Top 25's

[USFMB]

Likely they will drop but as those in front of them lose they will climb back up to the top 5 by New Years, as long as they don't lose another. A team that gets an initial high ranking won't move down unless they lose. Last year Georgia was a perfect example. They won 12 straight early against a bunch of really weak programs and got as high as 13th. Once they had to play conference games it became clear they were living on their name and they sank out of the rankings, but it took 2 months. In the meantime a lot of schools got to claim a bogus top 25 win.

That's why I prefer analytic rankings like Massey. They aren't perfect either but they do a lot better job than the AP or Coach's polls. Or even the RPI for that matter.

Thanks.

On the flip side, assuming that USF is ranked about #20 at the time, approximately, how much would a win over Baylor be gained by them in ranking places?

I'm hoping that by the time we face UCONN, at home, we are somewhere in the top 15.

We had some good crowds near the end of last year and are on a record pace for WBB season tickets. I'd like to see that increase even more in the coming years.

BTW, I'm not sure how you came by your screen name, but I was at the Belmont Stakes in 1978, since I was living in LI at the time, and got to watch that great race between Alydar and Affirmed. I remember it well, also because I ended up holding a losing $100 ticket on your namesake.

 

[Alydar]

Thanks.

On the flip side, assuming that USF is ranked about #20 at the time, approximately, how much would a win over Baylor be gained by them in ranking places?

BTW, I'm not sure how you came by your screen name, but I was at the Belmont Stakes in 1978, since I was living in LI at the time, and got to watch that great race between Alydar and Affirmed. I remember it well, also because I ended up holding a losing $100 ticket on your namesake.

Frankly, beating a team like Baylor would move USF up but you have to realize that the AP & USA polls are very skewed in favor of the P5 conferences. Baylor might slide from 5th to 9th and USF might move up only 3 spots.

I like USF. I root for them against all but one team. Fernandez has always has his teams playing hard. In fact they are third on my list of teams likely to beat UConn this year.

In case you didn't know it, Massey had USF ranked 17th at the end of the season and Massey had them about there most of the second half of the year. Massey is blind to conference affiliation and unlike RPI, factors in MOV. USF has a nice OOC schedule this year that should help their RPI. If they could somehow get a 4 or 5 seed they would have a good shot at making the regionals.

I was a fan of Alydar during the 78 TC series. An east coast vs West coast thing. Most people think of Secretariat when they think of a memorable Belmont Stakes but the race between Alydar and Affirmed was the best Belmont I ever saw, before or since. Alydar finished second to Affirmed in all 3 races but the total margin was less than 2 lengths. Alydar got revenge in the breeding shed, becoming a prolific sire.

I use the name as a remembrance for a late friend I met on another board with whom I shared a love of horse racing.

 

[USFMB]

Frankly, beating a team like Baylor would move USF up but you have to realize that the AP & USA polls are very skewed in favor of the P5 conferences. Baylor might slide from 5th to 9th and USF might move up only 3 spots.

I like USF. I root for them against all but one team. Fernandez has always has his teams playing hard. In fact they are third on my list of teams likely to beat UConn this year.

In case you didn't know it, Massey had USF ranked 17th at the end of the season and Massey had them about there most of the second half of the year. Massey is blind to conference affiliation and unlike RPI, factors in MOV. USF has a nice OOC schedule this year that should help their RPI. If they could somehow get a 4 or 5 seed they would have a good shot at making the regionals.

I was a fan of Alydar during the 78 TC series. An east coast vs West coast thing. Most people think of Secretariat when they think of a memorable Belmont Stakes but the race between Alydar and Affirmed was the best Belmont I ever saw, before or since. Alydar finished second to Affirmed in all 3 races but the total margin was less than 2 lengths. Alydar got revenge in the breeding shed, becoming a prolific sire.

I use the name as a remembrance for a late friend I met on another board with whom I shared a love of horse racing.

No question that the polls (not only in WBB) favor the P5 conferences. They are also very quick to drop like a rock a non P5 school who has even a respectable loss to a top team.

I like horse racing too. When I go to upstate NY and visit my son, over the summer, we always head to Saratoga racetrack. I must admit though, that I'm really not sure if it's the horse races there or the great lobster rolls, which I enjoy the most.

 

[Fightin Choke]

The Athlon ranking seemed pretty unpopular, so perhaps we should allow them to make their case. I found their justification for the rankings here: LINK.

 

[Alydar]

Reading these blurbs reminds me of write ups for horses running in the Kentucky Derby. There is always something good to say about every one and a reason why they can win the race.

But a few of the comments give me pause.

Mercedes Russell and Diamond DeShields were two of the best freshmen in the country in 2013-14, - See more at: http://athlonsports.com/magazines/a...ollege-basketball-top-25#sthash.6Z0MuKpV.dpuf

Well, they are half right.

the spotlight at USC may fall on sophomore A’ja Wilson and junior Alaina Coates. Those two delivered impressive numbers last year while coming off the bench. Can they move to another level as starters in 2015-16? - See more at: http://athlonsports.com/magazines/a...ollege-basketball-top-25#sthash.6Z0MuKpV.dpuf

The better question is whether DeShields and Russell can move to the level that Coates and Wilson were at last year.




