AP Poll Week 17 (UConn #3)

[HuskyHawk]

Recency bias. We were #1 over Purdue and Houston a few weeks ago. All 3 teams have each lost one game since then. Only reason we fell to 3 is because we lost most recently.

It was recency bias that allowed us to jump them. Overall their resume is a little better. It's a virtual tie, which is fine.

Looking at the top 10 and projecting seeds, I expect UNC will get that 2 seed, not Iowa State. Makes for interesting regionals. Marquette can't be in ours. Kansas can't be in Houston's. South regional is Dallas. Midwest is Detroit.

West: Arizona; Kansas/Marquette
Midwest: Purdue; Kansas/Marquette
East: UConn, UNC/Tennessee
South: Houston, Tennessee/UNC

 

[Blue Blood]

It was recency bias that allowed us to jump them. Overall their resume is a little better. It's a virtual tie, which is fine.

Looking at the top 10 and projecting seeds, I expect UNC will get that 2 seed, not Iowa State. Makes for interesting regionals. Marquette can't be in ours. Kansas can't be in Houston's. South regional is Dallas. Midwest is Detroit.

West: Arizona; Kansas/Marquette
Midwest: Purdue; Kansas/Marquette
East: UConn, UNC/Tennessee
South: Houston, Tennessee/UNC

Tennessee is the two seed I'd most like to avoid they have a brutal final stretch but if they win out it'll be mute they'll get the final 1 even if Zona wins out as well

 

[IndyLives]

#3? A slap in the face to a Blue Blood..

 

[MuchoDogYears]

I saw this in Borges' article about the #3 ranking. Wasn't aware of that.

Also, for the first time, there will be an AP Top 25 poll released the day after the national championship game.

Well now….that’s going to skew forever the “most weeks at #1” rankings.

26 weeks at #1 before next game in November.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

UConn is #2 in the USA Today Coaches poll. One point ahead of Purdue.
Purdue is #2 in the AP poll. One point ahead of UConn.

In both polls UConn has more first place votes.

It's a push.

In the USA Today Coaches poll, UConn is #2 by one point over Purdue, but Purdue has one more 1st place vote than UConn.

Still a push, and no big deal. I just liked that the #2 team had the 1-point margin, but 1 fewer votes for #1 in each case.

 

[HooperScooper]

It was recency bias that allowed us to jump them. Overall their resume is a little better. It's a virtual tie, which is fine.

Looking at the top 10 and projecting seeds, I expect UNC will get that 2 seed, not Iowa State. Makes for interesting regionals. Marquette can't be in ours. Kansas can't be in Houston's. South regional is Dallas. Midwest is Detroit.

West: Arizona; Kansas/Marquette
Midwest: Purdue; Kansas/Marquette
East: UConn, UNC/Tennessee
South: Houston, Tennessee/UNC

If Marquette is a 2 or 3 seed can't they be in the same regional as UConn? I believe they can.

 

[Tyler2Rings]

If Marquette is a 2 or 3 seed can't they be in the same regional as UConn? I believe they can.

No they wouldn't put 2 protected seeds from the same conference in one region

We look like we'll be E1, Marquette looks destined to be MW2

 

[Bazz4A]

Anyone see cbs bracketology? Has us in the Midwest and Purdue in the East? Any idea how/why it would shake out that way?

 

[UCONNRPh]

Seaton Hall was devastating. I can't wait when we kick their butt on SundaY

Agreed

 

[HooperScooper]

Anyone see cbs bracketology? Has us in the Midwest and Purdue in the East? Any idea how/why it would shake out that way?

I saw the same. Take a look at his bracket (click on Bracketology). He has it right there so he just messed up on the front page.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Oh that should be meaningful. I predict Duke will be #1

How are they top ten?

 

[YukonDolt6]

I saw the same. Take a look at his bracket (click on Bracketology). He has it right there so he just messed up on the front page.

I am suspicious when a "mistake" results in lots of angry clicks.

 

[jibsey]

Disrepect or undervaluing UConn has never hurt us. So 2 goals. 1. Enter the tourney healthy. 2. Enter the tourney healthy. After that the NCAA tourney is a crapshoot and nothing can be taken for granted. Hurley then motivates the team and the coaching staff prepares for maximum effort. I don’t care whether we win the BE or BE tourney though it would say we’re playing well, yet….that assures nothing. Just ask Marquette.

 

[rman726]

Recency bias. We were #1 over Purdue and Houston a few weeks ago. All 3 teams have each lost one game since then. Only reason we fell to 3 is because we lost most recently.

Houston did have a great week though. Beating Iowa State and @Baylor is pretty damn good. Good for them and their fans.

As others have said, being #1 in the East is all that matters, and barring an absolute meltdown, they should get that.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

Arizona State.

How are they ranked as the 34th best team in the country?

7th place in a weak PAC-12 and 14-14 overall. Recently beaten by 44 points on their home court by Arizona.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Oh that should be meaningful. I predict Duke will be #1

That was my original thought as well, but in reality this might ultimately serve to undermine Dook's various contentions that they were #1 in the 'final' AP poll. This will serve to both illustrate that a poll is irrelevant and spark lots of inane debate between who is #3 or 4, who is 5-8 etc...

 

[KingAG]

No one should be upset about being 3.

The same argument we used for usurping Purdue when we won and get lost and the same argument here.

