We have to jump Duke Monday, right?

[HarrisonJBounel]

I get the people that say rankings don't matter before April, but they really do. 17 yr old recruits make decisions for sometimes silly reasons, like who's ranked top 5 at a given time. Syracuse has been fortunate to have spent many weeks in the top 5 and even #1 the last 3-4 years and our recruiting is as good as it's ever been because of it. So, yes, November rankings matter and I'd MUCH rather be ranked 5 than 9 right now.

The higher ranked teams get more and better attention in the media. If you are top 5, you are considered a contender and get treated accordingly. Top 9, not so much.

 

[bozophobe]

True, but some media outlets put additional emphasis on the Top 10 as well. So there's a definite advantage to staying there, especially if it's true that young people have a more limited attention span these days.

 

[texascpa]

Eh who really cares at this point. There are 2 definite opportunities to jump Duke in the polls this season by playing them head to head. Quite possibly a 3rd. The only time I have ever gotten satisfaction from where Cuse was ranked in the polls was the coaches poll in April 2003. Not saying being highly ranked isn't important, but I think you know what I mean...

It matters because poll position is a good indicator of tournament seeding. I would rather be a 1/2 seed than a 3-5 seed.

 

[Orangemen]

Bottom line, we don't know if duke is good right now. They haven't beaten anyone, and nearly lost at home to UVM. They don't have one win as good as the 3 we picked up in Maui.

They may turn out to be an excellent team, but right now, there is no justification for putting them ahead of us.

 

[NKR1978]

Exactly, it drives me crazy when people don't care where were ranked. YES, it matters.

I thought rankings mattered a lot more in 08-09 when we were coming a miserable four year run of two first round losses and two NIT appearances. At this point, our brand is strong enough to withstand not being in the top 5.

 

[NKR1978]

So, because they were ranked #6, if they lost their first 5 games of the season to 1,2,3,4,5, you weren't vote them down for a team that was 5-0 and had beat a top 20 team. LOL Okay.

In theory, yes. Where would you rank a team that lost to 1-5 but beat 7-10?

 

[texascpa]

In theory, yes. Where would you rank a team that lost to 1-5 but beat 7-10?

That wasn't the question. If the No. 6 team played 5 games and they were against the 1-5 teams and they lost all of them, would they remain No. 6?

 

[NKR1978]

That wasn't the question. If the No. 6 team played 5 games and they were against the 1-5 teams and they lost all of them, would they remain No. 6?

I answered the question. I said yes.

This is all pointless now that Kansas lost. I think we should move past Kansas and Duke.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Basically syracuse should be ranked higher than Duke because we played an easier schedule.

Is that about right?

FWIW I'd love to see us jump Duke.

 

[jekelish]

Basically syracuse should be ranked higher than Duke because we played an easier schedule.

Is that about right?

FWIW I'd love to see us jump Duke.

And therein lies the problem with rankings early in the season. Duke has lost to Kansas and Arizona, two teams that have a chance at a national championship. If you think they are still one of the top 5 teams in the country, keep them in your top 5. Why on earth should two losses in very competitive games to excellent teams change the fact that you still think they are one of the 5 best teams in the country?

And I hope we jump them, too...but it's pretty meaningless right now. Duke will still wind up one of the top 5 teams in the country in all likelihood. The cream always rises to the top, and despite their flaws (poor defense and a total lack of interior presence) they are still one of the teams that should be considered "the cream."

 

[dasher]

Basically syracuse should be ranked higher than Duke because we played an easier schedule.

Is that about right?

FWIW I'd love to see us jump Duke.

No. syracuse should be ranked ahead of Duke because they not only lost twice, they won by only 1 at home against Vermont. What win do they have as good as our win against Baylor?

 

[Camillus]

Basically syracuse should be ranked higher than Duke because we played an easier schedule.

Is that about right?

FWIW I'd love to see us jump Duke.

