Can you believe ESPN?

[muwarrior69]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/15123601/duke-blue-devils-kentucky-wildcats-college-basketball-top-25-2016-2017

Already promoting Duke for next season.

[GooooMarquette]

It kills them that a BE team won, so they're going to do everything in their power to move the discussion back to the "P5" conferences as much as they can.

[PGsHeroes32]

They are gonna be the unanimous #1 entering next year.

I've seen at least 5 "too early top 25s" and all have Duke at 1. And Uk/Nova at 2/3 in some order.

Then it becomes a totally matter of opininions with lots of loaded teams. Gonna be a tough year.

X may be top 5 again. SHU will be good if Whithead comes back. Early polls are already high on Creighton.

[WarriorPride68]

Where is Marquette?

[GooooMarquette]

Where is Marquette?

Milwaukee.

[PJDunn]

Somewhere on the bubble...

[wadesworld]

How is this possibly an anti-BE piece?  They do this literally every season.  They did this the day after big bad Duke of the almighty, ESPN beloved ACC.  But that wouldn't fit the agenda of "we're the poor BE who can't even get attention after a natty!"

This is why the UW obsession and the anti-BE obsession on this board gets so annoying.  This article has literally nothing to do with taking the limelight away from the BE.  They do this every single year, they do it after NCAA Football championships (where the BE doesn't even have a conference), etc.

We want to act like we're not below UW or not below the P5 schools, yet we're constantly seeing threads like this pop up.  It's okay for ESPN to write about an ACC school that is going to be stacked next year and is always a top program.  Really, that isn't a knock on the BE.

[Pakuni]

1. ESPN clearly has an anti-Big East bias (as they do, really, for any league they don't carry; see: NHL)
2. This article is not an example of that bias.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

They have a Big East team number 2. How is this anti-Big East?

[DienerTime34]

They do the "who will win next year" story every year the day after the championship.

[MerrittsMustache]

1. ESPN clearly has an anti-Big East bias (as they do, really, for any league they don't carry; see: NHL)
2. This article is not an example of that bias.

Exactly.

[brandx]

How is this possibly an anti-BE piece?  They do this literally every season.  They did this the day after big bad Duke of the almighty, ESPN beloved ACC.  But that wouldn't fit the agenda of "we're the poor BE who can't even get attention after a natty!"

This is why the UW obsession and the anti-BE obsession on this board gets so annoying.  This article has literally nothing to do with taking the limelight away from the BE.  They do this every single year, they do it after NCAA Football championships (where the BE doesn't even have a conference), etc.

We want to act like we're not below UW or not below the P5 schools, yet we're constantly seeing threads like this pop up.  It's okay for ESPN to write about an ACC school that is going to be stacked next year and is always a top program.  Really, that isn't a knock on the BE.

Exactly. Some people just love feeling persecuted.

[ChicosBailBonds]

They do this every year, nothing new.  As soon as the current season ends, they hit the next one.  Same for NFL, NCAAF, etc, etc.

[WarriorInNYC]

1. ESPN clearly has an anti-Big East bias (as they do, really, for any league they don't carry; see: NHL)
2. This article is not an example of that bias.

This.

[brewcity77]

If you're going to argue there's anti-Big East bias here, the point of emphasis for me would be Xavier at 11. Every other outlet I've seen has them top-5. They return everyone except Farr as long as no one goes pro and spent most of the season ranked in the top-10. Honestly, I'd have them ahead of Villanova for next year.

[Benny B]

They are gonna be the unanimous #1 entering next year.

I've seen at least 5 "too early top 25s" and all have Duke at 1. And Uk/Nova at 2/3 in some order.

Then it becomes a totally matter of opininions with lots of loaded teams. Gonna be a tough year.

X may be top 5 again. SHU will be good if Whithead comes back. Early polls are already high on Creighton.

Reminds me of this:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/e/p0Y7yjxJVlc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/e/p0Y7yjxJVlc</a>

[wadesworld]

If you're going to argue there's anti-Big East bias here, the point of emphasis for me would be Xavier at 11. Every other outlet I've seen has them top-5. They return everyone except Farr as long as no one goes pro and spent most of the season ranked in the top-10. Honestly, I'd have them ahead of Villanova for next year.

Word going around is that Reynolds has people in his ears telling him if he wants to play professionally he should go now as he's getting too old.

[DegenerateDish]

Duke is ridiculously loaded for next year. Tatum, Giles, Jackson with what they have coming back is insane.

Depending on where Josh Jackson ends up, Duke is easily #1 next year.

[WarriorPride68]

Milwaukee. Michigan

[PGsHeroes32]

If you're going to argue there's anti-Big East bias here, the point of emphasis for me would be Xavier at 11. Every other outlet I've seen has them top-5. They return everyone except Farr as long as no one goes pro and spent most of the season ranked in the top-10. Honestly, I'd have them ahead of Villanova for next year.

I actually saw one other one with them at like 15. But I agree they have a good shot to be top 10.

I don't think they are better than Nova though. And it appears Reynolds may actually be gone(idiotic).

But they got some guys coming in

[Herman Cain]

I am delighted to take 3 teams in the top 25. We all know Xavier is underrated in this poll, but not by a lot. Seton Hall probably a bit underrated too if Whitehead comes back. Overall though a very favorable article to our league. 

Honestly I would prefer not to have the rest of the league rated as there are questions on each team that will be best answered in the OOC schedule. If answers are favorable, several other teams will make top 25 appearances.