A lot has been said about how we have or had a top 25 basketball program historically and all of the players/coaches who have come and gone through the program. Is our program really everything we seem to claim it is?
One thing I think everyone needs to understand is how little people know about, pay attention to, or even respect our program outside the state of Kansas. I live in Arizona and without having told a lot of them myself, our basketball program is nothing more than a bottom dweller, flash in the pan, unrecognizable, and likely to be referred to when asked, as having the imaginary bird for a mascot, not a Wildcat.
I play round ball in a couple of men's leagues and just recently, in my Friday night league, had a conversation with an official last week as I always wear a sleeveless purple tank top with a silver powercat on it under my jersey, so essentially warm up in it. The official asked me what school it was by saying, 'Is that Washington State Cougars?' Of course I replied no, it's Kansas State. This past Friday, same official, same shirt, low and behold, he asked me the same question. I thought he was joking, but he wasn't. He apologized for not remembering, but it was obvious we didn't warrant his attention, no more than Washington State for that matter.
If you really look at it though, how relevant is our basketball program? Are we an elite program? Were we elite? Are we even close to the top 25 programs in history?
I think we need to open our eyes and realize exactly what we are or are not in terms of the level of our program. Of course we have had some great coaches and great players, but how great are they really? Obviously you could measure in National Championships, but we all know how hard it is to win it all, that and we don't have any, in any sport, so let's not even talk about it.
But in college basketball, we do have the equalizer, the Final Four. Something to hang your hat on, a goal that is attainable for many, not just the few from the power conferences, and we have 4 of them. Yes, 4 of them. 1948/1951/1958/1964. Our last Final Four was in 1964. That was 51 years ago guys. Over half a century since we have been to the Final Four. Raise of hands, how many on the board were alive back then? How many of you were a student when we went to the Final Four?
Not only that, but in 1964, we had to win 2 games to make the Final Four. There were 25 teams in the Tournament that year. Not only that, 1964 was the first UCLA Championship for John Wooden to start off his run of many more, to put it in perspective.
Even more so, to really put some perspective on how long ago it was, as if you needed any more, here are some numbers of Final Fours since we were last there.
51 year, 204 spots since then of teams to make the Final Four.
Since then, 63 different schools have gone to the Final Four.
18 difference schools have gone to the Final Four atleast 4 times since our last time in the Final Four, which was our 4th time.
5 different schools have been to the Final Four atleast 10 times. UCLA & UNC - 16 times, Duke - 14, Kentucky - 12, and KU - 10.
21 different schools have won it all since then.
Conference Statistics. (Current Conferences)
Big 12 - 5 of the 10 have been to the Final Four since our last.
ACC - 9 of the 15
Big East - 8 of the 10
Big Ten - 11 out of 14
Schools of note, or not of note that have made the Final Four since our last time there.
St. Bonaventure
Jacksonville
UNC Charlotte
Penn
VCU
Princeton
Drake
Florida State
W. Kentucky
George Mason
Rutgers
Minnesota
Texas Western aka UTEP
Mississippi State
New Mexico State
Wichita State - 2 times
Purdue - 2 times
Massachusetts
Florida State
To name a few. Schools that I would hope we would be considered to have better programs than, but do we? I mean, even the sun shines on a dog's *** every now and then, obviously, but how has it been 51 years since it's shined on ours?
We need to come to the realization that we are not an elite program, at least not anymore. We may have been 51 years ago, but definitely not the past 20 years and maybe not even the past 51 years.
One thing I think everyone needs to understand is how little people know about, pay attention to, or even respect our program outside the state of Kansas. I live in Arizona and without having told a lot of them myself, our basketball program is nothing more than a bottom dweller, flash in the pan, unrecognizable, and likely to be referred to when asked, as having the imaginary bird for a mascot, not a Wildcat.
I play round ball in a couple of men's leagues and just recently, in my Friday night league, had a conversation with an official last week as I always wear a sleeveless purple tank top with a silver powercat on it under my jersey, so essentially warm up in it. The official asked me what school it was by saying, 'Is that Washington State Cougars?' Of course I replied no, it's Kansas State. This past Friday, same official, same shirt, low and behold, he asked me the same question. I thought he was joking, but he wasn't. He apologized for not remembering, but it was obvious we didn't warrant his attention, no more than Washington State for that matter.
If you really look at it though, how relevant is our basketball program? Are we an elite program? Were we elite? Are we even close to the top 25 programs in history?
I think we need to open our eyes and realize exactly what we are or are not in terms of the level of our program. Of course we have had some great coaches and great players, but how great are they really? Obviously you could measure in National Championships, but we all know how hard it is to win it all, that and we don't have any, in any sport, so let's not even talk about it.
But in college basketball, we do have the equalizer, the Final Four. Something to hang your hat on, a goal that is attainable for many, not just the few from the power conferences, and we have 4 of them. Yes, 4 of them. 1948/1951/1958/1964. Our last Final Four was in 1964. That was 51 years ago guys. Over half a century since we have been to the Final Four. Raise of hands, how many on the board were alive back then? How many of you were a student when we went to the Final Four?
Not only that, but in 1964, we had to win 2 games to make the Final Four. There were 25 teams in the Tournament that year. Not only that, 1964 was the first UCLA Championship for John Wooden to start off his run of many more, to put it in perspective.
Even more so, to really put some perspective on how long ago it was, as if you needed any more, here are some numbers of Final Fours since we were last there.
51 year, 204 spots since then of teams to make the Final Four.
Since then, 63 different schools have gone to the Final Four.
18 difference schools have gone to the Final Four atleast 4 times since our last time in the Final Four, which was our 4th time.
5 different schools have been to the Final Four atleast 10 times. UCLA & UNC - 16 times, Duke - 14, Kentucky - 12, and KU - 10.
21 different schools have won it all since then.
Conference Statistics. (Current Conferences)
Big 12 - 5 of the 10 have been to the Final Four since our last.
ACC - 9 of the 15
Big East - 8 of the 10
Big Ten - 11 out of 14
Schools of note, or not of note that have made the Final Four since our last time there.
St. Bonaventure
Jacksonville
UNC Charlotte
Penn
VCU
Princeton
Drake
Florida State
W. Kentucky
George Mason
Rutgers
Minnesota
Texas Western aka UTEP
Mississippi State
New Mexico State
Wichita State - 2 times
Purdue - 2 times
Massachusetts
Florida State
To name a few. Schools that I would hope we would be considered to have better programs than, but do we? I mean, even the sun shines on a dog's *** every now and then, obviously, but how has it been 51 years since it's shined on ours?
We need to come to the realization that we are not an elite program, at least not anymore. We may have been 51 years ago, but definitely not the past 20 years and maybe not even the past 51 years.
