Is UConn a blue blood now?

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

If you are ranking on titles and you have the #1 and #3 title winners ranked that low, I'm guessing your weighting for titles didn't amount to much.

I would say that the relative strength of UCLA and Indiana programs at this point, is reflected fairly accurately in the scale. 

[Atticus]

Bluebloods Rankings in Order:  I'm ranking on titles, NCAA appearances, and recruiting consistency.

Elites
Kentucky
Florida
Kansas
UNC
Duke

Semi Elites
UCONN
Arizona
Louisville
MSU
Syracuse
Ohio St.
UCLA

Potential Semi Elites - Need several more Elite 8 or better seasons
Marquette Warriors -
Wisconsin
Michigan
Georgetown
Villanova
VCU
Indiana

Wow. What a terrible list.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I would say that the relative strength of UCLA and Indiana programs at this point, is reflected fairly accurately in the scale.  

That's why I asked....I suspect you are going on recent history, but it's hard for me to understand how a program that has 3 Final Fours in the last 8 years and the most NCAA titles ever is relegated to where you have them based on your said criteria.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

That's why I asked....I suspect you are going on recent history, but it's hard for me to understand how a program that has 3 Final Fours in the last 8 years and the most NCAA titles ever is relegated to where you have them based on your said criteria.

I should have communicated in a clearer fashion that this is more or less, a list that ranks the current strength of programs.  Higher strength = recent deep tourney/title runs and recruiting of top classes.  It's a rough draft, but I think is fairly close.  Consistency is a huge factor, which is why I have Indiana way down the list and Florida @ 2.  Kentucky is the top dog because of how well they recruit, recent title, and tonight's final game appearance. 
UCLA is low because they haven't won a title in a long time and have had inconsistency in their program of late. 

[mattyv1908]

How many other teams have been to three final fours in the last ten years?  You're much too quick to discount that.  And UConn has won two titles in four years and four in the last twenty.  By recent success they should be first on your list.

[Sunbelt15]

UConn's four are all within the past 15 years: 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014.

I felt they were a Blue a Blood even before tonight's win.

+1

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Depends if this was Ollie's first championship or Calhoun's last.  The Sr. leadership was huge!

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

Bluebloods Rankings in Order:  I'm ranking on titles, NCAA appearances, and recruiting consistency.

Elites
Kentucky
Florida
Kansas
UNC
Duke

Semi Elites
UCONN
Arizona
Louisville
MSU
Syracuse
Ohio St.
UCLA

Potential Semi Elites - Need several more Elite 8 or better seasons
Marquette Warriors -
Wisconsin
Michigan
Georgetown
Villanova
VCU
Indiana

VCU? Where's Wichita State in this if VCU is in?

[CTWarrior]

UConn is a blueblood for now.  They've won 25% of the last 16 NCAA championships.  They've now won with a second coach.  That's a blue blood.  How Ollie recruits will determine if they stay that way.

[muwarrior69]

So who was the best team this year? That's what I want to know?

[WesleyPipes]

VCU? Where's Wichita State in this if VCU is in?

What about Michigan State??

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Wow. What a terrible list.

No kidding. VCU listed as a "potential semi elite."

Outside of one Final Four run, they've never been past the first weekend in program history. By similar reasoning, pretty much any program in the country could be considered a "potential semi nonfat double foam mocha elite" or whatever he called it.

[WesleyPipes]

No kidding. VCU listed as a "potential semi elite."

Outside of one Final Four run, they've never been past the first weekend in program history. By similar reasoning, pretty much any program in the country could be considered a "potential semi nonfat double foam mocha elite" or whatever he called it.

Is that your avatar so people realize that you're spelling Chiclets correctly in your screen name? Looked wrong to me before a quick google...

[Chicos' Buzz Scandal Countdown]

I've always associated "blue blood" with having more to do with history than current performance. Sort of like Yale is a blue blood school, though Stanford may be ranked higher in many programs today.

"Comes from the medieval belief that aristocratic blood was blue. Usually used talking about nobelty and royal family members."

There is no moving in and out of Blue Blood status in college hoops.

Blue bloods have the momentum and advantage of having been elite since the beginning, but I don't really feel like there can be any additions/subtractions to that list.

Even if UCLA never gets to another tourney, they are still a blue blood in my opinion.

So here's my stab at that list:

Blue Bloods:
UCLA
Indiana
Kentucky
Kansas
North Carolina

Perennial Contenders (programs move in an out of this list) - I'd say 90% chance next year's NC comes from one of these schools:
UCONN
Kentucky
Kansas
North Carolina
Duke
Florida
Louisville
Michigan State

The next step down (where MU is currently) is a bit more crowded, but I think we are close to breaking into the Perennial Contenders category if Wojo can build on the prior coach's progress as well as Buzz did.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

UConn is a blueblood for now.  They've won 25% of the last 16 NCAA championships.  They've now won with a second coach.  That's a blue blood.  How Ollie recruits will determine if they stay that way.

