Graham Hayes: Should UConn be Ranked #1

[Wbbfan1]

http://espn.go.com/ncw/notebook/_/p...ace-south-carolina-gamecocks-nation-no-1-team

Deleted previous post as I had the wrong writer.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

http://espn.go.com/ncw/notebook/_/p...ace-south-carolina-gamecocks-nation-no-1-team

Deleted previous post as I had the wrong writer.

YES. No, Graham, slim margin not.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Hayes has it right in the article but the headline writer has "UConn" and "should" reversed.

 

[rbny1]

Regardless of which team is actually better, I think the rankings are correct: SC (undefeated) #1 and UConn (one loss) #2. I just hope both teams win out until their meeting in February in what promises to be a great game.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Regardless of which team is actually better, I think the rankings are correct: SC (undefeated) #1 and UConn (one loss) #2. I just hope both teams win out until their meeting in February in what promises to be a great game.

Then what's the criteria for voting? A simple comparison of the numbers in the loss column? Texas has lost but they hadn't lost as of last week. How could we have been ranked #2 with one loss when there was an undefeated team ranked below us?

 

[mr006]

Princeton #1. They have one more win than SC.

 

[rbny1]

Then what's the criteria for voting? A simple comparison of the numbers in the loss column? Texas has lost but they hadn't lost as of last week. How could we have been ranked #2 with one loss when there was an undefeated team ranked below us?

I don't know if there are specific criteria. Someone else may be able to answer that. I would say: South Carolina has played a reasonably tough schedule, is undefeated and deserves #1 until proven otherwise. Of course, "otherwise" may be proven when USC plays UConn.

 

[EricLA]

It's sort of the same argument people make when UCONN comes off of a NC, but does not start the following season ranked #1 (or does start the following season ranked #1).

UCONN did lose to Stanford, and even worse, it's not a very good Stanford team - possibly one that should not be ranked in the top 15. And while casting aside that loss, you can say UCONN's wins over top competition has been much more impressive, UCONN still has one loss. And their win over ND was when ND was without uber-frosh Turner. But you can also argue that SC's wins, even over average competition, has been "less than"...

the good thing is that both teams meet in Feb - and the debate will be answered - at least for the time being!!

 

[FairView]

It doesn't bother me that UConn is number two in a couple of polls.
UConn lost, SC did not. It's not a big deal.
February 9 will be fun.

 

[Stewie Fan]

The rankings are what they are until Fe. 9th., after that UCONN will be no.1 until the finish of this year and the beginning of next years season where they will start no.1 again. Don't see anyone in sight that's going to change this anytime soon. GO UCONN

 

[DobbsRover2]

Princeton #1. They have one more win than SC.

Well, then you'll love the Warren Nolan NPI index which has Princeton #1 ahead of UConn at #2.

The best rating system has to be brain-dead RPI, which now has UConn at #4 behind ND, UTenn and KY, with USCar at #7. But of course there are learned posters who swear by its supreme worth in all there team comparisons.

Sagarin and Massey of course have UConn well ahead with USCar at #2 and ND at #3 before they start to vary.

 

[mrmojack]

It's who is #1 at the end that counts. I'm looking forward to Feb 9th and I
hope SC does not lose until then. I really believe that the Stanford loss was
a good punch in the nose for this team. Now they are focused.

Gampel will be rocking on Feb 9th. We will see who is who on that night.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

It doesn't bother me that UConn is number two in a couple of polls.
UConn lost, SC did not. It's not a big deal.
February 9 will be fun.

Meanwhile, advantage South Carolina. Big deals are made up of a whole bunch of little deals. Geno (and other coaches) place such emphasis of practice performance because they know the "Big Deal" in April is a result of all those "little deal" practices.

 

[stwainfan]

Interesting he has Oregon State ranked #4 ahead of Notre Dame.

 

[Justavisitor]

It's sort of the same argument people make when UCONN comes off of a NC, but does not start the following season ranked #1 (or does start the following season ranked #1).

UCONN did lose to Stanford, and even worse, it's not a very good Stanford team - possibly one that should not be ranked in the top 15. And while casting aside that loss, you can say UCONN's wins over top competition has been much more impressive, UCONN still has one loss. And their win over ND was when ND was without uber-frosh Turner. But you can also argue that SC's wins, even over average competition, has been "less than"...

the good thing is that both teams meet in Feb - and the debate will be answered - at least for the time being!!

Can't argue this. The rankings will get settled on the court, unless SC drops a game before then. A&M gives South Carolina fits, so expect that game to be close.

 

[HGN]

Nope......The polls got it right. USC should be ranked #1 and UConn #2.....I don't think there is so much a debate as it is an opinion. USC is in a strong Conference and is undefeated. UConn has a proven track record and has defeated Ranked teams and is the defending NC and deserves the respect.

Indeed the February game will reveal the true #1..........Even the loser shouldn't drop more than 3 spots.

