My Top 25 ballot
Time to send off another Top 25 ballot to the Associated Press.
This one was hard, because I had 27 worthy candidates for 25 slots.
It was an easy call to kick out Northern Iowa after it lost to Evansville, even though it did beat Ill. State.
That made room for Maryland.
But that only opened up one slot. I wanted to add 3 new teams. Who else to evict?
I kicked out Richmond after its double-OT loss at Xavier. I hated, hated to do it, but I had to make room for Xavier. I hope the Spiders bounce back so I can put them back in next week’s ballot.
I also kicked out Gonzaga, even though it beat Santa Clara and San Francisco. But I wanted to make room for Oklahoma State, and somebody had to go. I thought about kicking out BYU, but I opted for the Zags. I would have kicked the Zags out of last week’s ballot because of that loss to Loyola Marymount, but I only needed to make room for one team last week, and kicking out Wake Forest accomplished that. But now I need the room, so bye bye Zags. But again, don’t be surprised if they return to the ballot next week should others stumble.
Here is my ballot:
1. Syracuse moves up 2 spots after beating Providence and Villanova. Yes, SU is my alma mater, but of course they have to be No. 1 after Kansas and Kentucky (and Purdue) lost. Next: home game Tues with St. John’s and big Sat visit to Louisville.
2. Kansas drops one spot after beating Oklahoma and losing to Oklahoma St. Next: big home game Wed with Kansas State and visit Sat to Missouri.
3. Kentucky falls one spot after beating South Carolina and losing to Tennessee. Next: Wed visit to Georgia and Sun home game with Florida.
4. Duke moves up one spot after beating Tulsa and UVa. Next: huge game Wed at Maryland, and Sat. home game with UNC.
5. Kansas St. moves up one spot after beating Texas Tech and Mizzou. Next: huge visit Wed to Kansas, and Sat home game with Iowa St.
6. Purdue falls 2 spots after beating Minnesota and, minus injured Robbie Hummel, losing to Mich. State. I’ve got a feeling Purdue will be falling even farther in the coming weeks, but for now, two spots feels right after a 1-1 week.
7. New Mexico moves up 3 spots after beating Colorado State and winning at BYU. Next: Wed home game with TCU.
8. Ohio St. moves up one spot after beating Penn St. and Michigan. Next: Tues home game with Illinois.
9. Villanova falls two spots after beating South Florida and gettting crushed at Syracuse. Wildcats have lost 3 of their last 4. Next: Tues visit to Cincinnati and big home game Sat with WVU.
10. Vanderbilt moves up 3 spots after beating Georgia and Arkansas. Next: Tues visit to Florida and Sat home game with South Carolina.
11. Mich. State moves up 5 spots after winning at Purdue. Next: Thurs home game with Penn State and Sun home game with Michigan.
12. West Virginia falls 4 spots after losing to UConn and beating Cincinnati. Next: big home game Monday with Georgetown and big game Sat. at Villanova.
13. Tennessee moves up two spots after losing to Florida but beating Kentucky. I hate to move teams up after a 1-1 week, but that Kentucky win deserves some recognition in terms of a move up. And it’s not like there were other teams that cried out for this spot, over a team that has beaten both Kansas and Kentucky this year. Next: Wed home game with Arkansas and Sat visit to Miss. St.
14. Butler stays here after beating Valpo. Next: Horizon League tournament.
15. Georgetown falls 4 spots after beating Louisville and losing to Notre Dame (great week for the Irish, by the way). Hoyas have lost 3 of 4. Next: big game Monday at WVU, and Sat home game with Cincy.
16. Pitt falls 4 spots after losing to N. Dame and beating St. John’s. Next: home games Thurs and Sat with Providence and Rutgers.
17. Temple moves up one spot after beating Dayton and La Salle. Next: big visit Wed to St Louis and Sat home game with GW.
18. Baylor moves up 6 spots after beating Texas A&M and Oklahoma. Next: Tues visit to Texas Tech and big home game Sat with Texas.