I disagree that UCONN is a bluebood.  Calhoun has recruited all of their national championship teams.  Since Ollie's taking over of the program, best UCONN has done is #30 in the recruiting rankings the last 2 years.  2014's class isn't even top 40 according to ESPN.com.  Last night, was the end of an era for UCONN.  UCONN is on a downward trajectory with their recruiting.  Had they recruited a top 20 class with Ollie, I would have put them in the elite group.  

[KenoshaWarrior]

Bluebloods Rankings in Order:  I'm ranking on titles, NCAA appearances, and recruiting consistency.

Elites
Kentucky
Florida
Kansas
UNC
Duke

Semi Elites
UCONN
Arizona
Louisville
MSU
Syracuse
Ohio St.
UCLA

Potential Semi Elites - Need several more Elite 8 or better seasons
Marquette Warriors -
Wisconsin
Michigan
Georgetown
Villanova
VCU
Indiana

UCONN is as Elite as they come!! 
For some reason or another they are always the forgotten team when it comes to this and their athletic department is fantastic.

They have won something like 12 titles between Mens and Womens hoops in the past 15 years!!   That is something else guys.   

I think we forget about UCONN because they are in the northeast where big state schools are not the norm, and people dont hold blind allegiance to them. 

The school i believe only has about 25,000 thousand and that includes Satellite campus' .   
The fact that UCONN is such a juggernaut boggles the mind!!!   

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

I've always associated "blue blood" with having more to do with history than current performance. Sort of like Yale is a blue blood school, though Stanford may be ranked higher in many programs today.

Blue bloods have the momentum and advantage of having been elite since the beginning, but I don't really feel like there can be any additions/subtractions to that list.

Even if UCLA never gets to another tourney, they are still a blue blood in my opinion.

So here's my stab at that list:

Blue Bloods:


UCLA
Indiana
Kentucky
Kansas
North Carolina

Perennial Contenders:
UCONN
Kentucky
Kansas
North Carolina
Duke
Florida
Louisville
Michigan State

The next step down (where MU is currently) is a bit more crowded, but I think we are close to breaking into the Perennial Contenders category if Wojo can build on the prior coach's progress as well as Buzz did.

I think people are looking into history too much.  Indiana has lost their Blue Blood status, especially with not making the tournament this year.  If you look at their resume in the last 10 years, it's not that of a "Bluebood".  Inconsistent recruiting from Crean knocks them back as well.  I would say that a blueblood should average 4 star recruits at a minimum and Crean doesn't accomplish this.  

[Coleman]

UCONN is a blue blood. And they will be trading one the "A"s for a "C" in their conference affiliation initials very soon, whether BC likes it or not...


The biggest loser in all of this will be Cincinnati, who will be stuck with Memphis in CUSA redux

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

UCONN is a blue blood. And they will be trading one the "A"s for a "C" in their conference affiliation initials very soon, whether BC likes it or not...

If UCONN is a blueblood, explain to me why their recruiting doesn't reflect it over the last 2 years since Ollie has taken over? 

[tower912]

If UConn is able to get into the ACC and maintain their recent level of success, then they have to be in the blue blood conversation.    If they can't, the conversation will be different.    But, congratulations to them on their second unlikely championship from a tough seed in the last few years.  

[Coleman]

If UCONN is a blueblood, explain to me why their recruiting doesn't reflect it over the last 2 years since Ollie has taken over? 

I have to admit I am not very familiar with their recruiting since Calhoun stepped down, but I can assure you they will have no trouble recruiting now.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I think people are looking into history too much.  Indiana has lost their Blue Blood status, especially with not making the tournament this year.  If you look at their resume in the last 10 years, it's not that of a "Bluebood".  Inconsistent recruiting from Crean knocks them back as well.  I would say that a blueblood should average 4 star recruits at a minimum and Crean doesn't accomplish this.  

So Kentucky missing the tournament last year lost their status?  Or UNC missing it 4 years ago lost their status?

I think you are confusing Blue Blood and elite.   Blueblood is all about history, lineage, etc.  It comes from the definition about royalty.

[nyg]

If UCONN is a blueblood, explain to me why their recruiting doesn't reflect it over the last 2 years since Ollie has taken over? 

Who cares about who UCONN recruits and how highly they are ranked.  What does a recruiting "ranking" have to do with winning national championships.  Its obvious UCONN has recruited who they need since they won 4 titles in the last 16 years. 

[frozena pizza]

The question is really where does UConn fit in among the elite basketball programs.  Is there a definition for "blueblood"?  In any case, they are without question one of the premier programs in the country with remendous success and an NBA pipeline.  I wish we could still play them.

[frozena pizza]

Also, it was UConn's feud with BC that kept them out of the ACC, not the football program.  At the time Syracuse and Pitt broke off from the Big East, UConn was the reigning Big East football champion and was coming off a Fiesta Bowl appearance.  They got screwed.  Does anyone think Florida State and Clemson got excited to play Syracuse and Pitt?