In case you don't want to go through the slideshow...
National championships: 8 points each
Final Four appearances: 4 points each
National championship appearances: 4 points each
Sporting News Player of the Year: 2 points each
Consensus First-Team All-Americans: 1 point per All-American
Overall winning percentage: Poll-style points from 15-1 for the top 15 schools. 15 points are given to the school with the highest-winning percentage; one point is given to the school with the 15th-best winning percentage.
Total NCAA tournament wins: Poll-style points
Total NBA Draft picks (since 2001 NBA Draft): Poll-style points 15-1
15. Maryland
Total score: 21.5
Final Fours: 2 (2001, 2002)
National championships: 1 (2002)
What they do best: Maryland made this list on the strength of back-to-back Final Four appearances and a national title under former coach Gary Williams. That gives Maryland the slight edge over the first five programs off this list: Texas, Butler, Gonzaga, Indiana and Illinois.
What’s next: Mark Turgeon guided the Terps to a 28-7 record in their first season in the Big Ten, which ended in the second round of the tournament. Maryland should continue to improve in its new surroundings.
14. Memphis
Total score: 23.5
Final Fours: 1 (2008)
What they do best: Since 2000-01, Memphis has the fifth-highest winning percentage in the NCAA at .759. That included a four-year run under John Calipari from 2005-09 where the Tigers went 61-1 in Conference USA play.
What’s next: Now in the American Athletic Conference, Memphis missed the tournament in 2014-15. Josh Pastner enters his seventh season with the program looking to get back to the Big Dance.
13. Ohio State
Total score: 27.5
Final Fours: 2 (2007, 2012)
What they do best: Thad Matta’s efforts at Ohio State are sometimes underappreciated, but he’s built a steady winner with the help of NBA talent. First-round NBA Draft picks Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Evan Turner, Jared Sullinger and D’Angelo Russell have kept Ohio State running.
What’s next: The Buckeyes have won at least 20 games in 11 straight seasons under Matta, but they haven’t advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament in either of the last two seasons.
12. Arizona
Total score: 28.5
Final Fours: 1 (2001)
What they do best: The Wildcats produced 20 NBA Draft picks since 2001, including Richard Jefferson, Gilbert Arenas and Andre Iguodala. Sean Miller guided the Wildcats to back-to-back Elite Eight appearances the last two seasons.
What’s next: Miller’s next step is a Final Four appearance, which has eluded the Wildcats since they reached the NCAA championship game in 2001.
11. Wisconsin
Total score: 29
Final Fours: 2 (2014, 2015)
What they do best: Wisconsin leads Big Ten schools with a .734 winning percentage since 2000-01, ninth best in the NCAA. The Badgers have back-to-back Final Four appearances under Bo Ryan. Sporting News Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky led Wisconsin to the NCAA championship game in 2015.
What’s next: Now the question is how long Ryan sticks around. The Badgers are 66-12 the last two seasons. Ryan has left the door open as to whether or not he will return after 2015-16.
10. UCLA
Total score: 35
Final Fours: 3 (2006, 2007, 2008)
What they do best: Final Fours and NBA talent. The Bruins enjoyed three straight Final Four appearances from 2006-08, and UCLA has produced 22 NBA Draft picks since 2000-01. That includes Trevor Ariza, Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook. UCLA ranks 33rd in winning percentage since 2000-01 at .665.
What’s next: The Bruins have reached the Sweet 16 each of the last two seasons under Steve Alford, but expectations are always higher for a program that hasn’t won the NCAA championship since 1995.
9. Louisville
Total score: 37.5
Final Fours: 3 (2005, 2012, 2013)
National championship: 2013
What they do best: Rick Pitino continues to win big at Louisville, and the Cardinals rank 11th in the nation in winning percentage since 2000-01. Louisville won the NCAA tournament in 2013. The Cardinals have reached the Elite Eight six times under Pitino.
What’s next: The Cardinals maintained success while playing in four different conferences under Pitino. Expect more NBA talent to come in with the move to the ACC.
8. Michigan State
Total score: 42
Final Fours: 5 (2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015)
What they do best: Reach the Final Four. This list starts with the 2000-01 season, one year after the Spartans won the NCAA championship. The Spartans reached the Final Four five times since, more than any other school. Tom Izzo has guided the Spartans to 34 NCAA tournament wins in that stretch.