 

[Intpseeker]

Polls, for this program, don't mean jack. Only the final poll matters, and even that is only because it implies the winner of the NC.

For a team like SC, the polls are an indicator that the program is going in the right direction, like UConn in the '90's when we got our first #1 ranking.

Even if we beat them on 2/9, and if they play the way I've seen so far, it won't be close, but the polls still will not matter to this team. Only the win and movement towards the ultimate goal.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

It's who is #1 at the end that counts. I'm looking forward to Feb 9th and I
hope SC does not lose until then. I really believe that the Stanford loss was
a good punch in the nose for this team. Now they are focused.

Gampel will be rocking on Feb 9th. We will see who is who on that night.

Who's #1 at the end counts most but it's not the only thing that counts. Today the buzz revolves around South Carolina, in part, because they're #1. "Buzz" can be a driver in a self-fulfilling prophesy because those who want to excel are attracted by excellence. Right now, South Carolina is being held up as the best of the best. No matter how many times someone says polls don't matter, time spent atop the polls carries benefits.

There is a lesser known "little sister" to the "Law of Diminishing Returns" known as the "Law of Increasing Returns." Increasing Returns holds that there is a point on the returns curve where returns increase even when effort expended on the drivers of returns remains constant or declines. UConn is likely beyond that point at the present time. Geno and company only have so much capacity. The efficiencies the coaches have implemented in the processes are already baked into the pie. Despite expending roughly equivalent energy year over year UConn has increased its lead over the rest of WCBB because excellence begets and attracts excellence. At the present time, South Carolina is likely deriving excessive benefits due to its poll position.

 

[jsloanjr]

Nobody wins NC in Jan or Feb..............April is the only poll that counts........USC is still undefated and #1 until Feb 9th or April?...........

 

[DobbsRover2]

Nope.The polls got it right. USC should be ranked #1 and UConn #2.....I don't think there is so much a debate as it is an opinion. USC is in a strong Conference and is undefeated. UConn has a proven track record and has defeated Ranked teams and is the defending NC and deserves the respect.

Indeed the February game will reveal the true #1.....Even the loser shouldn't drop more than 3 spots.

Not necessarily saying that USC shouldn't be ranked #1 but I'm also not sure it's logical to say that a team with a weak OOC SOS should be at the top spot because it's in a top conference. The rankings should be based on the games that have been played this season, not on future opponents. At this point USCar has played 4 SEC games against teams whose best Sagarin ranking is #30 and who together average a #76 ranking. That's not very strong. As noted elsewhere, if years ago a team with the #52 SOS was ranked #1, the Summitteers would have called it pathetic and said the team is from a creampuff conference. Obviously they can't say that now since it's the SEC we're talking about, but teams do have to be ranked on the games they've actually played.

 

[Striper69]

"There is also nobody on Connecticut's roster with as much untapped potential as A'ja Wilson"

Sorry, but Kiah Stokes has just as much potential if not more. You might include Saniya as well...

 

[sarals24]

Sorry, Saniya and A'Ja are on different levels. Kiah still has a lot she could do, but hasn't done in her four years.

 

[j66kicker]

Nope.The polls got it right. USC should be ranked #1 and UConn #2.....I don't think there is so much a debate as it is an opinion. USC is in a strong Conference and is undefeated. UConn has a proven track record and has defeated Ranked teams and is the defending NC and deserves the respect.

Indeed the February game will reveal the true #1.....Even the loser shouldn't drop more than 3 spots.

When #1 plays #2, why should the loser drop ANY spots below #2?

 

[j66kicker]

"There is also nobody on Connecticut's roster with as much untapped potential as A'ja Wilson"

Sorry, but Kiah Stokes has just as much potential if not more. You might include Saniya as well...

Think "untapped" is the operative word here. There is a lot of sentiment on this board that UCONN may tend to tap their players' potential more than the current version of LadyVol does

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Not necessarily saying that USC shouldn't be ranked #1 but I'm also not sure it's logical to say that a team with a weak OOC SOS should be at the top spot because it's in a top conference. The rankings should be based on the games that have been played this season, not on future opponents. At this point USCar has played 4 SEC games against teams whose best Sagarin ranking is #30 and who together average a #76 ranking. That's not very strong. As noted elsewhere, if years ago a team with the #52 SOS was ranked #1, the Summitteers would have called it pathetic and said the team is from a creampuff conference. Obviously they can't say that now since it's the SEC we're talking about, but teams do have to be ranked on the games they've actually played.

Despite the sensibleness of your post we don't know the criteria by which teams are ranked...or, at least, I don't know the criteria. We also don't know what the rankings are supposed to represent. South Carolina is now #1 on 28 ballots. Were I to vote, what should my first place ballot mean? Should it mean that I believe the team I nominate could beat any other team tonight? Or is it the team I think has played the best overall so far this season? Or maybe it's the team that I think will win the national championship this year.