March 28, 201115 yr Indeed. The real question is whether VCU is Top 45 at any point this season? :lol: Easily. They finished the season at 49 according to the RPI and they faltered down the stretch. I forgot to consider the "First Four" so my number should have been 49 and I would have been spot on.
March 28, 201115 yr Easily. They finished the season at 49 according to the RPI. I forgot to consider the "First Four" so my number should have been 49 and I would have been spot on. If they finished 49th, I'm certain they were in the top 45 because they lost their last 4 games of the regular season. You'd think that would have dropped them a few spots.
March 28, 201115 yr If they finished 49th, I'm certain they were in the top 45 because they lost their last 4 games of the regular season. You'd think that would have dropped them a few spots. It was not a pure scientific number, but my rationale is that there are 20 or so teams from bad conferences which get the automatic bid that have no shot (eg. Long Island, Bucknell, Boston U, Morehead St., etc.). The rest is fair game due to how bad college basketball is.
June 24, 201115 yr They had and still have two first rounders on their roster. The talent is on the court regardless of what year they end up being selected in the first round. Not so much.
June 24, 201115 yr Not so much. With both Singler and Smith dropping to round 2, using 1st round NBA draft picks as a measure, that Duke team may now be the least talented team to win an NCAA title in the last 25 years. Perhaps the least talented ever as I am not sure there has ever been an NCAA title winner that had zero 1st round NBA draft picks.
June 24, 201115 yr With both Singler and Smith dropping to round 2, using 1st round NBA draft picks as a measure, that Duke team may now be the least talented team to win an NCAA title in the last 25 years. Perhaps the least talented ever as I am not sure there has ever been an NCAA title winner that had zero 1st round NBA draft picks. Nolan Smith went #21 I thought. :confused:
June 24, 201115 yr Nolan Smith went #21 I thought. :confused: Yep, you're right. :lol: And you could argue Singler would have been a first rounder if he had declared last year. So I guess we can't automatically say Duke is the least talented title winner ever.
June 24, 201115 yr One could make a very good argument that the 1998 UK team was at least one of the least talented to win a national championship.
June 24, 201115 yr One could make a very good argument that the 1998 UK team was at least one of the least talented to win a national championship. They are. That is what led me to research this originally. Everyone always talked about how Tubby won because of all this talent left behind by Pitino. The fact is that UK team coached by Tubby is arguably the least talented team to win a title since Booby (typo ... thought about editing but changed my mind :lol:) Knight's 1987 team led by Steve Alford. I believe Alford was the highest pick off that team and he was the first pick in the second round. Keith Smart and Dean Garrett went in the second round the next year. So that is an NCAA title team that had zero first round picks and is the only one I am aware of. Off Tubby's team, Nazr Mohammed was the last pick in round one. Scott Padgett was the second to last pick in round one the next year.
June 26, 201115 yr They are. That is what led me to research this originally. Everyone always talked about how Tubby won because of all this talent left behind by Pitino. The fact is that UK team coached by Tubby is arguably the least talented team to win a title since Booby (typo ... thought about editing but changed my mind :lol:) Knight's 1987 team led by Steve Alford. I believe Alford was the highest pick off that team and he was the first pick in the second round. Keith Smart and Dean Garrett went in the second round the next year. So that is an NCAA title team that had zero first round picks and is the only one I am aware of. Off Tubby's team, Nazr Mohammed was the last pick in round one. Scott Padgett was the second to last pick in round one the next year. What about NC State '83, Villanova '85, '66 Texas Western, '63 Loyola?
June 26, 201115 yr What about NC State '83, Villanova '85, '66 Texas Western, '63 Loyola? I didn't look at it before 1987 so those could all be possibilities. Although, I believe NC State had a lot of talent. Wasn't that David Thompson's team? I believe Tom Burleson, 7'4" center played on that team too. And they had a small point guard (Monte Towe?) that was very good. Thompson was an incredible athlete and player. He had to be a top 5 pick in the NBA. Villanova was a huge underdog but they had Ed Pinckney and a really good guard whose name I can't remember and I would guess both of those guys were NBA first rounders. They actually had more talent than they are given credit for. Georgetown was such a formidable opponent and overwhelming favorite that Villanova is looked upon in a lesser light than they deserve. Edited June 26, 201115 yr by Voice of Reason
June 26, 201115 yr With both Singler and Smith dropping to roundst 2 2, using 1st round NBA draft picks as a measure, that Duke team may now be the least talented team to win an NCAA title in the la5 years. Perhaps the least talented ever as I am not sure there has ever been an NCAA title winner that had zero 1st round NBA draft picks. It is likely that the Duke 2010 team may have been the least talented of the past decade for Duke teams.
June 26, 201115 yr What about NC State '83, Villanova '85, '66 Texas Western, '63 Loyola? OK, I went ahead and researched those teams for you: Villanova - Pinckney was a 1st round pick, McClain went very early in round 2, Harold Pressley was a 1st round pick the next year. NC State - Thompson was the #1 pick in the draft in 1975, Burleson was the #3 pick in 1974, Towe was a round 4 pick Texas Western - David Lattin was the #10 pick in 1967, Neville Shedd was pick #40 in 1967 Loyola - Jerry Harkness was pick #9, Les Hunter was pick #9 in 1964 See, I am telling you. It is very rare that an NCAA champion does not have at least one NBA 1st rounder. That is why I always say talent wins. The most talented team doesn't always win, but you have to have talent to win it all. Last year's U Conn team had two first rounders - Walker (obviously) and IMO Jeremy Lamb will be a 1st rounder.
June 27, 201115 yr OK, I went ahead and researched those teams for you: Villanova - Pinckney was a 1st round pick, McClain went very early in round 2, Harold Pressley was a 1st round pick the next year. NC State - Thompson was the #1 pick in the draft in 1975, Burleson was the #3 pick in 1974, Towe was a round 4 pick Texas Western - David Lattin was the #10 pick in 1967, Neville Shedd was pick #40 in 1967 Loyola - Jerry Harkness was pick #9, Les Hunter was pick #9 in 1964 See, I am telling you. It is very rare that an NCAA champion does not have at least one NBA 1st rounder. That is why I always say talent wins. The most talented team doesn't always win, but you have to have talent to win it all. Last year's U Conn team had two first rounders - Walker (obviously) and IMO Jeremy Lamb will be a 1st rounder. Even back then you have to consider there were not 30 NBA teams.
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