So winning more games and making more tournament appearances doesn't make you a better program. Got it.
I mean, by that logic, Augustana is a better program too. There's a sense in which that's true I suppose.
Dude. You literally cite KenPom rankings to argue we have been better over the years, then call me incoherent for calling NMSU better on paper, when NMSU has a higher KP ranking.
The point is, we have been better than NMSU for probably 7-8 of the last ten years, and never meaningfully worse, despite those years being almost unrelenting failure and disappointment on our part. So the fact that we find ourselves near-even to them is disturbing, and losing to them on a favorable neutral floor is more disturbing still. Every single year of those ten we've brought in a MASSIVELY stronger class than they have. And this is where we are.
Illinois should not be losing to New Mexico State at the United Center. Ever. To say that's ho-hum the natural order of things given X and Y excuses is the incoherence I'm referring to. Year 1 of a new coach with an imperfect potpourri of a roster is not Illinois at its best. But we're well behind where we ought to be even with those handicaps.
Go get better. Beat Mizzou.