Games of Interest (2015-16 Edition)

[SHOCKvalue]

They get mor cachet from name and history than anyone I know

Seriously.

KU sits at AP #4, and now has four losses; here's a ranking sampling of other programs that a few might have heard of before who currently sit with three to five loses:

#12 Michigan State, 4 losses
#16 Louisville, 3 losses
#18 Arizona, 4 losses
#19 Indiana, 3 losses
#20 Kentucky, 4 losses
#24 Duke, 5 losses

The nearly completely lack of penalization that KU gets in the polls due to losses can only be considered mystifying, especially when you look at the treatment that everyone else - including blue bloods and those very close - receives.

[ShockdaWorld]

KU is the metric against which all others are measured. They are a top 5 team. Always. Wins and losses are not important. End of story.

[Cdizzle]

Well when you're dropping at a rate of 1 spot per asskicking, I'd say not likely.

Still a lot of games on the schedule. I think they could make it.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

@SHOCKvalue, you need to fix your post.

If you are talking current poll rankings, it only seems fair to list the losses at the time the poll came out. KU had 3 losses when ranked #4. Not 4.

If you are talking up to the minute loss totals, Duke doesn't have 5 losses. They have 6.

[SHOCKvalue]

@SHOCKvalue, you need to fix your post.

If you are talking current poll rankings, it only seems fair to list the losses at the time the poll came out. KU had 3 losses when ranked #4. Not 4.

If you are talking up to the minute loss totals, Duke doesn't have 5 losses. They have 6.

That's exactly why I included prominent programs with three loses.

Missed Duke's loss, but the illustration is otherwise valid.

[shockmonster]

Selden is the biggest disappointment. With his physical abilities, should dominate.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

That's exactly why I included prominent programs with three loses.

Missed Duke's loss, but the illustration is otherwise valid.

OK fine, so let's talk Louisville and Indiana (the only two with merely 3 losses) and drop the rest.

Per KenPom, Louisville's SOS is 170! Indiana's is 197! KU's is 6 after last night. Was probably top 10 or top 15 before that game at the time the polls came out.

What possible justification is there for Louisville or Indiana being anywhere near KU in the poll yesterday? All 3 teams had 3 losses, but KU's schedule was exponentially harder. It isn't like UL and IU were left out of the poll. They were both in the teens. They just have had really easy schedules and are being ranked with that in consideration.

[SHOCKvalue]

OK fine, so let's talk Louisville and Indiana (the only two with merely 3 losses) and drop the rest.

Per KenPom, Louisville's SOS is 170! Indiana's is 197! KU's is 6 after last night. Was probably top 10 or top 15 before that game at the time the polls came out.

What possible justification is there for Louisville or Indiana being anywhere near KU in the poll yesterday? All 3 teams had 3 losses, but KU's schedule was exponentially harder. It isn't like UL and IU were left out of the poll. They were both in the teens. They just have had really easy schedules and are being ranked with that in consideration.

Iowa State has a KP SOS just a few spots below KU's, and the two teams now have identical records, yet if the poll was miraculously re-balloted today I could nearly guarantee KU would sit higher in the polls than ISU, even though ISU took them out behind the shed last night.

We could do this all day, but I'm not up for that much fun.

[ShockerFever]

OK fine, so let's talk Louisville and Indiana (the only two with merely 3 losses) and drop the rest.

Per KenPom, Louisville's SOS is 170! Indiana's is 197! KU's is 6 after last night. Was probably top 10 or top 15 before that game at the time the polls came out.

What possible justification is there for Louisville or Indiana being anywhere near KU in the poll yesterday? All 3 teams had 3 losses, but KU's schedule was exponentially harder. It isn't like UL and IU were left out of the poll. They were both in the teens. They just have had really easy schedules and are being ranked with that in consideration.

Does Indiana or Louisville have as bad a loss as a 20 point asskicking to a team that has lost at home to Missouri State?

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

So @SHOCKvalue:, you agree with me about Louisville and Indiana? I'm happy to discuss Iowa State, but changing the subject and throwing out a 7th team makes it hard to hold a conversation with you.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Does Indiana or Louisville have as bad a loss as a 20 point asskicking to a team that has lost at home to Missouri State?

I would say yes. Indiana's neutral loss to Wake Forest is every bit as bad.

Are you legitimately arguing that Indiana should have been ranked on par with KU yesterday, or are you just here to oppose everything I say even when you agree with me?

[ShockerFever]

I would say yes. Indiana's neutral loss to Wake Forest is every bit as bad.

Are you legitimately arguing that Indiana should have been ranked on par with KU yesterday, or are you just here to oppose everything I say even when you agree with me?

KU looked like **** at home to TCU. KU looked like **** at Oklahoma State. KU looked like **** at home to Texas for a large majority of the game. Top 5 teams aren't supposed to look like **** that often.

So yes, I think Indiana should have been ranked higher yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Time to throw it into ubergeek mode and bring out the statistics. Here we go.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Indiana looked great struggling vs Rutgers and Minnesota.
Indiana looked great losing to Wake Forest.
Indiana looked great losing to Duke (yes, this year’s crappy Duke team) by 20.

Yes, Indiana has always looked amazing.

(Last response from me to Fever for today)

[ShockerFever]

Indiana looked great struggling vs Rutgers and Minnesota.
Indiana looked great losing to Wake Forest.
Indiana looked great losing to Duke (yes, this year’s crappy Duke team) by 20.

Yes, Indiana has always looked amazing.

(Last response from me to Fever for today)

lol, are we now comparing resumes or how the teams played last week? So Indiana is the same team in November as it is now? KU is the same team in November as it is now?

Great apples to oranges comparison there champ.

[ShockdaWorld]

I'm by no means saying either Louisville or Indiana should be ranked ahead of Kansas, but I do think SOS is an overrated statistic. If an entire conference is overrated, it's inevitably going to improve each team's individual SOS. I know, I know, KU played a good OOC schedule (really?). MSU was/is a good loss(?). SDSU was ONLY true road game. Strong SOS? Why? Because ALL of the Big12 teams are great and can beat all comers. (Except UNI and MoSt)