Stack them up against the Consensus Blue Bloods since 2000
Duke: 3 Nat'l Championships, 4 Final Fours, 15 Sweet Sixteens 0 missed tournaments (2021 COVID if you want to count that)
UNC: 3 Nat'l Championsihps, 6 Final Fours, 11 Sweet Sixteens 3 missed tournaments
Kansas: 1 Nat'l Championship, 5 Final Fours, 13 Sweet Sixteens 0 missed tournaments
Kentucky: 1 Nat'l Championship, 4 Final Fours (in 5 years), 12 Sweet Sixteens. 2 missed tournaments
UCLA: 0 Nat'l Championships, 4 Final Fours, 10 Sweet Sixteens, 6 missed tournaments.
They are tied or behind each of those teams in every metric. Faded doesn't mean they are irrelevant. Mick Cronin is doing serious work and getting them going again. I would put UCLA in between a Tier 1 and Tier 2 because they have been very inconsistent over the past 2 decades. Just look at Ben Howland's tenure. Built off Steve Lavin, missed the tournament, made the S16 in 2005, recruited his tail off and got to 3 straight Final Fours.... and then didn't even make it to the Sweet Sixteen the rest of his tenure. They even missed the tournament 2 years in that time. That's not the mark of a true Blue Blood.
Again, Mick Cronin stays there the next 10 years, they are most likely right back in the conversation, but the past 21 years have not been better than Michigan State and don't reach the top tier guys.
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In response to this post by King of Hokies)
Posted: 02/15/2022 at 4:41PM