The Connecticut men are national champions for the fifth time since 1999, solidifying themselves as the most dominant program in the modern era.
When it comes to discussing college basketball 'blue bloods,' Connecticut usually gets left out. Historically, programs like UCLA, North Carolina, and Duke boast superior resumes, and rank above the Huskies in terms of college basketball royalty.
After winning its fifth national title in since 1999 on Monday night, the program built by Jim Calhoun - and continued by Dan Hurley - undoubtedly belongs alongside the kings of college basketball. No men's program has more championships that UConn in the last quarter-century.
Let’s take a look at where Connecticut now ranks among the all-time great men's programs.
Which schools have won the most championships?
There are 36 schools which have won at least one national title, with just 15 of those lifting multiple championships.
The most successful program in men's tournament history is UCLA, having won 11 championships. However, the Bruins won 10 of those 11 titles during a dominant spell in the 1960s and 70s, with their last triumph coming in 1995.
Kentucky follows with eight championships, the last of which came in 2012 when current Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis led them to glory.
North Carolina is the third-most successful program in the history of the competition. The Tar Heels have made more appearances in the Final Four (21) than any other team. They have progressed to the national championship on 12 occasions, winning half of those.
Sitting at five national championships are Duke, Indiana, and now Connecticut. The Huskies have won all five of their titles since 1999, making them the most successful men's program in the modern era. The next-best programs in that span are Duke (three titles) and UNC (three titles). Indiana won all five of its titles between 1940 and 1987.
Kansas won the 2022 men's tournament, making the Jayhawks the sixth-most successful school in NCAA history with four titles. They will be out to become the first program to win back-to-back national titles since the University of Florida in 2007.
Two conferences – the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pac-12 Conference – boast 33 previous winners between them. The likes of Duke and North Carolina make up the bulk of the ACC wins, while UCLA has won 11 of the 16 titles won by Pac-12 programs.
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Which coaches have won the most championships?
No one has come close to John Wooden, who is the most successful coach in men's college basketball history. He coached UCLA from 1948 to 1975, leading the Bruins to 10 of the 11 titles won by the program.
It took 16 years for Wooden to claim his first title in 1964 before going on to win nine more in the next 11 years before his retirement. That includes an unmatched streak of seven consecutive titles between 1967 and 1973.
After that, it’s Mike Krzyzewski, who retired from his illustrious coaching career at Duke after last year's tournament. He was in charge for all five national titles won by the Blue Devils during a 32-year spell as head coach. He picked up the last of those titles in 2015, defeating Wisconsin in the national championship.
The most successful active coach heading into this year’s tournament is Bill Self, after collecting his second championship with the Jayhawks last year.
Self guided Kansas to the program’s third title back in 2008, an overtime thriller against the John Calipari-coached Memphis. That 14-year gap between wins is the longest between championships of any coach who has won it all multiple times.
Every School With 3+ Titles
| Team | No of wins | Years |
| UCLA | 11 | 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975,1995 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 |
| UConn | 5 | 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023 |
| Duke | 5 | 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 |
| Indiana | 5 | 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987 |
| Kansas | 4 | 1952, 1988, 2008, 2022 |
| Villanova | 3 | 1985, 2016, 2018 |
