Another way to look at this

[FfldCntyFan]

After looking into the number of games needed to win earlier tournaments, I decided to total the number of games won in tournaments by each of the top four schools durng title runs.

We've won two more tournament games in title years than UNC, will surpass Kentucky if we win our next title before they do and will surpass UCLA if we win two before they win another.

It's intersting in that only once under Wooden did UCLA win a title where they did not start in the sweet sixteen.

 

[businesslawyer]

After looking into the number of games needed to win earlier tournaments, I decided to total the number of games won in tournaments by each of the top four schools durng title runs.


View attachment 99504

We've won two more tournament games in title years than UNC, will surpass Kentucky if we win our next title before they do and will surpass UCLA if we win two before they win another.

It's intersting in that only once under Wooden did UCLA win a title where they did not start in the sweet sixteen.

It was easier than that. Only conference champions could make the tourney. Their normal run to the championship might be a Long Beach State or Montana in their first game, Arizona State or BYU in the regional final, Drake or Kansas in the national semi and then wouldn’t get the ACC, SEC or Big Ten champion until the national final, and would only have to see one school from those three conferences in the tourney.

 

[uconnfan68]

After looking into the number of games needed to win earlier tournaments, I decided to total the number of games won in tournaments by each of the top four schools durng title runs.


View attachment 99504

We've won two more tournament games in title years than UNC, will surpass Kentucky if we win our next title before they do and will surpass UCLA if we win two before they win another.

It's intersting in that only once under Wooden did UCLA win a title where they did not start in the sweet sixteen.

Suddenly the Sweet 16 doesn’t mean as much as it should.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

When all is said and done
Since Bill Russell KC - Jones , San Francisco teams
The NCAA champion was unquestionably the best team in College Basketball, including UConn 1999,2004, 2011,2014, 2023, 2024.
“period end of discussion . “
You could spin the narrative to enhance or diminish the accomplishment of any era ,including ours ,but all your doing is spinning.
Do you really think Those UCLA teams would lose to a 16 or 8-9 winner. representing 32 mostly mid Major conferences. If you do you never saw them play. They weren’t Bennett’s UVA or last years Purdue. They were cold stone killers just like us this year and a few more of the great teams in history.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

When all is said and done
Since Bill Russell KC - Jones , San Francisco teams
The NCAA champion was unquestionably the best team in College Basketball, including UConn 1999,2004, 2011,2014, 2023, 2024.
“period end of discussion . “
You could spin the narrative to enhance or diminish the accomplishment of any era ,including ours ,but all your doing is spinning.
Do you really think Those UCLA teams would lose to a 16 or 8-9 winner. representing 32 mostly mid Major conferences. If you do you never saw them play. They weren’t Bennett’s UVA or last years Purdue. They were cold stone killers just like us this year and a few more of the great teams in history.

That is simply not true. The 1972 UCLA champions beat Weber State, Long Beach State, Louisville (#4 in the country) and Florida State (#10). That was how they won the title.

 

[businesslawyer]

When all is said and done
Since Bill Russell KC - Jones , San Francisco teams
The NCAA champion was unquestionably the best team in College Basketball, including UConn 1999,2004, 2011,2014, 2023, 2024.
“period end of discussion . “
You could spin the narrative to enhance or diminish the accomplishment of any era ,including ours ,but all your doing is spinning.
Do you really think Those UCLA teams would lose to a 16 or 8-9 winner. representing 32 mostly mid Major conferences. If you do you never saw them play. They weren’t Bennett’s UVA or last years Purdue. They were cold stone killers just like us this year and a few more of the great teams in history.

How great those UCLA teams were — they were great — and how easy their path to a title was compared to today are two different discussions. UCLA was dominant in talent and performance during those runs. But, if you have to play four really hard games instead of one or two, the odds that the best team doesn’t win the championship increase. That’s just statistics.

 

[TKs]

Wooden's UCLA teams were dominant. They had far and away the best talent in the country. Never got the luxury of playing a 16 seed. Went 21-1 (lots of blow outs) in the Final Four.

