AP Top 25 (#20)

[upstater]

That Michigan game is huge. Michigan is ranked, Beilien is an excellent coach who will have his team ready, as opposed to teams that have a lot of talent but which are a bit of a shambles early on.

 

[Silk31]

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

ahhh that makes sense then...didn't recall this happening to us that one year when we were ranked early on - I guess we were only ranked in the AP then

 

[DarthGrumpy]

OK with UConn's ranking as they need to prove themselves. Not so happy with UNC's as this is the reason why Bubba & co. found a pair of sacrificial lambs in their women's basketball and men's soccer teams to throw under the bus so that any potential NCAA sanctions for decades of academic cheating won't get in their way of a potential NCAA title run. Their should be one huge asterisk next to their rankings.

 

[UConn990411]

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

Pretty sure UConn was ranked at times the year they were banned, no?

 

[UConn990411]

OK with UConn's ranking as they need to prove themselves. Not so happy with UNC's as this is the reason why Bubba & co. found a pair of sacrificial lambs in their women's basketball and men's soccer teams to throw under the bus so that any potential NCAA sanctions for decades of academic cheating won't get in their way of a potential NCAA title run. Their should be one huge asterisk next to their rankings.

Don't worry: their lack of shooting and defensive ability will get in the way of a potential title run.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Don't worry: their lack of shooting and defensive ability will get in the way of a potential title run.

Which the NCAA will help out with as one of the regional rounds in 2016 is scheduled for Raleigh.

 

[tcf15]

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

Pretty sure UConn was ranked at times the year they were banned, no?

Yep, ranked #23 in AP after beating MSU and received votes in coaches poll: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/year/2013/week/2/seasontype/2

 

[BUConn10]

Preseason polls are "dumb", yes. But at the end of the day they DO matter. If you start the season at a higher rank, then it's easier to move up the ranks as there are less teams between you and #1. These rankings aren't actually calculated based on a teams talent. You are ranked based on who you beat, if someone ahead of you loses everyone moves up one spot, it's a ladder system.

And at the end of the season, these "pointless" rankings help determine seeding, so yes it matters.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

That Michigan game is huge. Michigan is ranked, Beilien is an excellent coach who will have his team ready, as opposed to teams that have a lot of talent but which are a bit of a shambles early on.

And yet that game won't even be televised on a real channel! But don't worry. We get to see Syracuse and Charlotte on ESPN.

 

[Tenspro2002]

That Michigan game is huge. Michigan is ranked, Beilien is an excellent coach who will have his team ready, as opposed to teams that have a lot of talent but which are a bit of a shambles early on.

I said it earlier and I'll probably say it again.

That Michigan game -- between the result itself and the pathway it sets us on in the B4A bracket -- is worth up to 2-3 seed lines in March. The importance of that game, even this early in the season, cannot be overstated.

 

[CTBasketball]

I said it earlier and I'll probably say it again.

That Michigan game -- between the result itself and the pathway it sets us on in the B4A bracket -- is worth up to 2-3 seed lines in March. The importance of that game, even this early in the season, cannot be overstated.

Agree Tens. Its one of our chances to get a marquee win against a B10 team that should contend for the regular season title. A win there is likely a top 20 RPI win.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Agree Tens. Its one of our chances to get a marquee win against a B10 team that should contend for the regular season title. A win there is likely a top 20 RPI win.

The difference between (likely) playing Syracuse instead of Charlotte, and then another winner's-bracket team instead of a loser's-bracket team is also big.

 

[champs99and04]

@Tenspro2002 can't disagree. It reminds me a lot of the Wichita State game to open the 2010 Maui Invitational. It was the difference between playing Michigan State and Kentucky and playing Chaminade.

There is a lot of depth in this tournament, so there's a good chance we get two games vs. top comp regardless of how things play out. You've got Gonzaga, Michigan, Syracuse, Texas, and Texas A&M. You have to figure there is a good chance all five dance, and obviously, not all five can advance to the semi-finals.

 

[OkaForPrez]

NCAA March Madness ‏@marchmadness 18h18 hours ago
Since 1984-85, 85.6% of teams ranked in the AP preseason poll reached the NCAA tournament: http://on.ncaa.com/1OjFKoi

 

[Silk31]

NCAA March Madness ‏@marchmadness 18h18 hours ago
Since 1984-85, 85.6% of teams ranked in the AP preseason poll reached the NCAA tournament: http://on.ncaa.com/1OjFKoi

The only teams to be unranked in the pre-season AP poll and went on to the win it all...

1985 Villanova, 2003 Syracuse, 2006 Florida and 2011 Connecticut

Those unexpected titles are always the best