🏀 KuBuckets Archive

The Bleacher Report Picked KU as a loser in this week's poll.

After losing to Kentucky in the Champions Classic a few weeks ago, Kansas dropped six spots to No. 11, receiving 981 votes.

Since then, the Jayhawks are 7-0 with wins over Florida, Georgetown, Michigan State, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Utah—each of which is currently rated in the Top 100 on KenPom.com.

This week, while Duke and Virginia played nobody and Texas (vs. Texas State) and Wisconsin (at Milwaukee, vs. Nicholls State) effectively played nobody, Kansas really challenged itself with a road game against Georgetown and a "semi-home" game against Utah, winning them both.

Rather than steadily climbing back into the Top 5 during that incredible run, the Jayhawks are at No. 10 for a second straight week and only received 121 more votes than they did after getting absolutely embarrassed by Kentucky.

The Jayhawks are simply the unfortunate victim of top teams refusing to suffer bad losses. Until someone slips up, it seems they've reached a bit of a glass ceiling.

The RPI

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@wrwlumpy
I was surprised we didn't move up a bit after those wins given our RPI. On the otherhand we are playing jeckle and hyde halves and squeaking by on some of these wins.

@wrwlumpy

Hey, what do these UK people think they are doing.

They have the best talent.

They have the best dorms.

They have the biggest arena that is not a dome.

They have have the best whiskey.

And now they have the best RPI, too?

God I hate this kind of level of excellence.

We are like Rocky going up against Apollo Creed.

Come'on Rock!!!!!!!!!!

@jaybate-1.0 you forgot Drake!

The Kentucky debacle lingers in the eyes of the voters. We will probably be 12-1 before conference and will not be in the top 5. Where would we be ranked without playing Kentucky. Our players did not get down, we as fans did. Vitale talked about the shock that was sent throughout basketball when KU lost. Another thought, since UK is staying with a Lineup in the last 5 minutes, who has been hit the hardest, UK with the loss of Poythress or KU with the loss of Graham?

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/rankings ↗

@Crimsonorblue22

PAul Drake?

@jaybate-1.0 how old are you? Jk!

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@wrwlumpy

You have to take the polls and RPI in context. Many "voting" coaches have indicated before that they usually let an assistant fill the ballot since they really do not have the time to study every other team; likewise, the AP poll has its own set of biases depending on the reporters voting at the time. Both polls do not really look a the computer models so the RPI is not a factor. The RPI looks strictly at numbers but this early in the season it is not reliable; once conference plays get underway, the model becomes better. The same is true for predictive models such as Pomeroy, Sagarin and Massey; Sagarin actually has a disclaimer on his site indicating this much.

As far as the polls themselves, I don't really have a problem with where KU is ranked. All team above KU with similar records, have loses to teams in the top 3; KU loss to UK was by far the worst of the bunch so it is not surprising that KU has not moved up much. The pre-season ranking for KU was too high for a team this young that was bound to have few bad games before figuring the system; KU has improved faster than we would have predicted after the UK fiasco.

I think I agree with you, I think.

@Crimsonorblue22

Let me put it this way.

When I go to a bar, they don't card me, they carbon date me. (rim shot!)

When I tell a nurse what year I was born, she asks CE, or BCE? (rim shot!)

When I make love to a woman, she whispers in my ear, "Viagara,or Androgel?" (rim shot!)

And when I go to a hooker, I negotiate to pay by the minute. (rim shot!)

Let me know when you want me to write some jokes about how young you seem!

jk!

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@jaybate-1.0 I'll pass! Did you look up Drake?

@JayhawkRock78 I agree about the Jekyl and Hyde halves. I don't have a problem with our ranking as I look at the teams above us.
We are winning, but haven't necessarily looked impressive in doing so due to the bad (actually....really bad) halves.