So where does Jim Calhoun and his Connecticut program stack up all time? We've compiled a list of the all-time top 10 programs. The Huskies checked in at No. 7. Don't worry, we'll explain everything.
Duke not in the top 4 all time? It was actually an easy decision. This list is about top programs, not top coaches. We’ve seen what North Carolina (Dean Smith), Kansas (Phog Allen), UCLA (John Wooden) and Kentucky (Adolph Rupp) look like without their chief architects. The aforementioned schools have all thrived under different coaches over the decades and have remained household names.
We have no idea what Duke, Connecticut, Michigan State or Syracuse will look like without their current coaches. The one season Duke didn’t have Krzyzewski (the coach had hip surgery in 1994-1995) the Blue Devils went 13-18 (2-14 ACC) and missed the tournament. This isn’t to say Duke couldn’t thrive without Krzyzewski, but we’d like to see it happen.
Indiana – The Hoosiers haven’t been relevant on the national stage since Mike Davis led them to the NCAA Final in 2002. Since then, the Hoosiers, who have made it past the second round just once, have fallen on hard times. In fact, Indiana made the NCAA Tournament last season under Tom Crean for the first time since 2008. Crean led them to the Sweet 16 last year. The Hoosiers have missed six of the last 12 NCAA Tournaments. It’s hard to justify keeping them in the Top 10.
Honorable Mention
Louisville - Denny Crum started something special at Freedom Hall, winning two national titles. Rick Pitino has kept things going with three Elite Eight and two Final Four appearances. The program has made nine Final Fours and a dozen Elite Eight appearances overall.
