By: AMurawa

AMurawa — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 02:07:19 +0000

Believe me, I really like the SDSU and Wichita State (and SLU and UMass) programs and stories. I was courtside for Wichita’s first four NCAA Tournament games last year and that is one insanely likable – not to mention very good – baketball team and basketball program. Likewise for SDSU. Love what Fisher has done there and really like the way that program is run. And they’re very good.

But when I’m putting together my rankings I’m trying to think about who the best teams in the country are right now. If I was putting these together based on resume, SDSU would probably be top 5 or so. And they deserve to be in the conversation for a #1 or 2 seed, as does Wichita, because seeding is about resume, rather than prognostication.

But I think both of those teams have some serious weaknesses that aren’t going to be fixed this season, while other teams that arguably have worse resumes (Kansas for sure, Duke, Iowa, even Kentucky) have better teams with less debilitating weaknesses.

Like, I don’t think SDSU is better than all but five teams in the country. I don’t think Wichita is at that level either. And I’m leery of high expectations for these teams being used against them like it was used against Gonzaga and New Mexico last year. Like, all year long, we sorta suspected that Gonzaga wasn’t as good as the resume they were building. Same with New Mexico, but by the end of the year, just through inertia, somehow Gonzaga was rated as a top five team in the nation. New Mexico was right around the top 10 I believe. And then when they failed to live up to those expectations in the NCAA Tournament, you heard the backlash about “Oh, that team sucked” or “Oh that conference sucked.” And those comments were unfair and missed the point of what great years those teams had.

Sure, if things break right for either Wichita or SDSU this year, they could wind up in the Final Four. But I don’t expect that. And I think where I have them ranked right now is more fair to the teams because that’s about where they belong in terms of how good they actually are. Most of the advanced statistical rankings have those teams ranked closer to where I have them ranked than where most of my colleagues have them ranked. And while I can understand how fans of those programs can take that as a slight, it is not intended as such – just my actual opinion of the relative worth of these teams.

FWIW, that 2011 San Diego State team? I would have no qualms again putting that team in the top five nationally. But as good as this year’s vintage is and as great of a story as they are, I don’t think this team is in the same ball park.

Fair?

By: Gus

Gus — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 19:31:18 +0000

AM can you please discuss your obvious major conference bias? I am an SDSU fan, and am quite dumbfounded by your terrible ranking on us, BO youre there too, but how do you justify a 13 FOR WICHITA STATE!!!

I mean they are running the table, the discussion should be about if they deserve a number one seed, not if they should be in your top ten. I might be able to understand my team being a 14 rank considering their only loss came to your number one team and beat your number 4, but please explain.

PS aren’t you an other 26 writer? You are supposed to be on our side in this major conference world.

Comments on: RTC Top 25: Week Eleven

By: AMurawa

By: Gus