19. Wisconsin moves up 2 spots after beating Indiana. Next: Wed home game with Iowa and Sun visit to Illinois.
20. Maryland cracks my ballot here after beating Clemson and winning at Va Tech in 2 OT to extend its win streak to six games. Maryland is behind Wisconsin, which beat the Terps early in the year. Next: huge home game Wed with Duke, and Sat visit to UVa. Will Terps still be on my ballot next week?
21. Xavier cracks my ballot here after winning at St. Louis and beating Richmond in double OT. Atlantic 10 co-leader has won five straight, including a win at Florida. Next: Wed visit to Fordham and Sat home game with St. Bonaventure.
22. Texas A&M stays here after losing to Baylor and beating Texas. Next: big home game Wed with Oklahoma St., and Sat. visit to Oklahoma.
23. BYU falls 4 spots after beating San Diego State and losing at home to New Mexico. I thought long and hard about kicking out BYU instead of Richmond, but decided to leave Lobos in. Next: visits Wed and Sat to Utah and TCU.
24. Texas moves up one spot after beating Oklahoma St. and losing to Texas A&M. Next: Mon home game with Oklahoma and big game Sat at Baylor.
25. Oklahoma State cracks my ballot here after losing at Texas and beating Kansas. Six Big 12 teams on the ballot? Yep. I know some folks will say UTEP deserves to be in the AP poll this week, or that I should not have dropped Richmond or Gonzaga, but I think Oklahoma State deserves a shout-out. Oklahoma State has 20 wins, including 8 in the Big 12, and their resume now includes a win at Kansas State and home wins over A&M, Baylor and Kansas. That’s 4 wins over Top 25 teams. Looks like a Top 25 team to me. Compare their resume to Gonzaga and tell me Oklahoma St. doesn’t deserve to be ranked this week. And their resume is way better than UTEP, which cracked the coaches poll last week and might crack the AP poll this week. Next: Wed visit to A&M and Sat home game with Nebraska. Will they still be on the ballot next week?
March 1, 2010 - 12:31 AM
With all of their losses, I don’t see how Georgetown can be in anyone’s Top 25! 19-8 and 9-7 in the Big East sounds like an NIT bid to me.
I’m not convinced that Vanderbilt is that good. But still, picking a Top 25 is difficult!
Your an idiot, gonzaga is a top 25 team. The zags are predicted any where from a 4 to a 6 seed, and they deserve a higher ranking.
You are dumb.
What a pea brain…lets throw YOU out because yer short, fat, irrelevent, and yer 4 eyes are not helping you see chit!
Think I’ll stick w/ the Coaches Poll from now on since the A.P. allows tools to vote…
How do you take yourself seriously as a sportswriter? You are putting OK State in merely because they beat Kansas. They have 8 losses and you put them in front of Missouri, who not only has a better record, overall and in conference, but beat OK State when they played each other. Also, how do you drop Gonzaga with a 24-5 record. Do you choose your teams by watching Sports Center on Sunday mornings and taking the ones that actually get a recap? My guess is you have only seen one Gonzaga game and it was probably the one against Duke in which one of their best players was recovering from a concussion. I cannot believe people actually pay attention to you. This is my first time reading a post by you and I am happy to say it will also be the last. Good day
This is why the ap is garbage…Gonzaga not in the top 25? Use some research, look at who they have played and beaten, maybe even watch a game or 2 then if you still think that, pass me whatever it is your smoking.
Temple, Baylor, Texas A&M and Xavier are all better positioned than Gonzaga? That is ridiculous. I won’t even mention the fact that we have beaten Wisconsin head to head because I think Bo Ryan was out coached in the Maui Semis (by Mark Few, ironic I know). But come on dude, this represents the worst kind of East Coast Bias, lock it up and get the Bulldogs back in the top 25!
You are a perfect example of whats wrong with the AP poll. Idiot East Coast writers who know nothing and have probably never watched any West Coast games. Oh well….guess I see why you are working in Roanoke, maybe one day you will learn about the sports you write on and might move on to a real city with real sports to write about.
do you actually watch colleague basketball? if i were you, i’d stop posting a top 25.
