So the Eastern Sports Programming Network teamed up with Sagarin to come out with an all-time ranking for college basketball's greatest program. Here is how the top-5 shapes up:

1. Kentucky 89.81
2. UCLA       87.57
3. Kansas    87.27
4. UNC         87.19
5. Indiana    86.79

Here is the PDF file of the entire ranking.

Uhmm. Okay.  Just a slight problem with this "ranking." It didn't provide any additional points for ... uhm ... winning "national titles." Fortunately WWL's own Pat Forde saw through the BS (emphasis added)

Sagarin says the all-time kingpin of college basketball is Kentucky, and he says it's not close. By his rating formula, the Wildcats are farther ahead of No. 2 UCLA than the Bruins are ahead of No. 7 Duke. The 2.24-point gap is the largest between any two teams in the entire 330-team ranking.

It's worth noting that Sagarin's formula counts NCAA tournament wins as double, but does not give any additional bonus for national titles, thus negating UCLA's advantage in that category. (The Bruins have four more national titles than the Wildcats, but trail 100-99 in overall tournament wins.)

Forde then had the courage to point out ... well Kentucky's baggage:

But Kentucky should not be No. 1. No computer takes into account a program's NCAA rap sheet, and the Wildcats have a long history of problems. They were given the de facto first death penalty, forbidden from intercollegiate play for the 1953-54 season. There was a point-shaving scandal. There have been multiple NCAA probations.

Kentucky also thrived for decades in an all-white league while African-Americans were taking over the game elsewhere. It's probably not coincidence that Adolph Rupp's long era of domination started waning as black players began to make their impact on the sport in the late 1950s and 1960s. Rupp's last national title came in 1958, and his last Final Four ended in defeat in the famous game against all-black Texas Western in 1966.

Forde went on to rank UCLA as the number 1 ranked program of all time, placing UNC at number 2, Kentucky at number 3, and rounding up the top 5 with Indiana and Kansas.

I am assuming Forde is taking a lot of heat from Kentucky fans over those observations. And I am also sure those guys are tossing around the old Sam Gilber nonsense ( batted back enough times here on BN, which you can look through the archives). For his part Coach Howland was gracious and diplomatic:

"Overall, over 72 years, having us No. 2, that's high up there on the list -- especially when you're not taking into account the national championships or times to the Final Four, which is more than anybody but Carolina," UCLA coach Ben Howland said of the two programs that have been to 18 Final Fours each. "We've won more national championships, and that's what all these teams are shooting for -- Final Fours and championships."

However, if you really need a simple explanation on which program is the greatest of all time, here is Coach Howland:

Ben Howland Explains Why UCLA Hoops is the Best (via blackjack8484)

There is nothing to add to that.

GO BRUINS.