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Hogs Don't Get One Vote in AP Basketball Poll

Started by moses_007, November 02, 2017, 01:05:25 am

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moses_007

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

http://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll

Pork Twain

If only there was a basketball forum.  You should PM Lanny.
"It is better to be an optimist and proven wrong, than a pessimist and proven right." ~Pork Twain

https://www.facebook.com/groups/sweetmemes/

 

1highhog

Quote from: moses_007 on November 02, 2017, 01:05:25 am
What, they think we're going to be as bad in basketball as football?  I don't get it.

http://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll

Oh sorry, I thought I clicked on MMQ, how the heck did I end up in the basketball forum?

JayHog

That's funny because a lot of knowledgeable Razorback basketball fans think we could have a really good chance of developing into a Sweet 16 team. And for the record, I agree. Guard play is key come March, and we will have top notch guard play from 3 senior guards. So let the pre-season folks predict what they will...they never get it right anyways

smb

GeorgiaHOG

(notOM)Rebel123

Louisville at 16 and Saint Mary's in the poll twice?

So what....no voter gave us a Top 25 vote.
We weren't in Final Polls (Top25) at the end of last season either. We'll be ok.
"Knowledge is Good"....Emil Faber

Hogimus Prime

Preseason polls are a joke.  It's mainly blue bloods and last years flash in the pan teams.

Ironhawg

We're liable to have a rough start to the season this year folks.  Lots of new pieces to figure out where they fit in the puzzle and a pretty decent non-conference schedule.  Hang onto your hats to start the year.

Been10Hog

Looks like good motivation for Mike! "Us against the world mentality" and "no respect" Nolan used to perfection! Keep recruiting stud athletes like we're doing and get them pissed off!

mhuff

Quote from: JayHog on November 02, 2017, 01:51:24 am
That's funny because a lot of knowledgeable Razorback basketball fans think we could have a really good chance of developing into a Sweet 16 team. And for the record, I agree. Guard play is key come March, and we will have top notch guard play from 3 senior guards. So let the pre-season folks predict what they will...they never get it right anyways

Mike knows what this team needs. He alluded to defense in his last announcement. We have not had a consistent defense since he has been here. I think this team has the players to pull that off. But players on suspension is not going to get us there. We need players together developing chemistry and a dedication to defense we haven't seen yet.

MountieDawg

Quote from: moses_007 on November 02, 2017, 01:05:25 am
What, they think we're going to be as bad in basketball as football?  I don't get it.

http://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll

Reverse the question, what makes you think they should be in the Top 25?  Which of the Top 25 teams would you put the Hogs ahead of....
SEC!

rzrbackramsfan

Quote from: MountieDawg on November 02, 2017, 08:38:13 am
Reverse the question, what makes you think they should be in the Top 25?  Which of the Top 25 teams would you put the Hogs ahead of....

So many.  How about Seton Hall for starters though. 

MountieDawg

Quote from: rzrbackramsfan on November 02, 2017, 09:14:02 am
So many.  How about Seton Hall for starters though. 

You may be correct on Seton Hall, I dont see it.... Not sure how many players they lost from last season but not sure I can argue with you on that one.
SEC!

 

Big Nasty 34

Quote from: Ironhawg on November 02, 2017, 07:42:53 am
We're liable to have a rough start to the season this year folks.  Lots of new pieces to figure out where they fit in the puzzle and a pretty decent non-conference schedule.  Hang onto your hats to start the year.

Our lack of depth early on due to injuries and suspensions will be the real issue. We don't have that many new pieces, really just Gafford and Hall. Neither is looking to be nor need to be integral parts on offense, so they really just have to focus on being high energy defensive guys. The bulk of our scoring will be from returning guards, so that should speed up the process a bit.

Medic821

Folks come late January no one gonna want any part of this team..They are gonna a be a tough out.

Hawg Red

Quote from: rzrbackramsfan on November 02, 2017, 09:14:02 am
So many.  How about Seton Hall for starters though.

