Coaches Poll is out

[rmilia1]

NCAA Men's Basketball - Coaches Poll | USA Today Sports

Looks OK for the most part

 

[The Derski]

Utah should be ranked.

 

[jontaejones]

Outside of Nova, Big East got a total of 9 votes. Pathetic.

 

[podsox]

shocked wisky isn't 2 not that it really matters

 

[Smart]

I just don't get how we could be as good or better than Kentucky all year, lose by one after they hit a miracle three, return seven of our top eight, and be ranked lower. People do remember Julius Randle, right? He was by far their best player, and he is gone now. James Young was their best player in the game against us, and he's gone too.

But because of their new Freshman class (their worst in several years), they are better than us? It's preposterous. Luckily, it won't matter because there is the tournament, but it is still absurd and indefensible.

 

[The Derski]

I just don't get how we could be as good or better than Kentucky all year, lose by one after they hit a miracle three, return seven of our top eight, and be ranked lower. People do remember Julius Randle, right? He was by far their best player, and he is gone now. James Young was their best player in the game against us, and he's gone too.

But because of their new Freshman class (their worst in several years), they are better than us? It's preposterous. Luckily, it won't matter because there is the tournament, but it is still absurd and indefensible.

UK has pretty much been the consensus preseason #1 team for months now. Not sure why you are surprised. Just about every site has UK and AZ in their top two.

 

[The Derski]

the top four of UK,AZ,Duke, and Wisky has been set in stone for a while now. Pretty much everyone agrees those are the best teams, at least on paper, to start the season.

 

[Smart]

UK has pretty much been the consensus preseason #1 team for months now. Not sure why you are surprised. Just about every site has UK and AZ in their top two.

Because:

A. We were better than them last year.

B. They lost their two best players. We only lost our 5th best player.

C. Their recruiting class is their weakest in awhile (#6, 9, 18, and 25 in an average year). By comparison, they lost #3 and #8 from a much better class.

D. We have a better developmental head coach.

I get people thinking Kentucky will be good, and I get the top 4 ranking. I can't for the life of me understand ranking them over us. At least with Duke, one can point to potential improvements because of their new recruiting class. With Arizona, one can say they were better than us last year. Kentucky was both worse than us and less improved than us. You can't have both of those and rank them above us.

Although, frankly, I find it tough to see how we could be anything other than #1, especially after the summer Dekker had. I shouldn't care, but I do think it shows some national disrespect. And as much as I wish it didn't, I do think that national disrespect harms our recruiting. Bringing in Diamond Stone to watch the #1 ranked Badgers has more pizzazz than the #4 ranked Badgers. If we can't be ranked #1 this preseason, it's tough to imagine us ever being ranked #1 to start a year.

 

[dcZONAfan]

I just don't get how we could be as good or better than Kentucky all year, lose by one after they hit a miracle three, return seven of our top eight, and be ranked lower. People do remember Julius Randle, right? He was by far their best player, and he is gone now. James Young was their best player in the game against us, and he's gone too.

But because of their new Freshman class (their worst in several years), they are better than us? It's preposterous. Luckily, it won't matter because there is the tournament, but it is still absurd and indefensible.

It's actually fairly simple. You don't know very much about basketball, so your homerism takes over and you get all mad and that's how you don't get it

 

[dcZONAfan]

If we can't be ranked #1 this preseason, it's tough to imagine us ever being ranked #1 to start a year.

Actually, I finally agree with you. Wisconsin probably won't ever be ranked preseason #1. Not that it matters at all.

 

[Smart]

It's actually fairly simple. You don't know very much about basketball, so your homerism takes over and you get all mad and that's how you don't get it

You have to love it. An "Arizona is the best team ever!!!!" fan is calling me out for homerism in the very post where I said his team was better than mine last year, despite the fact that my team beat yours. Does that scream homerism to you?

I gave a reasoned argument why we are clearly better. You gave a conclusory judgment with no opinion, which is hardly surprising because you make Marshall Henderson look like a Rhodes Scholar.

PS: "Homer" me had Wisconsin losing to Arizona in the Elite Eight. How'd that work out?

 

[rmilia1]

Actually Im with Smart on this one. I see no reason to have UK number 1 preseason based on returning and incoming talent. Id have Duke, Zona or Wisconsin number 1 and in my top 3. UK will likely be 4th or 5th in my preseason poll but I cant say Im suprised UK is number 1 based on past seasons prerseason rankings.

 

[Wamu]

Because:

A. We were better than them last year.

B. They lost their two best players. We only lost our 5th best player.

C. Their recruiting class is their weakest in awhile (#6, 9, 18, and 25 in an average year). By comparison, they lost #3 and #8 from a much better class.

D. We have a better developmental head coach.

I get people thinking Kentucky will be good, and I get the top 4 ranking. I can't for the life of me understand ranking them over us. At least with Duke, one can point to potential improvements because of their new recruiting class. With Arizona, one can say they were better than us last year. Kentucky was both worse than us and less improved than us. You can't have both of those and rank them above us.

Although, frankly, I find it tough to see how we could be anything other than #1, especially after the summer Dekker had. I shouldn't care, but I do think it shows some national disrespect. And as much as I wish it didn't, I do think that national disrespect harms our recruiting. Bringing in Diamond Stone to watch the #1 ranked Badgers has more pizzazz than the #4 ranked Badgers. If we can't be ranked #1 this preseason, it's tough to imagine us ever being ranked #1 to start a year.

You don't understand why the Wildcats are ranked higher than your Badgers? Now I'm a BigTen fan but here are some reason why things are what they are...

