AP Poll - Monday 12/21

[AuRevoirAAC]

It would be tough to see us drop out of the “receiving votes” category. 17 days without a game and we take the #9 team in the country to OT.

Please be kind to us AP poll... this group deserves the national recognition.

 

[Hi-Low]

All we proved against Creighton is that we can still lose close games against good teams and that Bouk is great...the rest is all tbd. Maybe that warrants a few votes but it doesn't move the perception needle much.

Hopefully a month from now we are solidly top 25 but I honestly have no idea if this team is top 25 caliber....I thought we were but we are way behind.

 

[RayRay]

All we proved against Creighton is that we can still lose close games against good teams, that Bouk is great and the rest is based on feelings and hopes. Maybe that warrants a few votes but it doesn't move the needle much.

Hopefully a month from now we are solidly top 25 but I honestly have no idea if this team is top 25 caliber....I thought we were but we are way behind.

We just took the #9 team in the country to OT and gave that game away after missing more time on pause then we’ve had to practice and play games. We are behind, yes, but if this is being behind, I can’t wait to see what we look like after a month straight of practices and games. This team could be a legit top 10 team this season, I firmly believe that.

 

[uconngb]

It would be tough to see us drop out of the “receiving votes” category. 17 days without a game and we take the #9 team in the country to OT.

Please be kind to us AP poll... this group deserves the national recognition.

Who cares what the polls say? Only thing that matters is what happens on the court. We gave away a winnable game against a quality opponent. That’s the only thing that matters.

 

[AuRevoirAAC]

Who cares what the polls say? Only thing that matters is what happens on the court. We gave away a winnable game against a quality opponent. That’s the only thing that matters.

I would normally agree, but the polls matter when you’ve been out of the equation for 5 years. We should already be considered in the T25 over some of these other schools, but we were shafted in the preseason polls. I strongly believe that polls shouldn’t be released until the new year for this very reason.

 

[TyroneShoo]

competitiveness and accountability.. I’m telling ya- You may have lost this one, but, that PG has legit heart. You cannot teach giving a shit, He gives a shit, that type of kid will be the reason you win a ton of games.

 

[glastonbury50]

Most likely will hurt us in AP but help us in Kenpom. We win that game we're sitting 24 or 25. I would bet creighton drops to about 16-20 after marquette loss.

 

[ucawn]

Long season. Maybe 5 votes I can’t see many people people putting us higher than 25 after blowing away a good win. 19 more conference games

 

[AuRevoirAAC]

Looks like we didn’t receive any votes this week. I fully understand that this is meaningless in many regards, but it does limit our program from nation recognition and positive exposure. I would also argue that it can affect NCAA tournament seeding.

Why is Duke #20 in the polls this week? Simple answer - they were ranked T10 in the preseason poll. The system is ridiculous and they need to do away with preseason rankings. It makes no sense to me why they wouldn’t start the rankings in the new year. Someone please explain this:

WEEK 5

UConn: AP #N/R
Record: 3-1
Wins: #335 CCSU, #269 Hartford, #34 USC
Losses: #14 Creighton

Duke: AP #20
Record: 3-2
Wins: #333 Coppin State, #262 Bellarmine, #83 Notre Dame
Losses: #11 Illinois, #27 Michigan State

 

[Hi-Low]

2025-26 Men's College Basketball Rankings - ESPN

Find the 2025-26 NCAAM rankings on ESPN, including the Coaches and AP poll for the top 25 NCAAM teams.

www.espn.com

Uconn - 0 votes (AP Poll) / 7 votes (Coaches Poll)
Nova - up to #5 (AP Poll) / #3 (Coaches Poll)
Creighton - drops to #13 (AP Poll) / #13 (Coaches Poll)
Xavier - enters at #22 (AP Poll) / #22 (Coaches Poll)

We'll have opportunities for top 25 wins, just need to close the games out and win.

 

[CashewCrew]

Wild that we didn’t get a single vote.

 

[August_West]

You want to be ranked. Win the game.


Thats always been simple stuff. If we won yesterday we wouldve been top 25 easily. We didnt win.


Just like if we beat Kansas in 95 we were number 1 easily. We didnt win.



Winning takes care of everything, the rest of everything having to do with debating polls are "words are wind"

 

[upstater]

Hate to be the BE naysayer but..FS1 ratings don't lie. This is a stronger conference, and we were hardly ever seen in the AAC, but the nation just doesn't tune into FS1 for college basketball.

 

[superjohn]

Hate to be the BE naysayer but..FS1 ratings don't lie. This is a stronger conference, and we were hardly ever seen in the AAC, but the nation just doesn't tune into FS1 for college basketball.

People don't tune into FS1 for anything. Most people don't even know they have it, being channel 400 something is far from ideal.

 

[ucawn]

No issue here... long season and 1-7 teams in our conference are quality opponents. Plenty of time to prove ourselves before March. We let this 1 get away but we have 19 more

 

[CTBasketball]

We don’t deserve receiving votes since we blew that game. We don’t want any handouts.

 

[bendm]

Hate to be the BE naysayer but..FS1 ratings don't lie. This is a stronger conference, and we were hardly ever seen in the AAC, but the nation just doesn't tune into FS1 for college basketball.

i thought this thread was about rankings not ratings

 

[McLovin]

Hate to be the BE naysayer but..FS1 ratings don't lie. This is a stronger conference, and we were hardly ever seen in the AAC, but the nation just doesn't tune into FS1 for college basketball.

