AP Poll Feb 10th - Unranked

[HuskyHawk]

Really? Tell that to Kansas and Kentucky. I’ll give Pope a pass as it’s his first year, but Self has done so little with so much talent and huge NIL bags.

I've been saying all season something nobody really wants to accept. Nobody is really all that good. This is one of those years where a surprise team wins because any of the last three national champions would destroy any team in college basketball this year.

I think it's a hangover from Covid and the stupid 5th year rule combined with the portal. Development of young players hasn't happened as it should at major programs. Major programs think it's smarter to grab some 3 star kid who was good a mid major rather than give their 4 stars minutes to develop. The talent is down as a result. Playing Mahaney over Nowell is an example of what happens and not just here. Mahaney was #143 recruit in his class, Nowell is #35. Experience is helpful, but Nowell has a much higher ceiling.

As for Kansas, Elmarko Jackson out for the year and Jamari McDowell redshirted to fit in quick-fix transfers. So nobody from the 2022 or 2023 classes are on the team. The ran off Udeh and Zuby EJiofor (St. Johns). They have two guys from 2021 but Clemence barely plays. Nobody from 2020. It's a disaster of failed development of recruits aside from Braun and Dick who went to the NBA.

 

[RuffRuff]

I've been saying all season something nobody really wants to accept. Nobody is really all that good. This is one of those years where a surprise team wins because any of the last three national champions would destroy any team in college basketball this year.

I think it's a hangover from Covid and the stupid 5th year rule combined with the portal. Development of young players hasn't happened as it should at major programs. Major programs think it's smarter to grab some 3 star kid who was good a mid major rather than give their 4 stars minutes to develop. The talent is down as a result. Playing Mahaney over Nowell is an example of what happens and not just here. Mahaney was #143 recruit in his class, Nowell is #35. Experience is helpful, but Nowell has a much higher ceiling.

As for Kansas, Elmarko Jackson out for the year and Jamari McDowell redshirted to fit in quick-fix transfers. So nobody from the 2022 or 2023 classes are on the team. The ran off Udeh and Zuby EJiofor (St. Johns). They have two guys from 2021 but Clemence barely plays. Nobody from 2020. It's a disaster of failed development of recruits aside from Braun and Dick who went to the NBA.

Self hasn’t been able to figure out the portal - this year he nailed Mayo, bombed on Storr and Griffin. It feels like he over indexed on it out of frustration after he got punted by Arkansas in 23 and is now trying to figure out how to meld it together on the fly. His system has always been built on development and I think he was showing he could adapt, hasn’t worked.

I do agree that the science of developing vs buying talent is really tricky. You have to be patient to develop, and in a win now landscape it’s hard at times. Also why you really need to nail your portal grabs, as it can not only sink or swim you, but also take away minutes from a developmental player.

I don’t know if I necessarily agree on a surprise team winning it this year. I see a discernible gap, and I think in the world of analytics it makes it even that much harder for a surprise team to run 6. This Auburn team is full of old guys with talent, and a great big. Florida is one of the few matchup issues out there for them. That said the teams that feel like they separate are few, maybe 5-6. If they do somehow get knocked out, could see it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Self hasn’t been able to figure out the portal - this year he nailed Mayo, bombed on Storr and Griffin. It feels like he over indexed on it out of frustration after he got punted by Arkansas in 23 and is now trying to figure out how to meld it together on the fly. His system has always been built on development and I think he was showing he could adapt, hasn’t worked.

I do agree that the science of developing vs buying talent is really tricky. You have to be patient to develop, and in a win now landscape it’s hard at times. Also why you really need to nail your portal grabs, as it can not only sink or swim you, but also take away minutes from a developmental player.

I don’t know if I necessarily agree on a surprise team winning it this year. I see a discernible gap, and I think in the world of analytics it makes it even that much harder for a surprise team to run 6. This Auburn team is full of old guys with talent, and a great big. Florida is one of the few matchup issues out there for them. That said the teams that feel like they separate are few, maybe 5-6. If they do somehow get knocked out, could see it.

Mayo is a local kid he should have recruited to begin with. Griffin is ok, but he's a 6th man type. The problem isn't really those guys, it's Harris and Adams plus not having Jackson. Jackson should be the starting PG, Harris should have used eligibility. Adams is limited, better in a bench role.

 

[DMIL]

Maybe this is the incentive of the coaches and team to play deep and strong. We have the talent to be nasty going forward.

Not without consistent descent guard play which is required for a tournament run. Coach Hurley knows it. Effective, consistent guard play makes the rest of the talent sing. There is no getting around it.

 

[QDOG5]

Wow. This is what people mean when they talk about UConn fans being entitled.

UConniki is not being entitled. She doesn't like Hurley. He is on a shorter leash than her cats.