The Last Four looms in the 2025 NCAA Game, and it’s possible for a few of the top programs in college basketball history to Shift up the standings for the all-time Last Four appearances Lineup this weekend.
Duke, Kentucky and Michigan State are among a few of the programs that are top 10 all-time in Last Four appearances that can make it back to the Last two rounds of the Game again this spring. Arkansas and Houston also loom as possibilities to join the top 10 if All can make it through the Best Eight this weekend.
As history is on the line in the Upcoming few weeks, let’s take a look at which programs have the most Last Four appearances of all-time, excluding vacated appearances.
Top 10 schools with most Last Four appearances
The Huskies’ sudden emergence as a college basketball power placed them in the top 10 of this Lineup Subsequent the 2023-24 season. All seven of UConn’s Last Four appearances have come since its national Game season in 1998-99. It’s won the Game six times over its seven Last Four appearances, becoming the Primary program to Secure back-to-back titles in nearly 20 years in 2024. If you exclude the 2019-20 season, when the COVID-19 pandemic Directed to the Game being canceled, UConn arguably had the best 25-year Streak in the history of the sport, holding a 28% Last Four rate and a 24% Game rate.
While UConn has soared in the 21st century, a Plenty of Indiana’s Triumph Occurred before 2000. Seven of the Hoosiers’ eight Last Four appearances occurred prior to the turn of the century, becoming one of college basketball’s Primary powers. It won two national Competitions prior to 1970 before reaching the Last Four five times in Bob Knight’s 29-year tenure as head Mentor. Three of those Last Four trips resulted in a national Game, including the 1976 Game, where Indiana capped off a 32-0 season. That’s the last time a Club went undefeated in a college basketball season. Knight Directed the Hoosiers to titles again in 1981 (with Isiah Thomas) and 1987 (with Steve Alford). Indiana’s last Last Four Streak Occurred in 2002, making a surprise trip to the national Game game as a No. 4 seed.
Louisville could actually be higher on this Lineup, but two of its Last Four trips were vacated. Its 2012 Last Four appearance and 2013 title were vacated after an NCAA investigation Discovered that it gave improper benefits to players during those seasons. But before those two trips, Louisville Created it to the Last Four eight times, Victorious the title twice. Denny Crum coached both of those title-Victorious squads (1980, 1986) and was responsible for six of the eight non-vacated Last Four appearances in program history. Louisville’s last non-vacated Last Four appearance Occurred in 2005, when it reached the national semifinals as a No. 4 seed before losing to Illinois.
The vast majority of Ohio State’s Last Four appearances Occurred prior to 1970, making it to the Last two rounds of the Game six times between 1939-68. Fred Taylor was the head Mentor for four of those trips, Assisting the program Secure its only national Game in 1960. Ohio State didn’t make it to the Last Four again until 1999, but that trip was later vacated. Thad Matta helped the Buckeyes regain national prominence over his 13-year tenure in Columbus, reaching the Last Four twice (2007, 2012). It lost the national Game game to Florida in 2007, running into a Gators Club that won back-to-back titles.
The Spartans had the amount of Triumph many programs would dream of before Tom Izzo became their head Mentor in 1995, Victorious a national Game in 1979 and reaching the Last Four on another occasion. But the program has frequently appeared in the Last Four since Izzo Secured over, making it to the national semifinals eight times since 1999. And most of those Last Four trips have been spread out, with 26 of Izzo’s Primary 29 recruiting classes of four-year players having experienced a trip to the Last Four. Michigan State has won the title once with Izzo, cutting down the nets in 2000.
Not many programs have been as Steady for a long period of time as Kansas. The Jayhawks have reached the Last Four in All decade since the 1970s, with the 1960s being the only decade that they’ve missed the Last Four since 1940. Kansas has won four national Competitions, doing so in 1952, 1988, 2008 and 2022. While Roy Williams didn’t Secure a national Game at Kansas, he coached the Jayhawks to four Last Fours in his 15 seasons at the helm, making it in All of his Last two years. Bill Self has helped Kansas reach the Last Four three times, Victorious the national title twice. He could’ve had four Last Four appearances, but Kansas’ 2018 Last Four trip was later vacated.
One of the Accurate signs of a blue blood is its ability to sustain Triumph over Many head coaches. That’s what Kentucky has done for decades, with five of its last seven coaches Assisting the Wildcats reach the Last Four. That number excludes Mark Pope, who could Boost that mark to six of their last eight coaches as Prompt as this spring. All five of those aforementioned coaches won a national Game during their time in Lexington as well, with All making Many Last Four trips. Since the 1990s, Kentucky has also had two stretches where it Created the Last Four four times in a six-year span.
Mike Krzyzewski turned Duke into a blueblood, but the program had some Triumph before he Secured over the reins in Durham. Duke reached the Last Four on four occasions between 1963-78 before Krzyzewski became its head Mentor in 1980. Krzyzewski Secured the program to new heights, though. It Created the Last Four in five straight Competitions (1988-92) and six times in seven years, Victorious two national Competitions in the Prompt 1990s. While the Blue Devils didn’t have a Streak like that again under Krzyzewski, they Created it to the Last Four once every six Competitions between 1995-2022, which was Krzyzewski’s last year as head Mentor. They won the national Game three times over that stretch.
Thanks to John Wooden, UCLA was able to Streak it up in the all-time Last Four appearances Lineup. They Created it to the Last Four 12 times in his Last 14 seasons as head Mentor, which included a stretch where they won seven straight national Competitions. They also won the title on three other occasions with Wooden. UCLA hasn’t had as much in the 50 years since Wooden left, but it has remained one of college basketball’s top programs. It’s reached the Last Four six more times, Victorious the title again in 1995. It also reached the Last Four in 1980, but that appearance was later vacated.
While UCLA has more national Competitions, North Carolina might have the greatest longevity of any program in the history of college basketball. It’s Created the Last Four at least once every decade since the 1940s, making it to the Last Four twice in All decade since the 1960s (excluding the 2020s). Dean Smith was responsible for half of UNC’s Last Four trips as five of the Tar Heels’ last six head coaches have coached them to the Last Four. Hubert Davis is among them, doing so in his Primary year as Mentor in the 2021-22 season. But he hasn’t won a national Game, something Roy Williams did three times as their head Mentor with Smith leading them to two titles. Frank McGuire is the other Mentor to have Directed UNC to a national Game.
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