College Basketball’s 10 Winningest Teams

March Madness truly brings out the basketball beast in every one of us! It’s my favorite time of year for CBB action, and the fierce competition in this knockout-style tournament is testament to that. According to the NCAA, the state with the greatest number of men’s basketball victories for NCAA Division 1 is none other than New York state.  

Incidentally, New York state features 22 active Division 1 college basketball programs, bested only by Texas at 23, and California at 25.  But does New York trump the competition when it comes to the top 10 winningest CBB teams? We’re about to find out just how strong the 10 winningest college basketball teams are, let’s start shooting some hoops!

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* Indiana Hoosiers

The Indiana Hoosiers have played 120 seasons of Division I college basketball with a record of 1852 wins and 1065 losses, for a win/loss percentage of 0.635. As part of the Big Ten and Western conferences, the Indiana Hoosiers lay claim to 22 Conference Championships, 8 Final Fours, and 5 Championships. They were the NCAA champions in 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, and 1987.

* St John's

St John's play straight out of Queens, New York. This team has played in 113 seasons of CBB Division 1 basketball, with an impressive record of 1916 wins, 1045 losses, and a win/loss percentage of 0.647. They are part of the Big East conference, but they also participate in several other conferences including Ind, Metro NY, and NJNY7. St John's have been crowned conference champions 14 times during the regular season and 3 times during tournament season, and in the NCAA tournament, they've made 2 Final Four berths.

* Notre Dame

Notre Dame is located in Indiana, and their record is certainly impressive with 1901 wins, 1041 losses, and a win/loss percentage of 0.646. They play in the Big East, ACC, and Ind Conferences. They are also 1 Time Conference Champions, with 1 x Final Four finish in the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, Notre Dame have not won the NCAA Championship yet.

* UCLA

The UCLA Bruins play out of Los Angeles, California. They have competed in 101 seasons with an impressive record of 1909 wins and 868 losses. UCLA has a win/loss percentage of 0.687. They are part of the Pac-12, Pac-10, Pac-8, Ind, PCC, and AAWU conferences. UCLA has performed incredibly well over the years with 18 x Final Fours and 11 Championships. They won the NCAA Championships in the following years, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, and again in 1995.

* Syracuse

Syracuse plays out of New York and they are one of only a handful of CBB teams to have more than 2,000 CBB wins. Currently they have won 2025 times, with 922 losses, and an impressive win/loss percentage of 0.687. They are part of the ACC, Ind, and Big East Conference. Syracuse has won the Conference Championship 10 times, with 6 Final Fours, and 1 Championship title in 2003.

* Temple

Temple Owls play out of Philadelphia, and have competed in 124 seasons of CBB college basketball Division 1. The team has an impressive 1940 wins, 1096 losses, and a win/loss ratio of 0.639. They are part of the AAC, A-10, Mid-Atlantic, ECC, Ind, and EIC Conferences. They have been crowned conference champs 20 times during the regular season and 10 times as tournament champs.

* Duke

Duke is one of the finest CBB Division 1 teams of all time. They currently have 2201 wins, 893 losses, and a win/loss ratio of 0.711. The Duke Blue Devils are part of the ACC, Southern, and Ind conferences. They have been crowned Conference Champs 22 times during the regular season, and 26 times as Tournament Champs. In the NCAA Tournament, Duke has made 16 Final Fours and won 5 Championships. Truly a great contender for one of the best teams ever!

* North Carolina

Few teams can compare to spectacular success of the North Carolina Tar Heels. This team has competed in 110 seasons of CBB basketball. Their record speaks volumes: 2274 wins, 817 losses, and a spectacular win/loss ratio of 0.736. They play in the ACC, Southern and Ind conferences. They have won their conferences 39 times during the regular season, and 26 times during tournaments. In the NCAA tournament, North Carolina has made 20 Final Fours and won 6 Championships.

* Kansas

The Kansas Jayhawks have competed in 122 seasons with an amazing winning record of 2302 wins and 862 losses. Their 0.728 win/loss record is among the best ever. Kansas plays in the Big 12, Big 8, Big 7, Big 6, Ind, and MVC Conferences. The Kansas Jayhawks won the NCAA Tournament 61 times during the regular season and 15 times during tournaments. They were crowned NCAA Champions 3 times, in 1952, 1988, and 2008.

* Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats play out of Lexington, with 117 seasons under their belts. They have a stellar record of 2320 wins and 713 losses, with a win/loss ratio of 0.765. They compete in the Southern, SEC, and Ind Conferences. The Kentucky Wildcats were conference champions 55 times during the regular season, and 33 times during tournaments. In the NCAA Tournament, they have made 17 Final Fours and won 8 Championships!

There you have it guys! The Top 10 College Basketball Winningest teams. Ready to bet on NCAA basketball? Check out the basketball odds at 888sport NJ!

* Photo by Michael Woods and AP - Kentucky Wildcats