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A good overview of the history of the UK basketball program.

about 1 year ago Cal5_tiny SevenRings 9 comments 0 recs  | 

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Good Article

I posted a reply correcting some of his numbers.

And I think UCLA is the #1 program (UK #2) because of its 11 NCAA titles and 17 FF.

It’s all about NC and FF not the other stuff.

by FortyYearCatFan on Oct 8, 2008 6:46 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

But program-wise ...

… if you take away Rupp and Wooden, UK is clearly the more successful program.

I think people get too much caught up in moments in time, and don’t look at the broader picture. I think MIke Miller did, and very effectively.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Oct 9, 2008 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I must agree

UCLA won 10 of their championships in a 12 year span. That is total dominance and a serious dynasty. However when you look at the last 8 decades UK is at or near the top in wins in each of those decades. Sprinkled in with all those wins is championships in 40’s, 50’s, 70’s and 90’s (not to mention with 4 different coaches). That is consistent dominance over 70 or 80 years.

by SevenRings on Oct 9, 2008 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I Still Give More Credit To Most NC And Most FF

UCLA is #1 and UK #2 (over UNC at #3 because they only have 4 NC to 7 for UK).

by FortyYearCatFan on Oct 9, 2008 11:21 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

The way I see it ...

… is that UCLA had the greatest coach in history, but absent Wooden, they have been an inferior program to UK, even if you take away Rupp’s accomplishments also. We have had four coaches win NC’s at UK, and no other team in America can claim that. That speaks to program strength a lot more than Wooden’s cult of personality does about UCLA’s program.

No argument from me that Wooden is hands down the most successful college coach in history, and all those national championships are versus the years of his career are likely untouchable. Yeah, Rupp had the higher winning percentage over more years, but ten national championships undeniably win that one, especially since their winning percentage is actually very close (.808 vs .822 respectively).

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Oct 11, 2008 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Take Away Rupp

And UK has no program, either.

Rupp beget Hall who continued the tradition.

UK clearly #2 over North Carolina but take away Dean Smith and they have nothing, either.

Ditto Coach K – without him, Duke is nothing.

by FortyYearCatFan on Oct 11, 2008 7:29 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Yes 40... nothing exists in a vacuum

Yes, if Rupp had stayed at Kansas we never would have sniffed a basketball program. No Rupp… no Hall. No Hall… no Sutton. No Sutton… no Pitino. No Pitino… no Tubby. You are absolutely correct.

But the argument being made here is not about program building… its about program sustainment over the long haul. UCLA and Duke clearly do not have that. Kentucky has by far the best argument here, but Kansas and UNC can also say that they do okay without their best coach in the discussion.

Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."

by chirop1 on Oct 13, 2008 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'm sorry, Forty.

This is a nonsense argument, and you know it.

The point was relative to program success, and one way to measure program vs. an individual coach. The two are definitely separable, and the argument you are implicitly making is that they aren’t.

We have seen many examples of excellent coaches taking ordinary programs to untold heights. Connecticut is one example, UNLV is another, and Florida is yet another. When these coaches move on, these programs usually return to ordinary status. Duke was actually a very good program before Krzyzewski came, and it will return to very good status when he leaves, most likely — just like UCLA did when Wooden retired.

So please don’t make irrelevant points, and this one most definitely is irrelevant to the argument. It is a complete red herring.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Truzenzuzex on Oct 13, 2008 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Take two then

Ok,dig deeper.Take the two best coaches away from each program.UK 2NC and 4FF,UNC 1NC 4FF, and UCLA 0NC and 3FF.UK still comes out on top.

by -Zoso- on Oct 12, 2008 11:27 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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