Where will UConn be ranked tomorrow?

[Bone Dog]

Isn’t the Big East a little like a Mid Major conference? I guess what I mean is the distinction is pretty hazy especially at the margins if it’s just a question of quality of play. And there are a couple indications of this. The Massey chart @HuskyNan posted above shows us on the cusp between the P5 and the AAC WCC and A10. Maybe these aren’t exactly Mid Major conferences either, but they also resemble them a little, too.

The term “Mid Major” is vague enough but there are some sharper distinctions apart from quality of play. Automatic NIT invitations for one and how well funded the programs are in the P5 or P6 compared to the mid majors.

From the point of view of quality of play alone, the case of Lou shows where the overlaps are. She was the MAAC PoY and slipped seamlessly into UConn’s lineup and became one of our best players. If the MAAC is a typical mid major, their PoY was practically “plug-n-play” in the Big East, that suggests the BE isn’t so different. There seems to be considerable overlap in quality of play.

What Lou’s case really shows is that even the P5 conferences aren’t really all that different from the so-called mid majors either, viewed simply in terms of quality of play. Lou could have started or been a major rotation player on almost any team in the P5. In many games last season she was the player opposing coaches focused on stopping. She might not have had the impact on other teams that she had at UConn. But that would probably be because not every coach would know how to use her as well as Geno did.

And Lou is in the W. Did her stint at UConn improve her play or just her visibility? I think it certainly improved her confidence, and it probably gave her access to better competition in practices and in games. She might not have been drafted out of the MAAC. But I suspect she’d have found a slightly different path to the W. Talent will out.

 

[Happydad745]

Massey has UConn ranked #3 behind SC and Iowa.

 

[hookshot]

My top 10,
1. So Carolina
2. Iowa
3. Colorado
4. NC State
5. USC
6. NC State
7. Kansas State
8. UConn
9. Stanford
10. LSU

I don't think that they are ready to assume that LSU is a failed super team based on one close Conference loss on the road (despite the fact that they have not beaten anybody either). Same with Stanford, the perception is better than the reality. Uconn is the opposite, the record is actually impressive but they are perceived as a team that has been reduced beneath critical mass due to injuries, and hence won't hold up over the long run.

 

[HuskyNan]

Isn’t the Big East a little like a Mid Major conference? I guess what I mean is the distinction is pretty hazy especially at the margins if it’s just a question of quality of play. And there are a couple indications of this. The Massey chart @HuskyNan posted above shows us on the cusp between the P5 and the AAC WCC and A10. Maybe these aren’t exactly Mid Major conferences either, but they also resemble them a little, too.

The term “Mid Major” is vague enough but there are some sharper distinctions apart from quality of play. Automatic NIT invitations for one and how well funded the programs are in the P5 or P6 compared to the mid majors.

From the point of view of quality of play alone, the case of Lou shows where the overlaps are. She was the MAAC PoY and slipped seamlessly into UConn’s lineup and became one of our best players. If the MAAC is a typical mid major, their PoY was practically “plug-n-play” in the Big East, that suggests the BE isn’t so different. There seems to be considerable overlap in quality of play.

What Lou’s case really shows is that even the P5 conferences aren’t really all that different from the so-called mid majors either, viewed simply in terms of quality of play. Lou could have started or been a major rotation player on almost any team in the P5. In many games last season she was the player opposing coaches focused on stopping. She might not have had the impact on other teams that she had at UConn. But that would probably be because not every coach would know how to use her as well as Geno did.

And Lou is in the W. Did her stint at UConn improve her play or just her visibility? I think it certainly improved her confidence, and it probably gave her access to better competition in practices and in games. She might not have been drafted out of the MAAC. But I suspect she’d have found a slightly different path to the W. Talent will out.

The reason the Big East isn’t a Power-5 conference isn’t because of basketball, it’s a football designation

 

[UConnCat]

I'm curious where the voters put Indiana. They just can't quit the Hoosiers.

Best win? Tennessee (neutral court) or maybe Princeton (also neutral court).

Games against Top 10 opponents: lost @Stanford by 32 and lost @Iowa by 27.

