Virginia Commonwealth/butler

[oldguystudent]

You're telling me that these Butler/George Mason/VCU teams would've consistently played into the second and third weekend in the 90s?

In the 80s, Houston, UNLV, Georgetown, Villanova made the Final Four. None of these are in major conferences today, nor were they then.

Ca. 1978, Cal State Fullerton made the Elite 8. In the early 70s, Long Beach St. was a perennial top 5 team before Tarkanian took off for Vegas. How 'bout Marquette in the late 70s?

Go back a little further? We get your San Franciscos and CCNYs.

Conclusion: More parity in the good ole' days than now.

[CMJ]

In the 80s, Houston, UNLV, Georgetown, Villanova made the Final Four. None of these are in major conferences today, nor were they then.

Ca. 1978, Cal State Fullerton made the Elite 8. In the early 70s, Long Beach St. was a perennial top 5 team before Tarkanian took off for Vegas. How 'bout Marquette in the late 70s?

Go back a little further? We get your San Franciscos and CCNYs.

Conclusion: More parity in the good ole' days than now.

The Big East was a major conference then (80's). Houston was in the SWC back then -- a major conference.

Otherwise, good stuff.

[UNT90]

In the 80s, Houston, UNLV, Georgetown, Villanova made the Final Four. None of these are in major conferences today, nor were they then.

Ca. 1978, Cal State Fullerton made the Elite 8. In the early 70s, Long Beach St. was a perennial top 5 team before Tarkanian took off for Vegas. How 'bout Marquette in the late 70s?

Go back a little further? We get your San Franciscos and CCNYs.

Conclusion: More parity in the good ole' days than now.

I agree with everything you say, but feel the need to point out that Georgetown and Villanova (who won as AN 11 SEED!) were in the Big East, which is now a very big power conference and considered the best basketball conference in the NCAA. Also, Houston, at the time, was a member of the Southwest Conference, which was also a power conference when Houston made the trip.

This is all pretty irrelevant, anyway, considering that it is impossible to compare pre and post BCS NCAA tournament final fours. The BCS completely changed the landscape, and not just for football. This is the biggest flaw in Eppy's supposed argument.

By the way, huge bit alert on Eppy.

[oldguystudent]

The Big East was a major conference then (80's). Houston was in the SWC back then -- a major conference.

Crap. I should probably have known that.

[CMJ]

I agree with everything you say, but feel the need to point out that Georgetown and Villanova (who won as AN 11 SEED!) were in the Big East, which is now a very big power conference and considered the best basketball conference in the NCAA.

Nova was an 8 seed.

[GreenStreet]

So good to see VCU and Butler putting it in the faces of the 'big boys.' The ongoing humiliation being delt out by VCU and Butler is for all the four for ones or home only games dictated by the 'big boys.' It's also for the screwed up television coverage for the year and the 'big boys' continuing efforts to make it a 'members only club' subset of the NCAA. Hope VCU or Butler win the whole thing.

I almost wish VCU and Butler could play for the title. Nothing is greater than cheering for the under dog. Of course though if the ratings dont hold water than I doubt the commentators will talk so much about Cinderella teams in the future.

[eppy4life]

In the 80s, Houston, UNLV, Georgetown, Villanova made the Final Four. None of these are in major conferences today, nor were they then.

Ca. 1978, Cal State Fullerton made the Elite 8. In the early 70s, Long Beach St. was a perennial top 5 team before Tarkanian took off for Vegas. How 'bout Marquette in the late 70s?

Go back a little further? We get your San Franciscos and CCNYs.

Conclusion: More parity in the good ole' days than now.

I'll admit that those teams were before my time. College basketball became an interest of mine in the early 90s. And while there are many examples of underdogs winning games in the tourney, never before have we seen the top 8 teams as weak as they seem now. This must be due to the young talent? I see we disagree on a lot but you must agree with me here.

Maybe I'm unlike you in your enjoyment of the Cinderella story because I enjoy the NBA and would like to see Barnes, Williams, Irving, Sullinger, Knight, etc playing on the biggest stage, against each other.

Edited March 30, 2011 by eppy4life

[CMJ]

I'll admit that those teams were before my time. College basketball became an interest of mine in the early 90s. And while there are many examples of underdogs winning games in the tourney, never before have we seen the top 8 teams as weak as they seem now. This must be due to the young talent? I see we disagree on a lot but you must agree with me here.

Massachusetts made the Final game as a mid major. Perhaps they were a "middie" in name only, like a UNLV or Memphis, but they were not a power school. But they had their coming out party in the 1992 tournament, and by 1996 they played on the first Monday in April - so the rise was meteoric. Granted, they were dirty as hell.

Cincinnati had not been relevant in at least a generation when they made the Final Four in 1992. The Bearkats were not in the Big East yet, that was a decade away, but some upsets in their path created a favorable bracket and they crashed Minneapolis. The team they beat in the Elite 8? Memphis State (as it was at the time) - another team outside the Top 6 leagues, who also had had a memorable run as a lower seed. Once at the Final Four, Cincy eventually would lose to the Fab 5, but that was memorable.

Temple went to the Elite 8 at least twice (1991 & 1993) in the 90's, and might have another time I am forgetting. Cheney was a great tournament coach and their match up zone was a great equalizer. If I recall both times they were a double digit seed. I also seem to remember they very easily could have won both of those Elite 8 games (first time to UNC and the second to Michigan)

Gonzaga did once in the 90's, in their coming out party. That game against Connecticut came down to the final minute I believe. All of these examples at least made the 2nd weekend of the tournament. So, even in your "big boy" era, there were some memorable runs by underdogs.

Edited March 30, 2011 by CMJ

[GoMeanGreen1999]

In the 80s, Houston, UNLV, Georgetown, Villanova made the Final Four. None of these are in major conferences today, nor were they then.

Ca. 1978, Cal State Fullerton made the Elite 8. In the early 70s, Long Beach St. was a perennial top 5 team before Tarkanian took off for Vegas. How 'bout Marquette in the late 70s?

Go back a little further? We get your San Franciscos and CCNYs.

Conclusion: More parity in the good ole' days than now.

Wasn't Houston in the SWC back then - I would have said that was a major conference then.