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Award-winning columnist Tom Archdeacon — an old-school storyteller in a brand-new venue — writes about sports, the city, southwest Ohio and anything else that catches his fancy… or yours.Home > Blogs > Through the Arch > Archives > 2009 > November > 18
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Top 25 Hoops Rank No Tournament Guarantee
An early November spot in the Associated Press’ Top 25 college basketball poll might fuel glittery euphoria for the recognized teams and their fans, but for some that turns out to be nothing but fool’s gold.
Over the past 20 years an average of four teams ranked in the preseason Top 25 poll ended up missing the NCAA Tournament. That bit of hoops research came from the Wall Street Journal last week and the number of ranked teams whose preseason dreams have been dashed over the years surprised me.
Eight teams ranked in the Top 25 in November of 2001 missed the Big Dance, most notably North Carolina , which started the preseason ranked No. 19 and finished the year 8-20.
Six teams ranked in the preseason missed the 1993 tournament.
Five preseason Top 25 teams— in 1990, 1997, 1998 , 2006 , 2007 and 2009 — failed to get NCAA Tournament berths.
Last year the biggest plummet was by Notre Dame, ranked No. 9 at the beginning of the season,. Two years before that, No. 5 LSU took the biggest fall. And in 2006 it was No. 7 Louisville.
So what does that mean this season — especially around here where the Dayton Flyers ranked No. 21 in the preseason have moved up to No. 18?
Well, the spot they moved into was occupied by Mississippi State, whose fans were all giddy until the Bulldogs bombed in their opener, getting trounced by Rider, 88-74, and promptly falling from the polls.
And how about No. 1 Kansas nearly getting knocked off by unranked Memphis Tuesday night?
And then there was No. 5 Kentucky needing a last-second basket to come from behind Monday night — at Rupp Arena, no less — to beat Charlie Coles’ Miami RedHawks team that got 16 points and five assists from Kenny Hayes, the senior guard from Northmont High.
A Top 25 ranking in early November guarantees you nothing — except a bull’s-eye on your back.
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