Why do some programs and conferences get preferential treatment?

[Husky Dad]

I have watch top ranked ACC teams dump games all year. Big 10 teams dump games all year. Kentucky having an awful season yet still in top 25. I know this is talked about a great deal. Is there a reason why? Who besides a handful are even on our level. Just frustrating.

 

[Husky Dad]

Include in this Big 12 teams.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

As they say...follow the money!

 

[Dynasty]

Because voters don't want to look like idiots.

 

[B1GEast]

it's the same reason espn only tracks the 4 freshman, pathetic

 

[BoatShow]

UNC has 7 loses and ranked 14, Duke 6 and ranked 4, KU 7 and ranked 8. I feel like tOSU didn't win a game for a month and were as of last week still ranked. There is a quota of these teams that need to be in the rankings.

 

[BearJWS]

UNC has 7 loses and ranked 14, Duke 6 and ranked 4, KU 7 and ranked 8. I feel like tOSU didn't win a game for a month and were as of last week still ranked. There is a quota of these teams that need to be in the rankings.

Puke is ranked #4 in the country and yet has the 4th best record in the ACC. Tells you how off the voters are. Seriously, huh?

 

[61cygni]

Because humans are voting, not computers

 

[ecasadoSBU]

Its the nature of the business. TV wants to hype a few teams that generate a lot of TV revenue... Luckily, the men's game has enough talent to guarantee that even if Connecticut is not the hype machine that i.e syracuse, Duke, Kentucky are, it will still get great recruits and continue to win championships which at the end of the day is what truly matters.

 

[Husky Dad]

It must be ratings and money because we have at least a 10 to 15 ranked team in my mind.

 

[Husky Dad]

And because the rating system is so flawed how does SOS and RPI even mean anything. Its all subjective if its based on voter ranking.

 

[amory]

uconn has played much better as a lower seed in recent years. for whatever reason, we're a program that gravitates toward the "no one believes in us" mentality. I like the 19 rank for us this week. There's a lot of room to move up, but it's still not a s e x y number (god I hate having to put spaces between the damn letters of sexy can the filters please be relaxed a little)

 

[ecasadoSBU]

And because the rating system is so flawed how does SOS and RPI even mean anything. Its all subjective if its based on voter ranking.

I think the polls dont follow RPI/SOS too much. But I'm sure the selection committee takes RPI/SOS and top 50 wins way more seriously. Polls are just B.S. Haven't you noticed that somehow teams always have a little nice number attached to them every time ESPN wants to broadcast them. I have no doubt ESPN influences the polls. It creates more excitement for their match ups. Imagine a Duke vs NC game without one of those teams ranked: WONT happen. We were close to that happening this year but it didn't...

 

[tjhusky]

Looked at RPi rankings tonight. I think the drop off in the tier 2 AAC teams kills our RPi as a league. League wins don't count as much and losses really drop you. That is why we can have the same record as D*k# but 19 spots lower in the RPI rankings.
AAC is not the old BE.

But.... The NCAA tourney is the great measuring stick, the one that counts.

 

[AtlHusky]

Looked at RPi rankings tonight. I think the drop off in the tier 2 AAC teams kills our RPi as a league. League wins don't count as much and losses really drop you. That is why we can have the same record as D*k# but 19 spots lower in the RPI rankings.
AAC is not the old BE.

But.... The NCAA tourney is the great measuring stick, the one that counts.

I liked your post but have to disagree with the bolded sentence. RPI is more about your schedule and next to nothing regarding who you beat and lose to. Our RPI would be exactly the same if we had lost to Maine and beat Louisville. A blowout loss to a top team can be more valuable to your RPI than a win over a dreg.

You are right though, we are most hurt by being forced to play UCF, USF, Temple and Rotgrrs twice this year. Hmmm, but half of those are the old BE, one was comin', and none of them are named DePaul. But, we wouldn't have been playing them all twice either.

