How would you rank the programs to win 3 or more NCs?

[Brochacho]

For me it's:
1. Kentucky
2. UCLA
3. North Carolina
4. Duke
5. Kansas
6. UConn
7. Indiana
8. Louisville

 

[BlueMAB]

I would swap UConn and Kansas because 4 puts us in the top 5.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I would swap UConn and Kansas because 4 puts us in the top 5.

Kansas has been to 14 Final Fours and hasn't missed an NCAA tournament since 1989. Kansas, historically, is easily a better program than UConn, unless you literally count nothing but NCAA Tournament Championships.

I do think that UCLA gets overrated because of a 12-year run that produced 10 titles. Yes, that's impressive, but it's a little different when you're just brazenly buying the best players every year. I don't think that UConn gets ahead of them, but it's worth considering.

 

[BlueMAB]

Kansas has been to 14 Final Fours and hasn't missed an NCAA tournament since 1989. Kansas, historically, is easily a better program than UConn, unless you literally count nothing but NCAA Tournament Championships.

I do think that UCLA gets overrated because of a 12-year run that produced 10 titles. Yes, that's impressive, but it's a little different when you're just brazenly buying the best players every year. I don't think that UConn gets ahead of them, but it's worth considering.

Kansas won the NCAAs in 1952, 1988, and 2008. That's a long time between championships. They've been very good for a very long time. But right now, I give the nod to UConn. Kansas definitely has a reasonable argument. But 14 trips, with only 3 titles is unimpressive, IMO. That's a really pathetic winning percentage, and since 1999 they've only been to 4 Final Fours, one fewer than UConn. Had they won a few more, I'd put them at #2 or #3. Maybe it's unfair, but it's my personal opinion and not any more or less valid than yours, but losing that many times at that stage hurts them in my eyes because most of those trips occurred before the field was expanded.

UConn gets bonus points for the 17 Big East championships which was markedly tougher than the Big 12 Kansas has been breezing through.

 

[SubbaBub]

Name another quality B12 program. B12 titles don't mean much.

To me anything before the 64 team field gets discounted.

1. Duke
2. UK
3. UNC
3. UCLA (still pretty impressive run)
4. UConn
5. Kansas
6. Indiana (not much since '87)
7. Louisville (a lot of nothing between titles)

 

[CallMeBruce]

Kansas won the NCAAs in 1952, 1988, and 2008. That's a long time between championships. They've been very good for a very long time. But right now, I give the nod to UConn. Kansas definitely has a reasonable argument. But 14 trips, with only 3 titles is unimpressive, IMO.

This doesn't make sense. In theory, every team is trying to win the championship every year. You're punishing Kansas for making the Final Four too often. Who had a better season this year: Wisconsin, who lost in the Final Four, or Duke, who lost in the first round? How about St. John's? They didn't lose in the tournament at all!

That's a really pathetic winning percentage, and since 1999 they've only been to 4 Final Fours, one fewer than UConn.

That's true, and over the last 16 seasons, you can make a very credible argument that UConn is the best college basketball program around. But that doesn't eliminate the decades before that when Kansas was head-and-shoulders better than UConn.

Had they won a few more, I'd put them at #2 or #3. Maybe it's unfair, but it's my personal opinion and not any more or less valid than yours, but losing that many times at that stage hurts them in my eyes because most of those trips occurred before the field was expanded.

Kansas has 8 FF's since the field went to 64 teams in 1985. So, no, most of their final fours have occurred since the field was expanded. You're entitled to your opinion, but if you choose to post it on a public forum, don't be surprised when someone disagrees with you.

UConn gets bonus points for the 17 Big East championships which was markedly tougher than the Big 12 Kansas has been breezing through.

17 Big East Championships? What are you talking about?

 

[aboogieee]

1. UConn '99
2. UConn '04
3. UConn '11
4. UConn '14
5. Everybody else

 

[Waquoit]

1. UConn '99
2. UConn '04
3. UConn '11
4. UConn '13
5. Everybody else

I agree with this message. #5.

 

[Gurleyman]

F Kansas. If it weren't for Kansas losing in title games, Calipari and Syracuse would both still have zero. That should cancel out the two modern titles that they actually won.

 

[BlueMAB]

This doesn't make sense. In theory, every team is trying to win the championship every year. You're punishing Kansas for making the Final Four too often. Who had a better season this year: Wisconsin, who lost in the Final Four, or Duke, who lost in the first round? How about St. John's? They didn't lose in the tournament at all!



