What Does a #1 Ranking Bring with It?

[OrangeTarheel]

While I can see it having some disadvantages I think a #1 ranking also carries some very real advantages.

For one, I think it brings a huge intimidation factor. Teams are already bug eyed to be playing the zone. I imagine it will be demoralizing to go up against a #1 ranked team with a bug eye inducing zone.

 

[skurey]

new t-shirts for the low price of $14.98!

 

[EastCoast2]

Good thing to tell recruits

 

[Czar]

Good thing to tell recruits

This.

 

[CorduroyG]

I think its a disadvantage when we play on the road, the crowd is gonna be that much more rowdy and crazy, and the home team will be that much more jacked up. Which is why im very worried about saturday.

 

[llandz]

It puts our name out there in a positive light. Overall it does not mean much. Very unlikely to stay there for the season. But when we eventually lose, it is a higher place to fall from, and therefore will help us end the season higher up and with a better seed in the NCAA.

 

[Djrog]

Good thing to tell recruits

By far the best thing about it. Great pub for the program in a year that's been anything but...

 

[EastCoast2]

I think its a disadvantage when we play on the road, the crowd is gonna be that much more rowdy and crazy, and the home team will be that much more jacked up. Which is why im very worried about saturday.

Maybe adding some pressure to some games won't be a bad thing. Let them get used to playing as #1 for a #1 seed in March.

 

[Toga]

 

[bballbeadle]

Maybe adding some pressure to some games won't be a bad thing. Let them get used to playing as #1 for a #1 seed in March.

I agree with the above. This is excellent practice for the tournament, when the temperature gets turned on to "BOILING HOT."

 

[SUSScuse]

The only thing that I see as being a challenge of being the #1 team is the idea that the team has reached the peak that they were working toward and they become relaxed.
The coaching staff needs to remind the team that being ranked #1 is a great accomplishment, but remaining #1 will require a constant effort on their part to remain there.

 

[Garbs]

The only thing that I see as being a challenge of being the #1 team is the idea that the team has reached the peak that they were working toward and they become relaxed.
The coaching staff needs to remind the team that being ranked #1 is a great accomplishment, but remaining #1 will require a constant effort on their part to remain there.

from all the comments I have been reading I think they understand that, still doesn't make it any easier

 

[OrangeTarheel]

When is the last time a team held the #1 ranking for an entire year? Not that we started at #1 or will end there, just curious.

FWIW, I think we might end up there.

 

[realorange]

The only thing that I see as being a challenge of being the #1 team is the idea that the team has reached the peak that they were working toward and they become relaxed.
The coaching staff needs to remind the team that being ranked #1 is a great accomplishment, but remaining #1 will require a constant effort on their part to remain there.

JB and his coaches will never let that happen. In fact, if you read his comments on being #1, he says they still have work to do.

 

[Garbs]

When is the last time a team held the #1 ranking for an entire year? Not that we started at #1 or will end there, just curious.

FWIW, I think we might end up there.

I don't think they were there all year, but that Florida team was def #1 to start and #1 to finish

 

[rstone7727]

 

[SUFAN1]

It brings one Hugh Target !

 

[jekelish]

Frankly, I can't imagine a better season to be ranked #1. When other coaches try to negatively recruit based on the Bernie stuff, we can point to the #1 ranking and say, "Yeah, but Joe Esposito and the other pollsters say we're the best around."

 

[llandz]

Illinois soent almost an entire season as #1 a few years back, only to lose in the NCAA tournament. I would rather lose a game or two before. Too hard to be#1 all year.

 

[CorduroyG]

Illinois soent almost an entire season as #1 a few years back, only to lose in the NCAA tournament. I would rather lose a game or two before. Too hard to be#1 all year.

Pretty sure they lost to ohio state at the end of the regular season, not sure if they stayed at #1 in the polls or not.

 

[moqui]

When is the last time a team held the #1 ranking for an entire year? Not that we started at #1 or will end there, just curious.

FWIW, I think we might end up there.

the last team to begin the year #1, end the year #1, and then win the NCAA tournament (remember, the final AP poll is taken before the tourney starts) was Duke in 1992. The year before that, UNLV went the entire year ranked #1 before falling to Duke in the FF. The last team to begin and end the year at #1, then win the NCAA tournament was North Carolina in 2007-08, but UNC dropped out of the top spot for a few weeks in the middle of the season.

Illinois soent almost an entire season as #1 a few years back, only to lose in the NCAA tournament. I would rather lose a game or two before. Too hard to be#1 all year.

the Illini began the 2004-05 season in the top 10, but did not ascend to #1 until a few weeks into the season.

 

[Oakland]

Prestige.

 

[orangecuse]

Awesome PR for the team and program. I don't think the kids will get lazy because of this or believe that they have peaked, not with the leadership they should have with Scoop and Joseph being seniors. They all realize being ranked #1 is great, but it's early in the season and this doesn't guarantee them being in the national championship (pseudo) game like football is. They'll need to earn it by continuing to get better and winning when it really matters come March.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

Are ESPN Game Day's planned in advance of the season? If not, is that something we could get from being #1 - a couple more of those?

 

[PoppyHart]

An opportunity to raise your index finger.