Hogs Don't Get One Vote in AP Basketball Poll

[ErieHog]

So Erie Hog, Hawg red, and whoever else I've been at a war or words with, will you come back and eat crow if we're top 25 at the end of the year? 

No.   Because that isn't what this poll measures;  this measures *preseason* Top 25.   The point isn't to project the end of year-- when we should be significantly better-- but a snapshot of the *beginning* of the season.

[BannerMountainMan]

These are the same people that, at the end of the season, will be making excuses that we are mediocre because we lost Moses and Dusty and we are in a rebuilding year.

you don't rebuild when you only lose 3 players man 😂😂😂😂 we have 6 seniors man

[Hawg Red]

Because when you look at the last 12 games of the season your top scorers were Barford and Macon. Dustin Thomas played well against the Pirates who shot the ball uncharacteristically well that day before our d owned them the last 7 minutes or so.

Then there is that our system is predicated on defense where this roster has the personnel to be much better than last season.

What I don't get is why people think you have to replace Dusty with another Dusty, etc, etc or you can't be as good? Every program loses a lot. Gonzaga, Purdue, UNC, Florida all lost NBA talent and will be unproven. We lost 2 G league guys but can't improve on that? Really?!

Who is saying we can't improve? We're talking about preseason rankings here. We don't figure to be improved right away this season, would you agree?

[Hawg Red]

The reason I think Arkansas is so undervalued and disrespected is this.  We finished the year as one of the better teams in the country last year.  Top 25 team for sure, but maybe top 15, 10, 5 of heck, maybe the unc Arkansas game was the national championship. 

But let's just say 25, there's the baseline.  Now the question is, do you project them as better or worse?  I personally project them to be better.  They're bringing back a lot of players, and Arkansas is a system.  Those players will have a lot of experience with the system now.  I also, have followed Andersons teams since his days at Missouri, and it has a lot of characteristics as his best team, and listening to his interviews, you know he's feelin it too.  Not to mention the talent coming in.

So you start with 25th best and say they'll be even better and you think top 20.  However, the medias saying we're like 50th-65th best. 

That's my take. I've read the arguments as to why we won't be as good as last year, but I'm just not buying it.  I think we're a top 25 team, easy. 

I know we can show it on the court and stuff, but preseason rankings have an effect on our seedlings I believe.  It's a lot easier to get into the top 5 from 15 instead of 65th or wherever we are.

We aren't starting the season as one of the 25 best programs. I'm not even sure how *anyone* can realistically peg the top 25 programs in the country without at least a 10-15 game sample to judge them on. Teams probably shouldn't even be ranked until non-conference season is over.

But, for the Hogs, we are starting the season out without Dustin Thomas due to suspension. That alone very well could cost us that Bucknell game in Game 2. We're also without a talented freshman in Khalil Garland, perhaps for the entire season. Jalen Harris is not eligible this season. So we're starting the season with 9 scholarship players and will probably have, at most, 10 scholarship players for the duration of the season. That something hanging over our head if there is an injury or two. I just don't see how anyone can look at this team and say they are better *right now* than they were when the finished last season, and that's what you're saying when you say this team is top 25 before the season when last season's team didn't finish top 25. No one is saying the Hogs won't be good or can't end up better than last season's team. It's just probably going to come to fruition later in the season. It's easy to see if you have your eyes open.

[FineAsSwine]

We're not ranked right now and we shouldn't be.

[rude1]

Let's see, unranked to end the season last year, lose your no. 1 & no. 4 scorers, your by far leading rebounder , no blue chip player to replace talent lost. YES that screams of a top 25 preseason team, they just hate us.

[FineAsSwine]

Let's see, unranked to end the season last year, lose your no. 1 & no. 4 scorers, your by far leading rebounder , no blue chip player to replace talent lost. YES that screams of a top 25 preseason team, they just hate us.

I'm going to enjoy watching this team build it's resume game by game. Everything earned and nothing given, as it should be for this program at this juncture.

[rzrbackramsfan]

We aren't starting the season as one of the 25 best programs. I'm not even sure how *anyone* can realistically peg the top 25 programs in the country without at least a 10-15 game sample to judge them on. Teams probably shouldn't even be ranked until non-conference season is over.

