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stickdog
03-12-2017, 01:47 AM
Has any other team ever beaten a top 50 team, a top 15 team, a top 10 team, and a top 5 team over a 4 game stretch?

Ultrarunner
03-12-2017, 03:07 AM
Has any other team ever beaten a top 50 team, a top 15 team, a top 10 team, and a top 5 team over a 4 game stretch?

I'm guessing, but 2011 UConn made a similar run. Don't know if all the numbers match up and it would depend on what yardstick. By KenPom, yes. Don't know about the polls.

bleedingblue88
03-12-2017, 03:07 AM
I don't know about difficulty level, but UConn's 5 games in 5 days then winning the national championship a few weeks later is probably the greatest run in that regard.

Blue KevIL
03-12-2017, 03:17 AM
Connecticut 2011

03/08/11 - 97-71 win over RPI #234 DePaul (KenPom #198) (AP Unranked)
03/09/11 - 79-62 win over RPI #13 Georgetown (KenPom #31) (AP #22)
03/10/11 - 76-74 win over RPI #10 Pittsburgh (KenPom #4) (AP #3)
03/11/11 - 76-71 OT win over RPI #18 Syracuse (KenPom #13) (AP #11)
03/12/11 - 69-66 win over RPI #17 Louisville (KenPom #14) (AP #14)

RPI is the Selection Sunday rank.
KenPom is the Final Post-Tournament rank.
AP is the 03/07/11 Poll rank.

brevity
03-12-2017, 03:23 AM
Has any other team ever beaten a top 50 team, a top 15 team, a top 10 team, and a top 5 team over a 4 game stretch?

(Adding to what others are quicker to write...)

Not sure about RPI or KenPom ratings, but Connecticut won 5 games in 5 days to win the 2011 Big East Tournament (the same year the conference put 11 teams in the NCAA Tournament, which Connecticut also won). As the 9 seed, they beat 16 seed DePaul and then 4 AP ranked teams: #22 Georgetown, #3 Pittsburgh, #11 Syracuse, and #14 Louisville.

Or maybe Georgia, who won 4 games in 3 game days, all upsets, in the storm-delayed 2008 SEC Tournament. They beat East #2 Kentucky and West #1 Mississippi State on the same day.

But yeah, sure, recency bias. Go for it.

kAzE
03-12-2017, 03:24 AM
UConn, not close.

And that was when the Big East was just as good as the ACC is now.

5 in 5 is exponentially more difficult than 4 in 4. We both played against incredible teams, but 5 in 5 will likely not be replicated in a LONG time.

subzero02
03-12-2017, 04:03 AM
UConn, not close.

And that was when the Big East was just as good as the ACC is now.

5 in 5 is exponentially more difficult than 4 in 4. We both played against incredible teams, but 5 in 5 will likely not be replicated in a LONG time.

If we had beaten Arizona, I think we would've taken out UCONN in the elite 8.

eddiehaskell
03-12-2017, 05:09 AM
Who knows...I think this Duke team could lace them up TODAY and have a good chance (say 30-40%) of beating any team in the country.

juise
03-12-2017, 05:11 AM
Interesting question by the OP. UCON(N) came to mind as well. I can't find any ranking where this ND team is top-15, though.

eddiehaskell
03-12-2017, 05:36 AM
Norte Dame may not be ranked in the top 15, but judging by what I've seen they are arguably one of the best teams in the country - maybe top 10 despite what the rankings say. Dominating FSU/Virginia and giving us all we wanted is no easy task. They were a bucket or two away from arguing that THEY should be a 1 or 2 seed.

Coballs
03-12-2017, 07:16 AM
Norte Dame may not be ranked in the top 15, but judging by what I've seen they are arguably one of the best teams in the country - maybe top 10 despite what the rankings say. Dominating FSU/Virginia and giving us all we wanted is no easy task. They were a bucket or two away from arguing that THEY should be a 1 or 2 seed.

A 1 or 2 seed for ND???? How much did you drink during and after the game?

chriso
03-12-2017, 08:47 AM
Interesting question by the OP. UCON(N) came to mind as well. I can't find any ranking where this ND team is top-15, though.

The Syracuse run a few years back. They came out of nowhere. I love Boeheim; he speaks his mind and doesn't care what anyone thinks. And he's a heck of a coach. Of course I didn't love him 2 weeks ago when that bank shot went in. But oh how things have changed. Champs!

BD80
03-12-2017, 12:55 PM
A 1 or 2 seed for ND???? How much did you drink during and after the game?

'Tis St. Patrick's Week.

kAzE
03-12-2017, 12:59 PM
If we had beaten Arizona, I think we would've taken out UCONN in the elite 8.

The OP's question wasn't about who was a better team, or who had the best overall postseason run. He/she asked specifically about the best run in a conference tournament, so UConn's run against 5 teams, 4 of whom were top 25 teams in the country was more impressive.

SCMatt33
03-12-2017, 01:07 PM
The OP's question wasn't about who was a better team, or who had the best overall postseason run. He/she asked specifically about the best run in a conference tournament, so UConn's run against 5 teams, 4 of whom were top 25 teams in the country was more impressive.

Exactly. Like I can see an argument on whether the gauntlet of Pitt/Syracuse/Louisville was tougher than Lousiville/UNC/ND, but Clemson vs Georgetown is not close and they had to at least step on the floor the day before to take care of DePaul. Now the one thing you might be able to say is that Duke's was a bit more unlikely given the large second half deficits, but the fact that Duke put themselves in those holes in the first place means you can't use it to say the run was better/more impressive/anything else along those lines.

tbyers11
03-12-2017, 01:17 PM
Exactly. Like I can see an argument on whether the gauntlet of Pitt/Syracuse/Louisville was tougher than Lousiville/UNC/ND, but Clemson vs Georgetown is not close and they had to at least step on the floor the day before to take care of DePaul. Now the one thing you might be able to say is that Duke's was a bit more unlikely given the large second half deficits, but the fact that Duke put themselves in those holes in the first place means you can't use it to say the run was better/more impressive/anything else along those lines.

Actually, depending which metrics you value more Clemson vs Georgetown could be very close. By RPI and AP Georgetown was much better than Clemson. However, by KenPom, Georgetown was #31 while Clemson was #35 when we played them. That's pretty close.

rthomas
03-12-2017, 01:34 PM
I would say that Valvano's 1983 Pack run was pretty great.

NC State entered the ACC Tournament in Atlanta with 17-10. Ended the season 26-10.

Beat Wake, No 5 UNC, No. 2 Virginia

Then went on to beat: No. 1 Houston, No. 4 Virginia, No. 6 UNLV, No. 18 Georgia

CameronBlue
03-12-2017, 01:46 PM
I would say that Valvano's 1983 Pack run was pretty great.

NC State entered the ACC Tournament in Atlanta with 17-10. Ended the season 26-10.

Beat Wake, No 5 UNC, No. 2 Virginia

Then went on to beat: No. 1 Houston, No. 4 Virginia, No. 6 UNLV, No. 18 Georgia

Yup--the standard to which all other Cinderella stories are compared which helped forge the legend of Jim Valvano, the rise, the fall and subsequent rise again that remains one of the most inspirational stories sport has produced. I really miss that guy.

ricks68
03-12-2017, 01:57 PM
Yup--the standard to which all other Cinderella stories are compared which helped forge the legend of Jim Valvano, the rise, the fall and subsequent rise again that remains one of the most inspirational stories sport has produced. I really miss that guy.

Yup. My thoughts exactly. I recorded the ESPN documentary on that and have been thinking of watching it again the past few weeks. Crazy stuff, with exceptional inspiration.

ricks