We lost and we dropped.

It doesn’t actually matter.

Rest up and beat Seton Hall

 

[7774]

Arizona State.

How are they ranked as the 34th best team in the country?

7th place in a weak PAC-12 and 14-14 overall. Recently beaten by 44 points on their home court by Arizona.

One guy voted them 9th, which gave them 17 points. Not sure if it was a typo or what. He voted Arizona 6th, so it wasn't a situation where he ranked ASU instead of them.

Edit: This same guy is one of the 5 that still has us #1, so his rankings seem great to me and I say ASU is just good.

 

[Karmacop]

One guy voted them 9th, which gave them 17 points. Not sure if it was a typo or what. He voted Arizona 6th, so it wasn't a situation where he ranked ASU instead of them.

Edit: This same guy is one of the 5 that still has us #1, so his rankings seem great to me and I say ASU is just good.

I wonder what dirt the Hurley family has on this guy?

 

[navery12]

One guy voted them 9th, which gave them 17 points. Not sure if it was a typo or what. He voted Arizona 6th, so it wasn't a situation where he ranked ASU instead of them.

Edit: This same guy is one of the 5 that still has us #1, so his rankings seem great to me and I say ASU is just good.

Looking through his ballot and I have no idea who he meant to put at 9. Every other team he could conceivably have ranked with State or Arizona in the name is on his ballot. All the teams he had ranked the week prior that dropped off like Colorado State and Dayton lost. My best guess is Auburn who's close alphabetically but he has at 17. Maybe he meant to put them at 9 and then when he got to 17 saw he didn't have them ranked yet and threw them in without double checking. Maybe Utah State, but unranked to 9 would be crazy

 

[Jaydumo20]

So apparently you get more points for beating us than you lose for getting slapped around by by St John’s. Or the voting was done before Sunday’s results. I’d think the Creighton results would more or less be a wash. Also gives some credence to the theory that UConn was their Super Bowl.

Admittedly I was one of the many saying it was Creightons superbowl (even though any top 15s superbowl should be the final four) but if I'm honest with myself I think they are our regular season superbowl as well. They've always had our number and they are not scared of us. I think we are a little scared of them and don't want to see them in the BET or the real tourney. I may get some "thank you for your interest...." but they are our Louisville of the Kemba years.

 

[FearThePups]

#3? A slap in the face to a Blue Blood..

We win a natty last year, lose key players from last year, reload this year and ranked #1 for 6 straight weeks. Blue Blood? We are still getting disrespected big time. I’ve said it in other threads. Danny should continue pounding that drum, bury every opponent going forward, 40 minutes of hell, pedal to the metal.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I cant believe how much whining over falling to #3 im reading here. If #1 had lost in a blow out and fallent two spots i bet the same people would be crying how they shouldve fallen to at least #5. #3 is fine and where we should be after that loss last week.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Surprised at how many first place votes Houston got. We were #1 for 6 weeks and had 15 or 16 votes going to Purdue. All I can say to our team if you expect to be 1 or 2 you can't lose by 19. Can't argue with the ranking, but was hoping for #2. Looking at their schedule, Houston will end the regular season #1.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Admittedly I was one of the many saying it was Creightons superbowl (even though any top 15s superbowl should be the final four) but if I'm honest with myself I think they are our regular season superbowl as well. They've always had our number and they are not scared of us. I think we are a little scared of them and don't want to see them in the BET or the real tourney. I may get some "thank you for your interest...." but they are our Louisville of the Kemba years.

How can the defending national champion and an odds on favorite to repeat have a regular season super bowl?

I hope you're speaking for some segments of the fan base and not the team - particularly the part about being scared.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Ok serious question - Who let South Florida in the AP poll?

Don’t underestimate the power of the AAC. Look what it did for Houston!

 

[Matt1010]

I'm not one for complaining about disrespect but Purdue has 3 bad losses and we lost on the road to the 12th ranked team. You could make a good case we should still be #1, but we're better than Purdue. I get the arguments the other way but we are crushing teams and had 1 bad loss to a good team that shot the lights out at home.

I agree that we are better than Purdue but do think they should be ranked above us at this point. Losing @NW in OT and @Nebraska isn't any different from our loss @SH. They have also beaten a TON of really good teams. Wins over Tennessee (KP-6 and proj 2 seed), Marq (KP 15 and proj 2), Alabama (KP 7 proj 3), Arizona (KP 4 proj 1) and Illinois (KP 10 proj 4). That compares super favorably to home wins against Marq/Creighton and neutral UNC.

 

[Greedo]

It’s wild to me that this is USF’s first time ever in the top 25. How did they get a Big East invite? I honestly don’t remember that addition all that well. It was purely for football?

 

[HooperScooper]

Can't argue with the ranking, but was hoping for #2.

UConn is 1 point behind Purdue in the AP Poll and 1 point ahead in the Coaches Poll. It's so close it's not even worth talking about. Let's average the 2 polls and say they're tied for 2nd.

 

[auror]

Surprised at how many first place votes Houston got. We were #1 for 6 weeks and had 15 or 16 votes going to Purdue. All I can say to our team if you expect to be 1 or 2 you can't lose by 19. Can't argue with the ranking, but was hoping for #2. Looking at their schedule, Houston will end the regular season #1.

Houston had 2 huge wins this week (@Baylor and H-Iowa St).