2017-18 National Poll Rankings

[ShockingButTrue]

60Shock - I didn't mean for that to be directed only at you. Seems like half of the people on this board seem to be upset about our ranking when compared to the recent results of other teams above us in the polls. Of course it's subjective. I do think we've made a good case for # 9. I actually think TCU is about right at 15. My point is that for every team ahead of us that some on here think seem to be ranked too high, there is one behind us who could make an equally compelling argument.

Top 10 and highest ranked team with more than one loss is good. We have some good wins but no great wins at this point in the season. When we get to full strength later in the year we can make a case to move up as long as we're taking care of business. I'm not trying to start a big argument so I'm going to bow out now, but put me on record as someone who thinks the pollsters have been more than fair this year.

And I'm guessing the only wins that count are over Duke and/or Kentucky? It seems the pollsters have been fair, I agree. I disagree with "more than."

[ICT2CLT]

And I'm guessing the only wins that count are over Duke and/or Kentucky?"

Ugh I promised myself I wouldn't do this but here I am again, new year, same me and I can't just let it go. To be a great win? I'd say a neutral or away win against at least a solidly ranked team. So yes, in your example Duke and Kentucky might be great wins. I'd make an exception for the Jayhawks win over UK earlier though, that early in the season they definitely were not playing like a top 25 team regardless of where they'll end up.

We deserve to be top 10 but not much higher. Maybe that's all I should have said.

[WheatShock]

TCU was a horrible example. Horrible. They need to prove they can win a road game.. ANY road game first.

These fans with newer join dates are certainly not sunshine pumpers.

Do we really want sunshine pumpers?

While many of us see things through yellow tinted glasses at times we should try to keep it somewhat reasonable.

[pogo]

I agree with you on that and I think it best that those that think the world is coming to an end after anything less than a blow out win should keep it reasonable as well.

[ShockerFever]

Do we really want sunshine pumpers?

While many of us see things through yellow tinted glasses at times we should try to keep it somewhat reasonable.

Oh I agree. I was being slightly facetious.

What I was really trying to say was there seems to be suspicious crop of characters that have joined within the last year that only post when WSU is struggling or to subtly try to knock WSU down a few pegs in all of their posts.

[pogo]

Yep. There goes the neighborhood.

[ShockTalk]

Oh I agree. I was being slightly facetious.

What I was really trying to say was there seems to be suspicious crop of characters that have joined within the last year that only post when WSU is struggling or to subtly try to knock WSU down a few pegs in all of their posts.

Maybe if they had the "fever" like we do, they'd been on here years ago. But then, I remember years ago when I first joined, I was criticizing WSU baseball struggles with the bat and "someone" accused me of not really being a WSU fan, but a come lately bandwagoner. :wink-new:

[OregonShocker]

We all have to start somewhere, sometime. Either it's during a good period and you're accused of being a fair weather fan, or it's a bad stretch and you're accused of being a piling on troll. ;-) It's part of the process of toughening up the skin.

[WuShock Reaper]

"College Basketball Power Rankings 2017: Week 9 Rankings" - COED Sports

BY TYLER GAMBILL
Posted: 01/01/18, 11:00am

https://coed.com/2018/01/01/college-basketball-rankings-week-9-power-standing-projections-top-25/

"As college basketball smoothly transitions from 2017 to 2018, ambitious and competitive programs will already have their sights set on the opening day of the NCAA Tournament. While there is still plenty of conference basketball to be played until then, these forthcoming contests will be crucial in deciding coveted seeding spots and which bubble teams will inevitably be worthy of competing with the big boys of college basketball. When you also consider that both college and pro football are coming close to their highly anticipated crescendoes, college basketball will emphatically take over the spotlight throughout each week until March Madness tips off in just a couple of months....

1. Michigan State Spartans
2. Duke Blue Devils
3. Xavier Musketeers
4. West Virginia Mountaineers
5. Wichita State Shockers - Aside from an inconsistent defense (70.2 PAPG), the Shockers have been one of the most well-balanced teams in college basketball and have performed admirably even in their losses. They may not always win pretty, but their disciplined nature combined with their reliable playmakers will allow them to persevere more often than not.
6. Villanova Wildcats
7. Arizona State Sun Devils
8. Virginia Cavaliers
9. Oklahoma Sooners
10. Kansas Jayhawks


Others:
18. Cincinnati Bearcats
24. Baylor Bears
25. Notre Dame Fighting Irish..."

[ShockingButTrue]

Ugh I promised myself I wouldn't do this but here I am again, new year, same me and I can't just let it go. To be a great win? I'd say a neutral or away win against at least a solidly ranked team. So yes, in your example Duke and Kentucky might be great wins. I'd make an exception for the Jayhawks win over UK earlier though, that early in the season they definitely were not playing like a top 25 team regardless of where they'll end up.