How in the world do you put the zags out of the top 25 and still have texas in the top 25. Zags should at least be in the 15 to 20 range on all boards. From a fellow Virginian, in Gate City.
Nice to delete comments people have left disagreeing with you. Real classy.
You are weak for not letting comments be posted, watch basketball and then you can have an opinion. You suck
Mark,
You asked if Maryland will be on your ballot next week. Unless they lose to UVA, why wouldn’t they? You have them ranked 20th and Duke ranked 4th. By your rankings, you indicate that you think Duke is much better than Maryland. Why would a loss (unless it’s a blowout) to Duke cause Maryland to drop? It only confirms what you already thought. I realize the poll voter practice of punishing losses isn’t unique to you, but I was curious to get your take on it. I’m not a Notre Dame fan at all, but always thought their 2005 oh-so-close loss to USC (~#10 vs. ~#1) should not have caused them to drop, and have paid attention to similar instances since.
Thanks,
Jonathan
So apparently all comments that disagree with you are completely deleted like they never existed…..
I don’t see any suspense at all in the NCAA tournament this year. Actually, it’s ALWAYS a team from one of the “power” conferences that wins the NCAA men’s basketball championship. And only teams from the “power” conferences make the Final Four! There was an article in a sports publication in the past couple of years about this that convinced me.
In the past 40 years, I can only think of 6 teams that weren’t from “power” conferences who have even made the Final Four: Jacksonville, George Mason, Princeton, Texas-El Paso, Indiana State, and Pennsylvania!
I see only Syracuse, Kansas, and Duke as threats to win the NCAA tournament this year! I’m sure this will draw lots of angry responses, however.
if green burg realize he is not the {star} in let his players play like trell bell J. T. allen get out they head and let them gto play hey vt will be and the dance they can win the acc tournament if if coach coach not show boat go vt. see you and the dance
Hen-hen,
Proper English please??
but you understand right? hey don’t get mad i need a good teacher who will teach all every body get it. greenberg have his hit mans and ladys to write for him go to tech slide line you will see. if a coach do these how can he lead a team. mybe you michelle
No, I do not understand anything you say. Seems like you do not like Greenberg as a coach. I am sorry for that. I feel, since I have been watching VT basketball for more than 10 years that Greenberg has been a sigh of relief for VT basketball. He has brought back passionate players, fans, etc. The Cassell is finally packed. Traditions are being set.
you had good teacher. but i like greenberg and his family. but the true is the true i am a vt. fan evan if greenberg is still coaching there. i like the team. i want to see them win. thing he do do not add up he can fool you but he can”t fool me vt. good program but two mini come go. college basketball is the bigges pimp wend it come to basketball full the arena up 27 game or more coaches get every thing. no pro no job wear is the is the college now. just rapping go vt.
I don’t understand him either Michelle. He’s either playing us or learning disabled. You been a fan over 10 years, over 55 for me. I’ve seen a lot. The first real Tech contender was when Chuck Noe recruited the entire high school all-state team from West Virginia. Watched the first game ever played in Cassell Col., no seats sat on the concrete. Played Tech football, watched Tech basketball. Been a long time.
well i jump ship because you said i dont like greenberg so i move to something eles. want i dont like colleges pimping the players all sports after 4-5 years their they should have a job waiting for them wend they get out. if you love them on the court field pool all sports you should help them get jobs. o o i for got michelle is right they dont proper english. i can say this a am a vt. fan you are to go vt.
Hen-Hen is not playing you. Probably not learning disabled either. Maybe a product of inferior urban education and/or a poor home environment not conducive to cognitive development( ie; a crack house).
Berman ,on the other hand, has great command of the English language and is very eloquent and insightful in his columns.
My question to Mark is: Why do you refer to the players/coaches by first name?? Not normal journalistic practice. Are you buddy buddy with these people? By your top 25 voting record ,I would assume that you have no love for VT and no respect for their development as an ACC power!
Randy is going to smash a Bud can upside yo head!
Greg