(02-03-2014 01:46 PM)Geotag Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 01:40 PM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  And we have 2 other teams receiving votes. Smu & The American University.

Who is the American University?

school in DC, plays in the Patriot League. On an 11 game win streak.

Maybe this was mentioned above, but SMU is not ranked because while they beat us and had a ridiculously impressive 10 minute spurt in doing so- they also lost to the worst team in the league (or at least one of them) in the same week.

Yes- sweep two this week and things are back to feeling good (or at least they should). Beat UCF and UConn the following week and back to the 4 seed area.

Big IFS, but still there.

(02-03-2014 01:01 PM)mairving Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:44 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:40 PM)3601 Wrote:  SMU lurking at 29. They have Temple and Cincy at home this week. If they win those two they likely get ranked.

Cincy ain't gonna go undefeated in conference. SMU could be the team to give them the first loss.

We're about to see how strong SMU's home court advantage actually is. I'll be pulling for them against Cincy.

That is one game that will probably be brutal to watch. It might end up being 32-30.

Yep. Much like the recent UC-USF game. That was like watching paint dry.

(02-03-2014 12:34 PM)transitt Wrote:  It's February and we still have the potential for three top 25 games.....look back at the past 7-8 years and let that sink in for a minute!

More than that:
Gonzaga
@Cincy
@Uconn
Louisville
SMU

Conference tourney:
2 if everything goes well

Total of 7 possible Top 25 games left-5 very probable.

(02-03-2014 12:27 PM)Stammers Wrote:  Our miserable fans still think we are playing in CUSA.

Last Saturday, we got rolled by an opponent we beat twice last year in Conference USA. Although I still think we have improved somewhat since last year, SMU has improved by leaps and bounds, in only Brown's second year as coach. I think this is why so many fans are questioning Pastner - a great recruiter of talent but lacking in the ability to transition that talent to a high level of team basketball.

Our own fans hate us so much.

(02-03-2014 03:28 PM)presskh Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:27 PM)Stammers Wrote:  Our miserable fans still think we are playing in CUSA.

Last Saturday, we got rolled by an opponent we beat twice last year in Conference USA. Although I still think we have improved somewhat since last year, SMU has improved by leaps and bounds, in only Brown's second year as coach. I think this is why so many fans are questioning Pastner - a great recruiter of talent but lacking in the ability to transition that talent to a high level of team basketball.

And this post is a good example of how many of our fans are psychos. We finished last season ranked. We are ranked now. We will finish this season ranked. There are maybe 20 Larry Browns on the entire planet with at least half of them in the NBA.

We are a high level basketball team right now, whether our fans like it or not. Also, I didn't realize that our season ended last Saturday. I was under the impression that we had a lot of games left.

(02-03-2014 01:30 PM)CUSA_NEWS Wrote:  What the sunshine pumpers don't realize it's every time you state we're not in CUSA anymore, you're inadvertently admitting Josh's fast start to his career is directly correlated to the weak conf he was fortunate to begin in....

The same pumpers will later today start another Cal vs Josh first years at Memphis thread... .all while not actually comparing Cal's true 1st years of his coaching career. Anything to skew reality.....

Absolutely not. Try again. C-USA was weaker than the AAC for sure, but Josh didn't miss the tourney every year like every other coach in C-USA. Admitting C-USA wasn't the best conference does not undermine what Pastner did there, I've never seen anyone argue that C-USA was a top conference anyway. Have you? If it were so easy to win the conference, even a crappy one, and make the tournament with a coach that sucks so bad then C-USA would have had multiple multi-bid years. What is your explanation for why that wasn't the case? Pastner sucks so bad that he has only missed the NCAA tournament 1 time in his young coaching career? That's ridiculous. If it were so easy to win a crappy conference every year or go undefeated in a crappy conference why didn't Eustachey ( a couple of posters stated they'd rather have him than Pastner) or anybody else besides Houston make the tournament or go undefeated since Pastner took over? If Josh's fast start directly correlates to the crappy conference, plus the fact that to you he just sucks, why didn't more C-USA coaches, experienced or otherwise, do what Pastner did? I'll tell you why, it is because Pastner does not suck like you want so very badly for him to. C-USA was a relatively crappy conference, it certainly helped Pastner's win %, but that is because he is not a crappy coach. He won those games. He didn't lose them. Crappy coaches lose their conferences every year, not win them every year.

