I started watching UT basketball religiously in 1988 when Penders was hired ( I was 13 at the time) and have been hooked ever since. Before that I went to games periodically with my dad, but we were terrible so while I enjoyed the experience , I didn't get upset when we lost. We had it pretty good under Penders and have had it even better under Barnes. I think it gets even better in the next few years with teh influx of talent. Since I started watching UT basketball , I think we have made the tournament every year except 2 in those 20 or 21 seasons. We have been remarkably consistent with a few great years sprinkled in there. I would rank UT pretty high nationally during that time period. I realize that time period doesn't represent the full history of UT basketball, but I am wondering which teams have been better over that 20 year period? I would bet there aren't that many. Off the top of my head: Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Arizona, UCLA, UConn, Louisville, Florida, Kansas. Where would you rank UT basketball over that time period and looking forward to the future?
The Link This is the closest I could find .. It the last 25 years. (1984-2009)- However, doesnt take this seasons results into consideration.
I have a (simple) point system that I think is fairly reflective. The top 10 for the last 20 years (not including this season) is: Duke, Kansas, UNC, Kentucky, Arizona, UConn, UCLA, Michigan State, Syracuse, and Indiana. Texas is 15th, within a handful of points of 10th. If you include this year, Texas actually moves to 11th, a point behind Illinois. They go, with Illinois, to the top of a cluster of teams that did not make the tournament this year... Indiana, Arkansas, Cincinnati and Florida. The point is well taken, in terms of progress on a national scale. Texas stands quite well since TJ Ford arrived on campus, a measure of eight seasons, including this year. They're probably going to come in no worse than sixth over those eight years when it's all done. The teams ahead of them will be KU (clear first), Duke, UConn, UNC and, possibly, Pitt (which would have to make the championship game). Florida and Memphis will be just behind.
Texas is most definitely a top 15 program in college hoops. To get inside the top 10 is certainly possible, all that would be required is some success in the Final Four. But I'd take perrenial top 15 for Texas. Given we have, as a university, no love for the game, and no real tradition, I think that is a good level of achievement. Arizona and Duke will need to have succesful transfers of power to retain their standing. Otherwise I'll view them as one trick ponies. The true blue blood basketball programs have all won multiple national tiltles under multiple coaches, that's my litmus test. In that system you look at UCLA, Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas, and North Carolina as gold standard programs with Michigan State (two coaches, two championships) on the fringe. If my ranking system holds, then Tom Crean hangs a 6th banner in Assembly Hall before Texas gets it first. And I write that after Indiana went 5-26 or whatever. It's just a basketball school versus a football school.
I knew Duke wasn't exactly a slouch before Coach K, but I didn't know they had been to Final 4's under two prior coaches. That's impressive.
I knew Duke lost the final game in, when, 1980 with Jay Bilas at center and Bill Foster as coach. I don't know of the third coach and a FF trip. I think there was a trip in 1986 with Johny Dawkins as a player, but I think that was with a young coach K. In any case, the proof will be in the pudding. Let's see Duke go with one of their own , say, Quin Snyder! And anything Arizona has ever done was under Saint Lute. If they can get Mark Few in there, maybe they don't miss a step. But next year presuming their big three take off), their NCAA tournament streak ends, and Texas moves up the list in consecutive bids. Josh Pastner is now securing Houston's best for Memphis. Anyway, I give a lot more weight to winning national championships than making it to the Final Four. Because basketball schools have multiple championship banners and thankfully those aren't the "mnc" kind. I wish NCAA football would see Vegas the first weekend of the Big Dance to understand what a play-off could do. Then again the NCAA doesn't care about my fun, nor imho, justice.
Vic Bubas was the other coach to get Duke to the FF. They went to 3 under Bubas in '63, '64 and '66. And you are correct, the '86 team that lost to "Never Nervous Pervis" and Louisville was Coach K's.
My point about Zona making it this far this year was they did it without Lute at the helm. Sure, St. Mary's, San Diego St., or Creighton might have done the same, but we'll never know since they didn't get in. The fact is Arizona got to the sweet 16, which is two games further than Wake and WVU made it--both of whom were perceived by many to be better teams. As far as the teams they beat in the 1st & 2nd rounds, well, sometimes you get paired against "overrated" teams and sometimes you get hosed by the selection committee. Regardless, AZ beat the two teams they had to beat to get this far.
Indy, if you listen to College Gameday enough, you will hear Bilas get roasted over his inability to guard Pervis Ellison in the '86 final...
Interesting to note: Texas and OU are the only schools that would be ranked in the top 20 in both football and basketball. Only Florida, Michigan, and Ohio State come close to the same 2-sport success. I think there is no question Texas is the best 3-sport school.
I think LSU, Florida, and Ohio State beg to differ. All three have very strong football programs. All three have had good success in basketball... and I'm not sure about tOSU, but LSU and Florida have had recent success in baseball as well. Back on the topic of college basketball, Gonzaga must also be climbing that list rather quickly. They are one of only nine schools to have reached each of the past ten NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournaments
Bob I could have sworn that Bilas was a frosh center on the Blue Devil team that made it to the final. That Duke team had Jim Spanarkel at guard and a frsoh forward who was pretty darn good but a tweener at the next level. That year might have been 1978 when UK won it all. They all start to run together some times.
Indy, They do tend to run together. Bilas played at Duke from 83-86. He was a senior when they played Louisville in Dallas.
Indy, Gminski was the center on that Duke team. They had Spanarkel, Kenny Dennard, and the guy I think you are thinking of was Gene Banks.
Don't leave out trivia answer Bob Bender -- I assume he's still the only player to appear in NCAA finals for 2 different teams.
I am so glad that Bender was not hired to replace Penders. He had just coached Washington to that S16 loss to UConn that is being commercially exploited right now.
