2024-2025 B1G Basketball Thread

[medinabuckeye1]

It is interesting, MSU is kinda the "Ohio State" of College Basketball at least over the last ~30 years.  They are hyper-consistent, nearly always in the mix, but they don't have the number of Championships that other schools at their level have.  

MSU has been to the Tournament every year since 1998.  That is 27 straight NCAA Appearances which is remarkable especially when you look at how far ahead of the field that puts them:

• 27 MSU 1998-2025
• 26 Gonzaga 1999-2025
• 10 Purdue 2015-2025
• 7 Houston 2018-2025
• 6 Baylor 2019-2025
• 6 Kansas 2019-2025*

*Kansas has more but their 2018 appearance was subsequently vacated so they only have six straight legitimate NCAA Appearances.  

Gonzaga is obviously close but they play in a rink-dink conference so winning their league tournament is something most big-boy programs could do with their backups.  Gonzaga's is an accomplishment worth noting but it isn't on the same level as the others.  

MSU's streak is nearly three times as long as Purdue's and nearly four times as long as Houston's.  

[Mdot21]

breaking news: Tom Izzo is really fucking good at coaching basketball.

[Gigem]

Does that make 3 this century ?  I know they won one earlier this millennium. I can’t remember the coaches name, but I can see his face. Billy Donovan maybe ?  Seems like they won in FB and basketball the same year. 

[OrangeAfroMan]

Yes, Donovan won back-to-back titles in 06, 07.  First as a 3-seed, then as a 1.  Football won in 06 and 08.  

Only UConn and Florida have 3 basketball titles in the last 20 years.  

So please excuse my arrogance, but I've witnessed 2 football, 3 basketball, and a baseball NC in the last 20 years.

[FearlessF]

5 football titles in my lifetime trumps that

[OrangeAfroMan]

5 football titles in my lifetime trumps that

Agreed.  
But in my lifetime, we're even at 3.  

[Kris60]

UConn might be even crazier.

Only UCLA and UNC have more NCs, but Kansas State has more Elite 8s.  They won the NC in 6 of their 7 Final 4 appearances.  They've won all 6 national titles in the past 26 years.  But they've also missed the tourney 9 times in that span.  They've won a title in roughly 1/3 of their tourney appearances in the past two and half decades

I’ve called UConn’s last 25 years or so the least dominant, dominant run I’ve ever seen.  The national titles scream dynasty, but nothing else does.  You mentioned all the missed tournaments in that time span which is really unusual.  20 of the last 27 national champions have been 1 seeds.  Of the 7 instances a non-number 1 has won it UConn owns 4 of them by itself.  

To call it fluky is too dismissive and diminishes the accomplishment.  But to call it unique or unusual is pretty apt.  Here is a little comparison of UConn’s run from 1999-2024 to Duke’s from 1986-2011.

Overall record 
Duke- 746-172 (.813)
UConn- 625-263 (.704)

Tournament Appearances 
Duke- 25
UConn-17 (UConn may have had 18 if COVID doesn’t happen in 2020. They were a bubble team).

Tournament Wins
Duke- 73
UConn- 50

Final Four Appearances
Duke- 11
UConn-7

Times as #1 seed

Duke- 12
UConn- 4

But…
National Titles

UConn-6
Duke- 4

It’s been a great, but strange run for UConn.

[Gigem]

Yes, Donovan won back-to-back titles in 06, 07.  First as a 3-seed, then as a 1.  Football won in 06 and 08. 

Only UConn and Florida have 3 basketball titles in the last 20 years. 

So please excuse my arrogance, but I've witnessed 2 football, 3 basketball, and a baseball NC in the last 20 years.

That’s something really special. I’m envious. 

[ELA]

Yes, Donovan won back-to-back titles in 06, 07.  First as a 3-seed, then as a 1.  Football won in 06 and 08. 

Only UConn and Florida have 3 basketball titles in the last 20 years. 

So please excuse my arrogance, but I've witnessed 2 football, 3 basketball, and a baseball NC in the last 20 years.

