J.

December 2nd, 2019 at 12:25 PM ^

I spent all day yesterday explaining to people that the polls don’t work this way, and that only once had a team ever gone from unranked to the top 5 in a single week.

I will happily accept my helping of crow.  I’m stunned, but I’ll take it.  I guess we should expect to see somebody do this again in 2049-50...

Joined: 03/11/2012

MGoPoints: 13057

TrueBlue2003

December 2nd, 2019 at 9:57 PM ^

More importantly, it's so rare for an unranked yet still undefeated team to do it so early in the season.

If it happened later in the season with an unranked team that had 8-10 losses they wouldn't move up as much because you'd have a lot of evidence and losses indicating it was just a good week and not a top 5 team.

In this case, there's no evidence that this isn't a top 5 team.  They haven't lost to anyone yet. They have the best resume. Absolutely deserve to be top 5.

Joined: 01/05/2010

MGoPoints: 38075

Leaders And Best

December 2nd, 2019 at 12:25 PM ^

It is not, but it is close. I saw on ESPN this weekend that the largest jump into the poll from an unranked team was Ohio State to #3 in the 1960s. Need another source to confirm though because I am not 100% certain.

EDIT: 100% certain now. Ohio State in 1962 went from unranked to #3 in the Week 2 poll:

http://collegepollarchive.com/mbasketball/ap/teams/by_season.cfm?teamid=25&seasonid=1963

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/ohio-state/1963-schedule.html

Joined: 09/09/2009

MGoPoints: 22312

rc15

December 2nd, 2019 at 12:14 PM ^

Curious to see the breakdown of voters when it comes out. I'm guessing that there may be a couple that didn't pay attention and have us ranked in the 20-25 range from just moving teams down that lost.

Joined: 01/23/2015

MGoPoints: 12103

Maize N' Ute

December 2nd, 2019 at 12:16 PM ^

That is one heck of a jump! While early polls reward teams for achieving nothing, Michigan is one of those teams that has earned their rankings.  What I like about Howard and this team is that I truly believe they embrace that greatest.  They want that greatest and they will let you know.

Joined: 02/01/2018

MGoPoints: 6332

Chitown Kev

December 2nd, 2019 at 12:19 PM ^

I wasn't expecting that big of a jump but I suppose that's to even further hype the Louisville game, in large part...man, this was the week we needed a boost like this

Joined: 10/01/2011

MGoPoints: 4970

mgobaran

December 2nd, 2019 at 12:25 PM ^

That basketball team is fun as hell to watch. Glad they are getting some recognition, but far from the finish line. Doubt Howard/Simpson will let these guys read their newspaper clippings. 

Joined: 09/12/2012

MGoPoints: 22811

Ali G Bomaye

December 2nd, 2019 at 12:26 PM ^

Almost as good is that UNC and Gonzaga stayed in the top ten. In other words, voters don't think they're disappointments - they just think M is really good. Hopefully those are still viewed as top-tier wins come selection time.

Joined: 07/08/2008

MGoPoints: 17666

downtownjohn

December 2nd, 2019 at 1:14 PM ^

Maryland is overrated.

Agree 100%.

Watched them play every game this weekend.  They didn't feel like the 3rd best team in the country to my untrained eye.

And at the end of the day, Turg is still on their sidelines.  They may burn brighter and hotter in the early part of this season than they ever have, but they will burn out like they always do.

Edit: originally wrote "4th best team" on accident.  Fixed it to 3rd

Joined: 12/02/2019

MGoPoints: 34

TrueBlue2003

December 2nd, 2019 at 10:34 PM ^

The thing is, this looks like a wide open season with few if any elite teams.

Agree that they don't feel like the 3rd best team and they almost certainly won't finish that high, but Kentucky lost to Evansville, Duke to SFA, MSU has lost twice already, once to a Va Tech team than then got destroyed by Dayton.

Wide open this year.

Joined: 01/05/2010

MGoPoints: 38075

mgobaran

December 2nd, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^

I was thinking the same thing. Then I saw a tweet referencing Wins over Bubble per Torvik. (Your wins minus the wins expected by a bubble team equivalent). Michigan is #1, but Maryland was ranked as 12th. Lousiville 14th. Kansas 15th. OSU 19th. Virginia is 7th. 

So basically they've done well against a tough-ish schedule. Probably some pre-season expectations holding them in such high regard, but they aren't too far out of place. 

Joined: 09/12/2012

MGoPoints: 22811