Ranking all 84 men's national champions, including 2023 winner UConn

Congratulations, Huskies. You've joined an esteemed group of 84 national champions. Come to think of it, a fair share of those teams have been named UConn over the past 24 years (5 now). Again, well done.

With the 2022-23 season in the books, it's time to rank all the men's national champions in NCAA tournament history. Starting with Oregon in 1939 and running right up through Dan Hurley's team in 2023, we've done our level best to weigh the relative strength of each team.

Did we actually observe Oregon firsthand in 1939? Well, no. But we're all about research and we do love our hoops. Anyway, see what you think.

Here's our ranking of all 84 national champions in men's tournament history:

84. Utah Utes, 1944 (22-4)

Arnie Ferrin and the Utes hold the distinction of being the only team to lose in the NIT — back when it was possible to compete in both tournaments — and then win the NCAA title the same year. How? When a car accident forced Arkansas to withdraw from the NCAA bracket, coach Vadal Peterson's group stepped in and won the championship.

83. Stanford Cardinal, 1942 (28-4)

Stanford won a national title just four years after hiring Indiana legend Everett Dean away from the Hoosiers. Howie Dallmar earned most outstanding player (MOP) honors and later returned to Palo Alto to coach his alma mater from the 1950s to the 1970s.

82. CCNY Beavers, 1950 (24-5) The Beavers are the only team to win NCAA and NIT titles in the same season. CCNY is also the only NCAA champion that no longer plays at the Division I level, due to a point-shaving investigation in the early 1950s.

81. Oregon Ducks, 1939 (29-5)

Howard Hobson's «Tall Firs» claimed the first NCAA title with a 46-33 victory over Ohio State in Evanston, Illinois.