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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GAINESVILLE, FL – SEPTEMBER 10: NBA player Joakim Noah looks on during a game between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL – SEPTEMBER 10: NBA player Joakim Noah looks on during a game between the Florida Gators and the Kentucky Wildcats at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

15. Florida

  • Record: 1,432-1,115 (.562 Winning Percentage)
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances: 22
  • Final Fours: Five (1994, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2014)
  • National Titles: Two (2006, 2007)
  • Notable Alums: Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Bradley Beal

We hit the SEC for the first time in our blue blood rankings with the Florida Gators, a football school that has only recently made a name for itself in basketball. The Gators didn’t make the NCAA Tournament until 1987, but their first two appearances were later vacated due to rules violations.

Things took a serious leap forward in 1994, when Florida reached the Final Four for the first time, a feat that they were able to duplicate in 2000. Billy Donovan brought the Gators all the way to the national championship game that year, where they fell to Michigan State.

The Gators continued to build on that success, making the NCAA Tournament the next seven years, but the last two squads were particularly special. The 2006 edition of Florida took advantage of a well-timed tournament run in a season dominated by upsets to take home the first national championship in school history.

While most players decide to try and capitalize on a title run by going pro, the entire Gators’ lineup returned to school to try and defend their title in 2007. They did just that, running roughshod over the NCAA Tournament to win another title before the group disbanded to pursue their pro careers.

Florida remains the last team to win consecutive NCAA basketball titles, an impressive feat in the one-and-done era. Even though the program hasn’t reached those kinds of heights again, they are still a regular threat in the SEC.