A comparison of Indiana and Louisville over the past 20 years.
Final Fours:
UL 3
IU 1
Elite 8s:
UL 7
IU 1
NCAA Tournament victories:
UL 32
IU 15
Overall wins:
UL 496
IU 412
Is Indiana the elite program most college basketball fans make it out to be? Answering "no" is demonstrable via many metrics. A few notes to further this point:
*Indiana did win NCAA titles in '40 and '53, but had three losing seasons (44, 45, 48) in between.
*From 1954 through 1971 (pre-Knight), the program had five losing seasons and a .500 campaign. Their overall record was 217-185 (54.0 percent), with a grand total of zero final fours and three NCAA tournament appearances... all of which resulted in first-round losses.
*Most of their (spurious) claim as a college basketball elite is the result of Knight's opening 16-year run (72-87), in which he won 3 NCAA titles.
*Since then (88-16), a period fast approaching 30 years, they've managed a total of TWO Final Fours and a glittering 27-22 overall NCAA tournament record, including FOURTEEN first- or second- round knockouts.
*Since 2000, the Hoosiers have failed to make the NCAA Tournament on six occasions.
I'd call Indiana a has-been, but "never were" is closer to the mark. And I feel UL has surpassed the Hoosiers on the list of college basketball's greatest all-time programs.
Final Fours:
UL 3
IU 1
Elite 8s:
UL 7
IU 1
NCAA Tournament victories:
UL 32
IU 15
Overall wins:
UL 496
IU 412
Is Indiana the elite program most college basketball fans make it out to be? Answering "no" is demonstrable via many metrics. A few notes to further this point:
*Indiana did win NCAA titles in '40 and '53, but had three losing seasons (44, 45, 48) in between.
*From 1954 through 1971 (pre-Knight), the program had five losing seasons and a .500 campaign. Their overall record was 217-185 (54.0 percent), with a grand total of zero final fours and three NCAA tournament appearances... all of which resulted in first-round losses.
*Most of their (spurious) claim as a college basketball elite is the result of Knight's opening 16-year run (72-87), in which he won 3 NCAA titles.
*Since then (88-16), a period fast approaching 30 years, they've managed a total of TWO Final Fours and a glittering 27-22 overall NCAA tournament record, including FOURTEEN first- or second- round knockouts.
*Since 2000, the Hoosiers have failed to make the NCAA Tournament on six occasions.
I'd call Indiana a has-been, but "never were" is closer to the mark. And I feel UL has surpassed the Hoosiers on the list of college basketball's greatest all-time programs.