Coach K and Duke owned the 2000s, winning 2 national championships; Kansas, UNC add titles
Duke grew into a national power in the 1990s, then stayed entrenched there as college basketball rolled into a new millennium.
The Blue Devils opened the 2000s by winning their third national title in 2001, coming on the 10th anniversary of their first, and went on to spend nearly 60% of the time inside the top five of the AP Top 25 — including 40 weeks at No. 1. Teams featuring stars such as Jay Williams and J.J. Redick helped Duke land in the top 10 of more than 90% of polls during the decade.
And, yes, they closed the decade by winning now-retired Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski’s fourth NCAA championship with a team led by Coach K’s successor and the current Blue Devils coach, Jon Scheyer.
The Associated Press is marking the 75th anniversary of its Top 25 this month, compiling its weekly polls to crown an all-time No. 1, along with determining each decade’s top programs. Teams were awarded points based on how they fared in every ballot, and the Blue Devils were the runaway top choice for the 2000s with 3,911 points. They spent 46 straight weeks inside the top 5 from 2000-02 and were ranked in all but two of 190 polls. Here are the other top schools:
KANSAS (3,148 points)
The Jayhawks faced major change when Roy Williams left in 2003 for North Carolina, leading to the arrival of current coach Bill Self from Illinois. Yet they remained a consistent force, spending 22 weeks at No. 1, reaching three Final Fours and winning the 2008 championship, their first in two decades.
NORTH CAROLINA (2,479)
The decade started with the turbulent three-year tenure of Matt Doherty, which included an 8-20 season in 2002. But Williams’ return steadied his alma mater, and by decade’s end, the Tar Heels had won two titles and spent 26 weeks at No. 1.
CONNECTICUT (2,230)
The Huskies, who won their first NCAA title in 1999, spent 17 weeks at No. 1 during the 2000s. The high point came when they spent about half of the 2003-04 season at the top before winning Jim Calhoun’s second national championship.
PITTSBURGH (2,107)
The Panthers returned to national prominence under Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon. They cracked the top 10 every season from 2002 to 2010, including a three-week stay at No. 1 in 2008-09 — the program’s only appearances at the top in history.
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