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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 > Entry
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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Comments
By RC
November 19, 2009 10:50 AM | Link to this
Not that I want to get into disputes with other Flyer Faithful - we’re all on the same side - but like it or not, the A10 is a mid-major conference. Xavier has had a much longer string of national notoriety in recent years than we have, and guess what? They are still a mid major. Ditto the Gonzagas and Butlers of the world. And no matter what you or I think, according to the all-powerful Selection Ccommittee, if you finish 3rd in the A10, you get to go to the NIT.
By UD Fanboy
November 19, 2009 10:21 AM | Link to this
Arch is a yellow journalist. If you’ve been reading his crap for the past 20 years, you would know that. OH, and our UD Flyers are indeed representative of a mid-major.
By mp flyer
November 18, 2009 11:55 PM | Link to this
If your insulting Arch than your an idiot. He brings up an well known, but prudent point. Plus he is one of the more respected writers in the midwest. You can disagree but to insult the man is uncalled for.
By matt
November 18, 2009 11:54 PM | Link to this
If your insulting Arch than your an idiot. He brings up an well known, but prudent point. Plus he is one of the more respected writers in the midwest. You can disagree but to insult the man is uncalled for.
By FlyerFaithful
November 18, 2009 7:29 PM | Link to this
People on this website who want to pretend that they’re intelligent about basketball call Dayton a mid-major. Dayton is not a mid-major. Dayton has one of the finest men’s basketball programs in the NCAA. Setting aside the history of the program, which is stellar, check out its record the past few years against Marquette, Pitt, Kentucky, Louisville, Auburn and more. If Dayton was in the Big 10, they would be one of the 4 best teams in the conference, along with Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue.
By Rudy Flyer
November 18, 2009 7:16 PM | Link to this
Charlotte absolutely sucks this year. Decent teams don’t get pounded by 50 points. They are gawd awful. Let’s kick Charlotte out of the A-10.
By shame,shame
November 18, 2009 4:46 PM | Link to this
Fell asleep and got caught at the 11th hour deadline,…huh, Arch? It was probably a brilliant article about the combination of the Flyers high-flyin’ and playing suffocating defense, until you woke up.
By sec 312
November 18, 2009 3:58 PM | Link to this
sorry scott, you are right WSU does have a fine team, posted because I bet anything brownsclown comments were made because he is wsu fan who hates UD..I apologize…and these comments are always on UD blogs..two wrongs don’t make a right..my bad
By Scott
November 18, 2009 2:52 PM | Link to this
Hey sec 312: Why is it people like you use any oppurtunity to bash WSU? This article had nothing to do with Wright State, but you have to say something negative. WSU is going to be very good this year, and I am glad Dayton has to high quality teams. I am a WSU fan first, but I like to see UD do well too. UD fans like you, however, make it hard for me to root for UD
By RC
November 18, 2009 2:48 PM | Link to this
This is kind of a “well, duh” article. And I haven’t seen much of the “glittery euphoria” among knowledgeable UD fans who know the score. The score being: as the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee continues, year by year, to stupidly whittle down the number of mid-majors who get at-large bids to the tourney, the odds for scools like UD get longer and longer. There’s only one guaranteed way to get in - win your conference tounament. Go Flyers!
By sec 312
November 18, 2009 1:20 PM | Link to this
Well BrownsClowns you do have one thing right Browns are clowns..but the top 25 takes into account the schedule..don’t worry your front row seat at WSU games are always open
By BrownsClowns
November 18, 2009 11:53 AM | Link to this
The Dayton Flyers are overrated. They play a very weak schedule. I know what else is new.
By Gabe
November 18, 2009 11:52 AM | Link to this
Two years ago Dayton ranked 32 at the end of the season and didn’t make the NCAA tournament.
By nyc
November 18, 2009 10:59 AM | Link to this
this article is a waste of space…it is pointless…any knucklehead that knows anything about basketball..knows there are no guarantees….i guess arch was clueless..and had to do some research..and then say…”ah ha”…yes arch..the flyers have to play their entire schedule..and do well to play in march…duh..