UCONN = Best Men's College Basketball Program

[SirTravKnight]

https://colleges.niche.com/rankings/best-mens-basketball/

Sorry if this was already posted. Good to see us listed above the blue bloods!

 

[k9fanatic]

They cheated us out of one Final Four appearance.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Site makes bleacher report look reputable.

Duke is the best program of the modern era by a large margin.

I put us in the next tier with Kentucky and UNC.

 

[tykurez]

I guess nobody read the paragraph at the top ... this is since 2000.

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

Winona St. is 14...Winona State.

I'm all for us being ranked first and all, but on this site....

 

[Leebo]

Winona St. is 14...Winona State.

I'm all for us being ranked first and all, but on this site....

The calculation includes Division II stuff (and Division III). Winona apparently was pretty dominant, but it's odd to lump divisions together.

 

[FartMan69]

Article is since 2000 should be noted because as much as I love this program there is no argument for us being #1 all-time

1.UCLA
2.Kentucky
3.DUKE
4.UNC
5. UConn,IU,Kansas,Louisville battle it out

 

[Yankees32123]

Since 2000 should be noted because as much as I love this program there is no argument for us being #1 all-time

1.UCLA
2.Kentucky
3.DUKE
4.UNC
5. UConn,IU,Kansas,Louisville battle it out

Absolutely not UCLA. They have not won a championship in 20 years. Plus this list is since 2000. In my opinion, UConn and Duke are the best programs since 2000.

 

[FartMan69]

Absolutely not UCLA. They have not won a championship in 20 years. Plus this list is since 2000. In my opinion, UConn and Duke are the best programs since 2000.

I know its since 2000 hence why i noted that. If we are going ALL TIME than yes UCLA is #1.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I know its since 2000 hence why i noted that. If we are going ALL TIME than yes UCLA is #1.

I still don't think UCLA is #1. They had all of their success in a very compact stretch in which they were paying all of their players.

 

[FartMan69]

I still don't think UCLA is #1. They had all of their success in a very compact stretch in which they were paying all of their players.

Compact stretch is a nonsense argument that people use against our program. The titles are there and yes their was controversy but to think they were the only program doing that is silly.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Compact stretch is a nonsense argument that people use against our program. The titles are there and yes their was controversy but to think they were the only program doing that is silly.

They were the only program doing it to the extent they did. Not every program had Sam Gilbert.

And the "compact stretch" argument makes more sense when the program spends a lot of time being irrelevant in the following decades. UCLA has one title in the 64-team tournament era. They're not the best program ever.

 

[Yankees32123]

I know its since 2000 hence why i noted that. If we are going ALL TIME than yes UCLA is #1.

If we're talking about best programs pre-2000 then yes its UCLA. But CallMeBruce is right, their success came in the 60's and 70s during a time in basketball that is not nearly comparable to today's game. Kentucky, Duke, UNC are at the top, with UConn, Kansas, UCLA, and Louisville next in no particular order.

 

[FartMan69]

They were the only program doing it to the extent they did. Not every program had Sam Gilbert.

And the "compact stretch" argument makes more sense when the program spends a lot of time being irrelevant in the following decades. UCLA has one title in the 64-team tournament era. They're not the best program ever.

The only era UCLA was close to irrelevant was the 80's. If they hadn't won in '95 and been to 3 final fours since I'd agree.

 

[uconngb]

https://colleges.niche.com/rankings/best-mens-basketball/

Sorry if this was already posted. Good to see us listed above the blue bloods!

This is the kind of crap that I guess message boards were created for. Winona State is #15, and yet they don't even have UNC on the list? Almost seems like an April Fool's joke.

 

[FartMan69]

They were the only program doing it to the extent they did. Not every program had Sam Gilbert.

And the "compact stretch" argument makes more sense when the program spends a lot of time being irrelevant in the following decades. UCLA has one title in the 64-team tournament era. They're not the best program ever.

The only era UCLA was close to irrelevant was the 80's. If they hadn't won in '95 and been to 3 final fours since I'd agree. You can make an argument against a lot of the top programs, Kentucky won a bulk share before integration, IU would fall under your irrelevant category, UNC's academic fraud. The titles are there and i'm sticking by that opinion

 

[PcketknfNiels]

The only era UCLA was close to irrelevant was the 80's. If they hadn't won in '95 and been to 3 final fours since I'd agree. You can make an argument against a lot of the top programs, Kentucky won a bulk share before integration, IU would fall under your irrelevant category, UNC's academic fraud. The titles are there and i'm sticking by that opinion

It is fair to be critical of UCLA, but as you've stated, the other alternative would be UK, and a lot of their damage came in the segregated era.

 

[SubbaBub]

64 team era is relevant. You can make an argument for the 32 team era, but not before that.

 

[BUConn10]

No matter how they chose to rank things, I think its safe to say UConn has been a Top 3 program at worst in the last 20/25 years. Yet I cant help but look past the blue-colored glasses to see that Duke has definitely been the #1 program in America. Especially considering they won it all this year, they have the titles, final fours, and most importantly, regular season success which has eluded UConn over the last 6-7 years or so. Coupled with the fact that they are single handedly winning the media adoration and fan perception battle, they become the de facto #1 with UConn #2, and probably UK #3.

 

[2Husky]

until duke won this year I had UConn and duke tied at first in the modern era, unfortunately they have now moved into sole possession of first, but i would still have UConn ahead of kentucky, UNC, Kansas, etc. And I do think the modern era is best and most important era, for reasons other than it is when UConn became really good.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I guess nobody read the paragraph at the top ... this is since 2000.

College BB was around before 2000 you do know? These lists are pointless.

 

[cohenzone]

Starting with our '99 NC, and maybe our Donyell and Ray Allen era teams, what UConn has done without 3-4 McD AAs a year makes UConn the best program in the modern era, I think. That's not to say a bunch of our kids weren't as good or better than some of those AAs, it's that to this very day, for whatever reason, the program struggles to be slam dunk attractive to armfuls of those top regarded recruits the way Duke, UNC, UK and even KU are.

 

[Hoophound]

Starting with our '99 NC, and maybe our Donyell and Ray Allen era teams, what UConn has done without 3-4 McD AAs a year makes UConn the best program in the modern era, I think. That's not to say a bunch of our kids weren't as good or better than some of those AAs, it's that to this very day, for whatever reason, the program struggles to be slam dunk attractive to armfuls of those top regarded recruits the way Duke, UNC, UK and even KU are.

I'm pretty sure the reason is just a lack of flash in recruiting. We need someone that brings some AAU connections and a little bit of the heavy hitter, fast talker mentality. People like genuine and down to earth salesmen but they also buy from Calipari types. We don't have one of those and never really have.

 

[tykurez]

College BB was around before 2000 you do know? These lists are pointless.

Thank you so much for letting me know, I have so much to learn. I'm going to spend the next week watching college games from the 90s and then work my way back in time.

Thanks again.

 

[partyATkemba]

Basketball Attendance was factored into these rankings. Why should it be a detriment for Dook that they have a smaller stadium? It's actually more beneficial IMO for home court advantage.

That being said I just sent this to all my friends that have chewed me out about UConn.