They went from being ranked #9 in 1998-1999 final AP poll all the way down to #9 in 1999-2000. Quite the dropoff
Moderator Jumpin Johnny,
I realize we have been pathetic for almost a decade so that, for some of our fans, regular season wins are a big deal, but, for elite programs like UConn, UCLA, and Kansas, you are judged by what you do in The Tournament. Therefore, going from an Elite Eight season with Artest to missing the Sweet Sixteen without Artest would be viewed as a step backwards. Similarly, after Barkley bolted the following season and the program failed to even make The Tournament with Omar Cook (before he deserted the program), it would be viewed as a further step backwards.
This was a non-issue, but, if the Spaniard felt it was necessary to pull one sentence out of a passage to divert the general gist of the counterargument, that's fine.
I see that my poll, Blame, was also pulled overnight (perhaps due to the crazy poster getting into another dispute). I was going to put up a more positive, forward looking poll today, but why waste the time.