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50 Greatest Programs of All-Time (Updated Through 2021)

And I will update these tables. The metric I've been debating with the longest is how to quantify conference championships. This is what I think makes the most sense. And I realize the RPI is flawed, but it at least evaluates all of the D1 schools and doesn't stop at just 25 schools.


1939-1948: Collective Winning Percentage of a Conference
5 points- conference champ of a league in the top-third in the country in winning percentage
4 points-conference champ of a league in the middle-third in the country in winning percentage
3 points- conference champ of a league in the bottom-third in the country in winning percentage

1949-1980: AP Poll began in the 48-49 season.
5 points- Win the conference title, ranked, and 3 other schools in the conference are ranked
4 points- Conference title, ranked, and 1 other school in the conference is ranked
3 points- All other conference championships

1980-2001: RPI
5 points- Conference title, top 25 in the RPI, plus 3 other schools in the conference are in the top 25
4 points- Conference title, top 25 in the RPI, plus 3 other schools in the conference are in the top 50
3 points- All other conference champions

2002-Present: KenPom
-Same criteria as the RPI, but simply using the KenPom numbers.
Hey, whatever you think helps make Iowa #1, I'm all for it! :D
 
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The Field of 68 is following me on Twitter. Obviously trying to steal my ideas.
You're on Twitter?
 
Beingthat its super evident that MULTIPLE teams were paying players wayyyyyy before NIL i move we reinstate the 2ff, 1 natty, and how many ever wins back to Louisville 🤣 lost it all for 3k and now players are literally making millions less than 10 years later. Not to mention all the players being paid during that time frame, lookin at you as the poster child AD
 
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Beingthat its super evident that MULTIPLE teams were paying players wayyyyyy before NIL i move we reinstate the 2ff, 1 natty, and how many ever wins back to Louisville 🤣 lost it all for 3k and now players are literally making millions less than 10 years later. Not to mention all the players being paid during that time frame, lookin at you as the poster child AD

I don't remove vacated final fours/titles from my spreadsheet. If they played in those games, it counts in my book. Not a big fan of a revisionist history. Heck, I actually have Louisville slightly ahead of Indiana. Table is updated through 2021.

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Devilz is putting off the update because he knows that Duke’s about to drop a spot. 😆

Hah I like that.

It's a combination of a few things. I'm finding myself busier than usual at work/home. And as far as compiling basketball stats, the only thing I'm working on right now is my transfer database. I'm going to release my top 150 transfers/top 25 recruiting classes soon.
 
Hah I like that.

It's a combination of a few things. I'm finding myself busier than usual at work/home. And as far as compiling basketball stats, the only thing I'm working on right now is my transfer database. I'm going to release my top 150 transfers/top 25 recruiting classes soon.
Work, boy, work.

You root for the wrong school, but I love your posts. You deal with facts. That is a tough world in which to live, but I respect every little bit of it.
 
-UNC could very easily pass UCLA for 2nd all-time next season; they're only 7 points behind.

-The top 22 schools have all won at least 1 national title.

-Baylor is ranked 53rd. They had a lot of negative points. 37 losing seasons (2nd worst among top 75 programs), and 13 seasons that were below .300 win percentage (worst of the top 75 programs).

Best Marks
Most NCAA Tournament Appearances: Kentucky, 60
Most Round of 32 Games: North Carolina, 44
Most Sweet 16s: Kentucky, 45
Most Elite 8s Kentucky, 38
Most Final Fours: North Carolina, 21
Most Title Games: UCLA, 13
Most Championships: UCLA, 11

Most Reg. Season Conference Championships (1939-Present): Kentucky, 47
Most Conference Tournament Championships (2002-Present): Gonzaga, 16
Most AP Top 10 Finishes: Kentucky, 46
Most AP Top 25 Finishes: Kentucky, 54
Most seasons with .800+ Win Percentage: Kentucky, 41
Fewest Losing Seasons: Kentucky, 2
Fewest Seasons with a sub .300 Win Percentage: Kentucky, Duke, and Iowa - 0
Most NIT Titles (1939-1956): St. John's, LIU Brooklyn- 2
 
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-UNC could very easily pass UCLA for 2nd all-time next season; they're only 7 points behind.
Crazy with UNC----Those dudes could easily have 8 National titles, right now.

Buzzer-beating loss to Nova
2nd half collapse vs KU..

How good they have been the past 6 years is sort of underrated, tbh...

2016---Runner-Up
2017---National Champs
2022--Runner-Up

Of course there was the 14-19 year....1st Round loss 2021----2nd round loss in 2018.

