Texas rises to #5 in Coaches, #4 in AP
by NYCHorn on Dec 3, 2007 1:38 PM CST
29 comments
Following last night's upset of UCLA, the UT men's team is now ranked fifth in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. Still awaiting the AP.
UPDATE: Here is the AP poll, with a nice nod to the Horns in the lead paragraph.
What I like even better is Mike DeCourcy's analysis of D.J.'s mastery of the game last night and DeCourcy's ranking Texas number 1 "based on achievement." Best excerpt:
I only got to watch Augustin vs. the Bruins on TV, but we all know what we saw. We saw the best point guard in college basketball taking on one of his challengers, UCLA's Darren Collison, and winning the duel without really making that the issue.
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AP Poll just out
4th.
Wear that Gtown!
by 512 on Dec 3, 2007 1:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Power Poll Has Horns at #2
Now that's love...
Each writer's votes:
Bilas - 5th
Forde - 3rd
Fraschilla - 1st
Glockner - 4th
Gottlieb - 1st
Katz - 1st
Lunardi - 5th
Rankin - 4th
Schlabach - 3rd
Vitale - 3rd
by patienthornsfan on Dec 7, 2007 4:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Nawth Carolina
is bit of an unknown right now. Could have lost to Davidson and did not look overly impressive the times I have seen them.
All the other top 5 teams would be a tough match-up for Texas.
by EYESofBEVO on Dec 3, 2007 1:57 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Really?
Not that I've seen them play, but beating Kentucky and Ohio State certainly looks good at first glance... although I guess the Gillespie-era Wildcats haven't been making glorious headlines recently.
by littlevisigoth on Dec 3, 2007 2:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
tOSU
Is 4-3, with 3 double digit losses. The UNC loss was actually bar far the closest of the three.
by Texas Wahoo on Dec 3, 2007 2:31 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
yeah
should have looked around before saying that. both are brand names, but seem terribly mediocre this year. doesn't look like the Heels get much of a meaningful test before conference play: @Penn, @Rutgers, Nevada, Kent St... all tournament teams in recent years, but none are even in the others receiving votes category and would be HUGE upsets if UNC were to drop one.
by littlevisigoth on Dec 3, 2007 3:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Re:
I watched most of UNC-UK, and it was pretty much a thorough victory for the Tar Heels.
Hansbrough was once again mediocre against Kentucky, but his mediocre-ness is still pretty damn good. The rest of the Heels just blend into each other; for some reason, it's really hard for me to differentiate them. I guess getting Lawson back helps stabilize their point guard situation, and Ellington gave them a nice scoring option as well. I really couldn't tell you who else was on the floor at what time, which I'm not sure is good or bad with regards to team play.
I don't know how much handling a bad Kentucky team counts, though, besides the brand recognition. The team UK put out last Saturday was nowhere close to top-25 caliber. Patrick Patterson looks like the real deal and is already Kentucky's best player. The Wildcats were also without Jodie Meeks, who is their 2nd best player, and Derrick Jasper, who they really need to start at point guard. Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley are, for the 4th straight season, terrible players. Think Robert Killebrew: 4-year contributors, 3-year starters, and have probably regressed since their once-promising freshman/sophomore campaigns. I can't wait til all of them graduate. Kentucky also "started" two J.D. Lewis-type players: Michael Porter, who is for all intents and purposes J.D. Lewis with slightly better point guard skills, and Mark Coury, a walk-on who shouldn't be getting any minutes. Meanwhile, BCG has two stud freshmen, Alex Legion and A.J. Stewart, who are getting next-to-no meaningful PT. Please, pull the plug on what doesn't work and get some better players in there.
Sorry, I meant that to be UNC analysis, but it wasn't at all. Once again, I know nothing about the Tar Heels except that Hansbrough is a really good college basketball player.
by jc25 on Dec 3, 2007 2:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Even better...
Two AP voters have Texas at the top of their ballot! Now that's impressive.
Think these boys will follow in the footsteps of the Gazelles and share the Big XII title? We get Kansas at home this year, but we'll likely drop the away game with aTm. At KSU will be a tough one, as usual, but what other game scares you?
by patienthornsfan on Dec 3, 2007 2:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
After last night, nothing scares me
I know, in the heat of conference play, it will be near-impossible to go undefeated. So maybe we do lose to the ags in College Station -- maybe. Today it just doesn't seem the given it did last year. As always, we will have to guard against complacency. Who scares me? Baylor, if we're on an off-night.
by NYCHorn on Dec 3, 2007 2:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Speaking of the ags
We might as well point out that theirs was the biggest drop in the poll -- from 9 to 16 in AP.
by NYCHorn on Dec 3, 2007 2:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
we deserve it
We didn't play well last night.
You deserve to drop when you blow a 12 pt halftime lead to lose the game.
I do think the refs were trying to make up for the raping they subjected Arizona to at Kansas, b/c some of those fouls were absolutely ludicrous, and the Wildcats were flopping more than a fish just pulled from the water, but we just didn't play well in the second half. They ratcheted up their defense, and we didn't respond.
by Beergut on Dec 3, 2007 4:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Katz loves Texas too
... and has for several seasons now.
