Top 25

[JettFlight5]

We moved up on Wilner's ballot from last week.

Randy Rosetta has been tough on non-football schools too. VCU fans mentioned that in the preseason poll.

[hsmith19]

We waxed (as we should have) Richmond and Fordham and we even embarrased the #2 team in the league right now St. Joe's in their HOME palace. This is a special team having a special year.

This is the big reason I don't like chalking up VCU and UMass as losses at this point. They may not have the RPI, but right now I think Saint Joe's is as good as those two teams or at least very close, and we had no problem with them. We are totally capable of road wins at both VCU and UMass.

[ACE]

I wonder where Duke would have wound up if they lost to Syracuse to fall to 21-7? I don't like Boeheim, but that was a terrible call.

[brianstl]

Please tell us where the polling bias is, because I'm not seeing it. Creighton deserves to ranked higher than us. With that said, I would love to face them in the tourney because we would shut them down

There is no bias.

I would love us to go up against Creighton or Nova. I think we match up great against both and would handle them. Nova right now is the most overrated team in the country. They are getting way too much credit for what they did early in the season.

[DoctorB]

10th in AP; 8th in Coaches' poll; I am thrilled with those. They sound about right to me and in fact 8 seems a tad ambitious for us. No complaints here.

It's hard for me to believe there is not a pretty big gap between about 4-5-6 and 8-9-10.

Let's talk seeds; I think we may have a shot at a 3, if we can finish with 4 or less losses. Could we win out, or lose one more, and snag a #2??

[cgeldmacher]

Creighton jumping SLU is ludicrous.

Creighton won yesterday 72-71 at home over also ran Seton Hall (RPI 122), and was very lucky to win that game. If Creighton had been playing a better team, one that knew how to finish a game, Creighton would have lost that game, no question. Creighton missed 5 of 6 Free Throws in the last 3 minutes.

What this shows is the ceiling that SLU faces. SLU is in a situation that (merely) winning games is evidently not good enough. Creighton's home court win yesterday over Seton Hall is not nearly as impressive a win to an objective lens as SLU's win over George Washington (RPI 32). And let us not forget that George Washington defeated Creighton this season on a neutral floor. GW has a good chance at being in the NCAA Tournament; Seton Hall will be nowhere near the NCAA Tournament.

As for Butler, 2-13 in the Big East. I predicted Butler would be a Big East doormat/bottom feeder, but even I didn't think it would be this bad. Oh I know, Butler has lost all those close games. And so has George Mason in the A10.

Do you see the double standard here? Two crystal clear examples are given above in this post.

I propose we petition the new Jesuit Pope to reign down some fire and brimstone style justice on the Catholic 7 leadership for accepting a heathen school like Butler instead of a fine Jesuit institution deserving of a spot in the NBE.

[hsmith19]

No way. Burke already told Francis about the SLU GSA.

[Bay Area Billiken]

10th in AP; 8th in Coaches' poll; I am thrilled with those. They sound about right to me and in fact 8 seems a tad ambitious for us. No complaints here.

It's hard for me to believe there is not a pretty big gap between about 4-5-6 and 8-9-10.

Let's talk seeds; I think we may have a shot at a 3, if we can finish with 4 or less losses. Could we win out, or lose one more, and snag a #2??

I think SLU should be a 3 seed right now, based upon its RPI of 12. You can pretty much divide the RPI by 4 to get the seed. However, my best estimate right now is that SLU is a 4 seed. If SLU wins out, a 2 seed is possible.

After several hours to digest the new rankings (and the jumps) and with SLU being ranked 8th in the USA Today Coaches Poll, I am ok with the 10 ranking in the AP. That ranking itself is not my objection; my objection is being jumped by Creighton in that poll. I do not think that jump was warranted.

[MB73]

Creighton jumping SLU is ludicrous.

Creighton won yesterday 72-71 at home over also ran Seton Hall (RPI 122), and was very lucky to win that game. If Creighton had been playing a better team, one that knew how to finish a game, Creighton would have lost that game, no question. Creighton missed 5 of 6 Free Throws in the last 3 minutes.

What this shows is the ceiling that SLU faces. SLU is in a situation that (merely) winning games is evidently not good enough. Creighton's home court win yesterday over Seton Hall is not nearly as impressive a win to an objective lens as SLU's win over George Washington (RPI 32). And let us not forget that George Washington defeated Creighton this season on a neutral floor. GW has a good chance at being in the NCAA Tournament; Seton Hall will be nowhere near the NCAA Tournament.

