College Basketball Rankings: Texas Longhorns Rise to No. 3

by Peter Bean on Jan 31, 2011 12:18 PM CST in Texas Longhorns Basketball

The University of Texas men's basketball continued its rapid ascent in the national college basketball rankings, rising in both the AP and Coaches Polls to No. 3 this week after beating Oklahoma State 61-46 in Stillwater and then handling Missouri 71-58 in Austin. The Longhorns were ranked No. 7 in the polls heading into the week.

Monday night Texas will travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies, who fell to No. 16 in the rankings after losing 57-48 in Lincoln on Saturday. Two other Big 12 teams remain in the college basketball polls this week: No. 2 Kansas and No. 14/15 Missouri.

The AP Top 10 college basketball rankings for this week are as follows:

1. Ohio State (1,625)

2. Kansas (1,519)

3. Texas (1,500)

4. Pittsburgh (1,433)

5. Duke (1,284)

6. Connecticut (1,275)

7. San Diego St. (1,218)

8. BYU (1,159)

9. Notre Dame (1,116)

10. Kentucky (1,037)

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You know, if this were the football team

we would already have 50 BONizen’s chiming in with triumphant huzzas. C’mon everybody, time to get on the wagon.

- follow me @TXStampede on twitter.com

by TXStampede on Jan 31, 2011 12:28 PM CST reply actions

huzzah! +50

Check out our college hoops blog: http://marchtomarch.fantake.com/

by jc25 on Jan 31, 2011 1:18 PM CST up reply actions

I find it funny that...

Texas is ahead of Pitt, and Kansas is ahead of Texas.

Seems a little backwards.

Hook 'em

by blazzinken on Jan 31, 2011 12:36 PM CST reply actions

Pitt

Has played terribly of late. Barely beat Rutgers then lost to ND at home. I’m actually impressed that we’re seeing a little more “What have you done for me lately” out of voters, other than the KU/Texas affair of course.

by GoHornsGo90 on Jan 31, 2011 1:19 PM CST up reply actions

#3 is awful high

But a win tonight in B/CS would go a long way towards proving the pollsters right.

by DudeAbide on Jan 31, 2011 12:38 PM CST reply actions

how is that awful high?

You could argue that Pitt should be ranked ahead of us, but that’s about it. Please tell us who you’d have ranked ahead of Texas.

by goingforthecorner on Jan 31, 2011 1:01 PM CST up reply actions

Pitt, Ohio State, and Connecticut

by DudeAbide on Jan 31, 2011 1:13 PM CST up reply actions

They're Young, Would Prefer Lower Ranking Now

This is still a very young team, unaccustomed to being the favorite, being the target, I’d prefer if they were ranked behind the quality teams with better records, or with similar records who they lost to. Here’s who I’d prefer was ranked ahead:

Ohio St (undefeated, major conference)
Kansas (we beat them but they have only one loss, we have three)
Pittsburgh (even though SoS lower they beat us, have only two losses)
Duke (even though SoS lower, they have only two losses, program legacy, let ’em have higher target on back for now)
Connecticut (even though SoS lower they beat us, have same number of losses as we do)

That leaves Texas at #6 for now in my book. If Duke and UConn lose again and we keep winning I’d put UT at #4. Under same criteria Pitt would have to lose twice for me to put the Horns ahead.

I don’t care to see success go to these kid’s heads just yet, let’em stay hungry, feel a bit disrespected, continue to grow, develop confidence, camaraderie. They don’t need glory now, just focus on getting it done without regard to ranking.

by RMHorn on Jan 31, 2011 1:28 PM CST up reply actions

I'd rather we hit this level about the last two weeks of the season

when it’s time to pick seeds but you have to give these kids credit. Rick Barnes, too. After last year, whodathunkit?

Tonight’s game is huge, huge to us and huge to aggie with tu coming into their house at #3 having just lost to Nebraska. If we pull this off it legitimizes the 3 ranking. If not it gives Barnes some additional ammo during practices. Either way it’s win/win.

We have a 12th man and he's Bryan Harsin

by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 31, 2011 2:42 PM CST up reply actions

And I See Scott Drew Was The Only Vote For Baylor In The Coaches Poll

Again.

by DudeAbide on Jan 31, 2011 12:39 PM CST reply actions

that's pathetic

by goingforthecorner on Jan 31, 2011 1:01 PM CST up reply actions

I'm inferring of course

But Drew does vote in that poll and Baylor has received one vote in each of the past two coaches polls. Who else would vote them into the top 25?

by DudeAbide on Jan 31, 2011 1:35 PM CST up reply actions

Lunardi Has Kansas and Texas

As the #1 seeds in the West and Southwest.

by DudeAbide on Jan 31, 2011 12:41 PM CST reply actions

I was thinking we would land 4th this week...

but I’ll take 3 :)

Let’s get to tonights game already! Come on Monday! tick-tock

by Kasper-pA- on Jan 31, 2011 12:47 PM CST reply actions

I’d put Pitt above Texas and Texas above Kansas at the moment.

