Big East Has 3 Of The Top 10 Teams From Past 5 Years

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Only conference with 3. BEast is the toughest conference right now.

MOST WINS (2002-03 THRU 2006-07 SEASONS)

1. Duke 138-34 .802
2. Illinois 137-35 .797
3. Florida 137-38 .783
4. Memphis 133-39 .773
5. Pittsburgh 132-35 .790
6. Kansas 131-37 .780
7. Kentucky 131-40 .766
8. Gonzaga 130-32 .802
9. Syracuse 127-43 .747
10. Connecticut 126-42 .750

[jkwuc89]

I think this list is flawed. Consider the following:

North Carolina's national championship team that beat a 1 loss Illinois team certainly is one of the top 10 programs over the past 5 years.

Gonzaga's W-L record is grossly inflated due the low mid major conference they play in. Put them in a top 5 conference and I suspect their W-L record takes a significant hit.

Memphis to a certain extent has the same issue as Gonzaga. Their W-L record is inflated by playing in a weak conference.

Florida should be #1. They are the two time defending national champions.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

The list is not flawed at all. The Big East has 3 of the 10 teams with the Most W over the past 5 years.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

I think this list is flawed. Consider the following:

North Carolina's national championship team that beat a 1 loss Illinois team certainly is one of the top 10 programs over the past 5 years.

Gonzaga's W-L record is grossly inflated due the low mid major conference they play in. Put them in a top 5 conference and I suspect their W-L record takes a significant hit.

Memphis to a certain extent has the same issue as Gonzaga. Their W-L record is inflated by playing in a weak conference.

Florida should be #1. They are the two time defending national champions.

UNC is close (125 W and 44 L) but just outside the 10 teams with Most W of the past 5 years.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

(And if you look back over 10 years)

Top Men's Div I college basketball programs (Most W) during the last 10 years (1998 thru 2007) are:

1. Duke 302-53 and 28-9 in NCAA
2. Kansas 276-72 and 20-10 NCAA
3. Connecticut 264-78 and 25-6 NCAA
4. Kentucky 263-83 and 23-9 NCAA
5. Gonzaga 263-69 and 12-9 NCAA
6. Illinois 249-90 and 16-9 NCAA
7. Florida 248-86 and 22-7 NCAA
8. Syracuse 248-92 and 13-7 NCAA
9. Arizona 246-80 and 18-10 NCAA
10. Michigan St. 245-92 and 24-9 NCAA
11. Stanford 240-80 and 12-9 NCAA
12. North Carolina 239-101 and 20-7 NCAA
13. Cincinnati 238-88 and 8-8 NCAA

Yep - just 1 more W than UC and 13 more L than the Bearcats. Better NCAA results, no doubt. This despite a very subpar 2007 record for UC.

Head-2-head, just 1 game:

Dec. 8th, 1999 North Carolina 77 - 68 W

[jkwuc89]

This list is an accurate record of the top 10 programs with regards to W-L record. However, I think it is inaccurate to state that this list directly correlates to the top 10 programs nationwide. Other factors must be considered including conference championships, NCAA bids and NCAA tournament success.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

This list is an accurate record of the top 10 programs with regards to W-L record. However, I think it is inaccurate to state that this list directly correlates to the top 10 programs nationwide. Other factors must be considered including conference championships, NCAA bids and NCAA tournament success.

Top 10 by Most W is what was stated. That's what it is.

UNC is certainly one of the top programs but it did suffer hard times under Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty before Roy Williams arrived.

[swilsonsp4]

Top 10 by Most W is what was stated. That's what it is.

UNC is certainly one of the top programs but it did suffer hard times under Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty before Roy Williams arrived.

I wouldn't include Bill Guthridge in any discussion of Tarheel failure. In his three years, UNC went 80-28. They went to the NCAA Tourney all three years, including trips to the Final Four in his first and third years.

Then, he retired and the program suffered under Doherty.

[SLMadiCat]

Top 10 by Most W is what was stated. That's what it is.

UNC is certainly one of the top programs but it did suffer hard times under Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty before Roy Williams arrived.

Didn't Guthridge win a NC with UNC. Or maybe it was a final four? I wouldn't consider that hard times.

[Irishbearcat]

I think we could've been # 6 had Huggins remained.
(Not to slam Kennedy or Cronin at all)

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Didn't Guthridge win a NC with UNC. Or maybe it was a final four? I wouldn't consider that hard times.

2 FF in 3 years. UC beat his FF team in 2000 (one of their 14 L that season).

Gut recruited poorly in 1998-99-2000, setting the stage for Doherty's fall. Roy Williams won BIG mostly with Matt D's recruits at UNC.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

I wouldn't include Bill Guthridge in any discussion of Tarheel failure. In his three years, UNC went 80-28. They went to the NCAA Tourney all three years, including trips to the Final Four in his first and third years.

Then, he retired and the program suffered under Doherty.

His recruiting was subpar, hence Doherty's struggles. Doherty upgraded UNC recruiting - his recruits were the backbone of the 2005 NCAA champs at UNC.

