SI Ranks Current Top 20 Programs

[Seven Eighths]

http://college-basketball.si.com/2013/09/23/ranking-college-basketballs-current-top-20-programs/?sct=hp_bf7_a6&eref=sihp

XU is listed as honorable mention just outside top 20. Perhaps if they had not had a down year last year, they would have made the top 20.

[GoMuskies]

I assume Georgetown will make the top 20. I guess Villanova must be in as well, because otherwise they surely would have made the honorable mention. I cannot imagine Butler in the top 20 even with the two national title runs. So I'm going to assume that half our league is among the top 20 programs or just outside of it.

[paulxu]

Georgetown came in at #17 (click the next post arrow at the bottom).

I thought this top 20 might track Forbes' Top 20, but they've already got Maryland, Tenn, and NC State out as honorable mentions.

[LA Muskie]

I assume Georgetown will make the top 20. I guess Villanova must be in as well, because otherwise they surely would have made the honorable mention. I cannot imagine Butler in the top 20 even with the two national title runs. So I'm going to assume that half our league is among the top 20 programs or just outside of it.
As with most lists, I expect this to be a joke. In fact I already know it is, since Gonzaga clocks in at #20 ahead of us (honorable mention), and Butler (despite two FF appearances in the last 4 tournaments) presumably is not listed in either the Top 20 or as an honorable mention.

[LA Muskie]

I thought this top 20 might track Forbes' Top 20, but they've already got Maryland, Tenn, and NC State out as honorable mentions.
Nobody really cares about the Forbes list except those on the list. It's not a real sports' list. Like everything Forbes, it's about $$$. Fans don't care how much their teams make. They care about wins.

[GoMuskies]

So Villanova is not going to be on the list or the honorable mention? That seems strange. It would be even more strange for them to appear in the top 15 ahead of Georgetown.

[paulxu]

Nobody really cares about the Forbes list except those on the list. It's not a real sports' list. Like everything Forbes, it's about $$$. Fans don't care how much their teams make. They care about wins.

I always knew I was an outlier fan. I care about the $$$ because they helped build Cintas for a better fan experience than Tom Gola, they help us do a first class job of recruiting to get more wins, they help us let the team travel first class so recruits like us even more, they provide the best facilities that top flight athletes expect, they help us hopefully retain the top coaching talent outside of FBS schools pay scales, etc.

So yep, I care about the $$$.

[blueblob06]

So Villanova is not going to be on the list or the honorable mention? That seems strange. It would be even more strange for them to appear in the top 15 ahead of Georgetown.
No Nova, and no other Big East teams as 11 through 15 were released and none in there. (Obviously none of them would make the top 10).

15th Memphis
14th Wisc
13th UConn
12th UCLA
11th Fla

[GoMuskies]

Memphis?!?

I will wait for MOR to chime in.

[xudash]

I stopped looking at it when I saw that Gonzaga made it in over Xavier.

I now am totally out of it upon finding out that Nova didn't make it at all.

[LA Muskie]

I always knew I was an outlier fan. I care about the $$$ because they helped build Cintas for a better fan experience than Tom Gola, they help us do a first class job of recruiting to get more wins, they help us let the team travel first class so recruits like us even more, they provide the best facilities that top flight athletes expect, they help us hopefully retain the top coaching talent outside of FBS schools pay scales, etc.

So yep, I care about the $$$.
Not exactly my point but I get ya. I like all that stuff too. But $$$ doesn't necessarily translate into wins, and an absence of money doesn't necessarily doom a team to the dregs.

[PMI]

Ah, yes, another list made by someone(s) with an opinion and an asshole. Ignite the outrage!

[Masterofreality]

Memphis?!?

I will wait for MOR to chime in.

No reason to. This entire list is Horse Sheet. Periode!

[Kahns Krazy]

Nobody really cares about the Forbes list except those on the list. It's not a real sports' list. Like everything Forbes, it's about $$$. Fans don't care how much their teams make. They care about wins.

I disagree. I am a fan of the program in part because it is a well run program. It's part of the "Xavier Way".

[LA Muskie]

I disagree. I am a fan of the program in part because it is a well run program. It's part of the "Xavier Way".

Not my point. I agree with that. But basketball programs are not stocks. (Most) fans don't care which ones are more profitable for profit's sake. They want to win and generally don't care about the degree to which those wins were fiscally efficient.

[SM#24]

By process of elimination, here's what the last 10 will be (the order is my guess):
10. Arizona
9. Ohio St.
8. Syracuse
7. Michigan St.
6. Indiana
5. Kansas
4. UNC
3. Louisville
2. UK
1. Duke

[GoMuskies]

By process of elimination, here's what the last 10 will be (the order is my guess):
10. Arizona
9. Ohio St.
8. Syracuse
7. Michigan St.
6. Indiana
5. Kansas
4. UNC
3. Louisville
2. UK
1. Duke

Louisville and Kentucky will be 1 and 2. Not sure of the order, but I cannot imagine anyone sneaking in front of those two.

