Penn State Basketball's Future

[Heaven&Hoops]

Here is abpk2903's post from a few days ago, "I can think of 20 programs that are better than Pitt consistenly."

If you scroll above my post, you can read the list of 20 programs that he believes are consistently better than Pitt. I am not sure where he gets his definition of consistent or the definition of the word better. Let us take a look at his list.

Of the 20 teams listed, only 5 have more Sweet 16 appearances than Pitt since 2000. They are:
Duke-6
Michigan State-4
Kansas-4
Kentucky-4
Illinois-4


The following teams have the same amount of Sweet 16 appearances (3) as Pitt does since the 2000 Tournament:

UConn
Syracuse
Arizona
Texas
Oklahoma State
UCLA
Maryland

The following programs have had fewer Sweet 16 appearances than Pitt since 2000.

North Carolina - 2
Wisconsin-2
Stanford-1
Villanova-1
Indiana-1
Florida-1

Here are the two schools on the list that gave me the biggest chuckle. Neither of these programs has made the Sweet 16 in the last six tournaments, yet they are better and more consistent than Pitt.

Boston College
Memphis

[Heaven&Hoops]

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Georgetown beat Duke this year?

Get over the Pacific game already. The committee felt Pacific was better than Pitt. Pacific was the 8-seed and Pitt was the 9-seed. Not much of an upset.

[ham55]

Keep telling yourself it wasn't an upset...

Georgetown shot close to 70% from the field in that game and only won by 3. They played the game of their lives and barely beat Duke.

[bison1]

I find it curious that your measure of "consistancy" only goes back 5 years...

how convienient for a pitt fan...

[Heaven&Hoops]

Bison1...the criteria brought up was consistent and better than Pitt. You cannot say that a program is better than Pitt's if that program hasn't been to a Sweet 16 in the past 6 seasons while Pitt has been to 3.

Leave it to a Penn State fan to misspell "consistency."

[Heaven&Hoops]

bdftbllham55.......I already gave you the Pacific game. I said it was an upset but not in the eyes of the NCAA selection committee.

Georgetown shot 61.5% against Duke. They also had more rebounds than the Blue Devils.

[abpk2903]

OK- Maybe Memphis and BC should not be on that list. The point I am making is just because Pitt has been to 3 sweet sixteens in 6 years does not make them the same as Indiana just because Indiana has had a rough couple of years. Indiana probably has more Final 4 or Championship Game appearences than Pitt has Sweet 16's. You can not judge the best programs in the country over just 6 years.

[Heaven&Hoops]

If you asked any college basketball analyst to name his top 20 programs, I guarantee Pitt is in that discussion.

Without question, Pitt is a top-20 basketball program right now and have been over the past 6 years.

A storied past doesn't help you a whole lot right now. Just ask Syracuse who may have to run the table plus win a few Big East Tournament games in order to make the Big Dance.

Ask Lute Olson how much history means this year. The Arizona Wildcats are gonna need a similar finish to make the tournament.

The best way to judge a basketball program's current status is to see how well they have done over the past couple of years.

You are giving me opinions and I am giving you facts of the past six tournaments.

[Weapon X]

Rough couple of years for Indiana, do you know what their tournament resume looks like since 1995. 1 Sweet Sixteen appearance, 5 first round losses, 3 second round losses, and after this year 3 no shows. That program is in utter disaray right now and they have a better program then Pitt right now. More storied yes, but at the moment not better.What is your criteria for when a program goes from being average to above average and vice versa? How far in history do we have to go to declare that? How can a coach get his team to a championship game and then within four years resign, because sports is about what have you done for me lately. No one cares what you did 20 years ago its all about the here and now, and like it or not Pitt's program has performed and they are an above average top 15 program at worst.

[deliverance]

Yes, Bison1 can't spell, but he sure can fill up a mean water bottle. You people need to get over that Pitt is better than Penn State in basketball. Wait, you don't care because Chunk is a big Duke fan. What a surprise. He'd never be so low to root for a loser.