Best Cougar MBB team ever?

[UberCougars]

21 wins, 4 to go, First place in PAC-12

A lot of work ahead for sure but it seems to me, this 23-24 team is entering G.O.A.T status as far as WSU MBB history is concerned.

Your thoughts?

 

[Coug90]

21 wins, 4 to go, First place in PAC-12

A lot of work ahead for sure but it seems to me, this 23-24 team is entering G.O.A.T status as far as WSU MBB history is concerned.

Your thoughts?

Looking that way. This team was good to start the season but the improvement since then is pretty incredible. I’d say at this point in time they’d be pretty tough for any historic Coug team to beat. This is a top 10 team in the country right now.

 

[M-I-Coug]

Love how they have no fear. No doubt we belong in the Top 10.
New heights. New territory, and our last year in legacy Pac-12. Pretty crazy!

 

[Flatlandcoug]

21 wins, 4 to go, First place in PAC-12

A lot of work ahead for sure but it seems to me, this 23-24 team is entering G.O.A.T status as far as WSU MBB history is concerned.

Your thoughts?

Gotta finish strong to make the claim stick, but yeah, it's starting to look like a serious conversation. Here's a list of the WSU teams that have made the NIT or NCAA tournaments:

2021-22: 22-15 (11-9) - NIT quarterfinal
2010-11: 22-13 (9-9) - NIT semifinal
2008-09: 17-16 (8-10) - NIT first round
2007-08: 26-9 (11-7) 4 seed - NCAA Sweet 16
2006-07: 26-8 (13-5) 3 seed - NCAA Round of 32
1995-96: 17-12 (8-10) - NIT second round
1994-95: 18-12 (10-8) - NIT quarterfinal
1993-94: 20-11 (10-8) 8 seed - NCAA first round
1991-92: 22-11 (9-9) - NIT second round
1982-83: 23-7 (14-4) 8 seed - NCAA round of 32
1979-80: 22-6 (14-4) 5 seed - NCAA first round
1940-41: 26-6 (13-3) - NCAA final

1917: 25-1 (Helms Athletic Foundation National Champions)

When you look at the list, the 1941 and the 2008 teams stand out by virtue of actually performing well in the NCAA tournament. The legacy of the current squad won't be known until we finish but it feels like they are on track to be the best since that 1941 team. Obviously a different era so it's impossible to really compare them to that 1941 squad. If they take care of business and make it a few rounds into both the conference and NCAA tournaments, there will be no argument that it's the best team since then.

The 1917 team is even yet another different conversation because there was no post-season tournament back then. Exciting times and it will be interesting to see if we can keep Smith.

 

[UberCougars]

In 2008, Tony beat #19 Gonzaga, #24 ASU and #15 Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA tournament and finished 3-6 vs. ranked teams

 

[Coug4 life]

My favorite team to watch was the 93-94 team led by Tony Harris (RIP). That team was good at a time with the PAC 12 was arguably the best conference in the country..

 

[Coug90]

My favorite team to watch was the 93-94 team led by Tony Harris (RIP). That team was good at a time with the PAC 12 was arguably the best conference in the country..

Really makes you appreciate how good of a TEAM this is when we had one of the best basketball players on the planet at WSU and weren’t able to make the tourney.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Really makes you appreciate how good of a TEAM this is when we had one of the best basketball players on the planet at WSU and weren’t able to make the tourney.

The surprise for me is how well the team has come together. I attended the basketball showcase event at Beasley in early November and I remember telling my wife that I'd never seen so many legit "dudes" on the floor. When we sucked in our early conference games, I thought it was going to be another typical season with a 17-14 record and another NIT appearance. The first Arizona win was nice but losing to a mediocre Cal team was a harsh reality check. Since then? These guys keep getting better. They still have a tendency to play to the level of their opponents and no victory is "guaranteed" but you have to love the way that they are coming together as a team.

 

[mikalalas]

21 wins, 4 to go, First place in PAC-12

A lot of work ahead for sure but it seems to me, this 23-24 team is entering G.O.A.T status as far as WSU MBB history is concerned.

Your thoughts?

They aren't there yet. They are currently equal to some of the better, best past WSU teams.

Some would not say even that, because they say there is a technical, theoretical chance that WSU could still goto NIT.

But in order for WSU to goto NIT, WSU would have to go 0-4, 1-3, their last 4 games, as 3-1, 2-2, 4-0, etc, during last 4 games, gets WSU into top 3 in conference and thus into NCAA tourny

And WSU is not going to go 0-4, 1-3, their last 4 games.

So WSU is basically playing for SEEDING.

So because of that WSU is equal to the better, best WSU teams.

But they aren't technically in GOAT land, conversation yet.

To be in the GOAT discussion, WSU has to go either 4-0, 3-1, in last 4 games, then win 1,2 PAC 12 tourny games, get a #3,4,5,6 seed, then goto ELITE 8 in NCAA tourny.

IF WSU does that, then this WSU team will be GOAT.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Very solid game. Best I've seen. Two great teams giving it all they had. And that entire 4 point play sequence at the end was something I will NEVER forget.