First real top 25 for the season.

[Vowelguy]

A look back on board opinion 4 months ago:


Official 2016-17 rankings thread

 

[Vowelguy]

A look back on board opinion 4 months ago:
Official 2016-17 rankings thread

The consensus ranking from then:

1. Notre Dame
2. Baylor
3. UConn
4. Ohio St
5. Texas
6. South Carolina
7. Stanford
8. Louisville
9. Maryland
10. UCLA

 

[SCGamecock]

A look back on board opinion 4 months ago:


Official 2016-17 rankings thread

Seems like I've been high on Ohio State for a while now. Better not let me down Buckeyes. I really think they're in for a great year.. Elite Eight for sure, possible Final Four if the chips fall correctly.

 

[geneticrex]

ND 6th???

Laughable.

 

[MilfordHusky]

UConn – Losing one of the greatest groups of all time including possibly one of the best college basketball players ever in Breanna Stewart is a set back for any program. For UConn who will the next star be? In 2016 they had a good recruiting class but not star studded with Top 20 talent. Look for a lot to be expected out of Kia Nurse, Napheesa Collier, and Katie Lou Samuelson and their growth from last year to this year will determine which direction this season goes for the Huskies. Dancing at the Final Four for this group will be one of Geno’s greater accomplishments as a coach.

Oh it's on now.​

The Regionals are in Bridgeport. Can someone beat the Huskies there? I doubt it.

Several teams will be good, but I think the only ones with a real shot at UConn are ND, Baylor, and maybe SC. I don't think that Maryland or OSU are good enough. Tennessee is not.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The consensus ranking from then:

1. Notre Dame
2. Baylor
3. UConn
4. Ohio St
5. Texas
6. South Carolina
7. Stanford
8. Louisville
9. Maryland
10. UCLA

I'd move SC, Maryland, and UCLA up a little. I think Stanford is too high, and OSU may be.

 

[easttexastrash]

The consensus ranking from then:

1. Notre Dame
2. Baylor
3. UConn
4. Ohio St
5. Texas
6. South Carolina
7. Stanford
8. Louisville
9. Maryland
10. UCLA

We've had a lot to drink since then.

 

[wallman]

Just had some of that Florida OJ that he was drinking and I think UCLA should be the clear number 1

 

[Nuyoika]

Just had some of that Florida OJ that he was drinking and I think UCLA should be the clear number 1

How dare you tempt me with a Mimosa...

 

[EricLA]

The Regionals are in Bridgeport. Can someone beat the Huskies there? I doubt it.

Several teams will be good, but I think the only ones with a real shot at UConn are ND, Baylor, and maybe SC. I don't think that Maryland or OSU are good enough. Tennessee is not.

A few random thoughts. First, it's sort of funny that his list is getting so much debate. I get why, but no Syracuse, Stanford, or Tenn in the top 25 is a joke and makes the entire list laughable. But again, it's just one man's opinion. I think there are several UCONN, ND, Baylor and SC fans on this board alone who know more about WCBB than Kenny Kalina.

With regards to Tennessee, I would love to see them legitimately fall out of the top 25 with a string of bad losses this coming year. Last year it took them forever to drop out of the top 25 because they started the season at about #4. They lost Moore, Graves (both to graduation) and Carter (injuries - retired), Cooper (injury - redshirt). they added Harris, Nunn and Green. Still, on paper, you have Russell, Deshields, and Nared as guaranteed starters. I would imagine the other starters would be Reynolds and Milddleton/Jackson, or maybe one of the forwards.

As we always say when looking at them on paper, there is some good talent there. Nared and Deshields are talented. Reynolds is solid. It remains to be seen if they can play with anything resembling chemistry...

 

[wallman]

How dare you tempt me with a Mimosa...

Well if you're paying, I'm in

 

[Nuyoika]

A few random thoughts. First, it's sort of funny that his list is getting so much debate. I get why, but no Syracuse, Stanford, or Tenn in the top 25 is a joke and makes the entire list laughable. But again, it's just one man's opinion. I think there are several UCONN, ND, Baylor and SC fans on this board alone who know more about WCBB than Kenny Kalina.

With regards to Tennessee, I would love to see them legitimately fall out of the top 25 with a string of bad losses this coming year. Last year it took them forever to drop out of the top 25 because they started the season at about #4. They lost Moore, Graves (both to graduation) and Carter (injuries - retired), Cooper (injury - redshirt). they added Harris, Nunn and Green. Still, on paper, you have Russell, Deshields, and Nared as guaranteed starters. I would imagine the other starters would be Reynolds and Milddleton/Jackson, or maybe one of the forwards.

As we always say when looking at them on paper, there is some good talent there. Nared and Deshields are talented. Reynolds is solid. It remains to be seen if they can play with anything resembling chemistry...

