Only two of the 24 5-star college basketball recruits in the 2020 recruiting class have made their college commitments – according to the 247Sports Composite rankings – which means there are more than 20 elite, immediate-impact players available on the recruiting trail for the 2020-21 season.

Imagine that you’re one of those players, born somewhere around the summer of 2001, and now you’re preparing to make your college commitment in the winter or next spring.

As a 5-star prospect, schools across the country are vying for your talents and you’re willing to leave your home state in order to assume a leading role for a prestigious program. But what is prestige to you, considering you have only been alive to witness a program’s success in this century?

Here’s a look at what every high-major program – defined here as schools in the AAC, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC – has achieved in your lifetime, starting with the 2001-02 season.

We grouped every school by conference, listing them in descending order of the number of national championships won, then by second-weekend NCAA Tournament runs, NCAA Tournament appearances and winning percentage, respectively.

There’s no perfect way to order the schools in the conference charts below, but since NCAA Tournament success plays such a significant role in how programs and coaches are viewed, we placed extra emphasis on the tournament rather than overall winning percentage. This means Maryland is listed first in the Big Ten’s chart because of the Terrapins’ national title in 2002 as a member of the ACC.

We included vacated wins, conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in the charts below (but schools that have had wins vacated are noted) in order to reflect how current recruits might view and remember certain programs despite their transgressions.

For example, a blue-chip recruit from Kentucky might have fond memories from Louisville’s since-vacated 2013 national championship run, even though the Cardinals’ official record that season is 0-5, according to the NCAA.

The point is to try to view the college basketball landscape through the eyes of a 17- or 18-year old recruit and their experiences watching the sport throughout their childhood.

Keep in mind conference expansion and realignment when analyzing schools’ winning percentages and regular season conference titles.

AAC

School Record Winning Percentage Regular Season Conference Titles NCAA Tournament Appearances Sweet 16 Appearances Final Four Appearances National Championships UConn 421-198 68.0% 4 11 7 4 3 Memphis* 460-167 73.4% 7 10 4 1 0 Wichita State 427-184 69.9% 6 8 3 1 0 Cincinnati 415-191 68.5% 4 13 1 0 0 Houston 336-244 57.9% 1 3 1 0 0 Temple 355-236 60.1% 4 8 0 0 0 Tulsa 341-244 58.3% 2 4 0 0 0 UCF* 338-213 61.3% 1 3 0 0 0 SMU* 307-261 54.0% 2 2 0 0 0 South Florida 229-340 40.2% 0 1 0 0 0 Tulane 235-321 42.3% 0 0 0 0 0 East Carolina 228-326 41.2% 0 0 0 0 0

*School has since had wins vacated

ACC

School Record Winning Percentage Regular Season Conference Titles NCAA Tournament Appearances Sweet 16 Appearances Final Four Appearances National Championships North Carolina 480-169 74.0% 9 15 10 5 3 Duke 526-121 81.3% 3 18 13 3 2 Syracuse* 451-182 71.2% 3 13 8 3 1 Louisville* 458-171 72.8% 4 14 7 3 1 Virginia 382-205 65.1% 5 8 3 1 1 Pittsburgh 423-194 68.6% 4 13 5 0 0 Notre Dame 397-211 65.3% 0 11 3 0 0 NC State 359-246 59.3% 0 10 3 0 0 Florida State* 368-233 61.2% 0 7 3 0 0 Miami (FL) 353-239 59.6% 1 6 2 0 0 Wake Forest 303-268 53.1% 1 7 1 0 0 Boston College 304-280 52.1% 1 6 1 0 0 Clemson 335-245 57.8% 0 5 1 0 0 Virginia Tech 313-269 53.8% 0 4 1 0 0 Georgia Tech 297-288 50.8% 0 4 1 1 0

*School has since had wins vacated

[RELATED: ACC Coaches Rank The Best Jobs In The Conference]

