syracuse
UCLA
Villanova

Which schools are in your all-time top 10?

Solid list. I kind of put Indiana in the same category as Nebraska football - great a few decades ago, but now?

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Drove four frat brothers from Lawrence to Oklahoma City Wed eve, then to Houston for Thurs evening’s semis.

Fri visited the USS Texas, a battleship that served in both WW1 and WW2. (The battleship just was towed into a dry dock in the last week or two for repairs, it’s been falling apart and leaking!) Then down to Galveston for the beach and beer and all the shrimp you could eat.

Sat afternoon back to the ‘Dome for the consolation game and the final. Everyone except for a few (very few) UCLA fans were pulling for ‘Nova.

Sun was the depressingly long 750+ mile drive back to Lawrence…..in a crowded 1968 Ford Falcon. I don’t recall but I suspect I didn’t go to any classes that Mon.

 

[WyomingLion]

North Carolina
Full disclosure UNC has been my favorite basketball team since childhood...

but fwiw I know one of our late great brethren from this site would be in agreement! ......

I am sure that the “Glove” would have had a comment on this.

 

[BobPSU92]

Don't forget that the Nittany Lions also beat the Tar Heels in the tournament in 2001:

We are a basketball school.

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

I am sure that the “Glove” would have had a comment on this.

God rest theGlov.

 

[EPC FAN]

Interesting how UCLA has not won a National Championship in 27 years (1995) and only that one in 47 years.

All of Woden’s championships were 4 game tournament wins unlike today’s 6 game tournament victors.

Yeah! How would John have figured out those two extra games?

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

We are a basketball school.

I know you're making a funny, but that year we started off blasting Providence College in the opening round, then against North Carolina it was a tight game in the second half, all of a sudden we hit the gas. Watkins splashed a long three-ball to give us a little daylight and we held on for the win.

My brother has the framed front page from the CDT hanging up in his man cave - Titus Ivory jumping into a teammate's arms with the headline - ROARIN' IN NEW ORLEANS.

Next week he and I went to Atlanta, which was the worst, most unenjoyable sports trip I ever made in my life.

 

[leinbacker]

Penn State under DeChellis. Won the NIT.

and you can’t spell Nittany without NIT

 

[wile e coyote]

Never forget THE GOAT

 

[Jason1743]

How quickly people forget that UCONN has 4 NCs in 15 years. No other school on list can say that.

Yes, UCONN had a dominant 15 years. But, UCLA had 10 championships in 12 years including 7 in a row. Difficult to envision any team ever being that dominant again.

 

[OuiRPSU]

I know you're making a funny, but that year we started off blasting Providence College in the opening round, then against North Carolina it was a tight game in the second half, all of a sudden we hit the gas. Watkins splashed a long three-ball to give us a little daylight and we held on for the win.

My brother has the framed front page from the CDT hanging up in his man cave - Titus Ivory jumping into a teammate's arms with the headline - ROARIN' IN NEW ORLEANS.

Next week he and I went to Atlanta, which was the worst, most unenjoyable sports trip I ever made in my life.

My kids were in school in Chapel Hill and I was working at Duke back then, so I grabbed a few copies of the Daily Tar Heel when I dropped them off and posted the front page on my office door. More people commented on it than anything else I ever put up. Ever. What a fun time to be living in the Triangle!

P.S. That’s Julius Peppers walking off dejectedly behind Coach what’s his name.

P.P.S. Check out the quote at the bottom of the page.

 

[IrishHerb]

Considering how hard it is to win a NC in college basketball, the Wooden-Alcindor-Walton run was probably the greatest dynasty in college sports history

I'm a football guy first ... know basketball but haven't played beyond my high school years (and my claim to fame is fouling out in the first quarter ... yes I lasted less than 8 minutes!). But during my college days, I had the opportunity to watch a UCLA practice session ... and boy did I come away impressed. Wooden knew how to put the pressure on the guys even during practices ... no wonder during that run of NCAA championships, his guys played so well "under pressure" ... it was because they went through worse in practice.

 

[flash86]

How quickly people forget that UCONN has 4 NCs in 15 years. No other school on list can say that.

Paging John Wooden . . .