Where Does Stanford Rank Among College Basketball Programs in Bay Area?

College basketball is a competitive sport, especially in the Bay Area. We have solid power conference teams in Stanford and Cal. We have mid-major powerhouses in Saint Mary’s, San Francisco, and Santa Clara. And then we have San Jose State, who consistently is able to compete in the tough Mountain West.

It seems like every year, there is a new top dog in the Bay Area. Stanford controlled the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Saint Mary’s dominates the current day, and other teams find themselves somewhere in the middle.

But who is the true best program in the Bay Area? We used three factors to decide, which were winning percentage, NBA talent, and March Madness success.

First, all -time winning percentage. Obviously, Stanford and Cal play in a tougher conference these days, meaning their win percentage is more likely be lower than the mid-major teams. Leading the pack are the Dons and Broncos, with a .583 and .576, respectively. Following are the power conference teams, where the Cardinal sit at .565 and the Bears have a .563.

Just below are the Gaels, with a .536. Finally, far down, are the Spartans, with a .405. San Francisco and Santa Clara lead the bunch, but Stanford and Cal are about equal, as they have competed against tougher competition.

Second, let's take a look which college basketball stars have made it to the next level, dating back to 1947-48. Most student-athletes play college basketball with the eventual goal of making the NBA. So who wins this category? Cal and Stanford find themselves at the top, with a 36 and 35 respectively. San Francisco follows with 26. Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s are fourth and fifth, at 15 and 12, while San Jose State falls last again at 8.

Finally all-time March Madness success. Stanford and San Francisco lead, playing in 17 NCAA Tournaments in school history. Saint Mary’s and Cal follow with 16 and 15. Santa Clara has 11, and San Jose State has just 4. Crazy enough, but four of the six teams have made the final four: San Francisco (3), Stanford (2), Cal (1), and Santa Clara (1). The Dons have also claimed two national championships, while Stanford has one.

It is pretty clear that no team is dominant in Bay Area history, but there are tiers that represent it pretty well.

Top Tier: San Francisco, Stanford

The Dons and Cardinal both have done an incredible job at building programs in their histories, good enough to make them the best programs in the Bay Area. San Francisco has the edge on national championships, while Stanford has sent the most players to the NBA. Both of these teams essentially dominated all three categories.

Second Tier: Saint Mary’s, Santa Clara, Cal

This tier is mainly for teams who have had stints of greatness. The Gaels are dominating right now, Cal did years ago, and Santa Clara has a mix of both. These teams have many tournament appearances, and even some Final Fours, but no team has gotten over the hump to win the National Championship.

Third Tier: San Jose State

The Spartans have a tough time competing with other Bay Area powers, but that doesn’t mean their program isn’t worthy of success. Going to four tournaments, and producing eight NBA talents is no easy feat, yet the Spartans managed.

Overall, the Bay Area has some solid, if overlooked, basketball in the country. From big name programs to big name players, each and every team has a long list of accomplishments that proves that the Bay Area can ball with the best of them.