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NCAA Basketball: Ranking the top 25 programs of all time

By Brian Rauf

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils grabs a rebound against the kentucky Wildcats during the State Farm Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 6, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the Duke Blue Devils grabs a rebound against the kentucky Wildcats during the State Farm Champions Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 6, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 10: UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero introduces Mick Cronin as the new UCLA Mens Head Basketball Coach at Pauley Pavilion on April 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 10: UCLA Director of Athletics Dan Guerrero introduces Mick Cronin as the new UCLA Mens Head Basketball Coach at Pauley Pavilion on April 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Best NCAA Basketball programs of all-time: 5. UCLA basketball

UCLA has more national championships than any other Division I men’s basketball program with 11, a merit that puts them near the top of any discussion of great programs by default.

The Bruins were undoubtedly the class of the sport when John Wooden served as the head coach. From 1962-1975, UCLA won 10 national championships, appeared in 12 Final Fours, and won 13 conference championships. They also won 88 consecutive games from 1971–1974 – still the longest win streak in the sport – and were ranked for 221 consecutive weeks from 1966–1980.

Since 1980, however, the Bruins haven’t achieved anywhere near that same level of success (then again, the UConn women and the New England Patriots are the only teams in sports that have really come close). They have been to four more Final Fours (1995, 2006, 2007, 2008) to bring their all-time total to 18, and they won another national championship (1995), too.

The Bruins have also only won the Pac-12 once this decade and haven’t advanced past the Sweet 16 since that 2008 Final Four run.

The question with UCLA becomes about whether they’re an all-time great program, or just had an all-time great era.

For me, the answer lies in between. It’s impossible to deny that a vast major of its accomplishments as a program came during a relatively short stretch in its history. At the same time, those still count! And it’s not like UCLA has been terrible since Wooden retired. In fact, far from it.

You could argue that they should consistently stay at the top of the Pac-12 much more than they have in recent history, and you could argue they should consistently compete for Final Fours and national championship much more than they have in recent history. Both of those criticisms are valid and play a role in why the Bruins are only No. 5 on this list.

But it’s impossible to leave a program with the most national championships and second-most Final Four appearances out of the top five.

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