Arkansas’ last Sweet Sixteen was 1996. They aren’t high and mighty. Saying Vandy is solid isn’t off base. They’ve consistently been mid to upper half SEC. I get that the SEC isn’t the ACC, but I’m not exactly calling them elite.
UCLA has lost an incredible amount of luster over the decades. Their program is good, no doubt, but they aren’t close to UK, UNC, Duke, or Kansas. Yes, I know they were unstoppable 50 years ago, but there is a strong recency bias In strengths of programs. The won the title in ‘95. We won it in ‘03. They lost it in ‘06(?), we lost it in ‘96. They have a long, rich history. We’ve made FF’s for 5 straight decades and are ~#5 in all time wins. They have occasional great years, we had #1 rankings in ‘09-10 and (I believe) ‘11-12. They’ve made ~2 FF’s in the 00’s (not counting the NCG already referenced). We made 2 (not counting the NCG already referenced).
I fail to see how they’re on a different level than us, and I fail to see how a school that can’t consistently win the Pac is on the same level as Duke, UNC, and Kansas.
**EDIT: I forgot to mention UC. The last time they made a FF was 1992. The time before that was 1963. Calling them anything higher than “good” is wishful thinking.