Big 12

School Record Winning Percentage Regular Season Conference Titles NCAA Tournament Appearances Sweet 16 Appearances Final Four Appearances National Championships Kansas 536-118 82.0% 16 18 12 5 1 West Virginia 382-231 62.3% 0 11 7 1 0 Texas 405-215 65.3% 2 15 5 1 0 Oklahoma* 379-214 63.9% 1 12 5 2 0 Baylor 346-239 59.1% 0 8 4 0 0 Texas Tech 329-267 55.2% 1 7 3 1 0 Oklahoma State* 366-234 61.0% 1 10 2 1 0 Kansas State 362-227 61.5% 2 9 2 0 0 Iowa State 341-249 57.8% 0 8 2 0 0 TCU 265-316 45.6% 0 1 0 0 0

*School has since had wins vacated

[RELATED: Big 12 Coaches Rank The Best Jobs In The Conference]

Big East

School Record Winning Percentage Regular Season Conference Titles NCAA Tournament Appearances Sweet 16 Appearances Final Four Appearances National Championships Villanova 448-175 71.9% 6 14 6 3 2 Xavier 432-183 70.2% 8 15 7 0 0 Butler 418-189 68.9% 7 11 5 2 0 Marquette 396-206 65.8% 3 12 4 1 0 Georgetown 363-221 62.2% 3 8 2 1 0 Creighton 411-199 67.4% 3 9 0 0 0 Providence 320-260 55.2% 0 6 0 0 0 Seton Hall 316-256 55.2% 0 6 0 0 0 St. John’s* 279-292 48.9% 0 4 0 0 0 DePaul 229-335 40.6% 1 1 0 0 0

*School has since had wins vacated

[RELATED: Big East Coaches Rank The Best Jobs In The Conference]

Big Ten

School Record Winning Percentage Regular Season Conference Titles NCAA Tournament Appearances Sweet 16 Appearances Final Four Appearances National Championships Maryland 399-205 66.1% 2 10 3 1 1 Michigan State 458-179 71.9% 5 18 10 5 0 Wisconsin 444-177 71.5% 4 17 9 2 0 Ohio State* 437-186 70.1% 6 12 5 2 0 Purdue 377-223 62.8% 3 12 5 0 0 Michigan 386-234 62.3% 2 9 5 2 0 Indiana 341-251 57.6% 3 9 4 1 0 Illinois 384-232 62.3% 3 9 3 1 0 Minnesota 331-266 55.4% 0 6 0 0 0 Iowa 327-268 55.0% 0 6 0 0 0 Nebraska 292-278 51.2% 0 1 0 0 0 Northwestern 282-287 49.6% 0 1 0 0 0 Penn State 255-320 44.3% 0 1 0 0 0 Rutgers 243-325 42.8% 0 0 0 0 0

*School has since had wins vacated

[RELATED: Big Ten Coaches Rank The Best Jobs In The Conference]

Pac-12

School Record Winning Percentage Regular Season Conference Titles NCAA Tournament Appearances Sweet 16 Appearances Final Four Appearances National Championships Arizona* 446-173 72.1% 7 15 9 0 0 UCLA 398-211 65.4% 4 12 7 3 0 Oregon 402-220 64.6% 3 10 6 1 0 Washington 357-236 60.2% 3 7 3 0 0 Stanford 358-233 60.6% 1 7 2 0 0 Utah 348-237 59.5% 3 7 2 0 0 USC* 310-275 53.0% 0 7 1 0 0 Washington State 256-307 45.5% 0 2 1 0 0 California 332-252 56.8% 1 8 0 0 0 Colorado 319-264 54.7% 0 5 0 0 0 Arizona State 305-270 53.0% 0 5 0 0 0 Oregon State 253-315 44.5% 0 1 0 0 0

