# Best State in College Basketball?



## Willo (Nov 21, 2003)

I have chosen what I consider to be the top nine, and added a space for other suggestions, which I ask you specify. Here are some facts on the nine.

*Indiana*: 5 Championships, 3 Runner Ups, 3 Teams

*California*: 15 Championships, 2 Runner Ups, 4 Teams

*North Carolina*: 8 Championships, 11 Runner Ups, 3 Teams

*Kentucky*: 9 Championships, 3 Runner Ups, 2 Teams

*Oklahoma*: 2 Championships, 3 Runners Up, 2 Teams

*New York*: 2 Championships, 4 Runner Ups, 4 Teams

*Kansas*: 2 Championships, 6 Runner Ups, 2 Teams

*Ohio*: 3 Championships, 5 Runner Ups, 3 Teams

*Michigan*: 3 Championships, 4 Runner Ups, 2 Teams


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

I say California, just because the sheer volume of teams that have talent on their squads year after year, but UCLA's titles tilt the poll in their favor. UC Irvine, Pepperdine, USC, UCSB, California, Stanford, Loyola Marymount, San Diego, SDSU, Pacific, Long Beach State. All have done damage in the tournament at one time or another. 

But Indiana & North Carolina are real close.

And I don't think New York is a great state for college basketball at all. Our fans are not as rabid as other places in America, because there are so many pro teams in this area.


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## Willo (Nov 21, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>newmessiah10</b>!
> I say California, just because the sheer volume of teams that have talent on their squads.
> 
> But Indiana is real close.
> ...


I am not limiting this to current times, however. With NYU, CCNY and St Johns having good teams in the early days, and Syracuse being on of the best modern teams, New York was the eighth edition to my list of nine.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Willo</b>!
> 
> 
> I am not limiting this to current times, however. With *NYU, CCNY* and St Johns having good teams in the early days, and Syracuse being on of the best modern teams, New York was the eighth edition to my list of nine.


Funny that our teams with some of the most history are now Division III schools with high academic standards. Go figure.


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## BrYaNBaIlEy06 (Jul 15, 2003)

Mississippi


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Please stop. Mississippi is no where near the best state for college basketball so please, don't even write crap like that.


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## KJay (Sep 22, 2002)

it has to be cali just because of UCLA.


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## mateer (Mar 26, 2003)

North Carolina as a state has 19 finals appearences the most. Three teams with multiple championships. Back in the day the ACC Tourney Champion was the only representative in the NCAAs. Essentially meaning those teams had to play single elimination for more rounds then a field of 64 today. Several times in the ACC tourney the best team was kept from the NCAAs. 
Probably would be one or two more championships if they automatically qualified. To make it worse, and also to support New York and east coast teams, when UCLA was winning everything the tourney was regionalized so the ACC teams were squaring off with the East Coast teams and UCLA had a cakewalk through the west to the finals every year. Not saying necessarily UCLA wouldn't have won, just that it was a lot tougher for East Coast teams (far higher level of competition at that time) and even tougher for ACC teams just to make it there. Plus, it's a fact that Wooden's players were paid by that notorious booster Sam (it eludes me right now). It's weird those stats about UCLA become forgotten historical footnotes. While NCState might have had some "pros", the same can't be said about Dean Smith or Coach K's teams. I know that it is irrelevant to the point of this thread it's just that UCLA's run is so overhyped, shady and fraudalent that I feel like it should be debunked at every opportunity.


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## xubrew (Dec 17, 2002)

i didn't read the question carefully enough, but even if i had it would still be north carolina. 

north carolina
duke
nc state
wake forest
charlotte
unc wilmington (who isn't doing well this year, but has the past two)


just count the number of ncaa tournament appearances and wins on that list.


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## BrYaNBaIlEy06 (Jul 15, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>newmessiah10</b>!
> Please stop. Mississippi is no where near the best state for college basketball so please, don't even write crap like that.


don't doubt tha south, pimp.

BTW: MISSISSIPPI IS THA BEST!!


