What constitutes “BACK”?

[Herotime]

After we beat UK with the Watshot many (myself included) thought we were back. After CTC won a B1G title we joyously exclaimed “we’re back!” After CMW was hired, the strained relationships with former players was restored, we went to back-to-back tourneys, and we pouched MM from Kansas last May— it appeared we were going head-to-head with the big dogs for top recruits and we again said, “we’re back!”

We are clearly NOT back to the glorious heights from which we once reigned, and I look back on such sentiments with cynicism. So my question for you is what constitutes being “BACK”?

For me no amount of B1G titles = “BACK”

For me, BACK isn’t measured by any number of victories against so called rivals, and BACK doesn’t have a thing to do with luring top recruits from anyone else.

Personally, back would mean we’ve hung Banner 6, gone to back to back Final Fours, —OR— 3 Final Fours in five years. I admit this isn’t scientific or anything, and I’m open to being persuaded. But that’s how I see “BACK.”

What say you?

[JSHoosier]

3 Final Fours in 5 years? Bob Knight didn't even manage that when IU was the bluest of blue bloods.

From 90-94 there were 2 Sweet 16s, an Elite 8 and a Final Four and that's still a heck of a stretch.

[Henryville Hoosier]

15 minutes ago, Herotime said:

After we beat UK with the Watshot many (myself included) thought we were back. After CTC won a B1G title we joyously exclaimed “we’re back!” After CMW was hired, the strained relationships with former players was restored, we went to back-to-back tourneys, and we pouched MM from Kansas last May— it appeared we were going head-to-head with the big dogs for top recruits and we again said, “we’re back!”

We are clearly NOT back to the glorious heights from which we once reigned, and I look back on such sentiments with cynicism. So my question for you is what constitutes being “BACK”?

For me no amount of B1G titles = “BACK”

For me, BACK isn’t measured by any number of victories against so called rivals, and BACK doesn’t have a thing to do with luring top recruits from anyone else.

Personally, back would mean we’ve hung Banner 6, gone to back to back Final Fours, —OR— 3 Final Fours in five years. I admit this isn’t scientific or anything, and I’m open to being persuaded. But that’s how I see “BACK.”

What say you?

Making a deep run in the NCAA tournament year after year. 

[Herotime]

3 minutes ago, JSHoosier said:

3 Final Fours in 5 years? Bob Knight didn't even manage that when IU was the bluest of blue bloods.

From 90-94 there were 2 Sweet 16s, an Elite 8 and a Final Four and that's still a heck of a stretch.

 

IMHO If a coach already has multiple titles under his belt he doesn’t have much to prove. If we were to have a single FF I wouldn’t consider that BACK. 2 FF in ten years wouldn’t persuade me much either. Too much time in between. E8’s are nice but also not persuasive for me.

What’s your gauge for being BACK?

Edited January 28, 2024 by Herotime

[Herotime]

1 minute ago, Henryville Hoosier said:

Making a deep run in the NCAA tournament year after year. 

What’s deep?

[Hoosier DaDa]

17 minutes ago, Herotime said:

After we beat UK with the Watshot many (myself included) thought we were back. After CTC won a B1G title we joyously exclaimed “we’re back!” After CMW was hired, the strained relationships with former players was restored, we went to back-to-back tourneys, and we pouched MM from Kansas last May— it appeared we were going head-to-head with the big dogs for top recruits and we again said, “we’re back!”

We are clearly NOT back to the glorious heights from which we once reigned, and I look back on such sentiments with cynicism. So my question for you is what constitutes being “BACK”?

For me no amount of B1G titles = “BACK”

For me, BACK isn’t measured by any number of victories against so called rivals, and BACK doesn’t have a thing to do with luring top recruits from anyone else.

Personally, back would mean we’ve hung Banner 6, gone to back to back Final Fours, —OR— 3 Final Fours in five years. I admit this isn’t scientific or anything, and I’m open to being persuaded. But that’s how I see “BACK.”

What say you?

I would say competing for a B1G championship most years and making the tournament every year with a team that can make a run. Just having a team that we think that can string 6 good/great games in a row.

[Henryville Hoosier]

Just now, Herotime said:

What’s deep?

Sweet sixteen or better.