[SM#24]

I should clarify; my guess was to what I thought the SI writer will come up with. Personally, I would slide Duke down to about 5, but every time I see one of these things come out, it's always Duke #1.

[GoMuskies]

Duke hasn't been to a Final Four in four years (wow, that's not much of an insult, but the fact remains). There's no way they'll be #1. I'll be surprised if Louisville isn't #1.

[Xavgrad08]

This is an article written to get clicks. Nothing insightful is revealed in the article.

[xeus]

What all those other teams don't realize is that we are sneaking up on them.

[SM#24]

10. Arizona
9. Indiana
8. Syracuse
7. Ohio St
6. Louisville

[GoMuskies]

Wow, I'm surprised to see Louisville at #6. I thought they might even be #1.

[bleedXblue]

You know UK is # 1 My best guess is:

1. UK
2. Duke
3. UNC
4. Kansas
5. Mich State

[GoMuskies]

Kentucky is one.

[DC Muskie]

This list is shit if Memphis is a top 15 program.

[waggy]

The real sham is no Five Guys in their top 10. Please.

[BandAid]

I was a bit surprised with Wisconsin. They're a great program, but not at all flashy. (Which is probably why they don't first come to mind.) Also surprised Indiana wasn't any closer to the top of the list.

[GoMuskies]

Indiana would certainly be closer to the top if it was an all-time ranking. But Indiana hasn't been past the Sweet Sixteen in a decade.

[Milhouse]

I was a bit surprised with Wisconsin. They're a great program, but not at all flashy. (Which is probably why they don't first come to mind.) Also surprised Indiana wasn't any closer to the top of the list.

They've had a lot of success in March since Bo Ryan's been there. Last 10 years or so I think they have like 16 or 17 wins.

Just the most boring basketball to watch, but damn if Bo Ryan isn't great at getting the kids to buy into his system.

[Titanxman04]

They've had a lot of success in March since Bo Ryan's been there. Last 10 years or so I think they have like 16 or 17 wins.

Just the most boring basketball to watch, but damn if Bo Ryan isn't great at getting the kids to buy into his system.

Ultimate respect for Bo Ryan with how he does things. His kids don't seem to get in trouble (at least as far as I know), they stick to an effective system (even though it puts me to sleep), and they are successful year in and year out. He's a solid coach for a solid program.

[xubrew]

Arkansas was the first team to get an honorable mention. There was no point in continuing to read after that.

I don't know if it's the lack of sell outs, or the lack of NCAA appearances, the fact that the haven't won an NCAA game since the 90s, or that the fact that they twice made a coaching change when they appeared to be on the brink of being pretty good and then lost a lot of contributing players, or the fact that I think they've won three road games over the last two years, but for some reason SI finds them honorable enough to mention.

If Arkansas is on the list, then where's Florida State?? Florida State isn't good at all, but they have completely outperformed Arkansas. For that matter, so has Wichita State, Texas A&M, Temple, VCU, Iowa State, Washington, Cal, San Diego State, Saint Mary's, Butler, Missouri (although they do have Frank Haith), Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Villanova, Marquette,and countless other programs.

I do think Arkansas will be good this year, but the overall status of their program and how accomplished it's been in the last....oh.....decade-and-a-half, they shouldn't be on any list.

[BandAid]

They've had a lot of success in March since Bo Ryan's been there. Last 10 years or so I think they have like 16 or 17 wins.

Just the most boring basketball to watch, but damn if Bo Ryan isn't great at getting the kids to buy into his system.

Most definitely. They probably fall through the cracks of a lot of people's minds because they aren't flashy, but they are definitely one of the best programs right now. They sneak up on people...

[SM#24]

5. Mich St
4. UNC
3. Duke
2. UK
1. Kansas

[PMI]

I think Wisconsin and Bo Ryan get overrated by college basketball fans. It's definitely a good program and he's definitely a good coach, but it seems like he gets lumped in with the great coaches sometimes, which I think is wrong. Wisconsin is rock solid. They pretty much always do what they're supposed to do. They win at home, they win a game or two in the tournament, they recruit guys that fit their horrendously boring style of play, etc. But I think there's a definite ceiling to the way Ryan runs his ship. The best coaches recruit great players, and then they get them to fit into what they're trying to do. Ryan seems to recruit at a level below what the rest of the programs who Wisconsin gets tiered up with, and while he has plenty to show for it, he has never been past the Elite 8. To me, he's the poster boy for consistency and solidness, but I can't ever see him truly competing for a national title. Great home court advantage up there, definitely a matchup problem for teams not used to them, but I can't really put them in the conversation for ELITE when there seems to be a clear limit to what they can be under Ryan. And it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine that he seems to get more credit for winning without 5 star rosters, while other even better coaches who land lots of 5 stars tend to get the label of, "well, they have the best player, they're supposed to win." Recruiting is a major part of being the head coach! If I'm making a meaningless list of top 10 programs, I would take programs that routinely put teams on the floor with legitimate chances of winning it all. Wisconsin does not make the cut.