Agreed, but among FS1, CBS Sports, ESPN News and ESPN U (and definitely ESPN+), FS1 has by far the best production value of the group. The commentators understand basketball, know the big east and can pronounce our players names. While FS1 is not as ideal as ESPN/2, CBS & FOX national broadcasts, it's not terrible considering the alternatives. People may not be tuning in for college basketball, but for the fans who do its at least enjoyable to watch (and with the sound on haha).

 

[August_West]

Creighton won yesterday and dropped 4 spots. Ouch.

they lost to Marquette this week

 

[upstater]

i thought this thread was about rankings not ratings

It's the same thing practically. If no one sees you play, how're you going to get ranked?

 

[Kolumbo]

Fans looking to watch their team will find the channel regardless of where it is and casual fans are probably, hopefully, aware that espn isn't the only game in town anymore. Channel guides are universal now, and on my channel guide it couldn't be easier to find:

1205 - espn
1206 - espn2
1207 - NBC Sports
1208 - Fox Sports 1

 

[superjohn]

Fans looking to watch their team will find the channel regardless of where it is and casual fans are probably, hopefully, aware that espn isn't the only game in town anymore. Channel guides are universal now, and on my channel guide it couldn't be easier to find:

1205 - espn
1206 - espn2
1207 - NBC Sports
1208 - Fox Sports 1

For most people with cable ESPN is around 3 in the low #'s along with CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox. FS1 is in the 400's. Most people still just flip through the channels and stop on what grabs their attention, they don't even venture up into the 400's.

 

[Kolumbo]

For most people with cable ESPN is around 3 in the low #'s along with CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox. FS1 is in the 400's. Most people still just flip through the channels and stop on what grabs their attention, they don't even venture up into the 400's.

I disagree. I would say that most people use features and filters like favorites, sports, movies, etc. Most people are not teenagers sitting around with nothing else to do but channel surf. I have no idea if you are right about 3 vs 400 but on my guide, they are within 2 spots of each other.

 

[navery12]

Not sure if it's like this everywhere but in NY and CT for me all the sports channels like FS1 and CBSSN are all in a row. They have FS1 in the 60s but all sports channels in the 200s in a row so it's easy to flip between the local channels to FS1 to CBSSN and all the ESPNs

 

[AuRevoirAAC]

Imagine being in the AAC where games not only go unnoticed, but you have to pay $9.99/mo for an ESPN+ subscription to view a broadcast that’s filmed with a pop-tart box.

 

[Storrs South]

Agreed, but among FS1, CBS Sports, ESPN News and ESPN U (and definitely ESPN+), FS1 has by far the best production value of the group. The commentators understand basketball, know the big east and can pronounce our players names. While FS1 is not as ideal as ESPN/2, CBS & FOX national broadcasts, it's not terrible considering the alternatives. People may not be tuning in for college basketball, but for the fans who do its at least enjoyable to watch (and with the sound on haha).

As reflected in the Big East schedule last week, there are multiple opportunities (I think 4-6) this season where if UConn is playing well they get flexed from FS1 to FOX (not a 1:1 relationship to performance but certainly helps along with whoever they are playing). Plus the occasional CBS game which this year against Georgetown. This is how it goes in the Big East.

Win games, get more recognition in polls, get more TV exposure, stay in polls and so on. Being on FS1 is an upgrade over ESPNU/News or abysmal ESPN+. The AAC has very few ESPN/ESPN2 timeslots going forward as they are now a pawn in the ESPN+ game.

 

[bendm]

It's the same thing practically. If no one sees you play, how're you going to get ranked?

yeah joe six pack stealing cable from his neighbor is casting votes...but if he can find the acc network or big10 network or pac12 network than he can find FS1

 

[upstater]

yeah joe six pack stealing cable from his neighbor is casting votes...but if he can find the acc network or big10 network or pac12 network than he can find FS1

I don't know what your first sentence means...

But--it's been long established that the voters don't watch much. They've admitted as much. This is an unpaid gig that not many take seriously.

 

[bendm]

I don't know what your first sentence means...

But--it's been long established that the voters don't watch much. They've admitted as much. This is an unpaid gig that not many take seriously.

this sky is falling dramedy that began airing yesterday has jumped the shark

AP voters are sport journalists. they dont get paid to cast votes but watching and writing about college basketball is their job. similarly, you don't think the people casting votes in the coaches poll are scouting and watching tape on other teams?

but even if everything you say is true, and no one takes it seriously, then who cares that duke and kentucky can still be ranked with a losing record? it hasnt impacted the BE when it comes to getting tourney bids and that's all that matters at the end of the day

 

[upstater]

this sky is falling dramedy that began airing yesterday has jumped the shark

AP voters are sport journalists. they dont get paid to cast votes but watching and writing about college basketball is their job. similarly, you don't think the people casting votes in the coaches poll are scouting and watching tape on other teams?

but even if everything you say is true, and no one takes it seriously, then who cares that duke and kentucky can still be ranked with a losing record? it hasnt impacted the BE when it comes to getting tourney bids and that's all that matters at the end of the day

All I'm saying is that several voters in the past have admitted they don't keep up. They certainly don't watch 40 games every weekend. They say they start paying attention in late February.