I know who sucks, and it ain't Coach P.

(02-03-2014 12:58 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:56 PM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:34 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  Crazy.

Only games this week with two AP Top 25 ranked teams:

#22 UConn @ #7 Cinci
#16 Iowa State @ #19 Oklahoma State
#10 Michigan @ #17 Iowa
#23 Gonzaga @ #24 Memphis

We need ok st to go on a run.....

Well, Stevie Clark just got arrested for pissing out a moving vehicle. Not his first misstep. Chances are he's off the team. Add to that Cobbins is out for the year, OK State may struggle to remain a T25 team.

Not overly important.

As I understand it, what COUNTS is what a given team is ranked on the day (night) MEMPHIS plays that team.

Two examples.

Two years ago, the TIGERS came back to beat Xavier in the regular season. Later the Musketeers were ranked and reached the Sweet 16. Some fans absolutely INSISTED that the TIGER win over Xavier did NOT count as ranked victory...because Xavier was NOT ranked when MEMPHIS beat them.

Fair enough.

On December 1, 2013 MEMPHIS beat # 7 Oklahoma State at neutral site. That is a top ten victory REGADLESS if OSU falls completely out of the rankings this month. The same applies to beating # 9 Louisville up at the YUM Center on January 9.

The rule is if the opponent is ranked and MEMPHIS wins the game, it is FOREVER a win over a ranked opponent.

Oh, yeah, it is totally cool for MEMPHIS to have at least 4 more ranked conference opponents in the final 10 regular season games. Maybe five if SMU can break through.

That is the huge advantage of being in the AAC instead of C-USA.

It also is why the AP voters kept the TIGERS ranked this week.

(02-03-2014 03:28 PM)presskh Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:27 PM)Stammers Wrote:  Our miserable fans still think we are playing in CUSA.

Last Saturday, we got rolled by an opponent we beat twice last year in Conference USA. Although I still think we have improved somewhat since last year, SMU has improved by leaps and bounds, in only Brown's second year as coach. I think this is why so many fans are questioning Pastner - a great recruiter of talent but lacking in the ability to transition that talent to a high level of team basketball.

You're seriously comparing Josh's coaching after five years to Brown's after 45? Seriously?

If it makes you feel better, you may compare Josh's first five to Calipari's first five.

I'll wait.....

(02-03-2014 04:56 PM)transitt Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 03:28 PM)presskh Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:27 PM)Stammers Wrote:  Our miserable fans still think we are playing in CUSA.

Last Saturday, we got rolled by an opponent we beat twice last year in Conference USA. Although I still think we have improved somewhat since last year, SMU has improved by leaps and bounds, in only Brown's second year as coach. I think this is why so many fans are questioning Pastner - a great recruiter of talent but lacking in the ability to transition that talent to a high level of team basketball.

You're seriously comparing Josh's coaching after five years to Brown's after 45? Seriously?

(02-03-2014 05:00 PM)CUSA_NEWS Wrote:  If it makes you feel better, you may compare Josh's first five to Calipari's first five.

I'll wait.....

(02-03-2014 04:56 PM)transitt Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 03:28 PM)presskh Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:27 PM)Stammers Wrote:  Our miserable fans still think we are playing in CUSA.

Last Saturday, we got rolled by an opponent we beat twice last year in Conference USA. Although I still think we have improved somewhat since last year, SMU has improved by leaps and bounds, in only Brown's second year as coach. I think this is why so many fans are questioning Pastner - a great recruiter of talent but lacking in the ability to transition that talent to a high level of team basketball.

You're seriously comparing Josh's coaching after five years to Brown's after 45? Seriously?

you mean the run which ended with wins and a Final Four being taken away?

back to the ignore list for you.

I'm not the conspiracy theory type, but it's got to be more than a coincidence that Gonzaga and Memphis are both ranked this week, especially given our drubbing at SMU.

Nobody wants College Gameday between 2 unranked teams.

(02-03-2014 06:01 PM)WeSingWithLove Wrote:  I'm not the conspiracy theory type, but it's got to be more than a coincidence that Gonzaga and Memphis are both ranked this week, especially given our drubbing at SMU.