Because we narrowly beat them in the NCAA tournament? They have 3 players coming back who averaged at least 15 PPG last year. They really didn't lose anyone of note. We lost two of our top 4 scorers and an All-SEC defender (two, really). There's a clear (*clear*) reason why Seton Hall has higher expectations than Arkansas coming into this season. I'd start somewhere else with that agenda.

That said, not concerned at all with preseason AP votes. I don't know why anyone would be. Wake me up when we're 10 games in and I'll consider rankings.

Ironhawg

Quote from: Big Nasty 34 on November 02, 2017, 09:32:39 am
Our lack of depth early on due to injuries and suspensions will be the real issue. We don't have that many new pieces, really just Gafford and Hall. Neither is looking to be nor need to be integral parts on offense, so they really just have to focus on being high energy defensive guys. The bulk of our scoring will be from returning guards, so that should speed up the process a bit.


I don't really have a good grasp on this team yet.  The situation with Garland concerns me, as do the early season suspensions.  Gafford and Hall look extremely promising, but are unproven.  I look forward to seeing the team develop, but we do have a challenging schedule.

thehill1414

I think we should have votes for the top 25, but I am not too surprised. This needs to be remembered though if we do lose some games early that our fan base thinks we shouldn't. We are not a juggernaut and will have to play well to win more than 20 games - it won't just be a given, even though we have 2 outstanding guards and a high potential big.  I think 20 will get us to the tournament this year, and I think we will do it and have a ceiling for more.

Let's just not forget midway through last year's season we had been curb stomped by Okie St, Minnesota, and Vandy at BWA, and everyone, including myself, was very frustrated with Mike and the team. 12 games later he has us playing our best vs the eventual NC winner and everyone was happy and had hope again. All that to say, it was a process to play our best last year, and I am going to try very hard to not write this team/coaching staff off when they lay an egg or two (which they will) at some point during the season.

HF#1

People will sleep on us for a while. Our non-conf schedule is a tough one but should prepare us for conference play.
"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid."  <br /><br />Benjamin Franklin

mizzouman

Relax.  Preseason means NOTHING.  Why are so many Hog fans worried about getting respect or being mentioned?  Winning will take care of it.


rzrbackramsfan

Quote from: Hawg Red on November 02, 2017, 10:37:10 am
Because we narrowly beat them in the NCAA tournament? They have 3 players coming back who averaged at least 15 PPG last year. They really didn't lose anyone of note. We lost two of our top 4 scorers and an All-SEC defender (two, really). There's a clear (*clear*) reason why Seton Hall has higher expectations than Arkansas coming into this season. I'd start somewhere else with that agenda.

That said, not concerned at all with preseason AP votes. I don't know why anyone would be. Wake me up when we're 10 games in and I'll consider rankings.

We still beat them and return our 2 best playes and have lots of returning players and incoming talent that you could project to be really good.  But I guess you're not allowed to project Arkansas to be good, right? 

Minnesota?  First round exit?  Texas above us?  Absolutely sucked and lost their best player.  I mean we finished better than so many of those teams and project to be better. 

If we are better than we were last year, then we're a top 25 team. 

rzrbkman

Any poll voter that looked at the Hogs struggle with a Division ll team last week, while at the same time only dressing out 8 players, 1 of whom only played 1 minute and the top incoming freshman only played 15 minutes would be correct in doubting whether the Hogs deserved a vote right now or not.

ShadowHawg

Quote from: rzrbkman on November 02, 2017, 01:10:10 pm
Any poll voter that looked at the Hogs struggle with a Division ll team last week, while at the same time only dressing out 8 players, 1 of whom only played 1 minute and the top incoming freshman only played 15 minutes would be correct in doubting whether the Hogs deserved a vote right now or not.

Michigan State didn't destroy their exhibition opponent.

 

ErieHog

Three times as many teams play major college basketball at the highest level;  the Hogs are replacing two guys who are viewed as the centerpieces of their program, and are going to be facing a tall order in scheduling.