Tacking on baseball plays as well as me mentioning MSUs 2007 hockey national title.  MSU is also back to back dodgeball national champs (totally serious)

[ELA]

Also, seems like Floridas sweet spot is finding a coach with a taste for 17 year olds.  Maybe put a statue of Urban and Golden outside Gainseville HS?

[OrangeAfroMan]

Fuck GHS.  I went to Buchholz!!!

[medinabuckeye1]

Agreed. 
But in my lifetime, we're even at 3. 

I'm with you two.  Ohio State now has three in my lifetime, I wasn't around in 1968.  Nebraska and Florida each also have three in my lifetime.  

[medinabuckeye1]

I’ve called UConn’s last 25 years or so the least dominant, dominant run I’ve ever seen.  The national titles scream dynasty, but nothing else does.  You mentioned all the missed tournaments in that time span which is really unusual.  20 of the last 27 national champions have been 1 seeds.  Of the 7 instances a non-number 1 has won it UConn owns 4 of them by itself. 

To call it fluky is too dismissive and diminishes the accomplishment.  But to call it unique or unusual is pretty apt.  Here is a little comparison of UConn’s run from 1999-2024 to Duke’s from 1986-2011.

Overall record
Duke- 746-172 (.813)
UConn- 625-263 (.704)

Tournament Appearances
Duke- 25
UConn-17 (UConn may have had 18 if COVID doesn’t happen in 2020. They were a bubble team).

Tournament Wins
Duke- 73
UConn- 50

Final Four Appearances
Duke- 11
UConn-7

Times as #1 seed

Duke- 12
UConn- 4

But…
National Titles

UConn-6
Duke- 4

It’s been a great, but strange run for UConn.

I like the Dook comparison.  It isn't about Dook, it is more that Dook's dominant run is more what we expect or "the norm" for a dominant run.  They have the NC's (not quite as many as UCONN) but they also have LOTS of #1 seeds, F4's, Tournament wins, Tournament appearances, and regular season wins.  UCONN has the NC's but everything else is pretty mediocre.  

Consider this:
Per above, UCONN "only" had 50 NCAA wins over that stretch and it takes six to win an NC so 36 of the 50 came in those six NC seasons and outside of that their Tournament record was 14-11.  

It is just weird.  As you said, the NC's scream dynasty.  Put another way, the NC's scream Blue Blood but again, nothing else does.  They have six NC seasons and the sum total of the rest is pretty good but nowhere close to the top dogs.  

For a football comparison, Alabama won six NC's in 12 years from 2009-2020 but in that stretch they also:

• Lost National semi-finals once (2014)
• Lost the National Championship game twice (2016, 2018)

The other three seasons over that 12 year span were:

• 10-3 with a Citrus Bowl win in 2010
• 11-2 with a NY6 Bowl appearance in 2013
• 11-2 with a Citrus Bowl win in 2019

The point being that it isn't "just" the NC's, Bama was really good even in the non-championship years.  UCONN's run is just strange because while the NC's are there, the rest of a dominant run just isn't.  

[ELA]

It is interesting, MSU is kinda the "Ohio State" of College Basketball at least over the last ~30 years.  They are hyper-consistent, nearly always in the mix, but they don't have the number of Championships that other schools at their level have. 

MSU has been to the Tournament every year since 1998.  That is 27 straight NCAA Appearances which is remarkable especially when you look at how far ahead of the field that puts them:

• 27 MSU 1998-2025
• 26 Gonzaga 1999-2025
• 10 Purdue 2015-2025
• 7 Houston 2018-2025
• 6 Baylor 2019-2025
• 6 Kansas 2019-2025*

*Kansas has more but their 2018 appearance was subsequently vacated so they only have six straight legitimate NCAA Appearances. 

Gonzaga is obviously close but they play in a rink-dink conference so winning their league tournament is something most big-boy programs could do with their backups.  Gonzaga's is an accomplishment worth noting but it isn't on the same level as the others. 

MSU's streak is nearly three times as long as Purdue's and nearly four times as long as Houston's. 

And Houston played in a mid-major until 2 years ago, and Purdue's streak would be 5, if 2020 hadn't been cancelled