Down Goes Pitt/Who is #1 Now

[JDev]

Pitt is about to lose to Louisville. Does that make Duke #1 come Monday? Or will Wake jump them?

[3rd Dukie]

Louisville just knocked off Pitt.

[Skitzle]

We'll find out next weekend. Duke/Wake will be 1. vs 2. any way you slice it.

[Bob Green]

Wake Forest deserves the #1 ranking as the last unbeaten team. They are very good and this is a good opportunity for me to admit I was wrong. I've stated several times in a couple of different threads that Wake's inexperience would keep them behind Duke, UNC, and Clemson in the ACC standings. The Demon Deacons have proven me wrong with quality wins over UNC and Clemson.

[DukeUsul]

I fully expect Wake to jump to #1.

[ACCBBallFan]

Wake Forest deserves the #1 ranking as the last unbeaten team. They are very good and this is a good opportunity for me to admit I was wrong. I've stated several times in a couple of different threads that Wake's inexperience would keep them behind Duke, UNC, and Clemson in the ACC standings. The Demon Deacons have proven me wrong with quality wins over UNC and Clemson.

Since Wake won, I agree with Bob that good wins vs UNC, broke BYU home strak and on road vs. Clemson justify a #1, whereas Duke split w Michigan. So in a sense Duke has beaten every team they played too,

If Clemson had won, that would be their only really good win. So as only then unbeaten they would still have not been deserving #1, but top 10 regardless.

It's possible Duke and Wake will each will be number one in one of the two polls, but I expect Wake gets the nod in both with Duke #2 in both.

I still think UNC is the team to beat for NC but Wake, Duke and Clemson may make my annual all ACCF final four closer to reality.

[snowdenscold]

So in a sense Duke has beaten every team they played too,

Interesting phrasing - I hadn't thought of it like that before. I like it =)

[CameronCrazy'11]

Wake Forest will be number 1, but Duke will get first place votes for the first time since 2006(?). I don't particularly care that much, but I think it's great that the players can get that kind of recognition, given all the stuff they've had to hear for the past few years.

[Lavabe]

During the little snippet that I saw of the Hole game, Vitale mentioned that he'd pick Wake.

I quickly changed the channel, thinking he would next talk about Derek Jeter.

[brevity]

Wake Forest has the more accomplished ACC resume. Duke has the more accomplished out-of-conference resume.

If both teams were undefeated, I could imagine a great discussion. But Duke's loss to Michigan makes this a runaway. Wake Forest should be #1; they deserve it, at least right now.

[Buckeye Devil]

Let Wake have it. Right now, they deserve it going undefeated.

But being #1 during the regular season is often by default or attrition as higher ranked teams lose and the rest move up in the polls. No way was Pitt the #1 team in the land. Wake probably isn't the best either but the top ranking is a point in time evaluation and at this point, they should be #1. Wake will eventually fall from perfection and someone else will be waiting in the wings to move up. And it really doesn't matter if it isn't Duke.

[DukeUsul]

I said previously I expect Wake to get #1, and I have no problem with that. Looking at Sagarin and Pomeroy numbers, I fully expect us to get some votes for 1. Sagarin lists us with the 27th best SOS and Wake is around 212. Pomeroy lists us with the 32nd hardest schedule and Wake around 144. I think there will be some out there who look at these stats and give us some votes. But Wake will still end up #1.

[roywhite]

Being ranked #1 will be pretty heady stuff for Wake. How will they deal with it?

[CameronBornAndBred]

Wake Forest will be number 1, but Duke will get first place votes for the first time since 2006(?).

They should get some #1 votes, but it won't suprise me if Duke doesn't. UNC got #1 votes when they were ranked behind us, so did Wake. In both scenarios, Duke was ranked 2cnd and had no first place votes. It's apparent that Duke does not have the confidence of the voters to be considered as the first place team. I believe for us to claim the top spot we will have to beat Wake (rightfully so), even though we have been the most successful team in the country with the hardest schedule. I don't think until we DO beat Wake that we will gain the respect we do deserve. And for those who don't think that polls matter, I think for us they do now. With 3 teams within the state fighting for the #1 seed in the East, it is all about jockeying for position. If it was just UNC and us, I think the polls would matter less.

[CameronBornAndBred]

They should get some #1 votes, but it won't suprise me if Duke doesn't. UNC got #1 votes when they were ranked behind us, so did Wake. In both scenarios, Duke was ranked 2cnd and had no first place votes.

Well, we got 6 first place votes in the coaches poll, and Wake is rightfully in 1st place. We are still second.

[juise]

The polls look a lot like the DBR poll we had this weekend. Like last week, the coaches like us a little better than the press does (less love for Duke in the media... what a shocker ).

[jv001]

Well, we got 6 first place votes in the coaches poll, and Wake is rightfully in 1st place. We are still second.

Now that Wake is #1 in both polls, maybe they begin to feel the pressure of being Number One. Like I said, let's win 2 games this week and beat them on their home court and earn #1. Go Duke!

[blazindw]

In the Coaches Poll, one coach voted us 3rd (presumably behind Wake and UConn). In the AP, we were voted 3rd or lower on 8 ballots. So, some people still don't have us among the best. The only thing to do is go out there and beat NC State tomorrow and then focus on Maryland on Saturday.

[Matches]

Wake deserves it as the last unbeaten team.

[dukestheheat]

Duke goes to #1 now in the USA Today/ESPN poll. That win versus Georgetown today, and the way in which it was won, will help hold off surging Wake Forest (which is a great team), I believe.

dukestheheat!