[JSHoosier]

8 minutes ago, Herotime said:

 

IMHO If a coach already has multiple titles under his belt he doesn’t have much to prove. If we were to have a single FF I wouldn’t consider that BACK. 2 FF in ten years wouldn’t persuade me much either. Too much time in between. E8’s are nice but also not persuasive for me.

What’s your gauge for being BACK?

It's an extremely high bar, frankly unrealistic, if possibly the best college basketball coach to ever live couldn't do it.

Make the tournament every year with the occasional team that's a threat to win it all, compete for the conference title regularly.

[TheWatShot]

Not having teams that suck out loud the year after having teams that are actually good would be a nice place to start. 

[Herotime]

12 minutes ago, JSHoosier said:

It's an extremely high bar, frankly unrealistic, if possibly the best college basketball coach to ever live couldn't do it.

Make the tournament every year with the occasional team that's a threat to win it all, compete for the conference title regularly.

Coach K and Roy Williams did this multiple times. UCONN did it from 2009 to 2014. Heck, Tom Izzo did this twice. I say set the bar high.

[JSHoosier]

1 minute ago, TheWatShot said:

Not having teams that suck out loud the year after having teams that are actually good would be a nice place to start. 

Right now boxing out and hitting FTs would be a nice place to start.

[Scotty R]

48 minutes ago, Herotime said:

After we beat UK with the Watshot many (myself included) thought we were back. After CTC won a B1G title we joyously exclaimed “we’re back!” After CMW was hired, the strained relationships with former players was restored, we went to back-to-back tourneys, and we pouched MM from Kansas last May— it appeared we were going head-to-head with the big dogs for top recruits and we again said, “we’re back!”

We are clearly NOT back to the glorious heights from which we once reigned, and I look back on such sentiments with cynicism. So my question for you is what constitutes being “BACK”?

For me no amount of B1G titles = “BACK”

For me, BACK isn’t measured by any number of victories against so called rivals, and BACK doesn’t have a thing to do with luring top recruits from anyone else.

Personally, back would mean we’ve hung Banner 6, gone to back to back Final Fours, —OR— 3 Final Fours in five years. I admit this isn’t scientific or anything, and I’m open to being persuaded. But that’s how I see “BACK.”

What say you?

I can think of only one time in our history where we went to two straight final 4's or 3 out there f 4. If you that is your criteria then we will never be hack according to your standards.

I say being back is consistently finishing in the top 3 in the big ten and making the tournament every year. Also making the sweet 16 3 out of 4 years. Making the final four every 5 or 6 years 

[Scotty R]

35 minutes ago, JSHoosier said:

3 Final Fours in 5 years? Bob Knight didn't even manage that when IU was the bluest of blue bloods.

From 90-94 there were 2 Sweet 16s, an Elite 8 and a Final Four and that's still a heck of a stretch.

Well it was actually 4 straight sweet 16's

[Scotty R]

4 minutes ago, Herotime said:

Coach K and Roy Williams did this multiple times. UCONN did it from 2009 to 2014. Heck, Tom Izzo did this twice. I say set the bar high.

Coach RMK best stretch was making the final four was 73,75,76 and that was probably the best college team ever.  The rest of the time he built a team to make a run every 4-6 years

[Hoosierfan1901]

I just want to see an IU basketball National Championship (Screw you Syracuse Zone)

[Herotime]

3 minutes ago, Scotty R said:

Coach RMK best stretch was making the final four was 73,75,76 and that was probably the best college team ever.  The rest of the time he built a team to make a run every 4-6 years

Right. Because of his success then, and consistently putting together final fours and championships into the early 90’s we still felt elite. So IMHO we either need multiple FFs in an short period of time or #6 to be “BACK.”

Edited January 28, 2024 by Herotime

[Hoosierfan2017]

5 straight tournament appearances with 2 elite 8 trips. 

[IUHoosierJoe]

57 minutes ago, Scotty R said:

Coach RMK best stretch was making the final four was 73,75,76 and that was probably the best college team ever.  The rest of the time he built a team to make a run every 4-6 years

We didn’t make the FF in ‘75.  Kentucky beat us in the Elite 8 game.

[Scotty R]

3 minutes ago, IUHoosierJoe said:

We didn’t make the FF in ‘75.  Kentucky beat us in the Elite 8 game.

Duh! My bad

[IUHoosierJoe]

Just now, Scotty R said:

Duh! My bad

Just shows how hard it is, even for RMK