The 10 Best College Basketball Teams Since 2000

1. 2000-01 Duke Blue Devils

nERD: 25.1

We've been tip-toeing around it long enough, but the 2000-01 Duke Blue Devils are this century's greatest college basketball team. Why?

Among many reasons, I've already touched on the talented roster: Williams, Dunleavy, Boozer, even Duhon and scorer Nate James. However, it appears that, by process of addition (or elimination, depending on which way you think about), the ever-hated Shane Battier was the difference between a really good year and a great year for the Blue Devils.

Battier, in the fourth and final season of his illustrious career, was second to Williams with 19.9 points per game along with 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.1 steals. He was a presence all over the court, as his .298 win shares per 40 would indicate. He was particularly great on the defensive end, where he tallied 5.3 defensive win shares on the year.

With Battier, Duke ranked in the 93rd percentile in defensive efficiency and 98th in offensive efficiency. Both their numbers ranked in the top eight, which tells us how they, not the aforementioned Cardinal, were the best team in the nation.

What may also give us that indication is they were the ones cutting down the nets. As a number 1 seed, Coach K's crew won by double-digits in every single one of their six tournament wins on their way to the only nERD score to reach 25 or greater. In fact, nERD would suggest that the '01 champs are over two points superior to the second-best team since 2000.

Without a doubt, they are the best.