IU fan confirms: UK history's best, Hooisers not 'elite.'

[MdWIldcat55]

http://thediaperdandy.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Interesting chart put together by a Hoosier fan on Peegs. What it shows is that throughout college basketball history, back to the 1940s, Kentucky has been the most consistently top performing program.

Interestingly, it also shows Indiana has only occasionally been a top performing program, and owes its status as 'elite' more to its championship years than to consistent, sustained excellence. The Hoosiers are more like UConn or Louisville, with a period of hanging a few banners in a short time, than the four true Elites; Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and UNC-CHeats. UCLA also falls in that category, albeit with one historic run.

This chart is far from perfect -- the two BCG years keep Kentucky from being 'Top 16' between 08-11 despite a 35-3 team that was ranked #1 much of the year and a Final Four team -- but it gives a good sense of which programs have maintained elite status.

 

[Pope John Wall II]

You guys have got to stop putting UNC with the bluebloods.

 

[UKEE]

I U(sed to be)!

 

[CatPhight]

 

[Rush2112 UK]

http://thediaperdandy.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Interestingly, it also shows Indiana has only occasionally been a top performing program, and owes its status as 'elite' more to its championship years than to consistent, sustained excellence.

Very true, and demonstrable via many metrics. A few notes to further this point:

*Indiana did win NCAA titles in '40 and '53, but had three losing seasons (44, 45, 48) in between

*From 1954 through 1971 (pre-Knight), the program had five losing seasons and a .500 campaign. Their overall record was 217-185 (54.0%), with a grand total of zero final fours and three NCAA tournament appearances... all of which resulted in first round losses.

*Most of their (spurious) claim as a college basketball elite is the result of Knight's opening 16 year run (72-87), in which he won 3 NCAA titles

*Since then (88-15), a period now approaching 30 years, they've managed a total of TWO Final Fours and a glittering 27-22 overall NCAA tournament record, including FOURTEEN first or second round knockouts.

I'd call them a has-been, but "never were" is closer to the mark.

 

[DraftCat]

I personally think Duke will experience present Indiana once Coach K retires.

 

[KyFaninNC]

You guys have got to stop putting UNC with the bluebloods.

Now that we know how they did it.

 

[KyFaninNC]

I personally think Duke will experience present Indiana once Coach K retires.

I agree. Looks like K will die there instead of retiring. UK made retire when he reached 70, guess all schools don't have a mandatory retirement age.

 

[ORCAT]

I agree. Looks like K will die there instead of retiring. UK made retire when he reached 70, guess all schools don't have a mandatory retirement age.

I believe that was a state law regarding all state employees when Rupp was our coach and I also believe that law no longer exists in Kentucky. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on the details.

 

[barryn2000]

Loved this part....


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[Son_Of_Saul]

I think K slithers away around 2020. That would put him at 73 years old. He will make sure he gets at least one more title before he's gone. He's a greedy S.O.B. if there ever was one.

 

[Mojocat]

There was a time when conventional wisdom said there were an Elite 6, schools with superior basketball tradition. I agreed with that, as you could build a pretty convincing case. But a lot has changed. Now, I don't think there's any doubt that there are four true elite programs: UK, UNC, Duke, KU. That's it.

Consistency is the thing. And, let's face it, glamour - those are the 4 glamour schools. Rank the programs by either wins or winning percentage for each decade, and UK is top 10 every decade since the 30s. UNC is top 10 in every decade but one, iirc. If you're mediocre for the better part of 30 years, then have a great decade, then you're up and most down for 25 years, then have a really good decade - and there are several with some variation of the profile: IU, uofl, ucla, uconn - you don't make the cut.

UK, UNC, Duke, KU. That's it.

 

[Bkocats]

I personally think Duke will experience present Indiana once Coach K retires.

Not necessarily; I grant you that Krzyzewski is the face of that program, now, but you also have to remember that they also had Final fours in 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1978. K was hired in 1980. So, Duke wasn't entirely unknown before K showed up as UConn was before Calhoun.

I think K has built a brand there for sure; and while Duke will probably experience a mild drop-off, it will be nowhere near IUs

 

[Bert Higginbotha]

I personally think Duke will experience present Indiana once Coach K retires.

Folks forget that Duke before Coach K were not that consistently good. They made the final four in 1963, 1964, 1966 and 1976 (maybe more but I don't remember one) with fine teams but they were a second rung program even in the ACC with NC State and UNC being the kings of the ACC.