Same. I’m all for wearing blue tinted lenses, but UK isn’t the only team that has won college basketball championships. The wins over IU and UofL are more meaningful when those two programs are successful. I suppose reasonable minds can differ.
Indiana fan delusion about "blueblood status", and the winning percentage of their last six coaches.
- Thread starter Son_Of_Saul
- Start date
I have my reasons:
Although UCLA trails in all time wins rank, 5th compared to 2nd, UCLA obliterates Kansas in championships leading eleven to four. UCLA has been to 18 final fours, while Kansas has 15 (16 if you count their vacated one). Both teams have made the same amount of elite eights. It really wasn’t a difficult decision for me. If UCLA didn’t have the championship under Harrick in 1995 and the multiple final fours in recent decades you could argue UCLA is just a program from the 60s and 70s but honest scrutiny doesn’t lead me to that conclusion. UCLA > Kansas as an all-time program. That doesn’t mean the UCLA brand is more prestigious and it doesn’t mean they have the same value in current landscape but the facts are the facts. I actually have very meticulously ranked each school on facts, not just emotion and it took me a few weeks of shuffling to get those ranks.
Indiana had a case for being a blueblood when Bob Knight was still in his prime at Indiana, which was through about 1994. That year the team finished 21-9 and went to a Sweet 16, but Knight was already starting into his decline. His antics had become well know and his coaching tactics had been publicized.
Since then, they've had 1 season of much success at all, which was in 2002. They haven't had another Elite 8 since 1993. They haven't had a title since 1987. I understand wanting to claim to be a blueblood, but the numbers don't bear it out.
The numbers bear it out unquestionably, just not when you hand select the ones you want in favor of recency bias. Good luck arguing Kentucky is a top program using the same logic you just espoused.
They probably could’ve gotten Dusty May if they had made a move after last season.
I agree with other posters that Pearl would kill it there
I agree with other posters that Pearl would kill it there
Don't we play them next year?
Dec. 20, 2025 – Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, Lexington, Ky.
Return of UK vs IU
Hey BBH, we can agree to disagree on this fine Thanksgiving day. I think UK's numbers compare favorably to anyone. Indiana has 5 titles, 3 of which came under 1 coach in an 11 year span. None since 1987. UK has 8 titles, under 5 different head coaches in 5 different decades, including one in 2012. There is no real comparison between the two, but we can argue if you prefer. Indiana has 5 titles, which is great, but the real argument is recency with the Hoosiers. As I said above, no titles since 1987. Not even a Final Four since 2002. The argument for Indiana was solid in the 1980s, as you say, it was undeniable then. Maybe we should define what blueblood really means...
In total wins, it's UK, Kansas, UNC, and Duke- Indiana is #10.
In winning percentage, it's UK, UNC, Kansas, Duke, UCLA- Indiana is #20.
In Final Fours, UNC has 21, UCLA has 18, UK has 17, Duke has 17, Kansas has 15. Indiana has 8, which is #8.
Your best argument is titles
In titles, it's UCLA, UK, UNC, UConn, Indiana. Your problem is measuring up in other areas and also recency. What have you done for me lately?
I definitely agree Kentucky is superior to Indiana. I am, after all, a Kentucky fan. Indiana’s resume has them in the top 7 of all programs of college basketball and waving a magic wand to say “what have you done for me lately?” is precisely the issue I have with your point. There are some who use an extension of your very same argument to say that Kentucky is no longer a blue blood. They will say that UConn, Duke and North Carolina remain blue bloods while Kentucky, UCLA and Indiana are not. After all, Kentucky had only one championship this side of the millennium. I love that you correctly pointed out Kentucky has won championships in the 1940s, 1950s, 1970s, 1990s and 2012. Indiana has won championships in four decades themselves. Indiana remains, as you noted, top 10 in all time wins despite an abysmal recent history. Every college program outside of Kentucky and North Carolina has some serious flaws in certain metrics. All I’m saying, as not just a Kentucky fan, but a college basketball fanatic, let’s not carve out little slices of history and decide who is a blue blood that way. I’ll close by saying I am fairly new to this site and will no doubt run some the wrong way by defending IU, but they deserve the defense. They are integral to the history of CBB and that’s why defeating them in 1975 was so special. That’s why kicking their tails when they do come back will be fun yet again.
I believe they already have unless it was dropped when calipari left
Yep, and even that was a total fluke run to the title game in 2002 as a 5 seed. A Hoosier team that finished the season with 12 losses. They did knock Duke out though and prevented them from repeating so I’ll give them credit for that. 😂
God forbid it happen, but if Kentucky doesn’t win a national championship within the next nine years (I think we will), there would be 20 year olds who would have never seen Kentucky win a national title. Are you as a fan, willing to concede, that we would no longer be a blueblood? Are you willing to say being CBB royalty is something that we can lose? I think it preposterous.
There is no world that exists in which IU is not a basketball blue blood. History didn’t just start in the year 2000.
With respect to your points, it's really nowhere close to the same argument Jay Williams uses about Kentucky. UK has been to eight Final Fours in a span where Indiana only went to one, with UK winning three titles, and playing in five title games, while earning a #1 seed nine times.
UK has also been to fifteen Elite Eights in that span. UK also finished ranked in the AP top 10 nineteen times since 1993.
Not even remotely comparable in terms of what Williams suggested.
I'll give you that Indiana is ranked #7 all time, but the gulf between #6 with UConn and #7 with Indiana is about the size of the Grand Canyon.
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Your first mistake is trying to make a credible argument based upon something Jay Williams said. 😜
UCLA won almost all their titles in one lump under John Wooden & shady recruiting. Jim Harrick won another. Other than that, they are just a good program. Their fanbase isn’t nearly as passionate as the rest of the blue bloods.
UCONN is a Johnny come lately. They didn’t win a title until 1999 and have now won 6 total.
If you remove IU & their five titles, you have to remove UCONN for sucking for the first 2/3rds of their existence. They had 3 Sweet 16 appearances and 1 Elite 8 appearance until the 1990’s.
IU definitely has lost their way, but when you think about college basketball (especially if you are 40 years old or above), you think about IU. 5 titles and a lot of history there.
UCONN is a Johnny come lately. They didn’t win a title until 1999 and have now won 6 total.
If you remove IU & their five titles, you have to remove UCONN for sucking for the first 2/3rds of their existence. They had 3 Sweet 16 appearances and 1 Elite 8 appearance until the 1990’s.
IU definitely has lost their way, but when you think about college basketball (especially if you are 40 years old or above), you think about IU. 5 titles and a lot of history there.
We also have a runner up and a multitude of final 4’s. Definite blue blood.
Not a blue blood... but historical program. Theres a difference. Michigan state has more prestige than they do in their conference in present day and more consistent. Imo- there are 4 bluebloods. UK, UNC, Kansas, Duke (they played in 4 final fours and 2 championships before K)
Ucla and Indiana have been too inconsistent.
IU has been irrelevant in modern basketball. They've been nothing since the three point line and shot clock have come into existence
Uconn is new blood, considering blueblood means noble birth.
So there once was a dude named John Wooden who coached at a place called UCLA…
Too inconsistent 🤣
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"Those were the days sonny.....hey.....did I ever tell you about the greatest shot in IU history? No, well, it was wonderful. Waddua mean they won a title later? Nobody cares about titles! Pffft."
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