Top 10 college basketball programs with highest winning percentage of all time ft. Kentucky
College basketball fans love to win, and Kentucky has certainly done its fair share of winning over the years. The Wildcats have the most wins in NCAA history and the second most national titles, behind only UCLA. Perhaps a bit less publicized is that Kentucky boasts the top winning percentage in college basketball of all time.
Among active Division I teams, here's the top 10 college basketball teams in winning percentage.
Top 10 college basketball programs with highest winning percentage
#10. Memphis (.670)
The Tigers barely make the top 10 list, as they lead Belmont by about a 10th of one percent in winning percentage. Penny Hardaway's school has been to three Final Fours, although two were vacated by the NCAA. The Tigers reached the national title game twice, but have never won an NCAA crown.
#9. North Dakota State (.674)
NDSU has some history from before 1927 and then entered Division I in 2005. They've yet to reach an NCAA Sweet 16 but have racked up an impressive winning percentage. The Bison reached the round of 32 in 2014 after they beat No. 5 seed Oklahoma.
#8. Syracuse (.682)
The Orangemen have been around so long that they claim a pair of pre-NCAA Tournament titles in 1918 and 1926. In the modern era, Syracuse has reached the Final Four six times, including a national title win in 2003 with NBA icon Carmelo Anthony.
Coach Jim Boeheim's 1,116 wins at the school (101 of those vacated by the NCAA) are a big part of Syracuse's storied college basketball history.
#7. UNLV (.685)
For a time in the late 1980s and early 1990s, UNLV was an outlaw program that dominated college basketball. Jerry Tarkanian's Rebels reached the Final Four in 1977, 1987, 1990 and 1991. They won a national title in 1990 and were undefeated in 1991 before being beaten by Duke. UNLV had gone to a Final Four before Tarkanian in 1977, but they haven't been back since he left UNLV in 1992.
#6. UCLA (.688)
UCLA has reached 19 Final Fours (one vacated by the NCAA) and won 11 national titles. John Wooden's run of titles remains astonishing: 1964, 1965, 1967-1973 and 1975. Since then, UCLA added another title in 1995. The school has made seven (or six, by NCAA count) Final Fours since Wooden.
#5. Charleston (.690)
Charleston jumped to Division I in 1991. The Cougars have qualified for the NCAA Tournament seven times and reached the round of 32 in 1997. Charleston took down No. 5 seed Maryland that season. Charleston did win an NAIA national title in 1983.
#4. Duke (.712)
Before the hiring of Mike Krzyzewski in 1980, Duke had a nice program, but nothing super special, with four Final Four appearances and no NCAA titles. Now, Duke has been to 17 Final Fours and won five NCAA titles. The issue for the Blue Devils is that all those new accomplishments are tied to Krzyzewski and the question remains of how much Duke can do without him.
#3. Kansas (.729)
A perennial power, Kansas has reached 16 Final Fours (one vacated by the NCAA). The Jayhawks have won four national titles with the last coming in 2022. With ties back to James Naismith and an impressive array of star players from Wilt Chamberlain to Paul Pierce, Kansas's legacy speaks for itself.
#2. North Carolina (.734)
With an NCAA-best 21 Final Four appearances and six NCAA crowns, UNC remains one of the major powers of college basketball. UNC has also finished as runners-up six times, so with a little better big-game luck, the Tar Heels could have lapped Kentucky and be closing in on UCLA for national titles won. Stars from Michael Jordan to Vince Carter hailed from Carolina's brilliant program.
#1. Kentucky (.760)
With 17 Final Fours and eight NCAA titles, Kentucky belongs on top of the list of college blue bloods. Add in that 2.6% lead over the field in the NCAA winning percentage totals.
Kentucky won titles in five different decades and with five different coaches. It's a period of transition at Kentucky currently, but the history of the program is rich indeed.
Are there surprises missing from this college basketball list? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.