AP poll 12/11

[Plebe]

 

[Plebe]

Texas falls to #8.
Tennessee rises to #7.
UCLA falls to #11.
South Florida falls to #22.
Kentucky drops out.
Iowa enters.

 

[JordyG]

I still have UCLA above Baylor. Otherwise, not bad. Villanova could stay about there all year since they won't play anyone until the Dance Off. Green Bay and Cali could move up further.

 

[skilz]

UCLA has 2 losses. Not sure they should be above Baylor any longer.

 

[Huskee11]

So, thus far we have played eight games:

1. one current top 10 (ND)

2. four current 11-25 (first four games, Stanford, Cal, Maryland, UCLA)

3. three current nonranked teams (Mich State, Nevada, Depaul)

Coming up, 21 games prior to AAC Tournament:

1. three current top 10 (Texas, Louisville, SC)

2. two current top 25 (USF 2X)

3. sixteen games versus current unranked teams

The remainder of the season will have a different feel to it. USF does not match up well with us, they are skilled but not quick enough. So, three big, big games and a lot of other not so big games. Understand Texas was awful yesterday but they will have Holmes back and will be at home.

 

[Kaizen]

UCLA has 2 losses. Not sure they should be above Baylor any longer.

UCLA beat Baylor while Lauren Cox was out, but lost to unranked OkSU.
If UCLA loses one more game they should be out of the top 25.

 

[Blueconn]

So, thus far we have played eight games:

1. one current top 10 (ND)

2. four current 11-25 (first four games, Stanford, Cal, Maryland, UCLA)

3. three current nonranked teams (Mich State, Nevada, Depaul)

Coming up, 21 games prior to AAC Tournament:

1. three current top 10 (Texas, Louisville, SC)

2. two current top 25 (USF 2X)

3. sixteen games versus current unranked teams

The remainder of the season will have a different feel to it. USF does not match up well with us, they are skilled but not quick enough. So, three big, big games and a lot of other not so big games. Understand Texas was awful yesterday but they will have Holmes back and will be at home.

Kudos to doing whatever they can to sprinkle some decent mid-season matchups. Big audiences and we’ll beat each by 25-35.

 

[oldude]

As stated, USF doesn’t match up well with UConn. I don’t see Louisville challenging the Huskies at home and after last night, even with Holmes back, TX does not have the team to win in Austin. That leaves SC in Columbia as the only remaining challenge for the Huskies during the regular season, imho.

 

[huskeynut]

Seems about right given were we are in the season. Not sure Texas belongs in the Top 10 after yesterday's performance or lack thereof.

I'm surprised Stamford is ranked were they are with 5 - 4 record.

 

[nwhoopfan]

UCLA beat Baylor while Lauren Cox was out, but lost to unranked OkSU.
If UCLA loses one more game they should be out of the top 25.

That seems a bit harsh. Regardless of extenuating circumstances, UCLA still has a good win over Baylor. Losing to UConn by double digits is forgivable, since the Huskies beat everybody by double digits. Not to mention Oklahoma St. maybe soon be ranked. If Stanford can still be ranked at 5-4 w/ no quality wins and 3 blow out losses, no reason a 3 loss UCLA team should get bumped out of the top 25.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I saw Oregon State in Maui. I think they are still underrated, but I'll have a better sense after they start conference play.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I saw Oregon State in Maui. I think they are still underrated, but I'll have a better sense after they start conference play.

This appears to be a bit of a different OSU team compared to years past. I don't remember repeated 40 or 50 point winning margin beat downs, even against clearly inferior opponents. This team can really shoot the ball. And score. Currently right near the top in the nation in both 2 point and 3 point FG accuracy. Sharing the ball, lots of assists, many different players w/ double digit scoring games. I don't think they are as good defensively as they've been before, but still fairly stingy. True test will come in conference like you say. They had Notre Dame on the ropes until about the last 5 minutes of the game. UConn fans recently saw how formidable ND can be.

 

[easttexastrash]

I still have UCLA above Baylor. Otherwise, not bad. Villanova could stay about there all year since they won't play anyone until the Dance Off. Green Bay and Cali could move up further.

Baylor lost to UCLA when without Mulkey and Lauren Cox, not to mention that the entire team was mourning the bad news that a member of the coaching staff had just lost her unborn child. How can anyone judge Baylor based on that game? UCLA goes on the road and loses to an unranked team.

Unfortunately, Baylor doesn't play any other top teams until facing Texas and WVU when conference play rolls around. WVU is going to be a tough out when Tynice Martin returns.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

I don’t think Oklahoma State is a bad loss for UCLA. I know they aren’t ranked but they almost knocked off Mississippi State in Starkville. Loryn Goodwin is a great grad transfer for them. They may very well finish in the upper half of Big12.

