
We have now seen 37 “modern” NCAA tournaments played to completion. All but the first one in 1985 used a shot clock. All but the first two, in 1985 and 1986, featured a three-point line.
The expansion of the tournament to 64 teams in the 1980s also did away with byes, giving us a true measuring stick when teams accumulate tournament victories over the years. Yes, the NCAA muddied that up a bit by expanding past 64 teams starting in 2001, but we can adjust with a well-placed asterisk here and there.
Here are the teams with the most tournament victories since the field expanded in 1985 right through to Kansas winning the 2022 title.
NCAA tournament wins, 1985-2022
Wins
1. Duke 101
2. North Carolina 96
3. Kansas 92 (Congratulations!)
4. Kentucky 83
5. Michigan State 60
6. Syracuse 57* 2018
7. Arizona 56
8. UConn 55
9. UCLA 53* 2021
10. Michigan 51* 2016
11. Louisville 49
12. Florida 48
13. Villanova 47
14. Gonzaga 41
15. Oklahoma 37
16. Arkansas 36
Wisconsin 36
18. Indiana 36* 2022
19. Ohio State 35
Purdue 35
* Round of 68 wins
Note the gap between Kentucky and Michigan State. That top four’s been in a league of its own historically speaking.
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