[jeffto]

I think we could've been # 6 had Huggins remained.
(Not to slam Kennedy or Cronin at all)

I personally would like to see a ranking of NCAA tourney performance - W/L and percent. That takes out any conference strength bias. And 10 years would level any bad luck/good luck issues.

I'm sure the Big East would still be strong, but I bet UC would fall considerably.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

I only have the past 10 years. UC missed the NCAA entirely the past 2 years.

Top basketball programs (Most W in NCAA games) during last 10 years (1998 thru 2007) are:

1. Duke 28-9 in NCAA
2. Connecticut 25-6 NCAA
3. Michigan St. 24-9 NCAA
4. Kentucky 23-9 NCAA
5. Florida 22-7 NCAA
6. North Carolina 20-7 NCAA
7. Kansas 20-10 NCAA
8. Maryland 19-7 NCAA
9. Arizona 18-10 NCAA
10. UCLA 17-8 NCAA

Only Connecticut in Top 10 from BEast.

I'd rather go 8-8 (as UC did from 1998 through 2005) than 0-0 (as UC did in 2006 and 2007) but that's just me. And I'd MUCH rather go 20-14 (as UC did from 1990 through 2005) than 2-5 in NCAA games (as UC did in the prior 25 years). Others may prefer the latter.

Notice that UK fans whined about Tubby Smith, yet he had the 4th best W-L record (4th Most W) in his tenure at UK.

[jkwuc89]

I think we all know why Tubby left UK...raw W-L in the tourney does not really matter. The telling stat was the longest Final Four drought in UK history. I agree 100% that the UK fan expectations are a bit out of whack but it is what it is. Tubby will do just fine at Minnesota where going to the NCAA tournament on a regular basis will be viewed as a HUGE success.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Actually not the longest FF drought. But that's the mantra.

UK made 1 FF in the last 14 seasons under Rupp. (1966 between 1959 and 1972)

And just 1 FF in the 14 seasons between Hall and Pitino. (1984 between 1979 and 1992)

[jeffto]

I'd rather go 8-8 (as UC did from 1998 through 2005) than 0-0 (as UC did in 2006 and 2007) but that's just me. And I'd MUCH rather go 20-14 (as UC did from 1990 through 2005) than 2-5 in NCAA games (as UC did in the prior 25 years). Others may prefer the latter.

I doubt anyone prefers the latter. My dream is to have a team that goes deep in the tourney year after year. Maybe, over the course of a decade, 8 sweet sixteens, 3 FF and 1 championship. That would put us up there with the teams on your list. I think something like that is what everyone on this forum would wish for.

Let's hope Mick can do it!!!!!

[Justin Register]

Not to be negative, but if you say Gonzaga and Memphis have inflated records, couldn't you say the same about UC's in the past 10 years? Yes, CUSA then was better than it is now, but I'm not sure they would be sitting at #13 had they been in the ACC, as UNC was that whole time.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

I doubt anyone prefers the latter. My dream is to have a team that goes deep in the tourney year after year. Maybe, over the course of a decade, 8 sweet sixteens, 3 FF and 1 championship. That would put us up there with the teams on your list. I think something like that is what everyone on this forum would wish for.

Let's hope Mick can do it!!!!!

I lived your dream from 1958-63. It's very uncommon for a team to go deep in the NCAA year after year. UCLA did it (often) from 1962 through 1975 but missed altogether in 1963 and 1966.

Duke is the only team that currently meets those criteria - 8 Sweet 16, 3 FF, 1 NC - over the past 10 years.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Not to be negative, but if you say Gonzaga and Memphis have inflated records, couldn't you say the same about UC's in the past 10 years? Yes, CUSA then was better than it is now, but I'm not sure they would be sitting at #13 had they been in the ACC, as UNC was that whole time.

UC played good teams all those years. C-USA had good teams. UC played good OOC teams also. The SOS (based on RPI) for UC over the past 10 seasons is surprisingly good.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Actually not the longest FF drought. But that's the mantra.

UK made 1 FF in the last 14 seasons under Rupp. (1966 between 1959 and 1972)

And just 1 FF in the 14 seasons between Hall and Pitino. (1984 between 1979 and 1992)

To put it in UC terms, the Mantra is that UC hasn't been to FF in last 15 seasons.

The Reality is that UC has been just ONCE (to FF) in past 44 seasons.

[jeffto]

Duke is the only team that currently meets those criteria - 8 Sweet 16, 3 FF, 1 NC - over the past 10 years. Well you have set the bar somewhere. :)

Unfortunately there are no more Oscars (a player head and shoulders better than his peers) nor Juckers (a coach with a system that was clearly better than his peers') out there.
Maybe if Thacker hadn't thrown the Loyola game, we'd be talking about the UC dynasty now.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Well you have set the bar somewhere. :)

Unfortunately there are no more Oscars (a player head and shoulders better than his peers) nor Juckers (a coach with a system that was clearly better than his peers') out there.
Maybe if Thacker hadn't thrown the Loyola game, we'd be talking about the UC dynasty now.

Oscar never won an NCAA title and made 2 FF.

Thacker won 2 NCAA titles and made 3 FF. He never threw anything.