That's true, and over the last 16 seasons, you can make a very credible argument that UConn is the best college basketball program around. But that doesn't eliminate the decades before that when Kansas was head-and-shoulders better than UConn.



Kansas has 8 FF's since the field went to 64 teams in 1985. So, no, most of their final fours have occurred since the field was expanded. You're entitled to your opinion, but if you choose to post it on a public forum, don't be surprised when someone disagrees with you.



17 Big East Championships? What are you talking about?

I'm not punishing Kansas, I'm simply not as impressed as you are. IDGAF if you agree or not. Oklahoma State and Cincinnati have more Final Fours than UConn, are they better programs? George Mason and Pitt have the same number of Final Fours. Is there really a question who has the better program? Just because you put a lot of weight into final fours, doesn't mean I have to.

You're correct. Nearly half of their FF's came before the field expanded, not "most" (6 out of 14). I'm not eliminating those years, but the further away we get from them, the less important they become....right now.

Did I say I was surprised someone disagreed with me? Did I act like I was surprised? I've got over 2700 posts on this forum, do you think this is the first time someone has disagreed with me? How can I thank you for enlightening me on the presence of alternative points of view?

10 Big East regular season championships, 7 tournament championships. If you don't know UConn's history, perhaps you should read up on it.

In addition to the 17 Big East championships, we've got 21 of other conference titles (that's 38 total) and 32 tournament appearances.

 

[johnhuskies95]

This doesn't make sense. In theory, every team is trying to win the championship every year. You're punishing Kansas for making the Final Four too often. Who had a better season this year: Wisconsin, who lost in the Final Four, or Duke, who lost in the first round? How about St. John's? They didn't lose in the tournament at all!



That's true, and over the last 16 seasons, you can make a very credible argument that UConn is the best college basketball program around. But that doesn't eliminate the decades before that when Kansas was head-and-shoulders better than UConn.



Kansas has 8 FF's since the field went to 64 teams in 1985. So, no, most of their final fours have occurred since the field was expanded. You're entitled to your opinion, but if you choose to post it on a public forum, don't be surprised when someone disagrees with you.



17 Big East Championships? What are you talking about?

UConn won 17 Big East Championships while they were in the league. I don't see what's so difficult to grasp about that.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Kansas has been to 14 Final Fours and hasn't missed an NCAA tournament since 1989. Kansas, historically, is easily a better program than UConn, unless you literally count nothing but NCAA Tournament Championships.

I do think that UCLA gets overrated because of a 12-year run that produced 10 titles. Yes, that's impressive, but it's a little different when you're just brazenly buying the best players every year. I don't think that UConn gets ahead of them, but it's worth considering.

Silly. If you're gonna take out UCLA's 12 year run what's to stop you from taking out our 15 year run?

 

[Waquoit]

Silly. If you're gonna take out UCLA's 12 year run what's to stop you from taking out our 15 year run?

Three years?

 

[tcf15]

17 Big East Championships? What are you talking about?

Regular season championships and BET championships.

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

Why isn't Syracuse on anybody's list??

Oh wait. I know why....

 

[CallMeBruce]

I'm not punishing Kansas, I'm simply not as impressed as you are. IDGAF if you agree or not. Oklahoma State and Cincinnati have more Final Fours than UConn, are they better programs? George Mason and Pitt have the same number of Final Fours. Is there really a question who has the better program? Just because you put a lot of weight into final fours, doesn't mean I have to.

You're missing the point. I'm not counting one thing at the exclusion of all others. That's what you're doing. Kansas has 560 more wins all-time, they have 26 more conference titles, 12 more NCAA tournament appearances (including the last 25), 9 more Sweet Sixteen appearances, 10 more Elite Eights, 9 more Final Fours, and 5 more championship game appearances. UConn has one more championship. I'm very proud of that, but it certainly doesn't mean more than all of that other success combined.

You're correct. Nearly half of their FF's came before the field expanded, not "most" (6 out of 14). I'm not eliminating those years, but the further away we get from them, the less important they become....right now.

Great, but even if you completely eliminate those years, it's still 60% more final fours than UConn has ever been to.

Did I say I was surprised someone disagreed with me? Did I act like I was surprised?

