The Badgers are an excellent team

[RushmoreAcademy]

Agree.

 My 4th grader's school had Badger day yesterday which required everyone to wear Badger colors. To my son's credit he told the teacher that he wasn't a Badger fan and we didn't have Badger gear. The teacher told him "too bad wear it anyway".  I made sure he went to school with a MU jersey and a MU shirt underneath so that if they asked him to take off the jersey he would still have MU gear underneath. I told my son the school could call me if they had any problems with it.

Love this.
Now that is parenting.

[hairy worthen]

I think Kentucky is one of the top 5 teams I have seen play college basketball since 1980 and could hold their own against the very best teams since that time.

'92 Duke, '96 Kentucky, '82 UNC, '85 Georgetown are probably the only ones I would rank higher.

These are difficult discussions though because although those four teams were fantastic and filled with NBA players and experience, this Kentucky team is both very big and very fast, and is one of the best defensive teams I have ever seen.

UNLV 1990-91 maybe the best of all of them.

Goose is correct when talking in terms of a college team. You maybe correct when talking in terms of individuals and professionals.

The blue blood programs now are filled with freshmen and sophomores.  The Kentucky team today may be overall better as individuals and as pros, but many of the older teams were better as college teams.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Agree.

 My 4th grader's school had Badger day yesterday which required everyone to wear Badger colors. To my son's credit he told the teacher that he wasn't a Badger fan and we didn't have Badger gear. The teacher told him "too bad wear it anyway".  I made sure he went to school with a MU jersey and a MU shirt underneath so that if they asked him to take off the jersey he would still have MU gear underneath. I told my son the school could call me if they had any problems with it.

Hairy Worthen for Scooper of the Year!

[Goose]

UNLV to me was the best, most exciting team I ever saw play college ball. Overall, UK is a very, very good team but far from sold on their place in history. If they run the board, which I bet several people they would, folks can debate their place in history. I take Vegas any day of the week vs. this UK team.

[79Warrior]

UNLV to me was the best, most exciting team I ever saw play college ball. Overall, UK is a very, very good team but far from sold on their place in history. If they run the board, which I bet several people they would, folks can debate their place in history. I take Vegas any day of the week vs. this UK team.

If you can go 40-0 it would be very difficult not to place them at or very near the top. How can you not be sold? Absolutely incredible to not lose a game, I don't care how tough their schedule may or may not be.
They demolished WVU yesterday, trashed them. Take away the Kentucky bias and their record is remarkable.

[GGGG]

UNLV 1990-91 maybe the best of all of them.

Goose is correct when talking in terms of a college team. You maybe correct when talking in terms of individuals and professionals.

The blue blood programs now are filled with freshmen and sophomores.  The Kentucky team today may be overall better as individuals and as pros, but many of the older teams were better as college teams.

The 1990-91 UNLV team played a joke of a schedule (largely due to their conference) and IMO isn't the best team of all time.  They weren't even the best team in 1990-91.

[hairy worthen]

The 1990-91 UNLV team played a joke of a schedule (largely due to their conference) and IMO isn't the best team of all time.  They weren't even the best team in 1990-91.

Wait, they won the championship that year right? Scored 100 points in that game. Surely they played some good teams to accomplish that. Are you saying the championship is a crap shoot?

[brandx]

Goose, I think Kentucky is one of the elite teams of our time.  They would easily beat the undefeated team from Indiana in 76.  Kent Benson was 6'10" and slow, Cauley Stien is a 7 footer who can guard anybody, add Towns and Lyle, front line might be the best in history.  Throw in 4 guards that all are pretty good, and then 2 other 7 footers off the bench.  Who could beat them?
Buckner was not a great shooter and Scot May was 6'7", Kentucky 10 points better.  How is Notre Dame stop them inside, no chance.  Wisconsin is the only team with a chance, slow the game down and shot the 3, and make them all.  I think Frank will have some trouble against them.

76 Indiana was easily better than this Kentucky team. They were almost Spur-esque in their playing. If this Kentucky team stayed together, they would have a chance, but not as freshmen against IU's seniors.

[GGGG]

Wait, they won the championship that year right? Scored 100 points in that game. Surely they played some good teams to accomplish that. Are you saying the championship is a crap shoot?

No they won the championship in 1989-90.

[hairy worthen]

No they won the championship in 1989-90.

Yes correct, my bad. Still many of the same players in 1990-91 That team had a 2 year run that was one of the best of all time.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Yes, this.  So much this.

The conclusion to the Packers' season was like this for me.

I don't want the Badgers in back to back FF's. 10 years from now they're not going to be talking about the heart break of losing the NC at the buzzer. They're going to be talking about how they went to back to back FF's and Marquette has been to 1 in 50 years.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Vegas ways in on the debate:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/03/26/oddsmakers-kentucky-would-be-underdog-against-greatest-ncaa-teams-of-the-past/

Have to say I agree with the analysis at the end.  The one and done era just can't compare to the days when senior superstars still laced them up in college.  College basketball used to be a lot closer to AAA status, now I'd say it's more A-level.

Majors=NBA
AAA= Best European Leagues
AA= Secondary European Leagues, China, D-League
High-A= Elite College Teams (This year Kentucky, Duke, Wisconsin, Arizona, etc.)
A= Most of College Basketball
Low-A= The Worst of College Basketball

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

As someone who grew up in the Appleton area, this is not the case at all.  Most people there couldn't give a rat's ars about MU, including the local press.  The UW-Oshkosh and Stevens Point grads treat the fact that their school has a hyphen after the word Wisconsin as though they are the same.  

