2017-18 National Rankings

[WuShock Reaper]

"The Comeback’s college basketball Top 25 for the 2017-18 season" - The Comeback

By Jesse Kramer
November 2, 2017

http://thecomeback.com/ncaa/college-basketball-top-25-2017-18-season.html

"Eight more days until we can quit with all the projections and finally watch some hoops. Despite the FBI investigation hanging over the sport, the 2017-18 season shapes up to have plenty of thrills with a pair of clear title favorites in Arizona and Duke, but another 10-12 teams that could win the whole thing.

Here’s a look at the top 25 teams in college basketball this season.

1. Arizona
2. Duke
3. Wichita State
2016-17 recap: 31-5, 17-1 MVC; No. 8 KenPom; No. 10 seed NCAA Tournament

With their entire rotation returning, the Shockers bring back more production than any KenPom top 10 team from last year. The downside for Wichita State is injuries, as we’ve heard before. Sophomore point guard Landry Shamet had foot surgery over the summer and still was not practicing as of earlier this week. Junior forward Markis McDuffie will be out until about mid-December with a stress fracture in his foot. Those are Wichita State’s two best players, and those injuries could affect key non-conference games against Baylor, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. Fortunately, the Shockers will have opportunities in conference play for quality wins now that they’ve moved from the MVC to the AAC.

4. Kansas
5. Villanova
6. Michigan State
7. Kentucky
8. Cincinnati
9. USC
10. Florida

Other:
16. Notre Dame..."

[wichshock65]

[WuShock Reaper]

"College Basketball Rankings: Metro's preseason top-25" - Metro Sports
Which programs are the ones to watch out for this winter?

By Joe Pantorno
Published : November 08, 2017

https://www.metro.us/sports/college-basketball-rankings-metros-preseason-top-25

"College basketball is just around the corner with a cast of new names, fresh faces and the same old dominating programs that are expected to be in contention come March. But the beautiful thing about college basketball is that unproven talent and small-time schools can shock the NCAA on any given night, which makes the run to the NCAA Tournament so much fun. With the season tipping off on Friday night, here is a look at Metro's first poll of the season:

1. Duke
2. Arizona
3. Michigan State
4. Kansas
5. Kentucky
6. Villanova
7. Wichita State- If the end of Landry Shamet's freshman season is any indication of how things will be this year, Wichita State is going to be a menace.
8. West Virginia
9. Florida
10. North Carolina

Others
12. Cincinnati- A 30-win Bearcats team from last season received a big boost when Cane Broome transferred from Sacred Heart.
13. Notre Dame- The double-double machine that is Bonzie Colson will carry ACC Preseason Player of the Year honors into his senior season where he will carry the Irish to the Tournament.
24. Baylor- I think Manu Lecomte will be a darkhorse for the Wooden Award while seven-footer Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. is going to be the Bears' stalwart down low...."

[WuShock Reaper]

"Ranking the top 25 as college basketball season tips off" - The Lexington Herald-Leader

BY JOHN CLAY
NOVEMBER 08, 2017 11:11 AM

http://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/john-clay/article183426516.html

My top 25:

1. Duke
2. Michigan State
3. Wichita State: Gregg Marshall has everyone back, including star guard Landry Shamet, from the team that pushed Kentucky to the wire in last year’s NCAA second round. A stronger start should help the Shockers with NCAA seeding, and the move to the American Athletic should toughen Marshall’s men for tournament time.
4. Arizona
5. Kansas
6. Florida
7. Cincinnati: For a team that won 30 games last year, the Bearcats were overlooked. Mick Cronin returns his core group, plus he picked up Sacred Heart transfer Cane Broome, who could be a difference-maker.
8. Villanova
9. Kentucky
10. Miami...

Other:
14. Notre Dame: Bonzi Colson is back for what seems like his 10th year at South Bend, but he could end up the ACC player of the year and could help Mike Brey’s Irish make another postseason run...."

