Poll Watch (2013-14 Edition)

[Play Angry]

Folks are pushing the panic button too early on rankings. We will continue moving up with fits and starts. You cannot put too much stock in any one particular week, especially when only one (or none) of the teams ahead of us lose. The Ls will start piling up for those teams in short order once their conference play begins.

Murray State rose as high as #9 in 2011-12, and they climbed more than 11 spots after conference play began. Don't assume that a week or two of stagnation is permanent- rather, it's pretty normal for this time of year (the lull between the exempt tournaments of feast week and the start of league play after Christmas).

[TheYeti]

Again, I don't give a crap what the December 16th rankings say. March is where it makes any difference whatsoever.

[ShockerPrez]

I'm fine if we don't go above 10. I think if we win we will, but the prize is the tourney. A top 3 seed is my hope. That keeps a match up with the 1 seed as late as possible.

[ripemupshocks]

BLIND TEST: H - Home, N - Neutral, A - Away, Using projected RPIs of Opponents, * Loss

............Record....Home....Neutral...Away....Ga me 1........2.........3.........4...........5........ ...6..........7..........8...........9.........10


Team A....9-0....H 6 games....N 3.....A 0...RPI...H 22.....N 69....N 82....H 107....H 142....N 178....H 185....H 248....H 351


Team B....9-1....H 8 games....N 2.....A 0...RPI...N 17*....H 50....H 78....H 186....H 223....H 261....H 267....N 272....H 291....H 325


Team C....9-0....H 5 games....N 2.....A 2...RPI...N 28.....A 31.....H 46....H 93.....A 159....N 169....H 186.....H 198.....H 281


Team D...10-0...H 9 games....N 0.....A 1...RPI...A 55.....H 59.....H 68....H 82.....H 84......H 108....H 199....H 219.....H 264....H 280


Team E....9-0....H 6 games....N 2.....A 1...RPI...N 32.....H 57.....A 63.....N 73.....H 164....H 168....H 206....H 242.....H 245


Pick the order you would rank these teams.

C
E
D
A
B

[mjbaker84]

Always noon-ish mondays for both major polls.

i couldn't remember for some reason. thanks!

[RoyalShock]

Shox need to go BCS mode and run up scores.

Bingo. We're seeing the effects of being behind six times at halftime. If we'd have beaten teams like Tennessee State and W&M by 25+, we'd be getting a little more respect.

Most of the voters probably haven't watched more than one or two WSU games so far, so they can't see what us and a few pundits see when it comes to how tough and calm this team is. Maybe if we go beat Bama by double-digits in a game that we control from start to finish, that respect will come. But that's our last opportunity. We'll get no respect for Valley games.

[jocoshock]

Bingo. We're seeing the effects of being behind six times at halftime. If we'd have beaten teams like Tennessee State and W&M by 25+, we'd be getting a little more respect.

Most of the voters probably haven't watched more than one or two WSU games so far, so they can't see what us and a few pundits see when it comes to how tough and calm this team is. Maybe if we go beat Bama by double-digits in a game that we control from start to finish, that respect will come. But that's our last opportunity. We'll get no respect for Valley games.

I agree with the basic premise and this post overall, but Marshall will likely clear the bench and suppress the margins of victory. We are just going to have to take care of business at home and on the road, WIN in St. Louis and beat the hell out of everyone in our path in the big dance.

Even if we destroy Alabama, the doubters will just say Releford was injured or Alabama stinks. Anyone who can rank Ohio State #4 with their schedule and completely ignore that we beat OSU last year, isn't going to listen to anything reasonable. They are going to ignore their lying eyes and believe what they want to believe.

#SCORCHEDEARTH

[ShockerPrez]

Scorched Earth is one of my favorite terms.

Carpet bombing is my other.

[pogo]

As long as you aren't on the receiving end of either.

[ABC]

FWIW, Lunardi has WSU as on "honorable mention" regarding its non-conf scheduling and performance so far.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10145631/wisconsin-badgers-own-best-early-ncaa-tournament-reacutesumeacute-college-basketball

[EB 22]

Looks like 11th in the AP

[asiseeit]

Ok, we know we have a ranked team and WILL be at the big dance. We have some talented players BUT there
are a lot of teams with rosters full of multiple star players that were recruited well ahead of ours. What sets us
above many quality teams is team chemistry, grit, and playing angry. I believe the key to our season is
maximizing those three characteristics in the final tournament as we did last year. I just hope maintaining a
high ranking does not make us complacent and forget what makes us dangerous. Having said that, our
frontline needs to continue to improve and that includes Early who has not yet played to his potential. I'd
like to see him play a little more with his back to the basket down low a little more.

[Play Angry]

Looks like 11th in the AP

The ascent resumes.

[wushock27]

Confirmed... #11 in AP

[Shocker85]

Bingo. We're seeing the effects of being behind six times at halftime. If we'd have beaten teams like Tennessee State and W&M by 25+, we'd be getting a little more respect.

Most of the voters probably haven't watched more than one or two WSU games so far, so they can't see what us and a few pundits see when it comes to how tough and calm this team is. Maybe if we go beat Bama by double-digits in a game that we control from start to finish, that respect will come. But that's our last opportunity. We'll get no respect for Valley games.

I don't agree.

I'll bet 80% of the voters don't spend enough time to look at margin of victory or have any clue what the halftime scores of our games were. Besides, margin doesn't mean much in hoops once it gets to 12-15. Coaches give scrubs PT, play gets ragged, etc.

Who gets pushed out of the top 10 so the Shocks get in? Can't really make a convincing argument, IMO. Hey, we're in some pretty good company right now at #11 and I'm lovin' it.

Honestly, I don't think you want to be top 5 right now. The target gets HUGE. We're on the ticker, SportsCenter and Top 25 scores page. That ain't bad, folks.

--'85.