The House That Calhoun Built - Exploring UConn's Legacy

Kentucky, UNC, Duke, UCLA, Michigan State, Indiana, Kansas. If you were to ask someone to list the greatest college basketball programs of all time you would probably get a list similar to that one. A few others might grace the list, from Louisville to Connecticut, to the occasional Florida and Georgetown or even wildcards like NC State. Yet the discussion on the upper echelon of college basketball is largely set. Connecticut's magical run in this years tournament raises questions of whether they can finally break into the highest tier of college basketball legacy. The guys over at FiveThirtyEight have made it clear UConn's Men and Women's team combine to be the the best program of all time. Yet, given their recent accomplishments, the Men's team alone makes a excellent case for the best program in the last twenty years. Here's why:
   

Jim Calhoun has led the Huskies to three
National Titles and four Final Four appearances

In May of 1986, the winningest coach in Northeastern University basketball history packed his bags for Connecticut. Jim Calhoun would spend the next 26 years coaching the University of Connecticut Men's Basketball team, building the program into, arguably, the best of the past 20 years. During Calhoun's tenure, the Huskies made 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, 13 times reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Combined with nine Elite Eights, four Final Fours, and three Championships, Calhoun built a Hall of Fame career coaching the Huskies. Following Calhoun's departure from the school, former Connecticut guard Kevin Ollie has taken the helm. The success garnered by Ollie in his first two years as head coach, including two 20 win seasons, and an NCAA Championship offers hope for a bright future at Connecticut, assuming he chooses to re-sign.

However, what has been most impressive about the Huskies over the last twenty years has been the era in which they've played. Without taking anything away from the great John Wooden UCLA teams, or any team to win consistently before the 1980s, the Huskies have accomplished more than anyone else in, arguably, the most balanced era of college basketball. Since the '94 tournament, the Huskies have appeared in 9 Elite Eights, and 5 Final Fours, while posting 16 twenty win seasons. Over that span, the Huskies have never had a losing season, and won 30+ games eight times. In an era where twelve programs have won an NCAA Championship in the past twenty years, Connecticut leads the pack with four titles, followed by Kentucky with three and Duke, North Carolina, and Florida with two. Yet despite their on the court excellence, for many, UConn doesn't fit the bill as an elite college basketball program. Perhaps this years championship can change some minds.