U-M #7 in best MBB programs this decade according to Sporting News
Kinda need to keep some perspective here. It was awful this 30-win team failed to cash in on another banner season, but to even consider a 30-win season a "failure" is just remarkable for us on another level (my deepest apologies for using the egghead as a source)
Not bad, and this decade is not over. We are going to have another stellar season starting this fall/winter...
But we're #3,454,767,989 in recruiting!* This can't continue!
*source: Maize/Old98
Wow, incredibly timely. Just had this discussion with a buddy and pegged us in the 5-8 range in last decade. Didn't think about Kansas in top 5 though.
Will MSU break that list when they win the National title this year?
No and no.
MSU will have to beat probably Duke and probably Gonzaga just to reach the championship. That’s tough, but if they did, it is much deserved.
however...since 2010 they been bounced the first weekend 5 times. Not a good resume look.
March 30th, 2019 at 12:48 PM ^
They've actually looked good so far in the tournament this year, as they should with the creampuff draw they got in their bracket. Hopefully Duke puts them back in their place.
I agree they have played some weaker teams.
Bradley, minny, LSU isn’t nearly as daunting as Duke, Gonzaga, Virginia/Kentucky.
however, if MSU beat #2 LSU, #1 Duke, #1 Gonzaga and #1 Virginia or #2 Kentucky...that would have to be the best tourney run ever.
that would be impressive and I hope to God it does not happen. As a comparison, 1997 Arizona beat three # 1 seeds in their run, Kansas in their region and then North Carolina and Kentucky in the final 4.
You're a total troll bastard, but objectively, msu should definitely be on the list ahead of Syracuse. Looking at the numbers from seasons ending 2010-2019...
- 'cuse has a .712 winning percentage compared to msu's .742
- 'cuse has missed the tourney twice to msu's zero
- 'cuse has lost in the 1st weekend 3 times to msu's 4 times
- Same number of sweet 16s (2) and elite 8s (1), but msu have 3 final fours to cuse's 2
I'd argue that Wisconsin should also be on this list over UConn.
I made up a scoring system where you lose a point every time you miss the tourney; 0 pts for losing 1st weekend; 1 pt for Sweet 16; 2 pts for Elite 8; 3 pts for Final Four; 4 pts for runner up; and 5 pts for championship. Also 1 pt for every 30 win season.
Of the schools in the list (plus msu and Wisconsin), I get:
- Kentucky - 26 pts
- Duke - 23 pts
- Kansas - 21 pts
- UNC - 17 pts
- msu - 15 pts
- Gonzaga - 15 pts
- Michigan - 13 pts
- Villanova - 13 pts
- Wisconsin - 12 pts
- Louisville - 12 pts
- Syracuse - 11 pts
- UConn - 6 pts
I'm sure you can start throwing in things like conference championships, conference tourney championships, etc., but I think this is a better top 10 than what TSN threw out there.
March 29th, 2019 at 10:27 PM ^
Shows you how far Michigan has come since JB took over. They were nowhere near top 25 when he first started at Michigan and now, they're a top 10 team with National Championship expectation. They're in a great place right now
March 29th, 2019 at 10:27 PM ^
I'll take it
March 29th, 2019 at 10:33 PM ^
#6 UConn? Cumong, man.
Also, #7 for us is pretty damn good considering at least 70% of the programs on this list are cheating their ass off. (Only considering Villanova and Gonzaga as potentially clean).
March 29th, 2019 at 10:35 PM ^
They have two national titles in the 2010s....haven’t done anything else but it counts for something.
March 30th, 2019 at 12:36 AM ^
Both in the first half of the decade.
From this point in time, with an estimate of present program strength via some rolling metric with season weights declining with age, I'd say we're #6.
It counts for everything. We have 1 National Title in program history. I’d take two titles in 10 years if the other 8 years yielded zero tourney appearances
March 29th, 2019 at 10:37 PM ^
It would be interesting to see how those same 10 teams rank in football.
Pretty safe to say, we're the only school that has a legit shot at the "Final Four" in both sports.
March 30th, 2019 at 11:20 AM ^
Lil bro might have something to say
Seeing as they actually did it in 2015?
March 29th, 2019 at 10:58 PM ^
I don’t get the inclusion of UConn that high when contemplating the entire decade. Sure, they have two championships but have only made the tournament 4 of the last 10 years.
March 29th, 2019 at 11:03 PM ^
I would take that trade.
March 30th, 2019 at 12:39 AM ^
I'd take the 2010s history trade with UConn, but obviously, Michigan is in a much better forward-looking position.
March 29th, 2019 at 11:09 PM ^
I'd rather have the championships
Here, I would say that you and those agreeing with you have a too narrow interpretation of the purposes of interscholastic athletics. In this regard, the Michigan athletic department has much to be very pleased about. Michigan, up and down the line, currently has a roster of coaches who are continuing to take and/or are taking their program and players on a course that is truly elite-in the larger picture of purposes. Championships are wonderful for all associated with these teams but for the players and coaches, over time, those championships hold no more fondness of memory or experience than any other well-played season.
Lol. I had no clue we should be so pleased. We’re not really playing for championships. It’s the intangible metrics, that we define of course, that really matter. Also, saying a championship season holds “no more fondness of memory” than any other season exposes you as a dude who’s never played sports above the middle school level.
March 29th, 2019 at 11:15 PM ^
It's all about championships. Villanova and UConn should be right behind Duke.
lol Uconn and syracuse?
Villanova should be #1. This list is bogus.
March 30th, 2019 at 12:01 PM ^
Nova's a weird one. Two national championships, but those are the only two times they've made it past the first weekend in this decade.
1) Dirty
2) dirty
3) dirty
4) dirty
5) clean
6) dirty
7) clean
8) dirty
9) clean
10) dirty
Only 3 clean programs in that so-called Top Ten of basketball programs. Hmmmm...
March 30th, 2019 at 10:17 AM ^
Great list. Puts things in perspective.
No they are top 3 because 7 of those teams have been busted for some kind of scandal .
March 30th, 2019 at 12:14 PM ^
Feels about right. We should expect to be a top 10 most years if not every year. We aren't a top 5 program currently and without some major punishments for cheating being handed down to the top of the list we probably won't ever be.
Syracuse and UConn are the only ones who would begin to slide down looking towards the next decade.
I love that they have us a spot ahead of Louisville even though they beat us in the championship game
There is literally no reason for UConn to be on this list. They had two good seasons out of the selected 10-year span. This decade they have won zero conference championships and they missed the NCAA Tournament 6 out of 10 times. You're telling me that's the sixth best program of the decade?! Are you serious?
There are maybe four or five teams in the Big Ten alone that have had a better decade than UConn. Purdue has three conference championships and only missed the NCAA Tournament twice in that span.
the Shame of Iron Mountain has a problem with this.
Boom