NCAA honors all time greats - players, teams, moments

[DukeUsul]

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the NCAA tournament, the NCAA has put together a list of the greatest players (75), teams (25), and moments (35) in the tournament's history. Starting in January, the public will be able to vote their top picks, in order to narrow the lists to the top 15 players, the single best tournament team, and the single best moment.

See the lists here:

http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/marchm...dness-celebrat

[TruBlu]

In honor of the 75th anniversary of the NCAA tournament, the NCAA has put together a list of the greatest players (75), teams (25), and moments (35) in the tournament's history. Starting in January, the public will be able to vote their top picks, in order to narrow the lists to the top 15 players, the single best tournament team, and the single best moment.

See the lists here:

http://www.ncaa.com/news/ncaa/marchm...dness-celebrat

THIS will create a lot of conversation on this (and every) board. Here's hoping that when the voting begins in January, it will be a Sticky.

[jimsumner]

First impressions.

Tom Thacker instead of Art Heyman?

And Joakim Noah instead of J.J. Redick?

I realize Duke is well-represented without them.

Then again, Duke should be well represented.

And where, pray tell, is Phil Ford?

[Wander]

First impressions.

Tom Thacker instead of Art Heyman?

And Joakim Noah instead of J.J. Redick?

I realize Duke is well-represented without them.

Then again, Duke should be well represented.

And where, pray tell, is Phil Ford?

The list is based on player's performances in the NCAA tournament, not their overall careers. The vast majority of players there have national championships.

However I do think there are two obvious omissions from the top moments:

1959, UNC beats Kansas in triple overtime by 1 point in the title game... after beating Michigan State in triple overtime in the semifinals,
1961, Ohio State vs Cincinnati in the title game. Overtime game, in-state rivals, and Ohio State had won the previous year (and the two teams would end up in the title game again the next year).

[mr. synellinden]

I'm surprised the 2001 Duke team is not on there. It was led by one of the great NCAA players of all-time, Shane Battier, and it had one of the greatest collections of talent of all-time.

Boozer, Dunleavy, Duhon and Battier all have had above average NBA careers. And Jason Williams would have been a multiple All-Star and perhaps All-NBA caliber player.

Plus, that was one of the few teams to win each of its six NCAA games by double digits, including the semi-finals win over Maryland which was the largest comeback in Final Four history.

Was 2004 UConn really a better team? 1980 Louisville? 1993 UNC? 1979 Michigan St.?

[davekay1971]

I'm surprised the 2001 Duke team is not on there. It was led by one of the great NCAA players of all-time, Shane Battier, and it had one of the greatest collections of talent of

Was 2004 UConn really a better team? 1980 Louisville? 1993 UNC? 1979 Michigan St.?

No, no, no, and maybe.

Michigan St 1979 had one of the 3 best players of all time on it, a complementary cast that was good, and won an NCAA Championship games that really helped to cement the NCAA tournament as a premier sporting event. The game, itself, wasn't great, but the Bird-Magic matchup was transcendent.

On the court, 2001 Duke may have been better. Given Magic's presence and the historical importance of that game, I can't quibble with the inclusion of the 79 Spartans. I just would have put them in and left one of the other three out.

[jimsumner]

Ah, okay.

That explains the omission of Redick.

But Heyman was MOP of the 1963 Tournament.

UNC's wins over MSU and Kansas were in 1957.

And the 2001 Duke team was pretty dominant.

[TexHawk]

The team list confuses me as well. Mostly, I just really, really, REALLY don't understand the love for that 2009 UNC team. They had a easy run through the tournament because all of their players came back, and CBB was WAY down. The same players got destroyed by KU a year earlier (a team not on this list). 2005 UNC, also not on the list, was a much better team IMO.

I agree with you guys, your 2001 team was the best team I've seen this century.

[jv001]

2010 Butler team over a Duke team that won the championship. A Duke team that no one was picking to make it far in the tournament. Don't get it. GoDuke!

[superdave]

And the 2001 Duke team was pretty dominant.

I believe Duke won every tournament game they played by double digits.

Another few nits to pick -

Tyler Hansborough ranked #13. After getting positively destroyed by Kansas in the semifinals his junior year, it is hard to understand such a high ranking. Wayne Ellington was MOP of the tournament when they won the title in 2009, not Tyler. Lawson was also a much more important player for the team that year.

Danning Manning #5. Kemba Walker #28. Didnt they essentially pull of the same feat? Good players plays great for a month and drags a lesser team to an unexpected title. Is history too kind to Danny?

[Wander]

UNC's wins over MSU and Kansas were in 1957.

And the 2001 Duke team was pretty dominant.

Oops. Right, 1957. That's still the silliest omission to me - how can you have a Final Four that includes two triple overtime games not make it onto the list? Actually, there's a big gap between 1939 and 1963 on the list. I'd add that 1957 game, the 1961 Ohio State vs Cincy game, and 1950 CCNY as the first team to win both the NCAA and the NIT.

I agree that the 2001 Duke team should easily be on there, well ahead of teams like 2004 UConn or 1993 Carolina. Probably the next biggest omission after the 1957 title game.

Danning Manning #5. Kemba Walker #28. Didnt they essentially pull of the same feat? Good players plays great for a month and drags a lesser team to an unexpected title. Is history too kind to Danny?

I don't know why you think this. Manning won all the national player of the year awards and is one of the top 10 scorers in college basketball history, ahead of JJ Redick, Tyler Hansbrough, Larry Bird, and thousands of others. He was a lot more than a "good player who played great for a month."

