Where Does Virginia Basketball Rank Among The Best Programs Of The Last 25 Years?

Virginia won a national championship in 2019 and Tony Bennett had the program as one of the most consistent winners of the 21st century

Apr 8, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Virginia Cavaliers players and head coach Tony Bennett celebrate on the podium with the national championship trophy after defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the championship game of the 2019 men's Final Four at US Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images Virginia celebrates the first national championship in school history. 2019-04-08 Virginia4 | Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sport

Virginia Basketball has been one of the most consistent programs of the past 25 years. From 2010-2020, you could argue that Virginia was one of the top five programs in the entire country and the 2019 national championship team remains one of the best teams of the past 25 years.

But where does Virginia rank amongst the best programs in the country since 2000?

Top Ten Program of the Century?

Apr 8, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett waves the net to fans after defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders in overtime in the championship game of the 2019 men's Final Four at US Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

While you could argue that Virginia is a top ten program of the century, CBS Sports analyst Kyle Boone ranked them just outside the top ten at No. 13:

Record since 2000-01 season: 527-278

National championships last 25 years: 2019

"Virginia won 262 games between 2010 and 2020 -- tied for the tenth-most in college hoops -- which was punctuated by a 35-3 season in 2018-19 that culminated with its first and only men's national championship. The team is still finding its footing post-Tony Bennett but was among the most consistent both regionally and nationally for the greater part of a decade."

Duke (No. 1), North Carolina (No. 4), Syracuse (No. 9), and Louisville (No. 11) were the other ACC programs ranked ahead of the Cavaliers.

If Virginia had more success in the NCAA Tournament prior to winning the national championship in 2019, they would certainly rank higher on this list. That remains the only Final Four appearance of the century for the Hoos, but it was not the only team with Final Four talent. While Virginia was one of the best programs under Bennett, they had their fair share of disappointments, and that is likely why they ranked lower than some programs that did not win a national championship this century.

Can Virginia return to this level of excellence?

Mar 20, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; VCU Rams head coach Ryan Odom reacts during the first half against the Brigham Young Cougars in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Since winning the national championship in 2019, UVA has not advanced out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but that could change quickly under new head coach Ryan Odom.

In a recent article, CBS Sports analyst Matt Norlander named Virginia as one of the most improved teams in the country next season:

"After spending last week on the recruiting trail and checking in with a medley of coaches, I can report that many a coach in college hoops believes Ryan Odom's Virginia Cavaliers will take a big jump in his first season. The Wahoos went 15-17 last season, fated to toil under Ron Sanchez in the wake of Tony Bennett's head-turning retirement in mid-October. Odom was plucked from nearby VCU, given a $10 million-plus roster budget for the upcoming season and has been able to load up on a team that figures to be top-five in the ACC.

BYU transfer Dallin Hall and former Kansas State forward Ugonna Onyenso have to vastly improve their production from last season, and the additions of three high-level mid-major scorers will give Virginia plenty to work with on offense. Malik Thomas (19.9 ppg at San Francisco), Jacari White (17.1 ppg at North Dakota State) and Sam Lewis (16.2 ppg at Toledo) will likely combine to put up more than 30 points per night. Then there's one of the best gets of the offseason, Belgium forward Thijs De Ridder, who has two years of professional experience in Spain underneath his belt. The 6-foot-8 combo forward put up 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 39.1% from 3 in one of the best Euro leagues.

Odom -- who has a career .636 winning percentage over more than a decade of coaching mid-major programs -- is ready for this. Virginia has the pieces. I'll be surprised if the Cavs aren't a single-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament next season."

I think Virginia is going to be near the top of the ACC this season and an NCAA Tournament team. Could they be something more than that?