NCAA Basketball: Ranking the top 25 programs of all time

Best NCAA Basketball programs of all-time: 2. North Carolina basketball

One of the biggest reasons the UNC-Duke rivalry is so great is because no other rivalry pits programs of this magnitude against each other – and they’re only eight miles apart!

That rivalry is has been famously even throughout the past 50 years, but it’s North Carolina that has the edge when it comes to program prestige and accomplishments.

The Tar Heels rank third in wins (2,261), second in win percentage (.739), second in weeks ranked in the AP poll, second in NCAA Tournament appearances (50), first with most Final Four appearances (20), and third in NCAA tournament titles (six).

All those key metrics beat Duke’s accomplishments, and that doesn’t even take into consideration their dominance in the ACC. A founding member of the conference in 1953, they have won a record 33 regular season titles to go along with 18 ACC Tournaments.

Additionally, the Tar Heels also holds the NCAA marks for most times as a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance (17), most victories over a team ranked No. 1 in the AP poll (14), and most consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins (31).

North Carolina has two coaches they can thank for almost all of this dominance in Dean Smith and Roy Williams. Smith, who coached the program from 1961-1997, led the Heels to two national titles and 11 Final Fours. Williams, who was an assistant under Smith and has been the head coach since 2003, has won three national titles and been to five Final Fours with UNC.