Even if they find some sort of chemistry they still gotta figure out how to put the ball through the hoop. They were missing wide open... and I mean WIDE OPEN shots for most of the year. Some of the chemistry issues could have been caused by what seemed like completely random substitution patterns. They will be in the pre-season Top 25 based on the perceived talent alone however I can't imagine they would start in Top 10.

 

[huskyd]

Kenny Kalina tells us how he sees things: LINK His rating has a blurb on each team so it's worth a read.

1. South Carolina
2. Ohio State
3. Louisville
4. Baylor
5. UConn
6. Notre Dame
7. Texas
8. Maryland
9. UCLA
10. Mississippi St.

Mucho talk of players here but scant mention of coaches. Some of us believe that with a talented bunch of athletes the coach makes the difference. We got Geno and they don't.

 

[watanabe]

Do these rankings measure team member talent alone,
Or do they include team chemistry, coach, asst coaches?

 

[chrissaran]

Kelsey Mitchell as the best women's college basketball player men or women? That tells you all you need to know. The only thing she's best at is taking a lot of shots. Talented offensively - yes. The best women's or men's college basketball player - NO WAY. No mention of one of the best freshmen from last year - Eleanna Christinaki of the Florida Gators. She's a player I wish UConn had. There's no way to take this guy seriously. As Fightin Choke said no Syracuse, Stanford or Washington. Absurd.

 

[ASweet3781]

Notre Dame has a ton of talent and the best coach not named Geno Auriemma. To me, they are the #1 team in the nation. They defend very well and are far better on offense than South Carolina.

I agree with you first 2 sentences.

But ND defends well? They didn't play a lick of defense and allowed an ordinary Stanford team to light them up like a Christmas tree.

 

[Vowelguy]

The consensus ranking from then:

1. Notre Dame
2. Baylor
3. UConn
4. Ohio St
5. Texas
6. South Carolina
7. Stanford
8. Louisville
9. Maryland
10. UCLA

I initially had Stanford at #4, but will lower them now that Lili Thompson won't be back.
Bay - ND - Ohio St remains my clear top 3.
I'd also drop Tenn out of the top 15 (from #12) given the injuries.

 

[Zorro]

I HATE weasel words! including possibly one of the best college basketball players ever in Breanna Stewart . Yeah, Kenny, you could even change that "possibly" to a "probably" and still be on pretty safe ground! Sheesh! You could even probably change the "one" to "three" and not be too far off. Why the fear of making a definite statement?

 

[asuwish]

Notre Dame has a ton of talent and the best coach not named Geno Auriemma. To me, they are the #1 team in the nation. They defend very well and are far better on offense than South Carolina.

A healthy ND team is easily #1 Great outside shooting, tons of depth, very athletic, and can flat out score. The 2 incoming freshman are very good as is the RS Freshman who sat out last year.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

I think the top eight are a real crapshoot.

Exactly. But this is also true: " Dancing at the Final Four for this group will be one of Geno’s greater accomplishments as a coach."

I would at least switch UConn and Notre Dame. And I might also switch Notre Dame with Louisville.

In my view, Texas and Baylor will be awesome, and will contend with South Carolina. In terms of raw talent, those three have it. But they don't have the greatest coaches around.

That's their problem. And that's why Connecticut will have a chance come March.

But if Coach Geno pulls it off, it might just be his greatest coaching job of all time.

 

[Stinger92860]

The Regionals are in Bridgeport. Can someone beat the Huskies there? I doubt it.

Several teams will be good, but I think the only ones with a real shot at UConn are ND, Baylor, and maybe SC. I don't think that Maryland or OSU are good enough. Tennessee is not.

Duke beat us there.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Duke beat us there.

In overtime, when Duke was ranked #1 or so and we were clearly a flawed team. I don't think we'll draw a top-2 team, and I think we'll be better than the UConn team that lost to Duke.

 

[Hope]

Do these rankings measure team member talent alone,
Or do they include team chemistry, coach, asst coaches?

Coaches play a large role. Which is why y'all--but not me--will be scratching your heads when Kentucky cracks the top 25. It may take until February but I know MM has a couple of aces up each of his sleeves.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

That is such a ridiculous TOP 25 that it doesn't warrant discussion. Next topic, please.

 

[CocoHusky]

Coaches play a large role. Which is why y'all--but not me--will be scratching your heads when Kentucky cracks the top 25. It may take until February but I know MM has a couple of aces up each of his sleeves.

Don't get this twisted. If when Kentucky cracks the top 25 it will not be that big a deal because there are some really dreadful teams out there. Given all the talent and great coach (LoL) that Kentucky had last year they should have been a FF team, no? Why are there more players leaving Kentucky than Syrian refugees?