*School has since had wins vacated

SEC

School Record Winning Percentage Regular Season Conference Titles NCAA Tournament Appearances Sweet 16 Appearances Final Four Appearances National Championships Florida 454-183 71.3% 4 14 7 3 2 Kentucky 498-148 77.1% 7 16 11 4 1 Tennessee 373-227 62.2% 2 9 5 0 0 Texas A&M 348-239 59.3% 1 8 3 0 0 Missouri 339-253 57.3% 0 8 2 0 0 Vanderbilt 338-253 57.2% 0 8 2 0 0 LSU 338-247 57.8% 3 6 2 1 0 Auburn 293-282 51.0% 1 3 2 1 0 Alabama 354-244 59.2% 1 7 1 0 0 South Carolina 317-273 53.7% 0 2 1 1 0 Mississippi State 356-240 59.7% 1 7 0 0 0 Arkansas 334-247 57.5% 0 6 0 0 0 Ole Miss 341-247 58.0% 0 4 0 0 0 Georgia* 302-272 52.6% 0 4 0 0 0

*School has since had wins vacated

Top Takeaways

If we include Louisville’s vacated 2013 national title, only 11 schools have won a national championship since recruits in the 2020 recruiting class were born. Rising seniors in high school haven’t seen a team from the Big Ten or Pac-12 cut down the nets.

The 11 schools are listed below in descending order of number of national championships, then by Final Four appearances, Sweet 16 appearances and NCAA Tournament appearances, respectively.

School Record Winning Percentage Regular Season Conference Titles NCAA Tournament Appearances Sweet 16 Appearances Final Four Appearances National Championships North Carolina 480-169 74.0% 9 15 10 5 3 UConn 421-198 68.0% 4 11 7 4 3 Duke 526-121 81.3% 3 18 13 3 2 Florida 454-183 71.3% 4 14 7 3 2 Villanova 448-175 71.9% 6 14 6 3 2 Kansas 536-118 82.0% 16 18 12 5 1 Kentucky 498-148 77.1% 7 16 11 4 1 Syracuse 451-182 71.2% 3 13 8 3 1 Louisville 458-171 72.8% 4 14 7 3 1 Maryland 399-205 66.1% 2 10 3 1 1 Virginia 382-205 65.1% 5 8 3 1 1

The data compiled in the charts above also presents some strong contrasts between where schools stand historically and what they’ve accomplished during the lifetime of current recruits.

UCLA has won a national-best 11 national championships, but the Bruins’ three consecutive Final Four appearances from 2005-07 under Ben Howland are the only part of their since-2002 resume that is nationally elite. In seven years, high school recruits will have been born after the UCLA team featuring Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook and Darren Collison that went to the Final Four in 2008.

The 2002-19 resume for Indiana, which boasts five national championships (tied with Duke for the fourth-most nationally), probably ranks between sixth and eighth among current Big Ten teams. The last Final Four appearance for the Hoosiers came in 2002, which was the first year examined in this study.

Arizona has arguably accomplished the most among Pac-12 teams since the start of the 2002 season (although UCLA and its three Final Fours would beg to differ) but the Wildcats haven’t made it past the Elite Eight during that span, which could be viewed as an indictment to both Arizona and the conference as a whole since the Wildcats are one of their two marquee programs.

In the Big East, St. John’s and Georgetown are two programs with rich traditions that might draw a lot of “College basketball is better when St. John’s/Georgetown is good” comments, but both schools have been underwhelming during the lifetimes of current recruits. The Red Storm have made the NCAA Tournament just four times since 2001-02, while the Hoyas have only made it to the second weekend twice in that span.

Cincinnati, Michigan State, NC State, Oklahoma State and San Francisco have each won two national championships but only the Spartans have had multiple teams challenge for a third since 2002.

On the other hand, there are a handful of programs that have significantly raised their profiles in the last 18 years. We’re talking about schools like Villanova, which has won two of the last four national titles, after having only won one before 2002. Within the Big East, Xavier and Butler are two schools that were once feel-good mid-majors that have proven their ability for high-level success, whether it was the Musketeers earning a No. 1 seed in 2018 or the Bulldogs playing in back-to-back national championship games.

Florida won both of its national titles during the lifetimes of current recruits, while UConn won three of its four and North Carolina won three of its six championships.

MORE: What Have Power Five Football Programs Accomplished During the Lifetime of 2020 Recruits?