Another Idiot List, Sigh, Ranking College Basketball Schools

Chelena Goldman has a story on “The 15 Best College Basketball Schools in the Country.”

The article is crap.

It ranks Duke #1 despite the fact that a strong argument can be made that it is the coach and not the school that makes Duke great. UCLA is ranked number nine on the list with the following description:

For starters, you can’t talk about this Pac-12 program without discussing Hall of Fame coach John Wooden. Wooden turned the Bruins into a college basketball dynasty second to none, winning 10 national championships in a 12-year stretch between 1963 and 1975. Four times he recorded undefeated seasons — this has also never been matched.

While the Bruins haven’t had the same consistency or success since Wooden’s retirement, they have continued to churn out NBA talent like NBA All-Stars Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook. They made NCAA tournament headlines in 2015 when a missed goaltending call gave the Bruins the late win over SMU.

Where to start:

· UCLA won its first title in 1964

· No mention of Lonzo Ball and the great offensive show last year.

· Uhm, in 2015, the goaltending call was NOT missed but rather correct and benefited UCLA.

Although the article is dated today, it may just be ridiculous recycled click bait as some other stories by the author contain such hard hitting pieces as: “7 Ways to Torch Even More Calories on the Treadmill.”

But, even if this is a joke article, I have a couple of thoughts. Arizona is ranked #7 and putting aside Duke, the other blue bloods like Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky are all ranked in the top 5. That is a matter of concern. UCLA should always be one of the best schools in the country for college basketball.

UCLA should always be one of the college basketball bluebloods with Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina. We have location, recruiting, and numerous other advantages (such as the pros playing in the summer.)

Go Bruins!