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

1. Duke Blue Devils

While there are a few programs who can make an argument for the top spot on this list, Duke is my selection. The Blue Devils, led by head coach Mike Krzyzewski for the entirety of the century, have been not only the most consistent program in the nation but also one of the most dominant in terms of title runs. As a brief summary of Duke’s accomplishments during the century, they have not missed a single NCAA Tournament, boast a winning percentage greater than 80%, and are tied for the most national championships. Oh, and they have reached 13 Sweet 16’s in 18 years.

Quite simply, there is not a program in the nation with a better resume in my opinion. Furthermore, in terms of individual awards, Duke has also averaged more than one AP All-American selection per season since the turn of the century. That is absolutely ridiculous. In addition, Duke has taken over the throne of the best recruiting program in the nation so success looks like it will easily be sustained.

While it is certainly difficult to pick out just a few names as the best Blue Devils of the century, here are those that were named First Team AP All-Americans: Marvin Bagley, Jahlil Okafor, Nolan Smith, J.J. Redick (2x), Sheldon Williams, Jay Williams (2x), and Shane Battier.

21st Century Highlights:

• .816 winning percentage
• 19 AP All-America selections
• 18 NCAAT appearances (44-15)
• 13 Sweet 16’s
• 4 Final Fours
• 2001, 2010, and 2015 National Championships

These programs all represent the best of the best in terms of NCAA basketball success. As the century continues on, it will be interesting to see which programs sustain their success and who ends up dropping out of the top-25.