Poll Watch, 2012-13 Edition

[pinstripers]

Nothing short of spectacular. What a story.

[Kung Wu]

Just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents on this subject:

1) We have played more away games than anybody else in the top 25.

2) We have WON more away games than anybody else in the top 25 except Gonzaga, and WON more away games than MOST have even played.

3) There is a statistical bias in foul counts for away teams -- so the more away games you play the higher your foul count will be.

4) Playing with a ton of newcomers doesn't help the foul counts, but that trend has shown improvement in every single game since Tennessee. And overall trending down since Iowa.

Here they are in reverse order of ranking ...

New Mexico : 3-1 (loss to St. freaking Lou)
UNLV: 3-1 (loss to North Carolina)
These two teams play each other tonight -- so one of them is about to get another loss.

Shox: 4-1 (loss to Tennessee)

Michigan State: 1-2 (losses to Minnesota and Miami)
Cincinnati: 2-0 (incidentally two recent home losses to New Mexico and St. Johns)
North Carolina State: 1-1 (loss to Michigan)
Georgetown: 0-1 (loss to Marquette)
K-State: 1-0
Notre Dame: 1-0
San Diego State: 2-0
Ohio State: 1-2 (losses to Duke and Illinois)
Butler: 2-1 (loss to Xavier)
Creighton: 3-0
Illinois: 3-1 (loss to Purdue -- "I'm tired of f$*%ing losing to Purdue")
Florida: 2-1 (loss to Arizona)
Missouri: 0-1 (loss to UCLA)
Gonzaga: 4-0
Minnesota: 2-0
Syracuse: 2-0
Kansas: 1-0
Indiana: 2-0
Arizona: 2-0
Louisville: 2-0
Michigan: 2-0 (one of them an 8 point win at Bradley)
Duke: Hasn't played a single away game yet.

[rrshock]

@Kung Wu:, that was a great breakdown. While WSU might have a road loss, they have at least played games on the road. Georgetown, Missouri, KSU, KU, Duke and Notre Dame combined have played the same number of road games as WSU. That is sad.

I'm surprised that Syracuse has played 2 on the road. They typically don't leave the state of NY until January.

[jdmee]

... But to say that ranking is based on past achievments is really...not accurate. Ranking is based on Current team status, wins, losses, recent score differentials, recent opponents, injury status, etc....

...

My point was, if you look at this team as it stands injured and and missing players, I think we are lucky to be ranked top25 at all, and will be very fortunate you remain there over the next couple weeks.

Injuries have nothing to do with ranking. Are you telling me that if Duke had their best player hurt last night and they keep winning that they should not be ranked #1?

Are you saying that in the next couple of weeks because Michigan is going to play better opponents than Duke that Michigan should be ranked #1 over Duke, even if Duke doesn't lose? Or if Duke only won by 2 points last night they should drop in the rankings?

If you don't lose you don't drop. If you keep winning and teams ahead of you lose you rise. How much might be based on the other stuff (a win/loss to Duke vs Missouri State) but it is mostly on your team winning and other teams losing. WSU has been winning. Other teams ahead of them have lost.

[Spaulding]

I'm surprised that Syracuse has played 2 on the road. They typically don't leave the state of NY until January.

One of their roadies was a conference matchup at South Florida, so only 1 true non-con road game that they chose to take. Boeheim is still a tool.

[SubGod22]

Boeheim is still a tool.

+1

[im4wsu]

Comparison of Rankings KenPom vs RPI

I don't know what this shows, if anything, but a negative number means a lower (better) ranking in KenPom and a positive number indicates a better ranking by RPI. The raw numbers shown is the average difference (KenPom-RPI) for the teams in the conference. Notte the "power" conferences appear mostly at the top of the list, meaning KenPom rates them better than RPI. (Rankings were yesterday about 3 pm.)

[SubGod22]

Number 14 in this poll :D

[WuShock Reaper]

Top 25 (AP voters) and other Key Losses during this week (01/07/13 thru 01/13/13):

#11 - Illinois lost at home to #8 - Minnesota
#19 - Georgetown lost at home to #NR - Pittsburgh
#21 - Cincinnati lost at home to #17 - Notre Dame
#23 – WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS
#24 - UNLV lost at #25 - New Mexico


These teams are either “Not Rated (NR)”, are stealing seed votes from us, or have potential to do so:

#27 - Wyoming lost at home to Boise State
#31 - Maryland lost at home to Florida State
#NR – Georgia Tech lost at Marquette
#NR - Connecticut lost at Marquette
#NR - Virginia lost at Wake Forest
#NR - Seton Hall lost at home to Louisville
#NR - South Carolina lost at Mississippi State
#NR - LSU lost at Auburn

[rrshock]

Not only did Georgetown lose, but wasn't it really ugly? And since it is only Thursday, one would have to believe that someone else right around us is going to lose either for the first time or again this week.

[Dave Stalwart]

That is some fantastic info. Take care of Evansville and top 20 comes into view. Especially now that we had a star performance and the basketball community loves that kind of thing.

[WuShock Reaper]

#35 - North Carolina losing at home to Miami helps the Shockers.

[pinstripers]

Nothing matters if we don't win this weekend.

[WuShock Reaper]

#33 - Temple lost at Xavier

[WuShock Reaper]

#8 - Minnesota lost today at #5 Indiana
#NR - Pittsburgh lost today at home to Marquette
#NR - Virginia lost today at Clemson
#NR - Villinova lost today at #7 Syracuse