ESPN's top programs/players/coaches of the decade

• hoops23

  

  I'll just post all the info onto this thread, I'll comment later.. But what do you guys think?
  
  Top Program
  
  1. North Carolina
  2 national titles, 4 Final Fours, 5 Elite Eights, 5 ACC regular-season titles (3 outright)
  
  2. Kansas
  1 national title, 3 Final Fours, 282 wins (No. 2 nationally), 7 Big 12 regular-season titles (4 outright)
  
  T3. Florida
  2 national titles, 3 title-game appearances, 261 wins (No. 5 nationally)
  
  T3. Michigan State
  1 national title, 4 Final Fours, 5 Elite Eights, 3 Big Ten regular-season titles (1 outright)
  
  5. Duke
  1 national title, 2 Final Fours, 2 Elite Eights, 291 wins (No. 1 nationally), 7 ACC tourney titles
  
  Just missed the cut: Connecticut
  
  Best Single Team
  1. 2006-07 Florida
  2. 2000-01 Duke
  3. 2004-05 North Carolina
  4. 2008-09 North Carolina
  5. 2003-04 Connecticut
  Others receiving votes: 1999-2000 Michigan State, 2007-08 Kansas
  
  Best Team That Didn't Win A National Title
  1. 2007-08 Memphis
  2. 2004-05 Illinois
  3. 2002-03 Kansas
  4. 2005-06 Connecticut
  T5. 1999-2000 Cincinnati
  T5. 2001-02 Duke
  Others receiving votes: 1999-2000 Iowa State; 2000-01 Arizona; 2002-03 Kentucky; 2006-07 Ohio State
  
  Top Coaches
  1. Roy Williams (Kansas, UNC)
  2. Tom Izzo (Michigan State)
  3. Billy Donovan (Florida)
  4. Bill Self (Tulsa, Illinois, Kansas)
  5. Mike Krzyzewski (Duke)
  Others receiving votes: Mark Few, Jim Calhoun, John Calipari, Ben Howland
  
  Best playing careers
  1. Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina (2005-09)
  T2. Emeka Okafor, Connecticut (2001-04)
  T2. J.J. Redick, Duke (2002-06)
  T4. Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's (2000-04)
  T4. Jason Williams, Duke (1999-2002)
  Others receiving votes: Stephen Curry, Davidson; Juan Dixon, Maryland; Adam Morrison, Gonzaga; Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa State; Joakim Noah, Florida; David West, Xavier; Kevin Durant, Texas
  
  Best individual seasons
  1. Kevin Durant, Texas (2006-07)
  2. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (2008-09)
  3. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (2002-03)
  4. Dwyane Wade, Marquette (2002-03)
  5. J.J. Redick, Duke (2005-06)
  Others receiving votes: Michael Beasley, Kansas State (2007-08); Adam Morrison, Gonzaga (2005-06); Stephen Curry, Davidson (2007-08); Andrew Bogut, Utah (2004-05); Shane Battier, Duke (2000-01); David West, Xavier (2002-03); Deron Williams, Illinois (2004-05); T.J. Ford, Texas (2002-03); Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's (2003-04); Kevin Love, UCLA (2007-08); Drew Gooden, Kansas (2001-02)
  
  
  Links:
  Top programs/teams http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4783700
  Top players/coaches http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4783699
• Mulva

  

  Pretty good lists. I would probably take 04-05 UNC as the best individual team, and I would definitely take 04-05 Illinois as the best team to not win the championship.
• Early Cuyler

  

  How in the hell is Kenyon Martin not even considered for best players of the decade?
• sportswizuhrd

  Or Mateen Cleaves? What about John Wall?
  
  
  
• thedynasty1998

  

  Hard to disagree with most on that list.
• cview

  The only one I really disagree with is the best teams to not win a title category. [/align]
• georgemc80

  Early Cuyler wrote: How in the hell is Kenyon Martin not even considered for best players of the decade?

  I guess he didn't get enough done in the three months or so that he played college basketball in this decade.
• original_sin

  Kenyon Martin = All chest thumping/scowling 1st teamer.
  
  All semi kidding aside, a very good defensive player and intimidator, no offensive game though and IMO certainly not worthy of the above list by a long shot.
• wildcats20

  

  If Kenyon Martin doesn't break his leg, that Cincy team would have ran through the NCAA tourny.
• reclegend22

  

  Nothing to say about this -- other than 2001 Duke is the best team; and, if not, then it's 2005 Carolina; also that J.J. Redick's 2006 season is completely underrated in this ESPN listing; and also that 2001-02 Duke was more loaded and a better non-national champion (if that makes sense) than '08 Memphis -- but I couldn't post about the UNC/Charleston game over on the other thread for obvious bad luck purposes. So I'll post here.
  
