ESPN top 50 basketball programs of last 50 years

#27
#27
Shaun1985 said:
Why is Murray State on that list? They play in a weak conference that's gotten decent recently but seriously? Kind of stupid IMO. I read the tidbit of how they won their tournament and have winning records for so many years but seriously? Weak.
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Was thinking the same thing. Even says that they've never won more than one game in a single NCAA tourney. How in the world did they get in the top 30 in an apparently objective ranking scheme?
 
#31
#31
Shaun1985 said:
Why is Murray State on that list? They play in a weak conference that's gotten decent recently but seriously? Kind of stupid IMO. I read the tidbit of how they won their tournament and have winning records for so many years but seriously? Weak.
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Within that blog there is a link to another ranking where they just went from about 1985 forward. Tennessee finished 99 in that one and they gave the reason as UT played in a power conference but had won few conference championships. From that, one could infer that a team that historically dominated a non-power conference is rewarded for that. Also they awarded points for winning percentages above .800. So if you are dominating a small conference then you are probably getting 5 points for regular season, 3 for tourney champ, and another 3 or 4 (can't remember exact number) for a gaudy record. That's over 10 points a season to just wrack up wins in a bad conference.

I like the idea of the ranking but I don't think you can reward a team like Memphis with 8 points for steam rolling C-USA (reg season and tourney) while only giving the same 8 points to the Big East conference and tourney champs. More points should be awarded for winning tougher conferences.
 
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#33
#33
GatorsGators said:
'Bama has more tournament appearances and Sweet Sixteens, and both have one Elite Eight. Why exactly were you expecting Tennessee to be above Alabama?
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Maybe just a general dislike of all things Bama? I never really thought much of Bama basketball and most of those sweet 16 appearances and tourney appearances are pre '91. I thought UT's recent success under Pearl would have pulled them ahead. Obviously it did not. If you look at the math, the thing that really kills UT is lack of SEC tourney wins. Bama won it 5 times during the period and UT only 1. Maybe I just mentally block out how bad UT plays at the SEC tourney. :peace2:
 
#34
#34
zansdad said:
Within that blog there is a link to another ranking where they just went from about 1985 forward. Tennessee finished 99 in that one and they gave the reason as UT played in a power conference but had won few conference championships. From that, one could infer that a team that historically dominated a non-power conference is rewarded for that. Also they awarded points for winning percentages above .800. So if you are dominating a small conference then you are probably getting 5 points for regular season, 3 for tourney champ, and another 3 or 4 (can't remember exact number) for a gaudy record. That's over 10 points a season to just wrack up wins in a bad conference.

I like the idea of the ranking but I don't think you can reward a team like Memphis with 8 points for steam rolling C-USA (reg season and tourney) while only giving the same 8 points to the Big East conference and tourney champs. More points should be awarded for winning tougher conferences.
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So, we get penalized for being in KY's conference? The line I bolded is a little weird, because playing in a power conference is going to mean few championships if you're not a blue blood program.
 
#35
#35
ukvols said:
So, we get penalized for being in KY's conference? The line I bolded is a little weird, because playing in a power conference is going to mean few championships if you're not a blue blood program.
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Just passing on info. I don't necessarily agree with the basis behind it.
 
#36
#36
GatorsGators said:
'Bama has more tournament appearances and Sweet Sixteens, and both have one Elite Eight. Why exactly were you expecting Tennessee to be above Alabama?
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If they put a lot of weight on the postseason, UT's not going to be above many power league teams at all.

But, if the list consisted of the projected Top 50 programs over the next 50 years starting now, I doubt anyone outside of Alabama would put Alabama near Tennessee. UT would have to be at least Top 25 on a list like that, and I think that's a little conservative.
 
#39
#39
Outside of the early-mid 90s and the Buzz years I'm not sure of a time when UT basketball could be classified as bad.
 
#40
#40
1985Vols said:
Tenn is 3rd winningest team in SEC history and has beaten KY more than any other team in the country. Not exactly bottom of the cellar....
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you've played uk 200+ times. I wouldn't be surprised. Although I will admit you've beat us at a pretty nice ratio in the series history. Although take out most of the pre rupp era and it's a bit different :p
 
#41
#41
1985Vols said:
Tenn is 3rd winningest team in SEC history and has beaten KY more than any other team in the country. Not exactly bottom of the cellar....
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To be fair, I first started going to games as a kid during the Houston era. O'Neil's time here was not much better and the Tournaments we went to under Green seemed like a fluke. Plus I got to watch Chattanooga beat us at home during Buzz ball. I unfortunately missed every game Pearl coached because I was focused on school. My point, is that my opinion is kind of jaded and the majority of the games I got to see live seemed bottom of the cellar worthy. Again, with that illustrious somewhat recent history I am not surprised we missed the cut for the top 50. With that being said I am a firm believer that Coach Martin is the man to continue our recent successes and take us to the Final Four and beyond.
 
#42
#42
MothershipChip said:
To be fair, I first started going to games as a kid during the Houston era. O'Neil's time here was not much better and the Tournaments we went to under Green seemed like a fluke. Plus I got to watch Chattanooga beat us at home during Buzz ball. I unfortunately missed every game Pearl coached because I was focused on school. My point, is that my opinion is kind of jaded and the majority of the games I got to see live seemed bottom of the cellar worthy. Again, with that illustrious somewhat recent history I am not surprised we missed the cut for the top 50. With that being said I am a firm believer that Coach Martin is the man to continue our recent successes and take us to the Final Four and beyond.
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I disagree on Green. Those teams were as talented as some of Bruce's. Unfortunately we were impeded by his stupidity.
 
#43
#43
UTCVol said:
I disagree on Green. Those teams were as talented as some of Bruce's. Unfortunately we were impeded by his stupidity.
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Yep. All the talent in the world wasted on a coach who couldn't find his way out of a room with one door.
 
#45
#45
ukvols said:
If they put a lot of weight on the postseason, UT's not going to be above many power league teams at all.

But, if the list consisted of the projected Top 50 programs over the next 50 years starting now, I doubt anyone outside of Alabama would put Alabama near Tennessee. UT would have to be at least Top 25 on a list like that, and I think that's a little conservative.
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Projecting programs over a fifty year period seems pretty pointless to me. Who knows who will be coaching at any of these programs in ten years.
 
#47
#47
GatorsGators said:
Projecting programs over a fifty year period seems pretty pointless to me. Who knows who will be coaching at any of these programs in ten years.
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I'm just saying our program is better now and has more potential than a lot of the programs who made the Top 50 list.
 
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