TEXAS FIGHT

by Darklust on Jan 31, 2011 12:48 PM CST reply actions

Kansas

It’s amazing that Texas can soundly beat Kansas at Kanses and even had to climb out of a 15 point hold to do it and they still has Kansas ahead of Texas. Shouuld be Texas #2 based on all the good road wins and the double digit victories in conference play.

by Ryan2907 on Jan 31, 2011 12:55 PM CST reply actions

give it time

a win @ Aggieland and destruction of Tech at home will give the voters no choice but to vote us at #2 next week.

by goingforthecorner on Jan 31, 2011 1:03 PM CST up reply actions

KU gets to play Mizzou at home

Which is always a massacre, so that should be a good-looking win for the Jayhawks. Tough game for them going to Nebraska on Saturday though, where they never play well or have an easy game.

by GoHornsGo90 on Jan 31, 2011 1:17 PM CST up reply actions

KU Still Has That #1 RPI

And #9 SOS where UT has the #18 SOS. Although when I compare their schedules in my eye The Horns have had a much more difficult run.

by DudeAbide on Jan 31, 2011 1:38 PM CST up reply actions

I totally agree

This RPI rating is totally bogus. You just have to look at the schedules and its obvious that Texas has played a tougher roster of games.

by raptor rabid on Jan 31, 2011 1:55 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah

If KU is number 1 in the RPI, something is very, very wrong. Extremely easy schedule without quality wins or substantive victory margin. Don’t get it.

by GoHornsGo90 on Jan 31, 2011 1:57 PM CST up reply actions

Agreed

I suppose the loss to USC hurts UT’s RPI while Kansas’ loss to UT helps their RPI…

… or something.

by DudeAbide on Jan 31, 2011 2:14 PM CST up reply actions

I'm guessing it has something to do with their creampuffs

being slightly better than our creampuffs.

To us, we don’t think there is a difference between the weak directional schools we schedule compared to theirs, but if one is ranked #150 and another is ranked #250, it’s a big deal when calculating SOS.

by goingforthecorner on Jan 31, 2011 2:31 PM CST up reply actions

You can't discount that we have 3 losses to their one loss.

It just doesnt work that way in basketball. If Kansas trips up again and we can beat the aggies tonight we will be fine. Regardless we are in good shape. The KU game was an awesome come back, but we saw what they were capable of in the first half and we saw what we were capable of in the second. We are both very good teams and could very easily face each other in the conference tourney for that number 1 seed.

"Dont yall think that crystal beautiful yall?" -Vince Young

by Texastriplecrown on Jan 31, 2011 4:17 PM CST up reply actions

im fine with the ranking

I’d have us at 4 or 5 personally but I’m not a voter. For a team that was on the fringes of the top 25 at the beginning of the year, this is a great accomplishment which we should celebrate… Until 8:00 tonight.

The Horns better get used to having a target on their back. They’ll be favored in every game from here on out. Road crowds will storm the court if they pull off the upset. Championship teams don’t let that happen. Let’s keep ’em in their seats in Aggieland tonight.

Hook ’em.

Simplicity is always the secret, to a profound truth, to doing things, to writing, to painting. Life is profound in its simplicity. - Charles Bukowski

by windycityhorn on Jan 31, 2011 2:20 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Odd

Here’s something a bit strange. Both polls’ voters agreed that Texas is currently better than Pittsburgh, so both polls ranked the Longhorns (No. 3) over the Panthers (No. 4). I don’t necessarily disagree with that; Texas is playing some of the best basketball in the country right now, and the Longhorns performed accordingly in wins over Oklahoma State and No. 13 Missouri this week. Here’s the thing, though. If you think the Longhorns are better than Pitt — and I think that’s fair — then shouldn’t you also think the Longhorns are better than Kansas? Especially since, you know, Texas beat Kansas at home last week? If you think that was a fluke, you should probably rank the Longhorns behind Pittsburgh (and possibly even UConn). If you think that win was real (and both polls’ voters seem to), then shouldn’t Texas be seen as better than the team they thoroughly trounced on that team’s own court? Pick one, voters. You can’t have it both ways.

Eamonn Brennan

by DudeAbide on Jan 31, 2011 2:24 PM CST reply actions

Great way to put it.

by GoHornsGo90 on Jan 31, 2011 2:54 PM CST up reply actions

It's possible...

…that some voters saw it the first way, and some saw it the second way, and where Texas wound up was an averaging of those two groups of voters.

To be filled in later.

by Hopkins Horn on Jan 31, 2011 7:15 PM CST up reply actions

As an aside

A small piece on Myck Kabongo from a Canadian scouting service that states that his outside shooting is showing drastic improvement. great sign for Texas.

http://www.flagrantfouls.com/2011/01/final-thoughts-canucks-montverde-academy-invitational-tournament/

by raptor rabid on Jan 31, 2011 3:22 PM CST reply actions