This has been raised in a few threads this season and I’m interested in what Boiler Nation has to say about it. I think because neither UM, MSU, OSU, or IU is “at the top” gives some conference fans that impression (go no further than IMSKRONG’s opinion).
Does this impression, true or false as it may be, exist nationally as other historically strong school’s are not littering the top 10?
Is it a Purdue at #1 thing? If Purdue gets to be #1 several more times in the current future do they begin getting lumped into the conversation of what makes a year “strong”?
Or would Purdue have to make the F4 or even the championship game 2+ times before they achieve general consensus as a “strong” team in regards to when a year is considered up or down?
Or is it how many future 1st round NBA players you have? How many NBA all-stars? Margin of victories to go along with your win record? Quantity of alley-oop or windmill dunk highlights that make it on TV? Or maybe some combo of all of the above?
Gonzaga not that long ago used to be an afterthought, as did Duke in many’s living memories. Going back a bit further (still in living memories) most of the “Blue Bloods” weren’t very blue.
If this year in college basketball is indeed down, and maybe NIL and the portal have inexorably altered the landscape, will there be new school names on the list of what defines an up year? Or perhaps it will now vary so much that the old paradigm is forever broken (i.e. there will no longer be enough consistency to identify a set of schools that define an up year)?
I know I’ve asked a lot of questions (as is my way 😜) but curious what you all think, even the IU lurkers.
Does this impression, true or false as it may be, exist nationally as other historically strong school’s are not littering the top 10?
Is it a Purdue at #1 thing? If Purdue gets to be #1 several more times in the current future do they begin getting lumped into the conversation of what makes a year “strong”?
Or would Purdue have to make the F4 or even the championship game 2+ times before they achieve general consensus as a “strong” team in regards to when a year is considered up or down?
Or is it how many future 1st round NBA players you have? How many NBA all-stars? Margin of victories to go along with your win record? Quantity of alley-oop or windmill dunk highlights that make it on TV? Or maybe some combo of all of the above?
Gonzaga not that long ago used to be an afterthought, as did Duke in many’s living memories. Going back a bit further (still in living memories) most of the “Blue Bloods” weren’t very blue.
If this year in college basketball is indeed down, and maybe NIL and the portal have inexorably altered the landscape, will there be new school names on the list of what defines an up year? Or perhaps it will now vary so much that the old paradigm is forever broken (i.e. there will no longer be enough consistency to identify a set of schools that define an up year)?
I know I’ve asked a lot of questions (as is my way 😜) but curious what you all think, even the IU lurkers.