  Go SoCon!
• wildcats20

  

  I'll agree with you Rec, '02 Duke was better than '08 Memphis.
• reclegend22

  

  Then you'll also agree that, whether it's Duke or Carolina that should be ahead, Florida's '07 squad has no business being number one.
  
  ESPN, as usual, has notta clue.
• wildcats20

  

  Correct. Florida was a great team, but those 2(Carolina and Duke) were head and shoulders above them.
  
  And with my comment before this one, I threw up in my mouth a little bit.
• reclegend22

  

  Haha
  
  And, iron, I like everything you don't right about now Keep up the nice dialogue over there!
• reclegend22

  

  We'll be keeping this thread around for close Carolina games from now on
  
  A new Huddle tradition, that I know my buddy hank will gladly join in
  
  Wherever he is!
• ironman02

  You're a sneaky one, rec. If I had known this was going on, I might have been able to come over here and turn the momentum. I should have known you'd find a way to will Charleston to victory. I knew there was no way Goudelock was nailing contested 25 footers all night on his own.
• reclegend22

  

  ^^ Now that made me LOL.
• cview

  reclegend22 wrote: Nothing to say about this -- other than 2001 Duke is the best team; and, if not, then it's 2005 Carolina; also that J.J. Redick's 2006 season is completely underrated in this ESPN listing; and also that 2001-02 Duke was more loaded and a better non-national champion (if that makes sense) than '08 Memphis -- but I couldn't post about the UNC/Charleston game over on the other thread for obvious bad luck purposes. So I'll post here.
  
  Go SoCon!

  
  Thankfully a couple of you agree with me about the "non-champions" thing. 08 Memphis? Are you kidding me? That team was a superstar in Derrick Rose, Robin in CDR, and a bunch of scrubs.
  
  01-02 Duke, 06-07 Ohio State, and 05-06 Connecticut all would have abused that Memphis squad. Heck, we saw an example of it in 2007 when Ohio State kicked Memphis' ass in the Regional final. Memphis did add Derrick Rose but Ohio State won because the dribble drive was ineffective with Oden controlling both ends of the floor vs Memphis' below average interior play. That Memphis team was way overrated due to their gaudy record coming out of C-USA and the fact that they put on a beatdown on UCLA(a team that made a habit of getting their ass kicked once they left the state of Cali in the NCAA's during their 3 straight Regional championships run) on the big stage in San Antonio. I think all three of those teams may have been better than the National Champions in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2008. Maybe 2006 and 2009 too.
  
  
  I'm fine with 07 Florida, 05 UNC, or 01 Duke being #1. Everyone else is a good bit below those three. That Florida team was brutally efficient and had two studs on the blocks. They really didn't have a weakness. UNC and Duke had more firepower than any other teams this decade.
  
  I also think Blake Griffin's "individual year" is a little high. Also a little surprised Kevin Love's freshman year got mention in that category and Derrick Rose's didn't.
  
  Tyler Hansbrough had to be #1 in career; that wasn't even close. I'd bump JJ Redick up to 2 by himself and keep Okafor at 3.
• hoops23

  

  reclegend22 wrote: We'll be keeping this thread around for close Carolina games from now on
  
  A new Huddle tradition, that I know my buddy hank will gladly join in
  
  Wherever he is!

  You devil (pun intended)...
  
  I can't believe you take a thread that a Heel fan started and used it as bad karma!
  
  It needs to rid itself of these demons!
  
  I give you the Devil killer -
  
  
• reclegend22

  

  Check. Check 1, 2, 3.
  
  
• reclegend22

  

  Swami, Rice did score near 50 in a game against UNC (maybe '08?), and something like 32 in the first half that game. If memory doesn't mistaken me, however, UNC still won that game big.
  
  So, no, I don't want a Delaney repeat. I want a Carolina loss to remove the taste of Lawal. (We're one half away!)
• ironman02

  Not this time, rec. I found you before you could do too much damage.
• reclegend22

  

  
  
  I thought about changing threads, but I'm sticking with this one while it's hot. If I fear your awareness of my presence here is changing the tide of the game, I may have to pull out the trick plays. I have some plans up my mouse (Lol, on second glance, that doesn't sound right).
  
  So far, my methods of not posting on actual Carolina game threads are working. You may have to kill me to stop this. Let's go Polytechnic!