Usually, July is a good month for college basketball writers to disappear on vacation. Many of the players leave campus, the coaches are out recruiting and there’s maybe one or two recruiting commitments at most.
This offseason at UA, of course, is different.
Fortunately, Patrick Finley has been handling the Mike Moser commitment and the Brandon Jennings story, which fascinates me even at a time when I’m trying to get a break.
Jennings’ move will be studied by coaches, high school stars, European teams and NBA executives alike: The Los Angeles Times says he could put pressure on the NBA to repeal the one-year rule, while the New York Times says he could make upwards of $300,000 in a place such as Italy. However, ESPN.com says that college coaches don’t think it’ll be a big trend.
The LA Times also detailed Friday Lute Olson’s philosophy against one-year players. But it may be difficult to totally trust a player’s word or indications (see Ebi, Ndudi).
As StarNet’s Eric Hess wrote, please contact Patrick at pfinley@azstarnet.com if you have questions or feel free to post them below. I won’t be able to update this blog often this month but wanted to start a new thread so you don’t have to scroll through a bunch of old stuff…
Have fun on vacation Bruce.
All I can say is that it will be an interesting year.
I don’t think we should all assume that ZONA will suck next year just because of this and our short roster. Compare this roster to the 2005-2006 roster and I like the current potiential much more. That’s not to say its going to be a gravy year. Lute’s going to have his work cut out for him. But people like Nick need to drink a little less of the proverbial kool-aid and leave the glass half-full.
— chi_cat 07/10/2008 05:40 AM #
I personally, believe this kid is an idiot. I never, never criticize people for going pro anytime they want, but the guy can’t get a passing score on the SAT’s, he is going to live in Italy for a year competing against grown men? He is either going to go a crappy junior level team or get no playing time. I didn’t like what he was saying either, “I want to go somewhere to show off my game.” Sounds fun for the rest of the guys.
Budinger will get the chance to step up in a big way. Next year will be a hand full.
— Mike H 07/10/2008 10:25 AM #
It’s hard to not feel good about Chase, Nic and Jordan who are all solid on our team and more importantly having Olson back.
I think I’ll just be in denial for awhile thinking about what could have been.
A 2008 starting line up with Bayless – Jennings – Budinger – Hill and Withey running the court….
— AZCats23 07/10/2008 11:00 AM #
Glad all is well, Bruce. We were a little worried, and a little lost without you.
Enjoy!
— confused, maybe not 07/10/2008 12:22 PM #
All is well that ends well. I am glad Jennings is not going to be here next year. I think the remaining players will know they have a ton to prove and might just surprise all of us. Nic will do just fine running the team.
Thanks.
— WildcatIke 07/10/2008 08:07 PM #
I’m personally more excited to see the Cats play this year than I have been in recent years. It seems that we finally have a team of guys that want to play college bball and want to improve themselves as athletes and men, and a coach that can provide them with all the right tools to do so. Chase has the opportunity to be a good leader and role model for the younger guys on the team, and with the help of Nic and Jordan, I beleive they can create the best team chemistry we’ve had in years, despite the youthfulness of the team. Their work ethic will also rub off on all the other players.
I think we’ll all be amazed at what these guys will be able to do, given the opportunity to play and prove they’re not just a bunch of “hacks”. We’ll see a lot more heart this year than we have in previous years.
— Drewski 07/11/2008 10:16 AM #
Drewski, I hear you. And although the cats are somewhat youthful, they’ll also be starting three very talented juniors with a great deal of experience.
— confused, maybe not 07/11/2008 10:37 AM #
I am totally on board with the better team chemistry…no doubt. If I can find some positives here, maybe looking to the Washington State teams of the past few years could bring it.
They had very little talent, but great team chemistry and guys to fill specific holes. This Arizona team could certainly perform well, but I still see the Lute situation as a destabilizing factor. Its really all about him and coaching this year.
— Nick 07/11/2008 12:21 PM #
Jennings personifies everything I despise about the NBA it is down right nauseating to watch. I harbor no feelings for getting the money but I have to agree with #2 – Mike H, he is an idiot.
I know a lot of people are licking their wounds because they believe everything these ESPN analysts say or predict, but their analysis has yet to produce a win or make them a fortune for predicting the future. In other words, quit buying into the b.s. and hype that they use to enhance their ratings to look for some word or two to make you feel better.
Teams like Arizona that have the talent and more than enough coaching will be better off if the chemistry is there and that won’t be known until the season starts no matter how much talent you have.
— JK 07/11/2008 03:00 PM #
Listen guys, You may think I’m a dreamer, but look for a team that plays it’s heart out, that wins tough games, that support one another, that plays tough defense, that listens to its coaches, that gets better as the year goes on. In short, look for a year that fans love to see, and root for, and which they use to identify wuth U of A basketball. Competitive PAC-10 play, another tournament selection team and a sweet 16, at least, finish to the year.
— Mike Tinghitella 07/12/2008 01:01 AM #
I agree with those above…it seems as if next years team will be a group of guys who truly want to be Wildcats. I like the starting 5, I think there is enough talent there to do well…its the bench that is worrisome, but we will see. Everyone has to hope that Mike Dunlap can find a player overseas. 8 scholarship players as it is…wow.
#9, the interesting thing about the NBA now is that it isn’t going for the young money, selfish image that Jennings seems to be all about. If you look at all the young stars in the league (CP3, Dwight Howard, etc) they are all team guys who Stern wants to build his league around. Jennings might not be one of those players.
