Candid Coaches: Who is the best college basketball team of the 21st century?

We’re in the final week of our 2026 Candid Coaches series. Links to all previous questions are at the bottom of this story. In July and August, college basketball insiders Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander polled nearly 100 men’s Division I coaches on a variety of questions about the sport. Honesty was exchanged for anonymity. Today, question No. 8, is a walk down memory lane.

Nothing sparks a great sports debate like a topic with an answer that is not empirically provable, and today we have just that. 

So let’s take a stroll through the past and stir up some nostalgia.

Scan across the past 26 seasons and you can be reminded of at least 20 teams that deserve the “great” label. There have been some iconic squads in the previous quarter century of college ball. It’s not just national champions, either. Statistically, some of the best teams in the past two-plus decades didn’t win it all. Conversely, we’ve seen a few NCAA Tournament champions that were far from the best team in their given season.

Every year we are guaranteed at least a few really good teams. In most seasons, we get at least one great one.

But then there is the class that is a cut above. A select batch of teams that will be referenced and remembered generations after their achievements.

Twenty-six years into the 21st century, whose legacies stand the tallest? 

We asked the coaches for their input. 

Who’s the best college basketball team of the 21st century?

Others that received multiple votes:

»» 2004-05 North Carolina (33-4)
»» 2008-09 North Carolina (34-4)

Teams that received one vote:

»» 2001-02 Duke (31-4)
»» 2004-05 Illinois (37-2)
»» 2005-06 Florida (33-6)
»» 2007-08 Kansas (37-3)
»» 2014-15 Wisconsin (31-5)
»» 2020-21 Baylor (28-2)
»» 2022-23 UConn (31-8)

Quotes that stood out

2023-24 Connecticut

• “Insanely dominant. Five NBA players in the starting lineup. Best coach in the sport on the sidelines.”
• “Not sure we will see as dominant a performance during the NCAA tourney again. Felt like they just beat everyone by 30.”
• “I’m torn between 2009 North Carolina and 2024 UConn. I’ll give the nod to UConn for two reasons. No. 1: They beat Purdue in the national championship game easily. That Purdue team was really damn good. No. 2 UNC didn’t win the ACC tournament that year, losing to Florida State in the semis.”
• “No. 1 offense, No. 4 defense at KenPom. Didn’t lose from mid-February on. Big, skilled, disciplined, deep. One of the best coaches in college basketball, best players that year. I would have probably picked Michigan last year but didn’t want to have recency bias.”
• “Recency bias pushes me to 2024 UConn. Having the ability to go back-to-back and winning in the tourney by virtual blowouts every time was just impressive. They were tough and disciplined, but as good on offense as they were on defense. They were elite in every area!”

2000-01 Duke

• “In my opinion, Jason Williams is the best college point guard of all time. Carlos Boozer, Shane Battier, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Chris Duhon. As a coach, I would have had nightmares in an attempt to game-plan for this squad.”
• “They had every quality. Elite talent, veteran leadership, NBA players at every position, and they finished the job. Some other phenomenal teams since then: 2011-2012 Kentucky and 2017-18 Villanova.”
• “Four first-round picks. People forget how good Jason Williams was because his pro career got cut short.”
• “They won the national championship while winning every NCAA Tournament game by double digits. They were ACC regular-season and tournament champions. Team consisted of arguably two national players of the year in Shane Battier and Jason Williams, in addition to future NBA talents like Carlos Boozer, Chris Duhon and Mike Dunleavy. They were historically efficient (second-best KenPom team of all-time at the end of that season). Margin of victory over the season that year: 20-plus.” 

2025-26 Michigan

• “The f—ing Michigan team from last year. Three lottery picks, beat the sh– out of everyone” 
• “Obviously some recency bias, but the sheer size, victory margins versus top-10 teams and talent accumulation — plus high-level coaching that Michigan had last year— quite possibly wouldn’t be possible in a non-NIL era.” 
• “Michigan last year broke many of the analytic formulas. They definitely stand out. They didn’t have a weakness and had an overwhelming front line. Hard to have a more dominating year than what they had last year. “
• “’25-26 Michigan. I get it, not that original, but best KenPom rating ever, blew the doors off teams starting at the Players Era in November and into the NCAA tournament in March. Also won a tough clash of styles title game with UConn. Don’t forget three lottery picks. Add Trey McKenney and they’ll potentially finish with four lottery picks off that team.”

