That's a rather narrow set of parameters, and it really becomes rather superficial. If you want to deal with titles, especially historically, let's include the AIAW champions. Then, we have to state that Immaculata, Old Dominion, and Delta State, only one of which still has a team, is among the traditional basketball powers to which an OU should aspire.
It is interesting that this insistence upon a title seems to apply to Sherri, but not to someone like Lon Kruger who has never won a title, or Billy Tubbs. If you look at any overall set of parameters, OU is one of the top ten schools in the nation. I have seen it rated as high as #5 as recently as four or five years ago.
But, the emphasis on a title seems to dominate some people, and the lack of overall awareness of the state of various programs seems to affect others. Rutgers was listed, and they have been a non-player for several years now. Louisville was ranked by a poster who didn't rank OU, and they have no title either. So, it seems to be somewhat selective.
Compare it all and actually look at the schools and their recent history. I think we can beat Louisiana Tech, Delta State, Immaculata, and Old Dominion year after year. If you haven't looked, we can also probably wipe out the recent North Carolina and Rutgers teams. The Texas story is a thirty year old story.
I would agree that OU is perhaps marginally a top ten program. If you review the final top 25 standing for the last 5 year plus the current 2017 season the Sooner were ranked only 3 times in 7 seasons #23 in 2013, #21 in 2016 and are presently ranked #19 in 2017. During that interim UConn, Notre Dame, Maryland and Baylor were ranked in the top 10 six times. Stanford and South Carolina four times. Tennessee, Louisville, Duke, FSU and Oregon State three times. Texas, Ohio State and Mississippi State two times. Those 14 schools failed to make the top 25 only 16 of 84 opportunities.
That is 14 schools that have been consistently better than the Sooners over the last 6 seasons. So there is a valid argument that the Sooners are no longer a top ten program. But I will give them the benefit of the doubt but for certain they are marginally a top 10 program.
We live in an era that all teams are measured on what have you done for me lately and that is not trending well for the Sooner. From 2000-2009 OU won half (10) of the Big 12 regular season and tournament championships. The Sooners last won a conference championship in 2009 when they won the regular season. If you go back 10 years and include the 2007-2016 seasons we have won 3 regular seasons and 2 tournament championships in ten years. Or you might look at is as we won 4 conference championships in 2006 (2) and 2007 (2) but have only won 1 conference championship since 2008 (2009) and zero 2010-2016. That is zero conference championships in last 14 opportunities. For certain not the expected performance of a top ten program.
If you look at the NCAA's we have gone to 19 tournaments and we did have a win in the tournament in 2016. However our last Sweet 16 was 2013. Our last Elite Eight and last Final Four was 2010 and our last appearance in the Finals was 2002. The trend is going in the wrong direction.
Sooner fans are very unhappy with this performance as is indicated by game attendance. In 2007 we averaged 10,437, in 2008 9,963, in 2009 9,009, in 2010 7,681, in 2011 5,490, in 2012 6,851, in 2013 6,004, in 2014 5,632, in 2015 5,373, in 2016 4,769. A decline in attendance every year except 2012.
In the six conference games in Norman where attendance is listed this year we have averaged 4,203 which is skewed by the reported attendance for OSU of 6,543. The box score did not list the attendance for the Kansas game. Nor are our two biggest games (Baylor and Texas) included but obviously our attendance just like our performance is trending negatively.
Moreover having attended every home game in the 2007-2017 era reported attendance is significantly higher for both the men's and women's games than actual attendance. However the men report two numbers which are attendance (sold tickets) and estimated attendance (scanned tickets) which is usually 50-75% of the sold tickets number.
The women quit reporting the estimated attendance numbers about 3 years ago. But it would be my guess that estimated attendance is closer to 50-55% of the attendance figure reported the last two years. This year our attendance has been much closer to 2,000-2,500 than the 4,203 reported for the conference home games. Once or twice attendance may have been short of 2,000.
I do not see OU getting the program turned around to where it is winning an occasional conference championship, making an Elite Eight or higher until we start recruiting better basketball players and I mean a lot of better basketball players. We need our roster to have 3-4 top ten level players on every squad if we are going to consistently contend for the Final Four. Frankly I do not see that happening. Hopefully I am as wrong as is possible but the progress of this team for the last seven years provides little for me to be encouraged about.