What’s next: Expect more of the same. The Spartans rank 16th in winning percentage since 2000-01 at .713, but Izzo’s time-honored method of getting Michigan State best-prepared for March works. The Spartans are the highest-ranked program without a national title in the last 15 years.
7. Syracuse
Total score: 44
Final Fours: 2 (2003, 2013)
National championship: 1 (2003)
What they do best: Syracuse ranks sixth in winning percentage since 2000-01, but that doesn’t account for the 108 wins vacated as a result of NCAA penalties levied last season. The school has produced 16 NBA Draft picks since 2000-01. Carmelo Anthony led the Orange to a national championship in 2003.
What’s next: Syracuse and Boeheim enter uncharted territory with five-year probation levied by the NCAA. How will that affect the program long term?
6. Florida
Total score: 60
Final Fours: 3 (2006, 2007, 2014)
National championships: 2 (2006, 2007)
What they do best: The Gators are still the last team to repeat with back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006-07. Florida ranks seventh in winning percentage (.740) and NCAA tournament wins (28) in this stretch.
What’s next: The program’s stability will be tested now that Billy Donovan left to take an NBA job in Oklahoma City. Michael White takes over for the Gators.
5. North Carolina
Total score: 70
Final Fours: 3 (2005, 2008, 2009)
National championships: 2 (2005, 2009)
What they do best: The Tar Heels won two national championships under Roy Williams, and North Carolina has produced the third-most NBA first-round picks since 2000-01. Three-time consensus All-American Tyler Hansbrough remains the face of North Carolina’s Final Four runs in 2008-09.
What’s next: Williams signed a contract extension in the face of a notice of allegations from the NCAA. Will any punishment of North Carolina be doomed to fail?
4. UConn
Total score: 75
Final Fours: 4 (2004, 2009, 2011, 2014)
National championship: 3 (2004, 2011, 2014)
What they do best: Win national championships. Jim Calhoun led the Huskies to national titles in 2004 and 2011, and Kevin Ollie guided UConn to a run as a No. 7 seed to the national title in 2014. The Huskies rank 15th in winning percentage at .716 since 2000-01.
What’s next: Ollie’s second season didn’t go as well. UConn finished 20-15 and lost in the first round of the NIT.
3. Kentucky
Total score: 77
Final Fours: 4 (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015)
National championship: 1 (2012)
What they do best: John Calipari built a NBA superstore that produced the most NBA draft picks of any school since the 2001 NBA Draft, and Kentucky ranks fourth in winning percentage at (.765). With four Final Four appearances in the last five seasons, Kentucky isn’t slowing down any time soon.
What’s next: Considering the Wildcats nearly completed a perfect season and had six players drafted in 2014-15, it’s clear how high the standards are at Kentucky. Expect the good times to roll in Lexington.
2. Kansas
Total score: 82.5
Final Fours: 4 (2002, 2003, 2008, 2012)
National championship: 1 (2008)
What they do best: The by-definition steady program. Kansas has won the Big 12 regular-season title every year since 2005 and ranks second in the NCAA in winning percentage at .820. The Jayhawks are tied with Duke for most tournament wins in this stretch (38), and Kansas reached the NCAA championship game in 2003, 2008 and 2012.
What’s next: The Jayhawks have exited the NCAA tournament in the second round each of the last two seasons, with the latest coming to Wichita State. That’s increased the pressure. That’s the world Bill Self lives in.
1. Duke
Total score: 110.5
Final Fours: 4 (2001, 2004, 2010, 2015)
National championships: 3 (2001, 2010, 2015)
What they do best: It’s fitting that the 15 seasons tracked here start with a Duke championship in 2000-01 and end with another national title in March. Duke won its third national championship since 2000-01 last season, and the Blue Devils own a NCAA-best .831 winning percentage in that stretch. That run also includes nine Consensus First-Team All-Americans. Duke has it all under coach Mike Krzyzewski.
What’s next: What else could Duke do? A perfect season? Go back-to-back? Coach K last led the Blue Devils to consecutive national championships in 1991-92.