2017-18 Villanova

• “They were No. 1 in 3-point percentage, No. 4 in 2-point percentage. The team shot 40% from 3 (six guys 38% or better). NCAA single-season record for 3s made. 5-man mismatch. Point guard mismatch in the post. Best defender in college basketball (Mikal Bridges). Any one of six guys could lead you in scoring on a given night.” 
• “Had to play those guys two times that year. Damn they were good!”
• “We played them in [that NCAA Tournament]. That was a Jalen Brunson team. Their top seven or eight, they could all dribble pass and shoot at an elite level. Their top seven played in NBA.”

2006-07 Florida

• “They had everything and were extremely connected. Takes a special team to be picked to win in the preseason and be the best team all year and win it.”
• “We played that team several times while I was in the SEC. Because of kids leaving for the NBA so rapidly, it’s difficult to imagine team having that type of talent and chemistry within program — players and coaches. That’s why I’m picking this years Florida team to win it all.”
• “The experience, size, versatility and ability to dominate both sides of the floor. Six eventual NBA players plus Lee Humphrey and Walter Hodge. Multiple guys could have off nights and they’d still be fine. This is a team that shot 40% from 3 over the season, forced 16-plus turnovers per game and beat teams on an average of nearly 20 points per game.”
• “To have all return, including Billy, then defend your title … didn’t even second-guess.”

2011-12 Kentucky

• “They had only two losses, right? One was at the buzzer [at Indiana]. They had the first and second picks in that draft. You look at their tournament run, their championship game — they dominated another really good team.”

2014-15 Kentucky

• “2014-15 Kentucky to me was the most dominant team of the last 25 years. As we know they didn’t win the national championship but they were incredible all year!”
• “I think it’s 2015 Kentucky. I don’t think it’s close. Two wins away from immortality. They had KAT. I mean, look at the guys that didn’t start. Look at Devin Booker, he didn’t even start on that team. That was Cal’s best team.” 

The takeaway

Well: Do you agree with the top team? 

There was no runaway No. 1 choice here, but the ’23-24 Connecticut Huskies do hold a couple of records that give them a strong case as the best team so far into this century. As reigning champs, they swept the Big East regular and postseason titles and received the No. 1 overall seed … then proceeded to break the record that was set by the 2022-23 national champs. Dan Hurley’s second title team won six NCAA Tournament games by double digits (with every win by at least 14 points) and an average of margin of victory of 23.3. If we flash forward 50 years into the future, is that still the record? Oh, and the 2023-24 Huskies trailed for only 6 minutes in 22 seconds total in six games of tournament play.

Astounding stuff, and given how recently it happened, it’s no shock that team came out on top. 

Now, if I had to pick the best team of the past 26 years, I would choose the one that got the second-most votes. 

I wondered if the coaches might collectively underrate the first team that was chronologically eligible. Nope. The 2000-01 Duke team was positively loaded. Five former five-star high school prospects — and that doesn’t include the team’s best player that season. Shane Battier wasn’t even a blue-chip recruit when he joined the program in 1997. The thing that puts ’01 Duke over ’24 UConn for me: Battier and Jay Williams both won NPOY honors that season. That Duke team beat 13 ranked opponents, which was a record until last season’s Arizona team beat it with 14. At KenPom, that Duke team was almost five full points in efficiency margin better than the No. 2 team in 2000-01, Stanford, making them one of the three most dominant in-season teams in that regard this century. 

Last season’s Michigan team has a case and rightfully got a slew of votes. U-M’s Players Era demolition (three wins by 110 points) set a record for largest margin of victory in a regular-season event. The Wolverines were the first Portal Monster team in this new era of hyper transferring. They had a First Team All-American in Yaxel Lendeborg and set a Big Ten record with 21 wins over league opponents — and set a league record by going +713 in points margin for the season. Michigan was the first Big Ten team to win every road game since undefeated Indiana in 1975-76. Dusty May’s team is the only one in tournament history to score 90 or more in five straight tournament games.

Michigan’s best case: It has the second-best KenPom season ever (to 1998-99 Duke) with a +39.70 efficiency margin.

Then we move to the 2017-18 Villanova Wildcats, who ironically were the 2-seed in the Big East Tournament. (Xavier was the No. 1 seed on a tiebreaker that season.) But that crew of Jalen Brunson, Collin Gillespie, Mikal Bridges, Omari Spellman, Donte DiVincenzo and Co. Unlike the three teams that got more votes, Villanova won every conference tournament game AND NCAA Tournament game by double digits. Brunson was the National Player of the Year. Nova sank more 3s that season (464) and in that NCAA tourney (76) than any team theretofore. A true juggernaut — and not the team that won at the buzzer; that was Kris Jenkins in 2016.