But, for the Hogs, we are starting the season out without Dustin Thomas due to suspension. That alone very well could cost us that Bucknell game in Game 2. We're also without a talented freshman in Khalil Garland, perhaps for the entire season. Jalen Harris is not eligible this season. So we're starting the season with 9 scholarship players and will probably have, at most, 10 scholarship players for the duration of the season. That something hanging over our head if there is an injury or two. I just don't see how anyone can look at this team and say they are better *right now* than they were when the finished last season, and that's what you're saying when you say this team is top 25 before the season when last season's team didn't finish top 25. No one is saying the Hogs won't be good or can't end up better than last season's team. It's just probably going to come to fruition later in the season. It's easy to see if you have your eyes open.

Well I thought they might be, but the loss to Thomas and Cook hurt.  We need that depth. 

I think we might pick up where we left off and we should've ended the season top 25, so we'll see.  I felt a lot better about my previous post before the exhibition games. 

Also, Adrio didn't look great in the exhibitions but that's not to say he won't play well soon, even against Samford. 

[BadHog]

No where to go but up. MA and company doesn't give a rat's ass about preseason poll except to use for motivation. Can't wait for the season to get started. It's going to be challenging but I think this team will be exciting to watch.

[ShadowHawg]

Let's see, unranked to end the season last year, lose your no. 1 & no. 4 scorers, your by far leading rebounder , no blue chip player to replace talent lost. YES that screams of a top 25 preseason team, they just hate us.

Gafford is a blue chip.

Secondly our leading scorers over our last twelve games were Barford and Macon.

But preseason polls are always the result of very little actual research so your point is well made. There are plenty of ranked programs you could make the same claims about.

Our recent history is what is really keeping us from being ranked. Unsustained success does not inspire confidence in the outside world.

[rude1]

I'm going to enjoy watching this team build it's resume game by game. Everything earned and nothing given, as it should be for this program at this juncture.

Agreed. This team needs to be hungry to be successful IMO. They have to prove it on the court.

[popcornhog]

What, they think we're going to be as bad in basketball as football?  I don't get it.

http://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll

Far cry from as bad as football. Most of the extended rankings I've seen (AP/Coaches polls only show too 25) have us inside the top 65. In other words -- in the mix for the tourney. In football we have one of the worst teams in the country.

There is a lot of space between too 25 and where the football team is currently positioned.

[12247]

I am not surprised we aren't in the top 25 and if we were, I would not agree.  I am surprised that we are 65th as I believe thats too low.  Somewhere around 40th, in my opinion.  We do have more questions on this team than a good defense lawyer with a bad client.

[rzrbackramsfan]

Well I thought they might be, but the loss to Thomas and Cook hurt.  We need that depth. 

I think we might pick up where we left off and we should've ended the season top 25, so we'll see.  I felt a lot better about my previous post before the exhibition games. 

Also, Adrio didn't look great in the exhibitions but that's not to say he won't play well soon, even against Samford.

[FineAsSwine]

If we beat Bucknell like we did Samford, we should get some votes in the AP Poll and maybe even slip into the lower 20's if some of those ranked 21-25  lose. If we manage to go 3-0 and still look like we did last night, we should definitely be ranked going into the PK80.

[songofthesword]

dont care where we are ranked honestly.  we are a top 15 team this year.  no questions asked.

[Iwastherein1969]

Let's see, unranked to end the season last year, lose your no. 1 & no. 4 scorers, your by far leading rebounder , no blue chip player to replace talent lost. YES that screams of a top 25 preseason team, they just hate us.

you either don't know basketball and have never played the game or you are trolling....you are so far off on your assessment of this year's Hogs its almost funny...Barford and Macon, were in effect freshmen last year ...this year, I wouldn't trade them for any back court duo in the SEC...this team exudes confidence and they are only going to get better when the talented freshmen learn what is going on...really, you need to re-think your opinion on these Hogs

[WorfHog]

I bet we get a vote next week.

[rzrbackramsfan]

No.   Because that isn't what this poll measures;  this measures *preseason* Top 25.   The point isn't to project the end of year-- when we should be significantly better-- but a snapshot of the *beginning* of the season.

You guys could honestly eat crow now bc whether it's based off how we finished last year, how we're going to finish this year or how we're going to be week 1, were a top 25 team.

[Hogs49ers]

I did not realize Mich St. would be #2 to begin the year, they are most likely going to be the favorites to win the PK80 as of now, and that they are currently a #3 seed in this tourney, but #2 in the nation shows just how ridiculous of competition is going to be in this PK80 tourney.

[ErieHog]

You guys could honestly eat crow now bc whether it's based off how we finished last year, how we're going to finish this year or how we're going to be week 1, were a top 25 team.

Two of those are probable, but not all 3.