Not getting a vote is hardly a surprise.
No cause, ever, in the history of all mankind, has produced more cold-blooded tyrants, more slaughtered innocents, and more orphans than socialism with power. It surpassed, exponentially, all other systems of production in turning out the dead. The bodies are all around us. And here is the problem: No one talks about them. No one honors them. No one does penance for them. No one has committed suicide for having been an apologist for those who did this to them. No one pays for them. No one is hunted down to account for them. It is exactly what Solzhenitsyn foresaw in The Gulag Archipelago: "No, no one would have to answer. No one would be looked into." Until that happens, there is no "after socialism."

jacketsting

Quote from: ShadowHawg on November 02, 2017, 01:46:57 pm
Michigan State didn't destroy their exhibition opponent.
80-72 over Ferris State is not impressive at all for Michigan State.

rzrbackramsfan

Quote from: ErieHog on November 02, 2017, 01:49:19 pm
Three times as many teams play major college basketball at the highest level;  the Hogs are replacing two guys who are viewed as the centerpieces of their program, and are going to be facing a tall order in scheduling.

Not getting a vote is hardly a surprise.

So dusty hannah's who averaged 7ppg and nothing else at Tech was a centerpiece of the program and is going to be really hard to replace?  And we're replacing kingsley with practically a 5 star and we get dinged big time for that while everyone else gets first place votes for doing that?  And outside of those changes, we were trending as one of the better teams in the country and bring everyone else back. 

Ironhawg

Quote from: rzrbackramsfan on November 02, 2017, 01:57:39 pm
So dusty hannah's who averaged 7ppg and nothing else at Tech was a centerpiece of the program and is going to be really hard to replace?  And we're replacing kingsley with practically a 5 star and we get dinged big time for that while everyone else gets first place votes for doing that?  And outside of those changes, we were trending as one of the better teams in the country and bring everyone else back. 

Shh.  Let 'em be surprised!

Hawg Red

Quote from: rzrbackramsfan on November 02, 2017, 01:09:42 pm
We still beat them and return our 2 best playes and have lots of returning players and incoming talent that you could project to be really good.  But I guess you're not allowed to project Arkansas to be good, right? 

I project Arkansas to be good. I project Seton Hall to be better. They have a better situation returning. They have less uncertainty going into this season than we do and they look to have more talent, honestly. It was a very close game between the Hogs and Pirates, and we were very fortunate to have the officials call that push in the back by the letter of the law or we are a one-and-done in the tournament.

Never understand why people get so defensive by objectivity. Not everything that suggests another program might be better is a slight to Arkansas. Arkansas can still be good and Seton Hall look to be better. Using a narrow victory in the tournament as support is faulty logic at best.


Hawg Red

Quote from: rzrbackramsfan on November 02, 2017, 01:57:39 pm
So dusty hannah's who averaged 7ppg and nothing else at Tech was a centerpiece of the program and is going to be really hard to replace?  And we're replacing kingsley with practically a 5 star and we get dinged big time for that while everyone else gets first place votes for doing that?  And outside of those changes, we were trending as one of the better teams in the country and bring everyone else back.

What the hell does what Dusty Hannahs did at Tech have to do anything?

Jackrabbit Hog

Quote from: RazorPiggie on November 02, 2017, 12:45:43 pm
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/21238280/ranking-every-team-college-basketball-1-351


I read that earlier today.  He has us at #65 I think, and 11th in the SEC.  Behind the likes of Tennessee. 

I guess everybody with a laptop can be an expert.
Quote from: JIMMY BOARFFETT on June 29, 2018, 03:47:07 pm
I'm sure it's nothing that a $500 retainer can't fix.  Contact JackRabbit Hog for payment instructions.

ShadowHawg

Quote from: Hawg Red on November 02, 2017, 02:07:24 pm
I project Arkansas to be good. I project Seton Hall to be better. They have a better situation returning. They have less uncertainty going into this season than we do and they look to have more talent, honestly. It was a very close game between the Hogs and Pirates, and we were very fortunate to have the officials call that push in the back by the letter of the law or we are a one-and-done in the tournament.

Never understand why people get so defensive by objectivity. Not everything that suggests another program might be better is a slight to Arkansas. Arkansas can still be good and Seton Hall look to be better. Using a narrow victory in the tournament as support is faulty logic at best.