We deserve to be top 10 but not much higher. Maybe that's all I should have said.

If big wins is the only criteria then should Loyola be top 10 because they beat #5 Florida in Gainsville? Where should the Huskies, who lost to Providence, and gave up a 103 points to Va. Tech, but held the Chickens to 65 in Kansas City, be ranked?

That's the equivalent logic that continually bewilders Chicken/b12 honks when they lose to Valley teams, for example. That's my favorite kind of "Yeah, but..."

[Shaqness]

I always laugh at AP debates. What does it really even mean? Of the 8 teams ranked higher than us, I know we would for sure lose to 2 of them. MSU and OU. We have more than a punchers chance at the rest of them.

[WstateU]

Of the 8 teams ranked higher than us, I know we would for sure lose to 2 of them. MSU and OU.

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[pogo]

I would think that on any given night with a healthy and productive MM I would think we have a better than average chance at beating any of them.

[WuShock Reaper]

"Power Rankings: With No Unbeatens Left, Michigan State Claims Top Spot" - Sports illustrated

By MOLLY GEARY
January 03, 2018

https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2018/01/03/power-rankings-michigan-state-duke-villanova-arizona

"It’s been two weeks since our last power rankings after taking last week off due to the holiday break. Since then, six of our top-10 teams have lost, including No. 1 Villanova, and college basketball is now left with zero unbeaten teams. Because of the two-week break, the new rankings will take all games since the last edition into account (and list them under ‘last week’), which for most teams means both its final nonconference game(s) and the start of conference play.

1. MICHIGAN STATE (14–1)
2. DUKE (13–1)
3. VILLANOVA (13–1)
4. ARIZONA STATE (12–1)
5. XAVIER (15–1)
6. PURDUE (13-2)
7. OKLAHOMA (11–1)
8. WEST VIRGINIA (11–1)
9. ARIZONA (11–3)
10. VIRGINIA (12–1)
11. TEXAS TECH (13–1)
12. UNC (12–2)
13. KENTUCKY (11–2)
14. SETON HALL (13–2)
15. TCU (13–1)

16. WICHITA STATE (11–2)
Last Week (16): beat FGCU, beat UConn
Next Week: vs. Houston, vs. South Florida
It’s the dawn of a new era for Wichita State as it started its first-ever AAC slate with a road win over UConn. And in good news for the Shockers (and probably bad news for opponents), Markis McDuffie is finally back. He’s still being eased in, having logged nine and 16 minutes in his first two games, but his presence once he gets back up to speed could be a pivotal and stabilizing factor for Wichita, which doesn’t face what’s likely its biggest challenger for the American crown, Cincinnati, until Feb. 18.

17. MIAMI (12–1)
18. CINCINNATI (12–2)
19. GONZAGA (12–3)
20. TEXAS A&M (11–3)...

Others:
23. SMU (12–3)..."

[ShockTalk]

But...but, where's the Beakers???

[Slykryck]

16. C’mon Son.

[Zubcut]

Here's how ridiculous RPI is. Cincinnati is #8 on KenPom and #61 RPI. (7-6 Lipscomb is #33!!!) I guarantee Cincy is closer to being the 8th best team than the 61st. Yet this stupid RPI is what they have insisted on using for NCAA tourney seeding and at large bids. At least they say, starting this season, the committee will also consider other rating systems as well as RPI. Right now beating Cincinnati wouldn't even be a top 50 RPI win. The committee would probably consider it a bad loss.

[AndShock]

Here's how ridiculous RPI is. Cincinnati is #8 on KenPom and #61 RPI. (7-6 Lipscomb is #33!!!) I guarantee Cincy is closer to being the 8th best team than the 61st. Yet this stupid RPI is what they have insisted on using for NCAA tourney seeding and at large bids. At least they say, starting this season, the committee will also consider other rating systems as well as RPI. Right now beating Cincinnati wouldn't even be a top 50 RPI win. The committee would probably consider it a bad loss.

If you want to look at RPI outside of March, the only thing worth looking at is RPIForecast.com

[Zubcut]

If you want to look at RPI outside of March, the only thing worth looking at is RPIForecast.com

Ahh. Thanks. That's a little better.

[Zubcut]

I was looking at the latest KenPom rankings and was shocked to see how bad the bottom of the AAC is. The MVC'S lowest KenPom rankings is Evansville at 166. The AAC has Memphis at 187, USF at 306 and ECU at 317! The worst Ivy League team is Dartmouth at 292. That's a league with zero athletic scholarships. That is pathetic. We're lucky we only play these teams once apiece. They are RPI killers.