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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ARLINGTON, TX – MARCH 31: Head coach John Beilein of the Michigan Wolverines cuts down the net. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

20. Michigan Wolverines

Michigan was an extremely difficult team to rank in this list. This is mainly due to the fact that although the Wolverines have two Final Four appearances on their resume, they have also only been a successful program in the latter half of this century. More specifically, the team did not make a single NCAA Tournament appearance in the 21st century until 2008-09, which happened to be the second year of current head coach John Beilein’s career at Michigan.

However, Coach Beilein’s reign has been so successful that Michigan warrants a spot on this list. Since he took over at the helm, the Wolverines have reached the NCAA Tournament in eight out of 11 seasons and have been ranked in the top-25 of the final AP poll on five separate occasions. In addition, the program had made two separate trips to the Final Four, one in 2013 and the other in 2018.

Although maybe not on the level of the “Fab Five”, there have been several excellent players who have suited up for Michigan this century. Some of these include Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas, and Manny Harris.

21st Century Highlights:

.599 winning percentage
2 AP All-America selections
8 NCAAT appearances (18-8)
4 Sweet 16’s
2 Final Fours

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