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...since we've had a powerhouse, wire-to-wire great team.
The 77-74 thread motivated me to take a stroll down memory lane. As crazy as it is that it's been 20 years since that great night in Florida, it's just as crazy that it's been a full decade since we've had a truly great team. The 2008-2009 Final Four team went 31-5, 15-3 in the best/toughest year in the history of the Big East; Louisville, Pitt, and Villanova were all really good teams and the conference had three #1 seeds in the Big Dance. I'll never forget that pounding we handed Louisville in Freedom Hall that year when we were #1 and they were #5. We won 11 games vs ranked opponents that season. In the last five seasons, we've won three (we're 3-23).
I wouldn't trade our last two national titles for anything but it is wild to look at where we've been as a program the last ten years. The fewest losses we had in a single season was 8, during the 2014 championship season. Nine times between 1994 and 2009 we had fewer than 8 losses; seven of those seasons it was five losses or fewer. Eight out of the last 10 years we've lost double-digit games, including the last five seasons.
Those really were the good old days. We were as good as any program in the country and in the best league. I don't know what the point of this thread is outside of nostalgia, reminiscing, and a reality check. It's a slow Friday in the office.
The 77-74 thread motivated me to take a stroll down memory lane. As crazy as it is that it's been 20 years since that great night in Florida, it's just as crazy that it's been a full decade since we've had a truly great team. The 2008-2009 Final Four team went 31-5, 15-3 in the best/toughest year in the history of the Big East; Louisville, Pitt, and Villanova were all really good teams and the conference had three #1 seeds in the Big Dance. I'll never forget that pounding we handed Louisville in Freedom Hall that year when we were #1 and they were #5. We won 11 games vs ranked opponents that season. In the last five seasons, we've won three (we're 3-23).
I wouldn't trade our last two national titles for anything but it is wild to look at where we've been as a program the last ten years. The fewest losses we had in a single season was 8, during the 2014 championship season. Nine times between 1994 and 2009 we had fewer than 8 losses; seven of those seasons it was five losses or fewer. Eight out of the last 10 years we've lost double-digit games, including the last five seasons.
Those really were the good old days. We were as good as any program in the country and in the best league. I don't know what the point of this thread is outside of nostalgia, reminiscing, and a reality check. It's a slow Friday in the office.