The college basketball offseason is here, and we decided to have some fun over the next few months, ranking ALL 364 teams in D1. Number 209 is Northern Kentucky basketball.
Before you say we’re crazy – or that all of this is up for debate, let’s go over the very intricate process of how we came to this conclusion. We took a very statistical approach – with the help of Chat GPT – taking into consideration everything from March Madness wins and finishes, to AP Poll appearances, to conference players of the year. And then, a good friend of ours, Scott Blanchard, took our approach to the MAX.
Click here to visit the FIRST article, which explains how the formula works!
Here’s the breakdown of Northern Kentucky basketball!
NCAA Tournament Success
- Championships: 0
- Finals appearances: 0
- Final Fours: 0
- Elite Eights: 0
- Sweet 16s: 0
- NCAA wins: 0
- Bids: 3
Consistency Over Time
- Wins per season: 17.7
- Bids per season: 0.21
- AP Polls: 0
Player Quality & Talent
- All-Americans: 0
- NBA players drafted & played: 0
- Conference Players of the Year: 1
Conference & Other Success
- Conference regular season titles: 2
- Conference tournament titles: 4
- NIT titles: 0
- Other tournament titles: 0
Overall scoop on Northern Kentucky basketball
14 seasons in Division I, and Northern Kentucky has found a way to be one of the best in the Horizon League.
Fans may even forget that they played their first three seasons in the Atlantic Sun, and NKU might want to forget too. All three ended with losing records overall.
But upon moving to the Horizon League in 2015 and hiring John Brannen, the Norse began to move the needle North! After a 9-21 first season, Brannen and NKU rattled off three consecutive 20-win campaigns with trips to March Madness in 2017 and 2019.
Unfortunately for NKU, Brannen left for Cincinnati, but Darrin Horn came in, and the program hasn’t dropped a beat. They actually won the Horizon League Tournament in his first year as head coach, but COVID canceled that season’s March Madness. Luckily for Horn, he’s had plenty of other great teams. In seven seasons, the Norse have never had a losing record under Horn, making it to the big dance in 2023. He’s compiled a 134-90 record with Northern Kentucky, and won 20 games with them last season, the fourth time he’s done that with the program.
Another notable thing about NKU – with a .560 winning percentage all-time, it ranks above schools like Oregon, Wake Forest, and Auburn. While only having 14 seasons and playing mid-major competition helps, it’s still something to brag about for the Norse.
Heading forward, NKU continues to be a leader in the pack in the Horizon, and with Horn as the head man, it would be a surprise to see them drop off.