— darren 07/12/2008 09:49 AM #
We have a very good starting 5 and I bet Horne will have a great breakout year. He played solid defense on Ryan Anderson last year, but didn’t get enough playing time or encouragement (along with Onobun and Johnson).
Pat Finley wrote, “UA coach Lute Olson has planned on attending the European Championships in Greece later this month. Assistant Mike Dunlap is at the William Jones Cup Basketball Tournament in Taiwan this week.
Look for awesome news later this month. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the best guard in Asia wearing a U of A uniform next year along with an excellent European. They will not be one and done’s either. We will be in the top 3 in the PAC, have 20+ wins, and keep our NCAA tourney streak alive. This will be a fun team to watch. Ignore the naysayers!
— Taco Bill 07/12/2008 10:12 AM #
who is the starting 5? Whithey (sp?), Hill, Horne, Budinger and Wise? I like Budinger at the 2, because he will be able to use his size to shoot over people and he won’t have to play as physical. I hope Olson goes big next year.
I agree with everyone about having better chemistry. We will finally have leadership (juniors) who also are our best players. As opposed to the mismatch of guys with more experience having trouble connecting with younger guys with more talent. I don’t think Arizona ever quite got that formula right.
— Mike H 07/12/2008 12:13 PM #
i like what olson said yesterday about one-and-done. way to stand up for whats right. i also love what are players are saying about olsons comments, they are all on board.
— chris from the oc 07/12/2008 02:31 PM #
goazcats.com is reporting that UA got another commit from a guy by the name of Garland Judkins from Texas…
— darren 07/12/2008 09:39 PM #
I abso-LUTE-ly concur with Mike H’s post above-see No. 13- about starting Chase at the shooting guard position.
Speaking theoretically mind you. I’d like to envision the following starting Wildcat five:
PG Wise
SG Budinger
SF Horne
PF Hill
C Whithey and or Hill
After that it“s anybody“s guess concerning the crucial subsitutes off the bench>
— voice of lunacy 07/13/2008 10:31 AM #
Darren, thanks for the info. I googled him and it seems we’re lucky to get someone with his skills so late in the game. I read TX, Mich, Utep, Or. State and others were interested in him, and I read somewhere (don’t remember) that he was considering going to N.H. Brewster’s academy.
He adds needed depth. My confidence in next year’s squad grows daily. I think Nic being a captain and truly being the floor general will elevate his play to unimaginable heights. Last year we found how much he was needed when he injured himself.
— confused, maybe not 07/13/2008 10:38 AM #
I can’t find out much about Judkins, but according to Scout he’s a two-star guard, but it’s class of 09, so no added depth here for this coming season.
Hard to go big with Wise in there unless you count heart.
— James 07/13/2008 04:10 PM #
Re: Garland Judkins
Judkins is definitely coming this year, and he has already qualified. He is apparently 6’4” and around 190 with scoring skills more so than pure shooting ability. Sounds like a really good kid that has liked Arizona for a long time and jumped right away when offered. He seems to have had offers from Texas, Oklahoma, and Michigan on the table.
With Fogg, Lavender, and now Judkins coming in together, along with the new coaching staff to work with them, UA may not have such a thin bench as we have been fearing.
I asked in a previous thread if you guys felt Budinger would be effective at the 2 spot. Posts in this thread are confirming that many of us are thinking that way. I’m starting to like the potential for flexibility with this roster. Lute is at his best as a bench coach when he can employ effective combinations of players to take advantage of matchups or to change the tempo and style of play on the fly. It would be great if he ends up with that kind of versatility out of these kids.
Now we need Geary to keep working on Gaddy. We should hear about that in a month or so.
— Portland Catfan 07/13/2008 04:27 PM #
Judkins. Near as I can tell he’s from Christian Life Center Academy in Humble, Texas. School has 21 high school students in it. Don’t know who they play since this is a small religious school. Guy might be a diamond in the rough, but unless he has extraordinary raw talent he would most likely be a project for his first year at least.
— James 07/13/2008 04:29 PM #
hopefully another Gilbert, right? We’ll see, don’t get your hopes up.
#19, the bench is still thin because Jennings would’ve played this year and there would be 8 scholarship players. Now we still have 8 scholarship players, but I doubt Judkins will see much PT.
— Darren 07/13/2008 07:15 PM #
I beleive his name is Gerland, with an “e”.
— James 07/13/2008 07:24 PM #
#21- I count 10 scholarship players now…Wise, Budinger, Hill, Horne, Withey, Fogg, Lavendar, Jacobson, Onobun and now Garland Judkins. Unless someone on this list is a walk-on.
#22- Every story that I’ve seen spells Garland with an “a”.
I still think we’ll get a player from Europe or Asia or maybe both. Things are looking up. Naysayers beware.
— Taco Bill 07/14/2008 07:33 AM #
Yeah you are right…I thought I had heard 8 guys with Jennings…dumb of me not to do the math myself.