We weren't lucky on that call. We were ahead and going to the line regardless. The ONLY thing the call changed was we retained possession.

ErieHog

Quote from: rzrbackramsfan on November 02, 2017, 01:57:39 pm
So dusty hannah's who averaged 7ppg and nothing else at Tech was a centerpiece of the program and is going to be really hard to replace?  And we're replacing kingsley with practically a 5 star and we get dinged big time for that while everyone else gets first place votes for doing that?  And outside of those changes, we were trending as one of the better teams in the country and bring everyone else back. 

Look at the picture you just presented, objectively.

Yes, that's enough not to get us votes.
No cause, ever, in the history of all mankind, has produced more cold-blooded tyrants, more slaughtered innocents, and more orphans than socialism with power. It surpassed, exponentially, all other systems of production in turning out the dead. The bodies are all around us. And here is the problem: No one talks about them. No one honors them. No one does penance for them. No one has committed suicide for having been an apologist for those who did this to them. No one pays for them. No one is hunted down to account for them. It is exactly what Solzhenitsyn foresaw in The Gulag Archipelago: "No, no one would have to answer. No one would be looked into." Until that happens, there is no "after socialism."

Hawg Red

Quote from: ShadowHawg on November 02, 2017, 02:20:12 pm
We weren't lucky on that call. We were ahead and going to the line regardless. The ONLY thing the call changed was we retained possession.

Retaining possession at that crucial time was a BIG deal. That's good fortune because that call probably is just a common foul 7 or 8 times out of 10. You can have good fortune when you have the lead, you know.

BannerMountainMan

North Carolina barely beat us so I'm gonna say we are better than them because who beat who in the tourney doesn't matter apparently
"Michael Qualls with the dunk at the buzzer, it goes and Arkansas wins, it goes and Arkansas wins"

Hawg Red

Quote from: BannerMountainMan on November 02, 2017, 02:59:45 pm
North Carolina barely beat us so I'm gonna say we are better than them because who beat who in the tourney doesn't matter apparently

If Moses Kingsley, Dusty Hannahs and Manny Watkins were coming back and they were losing 2-3 key cogs, there would be an argument about Seton Hall being projected over Arkansas. As it stands, they return everyone from a team that lost an extremely close 8/9 matchup to a team that lost it's only All-SEC representative plus it's leading scorer and top perimeter defender. You surely don't think that last year's Arkansas team beating last year's Seton Hall team means they have to be better projected as better this year, do you? I mean, please tell me you don't think that. Why don't they just rank the teams by how they finished the tournament if we're giving more consideration to the previous tournament's matchup results than we are to the actual rosters for this season? South Carolina is going to be better than Duke this year!!!! Yeah!!!!

Good lord.

rzrbackramsfan

Quote from: Hawg Red on November 02, 2017, 02:09:33 pm
What the hell does what Dusty Hannahs did at Tech have to do anything?

Same player, different system, an his scoring doubles.  It shows what playing for CMA and the system can do and should quell the talk that some player is irreplacable. 

rzrbackramsfan

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? 

Hawg Red

Quote from: rzrbackramsfan on November 02, 2017, 03:09:45 pm
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?

Are we talking the preseason or postseason top 25? Huge difference. Again, what does that have to do with this discussion?

rzrbackramsfan

Quote from: Hawg Red on November 02, 2017, 03:14:03 pm
Are we talking the preseason or postseason top 25? Huge difference. Again, what does that have to do with this discussion?

Well what is the preseason top 25 supposed to measure anyways? 

Hawg Red

Quote from: rzrbackramsfan on November 02, 2017, 03:08:12 pm
Same player, different system, an his scoring doubles.  It shows what playing for CMA and the system can do and should quell the talk that some player is irreplacable.

Who is saying any player from last year's team is irreplaceable? We're talking about preseason expectations. It's obviously in the range of outcomes for Arkansas to be better than Seton Hall, but that isn't what this is.

