2017-18 National Rankings

[ShockerFever]

Is it surprising to anyone else that there is so much weight placed on the AP poll vs the coaches poll? With the understanding that neither truly does anything but give us something to debate over, what qualifications do these writers have over the coaches that actually scout, plan, and coach against these teams.

The AP poll is what the media uses. Games on ESPN, CBS, FOX, you name it, uses the AP ranks.

I think USA Today may be the only publication that uses the coaches' poll (because they sponsor it). Its value is generally considered to be much lower. I don't even look at it.

[WSUwatcher]

Coaches poll is known for being completed in reality by DOBO’s, GA’s and such.

Well, they do call it "coaches," not "head coaches." So even though the head coaches are the ones officially with the ballots, the reality is different. Just typical executive delegation.

[Zubcut]

There's voters out there that have WSU 9th. Any complaints there?

The polls are an average of everybody's individual ballots anyway. Again, that's the way it has always been. You don't rank Boston College #1 for beating #1 Duke. You don't jump Arizona State 20 spaces for getting a couple of good wins.

Arizona State moving from #16 to #5 in one week is very, very fair. Arguing about everything else is just nitpicking.

That's exactly the problem. Voters saying "I can't jump Arizona State 20 spaces". Hell yeah you can. You put them where they deserve to be. Who gives a damn where you had them last week. Is 20 the magic number you can't move a team? That must be one of your poll mechanics rules. I really don't give a damn about ASU. I'm just using them as an example of what drives me crazy about these polls. What has Kansas done to still be rated #12? If the Shockers had two blowout home losses like that, we'd be out of the top 25. (and I don't want to hear KU fans say Washington was a neutral site game. There was a giant Jayhawk logo on the middle of the damn floor.)

[Steeleshocker]

That's exactly the problem. Voters saying "I can't jump Arizona State 20 spaces". Hell yeah you can. You put them where they deserve to be. Who gives a damn where you had them last week. Is 20 the magic number you can't move a team? That must be one of your poll mechanics rules. I really don't give a damn about ASU. I'm just using them as an example of what drives me crazy about these polls. What has Kansas done to still be rated #12? If the Shockers had two blowout home losses like that, we'd be out of the top 25. (and I don't want to hear KU fans say Washington was a neutral site game. There was a giant Jayhawk logo on the middle of the damn floor.)

I think the point isn't that you can't move somebody 20 spaces or more, I think it's that you are combining the opinions of numerous people, and so gaining inertia is hard. Some AP voters did put ASU all the way up at #1. But some may feel like their defense is weak and believe their kenpom number is more accurate, and that they are just a bad matchup for a Kansas team that appears fairly one dimensional at the moment.

All those opinions are valid, but result in wildly different numbers for teams that make drastic waves during the season. As a result you get an aggregate move that was quite large considering that wide variety of opinions.

Even Kansas is seeing this variety, as some believe they are still worthy of a top 10 ranking while one voter dropped them from his ballot entirely.

[ShockCrazy]

Well, they do call it "coaches," not "head coaches." So even though the head coaches are the ones officially with the ballots, the reality is different. Just typical executive delegation.

It's rarely even a coach. It's typically the SID or just someone in the AD, rarely anyone who is actually on the basketball staff.

[WuShock Reaper]

"College basketball rankings: Trae Young, Sooners launch into national conversation" - CBS Sports

By Gary Parrish
Posted:12/17/17, 11:00am cst

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-rankings-trae-young-sooners-launch-into-national-conversation/

"Oklahoma needed a signature win on national television to launch itself into the national conversation. The Sooners got exactly that Saturday afternoon courtesy of a 91-83 victory at Wichita State.

"We just showed that we can play on a big stage against a great team," OU freshman Brady Manek told reporters afterward. And he was right. So now the Sooners are 8-1 with three top-50 KenPom wins -- specifically victories over Wichita State, USC and Oregon. I have moved Lon Kruger's team to 13th in the CBS Sports Top 25 (and one)....

