B1G/NCAA basketball

[Wild Hoss]

FTs were pretty one-sided, which seems to be a subtext of the entire 2014 tournament, but fortunately KY shat the bed at the stripe.

Now most of their rented basketball mercs head for the pros.

[The Oracle]

Fuck them. Makes up for their bullshit 3 pt shooting all tournament. They found their sea level a little bit.

[WM Wolverine]

Even with significant attrition, they'll return a ton of talent as long as World Wide Wes and Calipari stay. They've got an excellent class incoming too.

[iam416]

Fuck them. Makes up for their bullshit 3 pt shooting all tournament. They found their sea level a little bit

.

As Dakich frequently, says, water finds its level. Unfortunately, that horseshit team should have been out against Wichita. Wichita was a story that could have definitely made this a memorable tournament. As it is, UConn now lays claim to the two worst championship teams of the past 30 years. Not that they care.

[WM Wolverine]

Final Four App. School
18 North Carolina
17 UCLA*
16 Kentucky
15 Duke
14 Kansas
10 Louisville, Ohio State*
8 Indiana, Michigan State
6 Arkansas, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State
5 Connecticut, Florida, Georgetown, Houston, Illinois, Michigan**, Syracuse

Above are all-time Final Four appearances. I'm bringing this up since a lot of media are wanting to put UConn up with Kansas, UCLA, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas since last night. They aren't close, they've won 4 NT's in 5 Final Fours...

I see a crystal clear top 5 then a 2nd tier of Ohio, Louisville, Indiana, Sparty. M would be near those programs if they didn't get caught cheating and vacated a couple Final Fours.

[iam416]

Yeah, I saw Michigan play in those two FFs and those two FFs are still well-identified with the program -- certainly more than the great Cazzie Russell teams. So, I'd say M has 7, not that it changes your analysis much.

So, I think you have two discussions. First, all-time. Second, modern era -- which I would say is either 1975 (when they went to 32 and you didn't have to win your conference to get in) or 1985 when they went to 64. You could also make arguments for 1979 (40) and 1980 (48). Personally, I'd tend toward 1975. Access was much harder, but you still had to win 5 games to win the tourney. For a top 2 or 3 seed, that's a meaningless difference from 64.

Anywho, all-time the top 4 is etched in stone with Indiana and Louisville very close to Kansas. Then you get the OSU, MSU, M, UConn, Syracuse tier.

From 1975 on in parens (Titles since 1975, FFs since 1975; Titles past 20 years; FFs past 20 years):

UCLA (2, 7; 1, 4): 75, 95 -- 75, 76, 80, 95, 06, 07, 08
Kentucky (4, 9; 3, 5): 78, 96, 98, 12 -- 75, 78, 84, 93, 96, 97, 98, 11, 12
UNC (4, 12; 2, 7): 82, 93, 05, 09 -- 77, 81, 82, 91, 93, 95, 97, 98, 00, 05, 08, 09
Duke (4, 12; 2, 4): 91, 92, 01, 10 -- 78, 86, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 94, 99, 01, 04, 10
UConn (4, 5; 4, 5): 99, 04, 11, 14 –- 99, 04, 09, 11, 14
Indiana (3, 5; 0, 1): 76, 81, 87 --76, 81, 87, 92, 02
Louisville (3, 7; 1, 3): 80, 86, 13 -- 75, 82, 83, 86, 05, 12, 13
Kansas (2, 7; 1, 3): 88, 08 -- 86, 88, 91, 93, 02, 03, 08
MSU (2, 8; 1, 6): 79, 00 -- 79, 99, 00, 01, 05, 09, 10, 12
Syracuse (1, 5; 1, 3): 03 -- 75, 87, 96, 03, 13
Arizona (1, 4; 1, 3): 97 -- 88, 94, 97, 01
Michigan (1, 5; 0, 1): 89 -- 76, 89, 92, 93, 13

In the "modern" era, almost no matter how you figure it, the top programs are actually 3: North Carolina, Duke and Kentucky. After that you have the likes of UConn, Louisville, Kansas, UCLA and Michigan State. For "recent" history -- past 20 years, UConn is clearly with the elite group.

Of course, Wooden still would have won almost all his titles playing in a 32 or 64 or 128 team tournament, so it's a bit silly to cut those out. But, F UCLA.

[hack]

Shit -- jetlag hit me. Planned on a nap at 830 and didn't wake up until morning, so I miseed it. I would have liked to see that UConn ball pressure undo them.

LOL at the twisted irony of it all, the NCAA and violations taking center stage as an aftermath story and yet without Kentucky and Calipari being mentioned. Journalism ain't what it used to be. But at least the insanity of it all is getting some attention.

Anyhow, please, Calipari, take the damn Lakers job! Maybe I'm wrong but in my head Capilari's name coming up in NBA coaching rumours is a leading indicator of an investigation into Kentucky and ensuing probation. Get it done; let Kentucky have a period on the sidelines, and let the rest of CBB get back to it without the worst offender there to muck it up.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Calipari to the Lakers = Pete Carroll to the Seahawks

[hack]

Yes but hopefully without the success. Calipari wasn't great with the Nets. Kentucky definitely is the USC of college basketball though. Just with a much longer history of moral turpitude.

[Hannibal]

Kentucky will never get punished. With USC, you saw the last of the major punishments that will ever be levied out to tarnish major programs and/or vacate major wins. The NCAA has completely abandoned enforcement and the major cheaters have become experts at using all of the loopholes and exploiting reasonable doubt.

[entropy]

he has to pay the same as everyone else in the NBA... hence, why he won't win

[entropy]

Bo Pelini @BoPelini 1h
Thoughts and Prayers to the family of @adorablelacey I want to commend @Adreian_Payne and Coach Izzo for all they did.

Tim Miles @CoachMiles 3h
#Huskers included. Thoughts and prayers are with Lacey and her family. pic.twitter.com/CCSMHTiseQ


lots of tweets today on Lacey... I'm sure the spartan players are hurting today.

[entropy]

LOL..

Fake Bo Pelini @FauxPelini 15h
Shouldn't the QB's parents do that RT @LindseyThiry: USC's Sarkisian says he will be ready to name starting quarterback before end of spring

[*JD*]

he has to pay the same as everyone else in the NBA... hence, why he won't win

Coaching the lakes isn't really on the same level as most teams. They really, really have to screw things up to not be a FA destination.

[entropy]

Yea... I know not all teams are equal... Even in the NFL. Just suggesting he cheats in college