NCAA Basketball: 25 most successful programs of the 21st century

DURHAM, NC - MARCH 03: (L-R) Head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils talks to head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels before their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: Brunson #1 of the Villanova Wildcats raises the trophy. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

7. Villanova Wildcats

After winning two championships in three years, Villanova has skyrocketed up these lists. For a number of years, the Wildcats were seen as a program who consistently fell short of expectations in the NCAA Tournament. Yet, Jay Wright now has three Final Fours and two titles to his decorated name as one of the best coaches in college basketball.

From 2004-05 to present, Villanova has missed just one NCAA Tournament and is one of the most consistent programs in the country. In addition, the Wildcats have emerged as the clear-cut top program in the “new” Big East, which is one of the best conferences in the nation. Their dominance as a member of this league (top-2 NCAA Tournament seeds in each of the last five seasons) is incredibly impressive.

Still, even with this outstanding string of successful years, it was too hard to overcome missing the Big Dance in each of the first four years of the century to creep into the top-5. Regardless, all of these incredibly successful players were named All-Americans as Wildcats: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Scottie Reynolds, Randy Foye, Allan Ray, and Michael Bradley.

21st Century Highlights:

.712 winning percentage
7 AP All-America selections
13 NCAAT appearances (27-11)
6 Sweet 16’s
3 Final Fours
2016 and 2018 National Championships

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