 

[Kaizen]

Not to mention Oklahoma St. maybe soon be ranked. If Stanford can still be ranked at 5-4 w/ no quality wins and 3 blow out losses, no reason a 3 loss UCLA team should get bumped out of the top 25.

Why not to mention Oklahoma St. ? Oklahoma St. beat UCLA and is unranked even now.
Stanford loses to #5, #1, #9, #9 teams. If Stanford loses to unranked team they should be out of top 25 too.

 

[easttexastrash]

That seems a bit harsh. Regardless of extenuating circumstances, UCLA still has a good win over Baylor. Losing to UConn by double digits is forgivable, since the Huskies beat everybody by double digits. Not to mention Oklahoma St. maybe soon be ranked. If Stanford can still be ranked at 5-4 w/ no quality wins and 3 blow out losses, no reason a 3 loss UCLA team should get bumped out of the top 25.

Is that win over Baylor really a signature win considering the circumstances surrounding the Baylor program at that time? Without Mulkey and without Cox and dealing with the very sad news that Mulkey's daughter, a member of the coaching staff, had lost her child?

 

[Kaizen]

I don’t think Oklahoma State is a bad loss for UCLA. I know they aren’t ranked but they almost knocked off Mississippi State in Starkville. Loryn Goodwin is a great grad transfer for them. They may very well finish in the upper half of Big12.

I agree and think Oklahoma St. should be a top 25 team but someone has to tell AP voters.

 

[Plebe]

I don’t think Oklahoma State is a bad loss for UCLA. I know they aren’t ranked but they almost knocked off Mississippi State in Starkville. Loryn Goodwin is a great grad transfer for them. They may very well finish in the upper half of Big12.

Oklahoma State just basically had a bad first quarter against Tennessee in Cancun. It was an early game and they were probably hung over from too much sun and (virgin) margaritas.

Other than that one bad quarter, they have looked like a top 20 team — going blow for blow with Mississippi State in Starkville and then jumping out to an early lead against UCLA and hanging on for the win.

 

[easttexastrash]

UCLA has 2 losses. Not sure they should be above Baylor any longer.

Baylor is a much better team then they were allowed to show against UCLA. To me that loss said very little about Baylor.

 

[Plebe]

Is that win over Baylor really a signature win considering the circumstances surrounding the Baylor program at that time? Without Mulkey and without Cox and dealing with the very sad news that Mulkey's daughter, a member of the coaching staff, had lost her child?

Yes, it's a signature win. Baylor was of course not at full strength, and of course it would've been a different game with Cox and Mulkey there, but they were still good enough to beat most teams that day.

 

[easttexastrash]

Yes, it's a signature win. Baylor was of course not at full strength, and of course it would've been a different game with Cox and Mulkey there, but they were still good enough to beat most teams that day.

Hey, if it's all you have to hang your hat on then I guess you put some super glue on it and hope it sticks.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Last year and previously, Tennessee's rankings have been due to nostalgia and the rankers' refusal to admit that the Lady Vols were a second-rate team. This year, however, Tennessee appears to be earning their rankings.

Has there ever been a HS AA whose departure from a program has led to so much relief? Has there ever been a WCBB freshman of the year whose team became so much better when she left- early- than Tennessee after DD headed for the hills?

Talk about unlamented!!!

 

[Kaizen]

Last year and previously, Tennessee's rankings have been due to nostalgia and the rankers' refusal to admit that the Lady Vols were a second-rate team. This year, however, Tennessee appears to be earning their rankings.

Has there ever been a HS AA whose departure from a program has led to so much relief? Has there ever been a WCBB freshman of the year whose team became so much better when she left- early- than Tennessee after DD headed for the hills?

Talk about unlamented!!!

Good point. I never thought this but have to agree with you.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Why not to mention Oklahoma St. ? Oklahoma St. beat UCLA and is unranked even now.
Stanford loses to #5, #1, #9, #9 teams. If Stanford loses to unranked team they should be out of top 25 too.

You have to look more closely at those Stanford losses. 3 of the 4 were completely non-competitive, just blown out. The second game against Ohio St. they led most of the way but fell apart down the stretch. Who has Stanford beaten? No quality wins. Belmont is 8-2 but they really haven't beaten anybody (they beat Gonzaga, but GU is really struggling this year). I like Stanford, but they really don't look like a top 25 team so far this year.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I mentioned extenuating circumstances for Baylor. It's really unfortunate what Mulkey and her family had to go through. Injuries happen to everybody. I'm sure they missed Cox, but you still have to play the game. Stanford has been missing their leading scorer McPhee since the 2nd game of the season. Does that mean Baylor's win against Stanford doesn't count?