Sure. Auburn was doing things that every program that’s been winning does regularly
Which Coach needs a Title more this year?
- Thread starter lurkeraspect84
- Start date
I mean, the answer's K, right? Because he's never going to get a chance at another one. He's got one last ride into the sunset with what is honestly a really good, if not great, team - and we all know he's going to get a helping hand from the NCAA along the way, the John Wooden treatment.
Thanks for confirming
I am not sure an Illinois fan should be using the term lil bro? What exactly has your school done in athletics in the last 15 years? Anything of note at all?
This from the guy who constantly talks shit on programs that have accomplished more historically and recently. 🤣
Auburn has a national title in football. Plus played for another title. Then a final 4 in basketball. Florida is the only school to top that with both sports in the last 15 years.
He wasn't talking about football. And when you trash other programs on here, you're not talking about football either.
One Final Four in Lil’ Bro’s history…..in ‘19?!?!?
(had to look it up you guys are so inconsequential)
Come on….
Illinois has not been remotely relevant at all recently in anything. Not sure why you are talking
Ask him to compare Auburn with Alabama in football!
He used a timeline. You know how some like to do.
Why is that relevant when discussing both sports? Nice attempt at piggybacking though
Let's look at those wins again, this time I'll put the number of times they were a 1 or 2 seed in parenthesis.
Gonzaga- 20 (4)
Villanova- 17 (4)
UNC- 16 (4)
Duke- 15 (4)
Kansas- 13 (4)
Kentucky- 13 (3)
Michigan- 12 (2)
Oregon- 12 (2)
Virginia- 11 (4)
Wisconsin- 10 (1)
Michigan State- 10 (2)
So, Nova, UNC, Duke, Kansas, and Virginia were all a 1/2 seed 4 times - just like Gonzaga.
Bad argument. You're ignoring the 4-5 top 25 teams they play OOC every year. You're also ignoring the fact that just about every school in America drops 1+ games to sub-50 opponents. What Gonzaga has shown over the years is ridiculous consistency.
If you take 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022 (likely to receive a 1 or 2 seed), Gonzaga is a combined 27-6 against top 50 opponents. That's a winning percentage of almost 82%. It's the equivalent of going 15-3 or 16-4 in a power conference - except for the fact that teams in power conferences don't play all 18 or 20 games against top 50 teams. If you go 15-3 against top 50 opponents, guess what? You're absolutely getting a 1 seed.
All they had to do? Really? What percentage of 11 seeds take down 6 seeds and 3 seeds? I'm guessing it's less than 20%. Also, if Gonzaga didn't win the WCC Tournament in 2016, they don't go dancing. They had to beat two quality teams in BYU and SMC before even qualifying.
They were 5-0 in the regular season against top 20 opponents. Upsets happen. It's not like they were playing NIT teams. West Virginia, FWIW, was #7 in KenPom. And Gonzaga very easily could have beaten UNC. Way too many whistles in that game. Zach Collins fouling out in 14 minutes was egregious.
They were also missing Killian Tillie, their second leading scorer. Similar-ish rosters the following year, and they took down FSU.
Haha another upset? You mean to the team with all time best defensive rating in KenPom history? Those were two evenly matched teams. Was tied with 5 minutes left, IIRC. Texas Tech was a national title contender all season long.
Yes, they played poorly against Baylor. Does that diminish the whole season? I mean, they pounded the crap out of Iowa, Virginia, and Kansas in the regular season - all teams seeded between 2-4. And that USC team was ridiculously talented. Tallest team in America. Ended the season at #6 in KenPom, and Gonzaga beat them up pretty good.
Also, UCLA was two buzzer-beaters away from winning the Pac-12 outright last season. The same conference that produced 3 Elite 8 schools.
And again, Nova, UVA, KU, UNC, and Duke were all a 1/2 seed the same number of times during that same timeframe. So...
You share a state with a irrelevant private school. This doesn’t really say much at all but nice piggy backing on another school. It’s pretty bad for Illinois when this is all you can come up with
KU's the little bro? Haha.....their dominance in basketball outweighs a few decades of K-State having the upper hand in football. Historically, K-State's actually worse in football.
LOL, jeez man, you really put some time and effort into that one. You win the internet.