Players improve. Hannahs got a redshirt year to work on his game and adjust to the system. He came to a better program. But we know that Seton Hall brings back players that have been very productive in their system. They return their entire core. Imagine how excited we were returning our an entire core from a team that almost made the Sweet 16.

Hawg Red

Quote from: rzrbackramsfan on November 02, 2017, 03:16:36 pm
Well what is the preseason top 25 supposed to measure anyways?

The top 25 teams going into the start of the regular season. Pretty self-explanatory (hence why the rankings change each week....).

Atlhogfan1

I haven't taken much time yet to figure out what teams outside of the SEC have coming back or newcomers this season to give an opinion on the top 25.  I'm not surprised we aren't getting respect at this time.  It has been a while since we've beaten a high profile, talented opponent in the non conference and when national writers have paid attention to us it was to cast doubt on our resume. 

In checking out the many SEC predictions over recent weeks, 8 seems like a popular number for the Hogs finish from many.  Newcomers, freshmen and transfers, are being weighed heavily and favorably for many other SEC teams including teams picked to finish above us by some - Mizzou, Bama, AU, MSU, A&M all with newcomers who will have to play prominent roles.  And maybe it happens in some cases successfully.  Probably will(except AU or Bama perhaps if theirs are ineligible).  We will be fine and finish higher than this.  Barford and Macon are two good known commodities returning for us and Gafford seems to not be getting a lot of attention compared to other newcomers.  So I wouldn't worry about the rankings.  I don't personally as they are extremely meaningless in college basketball. 
Quote from: MaconBacon on March 22, 2018, 10:30:04 amWe had a good run in the 90's and one NC and now the whole state still laments that we are a top seed program and have kids standing in line to come to good ole Arkansas.  We're just a flash in the pan boys. 

Rawker

Quote from: mizzouman on November 02, 2017, 12:41:56 pm
Relax.  Preseason means NOTHING.  Why are so many Hog fans worried about getting respect or being mentioned?  Winning will take care of it.

While there's zero reason to argue with this, I will just note for poll voters and fans those whose memory only seems to go back as far as their name recognition will take them....THE HOGS SHOULD HAVE BEATEN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS if NC wasn't helped to victory by refs to an extent that I've rarely seen in the tournament.  Seton Hall would argue about the ONE CALL against them vs the Hogs in the tournament that might have helped them get closer to winning their game, but the Hogs endured about FIVE frickin' "basketball establishment" calls in a row that reversed what was going to the Razorbacks winning going away.  From the team, we lost Hannahs, who was certainly huge in earlier games that got us TO the tournament, but was nowhere to be found in the final game against NC.  Kingsley's contribution was helpful, but it was by no means key to the game when weighed against people who are on the team right now.  Barford was a monster in the tourney and is still on the team - Macon was huge in the tourney and is still on the team - Bailey was an instant angel from Heaven against NC, coming off the bench and introducing even the veterans to what the meaning of "hawgball" is, and he is still on the team.  While I've had my issues with Beard, he had strong moments in the tourney, he's a veteran, and he is still on the team.  Gafford, though perhaps not in his very first year, will be an upgrade to Kingsley, while Hall will ultimately be an upgrade on Watkins, though I loved me some Watkins.  Hogs perhaps shouldn't be in the Top25, but they should be damn close.

Hawg Red

Quote from: Rawker on November 02, 2017, 03:27:31 pm
From the team, we lost Hannahs, who was certainly huge in earlier games that got us TO the tournament, but was nowhere to be found in the final game against NC.  Kingsley's contribution was helpful, but it was by no means key to the game when weighed against people who are on the team right now.  Barford was a monster in the tourney and is still on the team - Macon was huge in the tourney and is still on the team - Bailey was an instant angel from Heaven against NC, coming off the bench and introducing even the veterans to what the meaning of "hawgball" is, and he is still on the team.  While I've had my issues with Beard, he had strong moments in the tourney, he's a veteran, and he is still on the team.  Gafford, though perhaps not in his very first year, will be an upgrade to Kingsley, while Hall will ultimately be an upgrade on Watkins, though I loved me some Watkins.  Hogs perhaps shouldn't be in the Top25, but they should be damn close.

