[Rosiak's Blog] Pre-season poll: one writer's ballot

[ToddRosiakSays]

Pre-season poll: one writer's ballot

Written by: Todd Rosiak


Every year around this time, beat writers are polled by various outlets looking for pre-season rankings.

Top 25 polls, conference polls, all-leage teams...they're very common. And, as a guy who's been voting in them for seven years now, I'm the first to say I don't put much stock in them. They're good for conversation, and that's about it.

The reason I bring this up is the annual Big East writers' poll run by the Syracuse Post-Standard -- whose long-time beat writer, Mike Waters, is one of the best around -- is now out, and the results are interesting, to say the least:

In its annual Big East preseason media poll, the Syracuse Post-Standard surveyed 16 writers from each of the Big East's markets. Here are the results of the voting:
 
League standings
(A first-place vote was worth one point, second-place equaled two points and so on)
Rank    Team    Points        (First-place votes)
1. Connecticut         27        (8)
2. Louisville             40        (5)
3. Pittsburgh           46        (2)
4. Notre Dame         55        (1)
5. Marquette          101
6. Syracuse           102
7. Villanova            108
8. Georgetown        111
9. West Virginia      138
10. Providence        162
11. Cincinnati          172
12. Rutgers             201
13. Seton Hall         206
14. DePaul              217
15. St. John's          226
16. South Florida     250
 
First team All-Big East
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (unanimous)
Sam Young, Pittsburgh
Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
Earl Clark, Louisville*
A.J. Price, Connecticut*
Jonny Flynn, Syracuse *
* denotes a tie in the voting
 
Second team All-Big East
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
DeJuan Blair, Pittsburgh
Dominic James, Marquette
Jerel McNeal, Marquette*
Terrence Williams, Louisville*
Jeff Adrien, Connecticut*
*tie
 
Player of the Year: Luke Harangody, Notre Dame (11 votes)
Rookie of the Year: Samardo Samuels, Louisville (10 votes)


Based on how I voted, I agree with where MU fell. What MU fans will have an issue with is Jerel McNeal tying for the last spot on the second team along with Louisville's Terrence Williams and UConn's Jeff Adrien. And how about Dominic James finishing ahead of McNeal?

That's not to denigrate James at all. But James himself admitted in the off-season that the way McNeal played toward the end of the season made him the Golden Eagles' top player, and yet he's still garnering more respect than McNeal. The only thing I can figure is a number of the writers who didn't rank McNeal highly might have seen him in the first half last season, when he was really struggling.

In the interest of full disclosure, here is my ballot:

1. Louisville
2. UConn
3. Notre Dame
4. Pitt
5. Marquette
6. Georgetown
7. Villanova
8. West Virginia
9. Syracuse
10. Providence
11. Cincinnati
12. DePaul
13. Seton Hall
14. Rutgers
15. USF
16. St. John's

All-Big East team

Luke Harangody, ND
Hasheem Thabeet, UConn
Earl Clark, Louisville
Jerel McNeal, Marquette
Sam Young, Pitt

Rookie of the Year

Kemba Walker, UConn

Player of the Year

Luke Harangody, ND

Anyway, Big East media day is tomorrow at Madison Square Garden. I won't be there this year, but will have the coaches' pre-season poll and all-Big East teams, as well as some comments from coach Buzz Williams and the players.

McNeal, James, Wesley Matthews and Dwight Burke -- MU's four seniors -- will be in attendance.



http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/10/21/pre-season-poll-one-writer-s-ballot.aspx

[muwarrior87]

Pre-season poll: one writer's ballot

Written by: Todd Rosiak
Anyway, Big East media day is tomorrow at Madison Square Garden. I won't be there this year, but will have the coaches' pre-season poll and all-Big East teams, as well as some comments from coach Buzz Williams and the players.

McNeal, James, Wesley Matthews and Dwight Burke -- MU's four seniors -- will be in attendance.



http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/10/21/pre-season-poll-one-writer-s-ballot.aspx

saw the boys heading out of Humphrey yesterday while I was working. That makes sense now.