[wufan]

WuShock Reaper, thank you for consistently reducing the font size for Kansas in these rankings! That is a brilliantly passive aggressive measure. Kudos to you!

[WuShock Reaper]

"College basketball 2017-18 preseason Top 25" - FanSided

by Chris Stone
Posted: 11/08/17, 10:00am cst

https://fansided.com/2017/11/08/college-basketball-preseason-rankings-teams/22/

"... No. 4 Wichita State Shockers

Notable departures: Daishon Smith
Notable returnees: Zach Brown, Conner Frankamp, Rashard Kelly, Markis McDuffie, Shaquille Morris, Rauno Nurger, Austin Reaves, Landry Shamet, Darral Willis
Notable newcomers: Samajae Jones, Asbjorn Midtgaard

If continuity matters in college basketball — and studies suggest that it does, in fact, mean something on both sides of the ball — then the Wichita State Shockers have a great argument to be a preseason top-five team. Outside of backup guard Daishon Smith, Gregg Marshall returns every major piece of a rotation that finished last season ranked in the top 10 at KenPom. The roster is also loaded with experience. Marshall’s starting lineup will likely consist of a redshirt sophomore, a junior and three seniors.

Make no mistake, though. This isn’t just about continuity and experience. Wichita State is also immensely talented. Point guard Landry Shamet and wing Markis McDuffie could both end up as first round picks in the 2018 NBA Draft while Conner Frankamp and Shaquille Morris were both named third team All-Conference in the Missouri Valley last season. The team’s fifth starter, Zach Brown, made the league’s All-Defensive team as well.

Now in the American Athletic Conference, the Shockers should be positioned to help the NCAA’s Selection Committee avoid any awkward seeding decision this season, too. In 2017, despite its success on the court, Wichita State earned just a No. 10 seed before losing to the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in a game that oddsmakers pegged as a near coin flip. Although the AAC will bring a higher level of competition, the Shockers should be up to the challenge, which will hopefully improve their position come March.

The other big question with Wichita State is just how much more they can actually improve. The Shockers’ coaching staff is going to be reliant on the internal development of the team’s players and it’s unlikely that many roles will change. Familiarity with one another should yield some progress, but whether or not individual players can make a leap remains to be seen...."

[AndShock]

#4 to #2 in KenPom. KU’s game isn’t in yet but I don’t think they can pass us. Our performance was about as good as possible.

[WuShock Reaper]

"Jerry Carino's Associated Press Top 25 men's basketball ballot" - Gannett New Jersey

Jerry Carino,AP Voter
Published 5:00 a.m. ET Nov. 13, 2017

http://www.app.com/story/sports/coll...lot/857075001/

"Analysis: My method is to work off the existing poll (rather than my prior ballot) unless I see something egregious. In this case, that’s Michigan State being ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll . . . Everything else was status quo except for West Virginia’s removal and replacement by Rhode Island, which should have been included to begin with . . . Week one is always simple. It’ll get more complicated after Thanksgiving-week tourneys....

Top 10
1. Michigan State (previous: 1)
2. Duke (previous: 2)
3. Arizona (previous: 5)
4. Kansas (previous: 4)
5. Kentucky (previous: 8)
6. Villanova (previous: 6)
7. Wichita State (previous: 3)
8. Florida (previous: 12)
9. North Carolina (previous: 7)
10. USC (previous:15)

[Fafhrd Mouser]

He needs to change his last name to kids.

You thought WSU was #3. Then they blow out a team by 52 and look good doing it and you now think they are #7 because of what others think. If you're going regurgitate other people's opinions then why are you a voter.

[WheatShock]

"Jerry Carino's Associated Press Top 25 men's basketball ballot" - Gannett New Jersey

Jerry Carino,AP Voter
Published 5:00 a.m. ET Nov. 13, 2017

http://www.app.com/story/sports/coll...lot/857075001/

"Analysis: My method is to work off the existing poll (rather than my prior ballot) unless I see something egregious. In this case, that’s Michigan State being ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll . . . Everything else was status quo except for West Virginia’s removal and replacement by Rhode Island, which should have been included to begin with . . . Week one is always simple. It’ll get more complicated after Thanksgiving-week tourneys....

