[Cracked Sidewalks] Greatest 4-year stretch of beating ranked teams in MU history

[CrackedSidewalksSays]

Greatest 4-year stretch of beating ranked teams in MU history

Written by: hilltopper91@gmail.com (Kevin Buckley (Hilltopper))

Greatest 4-year stretch of beating ranked teams in MU history - John Pudner

The Three Amigos will go to South Bend this Monday to try to set an unofficial MU record with their 13th regular season win against a ranked opponent during a 4-year tenure â€" and it will only be January 26!  With three wins over ranked teams in the books (Wisconsin, Villanova and West Virginia), and eight currently ranked teams remaining on the schedule, MU could easily become the first team in school history to beat six teams during one regular season.

The three Amigos sophomore season was the first time an MU team had beaten five ranked teams in one season, going 5-2.

Put it all together, and the three Amigos will have by far the most big regular season wins in four regular seasons of any stretch in MU history:

Vs. ranked teams defeated during 4-year stretch

2006-2009 â€" 12-9 and counting
1994-1997 â€" 12-6
1975-1978 â€" 10-8
1971-1974 â€" 9-3
2002-2005 â€" 8-10
1955-1958 â€" 6-6


*MU has never beaten more than 4 ranked teams in a four-year stretch outside of these six spans, except for mixing and matching among these years.

On this front, the Three Amigos are without peers in MU history.  Stepping into the Big East and going 85-33 to date is impressive enough, but the fact that they could end their careers having played 29 ranked teams during the regular season, 11 more than even Jerome Whitehead and Butch Lee from 1975-78, is astounding.  This is where even the Win Credits system I slaved over to develop in the book short-changes the Three Amigos.  Based purely on wins and losses, they could all end up ranked among the top 20 players in MU history, but if I had a way to give more credit for tougher regular season wins, they would certainly rank higher.

Each of these stretches are important.  To state the obvious, three of them included a Final Four run.  As for the other two; the 1955-1958 started with the first Elite 8 run and really put MU on the map.  The 1994-1997 was the biggest turnaround, as MU had gone 1-18 against ranked teams the eight years leading up to 1994, so to go Sweet 16 and then continue on a 12-6 run may have saved the program.

Still, it’s hard to top the significance of the three Amigos stepping into the Big East after two post-Wade years of not topping .500 in Conference USA.  Logically, the Big East should have blown MU out of the water by confronting the Three Amigos with a level of day-in-and-day-out competition MU had never faced, even in the glory days of the 1970s.

As ecompt aptly posted on MU Scoop recently, there are not going to be a lot of dry eyes on senior day against Syracuse this year with all these memorable wins.

John Pudner, Journalism ’88, was Editorial Editor and then News Editor for the Marquette Tribune. He was named top sports news writer in Virginia in 1991 while working for the Charlottesville Observer and wrote a weekly column on his rankings of baseball pitchers for the New York Post before leaving journalism for a career in politics and government affairs.

John's book Ultimate Hoops Guide: Marquette University can be ordered here: (www.collegeprowler.com/basketball)

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2009/01/greatest-4-year-stretch-of-beating.html

[MUBBau]

I think a lot of people take for granted how many big games these guys have won for us. It's especially evident early on in the year when they lose to a team that on paper they should have beaten and everyone feels like jumping ship. You just got to sit back and enjoy every game with this group, win or loss, because this is indeed a very special team.

[THEGYMBAR]

Due to the conference they have had many more opportunities than past teams. NCAA wins will be the ultimate judge for the seniors.

[bilsu]

When McGuire coached they only ranked the top 20. I am not sure when they went to the top 25.

[bamamarquettefan]

On the last two comments.

Yes, NCAA tourney wins are the ultimate, but if we hadn't come from behind in the first round game in 1977, I wouldn't have considered the 70s a disappointment just because we only had one final four appearance.  Being ranked in the Top 10 for ten straight years were a big part of making McGuire's run so historic.  Obviously I'd love a wonderful run to cap the Three Amigos run, but I'll still consider it a great run if they don't have one.

True, there were only a Top 20, but with so many more teams now (343), you have a much smaller percentage of teams ranked, so I think it's comparable.  Yes, this team has had more chances to play ranked teams, but that's really my point, they face a lot more tough teams than in the independent days.

I also noted in a response to this on cracked sidewalks that MU has only beaten three top 3 teams ever, counting tournament or regular season - Terry Rand beat Kentucky to make the Elite 8 in 1955, D. Wade beat Kentucky again in 2003, and finally the Three Amigos and Novak beat UConn to announce MU was for real in the Big East.  The 1977 title game was #7 MU beating #5 UNC if anyone is curious.

[79Warrior]

On the last two comments.

Yes, NCAA tourney wins are the ultimate, but if we hadn't come from behind in the first round game in 1977, I wouldn't have considered the 70s a disappointment just because we only had one final four appearance.  Being ranked in the Top 10 for ten straight years were a big part of making McGuire's run so historic.  Obviously I'd love a wonderful run to cap the Three Amigos run, but I'll still consider it a great run if they don't have one.

True, there were only a Top 20, but with so many more teams now (343), you have a much smaller percentage of teams ranked, so I think it's comparable.  Yes, this team has had more chances to play ranked teams, but that's really my point, they face a lot more tough teams than in the independent days.

I also noted in a response to this on cracked sidewalks that MU has only beaten three top 3 teams ever, counting tournament or regular season - Terry Rand beat Kentucky to make the Elite 8 in 1955, D. Wade beat Kentucky again in 2003, and finally the Three Amigos and Novak beat UConn to announce MU was for real in the Big East.  The 1977 title game was #7 MU beating #5 UNC if anyone is curious.

As I recall the 70's, we played fewer games and did not have conference tourneys being an independant. Al's guys had fewer shots to beat ranked teams w/o benefit of conf tourneys. In addition, there were no early season tourneys like we have now.

[RawdogDX]

As I recall the 70's, we played fewer games and did not have conference tourneys being an independant. Al's guys had fewer shots to beat ranked teams w/o benefit of conf tourneys. In addition, there were no early season tourneys like we have now.

I don't remember the 70's but i do know that a team that goes 12-9 against ranked teams has played more games against ranked teams than a team that goes 10-8.  Thanks for pointing that out though.

[chapman]

I don't remember the 70's but i do know that a team that goes 12-9 against ranked teams has played more games against ranked teams than a team that goes 10-8.  Thanks for pointing that out though.

You've hit the spot.  As the post says, it is/will be the "greatest 4-year stretch of beating ranked teams in MU history".  BUT it also WILL BE, unless the impossible happens, the "greatest 4-year stretch of losing to ranked teams in MU history.  That either means we're at an unfortunate/uncommon level of playing anyone who we can that is very respectable, or we're in an elite conference of unprecedented of an unprecedented level.  It's the latter, which is still something to be proud of, given that we're competitive in that conference.