I will never understand the need by some fans to completely dismiss the value of outgoing players so they can prop up returning players. It's mind-blogging.

Moses Kingsley had 23 points (10-13 FG), 4 blocks, and 6 rebounds vs. Seton Hall. Dusty Hannahs was 6/6 from the FT line and led the team in assists that game. Barford, who was a "monster" in the tourney had 9 points and shot 29% from the field vs. UNC.

It's okay for Barford and Macon and Moses and Dusty to have all be really good and really important to the season the Hogs had.....

Two of them are gone. It's a blow. We'll see how they are replaced.

ShadowHawg

Quote from: Hawg Red on November 02, 2017, 03:37:53 pm
I will never understand the need by some fans to completely dismiss the value of outgoing players so they can prop up returning players. It's mind-blogging.

Moses Kingsley had 23 points (10-13 FG), 4 blocks, and 6 rebounds vs. Seton Hall. Dusty Hannahs was 6/6 from the FT line and led the team in assists that game. Barford, who was a "monster" in the tourney had 9 points and shot 29% from the field vs. UNC.

It's okay for Barford and Macon and Moses and Dusty to have all be really good and really important to the season the Hogs had.....

Two of them are gone. It's a blow. We'll see how they are replaced.

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?!

jabberjawls

Quote from: Hawg Red on November 02, 2017, 03:37:53 pm
I will never understand the need by some fans to completely dismiss the value of outgoing players so they can prop up returning players. It's mind-blogging.

Moses Kingsley had 23 points (10-13 FG), 4 blocks, and 6 rebounds vs. Seton Hall. Dusty Hannahs was 6/6 from the FT line and led the team in assists that game. Barford, who was a "monster" in the tourney had 9 points and shot 29% from the field vs. UNC.

It's okay for Barford and Macon and Moses and Dusty to have all be really good and really important to the season the Hogs had.....

Two of them are gone. It's a blow. We'll see how they are replaced.
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.

HawgHeadCheese

Quote from: Hawg Red on November 02, 2017, 03:37:53 pm
I will never understand the need by some fans to completely dismiss the value of outgoing players so they can prop up returning players. It's mind-blogging.

Moses Kingsley had 23 points (10-13 FG), 4 blocks, and 6 rebounds vs. Seton Hall. Dusty Hannahs was 6/6 from the FT line and led the team in assists that game. Barford, who was a "monster" in the tourney had 9 points and shot 29% from the field vs. UNC.

It's okay for Barford and Macon and Moses and Dusty to have all be really good and really important to the season the Hogs had.....

Two of them are gone. It's a blow. We'll see how they are replaced.
Kingsley was huge in that Seton Hall game, but that offensive showing was very surprising. Half his shot were jumpers and started slowing down after the 1st half. I honestly feel like Gafford will be a better asset for this team if he accepts the role of crashing the glass, running the floor, and defending the rim.

FineAsSwine

Quote from: Hawg Red on November 02, 2017, 03:37:53 pm
I will never understand the need by some fans to completely dismiss the value of outgoing players so they can prop up returning players. It's mind-blogging.

That's a mind-blowing inadvertent metaphor for sure.  ;)
Hogs up! Covid down!

rzrbackramsfan

Quote from: ErieHog on November 02, 2017, 01:49:19 pm
Three times as many teams play major college basketball at the highest level;  the Hogs are replacing two guys who are viewed as the centerpieces of their program, and are going to be facing a tall order in scheduling.

Not getting a vote is hardly a surprise.
Quote from: Hawg Red on November 02, 2017, 10:37:10 am
Because we narrowly beat them in the NCAA tournament? They have 3 players coming back who averaged at least 15 PPG last year. They really didn't lose anyone of note. We lost two of our top 4 scorers and an All-SEC defender (two, really). There's a clear (*clear*) reason why Seton Hall has higher expectations than Arkansas coming into this season. I'd start somewhere else with that agenda.

That said, not concerned at all with preseason AP votes. I don't know why anyone would be. Wake me up when we're 10 games in and I'll consider rankings.

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.