As for Butler, 2-13 in the Big East. I predicted Butler would be a Big East doormat/bottom feeder, but even I didn't think it would be this bad. Oh I know, Butler has lost all those close games. And so has George Mason in the A10.

Do you see the double standard here? Two crystal clear examples are given above in this post.

No reason to get all riled up.

It is 3 weeks minus one day to selection Sunday, a long way to go.

I love the attention and recognition of being in the Top 10 AP & USA. Awesome.

I understand your argument but Creighton pounded # 8 AP and # 9 USA Villanova twice, we haven't beaten a team in the Top 25, it is too close to call but voters look at SOS (Creighton's is 7 RPI, SLU is 72) at some point and so one week's results are not arithmetically applied, there is some cumulative effect when you take a look at the big picture. Creighton played a stronger non conference schedule than we did, has some good wins (AZ St, Nebraska, Cal) and their 4 losses were against good clubs.

Our last 3 league games for us will be a b*tch, we will be lame duck against motivated teams. I think we could San Diego State if we lose one game (7 spots) or two games (guessing 10-12 spots) of those....

Now for the haters... Vegas (one source) has us tied for 33rd. Neutral court, Creighton is a 6 point favorite over SLU.

[almaman]

We have not beaten any team with a vote in AP poll. If this wasn't our team we MBM would surely think the same way our doubters do. Think Murray State a few years back. Look at 17-19 in AP. Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina. On a neutral court I can't picture living long enough that I would not consider winning an upset. We are surely capable of winning but I'd never bet on it. I would say the same thing if it was Wichita State playing those 3.

[Bay Area Billiken]

I propose we petition the new Jesuit Pope to reign down some fire and brimstone style justice on the Catholic 7 leadership for accepting a heathen school like Butler instead of a fine Jesuit institution deserving of a spot in the NBE.

Perhaps the fire and brimstone is already raining down on Butler in the form of an undiagnosed plague, either that or a simple lack of talent, as the Bulldogs are 2-13 in the Big East.

Either that, or the very inclusion of Butler is part of Global Catholic Outreach. Perhaps pretty soon they'll be saying the Latin Mass in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

[hsmith19]

We have not beaten any team with a vote in AP poll.

Dayton, VCU, GW, and Saint Joe's have all gotten votes at one point in the season. Dayton and VCU were both ranked, as was UMass, who we will get at least one shot at. I know this is not exactly how these things work, but it does show we have beaten some quality teams. VCU was getting votes up until we beat them.

[kshoe]

Let's let Creighton make its arguments for itself, not do it for it, ok? We are plenty up against it as it is. Have you perused any of the Turf Protection posts on the Big East Board?

They've got it all figured out when it comes to SLU. We have no history. We haven't played anyone. And we're destined for massive regression once the eligibility of the Coach Majerus recruits ends. I'm waiting for someone over there to say we are dropping to D-2, D-3 or the NAIA, or dropping Basketball altogether. What this really is is Turf Protection 101 from some elements, sprinkled in with Eastern Seaboard Geography 101 from others, who are concerned about there being too many Midwest teams in the Big East and too many Midwest teams that are winning. Then add to this a claim that the RPI computer is wrong because it is yielding more NCAA Tournament teams to the A10 than to the (New) Big East.

I cited the RPI because based upon its own precedents, the NCAA has closely followed the RPI when selecting the NCAA field and also for seeding, but especially in selecting the NCAA field.

The ratings are a PR popularity contest. But the rankings are very important for that very reason. The AP ranking is the one in the national publications, the one that puts SLU on the ESPN Bottom Line, the one that is cited in places like the Washington Post and New York Post.

The RPI and the AP rankings are 2 very different things.

And I'll add- SLU is ranked 8th in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll, ahead of #9 Villanova, and ahead of #10 Creighton. Bravo!

You've got to stop reading that Holylandofhoops message board and getting yourself so worked up. They have literally been arguing about the expansion topic for 10 months now and using the same arguments again and again and again. I mean they've got an 84 page thread on it. These aren't recruiting updates, its grown men arguing about which 2 of 4/5 possible teams should be added to the conference.

I'm fairly certain your hate of Creighton and them getting in to the BE is clouding your judgment when it comes to their ranking. They are very good and have earned their current spot.

[WestCoastBilliken]

I wonder where Duke would have wound up if they lost to Syracuse to fall to 21-7? I don't like Boeheim, but that was a terrible call.

Well I know I would be up $450... I know that...

