ESPN/Andy Katz preseason rankings

[tornado]

This week Andy Katz of espn.com is doing his own rankings.
Monday he released 41-50, yesterday he released 31-40, etc.

SIU is #42, Creighton is #24, Wichita State is #22.

Here they are, but click on the link to see what he says about each team:

50. George Washington
49. Iowa
48. Air Force
47. California
46. Oregon
45. Michigan State
44. Michigan
43. Hofstra
42. Southern Illinois
41. Xavier

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2545529

40. Florida State
39. Virginia
38. San Diego State
37. DePaul
36. Virginia Tech
35. Kansas State
34. Maryland
33. Illinois
32. Nevada
31. Tennessee

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2545574

30. Louisville
29. Texas Tech
28. Indiana.
27. Kentucky
26. Oklahoma State
25. Texas
24. Creighton
23. Villanova
22. Wichita State
21. Syracuse

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2545624

The next 20 in the rankings will be released Thursday & Friday.

[flipper]

i don't think wichita state will be better than siu or creighton.

[MacabreMob]

i don't think wichita state will be better than siu or creighton.

I agree.

I wish people like you could do a pre-season ranking with publicity to show these pin-heads in the drive-by media how stupid they truely are.

[tornado]

Re: ESPN/Andy Katz preseason rankings

50. George Washington
49. Iowa
48. Air Force
47. California
46. Oregon
45. Michigan State
44. Michigan
43. Hofstra
42. Southern Illinois
41. Xavier

40. Florida State
39. Virginia
38. San Diego State
37. DePaul
36. Virginia Tech
35. Kansas State
34. Maryland
33. Illinois
32. Nevada
31. Tennessee

30. Louisville
29. Texas Tech
28. Indiana.
27. Kentucky
26. Oklahoma State
25. Texas
24. Creighton
23. Villanova
22. Wichita State
21. Syracuse

Well, I guess perennial Top 10er's UConn, UCLA, Duke, and Gonzaga are not going to be in Katz' top ten.
Here are the next ten in Katz' rankings:

20. Marquette
19. Washington
18. Gonzaga
17. Georgia Tech
16. Memphis
15. Alabama
14. Connecticut
13. Boston College
12. Duke
11. UCLA

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2545711

[chitownBUB]

I think we can figure who the rest will be by who is missing from his lists to this point.

Here is my prediction of Katz's final ten

10. Texas A & M
9. Wisconsin
8. Arizona
7. Ohio State
6. Georgetown
5. LSU
4. Pitt
3. North Carolina
2. Kansas
1. Florida


Actually, he has already posted it in a prior column, so I am going to stick with what he has already gone on record with back in June.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2491073&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1

[collegehoopjunkie]

I think we can figure who the rest will be by who is missing from his lists to this point.

Here is my prediction of Katz's final ten

10. Texas A & M
9. Wisconsin
8. Arizona
7. Ohio State
6. Georgetown
5. LSU
4. Pitt
3. North Carolina
2. Kansas
1. Florida


Actually, he has already posted it in a prior column, so I am going to stick with what he has already gone on record with back in June.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2491073&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1

Lo and behold, Andy Katz has changed his Top 10 from what he published just a few weeks ago.

Here is the Top 10 as he predicts it now:
10. Ohio State
9. Texas A&M
8. Wisconsin
7. Georgetown
6. Arizona
5. LSU
4. Pitt
3. North Carolina
2. Kansas
1. Florida

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2545744

[Da Coach]

Pitt is not going to stay the #4 team. They are not that good.

[MacabreMob]

I am VERY suspect of this Top 10.

10 years ago... I used to hold a top 3-10 teams in my mind well above others...

Either I am getting out of touch or maybe the gap is getting closer.

Oh - but please don't respond to this post if you are an Illini, B10, BCS fan.

[chitownBUB]

He definitely does not have much respect for the Big Ten.
They were the top RPI conference last year but admittedly didn't do so well in the NCAA.
He has only two Big Ten in the top 20, and 4 in his Top 40.

Also, I am a little suspect of Wisconsin.
They rely way too much on their big guys hitting from outside, and their best scorer can't shoot.

They are also notoriously bad on the road, benefitting from playing a preponderance of all their games at home, where they seem to have a great home court advantage.
Here is their record in true road games.
(since they are a Big Ten team they don't play many nonconference road games.)

Road games, then all games away from home:
2005-2006: 1-8, 4-9
2004-2005: 5-6, 7-7
2003-2004: 5-6, 9-6
2002-2003: 6-5, 6-6
2001-2002: 5-8, 5-11
2000-2001: 5-7, 5-8

Also, they are 8-7 in Big Ten Tourney games since 1999 (neutral site), with 3 of those wins coming in the same year (2004) when the Big Ten was the weakest it's been (6th in RPI) even behind C-USA.