Coaches Poll

[AndShock]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/poll/2

Creighton and UNLV receiving votes. Alabama comes in at #17. A couple of potential Puerto Rico opponents are also in the receiving votes category.

[martymoose]

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/37164/poll-thoughts-welcome-to-the-season

•Hey, where's Wichita State? The Shockers dominated the NIT last season and are the favorite by many to win a tough Missouri Valley Conference, but they don't show up here. Fellow MVC rival Creighton is among those receiving votes, but if there is any mid-major team that seems to deserve an early Top 25 look, it's Wichita State, right? What gives?

[1972Shocker]

Hey, where's Wichita State? The Shockers dominated the NIT last season and are the favorite by many to win a tough Missouri Valley Conference, but they don't show up here. Fellow MVC rival Creighton is among those receiving votes, but if there is any mid-major team that seems to deserve an early Top 25 look, it's Wichita State, right? What gives?

Maybe there are "many" who think we will win the MVC, but I think most are picking Creighton. Our run through the NIT doesn't have a whole lot to do with how we will fare this year. We lost 4 very key players from that NIT squad. We do have a good core returning but we also have many questions yet to be answered as to how well we will do replacing JT, Gabe, Graham and Ellis. Guys who all knew their roles and filled those roles very well.

We will need to prove we have filled those holes and prove we can win some big games (which we really did not do last year) to earn a spot in the Top 25.

I don't see an issue with the Shocks being left out at this point.

[RoyalShock]

Eamonn Brennan knows what's up.

[wsushox1]

http://blogs.kansas.com/lutz/2011/10/20/hey-what-about-the-nit/

[fuball7]

I know why we didnt receive any votes. it says gary williams from maryland is still voting!

[1972Shocker]

This really doesn't bother me at all. At this point in time I prefer being overlooked and disrespected (hopefully that proves to be the case) than vice versa. I think it's easier for a team to earn it's way into the polls if they are able to play with a bit of a chip on their shoulder. If we are truly a Top 25 caliber team we will get their eventually.

[wsushox1]

K-State mentality anyone?

[_kai_]

Eamonn Brennan knows what's up.

Not only is he knowledgeable, and level headed, he actually interacts with people. He's answered a few questions I've asked him over Twitter before. Seems like a genuinely nice guy.

[RoyalShock]

http://blogs.kansas.com/lutz/2011/10...about-the-nit/

You’re telling me the Shockers aren’t among the best 48 teams in the country?

Proof that Lutz either doesn't understand how college sports polls work or he's a troll. What this means is that none of the coaches (or really their sports information directors) believe WSU is one of the best 25 teams in the country. They could all believe we are the 26th best team and we would not receive any votes in the poll.

[shoxtop]

I can see it both ways. From one side, by believing that 48 teams have a shot at the top 25 but we are not one of those teams means that that group, as a whole, felt that there are 48 teams better than us. On the other hand, it's a similar argument to the argument that said we were the 69th best team in the country. It's a stupid preseason poll, always overrun by teams that pass the eye test. I'm not surprised at all.

[SPEShockAlum]

Proof that Lutz either doesn't understand how college sports polls work or he's a troll. What this means is that none of the coaches (or really their sports information directors) believe WSU is one of the best 25 teams in the country. They could all believe we are the 26th best team and we would not receive any votes in the poll.

Interesting perspective - I had never thought of it that way before.

[jocoshock]

it will be good to be the hunters this year...

[Kung Wu]

Proof that Lutz either doesn't understand how college sports polls work or he's a troll. What this means is that none of the coaches (or really their sports information directors) believe WSU is one of the best 25 teams in the country. They could all believe we are the 26th best team and we would not receive any votes in the poll.

Or he didn't think that deeply about it while having a knee-jerk reaction to not seeing WSU on the coaches poll. At least he wrote a pro-WSU article and one that didn't even mention the "flagship institution". I like the article overall.

I do think he missed it when he called out the three most critical seniors to graduate. I think losing Hatch was quite a bit bigger loss than Ellis. I like Ellis a lot and loved to see him mature right before our eyes and find his game his senior year. But ultimately it was Durley, Blair and Hatch that made the biggest impact of the seniors.

[KC Shox]

Good. Hang it up in the locker room. Use it as motivation. Not getting one vote is a bit surprising but would love nothing more than for the Shox to make some noise in the tournament early on and open people's eyes. Losing Blair and Durley and replacing them with guys who are on par or better than where they left off is a huge hurdle. It's a wait and see situation right now.