Winning isn’t everything, but it’s the mantra that the most prestigious schools in college basketball live by each year.
With a laundry list full of honors, these five schools are the cream that rises to the top.
Kansas Jayhawks
As the most recent national champion, it makes sense to include the Kansas Jayhawks as one of the premier basketball programs in the country. The Jayhawks have seen multiple All-Americans and Hall of Fame coaches make a stop in Lawrence.
Phog Allen, Roy Williams, and Bill Self have been some of the biggest names to ever coach at school, while they’ve had their fair share of NBA superstars in Paul Pierce, Danny Manning, and the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.
Duke Blue Devils
When people think of Duke basketball, they think of their legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski. While Coach K’s resume of 15 ACC Tournament championships, 13 Final Fours, and five national titles is what the university hangs its hat on, Duke was starting to turn the corner before Krzyzewski got there.
Coach K took over for Bill Foster, who took the Blue Devils to the Final Four in 1978, two years later in 1980, proving that Duke had some prestige before the legendary one manned the bench. Duke remains a serious contender for the national title with a former player, Jon Scheyer, taking over, thanks to a great freshmen class that included three of the top five recruits in the country.
North Carolina Tar Heels
It’s impossible not to mention North Carolina when talking about Duke, so that’s where the Tar Heels land on this list. The second part of the Tobacco Road rivalry edges out its counterpart because they have a slight edge regarding achievements.
There isn’t a team in college basketball that has been in the polls for more weeks than UNC, which is impressive when you consider the Matt Doherty era. Between Dean Smith and Roy Williams, North Carolina is home to two of the most-winningest coaches to ever grace the sport. And it’s the alma mater to several NBA legends, including the indisputable GOAT, Michael Jordan.
Kentucky Wildcats
When you look at the coaches of these schools, you’ll see that one coach gets the bulk of the titles. Kentucky has cut down the nets eight times in history but has had five coaches climb the letter to take a piece home.
Adolph Rupp was the first, and John Calipari was the last, but between those two masterminds are Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino, and Tubby Smith. On top of those eight titles, the Wildcats have the most NCAA Tournament appearances in history.
UCLA Bruins
It’s impressive to win multiple national titles as these schools have. But every university pales in comparison to the UCLA Bruins. A bulk of UCLA’s glory is when John Wooden led the school to ten titles in 12 years from 1964-1975, with seven of those (1967-1973) coming consecutively. It’s hard to refute Wooden’s and UCLA’s accolades as the best college basketball program ever on the court.
This look into the most prestigious schools in college basketball gives you an idea of what your school is chasing. If you’re lucky enough to attend one of these five institutions, you’ll have to plan your spring break around the NCAA Tournament for the next four years.
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NOTE 1: qualify for student financial aid (part of HS college calendar)
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