SWC75
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Well, we’re 14-0 and ranked #1 in the nation. Experience tells us this won’t last and that the way we will remember the season will be, (mostly) based on how it ends. I decided to look at how past seasons had begun and ended, (numerically, anyway). That won’t tell us how this season will end but it could be a basis for a discussion of how the current team is similar or different than these past teams and what difference the differences might make.
In the Boeheim era, we’ve had thirteen tams open with at least ten straight wins:
1979-80 We started 14-0, then went 12-4
1982-83 We started 11-0, then went 10-10
1985-86 We started 13-0, then went 13-6
1986-87 We started 15-0, then went 16-7
1988-89 We started 13-0, then went 17-8
1989-90 We started 10-0, then went 16-7
1990-91 We started 13-0, then went 16-6
1991-92 We started 10-0, then went 12-10
1995-96 We started 11-0, then went 18-9
1997-98 We started 11-0, then went 15-9
1999-00 We started 19-0, then went 7-6
2009-10 We started 13-0, then went 17-5
2010-11 We started 18-0, then went 9-8
Here are some other strong starts. Some didn’t make the above list because we didn’t start 10-0. Others are on the above list but we didn’t go into a real slump immediately after we were beaten for the first time. We stayed hot for a while yet.
1976-77 We started 19-2, then went 7-2
1977-78 We started 12-1, then went 10-5
1978-79 We started 25-2, then went 1-2
1979-80 We started 21-1, then went 5-3
1984-85 We started 11-1, then went 11-8
1994-95 We started 14-1, then went 6-9
1997-98 We started 14-1, then went 12-8
2000-01 We started 15-1, then went 10-8
2001-02 We started 16-2, then went 7-11
2002-03 We started 11-1, then went 19-4
2003-04 We started 13-1, then went 10-7
2004-05 We started 20-1, then went 7-6
2008-09 We started 16-1, then went 12-9
Comment: In some of those years we went from excellent to ordinary, (many examples, such as 1985-90). Others we basically collapsed, (1994-95, 2001-02). But in some of them, (including the national title year), we finished fairly strong as well. Some years there were behind the scenes troubles, possibly exacerbated by the slump, (2001-02, 2004-05). Or maybe they caused it. It’s easy- a little too easy- to say that the weakness of the early schedule vs. the Big East schedule was the reason why our fortunes changed. The duration of the good starts differs from year to year. Often we get off to a good start in the Big East, (we were 5-0 last year), then hit a slump in the middle of the conference schedule. Sometimes we break out of that slump and get going again, such as 2008-09, when we lost 7 of 10 after our 16-1 start, then rallied to win 9 of 10 before getting dunked by Blake Griffin.
It’s hard to analyze results in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of each team but I would say the teams that continued to perform well were our best defensive teams. I’d also have to say that it helps to have a genuine star on the team, a guy who can carry the club on his back through the rough times. Strong point guard play helps as well. And the post season is always a crap-shoot. You just hope for the best.
In the Boeheim era, we’ve had thirteen tams open with at least ten straight wins:
1979-80 We started 14-0, then went 12-4
1982-83 We started 11-0, then went 10-10
1985-86 We started 13-0, then went 13-6
1986-87 We started 15-0, then went 16-7
1988-89 We started 13-0, then went 17-8
1989-90 We started 10-0, then went 16-7
1990-91 We started 13-0, then went 16-6
1991-92 We started 10-0, then went 12-10
1995-96 We started 11-0, then went 18-9
1997-98 We started 11-0, then went 15-9
1999-00 We started 19-0, then went 7-6
2009-10 We started 13-0, then went 17-5
2010-11 We started 18-0, then went 9-8
Here are some other strong starts. Some didn’t make the above list because we didn’t start 10-0. Others are on the above list but we didn’t go into a real slump immediately after we were beaten for the first time. We stayed hot for a while yet.
1976-77 We started 19-2, then went 7-2
1977-78 We started 12-1, then went 10-5
1978-79 We started 25-2, then went 1-2
1979-80 We started 21-1, then went 5-3
1984-85 We started 11-1, then went 11-8
1994-95 We started 14-1, then went 6-9
1997-98 We started 14-1, then went 12-8
2000-01 We started 15-1, then went 10-8
2001-02 We started 16-2, then went 7-11
2002-03 We started 11-1, then went 19-4
2003-04 We started 13-1, then went 10-7
2004-05 We started 20-1, then went 7-6
2008-09 We started 16-1, then went 12-9
Comment: In some of those years we went from excellent to ordinary, (many examples, such as 1985-90). Others we basically collapsed, (1994-95, 2001-02). But in some of them, (including the national title year), we finished fairly strong as well. Some years there were behind the scenes troubles, possibly exacerbated by the slump, (2001-02, 2004-05). Or maybe they caused it. It’s easy- a little too easy- to say that the weakness of the early schedule vs. the Big East schedule was the reason why our fortunes changed. The duration of the good starts differs from year to year. Often we get off to a good start in the Big East, (we were 5-0 last year), then hit a slump in the middle of the conference schedule. Sometimes we break out of that slump and get going again, such as 2008-09, when we lost 7 of 10 after our 16-1 start, then rallied to win 9 of 10 before getting dunked by Blake Griffin.
It’s hard to analyze results in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of each team but I would say the teams that continued to perform well were our best defensive teams. I’d also have to say that it helps to have a genuine star on the team, a guy who can carry the club on his back through the rough times. Strong point guard play helps as well. And the post season is always a crap-shoot. You just hope for the best.