Nobody wants College Gameday between 2 unranked teams.

The crime with removing Memphis from the list is that one of these teams would have to move up.

Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 79, Ohio State 45, Virginia Commonwealth 44, Southern Methodist 15, New Mexico 12, California 9, UCLA 9, Harvard 4, George Washington 3, LSU 3, Tennessee 2, American University 1, Southern Miss 1

I applaud the AP for booting Oh St and Wiscy. They were both seriously overranked for weeks. No need to reward one because they played each other and someone had to win.

(02-03-2014 06:01 PM)WeSingWithLove Wrote:  I'm not the conspiracy theory type, but it's got to be more than a coincidence that Gonzaga and Memphis are both ranked this week, especially given our drubbing at SMU.

Nobody wants College Gameday between 2 unranked teams.

I agree that is interesting but one certainty is the loser on Saturday will be out of the rankings.

Also, check out some of the other teams in the top 25. Examine their schedules; their wins and losses. One wonders how some retain their rankings.

# 20 Virginia losses - # 14 VCU, # 8 Wisconsin (now unranked), Green Bay-WI, Tennessee, # 23 Duke. VA best win is over # 18 Pitt.

# 14 Louisville losses - # 24 North Carolina, # 18 UK, # 24 MEMPHIS, # 13 Cincinnati. UL best win was at then unranked UConn. No top 25 wins at all.

# 18 Kentucky losses - # 2 Mich State, # 20 Baylor, # 18 North Carolina, Arkansas, LSU. Best win was # 6 Louisville.

# 21 Oklahoma losses - # 1 Mich State, Louisiana Tech, # 18 Kansas, Kansas State, # 16 Iowa State. Best win was # 8 Ok State.

MEMPHIS has lost to the current # 3 team, # 7 team, # 19 team, # 22 team, and unranked SMU.

Ten regular season games left, let's see how things play out.

the more savvy among the basketball public knows that SMU at home is not an easy win for many teams this year. Maybe not ANY team.

It doesn't hurt that our better wins this year have been much more publicized than this unglamorous loss. When you beat Louisville at their place on a national broadcast and lose to a good SMU team on the road hidden away on a cable channel most people don't get on a Saturday afternoon, you'll probably get more credit for the win than you'll get penalty for the loss.

In previous years, our conference situation dictated that the inverse was usually true.

(02-03-2014 01:30 PM)CUSA_NEWS Wrote:  What the sunshine pumpers don't realize it's every time you state we're not in CUSA anymore, you're inadvertently admitting Josh's fast start to his career is directly correlated to the weak conf he was fortunate to begin in....

The same pumpers will later today start another Cal vs Josh first years at Memphis thread... .all while not actually comparing Cal's true 1st years of his coaching career. Anything to skew reality.....

Actually, dumb***, what it means is that you're not going to win every single conference game.

(02-03-2014 01:00 PM)transitt Wrote:  Compare our resume to Louisville, UK, Duke, et all. Memphis deserves to be ranked.

As someone pointed out on the radio yesterday, UofM has no losses to teams below the Top 50. Out of about 351 Division 1 basketball teams, there are only about a dozen that can say that at this time.

(02-04-2014 01:10 PM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 01:00 PM)transitt Wrote:  Compare our resume to Louisville, UK, Duke, et all. Memphis deserves to be ranked.

As someone pointed out on the radio yesterday, UofM has no losses to teams below the Top 50. Out of about 351 Division 1 basketball teams, there are only about a dozen that can say that at this time.

If you filter out teams that have as good of a road and neutral court win as us, and has no losses outside of the top 50, you'll find that we are in extremely rare company.

(02-03-2014 12:50 PM)3601 Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:44 PM)MemphisCanes Wrote:  

(02-03-2014 12:40 PM)3601 Wrote:  SMU lurking at 29. They have Temple and Cincy at home this week. If they win those two they likely get ranked.

Cincy ain't gonna go undefeated in conference. SMU could be the team to give them the first loss.

We're about to see how strong SMU's home court advantage actually is. I'll be pulling for them against Cincy.

It would probably make a lot of folks feel better about our loss to SMU if they beat Cincy too.

That SMU loss definitely hurts a little less today.