Beating ranked teams

[SWC75]

Looking at the Media Guide, I found 15 previous occasions when we beat ranked teams in consecutive games.

2/7/53 Holy Cross (#17) 86-78 2/10/53 Niagara (#17) 86-78

2/4/55 Holy Cross (14) 74-70 2/8/55 Niagara (#16) 87-83 (Déjà vu)

3/20/75 North Carolina (#6) 78-76 3/22/75 Kansas State (#17) 95-87ot (both neutral court)

1/28/85 Georgetown (#1) 65-63 2/1/85 Villanova (18) 92-75

2/6/88 at St. John’s (#20) 79-62 2/10/88 at Pittsburgh (#5) 84-75

1/27/90 at Georgetown (#3) 95-76 1/29/90 at St. John’s (#18) 70-65

1/16/91 Connecticut (#13) 81-79ot 1/19/91 Seton Hall (#25) 78-64 1/21/91 at Georgetown (#21) 58-56

3/14/92 Seton Hall (#19) 70-66 3/15/92 Georgetown (#22) 58-56 (both neutral court)

3/24/96 Kansas (#4) 60-57 3/30/96 Mississippi State (#19: the SU Media Guide missed this) 77-69

3/30/03 Oklahoma (#6) 63-47 4/5/03 Texas (#3) 95-84 4/7/03 Kansas (#4) 81-78 (all neutral court)

11/18/04 Mississippi State (#12) 71-58 11/19/04 Memphis (#24) 77-62 (both neutral court)

3/9/06 Connecticut (#1) 86-84ot 3/10/06 Georgetown (#23) 58-57 3/11/06 Pittsburgh (#15) 65-61 (all neutral court)

11/21/08 Florida (#17) 89-83 11/22/08 Kansas (#22) 89-81ot (both neutral court)

11/19/09 California (#13) 95-73 11/20/09 North Carolina (#6) 87-71 (both neutral court)

2/21/11 at Villanova (#15) 69-64 2/26/11 at Georgetown (#11) 58-51

1/19/13 at Louisville (#1) 70-68 1/21/13 Cincinnati (#20) 57-55



So we’ve done this 16times, including three times when we’ve beaten three ranked teams in a row, two to win the Big East Tournament and one to win the national championship. Of the times we’ve beaten two ranked teams in a row, we’ve twice beaten teams with a higher combined ranking than Louisville and Villanova. The other two were when pearl beat Georgetown with the late jump shot in 1985 and then we beat eventual national champion Villanova and when we beat California and North Carolina in New York in 2009. We also beat teams with a combined ranking of #21 in 1990 when we crushed Georgetown in their own place back in 1990and then topped St. John’s in New York. That may have been the most impressive set of two wins because both were on the road.

 

[sutomcat]

Looking at the Media Guide, I found 14 previous occasions when we beat ranked teams in consecutive games.

2/7/53 Holy Cross (#17) 86-78 2/10/53 Niagara (#17) 86-78

2/4/55 Holy Cross (14) 74-70 2/8/55 Niagara (#16) 87-83 (Déjà vu)

3/20/75 North Carolina (#6) 78-76 3/22/75 Kansas State (#17) 95-87ot (both neutral court)

1/28/85 Georgetown (#1) 65-63 2/1/85 Villanova (18) 92-75

2/6/88 at St. John’s (#20) 79-62 2/10/88 at Pittsburgh (#5) 84-75

1/27/90 at Georgetown (#3) 95-76 1/29/90 at St. John’s (#18) 70-65

1/16/91 Connecticut (#13) 81-79ot 1/19/91 Seton Hall (#25) 78-64 1/21/91 at Georgetown (#21) 58-56

3/14/92 Seton Hall (#19) 70-66 3/15/92 Georgetown (#22) 58-56 (both neutral court)

3/30/03 Oklahoma (#6) 63-47 4/5/03 Texas (#3) 95-84 4/7/03 Kansas (#4) 81-78 (all neutral court)

11/18/04 Mississippi State (#12) 71-58 11/19/04 Memphis (#24) 77-62 (both neutral court)

