No. 1 – Kentucky

“It started in 1903… Seven national titles later, an NCAA-best 1,795 wins, an NCAA-best .763 winning percentage and the most intense cultural impact on a state populous in the game make Kentucky the greatest program.
“36 All-Americans, five Hall-of-Famers, 13 Final Four appearances, 41 SEC Championships, the most NCAA Tournament appearances and wins, most 30-win seasons (10), just one losing season since 1927 and the incubator for inventions such as the fast break.

“But while through the years, the program that Adolph Rupp built into a dynasty beginning in 1931 has generally been excellent, it has also been relentlessly followed. It is that ability to connect with the fans, to become the pride of its state that shoves it past UCLA, which has more crowns but not similar support from fans. Consider Kentucky has led the nation in attendance in each of the last six years despite not having the largest building. The tradition – fervency that gets people to camp out for over a month to attend practice and make a small Southern state a basketball mecca – is its most endearing element.

“Kentucky isn’t the only school that has achieved sustained greatness and made an impact on the people around it, but none has done it better.”

Dan Wetzel
Senior Writer
CBS Sportsline.com

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