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#2 Kansas, #3 Villanova, #4 Kentucky, #5 Oregon
If the AP poll follows suit on Kansas, then the Champions Classic matchup between Duke and KU will obviously be #1 vs #2, provided neither team blows it before then. (Kansas does play Indiana before the game vs Duke.)
I assume you're referring to UNC at #6 and Nova at #3? If so, I agree on Nova but disagree on UNC. UNC is a threat, with an experienced and somewhat talented team. I think Nova lost a lot, but they return 1 great player and 1 really good player. A top 10 team for sure.
If you're referring to Oregon at #5, then I have to completely disagree with you. I think Oregon is a top 3 team.
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
I assume you mean "pre-season" polls.
I know this is the coaches poll (rather than AP), but they usually not too far off from one another. So, for the sake of argument, let's say the preseason AP poll has the same rankings. It may be too heavily weighted by last season's tourney results, but it also may be a useful measure of the relative quality of teams.
http://kenpom.com/blog/the-value-of-...-2014-edition/
"I don't like them when they are eating my azaleas or rhododendrons or pansies." - Coach K
Oops, you're absolutely right. Of course I meant pre-season.
If it's just a "salute," as sagegrouse says, then fine, whatever, but I think both Villanova and UNC are ranked way too high in this poll. I also think a few other teams are somewhat but perhaps not egregiously overrated based on last year's NCAA tournament results (e.g., Gonzaga, maybe Syracuse). I don't have a strong opinion either way about whether Oregon is a top 5 team or only a top 10 team.
I'm interested in how the coaches ranked the ACC:
1. Duke
6. North Carolina
7. Virginia
14. Louisville
17. Syracuse
26. FSU
29. Miami
34. Notre Dame
36. Virginia Tech
41. Clemson
45. Pitt
That's 11 teams that were among the 57 receiving votes.
Okay, I have my usual issue with Syracuse being too high. And I would flip-flop Virginia Tech for Miami (although the Blackshear issue does both me with the Hokies).
Otherwise, not too bad -- except for one thing.
NC State did not get a single vote?
Look, I know that the Pack is not a lock. But Dennis Smith is going to be great. The health of Henderson and the addition or Dorn to holdovers Abu and Rowan are a nice core. And IF Yurtseven is eligible (and its looking more and more like he escapes with a minor penalty), then NC State should be formidable -- their ceiling is easily top 25 quality. they should have gotten SOME support.
UNC has some good complementary players and 1 player who seems to really be able to dictate the game, at least at some level. They lost 1 player who absolutely could dictate the game (Brice) and 1 who had that ability at times (Paige). Those 2 were absolutely the heart and soul of last year's team.
I don't see how they've improved all that much, in fact i think they've taken a big step back. Last year's Fr. class was a disaster and i don't see how their improvement does anything for the team, this year's Fr. class might be able to provide something. Like i said, they've got some nice complementary players who are always "ready to show how much their game(s) has grown" and then show that their games only improved marginally (Hicks, Jackson, Britt, Pinson). None of those guys are bad players, in fact they're all pretty good and Duke would be happy to have them on the Devils' roster (except Britt, he suxx). None of those players would be highlighted as a featured player or relied on to carry the team tho', at least when compared to the guys actually on Duke's roster. UNC is deep with experienced players, and deep with mid-high level skilled players, but very shallow on high-end talent. Experience counts for a lot as last year's UNC team showed, but they also had 2 high-end (at the collegiate level) talents. This year they might have one (Berry) and some will quibble that they have 2 (Hicks). Neither has shown the consistent dynamic play yet that both Brice and Paige showed before their Sr seasons.
I would put UNC at #10ish, certainly no lower than #15, certainly not as high as #6. My $0.02
Back in the days of black-and-white TV, the 1965-1966 UCLA Bruins, as two-time defending champs, were given a number one ranking by the AP, even though that UCLA team had lost a ton of players and couldn't even beat its freshman team (Lew Alcindor was a freshman that year). The #1 ranking lasted until UCLA lost back-to-back games against Duke at the Indoor Stadium and in Charlotte on December 10 and 11. The Bruins finished the season 18-8 and second in what was then called the AAWU (successor to the Pac. Coast Conf.).
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
I never said they improved upon last year's class. I just believe that they should be ranked somewhere between 6-10 and I have no problem with the current #6 ranking.
I can't believe I'm doing this, but I will defend UNC (gross): Joel Berry is a very good player. Jackson may or may not break out to be a star. Meeks is a good center. Hicks is probably overrated, but he's a credible PF. And, of course, you have Nate Britt, the Pre-season ACC Player of the Year (/sarcasm. I had to get that one in). I like their starting 5 (even if Pinson doesn't get it yet) and they have a ton of experience. They will start 2 seniors and 3 juniors. That's impressive. There aren't many schools in the country - Duke included - with that much experience in the their rotation.
I don't think UNC is Tier 1 or Tier 2 (go tiering system!) but you don't have to be a major contender to be in the top 5; rather, you need to have either more talent, more experience, or more coaching then the next guy. UNC has decent talent, decent coaching, a whole lotta experience. #6 to me isn't far off the reservation.
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club