Michigan was creeping around the polls with lots of votes but lost to IU. #20 Kentucky lost (to Rick Barnes unranked rag tag Vols squad). #25 S. Carolina lost to unranked Georgia. Wichita St. #21 and Arizona #23 play tonight. Either of them lose, I think we crack into #25. Personally I like playing unranked with a chip on the shoulder. Guess we'll see.
We may slip into the rankings and I think it's a good thing. Coach Smart has been putting his system into place. Part of it has been learning how to play under pressure. Becoming a ranked team and playing with that # by your name is another step in that process. I think Smart welcomes this and wants to see how his troops respond. This team has shown a lot of resolve, after Ridley went down. They have not wilted, at the end of games against ranked opponents, even on the road. Coach Smart has given this team confidence, just look at how Ibeh has responded and others. I can't really see not wanting this team to keep moving forward. They will have rightfully gained a national ranking and deserve the right to try to defend it.
From my post on another thread: "I know this may sound premature, but the way this team is playing Shaka's systems on Offense and Defense, and the impressive way they have played against top 25 teams, shouldn't they be inching into the top 25 rankings if they win their next game? The early losses are behind them, I mean way behind them. They are a different team now. I have never seen a better job of coaching than what Shaka has done 1) bringing the freshmen along to peak in February ready for March, (I think we can safely say that Roach has elevated his game the last two weeks--and it will only get better) and 2) coaching Ibeh up to such a high level of play so quickly to offset the loss of Ridley. Ibeh is a different player now than he was one month ago."
ESPN power rankings just came out at 4:00pm and Texas is #25. I just saw that. I usually follow APs ranking system though. I like being off the radar but it feels good to be ranked. http://m.espn.go.com/ncb/powerrankings?src=desktop
Agreed but I think the ship has long since sailed on that. Anyone who would overlook us at this point because we're not ranked is too stupid to beat us, anyway.
Agree 100%. I'm a fan of how it shook out KD's year in 2006-07. Lost some games early, kept flying under the radar as unranked, and then by the time the team ranked in the top 25, they never looked back and kept rising to the occasion. Personally, us being in the "RV" section of the polls helps our team tremendously. They're confident to know what they're capable of, and it doesn't give them extra pressure to perform. It's also allowed Texas to sneak up on some other teams as well, especially on the road. West Virginia had a horrible shooting night against the Horns and I don't think their players were taking Texas too seriously. Kansas was asleep against Texas at the start of the game. Baylor, like West Virginia, didn't draw a very overwhelming weeknight crowd. To me, Texas is in the perfect position as far as rankings are concerned, especially in a league as tough as the Big 12. But, I can't really argue with what @txlandagent said, it's nice to have validation with a number before your name.
Is the fork still in us or does it come out with a national ranking? The whole fork dynamic is unfamiliar to me.
Hah, I think we pulled the fork out a while ago, but still work to be done this season. Nothing guaranteed in this conference
Leave the fork in - harry as far as I'm concerned you made post of the year and I highly recommend you repost it right before the tournament
Personally, I like being in the Top 25 solely for exposure/recruiting. With being ranked, you are constantly being shown out there.
It's going to be a tough February. 7 of the 9 teams we play are ranked in the top 15 (two each against OU/BU), and the other two are Top-50 RPI types. Already beat one of them! If we can limp out of this month with a 4-5 or 5-4 record, we'd be 20-12 heading into the conference tournament. Assuming a 1-1 record in the Big 12 tourney as "normal," 21-13 on Selection Day. Won't be ranked for sure in the "human" polls, but I think our RPI will be crazy high compared to the number of losses that everyone around us will have. Like Top-20, surrounded by teams in the rankings with fewer than 10 losses. Toughest schedule in the country. That's probably enough to get us a #9-10 seed in the NCAAs, which is kind of amazing considering how low we felt after the "stick a fork in us" TCU game. For every upset we pull between now and the conference tournament, I think that moves us up another seed in the NCAAs. A win over OU and KU would get us to #7 from #9.
The return of Ridley would be looked on favorably by the NCAA committee. Wins over top 15 ranked so far are ISU, UNC, WVU, and Baylor. The latter two both road wins. Texas with a very high RPI and most likely the #1 strength of schedule will be almost a lock for the big dance, without a monumental collapse. I don't think the team or Coach Smart will allow that to happen.
Honestly, the way we're playing, I'm kind of past the "can we get in" notion, or more toward the "what seed can we get" mindset. Like @NBHorn7 said, barring a tremendous meltdown, which I also don't see happening with Smart and our players, I think Texas is somewhere toward a shoe-in of getting in. Right now, I think the horns would be a 6-seed with their current credentials. Hopefully Texas can keep this magical run going and notch as many top wins as they can.
How in the world is Iowa St ranked 13th and we're tied for 36th in the AP? Iowa St 17-6 (6-4 conf) Texas 16-7 (7-3 conf) We're one game behind overall, one game up in conference, and hold the h2h win. Sure I can see them ranked a little ahead of us, but 23 spots???
I travel to Des Moines quite a bit for my job and have several friends that are Cyclones. Hilton is a fantastic place to watch a college basketball game. I wish we had the same atmosphere. If they are not playing the Horns, I am pulling for them. That all said, the expectation coming into the season for ISU were high and they still are reaping the benefit of that in the polls. Unfortunately for them, the injury bug hit them hard and now they have lost one of their best defenders to a suspension. It will be tough sledding for them from here on out and the polls will reflect that. Most important is how the selection committee will view them come tournament time. Polls do not mean a damn thing in February.
Finally a poll that gives us some respect. Unfortunately, due to Ou's loss they will come out breathing fire tomorrow night. We will need to withstand some serious early energy tomorrow night if we are to have any shot at all. And Ibeh will have to stay in the game, and not commit the silly fouls that he did against ttu. And our freshmen will need to be very careful with the ball, i.e., cut down on turnovers. Adding up to a huge ROAD challenge for the good guys.
I can tell you what being ranked means, no matter when it is. Your highlights are seen nationally on Sportscenter and all the national sports stations. This means your team is being seen by recruits nationwide and don't think it doesn't have a positive impact on them. If you want to be a national big time basketball program, it is essential that you get ranked and stay there if you can.
Or maybe we catch them at the perfect time, weak and insecure, full of self doubt -- wondering what the hell a 'sooner' is anyway?
CBS poll is usually a little inflated. AP is a better benchmark and comes out later today. Still, we'll be in at least #23 or better IMO. Long overdue.
When you think about it. a five seed equates to a 16-20 ranking, if you want to argue that the team of 64 is basically lined up and seeded by rank (which it theoretically is although they tweak it somewhat here and there.) So I'd say that's about right for this team. Historically that's a really dangerous place to be because that's where you start playing the mid-majors that are really good but have never been ranked because people don't know anything about them. It's not as bad now because those guys are getting more love and are starting to get ranked more in the 7-10 range than they used to be. Personally I'd be thrilled to slip to a 6. Then you play an 11, 3 and then get the 2 seed in the regional semis.
AP#24/USA Coaches#25. And ou only dropped to #3 in both polls http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings
Six Big12 teams ranked in the AP top 25 shows how tough this conference is. Who would have thought that at this point in the seaon, Texas would be ranked and Duke wouldn't be?