But still, 3 National title games since 2016 is impressive.
 
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Crazy with UNC----Those dudes could easily have 8 National titles, right now.

Buzzer-beating loss to Nova
2nd half collapse vs KU..

How good they have been the past 6 years is sort of underrated, tbh...

2016---Runner-Up
2017---National Champs
2022--Runner-Up

Of course there was the 14-19 year....1st Round loss 2021----2nd round loss in 2018.

But still, 3 National title games since 2016 is impressive.

A lot of 50-50 games, though. They were the benefactors of some close games, too.

1957: Triple Overtime over KU. UNC was down by 1 point with 8 seconds left and drew a foul, which was questionable, IMO. Go up by 1 point after the two free throws. KU turns the ball over after trying to force the ball into Wilt.

1982: After Jordan's go ahead-shot, which gave UNC a 1-point lead, Fred Brown subsequently threw a pass right to James Worthy, who wasn't guarding anybody.

1993: Chris Webber Timeout, which resulted in a technical.
 
A lot of 50-50 games, though. They were the benefactors of some close games, too.

1957: Triple Overtime over KU. UNC was down by 1 point with 8 seconds left and drew a foul, which was questionable, IMO. Go up by 1 point after the two free throws. KU turns the ball over after trying to force the ball into Wilt.

1982: After Jordan's go ahead-shot, which gave UNC a 1-point lead, Fred Brown subsequently threw a pass right to James Worthy, who wasn't guarding anybody.

1993: Chris Webber Timeout, which resulted in a technical.
Oh they certainly had some breaks with 3 of their 6 titles...I mean no guarantee Gtown or Michigan score, win the game, but both plays were crushing. Up 2, with the ball and seconds to go was basically insurmountable---No 3 point shot. So one FT, and you were toast----And not only that, but the clock didn't stop after a made basket. So once the game got under 10 seconds, it was pretty much over...
 
Oh they certainly had some breaks with 3 of their 6 titles...I mean no guarantee Gtown or Michigan score, win the game, but both plays were crushing. Up 2, with the ball and seconds to go was basically insurmountable---No 3 point shot. So one FT, and you were toast----And not only that, but the clock didn't stop after a made basket. So once the game got under 10 seconds, it was pretty much over...

Up 2 with the ball and No 3-point shot? What game was this?

Gonzaga was another close call, too. No guarantee the Zags would have delivered, but the Zags were on the wrong side of a very bad call. With 50ish seconds left (and Zags down by 1), Meeks and Goss-Williams tied up and Carolina had the possession arrow. But, Meeks' forearm was clearly on the baseline.

Guess what I'm getting at is, if you replay the last 3-5 minutes of all of Carolina's 12 Championship appearances, and maybe they do beat KU and Villanova - my guess is they'll come closer to winning 6 titles games than they are to winning 8. With a bunch of 50-50 games, a 6-6 record in title games is about right.
 
Up 2 with the ball and No 3-point shot? What game was this?
Any game prior to the 1987 title game....

Disappointed you had to ask this question, brother...

Game I am specifically speaking of though is Gtown/UNC. Jordan hits shot, puts UNC up 62-60....Gtown throws ball away with 2 seconds left. Ball game.
 
Any game prior to the 1987 title game....

Disappointed you had to ask this question, brother...

Game I am specifically speaking of though is Gtown/UNC. Jordan hits shot, puts UNC up 62-60....Gtown throws ball away with 2 seconds left. Ball game.

I did have to ask because the only game I mentioned where there was a deficit of 2 was the '93 game against Michigan. And that wouldn't make sense because obviously the 3-point line was already in play by that time.

Georgetown was up 62-61. Jordan hits a shot with 15 seconds to put UNC up 63-62. Brown turned the ball over with 7 seconds left.
 
Congrats Kentucky. It's now official. Remember to double-click on the screenshots to expand the images. Let me know what you think. This idea was presented to me by @hailtoyourvictor.

I included a few more metrics recently. Here are a few links to the adjusted rankings for 2020 and 2021.

2020 Rankings
2021 Rankings
2022 Rankings

Modern Era Rankings


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Here's a link to my revised rankings. I added a few more metrics. I believe the updated table is more accurate.
FhP1IsFWAAYUoVD
 
GPT isn't that smart.

"who is the greatest college basketball program of all time?"