1 - Villanova
2 - Arizona State
3 - Michigan State
4 - North Carolina
5 - Kentucky
6 - Miami (Fla.)
7 - Texas A&M
8 - West Virginia
9 - Virginia
10 - Duke
11 - TCU
12 - Xavier
13 - Oklahoma
14 - Wichita State
15 - Gonzaga

Others:
21 – Baylor
24 – Cincinnati
Out – Notre Dame..."

[ShockerDropOut]

Did he have us at #3 last week? An 11 spot drop with a loss to a top 25 team seems a little extreme to me, but what do I know. Although our loss to ND is looking worse and worse as the weeks go by.

[ShockAzs]

I'm betting we land around 11. What do you guys think?

[OregonShocker]

If we were another school in this state, I’d predict a fall to 7. But, given biases, you’re probably right.

[Dan]

I'm betting we land around 11. What do you guys think?

OU has to move up a lot. They have more quality wins than we do and only one loss. I’d put us around 13, OU around 10

[ShockerFever]

Kentucky is still the most overrated team on the planet.

[WuShock Reaper]

Week	AP Team	Drop	Lost to Team
week 4	#21 - Saint Mary's	no votes	Lost to #NR - Washington State, Lost to #NR - Georgia
Week 6	#25 - USC	no votes	Lost to #26 - Oklahoma
week 4	#2 - Arizona	-28	Lost to #NR - NC State, Lost to #NR - SMU, Lost to #19 - Purdue
Week 6	#14 - Minnesota	-18	Lost to #NR - Nebraska, Lost to #NR - Arkansas
Week 6	#5 - Florida	-17	Lost to #26 - Florida State, Lost to #NR - Loyola-Chicago
week 2	#11 - West Virginia	-13	Lost to #25 - Texas A&M
week 5	#17 - Louisville	-13	Lost to #20 - Seton Hall, Lost to #18 - Purdue
week 5	#14 - USC	-11	Lost to #NR - SMU
Week 6	#2 - Kansas	-11	Lost to #NR - Washington, Lost to #16 - Arizona State
Week 6	#22 - Nevada	-11	Lost to #26 - Texas Tech. Lost to #23 - TCU
week 4	#18 - Purdue	-10	Lost to #NR - Tennessee, Lost to #West. Kentucky - SMU
Week 6	#9 - Notre Dame	-9	Lost to #NR - Ball State
week 5	#24 - Alabama	-8	Lost to #NR - UCF
week 5	#16 - Baylor	-7	Lost to #21 - Xavier, Lost to #8 - Wichita State
week 4	#20 - Seton Hall	-6	Lost to #NR - Rhode Island
week 4	#23 - UCLA	-6	Lost to #NR - Creighton
week 4	#15 - Xavier	-6	Lost to #26 - Arizonia State
week 5	#11 - Cincinnati	-6	Lost to #21 - Xavier
week 4	#9 - North Carolina	-4	Lost to #4 - Michigan State
week 4	#10 - USC	-4	Lost to #16 - Texas A&M
week 5	#25 - Creighton	-4	Lost to #17 - Gonzaga
week 5	#5 - Notre Dame	-4	Lost to #3 - Michigan State
week 5	#22 - Texas Tech	-4	Lost to #20 - Seton Hall
Week 6	#1 - Duke	-3	Lost to #NR - Boston College
week 2	#5 - Kentucky	-2	Lost to #4 - Kansas
week 3	#4 - Michigan State	-2	Lost to #1 - Duke
week 3	#6 - Wichita State	-2	Lost to #13 - Notre Dame
week 5	#12 - Minnesota	-2	Lost to #10 - Miami
Week 6	#7 - Texas A&M	-2	Lost to #26 - Arizona
Week 6	#15 - Virginia	-1	Lost to #18 - West Virginia

Average All Games = -7.6
Median All Games = - 6.0
Most Common All Games = - 4.0

Average Lost One Game = -5.0
Median Lost One Game = -4.0
Most Common Lost One Game = -4.0

My Analysis:
I am guessing Wichita State will drop about 7-8 places even though it was only one loss this week. Sure other teams have had a single loss in a week and only dropped a few places in the AP Poll, but this was our second loss and our other loss to Notre Dame is losing some of its luster. Not sure what will happen to Oklahoma, but they will likely get a significant rise, similar to Arizona State.

