SI ranks the Top 20 college basketball programs

[nathanhm]

I won't ask BillM what is the criteria for your list b/c I am sure that it will start a sh!tstorm (if you haven't already by putting Gtwn way behind Butler, WVU, Pitt, Xavier & VCU).

Honestly after I saw Louisville #1, I just ignored the rest of the list.

Arguments can be made for UCLA, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Duke - at #1 - thats it.

The title of the article is "Ranking College Basketball's Current Top 20 Programs".

SI is talking about how good the program is in this era, not what kind of history they have. UCLA has 2 championships in the open era. What they did in the Wooden era has become ancient history.

I listed Louisville #1 because of what they've done recently because I thought that's what SI was talking about. Plus they have great facilities and a great fan base. They are #1 in the country in revenue from their basketball program. Kentucky, North Carolina, and Duke haven't been any better than Louisville recently. And it's not like Louisville doesn't have great history.

Okay lets play your game. Open era (1975+) titles / Final 4s / Conference Regular Season Titles / Conference Tournament Titles:

UCLA -- 2 / 7 / 15 / 3
Duke -- 4 / 12 / 13 / 15
Kentucky -- 4 / 9 / 17 / 14
UNC -- 4 / 12 / 19 / 12

Kansas -- 2 / 8 / 21 / 13
Indiana -- 3 / 5 / 11 / 0
Louisville -- 3 / 8 / 16 / 16

So in the open era Duke and UNC have had clearly better runs than Louisville, Kentucky has also performed better. UCLA Kansas Indiana Louisville, and probably UConn have all remained in that second tier of elite programs.

[Bill Marsh]

The title of the article is "Ranking College Basketball's Current Top 20 Programs".

SI is talking about how good the program is in this era, not what kind of history they have. UCLA has 2 championships in the open era. What they did in the Wooden era has become ancient history.

I listed Louisville #1 because of what they've done recently because I thought that's what SI was talking about. Plus they have great facilities and a great fan base. They are #1 in the country in revenue from their basketball program. Kentucky, North Carolina, and Duke haven't been any better than Louisville recently. And it's not like Louisville doesn't have great history.

Okay lets play your game. Open era (1975+) titles / Final 4s / Conference Regular Season Titles / Conference Tournament Titles:

UCLA -- 2 / 7 / 15 / 3
Duke -- 4 / 12 / 13 / 15
Kentucky -- 4 / 9 / 17 / 14
UNC -- 4 / 12 / 19 / 12

Kansas -- 2 / 8 / 21 / 13
Indiana -- 3 / 5 / 11 / 0
Louisville -- 3 / 8 / 16 / 16

So in the open era Duke and UNC have had clearly better runs than Louisville, Kentucky has also performed better. UCLA Kansas Indiana Louisville, and probably UConn have all remained in that second tier of elite programs.

Sorry,but I wouldn't consider anything that goes back to 1975 as being "current", which is what the SI list said it was focusing on. I proposed Louisville because of what they've done recently, not based on what anyone did 30 years ago.

Louisville, is the defending national champs, coming off back-to-back Final Fours. This year was their 2nd Big East title in the past 5 years and their 4th Elite 8 in the past 6.