— darren 07/14/2008 07:59 AM #
excellent article on last year vs. this year’s team by goodman.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/8344000/Budinger-hopes-to-help-Arizona-regroup
— confused, maybe not 07/14/2008 01:48 PM #
FWIW, I have great hope for next year re:
1) leadership from the veterans Wise, Budinger, and Hill and maybe even Onobun;
2) new coaching staff developing role players and individual skills to bolster the bench strength and increase the team’s flexibility to respond to different styles and matchups;
3) much improved defense and rebounding from stronger front line and better ball pressure;
4) high-low post offense when Hill and Withey are in together, with Hill flashing open off of Withey cross-picks and Budinger as a major contributor to feeding the post with his good size (especially if at the 2 spot) and his good interior passing skills;
5) a return to faster and more productive transition offense that can showcase the open-court skills of Wise and Budinger and the speed and athleticism of Horne and Hill;
6) the possibility of the significant emergence, over the course of the season, of Fendi, Zane, Withey, Fogg, Lavender, or Judkins — hopefully more than one or two — and at either or both ends of the court.
Confused (not): Thanks for the interesting link. Other than claiming KO imposed zone-only defense, the guy offered some good points.
— Portland Catfan 07/14/2008 03:36 PM #
Agent Zero weighs in on Jennings:
In case this is still a Brandon Jennings reaction thread, here is a link to a recent take from Gilbert Arenas on that matter.
http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700017915
The Jennings comment is toward the bottom of a longish blog that mostly describes Gil’s recent world tour. It’s great to have alums like Gilbert and Tom Tolbert out there, don’t you think? Lute and Steve Kerr and Sean Elliot (sp?) are terrific people, but the contrast is nice. (I still miss Bison Dele, too.)
— Portland Catfan 07/14/2008 06:12 PM #
Confused, thanks for the Fox News article link. It’s obvious from Budinger’s comments that KO was an even bigger jerk than I thought he was. If there is any one out there who is still making excuses for that Bozo, they need to read this article. I’m really looking forward to next year.
— Mike 07/15/2008 01:24 PM #
Mike,
I agree. My only question is: where is the star on this info? Foxsports gets insider info on KO but the star can’t?
— chi_cat 07/15/2008 04:55 PM #
hopefully Budinger won’t play as tentative under Olson. I really thought after his freshmen year he could have a huge impact, be a guy teams had to game plan for. He was good last year, but he was never great. I’m glad to hear him say it will be his team next year – he has all the tools, he just needs to develop the mindset.
Hopefully, Hill is working hard to justify all this hype he’s getting. If he has a big year, Arizona could be very dangerous.
I’m kind of excited. I just don’t think Jennings and Budinger would have worked. Now we have a clear pecking order, an inside-outside combo, and room for the role players to develop and compete.
— Mike H 07/15/2008 05:54 PM #
“It’s a well-known fact within basketball circles that Lute “Olson is famous for rolling the ball on the court, kicking back and enjoying the work of his recruiters. Lute Olson is not Bobby Knight.” – Jason Whitlock
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/8345744?MSNHPHMA
— darren 07/16/2008 12:57 PM #
Darren, thanks for the link.
Your selected quote illustrates that FoxSports seeks to be to sports as FauxNews is to news. Fat Albert (aka Jason Whitlock) could have written with the same sympathy to Brandon Jennings’s situation without the scurrilous references to Lute Olson.
For example, if he does any background, and has any integrity, he could not imply that Lute somehow supports the ridiculous one-done rule.
As for Lute Olson not being Bobby Knight, I guess we can concede he’s right about that, but hardly in the sense that he means it. Bobby Knight is the renowned developer of NBA guard talent like Damon Bailey and Steve Alford. How could Lute compete with that?
I never heard of Jason Whitlock before. On that score, I count my life as blessed up until now.
— Portland Catfan 07/16/2008 03:17 PM #
So it seems Jennings has signed a 3-year deal with a top Italian league team in Rome. The deal will enable him to be drafted in the NBA next year assuming some NBA team is willing to negotiate a buy-out with the Italian team.
Meanwhile, Brandon got a bunch of perks so he can live with his mom and brother and presumably a small posse, have an English-speaking coach and lots of special arrangements regarding development and training, etc. At this point, how can anyone blame him for preferring that deal. And of course all his handlers get their slices of the pie, too.
I feel I should apologize to Bill Cosby for a reference in my previous post. I was a little steamed at this Whitlock hack for his nasty and ill-informed references, but I should not have taken it out on the innocent Cosby and his Albert character. My bad.
— Portland Catfan 07/16/2008 04:34 PM #
Portland- I posted this on the FoxSports thread in response to Whitlock. Long winded, but offered some decent points.
“ I want every kid to be Grant Hill or Shane Battier.” Whitlock you show your true colors with that statement right there that you are the typical East Coast biased sports writer who only see things in Duke Blue. I’m surprised that you got canned from ESPN when you share that attitude, but maybe it’s just the ESPN influnce that takes some time to fade that we are hearing. Wow, you met face to face with Brandon Jennings and his entourage, and you have the simplistic notion that he is doing the right thing by thumbing his nose at the “corrupt and self-serving” NCAA. I guess you road the really, really short bus to school as a kid as Jennings is not a trend setting trailblazer. He is a kid that couldn’t get into college (it’s highly conjectured that he cheated on the 2nd exam and his not defending himself only helps strengthen that argument) and held the scholarship offerred to him by the University of Arizona hostage until he realized that he won’t be allowed in school. If you take the logical steps, most think that he cheated and rather than face his academic ineptitude he is running to Europe to continue to play basketball. If Jennings was smart enough to recongize that he wouldn’t ever qualify for school, he should have done the honorable thing and infomed Lute Olson of his intentions to play in Europe. Instead, you have a scared kid using a University as a crutch until his legs are kicked out from under him because he didn’t have the smarts to put in the work. Wow, Whitlock, that sounds honorable.
