I think one can use statistics so many different ways to get the narratives they are looking for.
We are not Duke, Kentucky, UNC...not on that tier. Doesn't matter what stats say.
Isn't this year the first time ever the cuse won an ACC tournament game since joining the ACC?
We were definitely negatively impacted from the NCAA sanctions, then Hopkins departure. Yes I do believe if Hopkins had stayed, Quade Green most likely wouldn't have switched his commitment, Hopkins was the one with a relationship with Green, not JB. K, Roy Williams, and Izzo develop a bond with their players, they are father figures. From the outside looking in I see Autry, Griffen, Macamara being those father figures, where JB is the overlording grandfather. He doesn't seem to have a deep bond with his current players, may be he did in the 80s and 90s? Recruiting wise we are certainly always seem to be on the top 3, top 5, top 8 "lists" of many five star recruits but we kind of know we are most likely plan Bs and playing bridesmaids. Brazley may have made an impact but we know what happened there.
We just don't have the athletes that we used to have that make those high flying transition games Thompson, Coleman, Douglas, Owens had back then, way back then.
Hey but on the positive side, we are shooting free throws way better now then before. Remember we couldn't make any free throws at the end of the games? They just keep fouling us to narrow the gap? We are much better in that department, Chukwu made his yesterday except one.
It's not the end if the world, look at all the other old Big East powerhouse programs, where they are now. I mean other than Villanova.