The only thing I'm going to address is your comment about the 4 or 5 teams that Gonzaga plays in the pre conference, those are neutral site games in November and December, that is nowhere near the same as what power 5 teams go through in conference play from January through early March. True conference road games are much harder than November neutral court games.
Then, that WCC comp is simply putrid, you can't defend that.
That’s not real history. Illinois does not have legit title in basketball or football
Hah. Yeah. To be fair, I think I've engaged in a similar conversation with others before. So, I kind of knew where to take my points.
Why would Pearl "need" a title?? Lol, he waltzed into a football school with no history to speak of and made them national contenders overnight. If Brad Underwood can lose as a 1-seed in the Second Round at Illinois and still enjoy the support of the vast majority of Illini fans, Bruce Pearl can achieve the same at frickin' Auburn.
I think Bruce Pearl has proven time and time again since then what a reliable source he is on this subject, LMAO. As long as we are doing history lessons, the NCAA - after a comically thorough investigation - literally found that the tape Pearl turned in had been doctored, cleared Illinois of literally ALL wrong-doing regarding the recruitment in question and used the occasion as an excuse to slap Illinois with unrelated recruiting violations like giving players' families too many tickets and paying for players' meals on unofficial visits ... Iowa (and I guess now Auburn!) fans conveniently leave that part out. Go talk to a fat, old Iowa fan, and "CHEATIN' ILLINI" is bound to come out of his mouth within five minutes.
I think it's pretty obvious that it's Mark Few. That's literally the only thing left he needs to accomplish. K's legacy doesn't really change much if he wins. He's the GOAT regardless. Calipari and Self could both use one to improve legacy but they're national champions. Pearl hasn't even made a championship game in the NCAA tourney. Few has made two championship games but has the reputation for not being able to get it done. Winning it all will change that.
When would you consider "legit" titles to start for football? BCS era? That would mean programs with shome truly elite tradition like Michigan, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Penn State, etc. have "zero" National Championships. Or do you pick another random cutoff? Illinois' last "voted" National Championship was in 1951 ... if that is too long ago, do you not count Auburn's 1957 title?
There isn't much of a difference between the pre-Playoff BCS method and the pre-BCS method ... a bunch of ultimately meaningless bowl games, and a group of nerds decide which one determines the "National Champion." If you would want to only count NCs from when the Playoff started until now, that would be fine by me! No Illini fan would ever claim to be anything other than a terrible football program in the modern era, just pointing out that you probably have no intellectual consistency in your argument here.
Illinois finished #2 in the AP Poll last year, won the Big Ten Tournament and got a #1 seed. The very Auburn basketball program that you would OBVIOUSLY claim is "relevant" has not done any of that yet...
You may be right. And I have no issue with people doubting him until he gets it done. That's completely fair. But I also think it's shortsighted to say he'll never get it done simply because he hasn't in the past. That literally applies to any coach who has won a singular title.
I think you're letting that Rupp Rafters hate rub off.
Few is an elite coach. Just watch how his teams play. And now he's getting elite talent. And he's already knocked on the door multiple times. He isn't that old. There's no rational reason to say it'll never happen.
So regular season matters now? Auburn has been to the final 4 much mor recently than Illinois
Two years ago was the last time that I was on Rupp's Rafters. I was banned for two days, so I don't go there.
I am a premium member but I don't like the bull shit on RR. Hell I don't go to the Premium board as they are nearly as bad.
On Few: Sorry, but Few is not that great a coach and while he may win this year or the next, my money is that he never gets closer than in the past. His conference is a bunch of crap, in my opinion.
If Few's teams had to play in the Big Ten, Big XII, ACC or the SEC they would get their plows cleaned often. So then the big seeds would go away and they would be lucky to get past the Sweet Sixteen.
Sorry but that is my view on Few. (I am a poet.)
Given your comically arbitrary historical cutoff the NY Yankees have one World Series title, the Boston Celtics have one NBA title and the Canadiens have zero cups.
You’re not going to give up until you’re thoroughly embarrassed, correct?
Look, I’ve been to Auburn for and Auburn/LSU game.
You have a beautiful stadium and the eagle thing is pretty cool but please do not get over your skis ever comparing Auburn and Illinois.
You have Bo to which we can throw Red who, arguably was a much larger cultural icon. I’ll give you Big Frank, especially since I’m a White Sox fan.
Basketball the comparison is laughable.