Preach it brother. Grew up in the Fox Cities. They serve the kool-aid with morning snacks instead of chocolate milk.

The perception from a lot of people, including people with money, is that MU is a rich kid's school. I don't know how to square that with my student loans, but, you know.

[GGGG]

See I think the overall evolution of the sport means that Kentucky would beat a lot of good teams - including the '76 Hoosiers and many of the UCLA teams.  Go watch recordings of those teams - it's like watching grainy footage of 1950s NFL.  The sport is completely different now.

[BCHoopster]

See I think the overall evolution of the sport means that Kentucky would beat a lot of good teams - including the '76 Hoosiers and many of the UCLA teams.  Go watch recordings of those teams - it's like watching grainy footage of 1950s NFL.  The sport is completely different now.

No question, as much as I like to think those teams in the past were better, they are not.  The kids today are bigger, stronger and faster.  The Lew Alcindor teams were better only becuase they had the best college player by far, but IU.  No way,  Buckner slow, May slow, Benson slow, Abernathy slow,  the team is not as good.  They had nobody on that team that could shot a three.  The game has changed for the best or worst, I do not know.  Yes, experience past they had, but these kids play so much hoop by the time they get to school they are ready.  Better hope that or MU will be even worse then last year with all those freshman and no senior leadership.

[brandx]

See I think the overall evolution of the sport means that Kentucky would beat a lot of good teams - including the '76 Hoosiers and many of the UCLA teams.  Go watch recordings of those teams - it's like watching grainy footage of 1950s NFL.  The sport is completely different now.

Using this logic, Babe Ruth sucked.

[statnik]

That's not how I remember it at all.

Of course, because you probably have selective memory and clearly don't want to remember it as well.  Hard to believe given the attitude of this board that MU fans were willing to cheer for the Badgers in 2003, though I know it happened.

[avid1010]

Agree.

 My 4th grader's school had Badger day yesterday which required everyone to wear Badger colors. To my son's credit he told the teacher that he wasn't a Badger fan and we didn't have Badger gear. The teacher told him "too bad wear it anyway".  I made sure he went to school with a MU jersey and a MU shirt underneath so that if they asked him to take off the jersey he would still have MU gear underneath. I told my son the school could call me if they had any problems with it.

used to be a principal...would have fun with the kids and tell them to take off badger gear or put marquette gear over their badger clothes...if they ever wanted to graduate.  kids loved it, and we had a pretty good rivalry between MU and UW fans going.  most UW fans that age were fans because of parents or because it was the state team.  almost all MU fans were fans because of wade.  amazing what he did for the university in a few short years.

[statnik]

This is not a new mentality.
Teams within state cheering against each other - to find this you need to only check every single state.

I understand this when playing each other; ie. OU vs OSU, Xavier vs Cinci, etc.  I don't understand or want to believe that in state rivalries would be so intense they would wish the worst for the other program, though I know that does happen with some of the most intense like UL vs UK.

[statnik]

In regards to UW being an excellent team, IMO they are a very good team in a very watered down sport. UK likely will run the board and I do not considered them an excellent team. If grading on a curve UK is excellent, largely due to 99.9% of the teams are not very good. UK would not be a top ten all time IMO and maybe not top 20 if I took my time to do some homework.

College ball has slipped a great deal over the past decade and at times difficult to watch. I will give the Badgers credit for being easier on the eye the past couple of seasons. It is a shame on how hitting free throws, making open shots or making good decisions with the ball seem to be lost.

Well the Badgers are definitely better this year than our team that made the Elite Eight in 2013, so I think that watered down talk in bball is an excuse to make one feel better that UW is not that good.  They're not dominant, but they are very tough to beat.

[hairy worthen]

used to be a principal...would have fun with the kids and tell them to take off badger gear or put marquette gear over their badger clothes...if they ever wanted to graduate.  kids loved it, and we had a pretty good rivalry between MU and UW fans going.  most UW fans that age were fans because of parents or because it was the state team.  almost all MU fans were fans because of wade.  amazing what he did for the university in a few short years.

It should be a fun thing.

 Our school doesn't force them to wear badger clothes, but one particular teacher was pretty hard line about it.

I may out myself or the school, but they do the same thing with the local high school even though the grade school is a feeder school for a catholic high school. The catholic high school never gets a spirit day. I always send my child in the catholic high school clothes when they have the public high school spirit day.

[MU82]

The Badgers are outstanding and interesting to watch.

I won't root for them now or ever.

There. That wasn't tough at all.

And kudos to hairy! Handled it like a true Warrior!!!

[Goose]

Statnik

The 2103 E8 MU team is not on the radar screen on all time great MU teams. This Badger team beats '13 7 out of times, if not more. Trust me, IMO I am fair judge of the overall landscape. Watered down or college basketball just sucks in general does not make me feel better about anything. I would be very happy if Buzz put together a program like UW. That said, I stick with the Badgers are a very good team in a watered down sport.

[GGGG]

Using this logic, Babe Ruth sucked.

Different sport.  But I think that Ruth would have trouble matching his number is this era no doubt.

[Pakuni]

No they won the championship in 1989-90.

The 90-91 team was better, even though they lost (by two) to a very good Duke team in the finals. They had pretty much everyone back from the previous year's team and had three lottery picks on the roster.
Their conference schedule was weak - no fault of theirs - but they beat some teams in non-conference play, including a #2 Arkansas team that featured Todd Day, Oliver Miller and Lee Mayberry.