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## Hollis (Jun 4, 2002)

North Carolina


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## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>BrYaNBaIlEy06</b>!
> 
> 
> don't doubt tha south, pimp.
> ...


He's not doubting the rest of the south. Just your state.....


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## GTFan513 (Dec 4, 2003)

> L S Who?


 LSU is gonna be eating your lunch come tommorow! BTW- They dont wanna peice they are gonna take the whole SEC!


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## UKfan4Life (Mar 5, 2003)

Mississippi is nowhere near the best. How many championships does that state have again?  But I'm going to pull a BryanBailey and be a homer on this one: Kentucky. Not just because of the championships and Final Four appearances, but because of the passion the people in Kentucky have for basketball. Really the only other state you could say the same for would be North Carolina. In North Carolina, pretty much all of the colleges there live and breathe basketball, just like the Bluegrass. In Indiana, you've got Notre Dame (Notre Dame is in Indiana, right? Correct me if I'm wrong), which is obviously a football school. In Kansas you've got Kansas State, which is also a football school. Just my opinion, though.

However, if you're going by championships and such, California runs away with it.


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## Hollis (Jun 4, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>GTFan513</b>!
> LSU is gonna be eating your lunch come tommorow! BTW- They dont wanna peice they are gonna take the whole SEC!


Georgia will win.:|


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## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>UKfan4Life</b>!
> Mississippi is nowhere near the best. How many championships does that state have again?  But I'm going to pull a BryanBailey and be a homer on this one: Kentucky. Not just because of the championships and Final Four appearances, but because of the passion the people in Kentucky have for basketball. Really the only other state you could say the same for would be North Carolina. In North Carolina, pretty much all of the colleges there live and breathe basketball, just like the Bluegrass. In Indiana, you've got Notre Dame (Notre Dame is in Indiana, right? Correct me if I'm wrong), which is obviously a football school. In Kansas you've got Kansas State, which is also a football school. Just my opinion, though.
> 
> However, if you're going by championships and such, California runs away with it.


I have to be a homer as well... Kentucky!!! <b>9</b> titles between <b>2</b> teams. That's just too awesome.


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

its jus gotta be north carolina! north carolina AND duke. two of the best 5 programs in america in the same state has to be considered the greatest


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## HoosierDaddy (Nov 18, 2003)

What do you think coaches show there kids every year (The movie Hoosiers). Seriously though, how many of you have seen the movie Hoosiers more than 5 times. Indiana is the best state for basketball. I just got back from a high school basketball game in the 5 largest high school basketball stadium in the USA. It was packed and the fans are always going at each other. (Trust me, when my high school won in double overtime we chanted "drive home safely" just to piss them off.)Thats just the spirit here i guess. Indiana basketball is the best there is. 

California is a close 2nd


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## WildcatDan (Nov 6, 2003)

Ken tuh kee. 

No one has more loyal, rabid, willing to travel fans than UK. UK by ITSELF would give some states a run for their money... then add the resurging Louisville Cardinals (and in a small degree the Western KY Hilltoppers) to the mix and BAM - Kentucky takes the lead!


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## UKfan4Life (Mar 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>HoosierDaddy</b>!
> What do you think coaches show there kids every year (The movie Hoosiers). Seriously though, how many of you have seen the movie Hoosiers more than 5 times. Indiana is the best state for basketball. I just got back from a high school basketball game in the 5 largest high school basketball stadium in the USA. It was packed and the fans are always going at each other. (Trust me, when my high school won in double overtime we chanted "drive home safely" just to piss them off.)Thats just the spirit here i guess. Indiana basketball is the best there is.
> 
> California is a close 2nd


Indiana isn't the all-around best, IMO. You've got Notre Dame in Indiana and there are plenty of Notre Dame fans. Notre Dame is a football school. So there's plenty of passion for football in that state as well as basketball. In Kentucky, basketball comes first for every college. Period.