 

[bbsamjj]

ESPN Power Rankings out: Women's Power Rankings: Chaos rules after weekend of upsets

1. SC
2. CO
3. Iowa
4. UCLA
5. NC St [who is likely shouting to someone how they beat Colorado by 18)
6. USC
7. Kansas St
8. UConn
9. LSU
10. Stanford
11. Texas
12. Ohio St
13. Louisville
14. Florida St
15. Baylor
16. VA Tech

 

[Bone Dog]

The reason the Big East isn’t a Power conference isn’t because of basketball, it’s a football designation

Yes, and in football the BE is most definitely a Mid Major. But there's been some pushback on this distinction of late. As I recall (dimly) the term was coined in the 90s (?) to refer to everything outside the Power5. Power6 emerged to try to stretch the canvas a little. And as I mentioned above, the distinction isn't just about quality of play, but also program funding -- coaches, facilities, athletic and academic support staff, etc.

In Men's BB, as it happens, the term has been co-opted and the Big East is not at risk of being mistaken for a mid major. In Women's BB (where this question started in this thread) the term has currency too, and the situation is not so clear. The term Power6 would be useful to cover where exactly the BE stands. This year, and maybe last, it hasn't been so easy to distinguish us from the Big10 or the Big12 or even the SEC in terms of stratification of quality play.

AAC to drop 'P6' brand as commissioner calls for end of P5

"We will now adopt a generic power brand in lieu of Power 6, or P6, branding," Aresco wrote in a letter Tuesday.

theathletic.com

 

[Fdbeast]

UConn at #9.

 

[cuzinvinny]

#9 ap says #9

 

[Kaizen]

I don't think that they are ready to assume that LSU is a failed super team based on one close Conference loss on the road (despite the fact that they have not beaten anybody either). Same with Stanford, the perception is better than the reality. Uconn is the opposite, the record is actually impressive but they are perceived as a team that has been reduced beneath critical mass due to injuries, and hence won't hold up over the long run.

Agree, LSU should be in higher rank. Thank you.

 

[Gordo]

Looks good to me except I think Iowa State will get ranked over Oregon State. I think Oregon State will be the first team outside the pool (aka #26).

This is my top 25 (not what I think the poll will be)

1. South Carolina (15-0)
2. Iowa (16-1)
3. UCLA (14-1)
4. Colorado (15-1)
5. USC (13-1)
6. NC State (15-1)
7. Kansas State (17-1)
8. Stanford (15-2)
9. UConn (14-3)
10. LSU (16-2)
11. Texas (16-2)
12. Baylor (14-2)
13. Gonzaga (16-2)
14. Louisville (15-2)
15. Virginia Tech (13-3)
16. Indiana (14-2)
17. Florida State (14-4)
18. Ohio State (13-3)
19. Notre Dame (12-3)
20. Utah (12-5)
21. North Carolina (12-5)
22. Marquette (15-2)
23. Iowa St. (12-4)
24. Creighton (13-3)
25. Green Bay (14-3)
26. Teams outside the Top 25- Oregon St. (26) Syracuse (27) West Virginia (28) UNLV (29) Vanderbilt (30)

They’ll have UNLV in top 25, Gonzaga a little lower and maybe UCLA below Colorado. Regardless this was one of the most fun polls to do with all the upsets & ranked head to head matchups (the men’s poll will shake up too).

Nice job!

 

[DefenseBB]

The P-5 have 69 schools and the BE has 11 for a total of 80 programs. So while life isn't perfect, we should expect these basketball committed schools to fall under the Massey 100 ranking given the stated objective and money spent. However, here are the 10 worst programs of the 80. Note that 3 of these are in the Big East including the worst by FAR-Xavier. Conversely, the P-5 have 22 schools in the Massey Top 25 and the BE has 2 for 24 of the top 25 schools.

ACC-Wake Forest 129, Pittsburgh 147; 6 in top 25
Big12-Cincinnati 111; 4 in top 25
Big Ten-Northwestern 125, Rutgers 144; 4 in top 25
PAC 12-ASU 102; 6 in top 25
SEC-Kentucky 91; 2 in top 25
Big East- 3 PC 132, Butler 142, Xavier 276; 2 in top 25

The Big East needs to have the bottom schools up their programs and all 3 listed have just changed coaches in the last 2 seasons so they are trying something and we shall see. That said, Villanova has taken a big step back this year with the Siegrist graduation.

