Only two of the 24 5-star college basketball recruits in the 2020 recruiting class have made their college commitments – according to the 247Sports Composite rankings – which means there are more than 20 elite, immediate-impact players available on the recruiting trail for the 2020-21 season.
Imagine that you’re one of those players, born somewhere around the summer of 2001, and now you’re preparing to make your college commitment in the winter or next spring.
As a 5-star prospect, schools across the country are vying for your talents and you’re willing to leave your home state in order to assume a leading role for a prestigious program. But what is prestige to you, considering you have only been alive to witness a program’s success in this century?
Here’s a look at what every high-major program – defined here as schools in the AAC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC – has achieved in your lifetime, starting with the 2001-02 season.
We grouped every school by conference, listing them in descending order of the number of national championships won, then by second-weekend NCAA Tournament runs, NCAA Tournament appearances and winning percentage, respectively.
There’s no perfect way to order the schools in the conference charts below, but since NCAA Tournament success plays such a significant role in how programs and coaches are viewed, we placed extra emphasis on the tournament rather than overall winning percentage. This means Maryland is listed first in the Big Ten’s chart because of the Terrapins’ national title in 2002 as a member of the ACC.
We included vacated wins, conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in the charts below (but schools that have had wins vacated are noted) in order to reflect how current recruits might view and remember certain programs despite their transgressions.
For example, a blue-chip recruit from Kentucky might have fond memories from Louisville’s since-vacated 2013 national championship run, even though the Cardinals’ official record that season is 0-5, according to the NCAA.
The point is to try to view the college basketball landscape through the eyes of a 17- or 18-year old recruit and their experiences watching the sport throughout their childhood.
Keep in mind conference expansion and realignment when analyzing schools’ winning percentages and regular season conference titles.
AAC
| School | Record | Winning Percentage | Regular Season Conference Titles | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Sweet 16 Appearances | Final Four Appearances | National Championships |
| UConn | 421-198 | 68.0% | 4 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Memphis* | 460-167 | 73.4% | 7 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Wichita State | 427-184 | 69.9% | 6 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Cincinnati | 415-191 | 68.5% | 4 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Houston | 336-244 | 57.9% | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Temple | 355-236 | 60.1% | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tulsa | 341-244 | 58.3% | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UCF* | 338-213 | 61.3% | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SMU* | 307-261 | 54.0% | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| South Florida | 229-340 | 40.2% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tulane | 235-321 | 42.3% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| East Carolina | 228-326 | 41.2% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*School has since had wins vacated
ACC
| School | Record | Winning Percentage | Regular Season Conference Titles | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Sweet 16 Appearances | Final Four Appearances | National Championships |
| North Carolina | 480-169 | 74.0% | 9 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Duke | 526-121 | 81.3% | 3 | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| Syracuse* | 451-182 | 71.2% | 3 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| Louisville* | 458-171 | 72.8% | 4 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Virginia | 382-205 | 65.1% | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 423-194 | 68.6% | 4 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame | 397-211 | 65.3% | 0 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| NC State | 359-246 | 59.3% | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Florida State* | 368-233 | 61.2% | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Miami (FL) | 353-239 | 59.6% | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Wake Forest | 303-268 | 53.1% | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Boston College | 304-280 | 52.1% | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Clemson | 335-245 | 57.8% | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Virginia Tech | 313-269 | 53.8% | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Georgia Tech | 297-288 | 50.8% | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
*School has since had wins vacated
[RELATED: ACC Coaches Rank The Best Jobs In The Conference]
Big 12
| School | Record | Winning Percentage | Regular Season Conference Titles | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Sweet 16 Appearances | Final Four Appearances | National Championships |
| Kansas | 536-118 | 82.0% | 16 | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 |
| West Virginia | 382-231 | 62.3% | 0 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Texas | 405-215 | 65.3% | 2 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Oklahoma* | 379-214 | 63.9% | 1 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Baylor | 346-239 | 59.1% | 0 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Texas Tech | 329-267 | 55.2% | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Oklahoma State* | 366-234 | 61.0% | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Kansas State | 362-227 | 61.5% | 2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Iowa State | 341-249 | 57.8% | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| TCU | 265-316 | 45.6% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*School has since had wins vacated
[RELATED: Big 12 Coaches Rank The Best Jobs In The Conference]
Big East
| School | Record | Winning Percentage | Regular Season Conference Titles | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Sweet 16 Appearances | Final Four Appearances | National Championships |
| Villanova | 448-175 | 71.9% | 6 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Xavier | 432-183 | 70.2% | 8 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Butler | 418-189 | 68.9% | 7 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Marquette | 396-206 | 65.8% | 3 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Georgetown | 363-221 | 62.2% | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Creighton | 411-199 | 67.4% | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Providence | 320-260 | 55.2% | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seton Hall | 316-256 | 55.2% | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| St. John’s* | 279-292 | 48.9% | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DePaul | 229-335 | 40.6% | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*School has since had wins vacated
[RELATED: Big East Coaches Rank The Best Jobs In The Conference]
Big Ten
| School | Record | Winning Percentage | Regular Season Conference Titles | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Sweet 16 Appearances | Final Four Appearances | National Championships |