[WuShock Reaper]

"College Basketball Rankings: Projected Top 25 for Week 7" - FanSided

by Connor Muldowney
Posted: 12/17/17, 8:30pm

https://fansided.com/2017/12/17/college-basketball-rankings-projected-top-25-week-7/6/

"With the sixth week of the college basketball season in the books, here’s what the AP Top 25 rankings might look like for Week 7.

Yet another week of college basketball action is in the books and the action did not disappoint. We march one step closer to conference play as most power conference teams from around the nation battle so-called cupcakes. Others, however, have been facing off against other power conference foes. Week 7 featured some solid games such as North Carolina vs. Tennessee, Kansas vs. Nebraska, Notre Dame vs. Indiana, Oklahoma State vs. Florida State and Clemson vs. Florida.

There were also some ranked mid-major teams battling it out against power conference foes. Some came out on top such as Cincinnati over Mississippi State and UCLA while others, such as Wichita State, weren’t so lucky. The Shockers, ranked No. 3 in the country heading into the week, were the latest top-five team to go down via upset to Oklahoma.

Plenty of shake-ups have occurred near the top of the rankings over the past couple of weeks and the Top 25 has looked quite different each week with new teams entering and exiting at an alarming rate.

This week will be no different as there should be a couple of teams dropped from the rankings while others could make their way in for the first time this year.

Here’s a look at what the Week 7 AP Top 25 for college basketball should look like.

Top 10
1 - VILLANOVA WILDCATS
2 - MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
3 - DUKE BLUE DEVILS
4 - ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS
5 - MIAMI HURRICANES
6 - NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
7 - KENTUCKY WILDCATS
8 - WICHITA STATE SHOCKERS
Wichita State was the latest top-five team to drop via upset thanks to an Oklahoma surprise win in Week 6. The Shockers rose all the way to No. 3 in last week’s polls after a Duke loss, but they couldn’t hold on as the red-hot Sooners came to town and downed them, 91-83. Gregg Marshall will have this team atop the American Athletic Conference this season — their first year in the league — but for now they have to live with an upset.
9 - TEXAS A&M AGGIES
10 - XAVIER MUSKETEERS

Others:
17 - Oklahoma
18 - Baylor
20 - Cincinnati
25 - Notre Dame..."

[Zubcut]

Interesting to note that this guy like some others considers WSU and Cincinnati to be mid-major teams. No wonder UConn, Cincy want out of the AAC so bad. Apparently we just moved from one mid major conference to another.

[Play Angry]

Likely already mentioned, but Seth Davis slotted us at 15 on his ballot this evening.

[WuShock Reaper]

Seth Davis Verified account
@SethDavisHoops
2 hours ago

https://twitter.com/SethDavisHoops/status/942591726610468870

1. Mich St
2. Nova
3. Duke
4, TxAM
5. Ariz St
6. UNC
7. Mia
8. Gonz
9. Xav
10. WVa
11. UVa
12. Oklahoma
13. Purd
14. Zona
15. Wichita State
16. KU
17. UK
18. Baylor
19. Tenn
20. Creighton
21. Ala
22. Clem
23. Cincinnati
24. Ark
25. TCU

[ShockingButTrue]

Looks like a fair ballot.

[Play Angry]

Chris Dachille has us at 12, Jerry Carino has us at 11, and Mark Berman has us at 14 on their ballots this morning.