Top 10
1. Michigan State (previous: 1)
2. Duke (previous: 2)
3. Arizona (previous: 5)
4. Kansas (previous: 4)
5. Kentucky (previous: 8)
6. Villanova (previous: 6)
7. Wichita State (previous: 3)
8. Florida (previous: 12)
9. North Carolina (previous: 7)
10. USC (previous:15)

That's a stupid way to go about it. 'I'm going to throw out what I think in favor of going with the flow'.

[wichshock65]

Here we go already. His top 8 either stay the same or get bumped up...... Except for Shox. We drop 4. Did anyone else watch the Kentucky game yesterday and think to themselves how much better they looked than the us? I sure as hell didn't. It reaffermed to me that our hype is right on the money!

[WuShock Reaper]

"My New Top 25 basketball ballot" - Roanoke Times

By Mark Berman, AP Voter
Posted: 11/13/17, 1:00am cst

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/my-new-top-basketball-ballot/article_cbed9ef8-c82f-11e7-9f80-83aa07516216.html

"Time to send a new Top 25 men's basketball ballot to the Associated Press.
I kicked out West Virginia after it lost to Texas A&M by 23 points. Needed to make room for A&M on my ballot.

Here is the ballot:
1. Michigan State stays here after beating North Florida. Next: huge game against Duke on Tuesday in Chicago, and then a Sunday game with Stony Brook.
2. Arizona stays here after beating Northern Arizona and UMBC. Next: Thurs. against Cal State Bakersfield.
3. Kansas stays here after beating Tenn. State: Next: huge game with Kentucky on Tuesday in Chicago, and a Friday game with South Dakota State.
4. North Carolina stays here after beating Northern Iowa. Next: Wednesday against Bucknell.
5. Duke stays here after beating Elon and Utah Valley. Next: the big game Tuesday against Michigan State, and a Friday game with Southern.
6. Wichita State stays here after beating Missouri-Kansas City. Next: Monday against The College of Charleston.
7. Kentucky stays here after beating Utah Valley by 10 points and Vermont by four points. Next: the big game Tuesday against Kansas, and a Friday game with ETSU.
8. Villanova stays here after beating Columbia. Next: Tuesday against Nicholls and Friday in Allentown against Lafayette.
9. Notre Dame stays here after beating DePaul on the road. Next: Monday against Mount St. Mary's and Thursday against Chicago St.
10. Southern Cal stays here after beating Cal State Fullerton. Next: Monday against North Dakota State and Sunday at Vandy.

Others:
12. Cincinnati stays here after beating Savannah St. Next: Monday against Western Carolina and Thursday against Coppin State...."

[ShockTalk]

Well, so far, Kentucky moves up 3 spots on one ballot and stays the same on another after being behind by 9 at half, winning by 10 over Utah Valley and beating Vermont by 4.

I wonder how the Shockers would have fared in their Top 10 ballots had they done this?

[ShockerFever]

I just lost a lot of respect for Carino with his robotic voting process. Absolutely nuts.

Kentucky is the most overrated joke out there currently.

[Cdizzle]

Always tough when the teams around you are continually given the benefit of the doubt, and you are continually doubted despite proving it repeatedly.

Only one thing left to do.

1 down. 38 to go.

Leave. No. Doubt.

[ShockerPhi]

At least Seth Davis has the gall to drop Kentucky quite a ways. I'm too lazy to look up his previous rankings to see how he moved teams, but I can get behind this ranking.

[ShockerFever]

At least Seth Davis has the gall to drop Kentucky quite a ways. I'm too lazy to look up his previous rankings to see how he moved teams, but I can get behind this ranking.

He’s now subjected himself to getting death threats.