I guess tOSU is picked 5th solely because they are the best team in the B1G? At least that's what I read. Else how do you pick them 5th after an eleven loss season?

tOSU, TAMU, Texas, Okl, & Duke all had double digit losses last year and yet all are picked higher than Fla. St., who went 32-5 and who brings back 4 of their top 5 scorers, and has Romero who will know a lot more about the teams in the ACC this year.

I give them a semi-pass on UNC because they wrote this before Mavunga left.

U of S. Florida ended the season ranked 17th by Massey while Miss St was ranked 30th. Miss St returns 4 starters after a 27-7 season and is picked 6th while the Univ of S Florida brings back their entire starting team after going 27-8 in a season very much like Miss St's and yet are picked 20th? That 'ol SEC cache strikes again. LOL

I'm looking forward to the Dec 18th game at tOSU(5th) against Princeton(25th).

 

[Nuyoika]

Not really unless you go back to before any of the current rosters were playing. Next April will be the 8th aniversity of Tenn's last championship. I don't think anyone's left from Baylor's last NC. Same for the rest except UConn. Even Notre Dame, in both years that they beat UConn in the FF semi's they had a letdown in the NC game.

I guess I should've been more clear. The point I was making is that they are in uncharted territory. The other Top schools are not. To win in the FF you need exceptional team play or talent and great coaching. All things being considered I can't put them above any of the other teams who should get there.

 

[Orangutan]

Reading these blurbs reminds me of write ups for horses running in the Kentucky Derby. There is always something good to say about every one and a reason why they can win the race.

I had a similar thought. I don't disagree with the blurbs but they have the teams in the wrong order. Mississippi State, Oklahoma, and Northwestern all are higher than Florida State and I can't see any possible logic to that. Those three teams each return 4 starters but so do Florida State and Florida State was MUCH better last year. Then again, their FSU blurb says Romero is a center, so their knowledge of FSU might be lacking in general.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Reading these blurbs reminds me of write ups for horses running in the Kentucky Derby. There is always something good to say about every one and a reason why they can win the race.

But a few of the comments give me pause.



Well, they are half right.



The better question is whether DeShields and Russell can move to the level that Coates and Wilson were at last year.




I guess tOSU is picked 5th solely because they are the best team in the B1G? At least that's what I read. Else how do you pick them 5th after an eleven loss season?

tOSU, TAMU, Texas, Okl, & Duke all had double digit losses last year and yet all are picked higher than Fla. St., who went 32-5 and who brings back 4 of their top 5 scorers, and has Romero who will know a lot more about the teams in the ACC this year.

I give them a semi-pass on UNC because they wrote this before Mavunga left.

U of S. Florida ended the season ranked 17th by Massey while Miss St was ranked 30th. Miss St returns 4 starters after a 27-7 season and is picked 6th while the Univ of S Florida brings back their entire starting team after going 27-8 in a season very much like Miss St's and yet are picked 20th? That 'ol SEC cache strikes again. LOL

I'm looking forward to the Dec 18th game at tOSU(5th) against Princeton(25th).

Ohio State opens against USC in Columbia so that will give a good indication of how good they are. If our football season doesn't turn around there may be a full house for that WBB game.

 

[UcMiami]

Late to the party on the SC debate about Wilson/Coates and the loss of Welch/Ibiam and the stats from last year. Two points:
1. Wilson/Coates not starting meant that they were putting up their numbers against either slightly tired starters 5 minutes into the game, or against some bench players for some significant time that they were on the court - that is part of why 'sixth man' is such an important concept in basketball and has its own award - I think the only pro sport that has a major award for a bench player.

2. Regardless of individual talent, having a four player rotation of that quality at the 4/5 is a wonderful luxury that will be missed - in one obvious way in terms of having 20 fouls available, but also just in the quality of play when players get rested, and bigs do need rest.

Ultimately,I don't think SC misses Ibiam that much but I thought Welch was a huge factor for them last year and will be missed.

On the polls - none of them make much sense for the first 6 weeks of the season, and even early January there can be significant aberrations. What I do like about Massey and Sagarin is that they are numbers based and are not influenced by reputation, conference, etc. Some voters in the AP and ESPN polls take the job seriously, most just mail it in for the most part, and few see enough games to really evaluate all the teams.

 

[triaddukefan]

Ohio State opens against USC in Columbia so that will give a good indication of how good they are. If our football season doesn't turn around there may be a full house for that WBB game.

Looking like its gonna be a long fb season down in Columbia ...

 

[Kaizen]

What happens to Dayton? They gave UConn a surprise in March 30 at Albany.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Looking like its gonna be a long fb season down in Columbia ...

Unfortunately, you may be right, but never count Spurrier out.

 

[UcMiami]

What happens to Dayton? They gave UConn a surprise in March 30 at Albany.

They have some good players coming back but they lost the two best players to graduation, so it will be tough.