Mostly, I just really, really, REALLY don't understand the love for that 2009 UNC team. They had a easy run through the tournament because all of their players came back, and CBB was WAY down.

"College basketball is way down" is just code for "a team I don't like is doing well." I've never seen the phrase used in any other fashion, even once. The 2009 UNC easily deserves to be on this list (but so does the 2001 Duke team).

[pamtar]

If 2001 Duke deserves to be here, why not 1999? Yeah we lost but that is the most dominant team I've ever seen play.

Also, why no love for the Maryland comeback in "greatest moments"? Plus, the only way Haywood's shot is a greatest moment is if it goes in. But it didn't. And don't get me started on the Kyle screen.

Finally, as great as Laettner's shot was, I would have to go with 1983 NCSU as the best moment in tourney history. There's a cracked piece of plank heart pine in my parent's ceiling that my dad jump-drove his fist into after that shot. He refuses to fix it.

[supbros]

Man 2001 Duke was an insane snub. Looking at SRS (scheduled adjusted margin of victory, basically cbb-ref's iteration of kenpom crap) that was the second best Duke team of all time behind the 99 squad that shoulda won it all. Here's how we compared to other champions in the decade.

2001 Duke: +32.2
2009 UNC: +25.5
2012 UK: +24.7
2007 Florida: +23.7
2004 UConn: +22.6

That team was so obviously loaded too, it's not like it was deceptively productive in spite of not being super talented like the 2010 ship team.

[vick]

The team list confuses me as well. Mostly, I just really, really, REALLY don't understand the love for that 2009 UNC team. They had a easy run through the tournament because all of their players came back, and CBB was WAY down. The same players got destroyed by KU a year earlier (a team not on this list). 2005 UNC, also not on the list, was a much better team IMO.

But, as mentioned regarding the players' list, this is solely designed to list the top 25 "All-Time March Madness Teams" not the top 25 all-time college basketball teams. I also think UNC's 2005 team was clearly better than 2009 as measured by the whole season body of work, but like it or not the 2009 team rolled through the tournament, whereas 2005 squeaked by Villanova, beat Wisconsin by 6, and only won the championship by 5, in a game that was tied very late. This is also why a 25-9 Arizona team is reasonably on the list.

(all of this, of course, makes the exclusion of a Duke team that won all its tournament games by double figures that much more annoying).

[lumberbaron]

If 2001 Duke deserves to be here, why not 1999? Yeah we lost but that is the most dominant team I've ever seen play.

Also, why no love for the Maryland comeback in "greatest moments"? Plus, the only way Haywood's shot is a greatest moment is if it goes in. But it didn't. And don't get me started on the Kyle screen.

Finally, as great as Laettner's shot was, I would have to go with 1983 NCSU as the best moment in tourney history. There's a cracked piece of plank heart pine in my parent's ceiling that my dad jump-drove his fist into after that shot. He refuses to fix it.

I was thinking the same thing. The '99 Duke squad was the best team I saw play. I think the average margin of victory for the year was like 27 points. Right after the season Brand, Avery, Langdon, and Magette were all taken in the next year's draft lottery. The year after ('00) Carrawell won ACC POY. '01 Battier was player of the year. Nate James couldn't even get off the bench on that team. Magette didn't even start!!!

Thinking about that UCONN game still upsets me. Duke wins that game 19 times out of 20. UCONN shot like 78% for the game, and Duke still only lost by a point. Senior scrub Ricky Moore comes up with 16 first half points in his last game. And as much as I love K and think he's tremendous, that game was his single worst coaching performance. We kept switching screens and ending up with Brand guarding Khalid El Amin who just kept hitting 18' jumpers. And calling an isolation play for Trajan Langdon, a spot up shooter never known for his ability to get to the hoop, when you have Will Avery and Elton Brand?! Inexcusable.

[Wander]

If you want to include 1999 Duke, then you have to include 1991 UNLV as well. I can see both sides of the argument - either mandating that you only include championship teams or not - but you probably can't have one without the other.

[Bluedog]

I was thinking the same thing. The '99 Duke squad was the best team I saw play. I think the average margin of victory for the year was like 27 points. Right after the season Brand, Avery, Langdon, and Magette were all taken in the next year's draft lottery. The year after ('00) Carrawell won ACC POY. '01 Battier was player of the year. Nate James couldn't even get off the bench on that team. Magette didn't even start!!!

Thinking about that UCONN game still upsets me. Duke wins that game 19 times out of 20. UCONN shot like 78% for the game, and Duke still only lost by a point. Senior scrub Ricky Moore comes up with 16 first half points in his last game. And as much as I love K and think he's tremendous, that game was his single worst coaching performance. We kept switching screens and ending up with Brand guarding Khalid El Amin who just kept hitting 18' jumpers. And calling an isolation play for Trajan Langdon, a spot up shooter never known for his ability to get to the hoop, when you have Will Avery and Elton Brand?! Inexcusable.

In a recent article regarding his hip replacement surgery, Coach K says he didn't do a good job of coaching at the end of that season. Apparently, he was in pretty severe pain throughout and says he should have had the surgery sooner. Maybe his condition affected his ability to coach to the best of his ability-Coach K certainly isn't one to shy away from responsibility. That team was beastly. Almost for sure would be considered the best Duke team ever (well,at least top three) had they won that last game.