Over the last week, ESPN has been counting down the top 50 college baskeball programs of the last 50 years. Using a formula devised by ESPN Stats and Information, each program was assigned a point value. It’s a fairly comprehensive system, taking into account not only the obvious factors like national titles and Final Four appearances, but things like awarding points for 20 win seasons and high NBA draft picks as well as docking teams who receive NCAA sanctions.
The top of the list hold no surprises. The University of North Carolina takes the number one spot. UCLA, Kentucky, Duke and Kansas round out the top 5. Many might take issue with the two all-time winningest programs being leap frogged by the Tarheels, but it’s important to remember that these rankings only take into account the last 50 years. So, much of the work of John Wooden and Adolph Rupp is unaccounted for. Overall, it’s hard to find much wrong with the system. All-time rankings are a dime a dozen and all systems have their flaws. This one, though, is the fairest I’ve seen.
Of course, the reason you’re reading this is to find out where Syracuse was ranked. According to the ESPN mathematics, the Orange(men) are the 8th best program over the last 50 years.
When I first heard about this ranking project, I placed Syracuse at 7th. It was more of an educated guess than anything. Syracuse might lack the title and Final Four credentials of Kentucky or UCLA, but Jim Boeheim’s tenure alone is enough to put Syracuse into the top 10. Almost 900 wins, three title game appearances, one title, 20 win seasons and NCAA tournament trips out the wazoo. That’s more that most basketball programs do ever. Granted, during the whole 50 year span covered by the rankings, Syracuse didn’t do all that much pre-Boeheim. Based in the ESPN formula, they are actually outside the top 50 during the 1960’s. Since Boeheim took over, though, the Orange have steadily risen into the ranks of the basketball elite.
Not that any of this really means anything. It’s a fun exercise to give fans like us more ammunition for tailgate/barroom discussions. Syracuse fans in particular often feel slighted in that many (most) don’t feel that the Orange are a truly an elite program. Many feel that Syracuse basketball is still on the second tier, just below the so-called basketball royalty. A ranking like this adds fuel to the argument that Syracuse deserves to be named among the great college programs.
Bleeding Orange 