The greatest programs: No. 10, Connecticut

grokamok, the Internet — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:15:19 GMT

OK, I retract anything I might have said about leaving Michigan out - the scandals undid nearly all of their best stuff after the national championship in 1989 and their overall record, especially absent those years, doesn't quite measure up -- they might have been in the HM/ORV category. We'll see Arizona, Syracuse and Louisville before you get to the "big six".

On to UConn - despite its great success under Calhoun, the number-padding (wins, conference titles, NCAA appearances) while in the Yankee Conference is what really skews this placement - their paucity of post-season tournament victories (something like 4 in 13 appearances prior to the Big East) or players of note in that era stands as testament. Would I put them ahead of Villanova? Maybe (OK, probably), but as I said before, 'Nova was over-ranked at 13; UConn is over-ranked here, too.

The greatest programs: No. 10, Connecticut

Adam, Louisville — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:36:26 GMT

You knew I would catch an error if it was about Louisville Mike. Louisville has won with a percentage of .652 (more than Uconn's .638).

The greatest programs: No. 10, Connecticut

Jimmy , NYC — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:59:51 GMT

spoken like a true hoya fan grokamok

The greatest programs: No. 10, Connecticut

Mike Miller — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:36:16 GMT

Ahhhhh! Adam, good catch. That won't affect Louisville's overall ranking, but man, that was a stupid error.

The greatest programs: No. 10, Connecticut

Adam, Louisville — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:43:49 GMT

Mike, you are trying to pull stats out of places we've never been. Small mistakes are inevitable and you are compiling this all based on the same criteria. I love that you are tackling this project. Maybe if you have the formulas all set up it wont take as much to compile the list and you could put it out annually just as list so we could see the changes if any.

The greatest programs: No. 10, Connecticut

Steve firth, Haledon, NJ — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:06:22 GMT

One error in your story is the number of wins UConn had in the NCAA Tournament from 1947-1967. In 1964 under coach Fred Shabel, UConn made it to the regionals with wins over St. Joseph's and Bill Bradley's Princeton team before getting overwhelmed by Duke.

The greatest programs: No. 10, Connecticut

grokamok, the Internet — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:59:02 GMT

@Jimmy - happy to be one!

Note that I did not say that UConn should be ranked below Georgetown, just that they are ranked too highly here. If I were commenting just to be a homer, I'd be complaining that the Hoyas are not the top BE team in the list; as it is, I would only put them ahead of 'Nova and Illinois (but still behind UConn and Michigan State -- for the time being...).

Such subjective differences are the nature of these lists - it would be no fun without them!

The greatest programs: No. 10, Connecticut

Don — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 01:11:38 GMT

NOTRE DAME in the top 25, yet even in the top 100 is a joke! ND basketball is not worth watching at ANY time.
Ridiculous