Top 10 ranked Teams Spiders have faced?

[Section9.RowD]

I’m thinking SF will probably find this quickly, but Perplexity and Chat weren’t much help—have we ever faced the #1 team in the country, or will the upcoming #2 Auburn game be the highest-ranked opponent we’ve ever played? Back in ’96, when I was a senior, a group of us drove down to see the UNC game, but I think they were ranked #9 at the time.

 

[Eight Legger]

Wake was #3 when we played them at home in '96 and then became #2 but never made it to #1. Can't recall us playing a #1 in the past 3 decades or so. St. Joe's the year they were a 1-seed came to the RC, but I think they were only like #8 or #9 at the time.

 

[72Spider]

Temple in sweet 16?

 

[mr.spider]

Kansas in Sweet 16?

 

[Section9.RowD]

Kansas in Sweet 16?

#6 headed into tourney - and I saw that game live in San Antonio and it was almost as bad as the charlotte game this season

 

[BOSRIC]

I was at the 1990 win at Robins Center against 7th ranked GA Tech led by Kenny Anderson. It was awesome. Then I shared a bottle of SoCo with a friend and that was not awesome.

 

[72Spider]

Temple actually was #1 ranked during 1988 sweet 16. We lost 69-47.

 

[mr.spider]

#6 headed into tourney - and I saw that game live in San Antonio and it was almost as bad as the charlotte game this season

I was there too. Have hated Kansas ever since.

 

[mr.spider]

#6 headed into tourney - and I saw that game live in San Antonio and it was almost as bad as the charlotte game this season

So Kansas was higher ranked when we beat them on their home court? #5?

 

[Eight Legger]

No, they were like #11 when we won in Lawrence.

 

[VT4700]

The years used here are when that season ended
Ky was 10th in 2021.
Dayton was 7th in 2020.
Kansas 9th in 2013.
Purdue 10th in 2011.
Kansas 2nd in 2011.
Wake 10th in 2009.
Memphis 3rd in 2008.
Xavier 8th in 2008.
Louisville 5th in 2006.
GW 10th and then 7th in 2006.
Wake was 1st in 2005.
Pitt was 10th in 2005.
St Joe's 9th in 2004.
Wisky was 10th in 2004.

This is what I found since 2000.

 

[Wood Hall]

Maryland was ranked # 3 when we played them in the opening game of the Robins Center in Dec., 1972.

1972-73 Men's College Basketball AP Polls | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

1972-73 Men's College Basketball Season Summary and More About College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

 

[urfan1]

can we add to this list which ones were wins and which ones were losses.

 

[mr.spider]

The years used here are when that season ended
Ky was 10th in 2021.
Dayton was 7th in 2020.
Kansas 9th in 2013.
Purdue 10th in 2011.
Kansas 2nd in 2011.
Wake 10th in 2009.
Memphis 3rd in 2008.
Xavier 8th in 2008.
Louisville 5th in 2006.
GW 10th and then 7th in 2006.
Wake was 1st in 2005.
Pitt was 10th in 2005.
St Joe's 9th in 2004.
Wisky was 10th in 2004.

This is what I found since 2000.

Nice list. But no way KY finished 10th. They were 10th at the time we played them, but then they proceeded to crap the bed.

 

[gospidersgo]

Nice list. But no way KY finished 10th. They were 10th at the time we played them, but then they proceeded to crap the bed.

I think he means that he listed the 2020/2021 season as 2021.

 

[mr.spider]

I think he means that he listed the 2020/2021 season as 2021.

Ok. I can see how it could be interpreted that way. My bad.

 

[MrTbone]

Then I shared a bottle of SoCo with a friend and that was not awesome.

Still the only drink to this day that I can smell and pretty much immediately want to vomit.

 

[VT4700]

can we add to this list which ones were wins and which ones were losses.

I think Purdue and Ky. are the only wins.

 

[SFspidur]

Pages 45–46 of the media guide have the full list of games against AP Top 25 programs.

Games against #1 ranked teams:
- 12/4/04: Wake
- 3/24/88: Temple
- 2/8/58: West Virginia

Games against #2 ranked teams:
- 3/25/11: Kansas
- 11/19/98: UConn
- 12/6/75: Maryland
- 12/8/59: West Virginia
- 3/7/58: West Virginia

All of those games were unsurprisingly losses.

The highest-ranked team we've ever beaten was our 1991 historic upset of #4 Syracuse. We also knocked off #6 Georgia Tech in 1986, #6 GW in 1955, #7 GW in 1956, #8 Purdue in 2010, and of course Kentucky was #10 when we beat them in 2020.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/richmond.sidearmsports.com/documents/2024/9/30/2024-25_Media_Guide_-_11.7.24.pdf

 

[SpiderTrap]

No, they were like #11 when we won in Lawrence.

I think they were around #11, but if memory serves me correctly - I think they were the pre-season #1 ranked team that year, but then dropped after a loss or two before losing to UR on their home court.

Given the history of Kansas, I put that game up there as our best OOC win of all time. IF UR could beat Auburn, it will be up there, but I think given the history of Kansas, I might still give the win at KU the edge. Now - if UR does win vs. Auburn, I might say that is the biggest upset in our OOC recent history - I would expect we will be heavy heavy underdogs.

 

[GKiller]

I think they were around #11, but if memory serves me correctly - I think they were the pre-season #1 ranked team that year, but then dropped after a loss or two before losing to UR on their home court.

Given the history of Kansas, I put that game up there as our best OOC win of all time. IF UR could beat Auburn, it will be up there, but I think given the history of Kansas, I might still give the win at KU the edge. Now - if UR does win vs. Auburn, I might say that is the biggest upset in our OOC recent history - I would expect we will be heavy heavy underdogs.

I agree no way could it match Kansas. I would go further, it's not close. Yes, Auburn would be a bigger upset. because we're bad. In 2004 we were heavy dogs but also good ourselves & that win propelled us to NCAA at large. That alone makes it "best" over Auburn. Also as u noted it came at historic Phog Allen against historic all time program. Auburn is Auburn. No disrespect, they have a great team & deserving of their ranking. It would be an unbelievable win. But up until this point their bball claim to fame still might be Charles Barkley & team that we beat.

Minor point but Kansas was also on an ESPN channel & a night game. This is Sunday afternoon among NFL games and on the SEC network. Of course it would still resonate but less so imo.

 

[SpiderTrap]

Good point on the TV, that Kansas game was kinda during a dead period of TV at the time and think it even made the lead story on ESPN. If UR beats Auburn, we probably won't even get highlights shown on ESPN. The 2004 team was very good, but played a very difficult schedule. This current team is not good - and has played a very weak schedule. So even a win vs. Auburn, unless it propels UR to a 10-15 game winning streak - really doesn't propel us to NCAA chances like this win in 2004 did.

 

[VT4700]

The road wins at Kansas and Colorado were huge, but the A-10 had a much better reputation then, which was also a major factor in getting a bid. We only went 10-6 in the A-10 that year, and only went 1-4 against the other 3 A-10 teams that made the tourney, but we got the 4th bid out of the A-10.

 

[spider23]

Chris Mooney (basketball) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Bleak

 

[GKiller]

The road wins at Kansas and Colorado were huge, but the A-10 had a much better reputation then, which was also a major factor in getting a bid. We only went 10-6 in the A-10 that year, and only went 1-4 against the other 3 A-10 teams that made the tourney, but we got the 4th bid out of the A-10.

Yeah it was stronger and we still didn't rely on A10 but more on our OOC which is main reason why we got in. Now the strategery is rely on A10 - just go 14-4! - even though it's a lot weaker. make it make sense.