About high school games: When my dad lived in Kentucky and played high school basketball around the 60's, they would regularly attract 6,000+ people a game. In the 60's. In high school. No joke. I remember quickly stopping by a packed high school gym with an estimated 7,000 people. There were people standing up near the court. You could barely walk. People were at the concession stands just trying to get a view of the game. Some people even tried standing and sitting on the handrails to get a view. It was ridiculous. :| Forget 5th largest high school gym in the USA. In Kentucky, the big games/rivalries will rent Rupp Arena, Louisville's gym, Marshall's gym, WKU's gym, or Murray State's gym. A lot of times those big places can get packed, too. That's a hell of a lot of people for a high school basketball game, huh?

I've seen Hoosiers before. It was good the first two times. Now it's just not as great. UK fans also travel the best. We regularly can get almost 10,000 fans on road games.


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## Im The One (Sep 1, 2002)

North Carolina

Basketball isnt a sport it's a way of life in NC.

*The Duke vs NC rivalry is the best in college ball, period.
* The best four teams(arguably) in the ACC play in NC
*Great upcomming teams like UNC Charlotte
* Not to mention all the titles and tourney's


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## The Truth (Jul 22, 2002)

Anyone who voted for Kansas or Kentucky is a homer.


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## The Truth (Jul 22, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>UKBlueInMyBlood</b>!
> Ken tuh kee.
> 
> No one has more loyal, rabid, willing to travel fans than UK. UK by ITSELF would give some states a run for their money... then add the resurging Louisville Cardinals (and in a small degree the Western KY Hilltoppers) to the mix and BAM - Kentucky takes the lead!


Kentucky Duke
Louisville vs. North Carolina
Western Kentucky NC State
Wake Forest
Charlotte


This isnt' even a competition


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## The Truth (Jul 22, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>HoosierDaddy</b>!
> Indiana is the best state for basketball.



The question wasn't which state is the best basketball state. If it was, you would have a valid argument.

The question was which state is the best for college basketball.


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## UKfan4Life (Mar 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>The Truth</b>!
> Anyone who voted for Kansas or Kentucky is a homer.


You're a Duke fan. I imagine you voted for North Carolina. So that means everybody can call you a homer as well. It doesn't matter. If you're a Duke/UNC fan, you're going to vote for North Carolina. If you're a UK/Louisville/WKU fan, you're going to vote for Kentucky. If you're an Indiana fan, you're going to vote for Indiana. If you're a Kansas fan, you're going to vote for Kansas.

BTW - Louisville vs. UNC and UK vs. Duke are the competitions there. The other match-ups you listed are no-brainers, however. But teams and championships and all of that don't make the best states. How about passion the fans have for college basketball? In that sense, North Carolina and the Bluegrass can't be matched.


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## GTFan513 (Dec 4, 2003)

Im a Georgia Tech fan but know better then to pick any other state then North Carolina. I mean how can you argue with Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, and NC State????3 out of 4 are in the polls this year! The only reasons that these schools havent been in more Final Fours is because they have had to play each other before they could be in the Final Four! Come on how can you not say that North Carolina is a college basketball haven??? This is the best state by far no opposition! Coack K and Dean Smith are the elite of elite coaches! Name two coaches that have more "eliteness" that coached in the same state! Name two overall! Its hard aint it?? And now you have Roy Williams! NO DOUBT NORTH CAROLINA IS THE BEST!


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## Fordy74 (May 22, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>newmessiah10</b>!
> Please stop. Mississippi is no where near the best state for college basketball so please, don't even write crap like that.


 You know he is not going to stop. He is the biggest narrow minded homer on these boards its getting almost as tiring as Rashidi's sarcastic posts on the Knicks board


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Fordy74</b>!
> You know he is not going to stop. He is the biggest narrow minded homer on these boards its getting almost as tiring as Rashidi's sarcastic posts on the Knicks board


You just nailed a jumpshot with deep range Fordy. Good shooting there.


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## pcon (Oct 25, 2003)

North Carolina in a landslide.