I also find it funny that you decide to take a shot at Lute Olson and his ability to develop talent. I guess you haven’t been paying attention the last 25 years, but let me fill you in with some basic facts. As a head coach, Lute Olson has produced the most NBA draft picks and NBA players. Instead of making baseless (and nameless since you are a coward) comments that it’s “widely known that Lute sits back and reaps the rewards of his recruiters” why not get some facts from the current NBA players on what they think of Lute Olson and how he helped them develop their game. Ask Jason Terry, Mike Bibby, Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, Steve Kerr, Channing Frye, Sean Elliot, Andre Iguodola, Damon and Salim Stoudimre, Michael Dickerson, ect… The list goes on. Since you brought up Bobby Knight, how may players did he coach that went on to the NBA? Seriously, the comparison is a joke. The one thing Knight was known for was having the Highest graduation rate of his players. That is commendable, and with what we are discussing with Jennings, the kid would have never been a blurp on Knight’s radar as he obviously didn’t recruit idiots.
Whitlock, if you took the time to realize that most of those current and past NBA players that honed their skills under Lute Olson were not Top Rated Highschool Basketball players. Some of them were like Elliot and Bibby, but many of them were afterthoughts to other Major College Basketball Universities and NBA scouts didn’t have them on their radars until they spent some time with Lute. What is the nickname of the Arizona program again??? That’s right, it’s Point Guard U. Stop stewing in your negativity and present this situation truthfully and honestly. Don’t try to spin this racially and make ridiculous statements like “ the morally bankrupt” NCAA. The NCAA makes money off of athletics. This is nothing new. Highly talented kids use scholarships for free college education and propel themselves into careers in sports at the professional level. The problem resides with the AAU circuits, the shoe companies, agents, ect.. who coddle open palmed highschool superstars and make them feel they should be given everything instead of earning it. What happened to being grateful for the opportunity to attend college for free, have room and board paid for, and play with pride for a coach that has the most history in producing NBA players? What happened to having kids earn their way?
Guys like you Whitlock are angry viruses. You think you have a good message, but you completely miss the point. How sad.
BTW: I AM STILL BANNED FROM POSTING AT MY WORKPLACE, WHAT IS THE DEAL?
— Marco 07/16/2008 10:58 PM #
#23… and where is Zane? #26 pls tell me you’re not serious when you expect leadership to come from Budinger.
Andre
— Andre 07/17/2008 06:46 AM #
Assuming these new recruits are good, this team has some depth over the next few years. Right now there are 11 scholarship players, and if DB gets one, which I suspect is likely, that’s 12. There is most likely one scholarship left. Considering most of these guys will be around for awhile, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lute holds onto it for 2009. On the other hand, if DB gets one – four scholarships will open up after this season if Hill goes pro; CB, JH, FO, and DB. And if an excellent international player is found, great! But as far as practice and game depth goes, things are looking solid for next year.
— confused, maybe not 07/17/2008 08:12 AM #
Marco: Bravissimo, man!!!
Andre: Yes, I do seriously expect Budinger to show leadership on this young team. He will have a great deal of credibility with the younger players. Nic Wise must be the major floor leader, but I fully expect Chase to show passion for playing the right way and to lead effectively by example if not so much verbally.
I’m guessing you don’t see it that way, and I’m hoping you are wrong. We’ll see, and that’s the fun part.
— Portland Catfan 07/17/2008 08:29 AM #
Bruce…
When you get back from vacation: any word on a first-pass tentative schedule for the upcoming season?
— Nick 07/17/2008 09:56 AM #
Excellent…ask and ye shall receive. Thanks to Patrick Finley for the schedule in Bruce’s absence.
A slightly less ominous schedule this year it appears, as Texas A&M will not have the strength of previous years. I only hope we aren’t embarrassed by Kansas at home on national television. But, lots to take care of before that.
— Nick 07/19/2008 07:51 AM #
Well Nick, last year we almost embarrassed Kansas on its home floor. Budinger went for what, like 30 pts in that game? However, that was before KO ruined the season.
— darren 07/19/2008 09:16 AM #
I’d worry more about UNLV. Looks like they’ll have a solid team with an excellent coach.
— James 07/20/2008 12:12 PM #
Lute in the Sporting News.
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=436711
— confused, maybe not 07/23/2008 10:48 AM #
Josh Childress:
Now that Brandon Jennings has challenged the NBA age-limit rule by going to Europe, here comes Josh Childress (ex-Stanford, now ex-NBA-Atlanta) to challenge the free-agency rules by signing with an Athens team.
David Stern had better come up with some better “coop-etition” approaches for the NBA with both the NCAA and the Euro-leagues if he is to restore order and head off more chaotic labor-management conditions.
This is a pretty exciting prospect for increased quality of basketball products for fans everywhere, at least potentially.
I’m sure folks on this blog have interesting thoughts in all these areas, or will have at the end of this summer hiatus.