We should be ranked higher than Duke because we beat better teams than them and because we have not lost. We should also be ahead of Kansas in my opinion, but if we aren't then that's fine... it'll give more fuel to our players.

 

[HOFCeluck]

No. syracuse should be ranked ahead of Duke because they not only lost twice, they won by only 1 at home against Vermont. What win do they have as good as our win against Baylor?

So now were counting near losses? O hai St Francis.

 

[dasher]

Duke's great win was against Alabama. Who would you take if Alabama played Minn or Cal.? Forget Baylor. Two losses. A 1 pt win against vermont. That equals a #5 ranking?

 

[dasher]

So now were counting near losses? O hai St Francis.

5 or 6 pts isn't 1 pt. And we are unbeaten. They have the two losses and the 1 pt win. Make a case for them. That they were over ranked to start with so we have to leave them there?

 

[HOFCeluck]

Cal and Alabama are almost dead even in Kenpom (58/60) and Minnesota finished 7th in Maui, just ahead of Chaminade. Not sure why you're trying to build up either of those teams as some sure thing vs Alabama.

 

[HOFCeluck]

5 or 6 pts isn't 1 pt. And we are unbeaten. They have the two losses and the 1 pt win. Make a case for them. That they were over ranked to start with so we have to leave them there?

Yeah, winning by two possessions is WAY BETTER THAN by just one.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

5 or 6 pts isn't 1 pt. And we are unbeaten. They have the two losses and the 1 pt win. Make a case for them. That they were over ranked to start with so we have to leave them there?

Tangent - essentially the argument is game results don't matter, it just matters more who we think is good.

Which is what drives me up the wall with Alabama in college football. They're the only program that is afforded the luxury of losing. They can drop one, and it just doesn't matter, because people believe they're still the best. The game data says they aren't infallible, but nobody cares. It really chaps my hide that they get that privilege.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Yeah, winning by two possessions is WAY BETTER THAN by just one.

Well... it is actually.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Bottom line, we don't know if duke is good right now. They haven't beaten anyone, and nearly lost at home to UVM. They don't have one win as good as the 3 we picked up in Maui.

They may turn out to be an excellent team, but right now, there is no justification for putting them ahead of us.

Duke is good, but they lack strength and size inside. Parker plays like their biggest player, Plumlee III notwithstanding. He was troubled by Arizona's size up front. In that respect, we present the same problem for them. I see us beating them in the Dome, but having trouble at Cameron because of the refs.

 

[dasher]

Yeah, winning by two possessions is WAY BETTER THAN by just one.

you see a final score where a one team wins by 6 and another team wins by 1, who do you think had the tougher game? It's clear you are wrong on this. Why not admit it and move on? Duke lost twice. A team they lost to just lost to Nova. Syracuse won the Maui tournament. Beat three decent teams. One, Baylor, was ranked in the top 20 when they played Syracuse. A far more impressive victory than Duke has. It's clear that we should be ranked ahead of them on Monday night. Will we? I have long given up trying to figure things like that out. But I amazed that you think, looking at both bodies of work, that Duke should be ranked ahead of us.

 

[texascpa]

I answered the question. I said yes.

This is all pointless now that Kansas lost. I think we should move past Kansas and Duke.

My apologies, I read your response incorrectly.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Exactly, it drives me crazy when people don't care where were ranked. YES, it matters.

Show us one kid who said he went anywhere because a team was ranked in e top 5 in December. Gonzaga would have a lot more Mickey Ds.

 

[tbonezone]

i'm not so sure that losing to a top ranked team should slide you down much. arizona was ranked ahead of duke. a loss shouldn't impact the polls much. now kansas losing to villanova? chutes and ladders baby. enjoy the slide.

 

[longislandcuse]

Show us one kid who said he went anywhere because a team was ranked in e top 5 in December. Gonzaga would have a lot more Mickey Ds.

We don't recruit against Gonzaga. We do however, recruit against school consistently ranked 1-5. It helps your "brand" and the schools we recruit against have the best "brand" in the country.