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Message: [QUOTE="Hans Sprungfeld, post: 4855447, member: 181"] Ignoring that the majority of posts stray from the OP request to compare '24 & '23, I'll suggest that most here who have warm memories of 1999, 2004, 2009, and 2023, also have a sense of how each of those seasons developed. 1999 was pretty much start-to-finish great, with an illness dip. In 2004, Ben Gordon wasn't BEN GORDON for the entire season. Ask JC, who repeatedly said that he had to keep telling BG how good he was. 2009 got derailed by Dyson's injury just as the most enthusiastic fans were growing in belief that the team could beat UNC, not unlike how the '99 team beat Duke. In other words, it was, "Not so fast, ACC annointers” 2.0. 2006 doesn't get mentioned because it never dominated, and then dropped off without fulfilling its own presumed destiny. 2011 doesn't get mentioned because we tend to allow the 9-9 regular season BE record to overshadowbthe BE Tournament and an undefeated OOC schedule. And 2014 A year ago, there was a strong sense on this board that the team had an emotionally immature & volatile coach who could recruit well but couldn't win either close games or big ones. That perception didn't start its meaningful shift until the second half of the opening NCAA Tourney game against Iona. And even then, it took some time to sink in, before what we were witnessing became ever clearer. From that vantage point, I'd say that on this date, 2024 beats 2023 because it has a much better coaching staff. As with each year considered, this team is still in formation, and impressively far along compared with its competition, and also considering the multiple disruptions caused by injuries and coresponding needs to adjust lineups, strategies, and styles of play. With no game scheduled until Xavier a week from now, I forecast an interesting week in this forum until next Sunday when Xavier visits XL. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach