MUScoop

MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: 🏀 on November 27, 2006, 11:59:14 AM

Title: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: 🏀 on November 27, 2006, 11:59:14 AM
Big Jump
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: rocky_warrior on November 27, 2006, 12:02:17 PM
Cool  8)  Glad my predictions were one off in this case.

Here's the link
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankingsindex
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: dwaderoy2004 on November 27, 2006, 12:04:06 PM
wow.  lots of big changes in that poll.  i feel bad for georgetown...they dropped to 23rd from 16th, and they didn't even lose!  now that the bullseye is even more firmly on our backs, let's go out and spank valpo so these mid-majors don't get any ideas about upsetting us.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: rocky_warrior on November 27, 2006, 12:07:16 PM
Anyone else surprised to see OSU at #1?  I know they haven't lost...bust exactly who have they beaten?  Oh well...it will work itself out.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: WashDCWarrior on November 27, 2006, 12:08:29 PM
Wow, awesome.  I'll take the liberty of getting rediculously ahead of myself.  If we stay undefeated through the UW game, does anybody think we will get any #1 overall votes?  They're currently split among 4 teams, OSU, Pitt, UCLA, and Florida.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: dwaderoy2004 on November 27, 2006, 12:18:35 PM
ohio st. has won every game by double figures.  but yeah, they haven't so much earned that ranking as opposed to not doing anything to lose it.  personally i think UCLA should be put up there.  like you said rocky, it'll work itself out soon: OSU plays UNC on wednesday.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: AlienWarrior on November 27, 2006, 12:22:06 PM
It's a beautiful thing as is this being my 1st post on this new board .
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: NavinRJohnson on November 27, 2006, 12:38:12 PM
8th in AP.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: SoCalwarrior on November 27, 2006, 12:38:24 PM
Wow, awesome.  I'll take the liberty of getting rediculously ahead of myself.  If we stay undefeated through the UW game, does anybody think we will get any #1 overall votes?  They're currently split among 4 teams, OSU, Pitt, UCLA, and Florida.

Let's take a look shall we...

Here are the teams ahead of us and their opponents up to the 9th of December.

1. OSU plays UNC, Valpo and Cleveland St.
2. UCLA plays Long Beach St., UC Riverside, SC Fullerton and Texas A&M
3. Pitt plays R. Morris, Auburn, Duquesne and Buffalo
4. Florida plays Souther, Florida St. and Providence
5. Kansas plays Dartmouth, Depaul, USC and Toledo
6. UNC plays OSU, Kentucky and High Point
7. Alabama plays ULMonroe, Tenn. St., Notre Dame and Alabama St.
8. Texas A&M plays UALR, Pacific, LSU, UCLA
9. MU plays Valpo,N'west St., Deleware St and Wisconsin

Looking at that, I'd say Texas A&M has the best chance of losing a game or two (LSU and UCLA).  UNC is next with games against OSU and Kentucky.  Pitt, Florida, Kansas and Alabama should sweep.  UCLA and MU should sweep, but have a tough final game.  
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: SoCalstu09 on November 27, 2006, 12:40:32 PM
Anyone else surprised to see OSU at #1?  I know they haven't lost...bust exactly who have they beaten?  Oh well...it will work itself out.

Also, the #1 and #2 teams lost this week (#1 Florida to KU and #2 UNC to Gonzaga). That being said, it's just the ESPN poll...UCLA tops the AP poll by a lot.

GO MU! #8/9 in the nation!!! :)
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: spiral97 on November 27, 2006, 12:46:40 PM
It's a beautiful thing as is this being my 1st post on this new board .

Welcome aboard Alien! (never thought I'd hear (see) myself say that!).
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: Big Papi on November 27, 2006, 01:05:58 PM
As great as we looked against Duke and Texas Tech, i don't see how we can be ranked higher than OSU, Florida, Pitt and Kansas.  Those teams are definitely a notch above ours so I don't think we will get any first place votes.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: augoman on November 27, 2006, 01:10:39 PM
it's great to have the recognition, but had hoped to stay 'under the radar' so as to go into the uw game as an underdog..., coming out with an upset of the baaaaadjrs.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: NavinRJohnson on November 27, 2006, 01:14:39 PM
it's great to have the recognition, but had hoped to stay 'under the radar' so as to go into the uw game as an underdog..., coming out with an upset of the baaaaadjrs.

Heck with that. Let's go in as favorites and give them the beating they so richly deserve.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: SoCalwarrior on November 27, 2006, 01:25:53 PM
Agreed.  We have to start acting like a top ten team and beat inferior teams up.   We're not going to take anyone by surprise anymore.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: spiral97 on November 27, 2006, 01:43:48 PM
At this point in the season, the polls are still very granular.. they're getting somewhat accurate about who should be in the top 25 and maybe generally whether a team should be in the bottom half or top half but there just has not been enough games to truly narrow down who should be #3 vs #11 or #9 vs. #15.. If you look at the volatility of the AP poll there was an average of 3.6 change in poll position up or down per team which gives a 7.2 position swing range (ESPN poll is 4.2 for a swing range of 8.4).  You might argue that the bottom half is more volatile and you are correct but it is not that much less volatile: just looking at the AP top 10 shows a volatility of 3.2 for a 6.4 swing range (3.4 for a 6.8 swing range in ESPN poll).  That means that it would not be out of the poll character for the #3 team be ranked as low as #6 or #7 come next week or the #10 team be ranked as high as #7 or #6.  Until at least the time we hit conference play, I'm really focusing less on who is ranked just above who or just below who and more on what general area of the top 25 we're in.  Being in the top 10 area is major kudos as I feel that it says we're among the top 15 teams - for which I am happy (not satisfied, but happy).

Which brings me to the reason why I post (and not because I want to be a downer on our awesome #8 ranking):
As great as we looked against Duke and Texas Tech, i don't see how we can be ranked higher than OSU, Florida, Pitt and Kansas.  Those teams are definitely a notch above ours so I don't think we will get any first place votes.

How are those teams "definitely a notch above ours"?  I don't think this has been established yet.. by ANY team.  Florida was viewed as untouchable by many yet they dropped 4 places themselves even though they played a very close game to a highly regarded top-10 ranked kansas team (and lost).  I thoroughly expect a good and fairly evenly matched game vs. Pitt -  no disrespect to them but I have no significant basis of comparison between the teams to expect otherwise.  Do you have any reasoning behind your "notch above" comment?

Please note that this is NOT a hostile challenge response but rather a search for insight in that realm as I know I am traditionally optimistic about the teams I root for.  You can't just make a statement like that without backing it up...  ;D

 I should also point out that my use of the terms "volatility" and "swing range" as I analyzed the poll positions are just labels I applied to my own analysis (average of the differentials between each current top 25 team's current position and position last week).
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: dwaderoy2004 on November 27, 2006, 02:00:33 PM
someone's got a lot of free time at work on a monday.  lucky...
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: COS98 on November 27, 2006, 02:05:22 PM
So let me get this right....If you lose you go down and if you win you go up?  Sounds like a cardboard box and one defense to me.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: WashDCWarrior on November 27, 2006, 02:06:46 PM
As great as we looked against Duke and Texas Tech, i don't see how we can be ranked higher than OSU, Florida, Pitt and Kansas.  Those teams are definitely a notch above ours so I don't think we will get any first place votes.

I'm not trying to pile on here, but I think if we get to 10-0? having beat Duke and UW, there's got to be some consideration for us to receive at least one #1 vote.  I'm not saying I would vote MU over the teams you mentioned, but someone might.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: SoCalwarrior on November 27, 2006, 02:20:57 PM
The polls are half popularity contest, half merit and very little science.  If a popular team like Duke, Kansas, Florida, Kentucky, etc. loses, than the voters call it a rare upset and knock them down a few spots.  If MU loses, the voters say, "I guess they weren't so great afterall", and knock them down more than they would a nationally recognized powerhouse. 
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: TCforLife on November 27, 2006, 02:27:27 PM
It's definitely a popularity contest.  If Kansas weren't named Kansas, they wouldn't get any first place votes and probably would be somewhere in the mid teens with their resume.  Who loses to Oral Roberts at home???  I can't see how they got first place votes.  The early season college bball polls are always the biggest joke in sports.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: WashDCWarrior on November 27, 2006, 02:32:30 PM
Thank god they don't matter like football polls.

I know how the "game" works and I'm not saying I expect the voters to collectively decide MU would be #1.  I'm not saying that I'd vote them #1.  I'm just saying that with the resume they would have put together at that point, coupled with some loses to teams currently ahead of us, there could be one voter to rank us on top.

The important thing would be being in the position (10-0) to give the voters a chance.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: WashDCWarrior on November 27, 2006, 02:41:01 PM
If Kansas weren't named Kansas, they wouldn't get any first place votes ...

They didn't receive any first place votes in either poll.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: MUHoopsfan6 on November 27, 2006, 03:21:39 PM
Did any of you catch Coach K's weekend radio show on ESPN, and his raging bull comments about D. James?  I was deer hunting up north so was up real early, my Dad has XM radio we were listening to one of the 5 espn's he has.  I think it was Saturday.   Anyway, Coach K was talking to the owner of the Miami Heat (the guy who owns Carnival Cruise Lines Mickey something)about D Wade and was actually at a loss for words when trying to describe how special Wade is.  But the coolest part was when they started talking about the sports movie of the week which was "Raging Bull" with Deniro.  Coach K went on to say that he wished his team had been the raging bulls last week VS Marquette, but it had turned out that it was D. James.  Thought you guys might like that.