— Portland Catfan 07/23/2008 05:55 PM #
Is anyone else following ESPN’s ranking of the top 50 teams since 1984-85? Zona will be in the top, since they have not been listed 11-50. My guess on the top 10 is (which isn’t too difficult considering they have listed 11-50) in this order is:
1. Duke
2. Kentucky
3. UNC
4. UCONN
5. Kansas
6. Arizona
7. UCLA
8. Georgetown
9. Syracuse
10. Marquette
— confused, maybe not 07/24/2008 11:43 AM #
I didn’t work this through espn’s system of arriving at the top teams. No time. It’s an intuitive guess.
— confused, maybe not 07/24/2008 12:34 PM #
Confused (not):
I have not been following the ESPN countdown, and I don’t know their ranking criteria. Your guesses look pretty good. Has their countdown already accounted for Michigan State? Stanford? Texas? Florida? Oklahoma? Gonzaga? Louisville? Tennessee?
— Portland Catfan 07/24/2008 01:56 PM #
Portland,
Go to this link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3493766&campaign=rss&source=NCBHeadlines
They explain the scoring system.
Confused,
I was about to bring this up on the board too.
I would probably guess:
1. Duke
2. UNC
3. Kentucky
4. Kansas
5. UCONN
6. UCLA
7. Arizona
8. Georgetown
9. Syracuse
10. Marquette
— chi_cat 07/24/2008 03:01 PM #
Thanks, chi_cat
BTW guys, Marquette is tied for 61st.
— Portland Catfan 07/24/2008 04:51 PM #
i screwed up with marquette. i couldn’t think of one of the ten (so, i chose marquette) and then it hit me; unlv.
— confused, maybe not 07/24/2008 06:07 PM #
chi, i go back and forth on who will be number two, UNC or Kentucky. I’ll stay with Kentucky. Here is my new ten:
1. duke
2. Kentucky
3. UNC
4. Kansas
5. UCLA
6. Zona
7. UConn
8. UNLV
9. Syracuse
10. Georgetown
— confused, maybe not 07/24/2008 06:11 PM #
Portland,
I looked through the first 50 to double check. Guess I should have looked beyond that. To be honest, I didn’t really think about it much after Arizona.
At first, when this top 50 list started, I wasn’t sure UofA would be top 10. But now that the list is out there, it makes a lot of sense. I guess the last few seasons have been tough to watch. But one big note that even Hansen can’t deny: Lute Olson moved Arizona from nowhere to the top 10 (maybe top 5). Thanks Lute.
— chi_cat 07/24/2008 07:41 PM #
I did the same thing Chi. I didn’t look past 50. Oops.
— confused, maybe not 07/24/2008 08:03 PM #
Wow!! Zona came in at five. that’s an awesome recruiting calling card.
10. GEORGETOWN HOYAS, Big East
Positives: 9 conference titles (5 regular-season, 4 tourney); 15 20-win seasons; 22 postseasons (16 NCAA, 6 NIT); 3 No. 1 seeds; 8 Sweet 16s; 2 Final Fours; 31 NCAA tourney wins; 11 All-Americans; 7 NBA top-10 picks
Negatives: 2 losing seasons; 0 national titles (the only Top 10 team without a title)
Total points: 230
Did you know? Georgetown would have easily leapfrogged its biggest rival in Syracuse if these rankings went back one season farther to 1984 when the Hoyas won the national title. Only one first-round loss in 16 NCAA tournament appearances definitely helps their cause, along with having seven top-10 NBA picks. The Hoyas win the tiebreaker with Michigan State thanks to a .687-.668 winning percentage advantage since 1984-85.
9. SYRACUSE ORANGE, Big East
Positives: 10 conference titles (6 regular-season, 4 tourney); 23 20-win seasons; 23 NCAA berths (19 NCAA, 4 NIT); 9 Sweet 16s; 3 Final Fours; 2003 national title; 35 NCAA tourney wins; 11 All-Americans; 4 NBA top-10 picks; 0 losing seasons
Negatives: 1 NCAA sanction; 0 No. 1 seeds; lost to 15th-seeded Richmond (the first No. 2 seed to lose to a 15-seed) in 1991; lost to 13th-seeded Vermont in 2005; lost to 12th-seeded Texas A&M in 2006;
Total points: 238
Did you know? With Pete Gaudet the official Duke head coach for 19 games in 1994-95, Syracuse is the best school on our list that has had only one head coach since 1984-85. SU is also the highest-ranked school that didn’t have the benefit of a single No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Orange are just a rock-solid, consistent winner that hasn’t suffered a losing season since 1968-69.
8. UNLV REBELS, Mountain West
Positives: 19 conference titles (9 regular-season, 10 tourney); 5 30-win seasons; 18 postseasons (11 NCAA, 7 NIT); 3 No. 1 seeds; 6 Sweet 16s; 3 Final Fours; 1990 national title; 24 NCAA tourney wins; 5 All-Americans; 5 NBA top-10 picks
Negatives: 2 losing seasons; 2 NCAA sanctions; 10 coaches since 1984-85; 0 NCAA tourney wins between 1992 and 2007
Total points: 239
Did you know? One of the most scandal-plagued programs in the history of the sport still cracks the Top 10. It’s all thanks to the glory days of Jerry Tarkanian, when the Rebels dominated the Big West while racking up five 30-win seasons. Between 1987 and 1991, UNLV made three Final Fours, including a dominating national title in 1990.
