The Road Back to #2

[YoungFree]

With the fall of Purdeeeeewwww, the path back to #2 in the AP Poll next week is wide open. Checklist below:

1) Texas Tech upsets Kansas (2 pt dogs but at home) OR West Virginia beats Kansas on Saturday

2) Beat PROVIDENCE

3) Beat Creighton

Destiny is pretty much in our hands.

Seems really doable to me.

Path to #1...little more of a stretch but still possible. Need to add:

1) SMU plays the game of the season and upsets Houston OR Cincy turns up the D and knocks off the Cougars

2) Thump PC by 15+ points

Bonus to lock it up:

1) Bama rocks Ole Miss and Kentucky by 10+ points

2) Ohio State takes down Purdeeewwww

3) Xavier spanks Nova

 

[UConnSwag11]

Providence is going to an absolutely mad house.

 

[Umami Zen]

Control the controllables.. Play tough/smart D and hit the boards hard.. Win 50/50 balls. Two wins this week is a great start.. Time for Dan Hurley to change the narrative with Cooley/Greg McD with W's

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Based on what has happened so far this season, I think a 3 loss team is a lock for a 1 seed, and 5, maybe 6, losses gets UConn a 2 seed. That is what we should care about. Do we really care about whether UConn is ranked in mid-January? Are we Pitt fans or something?

 

[aburks41]

Based on what has happened so far this season, I think a 3 loss team is a lock for a 1 seed, and 5, maybe 6, losses gets UConn a 2 seed. That is what we should care about. Do we really care about whether UConn is ranked in mid-January? Are we Pitt fans or something?

Being #1 would be awesome and great for the program. Tons of free media buzz and recruiting boosts. The team can focus on securing a 1 or 2 seed in the East regional. The fans can focus on the rankings. That's the entire fun of sports

 

[Tenspro2002]

Based on what has happened so far this season, I think a 3 loss team is a lock for a 1 seed, and 5, maybe 6, losses gets UConn a 2 seed. That is what we should care about. Do we really care about whether UConn is ranked in mid-January? Are we Pitt fans or something?

Staying in the top 10, preferably top 5, is important for visibility and buzz (recruiting).

I agree that if we lose only 2 more games, we'll run away with the conference and still get a #1 seed, and probably in MSG. That's an 80th percentile or better outcome.

If we're in a tight race with Xavier, Providence, or Creighton and finish with 5 losses, we're most likely a #2, possibly #3 depending on other conferences. But this would still be good enough for getting preferential first weekend treatment in Albany. This seems like the most likely outcome.

If we fall into a clear 2nd-4th in conference with someone else like Xavier the class of the BE, with 6-7 losses, we'll be pretty much back to preseason expectations and a #4-6 seed. This looks unlikely now, but need to see how the team responds. We've looked like this sort of team for 3 games now.

 

[bendm]

Houston, UConn, and Zona can't afford it but i can definitely see the fourth #1 seed finishing with 5-6 losses out of the big12, sec, or big10. there's so much parity this year and KU, Purdue, Bama, etc arent that good.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Would be happy to see Kansas and UConn at #1-2, however that shakes out. Everybody is going to lose games. Purdue has another tough one coming up. Even Houston isn't going undefeated in the American. KU just won by 2, Texas by 1, Tennessee by 4. Nothing is easy now.

Miami is probably going to move up into the top 10 unless they lose.

 

[gtcam]

Are we aspiring to be #2?
Why worry about ranking this early - need to be looking at winning enough to get a top 2 seed at minimum

 

[YoungFree]

Are we aspiring to be #2?
Why worry about ranking this early - need to be looking at winning enough to get a top 2 seed at minimum

As a fan who likes checklists, it was a simple practice in Fandom. #2 was a dream a couple of years ago and #1 is a rank we haven't held much in the past.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Are we aspiring to be #2?
Why worry about ranking this early - need to be looking at winning enough to get a top 2 seed at minimum

All we should hope for, really, is a spot in Albany. Right now, we'd still have that.

 

[wheelerdog]

Based on what has happened so far this season, I think a 3 loss team is a lock for a 1 seed, and 5, maybe 6, losses gets UConn a 2 seed. That is what we should care about. Do we really care about whether UConn is ranked in mid-January? Are we Pitt fans or something?

You got it brother. #1 or #2 seed likely gets us the Albany / MSG path. That is all that matters

 

[jibsey]

Jesus. Can we beat PC? The seeding and ranking talk is downright dumb on Jan 3rd.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

All we should hope for, really, is a spot in Albany. Right now, we'd still have that.

Might be the first time in the history of the written word that someone expressed an interest in voluntarily visiting Albany.

 

[BGesus4]

Jesus. Can we beat PC? The seeding and ranking talk is downright dumb on Jan 3rd.

One game at a time Jibsey. Thank God you are so locked in this season. Thank you

 

[HuskyHawk]

Might be the first time in the history of the written word that someone expressed an interest in voluntarily visiting Albany.

I’ve never been but I’m up for it if we get the regional. It’s a tiny bit more convenient for me (drive 20 minutes to the Pike. Go west) than for you.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I’ve never been but I’m up for it if we get the regional. It’s a tiny bit more convenient for me (drive 20 minutes to the Pike. Go west) than for you.

I grew up there, I’ve had my fill I think.

 

[YoungFree]

Jesus. Can we beat PC? The seeding and ranking talk is downright dumb on Jan 3rd.

No it's not. What else do we have to do but speculate on here?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Kansas is up 7 with 4:31 to play. Good D, dominating the boards, but the offense has reverted to Jalen Wilson hero ball, and he’s missing all these extra shots. Finally moved the ball to someone else and made a 3. When they play well, Wilson takes a lot fewer shots.

One point game with a minute to play.

 

[Jbirdp5]

Being #1 would be awesome and great for the program. Tons of free media buzz and recruiting boosts. The team can focus on securing a 1 or 2 seed in the East regional. The fans can focus on the rankings. That's the entire fun of sports

Normally being number 1 during the season wouldn’t be that big of a deal back in the old days, but with the new regime and it having been so long I think it would be a big deal this year and I am hoping we hold that spot at some point this season. Obviously not as much as AFTER the season!

 

[Ewekon]

Staying in the top 10, preferably top 5, is important for visibility and buzz (recruiting).

I agree that if we lose only 2 more games, we'll run away with the conference and still get a #1 seed, and probably in MSG. That's an 80th percentile or better outcome.

If we're in a tight race with Xavier, Providence, or Creighton and finish with 5 losses, we're most likely a #2, possibly #3 depending on other conferences. But this would still be good enough for getting preferential first weekend treatment in Albany. This seems like the most likely outcome.

If we fall into a clear 2nd-4th in conference with someone else like Xavier the class of the BE, with 6-7 losses, we'll be pretty much back to preseason expectations and a #4-6 seed. This looks unlikely now, but need to see how the team responds. We've looked like this sort of team for 3 games now.

So you have Houston #1?