Coaches Poll

[casualfan]

Here's (http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/basketball-men/polls/coaches-poll/2014/1/) the preseason coaches poll

Couple things that caught my eye:

1. We didn't get any votes. I didn't expect us to be ranked, but thought we'd get some votes based on what we bring back.

2. No Big East teams other than Villanova. Outside of Nova being ranked only two other Big East schools got votes (providence got 5 and georgetown got 4).

3. We don't play a ranked team OOC. Not only do we not play a ranked team OOC we may not even play a team OOC who got votes. The only team that might be on our schedule who got votes is UTEP.

[GoMuskies]

Clearly, we're going undefeated.

[paulxu]

All part of the sneak up on 'em strategy.

[casualfan]

This is a big year for the league and it can't be all just Villanova.

We've gotta have some teams step up, make some noise OOC and then hopefully put a few teams in the second weekend of the tourney.

[Chalmers0]

This is a big year for the league and it can't be all just Villanova.

We've gotta have some teams step up, make some noise OOC and then hopefully put a few teams in the second weekend of the tourney.

Was hoping Providence would be a team that stepped up again this year but with Bullock tearing his ACL and Bentil not getting cleared that looks a little bleaker. I don't want to have to count on St. John's...

[Xville]

Big East absolutely must make some strides this year....with all that said, Kentucky should not lose 1 game all season, they will just due to being so young, but they really shouldn't, which makes me want to vomit. The talent that is on that team is insane.

[xu82]

Clearly, we're going undefeated.

Well, that is some very good news! And to think I was feeling a bit down about this.... silly me.

[casualfan]

Big East absolutely must make some strides this year....with all that said, Kentucky should not lose 1 game all season, they will just due to being so young, but they really shouldn't, which makes me want to vomit. The talent that is on that team is insane.

No doubt about it. Can't afford another year like the last.

[sirthought]

Is the Big 10 really going to be that strong this season?

[xubrew]

I like the rankings, but I put no stock into them at all until about January, and even then I don't put too much stock into them.

Last year, Marquette was the only ranked Big East team, and Nova was nowhere to be found.

Every year, about half the teams who start off ranked finished outside the top 25, and about eight of them will miss the NCAA Tournament entirely.

Kentucky has started off ranked #3 and #1 the last two years. Both years, they finished the regular season unranked. It's a damn shame that shot didn't go down for Wichita last year. It would have done a lot to enhance my belief, which is probably more a desire than a belief, that you cannot sustain an elite level of success over a long period of time going exclusively one-and-done. Having said that, the most common characteristic overrated preseason teams have had over the last decade is that they don't have upperclassman leadership. That was certainly the case with Kentucky last year and the year before.....at least until last year's NCAA Tournament started.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Murray State or SFA end up in the rankings before the end of the year. It has more to do with how the polls work than me thinking they're actually two of the 25 best teams. Murray really should win 30 games, and outside of us, Memphis and one other team, SFA should win all of theirs too. You see it all the time. Teams move up by default. The most important element to the top 25 is when your most recent loss was, and if you only play weak teaks, you move up as the good teams knock each other off. I still don't think the selection committee will favor them, but both are good and both could end up ranked.

[GoMuskies]

I think Murray and SFA will only make their way into the rankings if they can win at Cintas. So hopefully that doesn't happen.

[xubrew]

I think Murray and SFA will only make their way into the rankings if they can win at Cintas. So hopefully that doesn't happen.

Utah State kept getting in all those years despite the fact that they didn't come close to deserving it.

You may be right, though. I think SFA got as high as 27th last year, so they were close, but didn't make it in.

[xubrew]

Jesus,

SFA played 18 games against teams outside the RPI top 250 last year and/or nondiv1 teams. That's some really impressive weak scheduling. Towson and Texas were the only top 100 teams they faced prior to beating VCU in the NCAA Tournament.

[GoMuskies]

Given that RPI is 50% opponent winning percentage, I will once again commend our coaches on the brilliant scheduling move of bringing in both Murray and SFA. IF we win.

[Xville]

I like the rankings, but I put no stock into them at all until about January, and even then I don't put too much stock into them.

Last year, Marquette was the only ranked Big East team, and Nova was nowhere to be found.

Every year, about half the teams who start off ranked finished outside the top 25, and about eight of them will miss the NCAA Tournament entirely.

Kentucky has started off ranked #3 and #1 the last two years. Both years, they finished the regular season unranked. It's a damn shame that shot didn't go down for Wichita last year. It would have done a lot to enhance my belief, which is probably more a desire than a belief, that you cannot sustain an elite level of success over a long period of time going exclusively one-and-done. Having said that, the most common characteristic overrated preseason teams have had over the last decade is that they don't have upperclassman leadership. That was certainly the case with Kentucky last year and the year before.....at least until last year's NCAA Tournament started.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Murray State or SFA end up in the rankings before the end of the year. It has more to do with how the polls work than me thinking they're actually two of the 25 best teams. Murray really should win 30 games, and outside of us, Memphis and one other team, SFA should win all of theirs too. You see it all the time. Teams move up by default. The most important element to the top 25 is when your most recent loss was, and if you only play weak teaks, you move up as the good teams knock each other off. I still don't think the selection committee will favor them, but both are good and both could end up ranked.

I hear what you are saying about Kentucky. I desire the same thing and believe cal is complete scum. However this Kentucky team is different than the last two...they are more loaded than they ever have been. If you haven't seen Karl towns or trey lyles play yet get ready. ESPN is going to slob all over them.

[casualfan]

Given that RPI is 50% opponent winning percentage, I will once again commend our coaches on the brilliant scheduling move of bringing in both Murray and SFA. IF we win.

The problem is that the committee is starting to catch on to teams who game the system IMHO. That's why you're starting to see more value put on neutral court wins and wins away from home, especially ones against top 50 schools.

In doing so they're taking value away from games like those two where schools bring in decent teams they should beat to their comfortable home environment.

[IM4X]

I hear what you are saying about Kentucky. I desire the same thing and believe cal is complete scum. However this Kentucky team is different than the last two...they are more loaded than they ever have been. If you haven't seen Karl towns or trey lyles play yet get ready. ESPN is going to slob all over them.

Sure, I've seen Trey Lyles play. I saw him play in a game against Bluiett where Bluiett scored 51 points and pretty much scored at will on every player on Lyles team– a team loaded with talented players. No doubt Lyles will be a beast at Kentucky... and Bluiett at X.

http://www.indystar.com/story/recruiting-central/2014/01/05/tech-park-tudor-trevon-bluiett-trey-lyles/4327385/