Hasta la bye bye :)
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: rocky_warrior on November 27, 2006, 03:47:57 PM
Sounds like a cardboard box and one defense to me.

Lol...can't wait for the weekend of Feb 17  ;D
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: spiral97 on November 27, 2006, 03:51:45 PM
Sounds like a cardboard box and one defense to me.

Lol...can't wait for the weekend of Feb 17  ;D

Getting slow over here.. I read COS' post at least 7 times trying to figure out what he was talking about.. didn't get it until rocky posted..  :D man.. do you even remember the recipe?  Frangelico and something... tequila?
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: Big Papi on November 27, 2006, 04:25:47 PM
As great as we looked against Duke and Texas Tech, i don't see how we can be ranked higher than OSU, Florida, Pitt and Kansas.  Those teams are definitely a notch above ours so I don't think we will get any first place votes.

How are those teams "definitely a notch above ours"?  I don't think this has been established yet.. by ANY team.  Florida was viewed as untouchable by many yet they dropped 4 places themselves even though they played a very close game to a highly regarded top-10 ranked kansas team (and lost).  I thoroughly expect a good and fairly evenly matched game vs. Pitt -  no disrespect to them but I have no significant basis of comparison between the teams to expect otherwise.  Do you have any reasoning behind your "notch above" comment?

Please note that this is NOT a hostile challenge response but rather a search for insight in that realm as I know I am traditionally optimistic about the teams I root for.  You can't just make a statement like that without backing it up...  ;D


No hostility taken just good discussion.  I look at Florida and their roster and what they accomplished last year and they are just a better rounded team than ours.  Good guard play and great frontcourt.  They win 8 out of 10 games against us.  Kansas might have lost to Oral Roberts but they looked scary good against Florida.  Julian Wright is a monster.  Again I think they are a better rounded team than ours.  Pitt is closer to us than Florida and Kansas but I love their front court.  They have great talent on that team and I would lay down money that they would beat us more times than they would lose to us.  Ohio State I have not seen but I have bought into the talent that Matta has accumulated.  Player for player the majority of theirs is way more highly regarded than ours from top to bottom.  Oden is a beast and when he actually plays everyone will see that he is the most dominant big man in college hoops.

We have a good team but not number 1.  I will be thrilled beyond all belief if we finish top 10. 

That is just my opinion but we have only beaten one top 25 team to date and Duke was not and rightfully so considered a legit contender for the title.  Also we did almost lose to Id. St.  A Wisconsin win would be 2 top 25 victories but I still don't think we should be receiving number 1 votes at that point in time.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: spiral97 on November 27, 2006, 04:28:42 PM
fair enough...
I just wish we were playing more of those top 3-4 teams sometime this season to get a decent look-see at how we stack up  ;D  either way, it's a heck of a season and just getting started!
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: Big Papi on November 27, 2006, 04:32:37 PM
Oh we'll know where we stand halfway through conference play.  I'm just hoping for a very solid road win tonight.
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: spiral97 on November 27, 2006, 04:33:48 PM
Oh we'll know where we stand halfway through conference play.  I'm just hoping for a very solid road win tonight.

hear hear!!
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: DoubleMU0609 on November 27, 2006, 04:44:44 PM
Sounds like a cardboard box and one defense to me.

Lol...can't wait for the weekend of Feb 17  ;D

Getting slow over here.. I read COS' post at least 7 times trying to figure out what he was talking about.. didn't get it until rocky posted..  :D man.. do you even remember the recipe?  Frangelico and something... tequila?

Sounds like there's a story here... ;)  Maybe a blog post or wiki entry???
Title: Re: MU 9th in ESPN Poll
Post by: rocky_warrior on November 27, 2006, 05:11:47 PM
Sounds like there's a story here... ;)  Maybe a blog post or wiki entry???

I hate it when too many inside jokes are posted, so I'll share the short version of the story.  Cos, Spiral and I were throwing some dice at Hegarty's last year during the weekend of the GTown and Pitt matchup. Twenty-One Aces I think was the game.  Some nasty shots were created by the #7 roller, the most creative of which was given the name "the box" shot, because it surprisingly tastes just like you ate a cardboard box (honestly...it's crazy).  It's mostly tequila, topped with frangelico if you ever want to try it.

Or maybe we'll organize a MUScoop dice game when we're in town for the UL / 'Nova games and get lots of people to join in  ;D