Poll Watch (2013-14 Edition)

[jocoshock]

Geoff Grammar's ballot is out. He has WSU at #9, Ku at #15 and UK at #20. http://www.muckrakersguide.com/tag/mens-basketball/

Covers New Mexico, who just lost to KU.

[shox1989]

My prediction is that the Shocks will be ranked #11 this week in the AP based on the six ballots we have seen so far (with a small chance WSU will be at #10). I base my prediction basically on 2 things. It appears Kentucky is going to take a big fall. That means WSU has a good chance to improve one spot. While some ballots have moved other teams ahead of WSU there is no consensus in that movement. WSU so far is staying put on ballots or moved slightly. If you factor in that WSU should also get a boost from being #11 or so on Tom Keegan's ballot after being accidently left off last week, I think the chances are good that WSU will move into the spot Kentucky held last week.

[wushock27]

Another writer I just saw dropped us 6 spots to 17...name is Andrew Greif

@AndrewGreif: @DougHaller I had the exact same thought about Wichita State this week and moved it down six spots to 17th. Tough call, definitely.

[shox1989]

Another writer I just saw dropped us 6 spots to 17...name is Andrew Greif

@AndrewGreif: @DougHaller I had the exact same thought about Wichita State this week and moved it down six spots to 17th. Tough call, definitely.

That may ruin my prediction. I hadn't seen any of that in the six ballots I found. Hopefully this guy is an outlier. He is the guy that covers the Oregon Ducks for the Oregonian. I hate when they hold WSU to a different standard. Last week I said I thought the pollsters overall were treating WSU fairly. I may change my mind this week, if there are many others like Andrew Greif.

[jocoshock]

Bleacher Report Power Rankings. Jason King and Co have the Shox at #8.

"Is this because of Gregg Marshall's adjustments? Or Wichita State's defense getting stops when the game gets tight? Both probably play a factor, but I believe it speaks to the mental toughness of the Shockers. They don't panic. They don't get nervous in close games. They lock in, and they play their best basketball."

[another shocker]

Doug Haller's ballot is out. He has WSU at #18 (He had WSU at 19 last week) and he talked about the Shockers in his column (one of the few teams he talked about): Toughest call: What to do with Wichita State. The Shockers were No. 12 in last week’s poll so it appears I’m really underselling them. They have three solid wins over BYU, Saint Louis and Tennessee, but they have yet to face a team in the Top 25 of the Jeff Sagarin computer rankings. And they won’t anytime soon. Check out their schedule http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/do...-games-more-2/

tennessee is a real threat to win the sec. ('not sure about byu and slu in their conferences)

[1979Shocker]

Doug Haller's ballot is out. He has WSU at #18 (He had WSU at 19 last week) and he talked about the Shockers in his column (one of the few teams he talked about): Toughest call: What to do with Wichita State. The Shockers were No. 12 in last week’s poll so it appears I’m really underselling them. They have three solid wins over BYU, Saint Louis and Tennessee, but they have yet to face a team in the Top 25 of the Jeff Sagarin computer rankings. And they won’t anytime soon. Check out their schedule http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/do...-games-more-2/

That's interesting. I looked yesterday and Ohio State also hadn't faced any Top 25 teams in the Sagarin ratings. They were 1-0 against the Top 50, while Wichita State was 3-0.

[WuDrWu]

I fear there is a real chance that WSU has "topped" out on their AP ranking, no matter what happens. There are enough voters out there that just aren't going to allow themselves to believe WSU is as good or better than the "top" teams because we don't play them (it would be better to say they won't play us, but you get my meaning).

[ShockerPrez]

Shox need to go BCS mode and run up scores.

[Capitol Shock II]

Shox need to go BCS mode and run up scores.

Agree 100 percent.

[DUShock]

Shox need to go BCS mode and run up scores.

I understand the premise and it is logical but I do not believe running up the score will meet with success.

[jocoshock]

I fear there is a real chance that WSU has "topped" out on their AP ranking, no matter what happens. There are enough voters out there that just aren't going to allow themselves to believe WSU is as good or better than the "top" teams because we don't play them (it would be better to say they won't play us, but you get my meaning).

Yep. If not this week, then certainly when the non-con is over. Once conference play starts in the BCS conferences, this will be a recurring theme. Our only defense will be who BYU, SLU, Tennessee, and Bama beat.

[ABC]

I fear there is a real chance that WSU has "topped" out on their AP ranking, no matter what happens. There are enough voters out there that just aren't going to allow themselves to believe WSU is as good or better than the "top" teams because we don't play them (it would be better to say they won't play us, but you get my meaning).

Possibly. If WSU keeps winning, I think they will slowly keep inching up the polls. The only thing similar that I can think of in the last 20 years or so is St Joe's in 2004.

Here is St Joe's 2003-04 schedule and results (of course it doesn't have RPI) http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...t-joseph-hawks

Or we could look at Gonzaga last year. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...nzaga-bulldogs

GU did play a mini-Big 12 schedule and beat Illinois. That is a good schedule last year for the Zags.

[jocoshock]

Hanging steady at No. 12 in NBCs weekly poll. Unchanged from last week.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/16/college-basketball-talks-latest-top-25/

4. Ohio State (10-0, LW: No. 4): The Buckeyes are still locking people up defensively. Now that LaQuinton Ross looks like he may be breaking out of his funk, the Buckeyes are becoming more dangerous. Now if they would only play someone good …


12. Wichita State (10-0, LW: No. 12)
13. Oregon (9-0, LW: No. 13)
14. Baylor (8-1, LW: No. 15)
15. Kansas (7-3, LW: No. 10)
16. North Carolina (7-2, LW: No. 24)
17. Kentucky (8-3, LW: No. 8)
18. Memphis (7-1, LW: No. 16)
19. Iowa State (7-0, LW: No. 18)

A bit surprising to see Iowa State below us with yet another quality win... actually dropped one spot.... think the Cyclones would have a legitimate beef with this one...

I think the Jayhawks are still the best team in the Big 12, better than Baylor and better than Oklahoma State. I think they’re a better team than Oregon or Wichita State or UConn. But, a third of the way through the season, can we rank the Jayhawks higher than teams that have outperformed them?

[im4wsu]

WSU (now #12) flip-flops with Iowa State (now #13) in Realtime RPI at *;15 Monday.

WSU holds #10 in Realtime Team Power rating.

MVC is #10 among conference Team Power Rating.

In RPIforecasting for the year, WSU falls from #6 to #8 :
1 Ohio St. 31-0
2 Kansas 25-6
3 Oregon 28-2
4 Syracuse 31-0
5 Arizona 27-4
6 Villanova 26-5
7 Louisville 30-1
8 Wichita St. 30-0
9 Wisconsin 25-6
10 Mass 27-3