 

[Makryspost]

I am at the point to say "Who Cares". Until the point where the people who say "you can't be one of us" pass away, they will never allow someone in their club. Otherwise it diminishes their own value/stature and they won't allow that. Similar to a lot of political and racial approaches over time.

Screw em and let's keep winning.

 

[SubbaBub]

This is twisting the question which is what is the best college program. The debate has historically centered around the number of championships and whatever the word "blue blood" is supposed to mean in that context.

UCLA's, half of Kentucky's and small parts of UNC and Kansas's resume is from the stone age. While you can value that as you see fit, no one can or should be disputing that the best program of the last 50 years plays in Storrs. In fact, the top two programs of the last 50 years play in Storrs.

 

[Kolumbo]

Look at it this way. 1999 is the most critical year for most of us. Championship #1

The 2024 Champions. Cam Spencer was born in 2000 and is probably the oldest member of the team. These guys weren't even born yet when Rip won it all. ucla? forgeataboutit. That's ancient history which kids today don't care about. They know UConn, Villanova, UNC, maybe Duke.

 

[caw]

I tend to think about it like this:

Napier - Diarra
Newton
Giffey - Roumoglou
Karaban - Olander
Clingan - Johnson

2 > 1

 

[Brochacho]

If a play in team wins a title going 7-0 does that diminish our titles? It’s harder to win 7 than 6. UConn played by the same rules as the UK and UCLA teams we just stunk.

 

[Palatine]

If a play in team wins a title going 7-0 does that diminish our titles? It’s harder to win 7 than 6. UConn played by the same rules as the UK and UCLA teams we just stunk.

I don't think it's going to be harder to win 7 games as the top seeds will be playing teams (possibly) as low as 120. The extra game will be against very weak competition.

 

[UC0NN]

The first round games don't even count if you are a 1 seed, it's a cake walk. But not a 1 seed, and it is a legit game.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The first round games don't even count if you are a 1 seed, it's a cake walk. But not a 1 seed, and it is a legit game.

Tell that to Virginia and Purdue.

 

[ctchamps]

Kentucky fans will still consider Kentucky bluer bloods than UConn because they have 8 NCs to our 6 and ignore or understate or argue against the point that many were achieved before the modern era.

It’s human nature to spin facts that make us more important or better than others. That is why Syracuse touts their Helms Trophies.

We’re arguing in a similar manner in this thread which is crazy imo. The most important thing is UConn nation feels really good right now and Kentucky nation feels horrible. They can brag about their better numbers but they just forced out their coach and we’re having a parade for ours.

And let’s put to rest once in for all the debate about the most important thing fans want. It’s NCs and not the numbers of Sweet Sixteens, Elite Eights, or Final Fours. Even most math nerds don’t get as excited by those columns.

As @tzznandrew has pointed out Calipari has had great success in the NCAA Tournament recently. Yet when push came to shove the Kentucky fans came at him with pitchforks. That success did not include a NC. And worse we just had two and Nova just had and Duke dot dot dot.

This is not a Kentucky thing. This is a fan thing. We have demonstrated this behavior several times during our incredible run including during JCs tenure. Heck the women’s fans have done it with Geno.

As James Brown would sing: I got you UConn (I feel good)!!!!

 

[McLovin]

How great those UCLA teams were — they were great — and how easy their path to a title was compared to today are two different discussions. UCLA was dominant in talent and performance during those runs. But, if you have to play four really hard games instead of one or two, the odds that the best team doesn’t win the championship increase. That’s just statistics.

Yeah but that’s also using statistics of the modern era where a school like Leigh or Mercer can field a good team with capable athletes.

In the 1960s the college sports environment was different. If you had a 64 team field UCLA probably smokes the Patriot League AQ by 70 points in the 1960s.

There is a reason why UCLA could be as dominant as they were then and why world beater teams sometimes don’t even win the national championship today (except UConn, because we are awesome at winning)

 

[DRBackup]

UCLA's run was dominant. And ancient history.