Determining the greatest college basketball program of all time is a subjective matter and depends on various factors such as the number of championships won, overall win-loss record, tournament appearances, and the overall impact on the sport. However, some of the most successful and storied college basketball programs include:
  1. UCLA: With 11 NCAA championships and an overall record of 1,849-685, UCLA is one of the most successful college basketball programs of all time. The team was led by legendary coach John Wooden, who won 10 national titles in 12 years from 1964 to 1975.
  2. Kentucky: With 8 NCAA championships and an overall record of 2,320-789, Kentucky is another highly successful college basketball program. The team has been led by several legendary coaches, including Adolph Rupp and John Calipari.
  3. Duke: With 5 NCAA championships and an overall record of 2,143-895, Duke is one of the most successful programs in modern college basketball. The team has been led by legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has won over 1,000 games and led the team to 12 Final Fours.
  4. North Carolina: With 6 NCAA championships and an overall record of 2,306-852, North Carolina is another highly successful college basketball program. The team has been led by legendary coaches such as Dean Smith and Roy Williams.
  5. Kansas: With 3 NCAA championships and an overall record of 2,329-867, Kansas is one of the most successful college basketball programs in history. The team has been led by several legendary coaches, including James Naismith (the inventor of basketball), Phog Allen, and Bill Self.
These are just a few examples of some of the most successful and storied college basketball programs of all time, and there are many other programs that have achieved great success as well. Ultimately, the greatest college basketball program of all time may depend on individual opinions and factors such as personal preferences and historical context.
 
"May depend on individual opinions such as personal preferences."

Very insightful. Personal preferences can be the deciding factor lol.
Can confirm ... as an Illinois fan, I have a soft spot for historically consistent programs who have won a lot of games under several coaches only to routinely shit the bed in March. :cool:
 
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Hmm...looks like Purdue has already picked up 12 points if I understand @dukedevilz correctly:

Conference champ - 5
Conference tourney champ - 3
Top 10 finish - 2
Top 25 finish - 1
+.800 record - 1

So that Memphis game in the 2nd round (if it happens) will be big for the rankings update. Beat them and win the S16 game and we'll be on their heels for that coveted 29th spot. Earn a trip to the F4 and we will pass them.
 
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Hmm...looks like Purdue has already picked up 12 points if I understand @dukedevilz correctly:

Conference champ - 5
Conference tourney champ - 3
Top 10 finish - 2
Top 25 finish - 1
+.800 record - 1

So that Memphis game in the 2nd round (if it happens) will be big for the rankings update. Beat them and win the S16 game and we'll be on their heels for that coveted 29th spot. Earn a trip to the F4 and we will pass them.

Correct. Purdue has already earned 12 points. Win the national title and you'll have 83 points, bump up to 359 points, and you'll leapfrog from 32nd all the way to 21st all-time. Winning a title is a big deal. Of the 11 schools you would potentially leapfrog, 7 of them haven't won a title.
 
Correct. Purdue has already earned 12 points. Win the national title and you'll have 83 points, bump up to 359 points, and you'll leapfrog from 32nd all the way to 21st all-time. Winning a title is a big deal. Of the 11 schools you would potentially leapfrog, 7 of them haven't won a title.
I make jokes and stuff, but I love reading stats threads the most. I love numbers.
 
Correct. Purdue has already earned 12 points. Win the national title and you'll have 83 points, bump up to 359 points, and you'll leapfrog from 32nd all the way to 21st all-time. Winning a title is a big deal. Of the 11 schools you would potentially leapfrog, 7 of them haven't won a title.
what does DePaul need to do to pass Iowa?
 
50-Greatest-Programs1.png


Hmm...looks like Purdue has already picked up 12 points if I understand @dukedevilz correctly:

Conference champ - 5
Conference tourney champ - 3
Top 10 finish - 2
Top 25 finish - 1
+.800 record - 1

So that Memphis game in the 2nd round (if it happens) will be big for the rankings update. Beat them and win the S16 game and we'll be on their heels for that coveted 29th spot. Earn a trip to the F4 and we will pass them.
Uh....never mind.
 
Congrats Kentucky. It's now official. Remember to double-click on the screenshots to expand the images. Let me know what you think. This idea was presented to me by @hailtoyourvictor.

I included a few more metrics recently. Here are a few links to the adjusted rankings for 2020 and 2021.

2020 Rankings
2021 Rankings
2022 Rankings

Modern Era Rankings


50-Greatest-Programs.png

50-Greatest-Programs1.png


Here's a link to my revised rankings. I added a few more metrics. I believe the updated table is more accurate.
West Virginia should be higher honestly. Like 14th all time wins. Texas is like 16th all time wins.

I like kstate at 23 tho and higher than both.
 
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