| Maryland | 399-205 | 66.1% | 2 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan State | 458-179 | 71.9% | 5 | 18 | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 444-177 | 71.5% | 4 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Ohio State* | 437-186 | 70.1% | 6 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Purdue | 377-223 | 62.8% | 3 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan | 386-234 | 62.3% | 2 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Indiana | 341-251 | 57.6% | 3 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Illinois | 384-232 | 62.3% | 3 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 331-266 | 55.4% | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iowa | 327-268 | 55.0% | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nebraska | 292-278 | 51.2% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northwestern | 282-287 | 49.6% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Penn State | 255-320 | 44.3% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rutgers | 243-325 | 42.8% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*School has since had wins vacated
[RELATED: Big Ten Coaches Rank The Best Jobs In The Conference]
Pac-12
| School | Record | Winning Percentage | Regular Season Conference Titles | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Sweet 16 Appearances | Final Four Appearances | National Championships |
| Arizona* | 446-173 | 72.1% | 7 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| UCLA | 398-211 | 65.4% | 4 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Oregon | 402-220 | 64.6% | 3 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Washington | 357-236 | 60.2% | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanford | 358-233 | 60.6% | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah | 348-237 | 59.5% | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| USC* | 310-275 | 53.0% | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington State | 256-307 | 45.5% | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| California | 332-252 | 56.8% | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado | 319-264 | 54.7% | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona State | 305-270 | 53.0% | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oregon State | 253-315 | 44.5% | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*School has since had wins vacated
SEC
| School | Record | Winning Percentage | Regular Season Conference Titles | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Sweet 16 Appearances | Final Four Appearances | National Championships |
| Florida | 454-183 | 71.3% | 4 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Kentucky | 498-148 | 77.1% | 7 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 |
| Tennessee | 373-227 | 62.2% | 2 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Texas A&M | 348-239 | 59.3% | 1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Missouri | 339-253 | 57.3% | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vanderbilt | 338-253 | 57.2% | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| LSU | 338-247 | 57.8% | 3 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Auburn | 293-282 | 51.0% | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Alabama | 354-244 | 59.2% | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| South Carolina | 317-273 | 53.7% | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Mississippi State | 356-240 | 59.7% | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arkansas | 334-247 | 57.5% | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ole Miss | 341-247 | 58.0% | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Georgia* | 302-272 | 52.6% | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*School has since had wins vacated
Top Takeaways
If we include Louisville’s vacated 2013 national title, only 11 schools have won a national championship since recruits in the 2020 recruiting class were born. Rising seniors in high school haven’t seen a team from the Big Ten or Pac-12 cut down the nets.
The 11 schools are listed below in descending order of number of national championships, then by Final Four appearances, Sweet 16 appearances and NCAA Tournament appearances, respectively.
| School | Record | Winning Percentage | Regular Season Conference Titles | NCAA Tournament Appearances | Sweet 16 Appearances | Final Four Appearances | National Championships |
| North Carolina | 480-169 | 74.0% | 9 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 3 |
| UConn | 421-198 | 68.0% | 4 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Duke | 526-121 | 81.3% | 3 | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| Florida | 454-183 | 71.3% | 4 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Villanova | 448-175 | 71.9% | 6 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Kansas | 536-118 | 82.0% | 16 | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 |
| Kentucky | 498-148 | 77.1% | 7 | 16 | 11 | 4 | 1 |
| Syracuse | 451-182 | 71.2% | 3 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| Louisville | 458-171 | 72.8% | 4 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Maryland | 399-205 | 66.1% | 2 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Virginia | 382-205 | 65.1% | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
The data compiled in the charts above also presents some strong contrasts between where schools stand historically and what they’ve accomplished during the lifetime of current recruits.
UCLA has won a national-best 11 national championships, but the Bruins’ three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2005-07 under Ben Howland are the only part of their since-2002 resume that is nationally elite. In seven years, high school recruits will have been born after the UCLA team featuring Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Darren Collison that went to the Final Four in 2008.
The 2002-19 resume for Indiana, which boasts five national championships (tied with Duke for the fourth-most nationally), probably ranks between sixth and eighth among current Big Ten teams. The last Final Four appearance for the Hoosiers came in 2002, which was the first year examined in this study.
Arizona has arguably accomplished the most among Pac-12 teams since the start of the 2002 season (although UCLA and its three Final Fours would beg to differ) but the Wildcats haven’t made it past the Elite Eight during that span, which could be viewed as an indictment to both Arizona and the conference as a whole since the Wildcats are one of their two marquee programs.
In the Big East, St. John’s and Georgetown are two programs with rich traditions that might draw a lot of “College basketball is better when St. John’s/Georgetown is good” comments, but both schools have been underwhelming during the lifetimes of current recruits. The Red Storm have made the NCAA Tournament just four times since 2001-02, while the Hoyas have only made it to the second weekend twice in that span.
Cincinnati, Michigan State, NC State, Oklahoma State and San Francisco have each won two national championships but only the Spartans have had multiple teams challenge for a third since 2002.
On the other hand, there are a handful of programs that have significantly raised their profiles in the last 18 years. We’re talking about schools like Villanova, which has won two of the last four national titles, after having only won one before 2002. Within the Big East, Xavier and Butler are two schools that were once feel-good mid-majors that have proven their ability for high-level success, whether it was the Musketeers earning a No. 1 seed in 2018 or the Bulldogs playing in back-to-back national championship games.
Florida won both of its national titles during the lifetimes of current recruits, while UConn won three of its four and North Carolina won three of its six championships.
MORE: What Have Power Five Football Programs Accomplished During the Lifetime of 2020 Recruits?