Poll Watch, 2012-13 Edition

[KC Shox]

Articles like this one, http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...ajors/1728477/, is what drives me crazy to have the Shox join the same circle of programs like Butler and Gonzaga.

[ShockerPrez]

Articles like this one, http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...ajors/1728477/, is what drives me crazy to have the Shox join the same circle of programs like Butler and Gonzaga.

We need to make some noise in the tournament.

Oh, and when we get to be ranked in the top 10 the following year, try not to lose half of our games the rest of the way....

It will happen.

[wufan]

Turgeon's last two years pretty much defined mid-major. After an NIT championship and a single digit seed in the NCAA tourney, all that is left to do is to win some games we are not supposed to in the Dance and follow that up with another tourney bid. Having Creighton do something similar while SoW is still there and follow it up with a good team after he is gone would do wonders for the MVC.

[n8]

Based on how things have gone so far this season, I think we would already be ranked had we not graduated quite so many players. The talking heads knew to keep their eyes on us early and we've gone from no buzz to almost ranked pretty quickly.

I think that Marshall gets the credit for that. He's had a few run ins with the talking heads since he came to Wichita State that ultimately left a big impression (Andy Katz being the most memorable example). In addition, last year's squad was such a darling to the stat junkies because their offensive efficiency was so incredible. Add in the fact that we had the best road record for the last two seasons, and you have a very easy team to spend time talking about.

The 2012-2013 Shockers are almost there. Putting together a couple more wins and big time performances from Hall, Early and Armstead and we'll see the Valley in the evening highlights all the way through March.

Warning: Pipe dream and not entirely relevant to the rest of the post.

If/when the Shockers break into the top 25, I think we should start a twitter campaign to get Jay Bilas to come broadcast the game from Koch Arena. I know last year he said he wanted to on College Gameday. He's been high on Wichita State the last two seasons and is generally awesome. If we are ranked and can make the case 6-7 weeks before the game, it wouldn't hurt to try to put the idea in the minds of the ESPN overlords.

[Ricardo del Rio]

That's why I've always called it the Sports Information Director's poll. Because I'm betting it's the SID who votes on behalf of the coach.

Or the equipment manager. Maybe a ball boy, if the equipment manager is too busy.

[n8]

And minutes after I bring up Jay Bilas, he comes out with the first Bilas Index ranking for his Top 68 teams: http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-coll...ege-basketball

50. Wichita State Shockers (Previous ranking: No. 61)

The Shockers are 6-0 and have won at VCU (the best 3-3 team in the country), Iowa and DePaul (which sounds way better than it is). Gregg Marshall's team defends better than it scores, and the Shockers have won their first six games without seeming to be able to throw the ball into the ocean from a boat. Wichita State is shooting only 28 percent from deep, including a collective 8-for-35 from two of its top three scorers, Cleanthony Early and Malcolm Armstead.

[shocker3]

And minutes after I bring up Jay Bilas, he comes out with the first Bilas Index ranking for his Top 68 teams: http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-coll...ege-basketball

50. Wichita State Shockers (Previous ranking: No. 61)

The Shockers are 6-0 and have won at VCU (the best 3-3 team in the country), Iowa and DePaul (which sounds way better than it is). Gregg Marshall's team defends better than it scores, and the Shockers have won their first six games without seeming to be able to throw the ball into the ocean from a boat. Wichita State is shooting only 28 percent from deep, including a collective 8-for-35 from two of its top three scorers, Cleanthony Early and Malcolm Armstead.

He ranks Creighton #18 and he also includes Illinois St. and UNI in his top 68 (both behind the Shockers of course). He says that VCU is the best 3-3 team in the USA and UNI is the third best 3-3 team in the USA. He ranks VCU at 23.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

Or the equipment manager. Maybe a ball boy, if the equipment manager is too busy.

Or the coaches wives, or maybe their 3 year old sons.

[ripemupshocks]

Articles like this one, http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...ajors/1728477/, is what drives me crazy to have the Shox join the same circle of programs like Butler and Gonzaga.

Any publication that classifies the MVC, but not CUSA as mid-major, has no credibility. And therefore should never be referenced.

[GoShockers89]

Not a lot of help this week as most of the teams in front of us took care of business.

#15 Oklahoma State lost at Va Tech
#18 NC State lost to Michigan
#19 Colorado lost to Wyoming

I predict we'll be a couple votes short of breaking in. #26 in AP, #29 in Coaches is my guess.

[shocks02]

Never underestimate the power of being undefeated.

[shockerofandover0943]

Don't forget that Alabama, ahead of us in the AP, lost also. We probably squeeze in at 25.

[GoShockers89]

Never underestimate the power of being undefeated.

Would love to be proven wrong :)

Worst case, though, is we have to wait a week to get in after beating Northern Colorado. Either way we're gonna have a bullseye on our backs heading to Rocky Top.

[bunck]

Not a lot of help this week as most of the teams in front of us took care of business.

#15 Oklahoma State lost at Va Tech
#18 NC State lost to Michigan
#19 Colorado lost to Wyoming

I predict we'll be a couple votes short of breaking in. #26 in AP, #29 in Coaches is my guess.

I have to think that we'll be ahead of Colorado and get in, probably not the coaches poll though.

[ShockerFever]

Never underestimate the power of being undefeated.

Never underestimate the power of being a non-BCS team.