#36 New Jersey
True story: a late December game between Princeton and Monmouth was the inspiration for this entire project. Because somehow, after watching quite possibly slowest moving collegiate basketball game of my lifetime, I knew that Jersey had to be close to the worst state for college hoops in America. Turns out that I was correct.
So yeah, the home of Tony Soprano, The Boss (who, as you know, is most famous for hailing from the same hometown as my girlfriend), salt walk taffy and oil refineries is no place for college basketball. In fact, it’s the freakin’ bottom of the barrel in terms of states with at least three college basketball programs. What is most surprising about the Dirty Jerz finishing dead last is that the state isn’t lacking in history rich programs (Princeton and Seton Hall). But of course, Jersey is the home of NJIT, which is bound to bring your numbers down a bit.
The 2008 Breakdown
State Winning Percentage: .319 (78-166)
Number of Teams: 7
NCAA Tournament Teams: 0
Conference Champions: 0
Most Wins: Rider, 23
Least Wins: NJIT, 0
Teams With Winning Records: 2
Team with Single Digit Wins: 5
Historical Breakdown
Most Memorable Team -1995 Princeton (upset defending champion UCLA)
Top Player All-Time - Bill Bradley, Princeton
Favorite Coach - Pete Carril, Princeton
Top Player 2008 - Jason Thompson, Rider
Best On-Campus Venue - The RAC, Rutgers
Best NCAA Venue - The Meadowlands (1996 Final Four)
Most Prestigious Program (ESPN style) - #40 Princeton
Best Nickname: St. Peter’s Peacocks
STF’s Favorite Program: Princeton
The 2008 Breakdown
State Winning Percentage: .319 (78-166)
Number of Teams: 7
NCAA Tournament Teams: 0
Conference Champions: 0
Most Wins: Rider, 23
Least Wins: NJIT, 0
Teams With Winning Records: 2
Team with Single Digit Wins: 5
Historical Breakdown
Most Memorable Team -1995 Princeton (upset defending champion UCLA)
Top Player All-Time - Bill Bradley, Princeton
Favorite Coach - Pete Carril, Princeton
Top Player 2008 - Jason Thompson, Rider
Best On-Campus Venue - The RAC, Rutgers
Best NCAA Venue - The Meadowlands (1996 Final Four)
Most Prestigious Program (ESPN style) - #40 Princeton
Best Nickname: St. Peter’s Peacocks
STF’s Favorite Program: Princeton
5 comments:
This is not surprising at all when you consider that NJIT was 0 for the season
NJIT was terrible last season, so I agree this is not surprising, but there are quite a few teams in New Jersey. This was bad basketball almost all around. Besides Rider no one had a good season.
New Jersey basketball isn't trash... trash gets picked up
The 1975-76 Scarlet Knight squad that posted a 31-2 record on their way to the Final Four has been the best team produced by any program in the state. And if that team's record and achievements are not memorable for you, check out the team picture at Rutgers Program History -- that image should stay with you a while.
What about the '89 Seton Hall team that should've been the champs if the refs didn't job them cause the NCAA wanted Michigan as champs and not some little Jersey school nobody heard of? Ramon Ramos, Anthony Avent, Johnny Morton, Gerald Greene, Andrew Gaze, that was a hell of a team...
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