I was a believer when I saw Texas beat Tennessee in New Jersey on Nov. 25. Sunday, I wasn't totally shocked that the Longhorns did it again by taking out UCLA, a team deemed more of a favorite for the Final Four than the Longhorns. Texas' win at top-ranked UCLA on Sunday, coupled with the Longhorns' win over Tennessee a week ago, may be the two best wins by any team so far. The Longhorns went on a 17-0 run over 8 minutes, 59 seconds against the Bruins. D.J. Augustin's floating pass/shot that Damion James slammed home to win the game in the final seconds was yet another example how Texas is winning this season. Augustin gets into the lane when he wants and can make something happen. Now, just think about this: Texas looks like it has a better shot to get to the Final Four (in nearby San Antonio no less) than it did a season ago. I know, it's a long, long season, but there's no way you can't say Texas doesn't have the pieces -- and now the proof -- that it will be in the discussion all season long.
by patienthornsfan on Dec 3, 2007 3:53 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Love this photo
Chapman looks like a beast already. Just wait till Todd Wright has him under his wing for another year.
Kevin who? I'll take our Oregon boy. He's more likely to stick around for four years anyway.
by patienthornsfan on Dec 3, 2007 4:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
anyone worried about peaking too early?
texas' wins are DAMN impressive, but do you really want to be playing your best ball right now?
Put another way, what areas does your team still need to improve in?
by Beergut on Dec 3, 2007 4:18 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
no such thing
as peaking too early. if you "peak too early, and then fade," you're just not that good. if you're actually good, you won't fade. we'll find out. still room for improvement in the half-court offense.
by billyzane on Dec 3, 2007 4:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
improvement
we shoud see plenty of improvement from the front court since we have three freshman, the best of which has only played in an exhibition game, and i saw it, and he's good. the other two are still learning the ropes.
sexy dexy also has a huge upside.
and connor's hook shot is maturing, albeit very slowly.
by jimmer on Dec 3, 2007 5:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
who says they are playing their best ball?
the game against UCLA wasn't terribly great but they gutted it out and found a way to win. Once Gary Johnson is cleared to play and the young frontcourt begins to develop this team will be playing its best ball.
by gwh65 on Dec 3, 2007 5:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
And UCLA will get better, too
The game exposed the Bruins in some areas, and it's still early. They'll want this one back. This is looking way far ahead, but I wonder if we'll see these boys again ...
by NYCHorn on Dec 3, 2007 5:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Your Aggie Mind Tricks...
... Do not work against the strong-minded.
by Horn Brain on Dec 3, 2007 7:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
What a rip!
what are these melonheads basing their votes on? Cash?
First you go and beat up and knock down the 7th ranked team on a neutral court. It was not close Tennessee got hosed.
The next weekend to go to the Home court of arguably one of the best teams in the country variously ranked #1 or #2 in the polls that matter. And you win! ON THEIR HOME COURT for god sake!
So what does it take to get respect? What is better than Road wins against number #2 and #7. How much better do you need to be to get some consideration?
What has UNC, Memphis or Kansas done compared to that this season?. What are their records against top ten teams or better yet what is their road record against top #7 teams? Has any of those even played a top 20 team or top 25 team on the road?
Why do they get some much more credit for beating lesser teams. And what exactly does it take to in the minds of the voters to unlock the bias.
It seems pretty straight forward to me, the team whose has the best record against the best teams should be considered the best team. That's the cold hard facts anything else is prejudiced.
by Xerxes on Dec 3, 2007 4:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Top 5 is fine with me
I agree with your sentiment, but it's my view that the top 4 or 5 in basketball are roughly equivalent rankings. Before the tournament, top 4 is the place to be.
by Bob LaBlog on Dec 3, 2007 4:45 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Selection committee
The tourny selection committee will look at the resumes, not the ranking. So, we are in a GREAT shape!
by Cyrus on Dec 3, 2007 5:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
no need to get upset of b-ball rankings
the only reason they matter is for exposure's sake, like getting highlights on sportscenter. and in that regard, #5 is as good as #1.
the basketball poll is much more of a power poll than the football poll, which is fine with me because it has absolutely no bearing on anything the tournament committee does. they go based on resume, as they should, so it really doesn't matter what the polls say.
by billyzane on Dec 3, 2007 5:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Perhaps that's the hint for football, too.
If there was a resume season, 2007 was it. The polls were just a comical side attraction.
by whills on Dec 3, 2007 9:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Also
Our game was late Sunday night. Dollars to donuts half the ballots were submitted before out game even tipped.
by Peter Bean on Dec 3, 2007 8:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I was always curious
on how the voters in basketball and football could see many games and then vote in time.
Especially the coaches. Realistically how could a coach see many teams play on the day when you have to coach a game?
This time of the year the ranking don't mean much granted, but it is recognition for how well a team plays relative to the others. What the Horns pulled off will not be duplicated until the tournament. I would be surprised if any other team is going to play 2 teams ranked that high and win on the road in the same week till then. So the horns should get more recognition for how really hard that was to accomplish.
I would like to think poll voters sports writers, coaches, etc. might realize how hard it was to travel to the east coast then west coast and win against two very good teams in the same week.
by Xerxes on Dec 3, 2007 8:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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