When you're bitching about how valid your opinion is compared to mine, then yes, I'd say you're acting like you weren't expecting to be disagreed with.

10 Big East regular season championships, 7 tournament championships. If you don't know UConn's history, perhaps you should read up on it.

I generally look at those separately. This one is my mistake.

In addition to the 17 Big East championships, we've got 21 of other conference titles (that's 38 total) and 32 tournament appearances.

So you're going to discount Big 12 and Big 8 success, but you're counting Yankee Conference titles?

Listen, it's a UConn board, and I get that. But I try to be at least somewhat objective. And saying that UConn is a more successful basketball program than Kansas is ludicrous. And I know this because I'm terrified of what would happen if our coach left. If Bill Self left Kansas next season, they'd go steal Danny Manning or promote an assistant or pick whatever top coach they want. If Ollie leaves UConn within the next couple of seasons, it's a body blow from which the program may not recover. A top-5 program all-time doesn't have to worry about that sort of thing.

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

Silly. If you're gonna take out UCLA's 12 year run what's to stop you from taking out our 15 year run?

Because UCLAs run occurred when 8 teams played in the field. Ours is still going on.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Silly. If you're gonna take out UCLA's 12 year run what's to stop you from taking out our 15 year run?

Read the entire post, not just the obvious words. My issue with UCLA's run isn't just that it's compressed. The issue is that they were playing with different rules from everyone else. How many titles were they able to win by just buying cars and whatnot for Bill Walton and Lew Alcindor?

 

[UofMemphis]

Hell, I just want one...thats all...so close in 73 and 08

 

[ucinnc]

1. UConn '99 2. UConn '04 3. UConn '11 4. UConn '13 5. Everybody else

UConn in '13 ? Mark Emmert calling for you on line one....

 

[tzznandrew]

Because UCLAs run occurred when 8 teams played in the field. Ours is still going on.

Their first title team (1964) went through a field of 25 teams, not 8.

By 1975, there were 32. We can discount them all we want, I guess. I think it's fair to, a little. But let's do it with a realistic view of the landscape.

Additionally, on the Kansas v. UConn thing. They are a better historical program, I think...but no amount of Final Four losses are worth a championship, so I'd rather be UConn with 4 than Kansas with 3 and all the other things.

 

[johnhuskies95]

You're missing the point. I'm not counting one thing at the exclusion of all others. That's what you're doing. Kansas has 560 more wins all-time, they have 26 more conference titles, 12 more NCAA tournament appearances (including the last 25), 9 more Sweet Sixteen appearances, 10 more Elite Eights, 9 more Final Fours, and 5 more championship game appearances. UConn has one more championship. I'm very proud of that, but it certainly doesn't mean more than all of that other success combined.

Great, but even if you completely eliminate those years, it's still 60% more final fours than UConn has ever been to.

When you're bitching about how valid your opinion is compared to mine, then yes, I'd say you're acting like you weren't expecting to be disagreed with.

I generally look at those separately. This one is my mistake.

So you're going to discount Big 12 and Big 8 success, but you're counting Yankee Conference titles?

Listen, it's a UConn board, and I get that. But I try to be at least somewhat objective. And saying that UConn is a more successful basketball program than Kansas is ludicrous. And I know this because I'm terrified of what would happen if our coach left. If Bill Self left Kansas next season, they'd go steal Danny Manning or promote an assistant or pick whatever top coach they want. If Ollie leaves UConn within the next couple of seasons, it's a body blow from which the program may not recover. A top-5 program all-time doesn't have to worry about that sort of thing.

What exactly tells you that Danny Manning is any better than who UConn would bring in next?

 

[aboogieee]

UConn in '13 ? Mark Emmert calling for you on line one....

Edited. I was right. My computer was wrong.

 

[CallMeBruce]

What exactly tells you that Danny Manning is any better than who UConn would bring in next?

Danny Manning is already a winning college coach. I have no idea whom UConn would target, but I doubt that person would carry the legitimacy of someone like Manning. That's still not the point. Kansas is like UNC. It barely even matters who the coach is; they're going to be able to recruit because they're widely considered to be the very elite, blueblood programs. UConn isn't quite there, yet.

 

[UofMemphis]

If Ollie left, UConn would be one of hottest jobs in America...someone like Smart or Marshall would step right in...UConn is one of "those" jobs IMHO.