7. UCLA BRUINS, Pac-10
Positives: 15 conference titles (8 regular-season, 7 tourney); 19 20-win seasons; 21 postseasons (19 NCAA, 2 NIT); 11 Sweet 16s; 4 Final Fours; 1995 national title; 38 NCAA tourney wins; 6 All-Americans; 5 NBA top-10 picks
Negatives: 2 losing seasons; tied with Arizona for most losses to 12-16 seeds with 4: lost to 13th-seeded Penn State in 1991, lost to 12th-seeded Tulsa in 1994, lost to 13th-seeded Princeton in 1996, lost to 12th-seeded Detroit in 1999
Total points: 272
Did you know? If this was an all-time list, the Bruins would be sitting on top of the heap. They are still near the top with their four Final Four appearances (including three in the last three years) and don’t forget the 1995 national title. However, that was their first title since the 1975. Believe it or not, the Bruins haven’t even won the most Pac-10 regular-season and tourney titles since 1985. That honor would belong to Arizona, which won 21, six more than the Bruins.
6. CONNECTICUT HUSKIES, Big East
Positives: 14 conference titles (8 regular-season, 6 tourney); 6 30-win seasons, second-most in this era; 20 postseasons (15 NCAA, 5 NIT); 11 Sweet 16s; 2 Final Fours; 2 national titles (1999, 2004); 38 NCAA tourney wins; 1989 NIT title; 7 All-Americans; 8 NBA top-10 picks
Negatives: 3 losing seasons, the most in the Top 10; just 2 Final Fours in seven Elite Eights; did not make the NCAA tournament from 1985-89; lost to 12th-seeded San Diego in 2008
Total points: 292
Did you know? An NIT title in 1989 was the turning point transforming this regional power into a national one. Two national titles followed (1999, 2004), along with six 30-win seasons and the third-most top-10 NBA picks. The top-ranked Big East program on our list finished with the best record in the league an impressive eight times.
5. ARIZONA WILDCATS, Pac-10
Positives: 21 conference titles (11 regular-season, 10 tourney); 22 20-win seasons; 24 NCAA berths; 5 No. 1 seeds; 11 Sweet 16s; 4 Final Fours; 1997 national title; 39 NCAA tourney wins; 14 All-Americans; 7 NBA top-10 picks; 0 losing seasons
Negatives: 4 losses to 12-16 seeds, tied for the most since 1985: lost to 14th-seeded East Tennessee State in 1992, lost to 15th-seeded Santa Clara in 1993, lost to 12th-seeded Miami (Ohio) in 1995, lost to 13th-seeded Oklahoma in 1999; did not win an NCAA tourney game from 1985-1987
Total points: 338
Did you know? The Wildcats are the only program to make the NCAA tournament in all 24 seasons of our era. Arizona joins Duke as the only schools from major conferences in the double digits for conference championships and automatic bids. Throw in four Final Fours and a national title, and this Top 5 ranking is a no-brainer.
4. KENTUCKY WILDCATS, SEC
Positives: 20 conference titles (8 regular-season, 12 tourney); 6 30-win seasons; 21 NCAA berths; 7 No. 1 seeds; 14 Sweet 16s; 4 Final Fours; 1996 and ’98 national titles; 52 NCAA tourney wins; 10 All-Americans; 5 NBA top-10 picks
Negatives: 1 losing season (13-19 in 1988-89); 2 NCAA sanctions; has not advanced past the NCAA tourney first weekend since 2005
Total points: 378
Did you know? The premier program in the SEC cracks the Top 5 despite being banned from the NCAA tournament twice. The Wildcats dominated the conference tournament, earning 12 automatic berths (tied with Penn for the most). UK hasn’t been too shabby in the Big Dance either, making three straight national title games from 1996-1998 and winning twice. However, the Wildcats haven’t made the Final Four since.
3. KANSAS JAYHAWKS, Big 12
Positives: 21 conference titles (13 regular-season, 8 tourney); 8 30-win seasons; 23 NCAA berths; 8 No. 1 seeds; 13 Sweet 16s; 7 Final Fours; 1988 and 2008 national titles; 58 NCAA tourney wins; 13 All-Americans; 5 NBA top-10 picks; 0 losing seasons
Negatives: 1 NCAA sanction; lost to 14th-seeded Bucknell in 2005; lost to 13th-seeded Bradley in 2006
Total points: 450
Did you know? Despite one of the best seasons in school history this past year, the Jayhawks were unable to squeak past North Carolina for No. 2 on our list. They’ve had eight 30-win seasons in the time span, tied for the most with Duke. A big part of KU’s undoing was the failed tournament runs in the mid-1990s when they were 1- or 2-seeds. Others will point to the back-to-back first-round losses to Bucknell and Bradley in 2005 and 2006.
2. NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS, ACC
Positives: 16 conference titles (9 regular-season, 7 tourney); 6 30-win seasons; 23 postseasons (22 NCAA, 1 NIT); 9 No. 1 seeds; 16 Sweet 16s; 8 Final Fours; 1993 and 2005 national titles; 61 NCAA tourney wins; 19 All-Americans; 11 NBA top-10 picks
Negatives: 1 losing season (8-20 in 2001-02); lost to 14th-seeded Weber State in 1999
Total points: 454
Did you know? A stat-sheet stuffer in every category, including NIT appearances and losing seasons. Along with Kansas, Kentucky, Connecticut and Florida, the Tar Heels have won two national titles. They also have been a No. 1 seed nine times and have six 30-win seasons. Very impressive, but still not as impressive as their big rival eight miles down the road.