 

[Glenn]

The BE has three of the six programs where both men andwomen are in top 25, and UConn the only one where both are top 10

 

[WLT1717]

Carl Adamec is a voter and here's his new top 25 (with commentary):

Will UConn women make a return to the AP Top 10?

Carl Adamec's Associated Press women's basketball Top 25 ballot has UConn and Fairfield on it, but where do they rank?

www.ctinsider.com

Love Carl’s sarcasm. Thanks for posting!

 

[Skeets]

Yes, and in football the BE is most definitely a Mid Major. But there's been some pushback on this distinction of late. As I recall (dimly) the term was coined in the 90s (?) to refer to everything outside the Power5. Power6 emerged to try to stretch the canvas a little. And as I mentioned above, the distinction isn't just about quality of play, but also program funding -- coaches, facilities, athletic and academic support staff, etc.

In Men's BB, as it happens, the term has been co-opted and the Big East is not at risk of being mistaken for a mid major. In Women's BB (where this question started in this thread) the term has currency too, and the situation is not so clear. The term Power6 would be useful to cover where exactly the BE stands. This year, and maybe last, it hasn't been so easy to distinguish us from the Big10 or the Big12 or even the SEC in terms of stratification of quality play.

AAC to drop 'P6' brand as commissioner calls for end of P5

"We will now adopt a generic power brand in lieu of Power 6, or P6, branding," Aresco wrote in a letter Tuesday.

theathletic.com

That's pretty funny. In football the BE has at most 1 (I'm being charitable here) D1 football team. That's not a Mid Major, that's a No Major conference. The "Power" designation makes more sense if you consider where the money is, football. Hence the power.

 

[visitingcock]

I agree. P-5 is a football designation and it is about TV contracts and money. However, it is used in describing basketball leagues too. In basketball, men's or women's, I have referred to the P-5+1 because of money that the conference has made of of basketball and championships. I intend to continue to refer to P-5s next year when speaking of basketball. As long as UConn and two or more other members make the tournament, I feel that the title applies because the BE is pretty much head and shoulders above the other minor money conferences. BE needs to solidify that with a better TV contract.

 

[HuskyNan]

That's pretty funny. In football the BE has at most 1 (I'm being charitable here) D1 football team. That's not a Mid Major, that's a No Major conference. The "Power" designation makes more sense if you consider where the money is, football. Hence the power.

UConn is an Independent because there is no Big East football

 

[HuskyNan]

I agree. P-5 is a football designation and it is about TV contracts and money. However, it is used in describing basketball leagues too. In basketball, men's or women's, I have referred to the P-5+1 because of money that the conference has made of of basketball and championships. I intend to continue to refer to P-5s next year when speaking of basketball. As long as UConn and two or more other members make the tournament, I feel that the title applies because the BE is pretty much head and shoulders above the other minor money conferences. BE needs to solidify that with a better TV contract.

My point is that a poster implied that since the Big East isn’t a P5 conference, it’s a mid-major which is a mismatch of sports

 

[HuskyNan]

The BE has three of the six programs where both men andwomen are in top 25, and UConn the only one where both are top 10

Not bad for a mid-major

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[Skeets]

UConn is an Independent because there is no Big East football

I didn't mean to imply that the BE had football. I should have phrased it better. Maybe something like: of the Big East schools, only 1 tries to be a D1 football program.

 

[dabears17]

Football season is over, so there is just a P4 now.

 

[visitingcock]

Football season is over, so there is just a P4 now.

Nah. The PAC still has to play out the remainder of its basketball, baseball and other seasons for 2024. It won’t die officially until 2024 football begins.

Hence, the PAC Network still owns the rights

 

[HuskyNan]

Might as well put this up too

 

[Ralph]

so who should I be rooting to lose. NC State is losing to Miami after 1. But if they lose, does that make our loss to them look worse? should I only root for teams ahead of us who have not beaten us to lose? I assume a loss to Texas still looks ok because they had Harmon when they beat us. And NC state has some players out too I believe so I guess we can root for them to lose. If they lose a game with players out and they all come back next week, should/will that affect their ranking?