ESPN 50 in 50

[zagzilla]

ESPN ranks the Top 50 MBB programs of the past 50 years

GU #31

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/tag/_/name/50-in-50-series/count/31

Interesting exercise. We essentially gave the field a 30 year head start and since then are on par with the blue bloods.

ZZ

[zagzilla]

Agree with their Starting 5 and bench?

T-31. Gonzaga (232 points)

Positives: Had streak of 11 straight West Coast Conference regular-season conference titles snapped in 2012; 17 league championships since ’62 matches Duke’s total; WCC tourney titles since it came back after a one-year hiatus in 1990: Gonzaga 11, all other schools combined 11.

Negatives: Never made the NCAA tournament before 1995; before the 64-team tourney era, the Zags compiled just six points; after three straight Sweet 16 runs from 1999 to ’01, Gonzaga has gotten back to that round just twice in its past 11 tourney appearances.

Fun fact: The Bulldogs came closest to their first Final Four in 1999, when UConn edged them by five in the Elite Eight. Starting with the next season (’99-’00), Gonzaga has compiled 180 points, the exact same number that the Huskies have in the same span.

Rank by the decade
1962-69: 8 (T-77th)
1970-79: -4 (T-203rd)
1980-89: 4 (T-139th)
1990-99: 44 (T-44th)
2000-present: 180 (T-7th)

50 in 50 starting five (1962-present)
G – John Stockton (1980-84)
G – Dan Dickau (2000-02)
F – Adam Morrison (2003-06)
F – Ronnie Turiaf (2001-05)
C – Casey Calvary (1997-2001)

Top options off the bench
Blake Stepp (2000-04)
Matt Bouldin (2006-10)
Cory Violette (2000-04)

50 in 50 coach: Mark Few (1999-present)

Best teams (1962-present)
1998-99 (28-7, NCAA Elite Eight)
2003-04 (28-3, NCAA second round)
2005-06 (29-4, NCAA Sweet 16)

[zagzilla]

Sorry. Just noticed this was from last summer. Re-posted on ESPN on bottom of MBB page recently.

Getting hungry for new content I guess.

ZZ