Poll: What Will 9-0 MU be Ranked On Monday?

[Tugg Speedman]

Some facts ....

Currently 11th in both polls (AP and USA)

Highest REGULAR SEASON MU ranking since the 1970s, #8 in 2002, 2007 and 2008.

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I vote for #9 

The four teams with losses above us (#1 UK with 1 loss, #4 NC with 2 losses, #7 Duke with 1 loss, #9 Uconn with 1 loss) are going to see the undefeated teams move ahead of them. 

I think we jump Missouri (#10) as they have not beaten anyone in the last two weeks (NW State, 'nova who is not good and Navy) whereas we won at Wisc. and Wash on a neutral court. 

I also think we'll jump #9 Uconn because they have #1 loss and only beaten Ark and Harvard in the last two weeks.  Yes Harvard is ranked this week (first time in school history, and the school was founded in 1636!) but the game was at Uconn.

[brewcity77]

Unless someone in the 7-10 range loses tomorrow. UConn beat a ranked Harvard team
and Mizzou beat an overrated but still well-respected Villanova team. No one who lost will fall this far. 

[Silkk the Shaka]

We already got the UW-Madison bump.  The only thing the voters will be going on this week is the UWashington game and the UW-GB game that just ended.  No one near us lost so we won't move up at all, and I could see us losing a slot due to voters overrating Kansas' defeat of a Sullinger-less Ohio St. today.

[Tugg Speedman]

Unless someone in the 7-10 range loses tomorrow. UConn beat a ranked Harvard team
and Mizzou beat an overrated but still well-respected Villanova team. No one who lost will fall this far. 

Everyone in the top 15 played today.  Have to go down to #16 Alabama to find a Sunday game (against Detroit).

Side question, with UK and OSU losing today, is current #3 Syracuse #1 next week?

[chapman]

Staying put at 11.

[brewcity77]

Everyone in the top 15 played today.  Have to go down to #16 Alabama to find a Sunday game (against Detroit).

Side question, with UK and OSU losing today, is current #3 Syracuse #1 next week?

Thought so. Syracuse #1 and Louisville #2.

[MuMark]

OSU lost without Sullinger. Kentucky loses at the buzzer. They won't drop much. certainly won't drop behind us.

11 and holding.

[wojosdojo]

I see Kansas jumping us and Cuse at 1.

[ken8406]

Which poll AP or ESPN/USA today?

[g0lden3agle]

Everyone in the top 15 played today.  Have to go down to #16 Alabama to find a Sunday game (against Detroit).

Side question, with UK and OSU losing today, is current #3 Syracuse #1 next week?

I think they have to be.  Is it weird that I legitimately think that a fully healthy MU team could at least run with any of the top 10 teams in the nation?

[PGsHeroes32]

I think they have to be.  Is it weird that I legitimately think that a fully healthy MU team could at least run with any of the top 10 teams in the nation?

WTF? Obviously we can run with any of the top 10 healthy. We are 11 to start with.

[muwarrior69]

Is it possible that Xavier would fall because of their unsportsman like conduct. Just thinking that's all.

[Tugg Speedman]

Is it possible that Xavier would fall because of their unsportsman like conduct. Just thinking that's all.

Why not?  The polls are based on the decisions of voters.  So they are wrapped in human emotion and irrationality.  

That is why a 2 loss UNC team is #4.  Voters are convinced they are the best team in the land and even losses are not going to get them downgraded.  (For the record they may be the best, but after 2 losses they should not even be in the top 15.  Let them win their way back up, which they will.  They just assume they will and ignore their losses.  No other team this this kind of treatment, not even Duke.)

How about this?  Syracuse gets #1 this week, and the Bernie Fine molestation case turns bad/embarrassing for Boeheim and/or Syracuse (just saying here), do they lose their #1 ranking as a protest?

[brewcity77]

Xavier's the one I could see falling if hefty suspensions come out today. It really seems like Syracuse will retain Boeheim...that midseason implosion seems unlikely.

But dropping UNC, why? They lost on the road at UNLV and were rightly dropped a few places. Then they lost by 1 to the top-rated team in the land. Saying they shouldn't be in the top-15 because of those two losses is like saying MU shouldn't be ranked if they went to Syracuse this week and lost by one.

As nice as top-ten would be, I'd take anything that resulted in a top-4 seed. That way you get two games as a favorite (provided you win) and then have to play really good teams the rest of the way.

[Stronghold]

Xavier's the one I could see falling if hefty suspensions come out today. It really seems like Syracuse will retain Boeheim...that midseason implosion seems unlikely.

But dropping UNC, why? They lost on the road at UNLV and were rightly dropped a few places. Then they lost by 1 to the top-rated team in the land. Saying they shouldn't be in the top-15 because of those two losses is like saying MU shouldn't be ranked if they went to Syracuse this week and lost by one.

As nice as top-ten would be, I'd take anything that resulted in a top-4 seed. That way you get two games as a favorite (provided you win) and then have to play really good teams the rest of the way.

I agree that Xavier's ranking will depend on the suspensions their team faces.  If no decisions are made by voting time, they will stay where they are.  If a few guys have to sit out several games, wouldn't be surprised to see them in the 12-15 range.

[94Warrior]

I am fairly certian more than one voter will leave Xavier off their Top 25 list as a matter of principle, regardless of suspensions.

Syracuse will be #1.  Kansas will probably jump us.  I'd say we hold at #11.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I voted #10, but I actually think we might fall to #12.

Kansas will most likely jump in front of us, and I don't see any team currently in front of us falling.

#1 Syracuse
#2 Kentucky
#3 tOSU
#4 UNC
#5 Louisville  (Should be filipped with UNC, but I don't see why it will change from last week)
#6 Baylor
#7 Duke
#8 Kansas
#9 Xavier
#10 UCONN
#11 Missou
#12 Marquette


I hope I am wrong..but it doesn't really matter.

[DomJamesToTheBasket]

Maybe 10?  The important thing is that I believe we are legit and will stay ranked around the top 10 all season.  That would be a great achievement!  If you're not excited about the future of this program,  you don't know "JACK SQUAT!" (in a Matt Foley voice)

[Markusquette]

I'm curious where Indiana will be ranked after the victory over UK

[boyonthedock]

Indiana will jump us

[RyanConroy]

^^^ This would surprise me. Mid-teens, maybe, but Indiana should NOT be in the top 10.

[brewcity77]

Indiana will jump us

Funny 

In all honesty, IU will probably jump into the low-teens in the Coaches' Poll and into the 20s in the AP Poll. But no one win, especially at home, will jump a team from unranked into the top ten.

[wadesworld]

I understand what I am going to say is going to sound like blasphemy on this board, but why should Indiana not be in the top 10?  I know that they will NOT be ranked above Kentucky, but they should be.  They are undefeated and just beat the number one team in the country.  What more should a team have to do to be ranked in the top 10?  Just because they weren't ranked to start the year because of a few awful years in a row?  The voters now have the sample that they needed to see how they stack up against strong teams, and they passed with flying colors.  They have the biggest win of the year so far.  I hate Indiana, and I hate Tom Crean even more than I hate Indiana.  But I don't think there's any way you can justify not putting them above Kentucky.  Kentucky has 1 loss.  Indiana has 0 losses.  Kentucky and Indiana played each other, and Indiana won.  Indiana should be above Kentucky, who should be above North Carolina.  So if Indiana shouldn't be ranked in the top 10, then neither should those two teams.  Otherwise if the rankings came out and Wisconsin was ranked ahead of us on Monday, there should be no complaining.

[brewcity77]

Because they haven't really beaten anyone else. And the win was at home. If they played that game 10 times, how many would Indiana win? My guess is 2-3. And that's at home. Put it on a neutral court, or at Rupp, and their odds would get even slimmer.

Besides, I have nothing wrong with having to work your way up. UK went to a Final Four and returns many of the same players, and the ones that are new are more highly regarded. They beat Kansas and North Carolina. And if they continue to lose, they'll keep falling. But one game shouldn't determine rankings. MU doesn't deserve to be #1 just because UK, tOSU, Duke, and UNC ahead of them all have losses. By that logic, Murray State should also be top-10. I just don't see it yet.

And besides...the voters vote on history. Unless you can change the demographics of the voters, you won't likely change how they vote.

[wadesworld]

Because they haven't really beaten anyone else. And the win was at home. If they played that game 10 times, how many would Indiana win? My guess is 2-3. And that's at home. Put it on a neutral court, or at Rupp, and their odds would get even slimmer.

Besides, I have nothing wrong with having to work your way up. UK went to a Final Four and returns many of the same players, and the ones that are new are more highly regarded. They beat Kansas and North Carolina. And if they continue to lose, they'll keep falling. But one game shouldn't determine rankings. MU doesn't deserve to be #1 just because UK, tOSU, Duke, and UNC ahead of them all have losses. By that logic, Murray State should also be top-10. I just don't see it yet.

And besides...the voters vote on history. Unless you can change the demographics of the voters, you won't likely change how they vote.

No, by that logic Murray State should not be top 10.  Murray State did not beat the #1 team in the country.  If Indiana already had 3 losses, 2 losses, a bad loss, any loss whatsoever then you are right that they should not be ranked higher.  But the fact is they haven't lost AND they beat the #1 team in the country.  Again, I know the voters will not have them above Kentucky.  But there is no way to justify that.  I don't care who would win more if they played 10 times.  I don't care who would win if they played at the Rupp or on a neutral site.  They played at Indiana and Indiana won.  They won't play at Kentucky and they won't play 10 times.  The only thing we know is that Indiana beat Kentucky and Indiana has not lost a game.  Therefore Indiana should be ranked above Kentucky.  I get that Kentucky beat Kansas and North Carolina.  Maybe if those 2 teams had played Indiana and beat them then there is a way to justify keeping Indiana below Kentucky, but they haven't.  All we know is that Indiana beat Kentucky when they played.  We can't guess what would happen if they played in 9 more games, which won't happen.  We can't guess what would happen if they played at a different site, which won't happen.  That argument makes no sense.