AP Top 25 (#20)

[HuskyNationJE]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

 

[Matt1010]

Sound about right to me until we prove that we deserve to be ranked higher

 

[Kitaman]

Looks like we're the only team reppin the AAC. Ouch!

 

[James]

this is ideal imo. perfect position; got some respect with some upside to surprise some folk too.

 

[tcf15]

Will Maryland be #1 when UConn plays them on 12/8?

Here's the schedule through 12/8 for UNC, UK and Maryland (away games/neutral court/ranked opponents in red)

UNC
11/13 - Temple (N)
11/15 - Fairfield (H)
11/18 - Wofford (H)
11/21 - Northern Iowa (A)
11/23 - Northwestern (N)
11/24 - Missouri/Kansas State (N)
12/1 - #3 Maryland (H)
12/6 - Davidson (H)

UK
11/13 - Albany (H)
11/14 - NJIT (H)
11/17 - #5 Duke (N)
11/20 - Wright State (H)
11/24 - Boston University (H)
11/27 - USF (A)
11/30 - Illinois State (H)
12/3 - UCLA (A)

Maryland
11/13 - Mount St. Mary's MD (H)
11/17 - Georgetown (H)
11/20 - Rider (H)
11/24 - Illinois State (N)
11/25 - Rhode Island/TCU (N)
11/28 - Cleveland State (H)
12/1 - #1 UNC (A)
12/4 - Saint Francis (H)

 

[Silk31]

Looks like we're the only team reppin the AAC. Ouch!

At least the AP poll has SMU as a team just outside the top 25 while the coach's poll inexplicably didn't even give them any votes

I like this AP poll better for more selfish reasons

 

[Rico444]

I was so confused when I saw UNC playing Maryland on December 1st. Damn conference realignment.

 

[aceboon]

I have a hard time believing SMU would be unranked if they weren't banned. I see/hear cbb writers get upset whenever non fans bring up its only a one month sport and that the regular season is meaningless, and now just because SMU is banned from the postseason they don't get ranked. I also think Cincy should be in the top 25 somewhere, they return everyone that mattered from a top 35 team.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Sound about right to me until we prove that we deserve to be ranked higher

I don't even know what this means. Why have a ranking at all, then? Who "deserves" to be ranked highly before any games are played?

 

[Kitaman]

I have a hard time believing SMU would be unranked if they weren't banned. I see/hear cbb writers get upset whenever non fans bring up its only a one month sport and that the regular season is meaningless, and now just because SMU is banned from the postseason they don't get ranked. I also think Cincy should be in the top 25 somewhere, they return everyone that mattered from a top 35 team.

I noticed the AP polls also have SMU listed as 'dropped from the rankings', along with several other teams.

Any idea what that means, having no games being played or significant injuries/transfers reported?

 

[UConNick]

Still no AAC respect, but that's a well versed narrative I won't get into now. Overall, I like this poll much better than the Coaches' Poll (mostly, for obvious reasons ). Also, they aren't quite as high on an Arizona team that I think is going to struggle. While I love Trier and their front court is solid, their primary ball handler, unless Trier or York play at the 1, is Jackson-Cartwright. I believe they will get smashed when they play at Gonzaga. We'll have our chances against MD, Michigan, and hopefully those Zags. Also if Lyle can run a good point for Ohio St., they've got so much athleticism and talent on the wings. They could be really good.

 

[Leebo]

I noticed the AP polls also have SMU listed as 'dropped from the rankings', along with several other teams.

Any idea what that means, having no games being played or significant injuries/transfers reported?

They were on the final top 25 of last year.

 

[UConNick]

I noticed the AP polls also have SMU listed as 'dropped from the rankings', along with several other teams.

Any idea what that means, having no games being played or significant injuries/transfers reported?

Just from the final poll of 2014-15 right before the tourney I think.

 

[Yankees32123]

It's inexplicable how Wisconsin is at #17. Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig are not enough and that's actually all they have. You can't lose Kaminsky, Dekker, Gasser, and Jackson, replace them with nobody and expect to compete the year after. This is the most perplexing part of the top 25. Cal is too high, Kentucky too high, Duke too high, Arizona too high, and I think Gonzaga will struggle w/o Pangos and no backcourt to go with that solid front court. Omitting SMU is laughable. They are a top 20 team and a postseason ban should have no affect on that. I have a lot of problems with this top 25, but I'm okay with being #20. I think we should be more around the #14-17 range but I think we get there eventually. We will outplay our ranking, while teams like Wisconsin won't even be close.

 

[James]

Not trying to get ahead of myself, but uconn , if undefeated, would be a top 15 or 10 team entering the maryland game.

 

[bear]

The Michigan game will be a good barometer. We have a more talented roster, let's see them go out and execute.

 

[DaveHuskiesFan]

Not trying to get ahead of myself, but uconn , if undefeated, would be a top 15 or 10 team entering the maryland game.

Top 10 easily if they were undefeated. I'd guess somewhere between 7-9.

 

[Matrim55]

I think Gonzaga will struggle w/o Pangos and no backcourt to go with that solid front court.

Perkins is for real.

 

[Matt1010]

I don't even know what this means. Why have a ranking at all, then? Who "deserves" to be ranked highly before any games are played?

It's pretty simple...we were not a good team last year and although we made some nice additions we also lost our best player. Because of that I figured the media/voters would have us in the 18-25 range until we win a couple big games. The people who make these decisions are not BY guys who analyze our team inside/out and see the high ceiling for this season, therefore they aren't going to mark us down as a top 10 preseason team.

 

[CallMeBruce]

It's pretty simple...we were not a good team last year and although we made some nice additions we also lost our best player. Because of that I figured the media/voters would have us in the 18-25 range until we win a couple big games. The people who make these decisions are not BY guys who analyze our team inside/out and see the high ceiling for this season, therefore they aren't going to mark us down as a top 10 preseason team.

That is exactly their job. But beyond that, it's not like we're the only team with a markedly different roster than last year. I'm not even quibbling with the ranking. I'm just talking about the silliness of saying that UConn is uniquely undeserving of a high ranking because of roster turnover.

 

[OkaForPrez]

That is exactly their job. But beyond that, it's not like we're the only team with a markedly different roster than last year. I'm not even quibbling with the ranking. I'm just talking about the silliness of saying that UConn is uniquely undeserving of a high ranking because of roster turnover.

So what you're saying is pre-season polls are dumb? Go on.

 

[Matt1010]

So what you're saying is pre-season polls are dumb? Go on.

We can all agree on that. All I was trying to say is that the pre-season ranking is where I expected it to be. If all goes well in the early season we won't be in the 20s for long.

 

[kobe]

At least the AP poll has SMU as a team just outside the top 25 while the coach's poll inexplicably didn't even give them any votes

I like this AP poll better for more selfish reasons

SMU's postseason ban prohibits them from being included in the Coaches Poll.

 

[raf46]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

# 20 with four new players. Good players returning. A coach we trust. As our season goes along, our ranking will improve. We are Houston bound! and we are only 25 - 1 odds to win it all.

 

[superjohn]

#20 sounds about right to start the season, we have the talent to be a top 10 team but we are coming off an NIT season and we have 4 important new pieces that need time to gel and we have to find an alpha dog.