1. DUKE BLUE DEVILS, ACC
Positives (with overall ranking):
• 21 conference titles (11 regular-season, 10 tourney): T-1st (with Arizona)
• 21 20-win seasons: T-3rd
• 8 30-win seasons: T-1st (with Kansas)
• 23 NCAA tournament berths: T-2nd
• 10 No. 1 seeds: 1st
• 17 Sweet 16s: 1st
• 10 Final Fours: 1st
• 3 national championships (1991, 1992, 2001): 1st
• 69 NCAA tournament wins: 1st
• 12 first team All-Americans: 1st
• 25 All-Americans: 1st
• 11 NBA top-10 picks: T-1st (with North Carolina)
Negatives: 1 losing season (13-18 in 1994-95)
Total points: 538 (84 points more than No. 2 UNC)
Did you know? By any measure of success, Duke is king of the hill in college basketball in the 64-team era of the NCAA tournament. Besides the three national titles, Duke is No. 1 among all basketball programs with 69 NCAA tournament wins, 12 first team All-Americans, 11 top-10 NBA picks, 10 No. 1 seeds and seven title game appearances. An easy selection in any format for No. 1.
— confused, maybe not 07/25/2008 09:23 AM #
It’s a great day to be a 4-REAL Arizona Wildcat hoopdom fandom, baby!!!
I guess the cynical, Olson haters as well as doubters can all turn RED with indignation. Too bad.
Albeit it’s still too early to forecast predictions for the upcoming major college hoopdom season, rest assure LOYAL Wildcat fandom that Coach will have his beloved Wildcat’s in another N.C.A.A. Tourney.
Yes, baby! The STREAK will continue in 09’!!
PG- Wise
SG- Budinger
SF- Horne
PF/C- Hill
C- Whithey???
Now, Marco please don’t give Arizona program the “KISS OF DEATH” with some wild-eyed meandering prediction of a possible Elite 8 run in 2009. Pretty please!!LMFAO.
— voice of joy 07/25/2008 11:53 AM #
Re: ESPN Best-Programs
Hats off to Confused(not) and chi_cat for some very intelligent guesses. And to Lute Olson’s program for a solid top-5 showing.
How did ASU do?
Anybody hear anything about UA’s globe trotting recruiters? Any 7’2” Lithuanians out there (who want 4 years of college)?
— Portland Catfan 07/25/2008 04:19 PM #
Re: ESPN Best-Programs
Hmmm, interesting — they seem to have recalculated and now are showing Kansas as #2 over North Carolina.
I wonder if they have also moved ASU up?
— Portland Catfan 07/25/2008 04:47 PM #
ESPN Best since ’84:
5. Arizona
7. UCLA
25. Stanford
Other Pac-10
T-109. California
T-115. Oregon
T-124. Washington
T-132. USC
T-181. Arizona State
T-237. Washington State
T-241. Oregon State
Is this still a Brandon Jennings thread? Come back, Bruce.
— Portland Catfan 07/25/2008 05:02 PM #
The silence from ASWho fans is refreshing. I’m sure Joel and Adman will have some retort why this list is incorrect.
— Taco Bill 07/27/2008 08:17 AM #
Contrary to some, this ranking will not help recruiting. Recruits have a much shorter timeframe, like the last five years, and that’s stretching it. Bayless taken in the first round is much more meaningful to them.
The performance this coming year is going to be crucial for the future. You can point to the relatively poor performance of this past year to Olson’s absence, but that will not be the case for this season. Making a trip to the dance and going one-and-done again isn’t exactly a sterling trend to market.
— James 07/27/2008 08:25 AM #
I’m simply flabbergasted with disbelieve that James above-POST 59- would cleverly diminish Olson’s major college hoopdom program.
Yes, loyal Arizona fandom would love to see their beloved Wildcat’s trek beyond an opening N.C.A.A. 1st Round game but sometimes the college hoopdom deities don’t show favorable light upon some of the 64 thankfull participants.
Remember, remember this James and like-minded acolytes. It’s an honor to be one of 65 Tourney participants, while 250, give or take a few, college teams as well as their particular fanom wish they had an invitation to the Big Dance, baby!!
It’s to say with reason and intelligence that the researchers of ESPN college basketball don’t share the same mentality as James and similar-minded faux pas Wildcat cheerleaders!!
— voice of disbelieve 07/27/2008 10:51 AM #
I don’t see how my comments have diminished Olson’s record. With any elite program it is expected for them to go beyond the first game in the tournament.
Also, I refer to a comment that one recruit (I can’t remember exactly who it was, but it was a four star SF) made to his high school coach after receiving a
message on his phone from Lute Olson, “who is Lute Olson?”
My point is that the kids of today weren’t in grammar school when Arizona was at its peak. For them the past is last year.
Don’t read more into these comments than what was intended.
— James 07/27/2008 01:37 PM #
I remember now, the recruit was Honeycutt.
Don’t you believe the success Memphis is currently having on the recruiting trail has to do with their success last year, and particularly in the tournament? I certainly do.
Also, it isn’t the hoopdom deities that are determining a team going beyond the opening round. It’s the teams on-court play. The fact is that for a team to be one of the elite, they should do more just get into the tournament. If they consistently get dumped in a first round game perhaps they don’t deserve the “elite” program label.
