We Shall Return: Purdue & NCSU Back At Final Four Following Long Droughts
March 31st, 2024 - 16:10
Try, try again! History repeats itself but can take longer than anyone wants or expects. Purdue, making its 32nd NCAA playoff appearance since its last Final Four in 1980, and North Carolina State, a Cinderella story champion in 1983, each returned to the national semifinals this year. No school was anywhere close to the Boilermakers in volume of tourney frustration between F4 appearances.
Three seasons ago, Baylor participated in the Final Four for the first time since 1950. The Bears' 71-year absence between national semifinal appearances is exceeded only by Oregon (78). Purdue joined the following 14 institutions going more than 35 years before returning to the Promised Land:
| Final Four School | Famine Years | Coaches Between Final Fours | NCAA Tournament Appearances During Lapse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 78 | Howard Hobson (1939) to Dana Altman (2017) | 13: 1945-60-61-95-00-02-03-07-08-13-14-15-16 |
| Baylor | 71 | Bill Henderson (1950) to Scott Drew (2021) | nine: 1988-08-10-12-14-15-16-17-19 |
| Wisconsin | 59 | Bud Foster (1941) to Dick Bennett (2000) | four: 1947-94-97-99 |
| Stanford | 56 | Everett Dean (1942) to Mike Montgomery (1998) | five: 1989-92-95-96-97 |
| Texas | 56 | Jack Gray (1947) to Rick Barnes (2003) | 17: 1960-63-72-74-79-89-90-91-92-94-95-96-97-99-00-01-02 |
| Loyola of Chicago | 54 | George Ireland (1964) to Porter Moser (2017) | four: 1964-66-68-85 |
| Wichita State | 48 | Gary Thompson (1965) to Gregg Marshall (2013) | seven: 1976-81-85-87-88-06-12 |
| Oklahoma State | 44 | Hank Iba (1951) to Eddie Sutton (1995) | nine: 1953-54-58-65-83-91-92-93-94 |
| Purdue | 43 | Lee Rose (1980) to Matt Painter (2024) | 31: 1983-84-85-86-87-88-90-91-93-94-95-96-97-98-99 and 2000-03-07-08-09-10-11-12-15-16-17-18-19-21-22-23 |
| Oklahoma | 41 | Bruce Drake (1947) to Billy Tubbs (1988) | six: 1979-83-84-85-86-87 |
| North Carolina State | 40 | Jim Valvano (1983) to Kevin Keatts (2024) | 17: 1985-86-87-88-89-91 and 2002-03-04-05-06-12-13-14-15-18-23 |
| Georgetown | 39 | Elmer Ripley (1943) to John Thompson Jr. (1982) | five: 1975-76-79-80-81 |
| Houston | 37 | Guy Lewis (1984) to Kelvin Sampson (2021) | six: 1987-90-92-10-18-19 |
| Illinois | 37 | Harry Combes (1952) to Lou Henson (1989) | eight: 1963-81-83-84-85-86-87-88 |
| DePaul | 36 | Ray Meyer (1943) to Ray Meyer (1979) | seven: 1953-56-59-60-65-76-78 |