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## Topper1974 (Dec 8, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>GTFan513</b>!
> Im a Georgia Tech fan but know better then to pick any other state then North Carolina. I mean how can you argue with Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, and NC State????3 out of 4 are in the polls this year! The only reasons that these schools havent been in more Final Fours is because they have had to play each other before they could be in the Final Four! Come on how can you not say that North Carolina is a college basketball haven??? This is the best state by far no opposition! Coack K and Dean Smith are the elite of elite coaches! Name two coaches that have more "eliteness" that coached in the same state! Name two overall! Its hard aint it?? And now you have Roy Williams! NO DOUBT NORTH CAROLINA IS THE BEST!


How About These Two Who Are Among The Winningest Coaches Of All Time
1) Ed Diddle-WKU
2) Adolph Rupp-UK

Enough Said!


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## Jonathan Watters (Jul 20, 2002)

1. North Carolina
2. Indiana
3. Kentucky. 

It's not just about the titles, and it's not just about the dedictation of the fans. It's about both. 

These three states clearly stand out from the pack.

Kansas probably ought to be on this list as well. However, there is only one traditional basketball power in the state. The others have the best intrastate rivalries around.


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## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

1. Nevada
2. New Hampshire
3. Vermont (Montpelier - the hoops mecca of the world)

:laugh:


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## NeverNervous (Nov 12, 2003)

I'm going to sound like a homer too but so does everyone else on this thread.

If it's about right now or the last 15 years then North Carolina is the pretty clear choice, but all-time I think Kentucky is right there if not ahead. Duke has had good years in the past but was not much of a powerhouse before Coach K got there. NC State has had good years but also is not what you would consider a top basketball school. Wake Forest, same. 

The comparison above is also flawed I think it should look like this:

UNC v. UK
Duke v. Louisville
WKU v. NC State 

To me UNC is clearly the top basketball program in North Carolina, so they should be compared to Kentucky, which beats them like a drum in every category you could possibly think of. Not even remotely close. Duke has hammered Louisville since the 80's but overall Louisville is much closer in that comparison, having been one of the consistent top programs since the 50's minus the recent years when Denny decided to check out mentally. Also give Pitino five more years at UofL and this comparison could be drastically different. WKU has a great history but NC State is clearly the better of the two, now and in the past. Add Wake, but you really don't get much there. I really think it comes down to UNC/UK and UK >>>>> UNC (that is not huge knock on UNC as I would place it as 3rd best program of all time behind UCLA and UK).

In terms of rivalries UK vs. UofL is the most bitter, hate-filled rivalry in basketball, maybe in all of American sports. That was true before Pitino, his presence just takes it to a new level of hatred. I just don't see this level of hatred from Duke/UNC. Duke/UNC is certainly the most hyped and covered rivalry because of ESPN, the official network of the ACC, but being the most covered does not make it the best. 

Also if UK played a game on the moon 20,000 fans would show up. The only thing that would bring 20,000 North Carolinians to the moon would be a Nascar race .


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## BlueBaron (May 11, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>NeverNervous</b>!
> I'm going to sound like a homer too but so does everyone else on this thread.
> 
> If it's about right now or the last 15 years then North Carolina is the pretty clear choice, but all-time I think Kentucky is right there if not ahead. Duke has had good years in the past but was not much of a powerhouse before Coach K got there. NC State has had good years but also is not what you would consider a top basketball school. Wake Forest, same.
> ...


lol. That is probably true!


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## Starbury03 (Aug 12, 2003)

CALI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## WildcatDan (Nov 6, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>GTFan513</b>!
> ...Coack K and Dean Smith are the elite of elite coaches! Name two coaches that have more "eliteness" that coached in the same state! Name two overall! Its hard aint it?? ...



Tubby Smith and Rick Pitino. There... that wasn't so hard!


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## IanMFCFirPark85 (Dec 8, 2003)

I'm gonna say California. A lot of good teams out here. We had the great UCLA teams, just a lot of good teams we've had here in Cali. Although I don't see a Californian school winning the National Championship within the next five years at least.


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