The Most Successful Men's College Basketball Program From Every Decade

One magical season can be unforgettable, but college basketball teams are always shooting for longevity.

Programs want to become a model of success, winning lots of games each season while regularly competing for both conference and NCAA tournament crowns.

That, of course, is easier said than done.

Nevertheless, a few iconic programs have enjoyed a stellar decade-long run. Most choices are at least debatable, though UCLA's dominance in the 1960s and 1970s is inarguable.

Success is a highly subjective word. The main factors considered are regular-season conference titles, league and NCAA tournament championships and a smaller but present weight on overall record. The list begins with the 1940s; the first NCAA tourney happened in 1939.

Note: Decades are separated by the initial year. For example, the 1979-80 season is included in the 1970s.

1940s and 1950s: Kentucky Wildcats

AP Photo

Johnny Cox and Adolph Rupp

During the 1940s, only eight programs made the NCAA tournament. Kentucky earned a spot in the field on four occasions, winning back-to-back championships in 1948 and 1949.

Oklahoma A&M (now known as Oklahoma State) is worth a nod, but UK tallied a combined 15 SEC regular-season and conference titles. Additionally, the Wildcats never dropped more than eight games in any season—a trend that continued through the 1950s.

Kentucky added two more national championships, along with seven combined SEC crowns. As the NCAA tournament expanded to 16 and anywhere from 22-25 teams, UK appeared seven times in the decade.

San Francisco also won a pair of national titles in the 1950s but struggled in the early part of the decade.

There's a pretty good reason for Adolph Rupp being memorialized as the namesake of Kentucky's home arena.

1960s and 1970s: UCLA Bruins

AP Photo

UCLA coach John Wooden, right, wearing eyeglasses, celebrates with his players, from left, Mike Lynn, Lucius Allen, Mike Warren and Lew Alcindor after the Bruins beat North Carolina, 78-55, to win the NCAA championship final at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, Ca., March 23, 1968. It is the second straight national collegiate basketball title for the Bruins. (AP Photo)

The greatest dynasty in the history of college basketball spanned the better part of two decades.

Honestly, this is just silliness.

Led by legendary coach John Wooden, the Bruins put together an unforgettable 12-year run from 1963-74 to 1974-75. UCLA won 10 national titles, including seven in a row. Overall, the program made the Final Four a comical 14 times over the two-decade span.

Most impressively, UCLA notched four undefeated seasons. As if that's not enough, the Bruins had a perfect conference record in eight campaigns and won 17 of 20 possible AAWU and Pac-8/10 titles.

UCLA's reign featured both Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Lew Alcindor) and Bill Walton, a pair of three-time All-American selections.

1980s: North Carolina Tar Heels

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Michael Jordan

Indiana would be a very deserving pick, considering only the Hoosiers won multiple national titles in the 1980s.

North Carolina, however, had a greater depth of success.

Both programs made the NCAA tournament every season, but UNC reached the Elite Eight six times compared to IU's three. Plus, the Tar Heels secured six regular-season ACC titles and posted a 281-63 record. Indiana had four Big Ten crowns and a 228-86 mark.

The highlight of the decade for UNC: Michael Jordan—you may have heard of him—drilled a game-winning jumper to beat Georgetown in the 1982 national championship.

1990s: Kentucky Wildcats

Photo by: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Tubby Smith

The takeaway is simple: It's either Duke or Kentucky.

Duke missed a single NCAA tournament (1995) when coach Mike Krzyzewski took a leave of absence due to a debilitating back injury. Otherwise, the Blue Devils won a pair of national championships in four Final Four runs.

Kentucky, meanwhile, didn't make one Big Dance (1991) while on probation but still finished 22-6 that season.

Similar to Duke, the 'Cats celebrated two national titles in four trips to the Final Four. They narrowly jump ahead, however, on the strength of 13 combined SEC crowns, seven Elite Eight appearances and .817 winning percentage to Duke's 10, five and .777, respectively.

Notably, Rick Pitino (1996) and Tubby Smith (1998) each oversaw one of UK's championship-winning teams.

2000s: Duke Blue Devils

AP Photo/Bob Jordan

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils are presented with the championship trophy by Mike Tranghese, chairman of the Division I men's basketball committee, after beating Arizona 82-72 in the final game of the Final Four on Monday, April 2, 2001, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bob Jordan)

Florida has a definite case as a two-time NCAA champion in the 2000s. The problem is the Gators' trip to the 2000 Final Four is technically part of the 1990s because the season began in 1999.

Kansas also merits a nod because of its national title, three Final Four bids and 12 total crowns in the Big 12.

The scale, though, tips ever-so-slightly in Duke's favor.

Duke stacked two national championships in three Final Four journeys on top of 11 combined ACC titles. Along the way, the Blue Devils amassed a 291-60 record that edged Kansas (282-69) for best of the decade—and that second national title is too much for KU to overcome.

2010s: Kentucky Wildcats

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College Basketball: NCAA Playoffs: (L-R) Kentucky Darius Miller (1), Terrence Jones (3), Marquis Teague (25), and Anthony Davis (23) on court during game vs Baylor at Georgia Dome. Atlanta, GA 3/25/2012 CREDIT: Greg Nelson (Photo by Greg Nelson /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X154556 TK1 R4 F90 )

Connecticut and Villanova each hoisted two NCAA championships. The issue is UConn missed March Madness six times, and Villanova—although it certainly would not trade the titles—never advanced to the Sweet 16 during the program's other six appearances.

Kentucky ushered in the one-and-done era to great success.

During the earlier half-decade, the Wildcats raced to the Final Four in four seasons with a national championship in 2012. They headed to the Elite Eight twice more and matched Villanova's 10 total conference titles.

Kansas, once again, deserves a mention with a staggering 13 combined Big 12 championships but didn't win an NCAA tourney.