I knew the 2006-07 Florida Gators would get some love, and rightfully so. Although one coach voted for the 2005-06 team with largely the same cast (and that team did have a better KenPom finish), the ’06-07 Gators carry a special legacy for going back-to-back with a Hall of Fame coach and a group of players (Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green) that collectively made the choice to put off NBA pursuits and do something special. That’s exactly what they accomplished — and did so while thwarting a dangerous UCLA team and besting an Ohio State team that had won 22 straight going into the national title game. Man, I miss those days.

Now let’s talk Kentucky. To me, the 2011-12 Wildcats with Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague is the second-best team of the 21st century. Got Watford’d at Indiana and then randomly lost to Vanderbilt in the SEC tourney. Those are the only losses. Davis was a unique college one-and-done talent. A 38-2 record and the crystallization of what one-and-done could be at its best with Calipari operating at the peak of his powers. I was surprised this team didn’t finish in the top four.

And even more surprised that 38-1 Kentucky was a definitive seventh in the voting, but it goes to show how valuable winning a national title is. Because had Kentucky defeated Wisconsin in the Final Four and then gone on to beat Duke in that title game in Indy in 2015, we wouldn’t have even asked this question because there would be no debate on who the best team of the 21st century was. A 40-0 team would be regarded as the best since the 1970s, if not the best in history. 

What’s not up for debate: 2014-15 Kentucky is on the shortest of short list of best non-champions ever, right there with 1998-99 Duke, 1990-91 UNLV and 1982-83 Houston.

Another blue blood that had two teams receive multiple votes: North Carolina. And it’s when we get this deep into the ballots that we realize how lucky college hoops has been to have about 10 title-winning teams in the past 26 seasons that are a tier or two above the rest. The 2008-09 team had Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington just tearing through the NCAAs with all six wins by double digits. A true coronation, as the ’08-09 Heels still carry the distinction of being the most recent team to be preseason No. 1 and then go full circle with an NCAA championship.

But I like the 2004-05 Carolina team a smidge more. It beat one of the best non-champs of the 21st century (37-2 Illinois) behind the firepower of Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants and Jawad Williams. The No. 2 pick in the draft, Marvin Williams, came off the bench. Incredibly smooth and powerful offensive team. A beast of a bygone era of college basketball. Was glad this team got some votes — but deserved a few more.

Two best title-winning teams not to receive a vote

While I think the list accurately represents the best of the best over the past 26 years, there are two teams that didn’t get a vote that I expected to receive at least one apiece. First, the 2024-25 Florida club (36-4) that emerged as a national champion after beating two other 1-seeds in the Final Four and was symbolically significant as the representative for the best single-season conference ever. Remember, the SEC got 14 bids that season, something that will never be matched again in terms of ratio due to the forthcoming expansion of the NCAA Tournament. 

The other: 2012-13 Louisville. That Rick Pitino team with Russ Smith and Peyton Siva is one of just four No. 1 overall seeds to win the national title and had the best defense that season with a 35-5 record. 

Best non-title-winning teams not to receive a vote

For my money, the three best teams to not win the title since 2000 and also did not get a vote in this poll: 2007-08 Memphis, 2020-21 Gonzaga and 2023-24 Duke. The Memphis team was a made free throw away from beating Kansas, which surprisingly only received one vote in this poll. That 2007-08 Kansas team is one of the 10 best of the 21st century and should have gotten at least three nods. 

My opinion will remain unchanged on 2020-21 Gonzaga, which continues apace as one of the most underrated teams of this century. Had Gonzaga won one more game and defeated Baylor for an undefeated season, it would be in the convo as one of the five best teams of the past 25 years. But a no-show in the title game affected that team’s reputation in a significant way.

Had Duke not choked against Houston in the 2024 Final Four, and had Duke managed to beat Florida in the title game (which was no given), then Cooper Flagg and company would’ve easily received multiple votes in this survey. Five NBA picks, one of the best one-and-done players ever and an NCAA title after making the Final Four with all No. 1 seeds. 

But that’s why winning it all carries such massive cachet. The teams with the longest-lasting legacies are the ones who validate their greatness by winning the last game on the schedule. Be it the 2024 Huskies, the 2007 Gators, the 2001 Blue Devils, the 2009 Tar Heels or any variety of Wildcats, college basketball’s had some phenomenal squads that have carried this sport from one era to the next.

I can’t help but wonder … will 2026-27 Florida join the group?

Previously in 2026 Candid Coaches