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Message: [QUOTE="Carnac, post: 2390828, member: 5798"] [B] Oldude, this IS NOT directed at you[/B], I understand and respect your position. However you may address this query if you wish. This post is for general consumption and debate. [B]Allow me to play the devil's advocate for a moment - [/B]I may be wrong about the concept of a "preseason" poll, here's why - I've always thought that the rankings were just for [B][I]the beginning[/I][/B] of the season, subject to realignment/repositioning as the season progresses. It was not intended to be a prediction of the final order of the ranked team's finish AFTER the final four. Maybe for the first month of the season, but not the whole year. Teams usually don't drop in the rankings unless they lose. Most top ranked teams play a soft OOC schedule to begin the season, so the probability of them losing early on is almost nil. For them, the real competition doesn't begin until after the Christmas break. To me, the preseason polls reflect who we think the best teams are to begin the season only. This is why I can understand ([B]not necessarily agree with[/B]) those who subscribe to the theory that the winner of the NC only a few months ago should retain their #1 ranking until they lose, or another team over takes them in the standings, given that no games have been played since they won the NC. I understand that transfers in both directions along with player graduation and injury are taken into account in the [I]perception[/I] of a team's ability to compete. I also understand the logic that resides on the other side of the argument as well. Sometimes that logic can be inerrant. [URL='http://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/15230529/notre-dame-fighting-irish-lead-way-way-too-early-preseason-top-25-rankings']It was last year when UConn was ranked 4th to begin the season, [/URL]but quickly rose to #1 after beating #2 Baylor and #1 Notre Dame 2 weeks into the season. No one saw UConn's potential in October. Mississippi State was not ranked in the top 10 to begin the season, why not? Speculation and perception. South Carolina was not the odds-on favorite in Las Vegas (or any other poll) to win it all. If you're wrong about those two teams, why can't you be wrong about the defending NC beginning the next season at #1? These polls are speculative at best based on the rater's perspective which as we know can vary greatly from person to person. Baylor and Notre Dame were deemed to be final four locks the last two years by WCBB "experts" and officials, but both failed to make it to the final weekend. Someone "perceived" at the beginning of the season that they would be there come March. Everyone is "perceiving" that UConn will be the team to beat, and win the NC this year, yet they haven't played a game yet. No team has ever won a championship on paper. I wonder just how sure anyone would be that their preseason picks/rankings are accurate to the point of betting their home and life savings on them. If you're almost positive, then it's not gambling, it's an investment on a return you're almost guaranteed you will receive. So how can anyone suggest that one person's picks are better or worse than the next guy? When we discuss preseason polls, all we're really talking about is perception in anticipation of events that are yet to be. Kinda like playing the horses. They all look good BEFORE the race begins. After all, they're ALL thoroughbreds aren't they? In short, I say that preseason polls are good for nothing more than fodder for debate. [/QUOTE]

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