3/9/06 Connecticut (#1) 86-84ot 3/10/06 Georgetown (#23) 58-57 3/11/06 Pittsburgh (#15) 65-61 (all neutral court)

11/21/08 Florida (#17) 89-83 11/22/08 Kansas (#22) 89-81ot (both neutral court)

11/19/09 California (#13) 95-73 11/20/09 North Carolina (#6) 87-71 (both neutral court)

2/21/11 at Villanova (#15) 69-64 2/26/11 at Georgetown (#11) 58-51

1/19/13 at Louisville (#1) 70-68 1/21/13 Cincinnati (#20) 57-55



So we’ve done this 15 times, including three times when we’ve beaten three ranked teams in a row, two to win the Big East Tournament and one to win the national championship. Of the times we’ve beaten two ranked teams in a row, we’ve twice beaten teams with a higher combined ranking than Louisville and Villanova. The other two were when pearl beat Georgetown with the late jump shot in 1985 and then we beat eventual national champion Villanova and when we beat California and North Carolina in New York in 2009. We also beat teams with a combined ranking of #21 in 1990 when we crushed Georgetown in their own place back in 1990and then topped St. John’s in New York. That may have been the most impressive set of two wins because both were on the road.

Good stuff, great to have you back SWC.

The 1952-53 Holy Cross team Syracuse beat was led by Togo Palazzi, who averaged 22.8 ppg and Ronnie Perry, who averaged 13.3 ppg.

Palazzi would lead the Crusaders to the 1954 NIT championship (Holy Cross considers it a national championship), and after graduating, played in the NBA for a while with the Celtics and the Nats. I believe as a young boy, OE was Gogo for Togo.

Perry would eventually become the Holy Cross AD, and father Ronald K. Perry, who would also become a star basketball player at Holy Cross, and later an irritating announcer covering Eastern basketball.

The 1954-55 Holy Cross team was led by Tom Heinsohn, another future Celtic, who averaged 23.3 ppg. The Nats didn't beat Heinsohn and the Celtics much but at least the Orangemen did.

 

[arbitragegls]

Looking at the Media Guide, I found 14 previous occasions when we beat ranked teams in consecutive games.

2/7/53 Holy Cross (#17) 86-78 2/10/53 Niagara (#17) 86-78

2/4/55 Holy Cross (14) 74-70 2/8/55 Niagara (#16) 87-83 (Déjà vu)

3/20/75 North Carolina (#6) 78-76 3/22/75 Kansas State (#17) 95-87ot (both neutral court)

1/28/85 Georgetown (#1) 65-63 2/1/85 Villanova (18) 92-75

2/6/88 at St. John’s (#20) 79-62 2/10/88 at Pittsburgh (#5) 84-75

1/27/90 at Georgetown (#3) 95-76 1/29/90 at St. John’s (#18) 70-65

1/16/91 Connecticut (#13) 81-79ot 1/19/91 Seton Hall (#25) 78-64 1/21/91 at Georgetown (#21) 58-56

3/14/92 Seton Hall (#19) 70-66 3/15/92 Georgetown (#22) 58-56 (both neutral court)

3/30/03 Oklahoma (#6) 63-47 4/5/03 Texas (#3) 95-84 4/7/03 Kansas (#4) 81-78 (all neutral court)

11/18/04 Mississippi State (#12) 71-58 11/19/04 Memphis (#24) 77-62 (both neutral court)

3/9/06 Connecticut (#1) 86-84ot 3/10/06 Georgetown (#23) 58-57 3/11/06 Pittsburgh (#15) 65-61 (all neutral court)

11/21/08 Florida (#17) 89-83 11/22/08 Kansas (#22) 89-81ot (both neutral court)

11/19/09 California (#13) 95-73 11/20/09 North Carolina (#6) 87-71 (both neutral court)

2/21/11 at Villanova (#15) 69-64 2/26/11 at Georgetown (#11) 58-51

1/19/13 at Louisville (#1) 70-68 1/21/13 Cincinnati (#20) 57-55



So we’ve done this 15 times, including three times when we’ve beaten three ranked teams in a row, two to win the Big East Tournament and one to win the national championship. Of the times we’ve beaten two ranked teams in a row, we’ve twice beaten teams with a higher combined ranking than Louisville and Villanova. The other two were when pearl beat Georgetown with the late jump shot in 1985 and then we beat eventual national champion Villanova and when we beat California and North Carolina in New York in 2009. We also beat teams with a combined ranking of #21 in 1990 when we crushed Georgetown in their own place back in 1990and then topped St. John’s in New York. That may have been the most impressive set of two wins because both were on the road.

