Fansided

College basketball blue bloods ranked by all-time legacy

By Mike Phillips

Michael Jordan is all smiles along with coach Dean Smith as Jordan announces at a 1984 press conference that he will forgo his senior year in college to play professional basketball. (Raleigh News & Observer/TNS via Getty Images)
Michael Jordan is all smiles along with coach Dean Smith as Jordan announces at a 1984 press conference that he will forgo his senior year in college to play professional basketball. (Raleigh News & Observer/TNS via Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 21: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange reacts as they play against the Baylor Bears during the first half in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 21: Head coach Jim Boeheim of the Syracuse Orange reacts as they play against the Baylor Bears during the first half in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 21, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

8. Syracuse

  • Record: 2,008-908 (.689 Winning Percentage)
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances: 40
  • Final Fours: Six (1975, 1987, 1996, 2003, 2013, 2016)
  • National Titles: One (2003)
  • Notable Alums: Derrick Coleman, Pearl Washington, Carmelo Anthony

It takes a lot to get this high on the list with only one national championship, but Syracuse has a very unique claim to blue blood status. The Orange have been defined by one legendary head coach: Jim Boeheim.

Syracuse started to rise in the national landscape in the 1970s, with Boeheim becoming the head coach in 1979. Since Boeheim’s arrival, Syracuse has gone to the NCAA Tournament 31 times, and he has gone on to become one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history.

The Orange have had plenty of bites at the apple for a national title, but Boeheim’s teams often suffered plenty of heartbreak in the NCAA Tournament, including an agonizing loss to Indiana in the 1987 title game. That trend continued until 2003 when a freshman named Carmelo Anthony decided to take over March Madness.

Anthony put Syracuse on his back and carried the Orange to their first national championship, shooting Syracuse past Kansas in the title game. That championship was a big deal for Boeheim’s legacy, cementing him as a true legend now that he had a title to back up all of his success in the Big East.

Syracuse moved to the ACC in 2013 and they have been up to the challenge of the brutal league, getting to the NCAA Tournament five times with two trips to the Final Four mixed in as well. Boeheim has shown no indication he plans to retire any time soon, so a second title could help send Syracuse even further up this list.