 

[ColoradoUCFan]

Who besides a handful are even on our level. Just frustrating.

To quote you from a couple weeks ago, "our team sucks." Hate to pick a fight, but I will. Do we suck or are we in an elite level?

 

[61cygni]

Don't you get it ? Everyone is more elite than our level of elite.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Louisville is the worst offender in this. 11 ranking and 29 RPI. Either the voters know something the computer doesn't, or Louisville is the most overrated team in the country.

 

[Milo65]

I am not making a case for teams in the other conferences or making a case that UConn is a bad team. I think we have a very good team, one that has a lot of heart and is fun to watch and may have a deep run in the tourney. Lets forget about RPI for a moment and talk about the eye test. If you are talking about how we look, at times I can honestly say we are inconsistent. This team can look like world beaters one minute and others they look terrible. We've had a terrible loss to Houston, we lose to Stanford, we let barely beat BC, let Loyola hang around, Maryland by 1, Indiana by 1. We have an amazing point guard, but at times our other players disappear. During this season Daniels, Gif, Boat, have disappeared, Calhoun has been a no show. Our three headed monster in the middle has had great games, and other times they are in foul trouble and out rebounded badly. Our three point shooting has been unstoppable in some games and again it is not consistent in others. I believe our one consistent strength has been our defense. Defensively this team has been very consistent and a team that plays good D will be in most if not all of their games. When this team is firing on all cylinders, I believe we can beat anybody, but there are days that we can lose to anybody too.

 

[Kitaman]

Well ESPN and CBS have a season schedule of nationally televised games, and ranked teams are much more attractive to market to advertisers than unranked teams.

So with that said, the AAC does not have that many nationally televised games and therefore ...........................

 

[Huskybass]

Duke could have 9 losses and somehow still be ranked in the top 10. It is amazing how the media gargles Ratface's spooge.

 

[Senore]

Louisville is the worst offender in this. 11 ranking and 29 RPI. Either the voters know something the computer doesn't, or Louisville is the most overrated team in the country.

Do you really think this? You lost to Louisville at home. Doesn't this destroy your own team's credibility?

If this season were last year, with Cuse, Indiana, Michigan all looking so tough, I would have long since said "Put a fork in Louisville" - and this from a fan, just one who sees our flaws in such relief. But every team you look at this year is equally flawed.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Do you really think this? You lost to Louisville at home. Doesn't this destroy your own team's credibility?

If this season were last year, with Cuse, Indiana, Michigan all looking so tough, I would have long since said "Put a fork in Louisville" - and this from a fan, just one who sees our flaws in such relief. But every team you look at this year is equally flawed.

What does my team's performance have to do with my assessment of Louisville? You aren't one of those morons that equates his team's awesomeness with your own intelligence, are you? Does that mean that a football fan is smarter if he likes Alabama or Florida State?

 

[Senore]

Hmmm, I haven't seen a good online Tourette's blast in days. I was actually agreeing with you but you didn't quite make it there, did you?

 

[freescooter]

Part of it is that voters just go by names they know. Duke is usually pretty good so they're going to rank Duke. Part of it is that their trying to rank 25 teams, when after about 4 or 5 there isn't a nickel's worth or difference between #17 and #23 (or # 30 for that matter.) On any given day # 26 can knock off #11, and # 21 can beat #7, and the next week #7 can beat #21 and #11 but lose to #26. So after a while voters go for A. teams that are usually pretty good.(Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Carolina, Syracuse, UConn)Casual fans aren't going to question Duke in the top 10, but they might question an unkown like SMU. B. Teams from leagues that are considered "the best".(The assumption is that if you are winning in a good league you are good, though sometimes league "quality" is a mirage. The year the Big East was so great it got 11 bids, only UConn and Marquette lasted past the first weekend. Arguably the Big East was not quite as deep as it looked on paper). C. Teams that are having extraordinary years (Wichita State this year, Gonzaga last year are examples).