KenPom Request

[upstater]

It's college basketball. Having the best player in every game is huge. It's been a constant in all 5 titles.

But that doesn't mean the best player wins it often. Before Sanogo the last one to do it was Jalen Brunson.

I think the margin was by far the smallest for the '14 team -- of all our champions. Granted, the '11 Arizona game was almost as close as the '14 St. Joe's game, but I thought the '11 team had more firepower. In '14, they were just tough and gritty in crucial stretches that easily could have gone against them.


'99, '04, '11, '23 I was just full of confidence that they could bounce back during rough stretches.

In '14, I almost cried seeing them come back after really rough periods against St Joes, Michigan St, Florida and Kentucky.

 

[Mr. French]

But that doesn't mean the best player wins it often. Before Sanogo the last one to do it was Jalen Brunson.

I think the margin was by far the smallest for the '14 team -- of all our champions. Granted, the '11 Arizona game was almost as close as the '14 St. Joe's game, but I thought the '11 team had more firepower. In '14, they were just tough and gritty in crucial stretches that easily could have gone against them.


'99, '04, '11, '23 I was just full of confidence that they could bounce back during rough stretches.

In '14, I almost cried seeing them come back after really rough periods against St Joes, Michigan St, Florida and Kentucky.

None of that means they were lucky.

If you take out the Louisville thrashings that year they were pretty good. They played their peak ball in the tournament. Their peak was as good as anyone that year.

Florida dominated the entire country that year and we got em twice. MSU was the hot, chic favorite. UK was loaded with talent and peaking.

Not lucky.

 

[TheChamps990411]

But that doesn't mean the best player wins it often. Before Sanogo the last one to do it was Jalen Brunson.

I think the margin was by far the smallest for the '14 team -- of all our champions. Granted, the '11 Arizona game was almost as close as the '14 St. Joe's game, but I thought the '11 team had more firepower. In '14, they were just tough and gritty in crucial stretches that easily could have gone against them.


'99, '04, '11, '23 I was just full of confidence that they could bounce back during rough stretches.

In '14, I almost cried seeing them come back after really rough periods against St Joes, Michigan St, Florida and Kentucky.

Luck ALWAYS plays a part but to say that was just a lucky run is insane. That team had a tough stretch in conference but out of conference they had a great record and they beat the #1 team in the country and overall top seed twice that season. They had the best backcourt in the country a wing who really found himself in the second half of the season and a bunch of guys who did their part in whatever way they could contribute. That was good team that made a great run because of their backcourt which just took it to another level offensive and defensively. Just ask the Harrison twins lol!

 

[Rico444]

None of that means they were lucky.

If you take out the Louisville thrashings that year they were pretty good. They played their peak ball in the tournament. Their peak was as good as anyone that year.

Florida dominated the entire country that year and we got em twice. MSU was the hot, chic favorite. UK was loaded with talent and peaking.

Not lucky.

They didn't get lucky (at least not luckier than any other champion needs to be in order to win it all), they got hot. Look at KenPom, they were far and away the lowest ranked champion of the KenPom era. The team, compared to other champions in past years and since, wasn't all that great.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

The "UConn got lucky" drivel is very easy to ignore for 2023 because they beat the ever-living s*@! out of every single team they faced.

 

[Waquoit]

But that doesn't mean the best player wins it often.

Maybe the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet.