Cracked Sidewalks: MU 1 of Only 5 with No AP Top 25 Votes Despite Top 50 O & D

[Marquetteauburn]

During Marquette's spirited come-from-behind win at Creighton, announcers commented on Marquette relying on defense rather than offense this season. While www.kenpom.com actually ranks MU's offense (21st best) as still better than the defense (48th), the potential for true lockdown defense is apparent and this is certainly more balances than last year (14th best offense, 73rd best defense).

This leaves Marquette as one of only 5 teams to rank in the top 50 in both offense and defense at www.kenpom.com, and yet still not receive any AP writers Top 25 votes. Of course, this poll was released prior to the big win at Creighton - combined with the top 10 win over Wisconsin after MU only beat one Top 10 team in the last three seasons combined. The other teams are Purdue, USC, NC State and Alabama.

Here are the teams with both a Top 50 offense and defense, as well as the overall www.kenpom.com rating and their current AP rating (listed 26th place as the other team receiving the most vote points, etc.).

For table of teams, click on:

http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2020/12/mu-1-of-only-5-teams-with-no-ap-top-25.html

[Galway Eagle]

Pretty sure we received AP top 25 votes the week before we played UCLA.

[bilsu]

Can you explain to me how Duke can be the 17th best offense and defense, while being only 2-2. They lost to two very good teams, but they did not destroy the two teams they beat.

[rocky_warrior]

Can you explain to me how Duke can be the 17th best offense and defense, while being only 2-2. They lost to two very good teams, but they did not destroy the two teams they beat.

I think kenpom team #s are still pretty skewed towards last year.  They'll be more representative this year after around 10 games are played.  I think...

edit: an old post from him about the subject:
https://kenpom.com/blog/what-happens-to-preseason-ratings-when-its-not-preseason-anymore/

[Marquetteauburn]

ah, mental block on my part - that makes perfect sense. The defense definitely looks better than the rating so it appears you are correct. Great catch.

[Marquetteauburn]

Pretty sure we received AP top 25 votes the week before we played UCLA.

Could be - I was going off the link for the games through Dec 13 https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/associated-press. I had a hectic work week last week so may have never looked at that poll - so hectic in fact that a raced back from an event to catch SATURDAY'S game at UCLA, not even realizing it was already played Friday and I had not updated my calendar.

[avid1010]

I think kenpom team #s are still pretty skewed towards last year.  They'll be more representative this year after around 10 games are played.  I think...

edit: an old post from him about the subject:
https://kenpom.com/blog/what-happens-to-preseason-ratings-when-its-not-preseason-anymore/

i wish...i'd make a killing from my sportsbooks. 

[IrwinFletcher]

I don't know if Jeff Goodman has a vote or not, but he had MU in at #18 in his daily poll this monring.

[Galway Eagle]

Could be - I was going off the link for the games through Dec 13 https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d1/associated-press. I had a hectic work week last week so may have never looked at that poll - so hectic in fact that a raced back from an event to catch SATURDAY'S game at UCLA, not even realizing it was already played Friday and I had not updated my calendar.

Gotcha. Yeah we had 10 votes in week 3

https://collegepolltracker.com/basketball/team/marquette-golden-eagles/2020