-Calipari is a better HC & recruiter than Ryan (their records: JC- 597-177 / 43-14 in The Tourney, BR- 351-148 / 20-13 in The Tourney)

-Kentucky's 2014 recruiting class is ranked # 2 by rivals.com, Wisky didn't even crack the top 30

-Cal has turned Kentucky into a 1 & done stop for the best HS players in the country. The more talent you have the better the HC will be. And while your Badgers should have a solid season Cal's Wildcats are once again loaded w/ NBA type talent

 

[rmilia1]

The problem I have with ranking Kentucky number 1 is the same problem I had last year and the year before. The reason you are ranking them number 1 is based on a completley unkown projection. UK has talent returning but make no mistake their ranking is where it is based on the incoming guys. While that is fine I dont see a reason to rank an unknown ahead of a known in the preseason/ If after 7 or 8 games UK is blowing everyone out by 20+ then by all means rank them number 1 and it will be fine by me. A more likely scenario ( like last year ) is that the young kids struggle to mesh with the returning guys and it takes half a season or so for them to come together. Now if you are ranking them number 1 based on where you think they END the year then I can see a lefit number 1 arggument but most people dont do their rankings like that.

 

[Smart]

Recruiting in a bubble doesn't matter. What matters is recruiting as compared to what you are losing. Kentucky's "#2 recruiting class" is replacing the top two players from last year's "best recruiting class ever." I don't understand how you think that favors Kentucky. Do you think their Freshmen will outperform Randle and Young? If they don't, and we improve, then those rankings are irrelevant.

And what does Cal's career tourney record have to do with this team? How often has Bo had a projected lottery pick? Once. This year, he has a projected lottery pick who isn't even considered the best player on the team. He may not even be the second best player on the team. This is easily his best team on paper. In fact, they are significantly better on paper than those teams that went 20-13 in the dance. It's not like we are comparing a typical Bo team to a typical Cal team. We are comparing this Badger team, which is Bo's best team but aged a year, to this Kentucky team. None of your arguments do anything to rebut the idea that we should be ranked higher.

 

[iowajerms]

1 Kentucky 785 (24)
2 Arizona 746 (3)
3 Duke 715 (2)
4 Wisconsin 706 (3)
5 Kansas 654
6 North Carolina 598
7 Florida 568
8 Virginia 519
9 Louisville 507
10 Texas 479
11 Wichita State 471
12 Villanova 439
13 Gonzaga 423
14 Iowa State 323
15 Connecticut 292
16 VCU 259
17 San Diego State 251
18 Michigan State 241
19 Oklahoma 237
20 Ohio State 223
21 Nebraska 156
22 SMU 149
23 Michigan 139
24 Syracuse 128
25 Iowa 58

Others Receiving Votes

Harvard 47; Stanford 47; Kansas State 37; Pittsburgh 36; Utah 26; Memphis 25; Minnesota 18; UCLA 15; New Mexico 11; Oregon 9; Louisiana Tech 8; Colorado 8; Arkansas 8; Dayton 6; Providence 5; Notre Dame 5; Massachusetts 4; Georgetown 4; Illinois 4; Texas-El Paso 4; Florida State 3; Baylor 2; George Washington 1; Miami (Fla.) 1; Toledo 1; Saint Mary's 1

 

[dcZONAfan]

You have to love it. An "Arizona is the best team ever!!!!" fan is calling me out for homerism in the very post where I said his team was better than mine last year, despite the fact that my team beat yours. Does that scream homerism to you?

I gave a reasoned argument why we are clearly better. You gave a conclusory judgment with no opinion, which is hardly surprising because you make Marshall Henderson look like a Rhodes Scholar.

PS: "Homer" me had Wisconsin losing to Arizona in the Elite Eight. How'd that work out?

Sorry but you are the same guy who was all butthurt about Arizona being ranked ahead of Wisky last year PRE Brandon Ashley injury, were you not? That's what I remember and why I said what I said. If I'm mistaken about that then I apologize. But Kentucky beat you and instead of losing all the frosh they only lost two. Your team doesn't have as large a ceiling to improve as they do, evidenced by how much they improved last year from beginning of the season to the end, with a similar ability to do so this year but with more experience and more depth. That is something you are gonna have to accept with such a young team. And to poo poo their incoming class? Good luck with that. Have you ever really seen Karl Towns play? Good lord.

Do I think they will certainly beat you if you meet again? Of course not. Do I think Arizona is better than Kentucky? Yes. But am I surprised and angry they are preseason #1? Of course not, because I know better than that. Apparently you don't.

 

[dcZONAfan]

You have to love it. An "Arizona is the best team ever!!!!" fan is calling me out for homerism in the very post where I said his team was better than mine last year, despite the fact that my team beat yours. Does that scream homerism to you?

I gave a reasoned argument why we are clearly better. You gave a conclusory judgment with no opinion, which is hardly surprising because you make Marshall Henderson look like a Rhodes Scholar.

PS: "Homer" me had Wisconsin losing to Arizona in the Elite Eight. How'd that work out?

P.S. Yes, when we were healthy last year I was very adamant from the start of the season that we were the best team in the country. And I was clearly right about that, as evidenced by the 1 point loss to you in The E8 without Ashley. We would have rolled Kentucky and UCONN with him and you know it.

I also was very honest the day after his injury that I thought it meant we would no longer win the national title or make the final four. I ended up closer to being wrong about that, which is about as far from homer as it gets.

 

[dcZONAfan]

Smart, I'll be honest I mistook you for "Great Dayne", the actual Wisconsin troll. Probably just still bitter from the E8 loss. My bad. But will have to agree to disagree about Kentucky's preseason ranking

 

[Smart]

Sorry but you are the same guy who was all butthurt about Arizona being ranked ahead of Wisky last year PRE Brandon Ashley injury, were you not?

Um, no. I think that's Great Dayne. It certainly wasn't me. The only times I mentioned Arizona basketball last year were to call them "the best defensive team in America."