Michigan Basketball #15 in ESPN/USA Today Poll (State #2, Kansas #1)
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings
It should be a good year this year in the big ten. 5 of the top 18 teams. Illinois is also just out of the top 25. It will be interesting to see how the year plays out. We have the opportunities so really show how good we are vs. the big ten, at the #1 team in Kansas (and #2 in MSU) and a good UConn team at home. It's really nice to be excited about the beginning of the basketball season for a change.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:15 AM ^
maybe the media respects John Calipari's coaching / recruiting abilities a little bit? From NIT last year to preseason #5. That is some serious respect.
I wonder where they will be ranked preseason the year after he leaves and the NCAA begins it's investigation of his regime.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:27 AM ^
ESPN/USA Today is the coaches' poll.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:29 AM ^
my mistake.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:30 AM ^
John Wall.
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October 29th, 2009 at 12:24 PM ^
They will be good for a while until the NCAA decides to come down on Calipari before he leaves a program instead of after he leaves.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:53 AM ^
Seeing as how Memphis received 3 votes in that poll, we might have your answer right there.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:53 AM ^
Kentucky has a sick 2009 class. According to Rivals they have three 5 star and three 4 star players coming in. Five of them rank in the Rivals top 150 at numbers 1, 2, 22, 23, and 40.
http://kentucky.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1642
October 29th, 2009 at 10:55 AM ^
has 2 Espn U top 100 players in Evan Smotrycz and timmy hardway JR. Thats who I am excited for and the very real possiablity of signing a top 25 player in Trey Zigler. Who would of thought 2 years ago that Michigan BASKETBALL would have a chance to sign 3 top 100 players, very exciting
October 29th, 2009 at 8:23 PM ^
They have eight players coming in? The NCAA may regret dropping the 5/9 rule.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:14 AM ^
They essentially fill their starting five with top quality talent, and have some very nice depth. I mean, you add those athletes to Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks (he stayed, right?), then put them in a dribble drive system like Calipari's, and people get excited.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:50 AM ^
Meeks is plaing for the Mil. Bucks.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:26 PM ^
Side note: Isn't "dribble drive" a bit redundant? What other kind of driving is there? I look forward to the popularization of the term "throw pass" (and "catch reception") in football.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:43 AM ^
What a great feeling, to actually be looking forward to ANOTHER successful Michigan B-ball season. I am so pumped to see what this team can do and to see how Beilein continues to develop these guys. It will be fun to see how guys like Darius Morris, Matt Vogrich, Cronin, and LLP can help this team out. Can't wait for the season to start!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:37 AM ^
Hanging on to being the #15 team in the country over the course of the season translates to a four seed. I can live with that.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:41 AM ^
#15 means a 3-5 seed and a Big Ten title contender. I'd be all over that like a bag of chips. I was hoping that if we could nab a #4 seed we'd get a favorable pod for 1-2 rd games, but looking at the locations for this year, closest location is either Milwaukee or Buffalo.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:14 AM ^
I am looking into this too much, but Michigan LIVING with a 4 seed. I mean UNC lives with a 4 seed we live with making the tourny back to back times for the first time in what 15 years! If this team is a 4 seed in April I will be ridiculously happy. Not just living with it.
P.S. Not trying to be a jerk just don't think we should be un happy with a 4 seed
October 29th, 2009 at 1:41 PM ^
^^^See a seven win football season this year for more detail.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:21 AM ^
Point blank. Period. They may be the preseason #1, but with Brady Morningstar suspended for the whole first semester (we play them on Dec 19th...so when would he be eligible again?), we've got a shot to knock them off in their house.
Believe me, I'm not saying it's for sure going to happen, I just think this team now has invaluable experience to deal with tough road games. Just as long as they don't walk into the Phog and look up at all the banners with mouths gaping.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:49 AM ^
is a tough team to beat. Unless the off-field issues will distract them from their quest to the national championship, they are heads and shoulders above everybody else IMO. Last year, they played at an identical level as the team that won the national championship. That is scary considering that the entire starting line up was new last year. This year, it's pretty much the same and they added highly touted freshman, Xavier Henry which makes them all the more lethal.
Winning at Lawarence is no easy feat. Michigan needs to play a near perfect game if they were to beat Kansas.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:36 AM ^
For Michigan Basketball to reclaim a spot perrenially (sp?) in the Top 25, we obviously need to be consistent throughout the year in both our play and our recruiting. I believe last year was not an aberration, however, I do think that more teams will be "ready" for us and not look past us as possibly some did last year. Although my hope is to contend for the Big 10 title every year, I would be very happy with making the Tourney and advancing into the Sweet 16 for the next couple of years. This would go a long way in demonstrating to the recruits and to college basketball that Michigan is, once again, a Top 25 program.
October 29th, 2009 at 11:43 AM ^
Love the pub. Love what's going on. But, put me in the camp of, hey lets just make back to back appearances in the NCAAs and worry about ranking and seeds later.
We saw last year how close the team got to the Sweet 16 just as a 10 seed.....the Big 10 is so tough that Michigan can end up with a 6 or 7 seed, but end up being a lot better than that due to competition played.
Not sure if we can win at KU, though. How do we handle Cole Aldrich. He's the most NBA ready player in the college game.
October 29th, 2009 at 12:23 PM ^
Blake "Mandingo" Griffin, I fear no man. Jeebus that guy was good (in college).
October 29th, 2009 at 1:25 PM ^
Better yet, how do you handle a basketball team that fights the football team?
October 29th, 2009 at 1:23 PM ^
I said back in August we should be thankful for basketball this year and "hope" for football.
When your best players (Manny and Sims, obvi) are Juniors and Seniors, and not Freshmen and Sophomores (excluding Graham and Warren) - you should have high expectations.
Here's looking forward to a sports team with high expectations (football, see you there in 1-2 years).
October 29th, 2009 at 1:36 PM ^
just looking at the poll,
There's a clear consensus 1-2, then a dropoff for 3-9, then a huge drop to #10-14, another drop to Michigan at #15-18, then #19-25 aren't significantly different than the first few "also receiving votes"
I guess this is what happens when you have only 31 voters in your poll.