Yesterday, Fansided listed the 75 Most Successful Programs in NCAA Tournament History and let me tell you Bruin fans, you are not going to like it. Aside from good analysis of 75 of the best post-season teams in tourney history, the list bases their results with a point system, breaking down the best squads since 1939. Now although it is accurate in listing teams that have historically done a lot in the NCAA Tournament, it is questionable in pinpointing true “success” in the Big Dance. Why do I write this? UCLA was not ranked #1.
Betsided
In the article, the author states, “There is more to success than simply winning championships.” Well that is true if you are not actually winning championships. The article considers it successful to make it to the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four and be the national runner-up, which it is, if you are a mid-major or USC, but the bigger programs are not looking to be one of the final teams still in the tournament, they are looking to be champions. Always.
The article uses a point system to gauge the success of teams since 1939, counting every time a schools make it to the Sweet Sixteen (3 pts), Elite Eight (4 pts), Final Four (5 pts), is the national runner-up (6 pts) and the National Champions (10 pts). Aside from the point system, which is the questionable part of the format determining successful programs, it gives a lot of credit to things that are not the National Championship. In essence, the list counts when a team makes it to the Sweet Sixteen and loses. It counts when teams make it to the Elite Eight and lose. It counts when a team makes it to, well, you get the picture. Anyway, here is the Top 5 successful programs in NCAA Tournament History according Fansided:
Oct 22, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari speaks with the media during the SEC media day at the Ballantyne Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
5. Kansas
4. Duke
3. North Carolina
2. UCLA
1. Kentucky
Kentucky? Really?
The list basically minimizes the efforts of the only true measure of success in the NCAA Tournament, which is actual championships. Sorry but (WARNING: pompousness ahead), UCLA and most of the college basketball loving nation does not count Sweet Sixteens, Elite Eights and being the national runner-up as success. Final Fours can be seen as successful to a point. There is something to be said about being one of the last four teams in a pool of the 68 best teams in the country, but nobody remembers who the Final Four teams were (as well as the runner-up, in some cases) in any given year. They remember the Champions! As the saying goes around Westwood, “We do not hang Final Four banners.”
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Pompous? Very. But when you have the most championships in NCAA history, you can say what you want.
With that, here is an alternate view of the most successful programs in NCAA Tournament History. Using Fansided’s Top 5 teams (listed above) I will give evidence to why UCLA IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM IN NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY!
The article considers everything from Sweet Sixteens to being the runner-up as success. Well if you consider the percentage of championship success as oppose to just making it a deep in the tourney, you will see a different outcome.
Let us consider how many times these five teams have been crowned champions as oppose to just getting to the tourney:
Now let us consider championships won compared to Sweet Sixteen appearances:
And now for the kicker, the most success in the championship game:
Mar 15, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA Bruins celebrates with the championship trophy after the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference college basketball tournament against the Arizona Wildcats at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Bruins defeated the Wildcats 75-71. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
As you can see, UCLA not only has the most championships, but are the most efficient at winning championships. That is what success is.
Still, they do good stuff over there at Fansided’s College Basketball division and I encourage you to read their work more often. Just because you do not agree with someone, does not make them wrong. As is the case for this piece. I am not saying they are wrong, I just wanted to offer an alternative view as to which school had the most success in the history of the NCAA Tournament. I may be a bit biased, but those charts above are not, giving proof that Bruin basketball is the most successful in the tourney. And UCLA rules!
Go Bruins!