Another pretender exposed?

[Frodo]

It seems that almost every day now another team that has risen through the ranks to the top 10 or so turns out to be just a pretender. The latest entry is Arizona State, which today struggled, at home, to beat an abysmal Oregon team.

I may be wrong, but it appears that there are fewer really good teams this year than there have been the last few years.

 

[Vowelguy]

I wish this board was around in 1996 when UConn LOST to an abysmal Syracuse team. It happens sometimes.

One game does not make a season.

 

[Icebear]

I wish this board was around in 1996 when UConn LOST to an abysmal Syracuse team. It happens sometimes.

One game does not make a season.

No it doesn't but the point of this year being an off year seems to be being made regularly by the play of teams.

 

[PalPa]

It seems that almost every day now another team that has risen through the ranks to the top 10 or so turns out to be just a pretender. The latest entry is Arizona State, which today struggled, at home, to beat an abysmal Oregon team.

I may be wrong, but it appears that there are fewer really good teams this year than there have been the last few years.

Most people are wishing for more parity in WCBB. There does seem to be more parity this year and that is the good news, the bad news is parity breeds mediocrity.

 

[Vowelguy]

No it doesn't but the point of this year being an off year seems to be being made regularly by the play of teams.

The fact that there are almost no good senior players already made that point. Enhanced by one of the best underclassmen (DD) being unavailable as well.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I wish this board was around in 1996 when UConn LOST to an abysmal Syracuse team. It happens sometimes.

One game does not make a season.

If it does, we're doomed!

 

[mhshuskies]

I wish this board was around in 1996 when UConn LOST to an abysmal Syracuse team. It happens sometimes.

One game does not make a season.

Except the final game.

 

[Vowelguy]

Except the final game.

Not really. You don't get to the final game without a lot of wins up to that point.

 

[meyers7]

Not really. You don't get to the final game without a lot of wins up to that point.

You sound like a ND fan.

 

[mhshuskies]

You sound like a ND fan.

I heard a rim shot on that one!

 

[mhshuskies]

You sound like a ND fan.

Wasn't that chronicled in the video: "Season of Champions, er...almost"

 

[Vowelguy]

You sound like a ND fan.

1) No.
2) Unless the NCAA assigns teams to the NC game randomly, the only way one wins a title is by winning a lot of games, not just 1.

 

[Zorro]

At first glance at the Lville box xcore, I thought that they had lost it on FTs; I think they missed 10 or 11. Then I noticed that FState had missed 14! Battle of the Bricks.

 

[HuskyNan]

The Arizona State-Oregon game was both a letdown game and a trap game. ASU had just beaten #11 Stanford on Monday and was prepping for #9 Oregon State this coming Sunday. It's not unusual to have a down game in those circumstances.

Believe it or not, the Pac-12 has three teams ranked in the AP's top 13.

 

[ochoopsfan]

I can name a lot more teams in D1 or major BCS conferences that are abysmal before I would list Oregon. Oregon still has a center I would take over a ton of players. They have an ok freshman too.

As Nan said, it was a trap game. We will see how they respond on Sunday when OSU is in town.

By the way, I dont think ASU or OSU have any top 50 ranked players on their teams. Both in the top 20.

 

[Orangutan]

It seems that almost every day now another team that has risen through the ranks to the top 10 or so turns out to be just a pretender. The latest entry is Arizona State, which today struggled, at home, to beat an abysmal Oregon team.

I may be wrong, but it appears that there are fewer really good teams this year than there have been the last few years.

They had a 20-point lead with 3:02 left, before Oregon tightened it up a little in garbage time. I don't see that as a struggle.

 

[j66kicker]

They won by 12. This thread makes it sound like they lost.

That's what I was going to say. I didn't see the game, but ASU led in rebounds, assists, steals, and turnovers (fewer), had a huge advantage in FT's attempted and made, and won by 12. Doesn't sound like something they'll get dinged by the voters for....?

 

[AllAmerRedHeads]

I remember that Syracuse game. A friend of our family out jumped Kara Wolters in that game. They would end up being teammates on the Springfield Spirit a decade later.

here is a bit of trivia few know. that player was recruited for UConn.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Arizona State was fresh off a victory four days ago over Stanford, in Palo Alto.

That win snapped a 16-game losing streak in the rivalry. And ASU won at Maples Pavilion for only the second time spanning 33 chances in program history and first since March 3, 1984.

It is possible that ASU had a bit of a letdown, given the nature and excitement of that victory. That game was four days ago (and on the road). Judging the team by a slow start (e.g., a sluggish first half) in one game and using that to claim the team is a "pretender" is a bit hyperbolic (especially since ASU is not ranked in the top five or top ten).

As an aside, ASU is off to its best start (18-1) in program history.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Arizona State was fresh off a victory four days ago over Stanford, in Palo Alto. That win snapped a 16-game losing streak in the rivalry. And ASU won at Maples Pavilion for only the second time spanning 33 chances in program history and first since March 3, 1984. It is possible that ASU had a bit of a letdown, given the nature and excitement of that victory. That game was four days ago (and on the road). Judging the team by a slow start (e.g., a sluggish first half) in one game and using that to claim the team is a "pretender" is a bit hyperbolic (especially since ASU is not ranked in the top five or top ten). As an aside, ASU is off to its best start (18-1) in program history.

Agreed

 

[UcMiami]

People tend to forget that undefeated seasons and 1 loss seasons are very very rare unless you are Uconn. with 29 games in the regular season almost every team throws a few really ugly efforts into the mix. Uconn occasionally throws one of them in their as well, but generally still have the talent to win.

(The Stanford game this year is a pretty ugly example of Uconn's feet of clay.)

 

[RockyMTblue2]

You sound like a ND fan.

Oh MG, I don't get it and Pinot does! I'm doomed. Please PM me the deeply profound meaning I am missing Meyers!

 

[Frodo]

They had a 20-point lead with 3:02 left, before Oregon tightened it up a little in garbage time. I don't see that as a struggle.

They trailed Oregon at the half and only lead by 10 with less than 7 minutes to go...I don't think it's particularly inaccurate to say that they struggled.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

It seems that almost every day now another team that has risen through the ranks to the top 10 or so turns out to be just a pretender. The latest entry is Arizona State, which today struggled, at home, to beat an abysmal Oregon team.

I may be wrong, but it appears that there are fewer really good teams this year than there have been the last few years.

Kind of rude, don't you think? What are they "Pretending"? Did the team actually make any statements about how great they were, or how they will be national champs? Did they do anything to cause you to insult them in such a manner? As vowelguy stated, what about 96 and Cuse? What about recently when St. John's beat us. For crying out loud we lost to Stanford... look at them this year. Is UCONN pretending? Was Stanford pretending when they won?

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

As many a coach has said - just win, baby!

They don't really award style points; that's really why the NCAA doesn't use scoring differential in its internal ranking factors. Losing only 1 game (let's say) looks a lot better than losing 3 games. Even if a lot of them were squeakers and the team that lost 3 games blew everyone else out by 20.