[Bay Area Billiken]

You've got to stop reading that Holylandofhoops message board and getting yourself so worked up. They have literally been arguing about the expansion topic for 10 months now and using the same arguments again and again and again. I mean they've got an 84 page thread on it. These aren't recruiting updates, its grown men arguing about which 2 of 4/5 possible teams should be added to the conference.

I'm fairly certain your hate of Creighton and them getting in to the BE is clouding your judgment when it comes to their ranking. They are very good and have earned their current spot.

Hate is a very strong word, and inapplicable here.

I have 4 cousins that went to Creighton.

My objection to a group of selected media voting to jump Creighton over SLU is not based upon hate.

[Bay Area Billiken]

SLU's strength of schedule issue, claimed lack of Top 25 wins, is a product of SLU being a strong non-BCS high major with a good home court advantage that the BCS + New Big East teams will not schedule home and home.

You can't play them if they won't play you.

This is the longstanding BCS crutch. Doug Gottlieb, whose comments I like in general, is the latest to throw this at SLU and Wichita State, going so far to call SLU a "paper tiger."

When informed of Mr. Gottlieb's comments, Mrs. Bay Area Billiken responded that being a paper tiger is not a bad thing.

[JettFlight5]

Creighton has been great, and they have a drawing card in McDermott. That's fine, we've got a tournament to sort that out.

Butler is the one that bugs me.

For now, we've got an A-10 to sweep.

[Bay Area Billiken]

Creighton has been great, and they have a drawing card in McDermott. That's fine, we've got a tournament to sort that out.

Butler is the one that bugs me.

For now, we've got an A-10 to sweep.

Creighton will regress next year without McDermott. How couldn't Creighton regress? This is the probable National Player of the Year.

As for this year, I would love to see SLU get a crack at Creighton. I've watched a number of Creighton games. That team lives by the 3 and does not play good defense.

You know what they say- you live by the 3, you die by the 3.

[JettFlight5]

SLU's strength of schedule issue, claimed lack of Top 25 wins, is a product of SLU being a strong non-BCS high major with a good home court advantage that the BCS + New Big East teams will not schedule home and home.

You can't play them if they won't play you.

This is the longstanding BCS crutch. Doug Gottlieb, whose comments I like in general, is the latest to throw this at SLU and Wichita State, going so far to call SLU a "paper tiger."

When informed of Mr. Gottlieb's comments, Mrs. Bay Area Billiken responded that being a paper tiger is not a bad thing.

Doug Gottlieb can comment when he gives back his roommate's credit cards.

[almaman]

Dayton, VCU, GW, and Saint Joe's have all gotten votes at one point in the season. Dayton and VCU were both ranked, as was UMass, who we will get at least one shot at. I know this is not exactly how these things work, but it does show we have beaten some quality teams. VCU was getting votes up until we beat them.

GW did too think

[Bay Area Billiken]

Creighton has been great, and they have a drawing card in McDermott. That's fine, we've got a tournament to sort that out.

Butler is the one that bugs me.

For now, we've got an A-10 to sweep.

Pope Francis, a Jesuit, today ordered the first overhaul at The Vatican in 25 years.

Can the Supreme Pontiff now order Georgetown, Marquette, et al. to admit SLU into the Big East?

The Pope can even broker a compromise. If the Big East really wants to stay at 10 and keep its "Round Robin," then the Pope can order that Butler be relegated into Purgatory or at least back to the Horizon League, just like is done in the English Premier League, and SLU's admission to take its rightful place in the Big East.

[JettFlight5]

Pope Francis, a Jesuit, today ordered the first overhaul at The Vatican in 25 years.

Can the Supreme Pontiff now order Georgetown, Marquette, et al. to admit SLU into the Big East?

The Pope can even broker a compromise. If the Big East really wants to stay at 10 and keep its "Round Robin," then the Pope can order that Butler be relegated into Purgatory or at least back to the Horizon League, just like is done in the English Premier League, and SLU's admission to take its rightful place in the Big East.

They need that 2 win team...because history, man. History.

[brianstl]

Butler got the invite because they are not a Catholic school.

[MUDKAT]

Creighton has been great, and they have a drawing card in McDermott. That's fine, we've got a tournament to sort that out.

Butler is the one that bugs me.

For now, we've got an A-10 to sweep.

Butler doesn't bother me. Better not to have another Fordham in the A10. It will be years before Butler is relavent again.

[bills10]

I go to UC, and have heard lots of buzz from their fans wanting us to replace louisville. The conference seems to get respect. Any chance we are interested?