You just need the exercise on those fingers...tapping the keys of your beloved computer...freezing your fan base out for over a week...and then come back as if nothing happened...hmmmm. Gotta say its great to have our resident Historian back at play. Keep up the great posts!

 

[cpatrocks]

the time we did it in 2003 was my favorite.

 

[cuseinseattle]

Good info. I remember that '53 team like it was yesterday. Holy Cross didn't know what hit 'em. I took the ferry over that day with my pappi. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say. OK that last part was Grandpa Simpson but whatever. I also enjoyed '03.

 

[OttoMets]

Nice research - good to have you back.

Mississippi State wasn't ranked in 1996? Seems to me that our consecutive wins in the Elite Eight and national semifinal would fall into this category.

Edit: And Florida and North Carolina must have been ranked in 1987, no? Perhaps the media guide is missing a couple.

 

[SWC75]

Nice research - good to have you back.

Mississippi State wasn't ranked in 1996? Seems to me that our consecutive wins in the Elite Eight and national semifinal would fall into this category.

Edit: And Florida and North Carolina must have been ranked in 1987, no? Perhaps the media guide is missing a couple.

Per the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia, Florida was indeed unranked in the last poll taken before we played them. It's listed under "Final Poll" with no date. I had thought North Carolina was #1 in the country when we beat them and was surprised to not see them in that list of 4 #1 teams we have beaten. They were ranked #2 to UNLV in the "Final Poll" with a record of 29-3 to UNLV's 33-1. UNC wound up 32-4 and UNLV 37-2 after losing in the national semi-finals. I can tell from that the Final Poll was taken just before the tournament started. Florida finished 23-11 after having gone 2-1 in the tournament, so they were 21-10 at the time. Obviously 21-10 isn't going to get you a ranking. They probably would not even have been ranked if another poll was taken after the first weekend of the tournament.

In 1996, Mississippi State finished 26-8. They were ranked #4 in the "Final Poll", which was taken after the tournament was over. The last poll before that was taken on March 12th, which was just before the tournament began. They would have been 22-7 at that point and, indeed, they do appear in the #19 spot in the AP Poll and #20 in the USA Today poll, so the SU Athletics website did make a mistake there. I'll correct my post.

 

[OttoMets]

Per the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia, Florida was indeed unranked in the last poll taken before we played them. It's listed under "Final Poll" with no date. I had thought North Carolina was #1 in the country when we beat them and was surprised to not see them in that list of 4 #1 teams we have beaten. They were ranked #2 to UNLV in the "Final Poll" with a record of 29-3 to UNLV's 33-1. UNC wound up 32-4 and UNLV 37-2 after losing in the national semi-finals. I can tell from that the Final Poll was taken just before the tournament started. Florida finished 23-11 after having gone 2-1 in the tournament, so they were 21-10 at the time. Obviously 21-10 isn't going to get you a ranking. They probably would not even have been ranked if another poll was taken after the first weekend of the tournament.

In 1996, Mississippi State finished 26-8. They were ranked #4 in the "Final Poll", which was taken after the tournament was over. The last poll before that was taken on March 12th, which was just before the tournament began. They would have been 22-7 at that point and, indeed, they do appear in the #19 spot in the AP Poll and #20 in the USA Today poll, so the SU Athletics website did make a mistake there. I'll correct my post.

Good stuff as always. You've got a knack for finding the hard-to-find. I couldn't locate Mississippi State's ranking, but I knew they won the SEC tournament and got a 5 seed, so I figured they were ranked. (Found a pretty enjoyable Washington Post recap of our game, too.)

Always thought that Florida was the 3 seed in the East in 1987. Misremembered that one - they upset third-seeded Purdue (a team we never get a chance to play) as the six seed. So it makes sense that they weren't ranked.