— James 07/27/2008 02:26 PM #
It’s amazing that only three Pac-10 teams are ranked in the top-100. No wonder the Conference of Champions has never been viewed as a basketball conference despite having UCLA in the mix.
I’m guessing that Oregon, Washington and maybe USC might see significant improvement the next 25 years.
— Button Salmon 07/27/2008 07:07 PM #
Honeycutt who? Everybody raise your hand if you remember him? I certainly don’t. So who cares James what one kid said. Your arguments are pretty lame. ESPN’s rating system is quantitative and logical. Arizona took a -8 point hit for the losses to 12-16 seeded teams but still came in 46 points higher the UConn. Duke has had its share of troubles lately in the tourney, but do you call them no longer elite? UNC had a losing season a few years back, does that tarnish the entire last 25 years? No one has said that this article makes all the bad in the last couple years go away.
— Chi_cat 07/28/2008 05:25 AM #
Remove the blinders. If you will take a look at my first post (#59)before this firestorm hit, you’ll notice that I said that this coming year is crucial and the trend of one-and-dones needs to stop because recruits have a short time-frame.
My gosh, can’t anyone have an opinion around here without everyone taking it like it’s a personal attack on the beloved Olson and the basketball program. You don’t need to be so defensive, it shows insecurity.
And as far as Honeycutt goes, he is a recruit that Arizona, and the balance of the conference would like to add to their 2009 program, as he is a Chase Budinger who likes to mix it up.
— James 07/28/2008 08:43 AM #
James, I agree with you in your idea that the past few years are more important than ESPN’s little article, but the fact of the matter is Lute can roll with it and its just another thing he can show recruits. Its similar to an article about Gilbert’s 100+million contract. Is it going to seal the deal with a high school kid? Nah, but it sure can’t hurt Arizona’s cause in recruiting.
The interesting thing is, Lute’s best teams have had some great guys go on to the NBA, but we all know that many of them were not highly rated and developed well after high school while at UA. Thats a strong of testament to anything that Lute has done…to be able to develop kids into big time players. Thats why I love the guys that they are recruiting right now…4 star players who will be very good but will add stability to the program.
Will UA still recruit Honeycutt now that Mike Moser committed?
— darren 07/28/2008 09:17 AM #
Darren, thank you for actually reading the intent of my comments. I agree that the whole is more important than the individual parts. My point is that over time the past gets more and more just that — the past. There comes a time when that becomes less relative, as UCLA found out during the Lavin years.
I agree with you that the four star players are a better investment than the so-called five-star recruits.
I would assume they will still go after Honeycutt although I have no idea right now what the scholarship situation is. As we all are painfully aware, a verbal isn’t exactly a sure thing these days, and until the kid gets into the classroom anything can happen, ala Jennings. Coaches have no choice but to hedge their bets. Unfortunately the situation will probably get worse before it gets better.
— James 07/28/2008 12:42 PM #
Talking to some who were in Las Vegas this past week who have talked to several of the recruits believe:
Honeycutt is close to a lock for UCLA.
Snaer, whom many believe is one of the truly outstanding SG’s is going to the program who is going to offer him the best chance to start as a Freshman. UCLA was really pursuing him, but his concern there is the guards ahead of him.
Bradley looks to be leaning toward Texas, which was were Snaer is leaning.
Gaddy is enjoying his re-entry and appears to honestly not to have made up his mind.
Xavier Henry looks to be heading toward Memphis instead of Texas.
— James 07/28/2008 07:40 PM #
I see Arizona just picked up a committment from Solomon Hill.
— James 07/28/2008 07:53 PM #
I was also told that Olson just made an offer to Kawhi Leonard, a 3* 2 guard out of Riverside, CA. He showed well in Vegas which led to the offer, as well as offers from ASU among others.
— James 07/28/2008 08:01 PM #
man, solomon hill! looks good from the new staff, keep it rolling…
— darren 07/28/2008 10:31 PM #
James, thanks for the recruiting information.
Nice addition to the class. Olson and crew are rowing in the right direction.
— confused, maybe not 07/29/2008 05:53 AM #
This just in…….
Change of heart for Smith
Fresno (Cali.) Edison High School prospect Greg Smith has had a change of heart. Once destined for Arizona, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound center has now decided to play college ball in his hometown
— Trev in Kc 07/29/2008 09:04 AM #
Greg Smith:
Trev’s news is somewhat disappointing but may not be such a bad thing. As I recall, Greg Smith had been shipped to an uncle in Vallejo to separate him from (elements of) his Fresno environment, but it was reported that Greg was not taking well to the forced relocation. To the extent that those issues might have carried over into a Tucson relocation, it may be just as well for the program to miss out on those struggles.
To say the least, Arizona has had a mixed history with recruiting bigs. In this case, Hill will probably only be around one more year, but Withey should be there longer and who knows whether Jacobsen can contribute. So if it takes until 2010 to recruit a candidate for center, there should be a starter in place but with depth issues. What’s so new about that?
Maybe there’s a long European or two out there.
— Portland Catfan 07/29/2008 11:43 AM #
Here’s an interesting analysis of what could come from Jennings playing in Europe.
http://www.slate.com/id/2195127/
— confused, maybe not 07/29/2008 02:13 PM #
This will surely help us out with Gaddy..
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/8399474/NCAA-to-investigate-Memphis-booster’s-phone-call
— Trev In Kc 07/31/2008 02:50 PM #