Where UConn ranks among greatest college basketball teams of all time
10/04/2024 00:55
It’s hard to rank college basketball teams that are eras apart, as the game undergoes drastic changes from decade to decade—if not sooner—and no two college basketball seasons are the same. However, a good way of tracking where different teams rank is separating ones that enjoyed extended success in a sport emphasizing the one-and-done.
College basketball is now made even more difficult with the addition of the transfer portal, as no team looks the same on a year-to-year basis. That’s why it’s important to celebrate teams that have sustained success and can dominate in successive seasons.
Look no further than Dan Hurley and his back-to-back National Champion UConn Huskies, who out-classed the competition in consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Only one team is left standing as National Champion when the season ends. Let’s look at some of the greatest teams in college basketball history.
5. Villanova Wildcats 2014-18
The Wildcats’ run through the mid-2010s is overshadowed by losing in the Round of 32 twice against No. 8 seeds. However, the team still managed a 136-16 record and two national championships. Jay Wright changed how college basketball teams played, switching to position-less basketball, winning titles in 2015-16 and 2017-18. Jalen Brunson was a fixture for both title runs, teaming with the likes of Josh Hart, Omari Spellman, Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo.
The Wildcats obviously would have loved another National Championship or even Final Four appearance during that time, but still set the record for most wins in four years, eclipsing Duke’s 1997-2001 record of 133.
4. UConn Huskies 2022-2024
Admittedly, there may be some recency bias when ranking UConn as No.4 among the greatest college basketball teams ever. However, it’s hard to ignore a team that won every game by double-digits in two consecutive National Championship runs.
The 2024 edition of March Madness was hopeful to be one of the most competitive tournaments ever. Upsets were happening everywhere during the regular season, and we assumed it would continue throughout March and eventually lead to a shocking last team standing. There were some good upsets along the way. However, in the end, the team everyone overlooked dominated the Purdue Boilermakers in the National Championship game to win their second consecutive title.
The question is, why did we overlook the Huskies? No one came close to their talent level in the 2023 tournament, but they had a favorable draw once all the heavyweights started dropping out. UConn’s 2023 run was boring compared to what a college basketball fan is accustomed to watching.
Most people hoped it’d be different in 2024, but it wasn’t. The closest anyone came was Alabama in the Final Four when they lost by 14, and UConn won their sixth national title to tie North Carolina for third-most all-time.
3. Kentucky Wildcats 1991-1999
Rick Pitino’s run with Kentucky through the 1990s cannot be forgotten. The new coach of St. John’s dominated college basketball with a 246-43 record, won two national championships and advanced to seven Elite Eights. John Calipari brought in tons of talent during his time with the Wildcats, but he could never replicate Pitino’s success.
Pitino finally got over the hump in 1996, when he took a team of nine eventual NBA players to a 34-2 record and the National Championship. Tony Delk and Antoine Walker led the way for that team. Two years later, Nazr Mohammed, Jeff Sheppard and Scott Padgett won the Wildcats their second National Championship in three years.
Kentucky nearly made a run at No. 2 on this list, but they lost to Arizona in the 1997 title game in overtime. If they had won three in a row, they would have joined John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins as the only teams to do it.
2. Duke Blue Devils 1985-1992
Mike Krzyzewski had been coaching for so many years that many Duke fans rooting for him in his final season weren’t even born to see his greatest run with the program. During that 1985-1993 run, Duke made it to the Final Four seven times in nine years. They played in five National Championship games and won back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992.
The competition in March Madness is so great that any team can win on any given night. It’s easy to imagine Duke could have been the greatest in history if a few more of those Final Four games had gone their way.
The Blue Devils’ run ended spectacularly, with Christian Laettner and Grant Hill connecting for one of the most historic shots in college basketball history to advance Duke through the 1992 Elite Eight against Kentucky. Duke went on to win its second straight National Championship and cement Laettner’s legacy as one of the most accomplished college basketball players ever.
1. UCLA Bruins 1966-1973
Lew Alcindor is arguably the greatest college basketball player to lace up his sneakers. The same is often said of John Wooden as a coach. Starting with Alcindor’s sophomore year in 1966-67, the pair showed what they could do as a tandem Due to a freshman being unable to play in his days, Alcindor played three seasons of college ball. He lost just two games as a UCLA Bruin, holding an 88-2 record and winning three consecutive National Championships.
The Bruins’ reign didn’t end when Alcindor went to the NBA and changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Wooden continued winning, racking up four more National Championships. The Bruins went 205-5 during that National Championship streak, ranking top-five in the AP poll for seven consecutive seasons. Wooden won 10 National Championships as a coach, but that seven-year run was the peak of his powers. That is why the 1966-73 UCLA Bruins are the greatest college basketball team ever.
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