Walter I must say you do good work with finding stats. :thumb:

 

Wikipedia assisted a little...:sssh::lol:

One thing that hurts the Cuse are some bad losses in the NCAA tournament. UAB was probably UK's worst loss.

 

Kentucky also has an additional final four and championship in the same time frame... Along with 7 more Elite 8 appearances.

You can't leave Kansas out of that conversation. In the last 25 years, they've won 20 or more games 24 times.

 

Duke on the other hand has 23 seasons with 20 or more wins and Carolina 21 seasons with 20 or more wins.

 

Let me clarify. I use the Final Four as my primary means of evaluating the top programs. No one touches Duke or Carolina if that is the criteria.

UK clearly fourth, Duke clearly first. UK has had their moments but these past 12 years since 98 haven't produced a lot of postseason success. Especially when Duke, UNC, and Kansas all have national titles and multiple final fours since UK's last final four appearance.

One thing that hurts the Cuse are some bad losses in the NCAA tournament. UAB was probably UK's worst loss.

 

Very true.

 

Kentucky has been bounced before the sweet 16 only 2 less times than Syracuse though:

 

Syracuse: 9 (First Round- 5 Second Round- 4)

Kentucky: 7 (First Round- 1 Second Round- 6)

 

Obviously, the first round losses are what you're referring to though.

Let me clarify. I use the Final Four as my primary means of evaluating the top programs. No one touches Duke or Carolina if that is the criteria.

 

Carolina only has two more final four appearances than Kansas.

But Kentucky has more wins, national championships, Final Fours, Elite 8s, Sweet 16s, NCAA tournament experiences, and 30 win seasons... Syracuse has more 25 and 20 win seasons.

 

But I give the 'Cats the nod on this one.

Carolina only has two more final four appearances than Kansas.

 

And one more national title. Final Four appearances & national championships are so rare, that a distance of two is pretty significant.

 

Not trying to take anything away from Kansas, but to me Duke & UNC have been the head of the class over the last two-and-a-half decades.

At the end of the day, I think the top programs from the last 25 years are the following:

 

1. Duke

 

Record: 715-170

National Championships: 3 (91, 92, 01)

National Championship Appearances: 7 (86, 90, 91, 92, 94, 99, 01)

Final Four Appearances: 11 (86, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 94, 99, 01, 04, 10)

Elite 8 Appearances: 13

Sweet 16 Appearances: 20

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 24

30+ Win Seaons- 11

25+ Win Seasons-19

20+ Win Seasons- 23

 

2. Kansas

 

Record: 707-170

National Championships: 2 (88, 08)

National Championship Appearances: 4 (88, 91, 03, 08)

Final Four Appearances: 7 (86, 88, 91, 93, 02, 03, 08)

Elite 8 Appearances: 10

Sweet 16 Appearances: 14

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 24

30+ Win Seasons: 9

25+ Win Seasons: 20

20+ Win Seasons: 24

 

3. North Carolina

 

Record: 646-210

National Championships: 3 (93, 05, 09)

National Championship Appearances: 3 (93, 05, 09)

Final Four Appearances: 9 (91, 93, 95, 97, 98, 00, 05, 08, 09)

Elite 8 Appearances: 13

Sweet 16 Appearances: 17

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 23

30+ Win Seasons: 7

25+ Win Seasons: 14

20+ Win Seasons: 21

 

4 Kentucky

 

Record: 663-215

National Championships: 2 (96, 98)

National Championship Appearances: 3 (96, 97, 98)

Final Four Appearances: 4 (93, 96, 97, 98)

Elite 8 Appearances: 11

Sweet 16 Appearances: 14

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 21

30+ Win Seasons- 7

25+ Win seasons- 13

20+ Win Seasons- 20

 

5A. Syracuse

 

Record: 625-222

National Championships: 1 (03)

National Championship Appearances: 3 (87, 96, 03)

Final Fours: 3 (87, 96, 03)

Elite 8 Appearances: 4

Sweet 16 Appearances: 11

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 20

30+ Win Seasons: 4

25+ Win Seaons: 14

20+ Win Seasons: 24

 

5B. UConn

 

Record: 601-226

National Championships: 2 (99, 04)

National Championship Appearances: 2 (99, 04)

Final Four Appearances: 3 (99, 04, 09)

Elite 8 Appearances: 8 (90, 95, 98, 99, 02, 04, 06, 09)

Sweet 16 Appearances: 12

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 16

30+ Win Seasons: 7

25+ Win Seasons: 12

20+ Win Seasons: 19

 

6. Michigan State

 

Record: 552-259

National Championships: 1 (00)

National Championship Appearances: 2 (00, 09)

Final Four Appearances: 6 (99, 00, 01, 05, 09, 10)

Elite 8 Appearances: 7 (99, 00, 01, 03, 05, 09, 10)

Sweet 16 Appearances: 11

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 19

30+ Win Seasons: 3

25+ Win Seasons: 8

20+ Win Seasons: 16

I would probably bump Michigan State up based on those 6 final fours. Pretty solid!

I would probably bump Michigan State up based on those 6 final fours. Pretty solid!

 

They've probably been top 3 this decade...but not top 5 overall for the last 25 years.

The answer has to be UK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay the real answer is Duke.

Hopefully in 5 years we will do a top program of the last 30 years ant UK will move up a few spots!

I didn't mean to click on Kansas, I meant North Carolina...

In their college primes, sure I MAY take the Duke guys. But not in 1991, and it is not even close.

 

It obviously was. :idunno:

It obviously was. :idunno:

UNLV wins that game 9 out of 10 times. And that is not an insult to the Duke guys. Grant Hill was a Freshman. Hurley was a sophomore. That UNLV team was undefeated and coming off a national title and on a different level despite the loss.