Will URI be ranked going into the season?

[Rhody74]

You're right. I got the two writers confused.

[ATPTourFan]

Familiarity is helping Rhody at this very early point in the AP Poll. If you look at the 3 media members who have included Rhode Island in their pre-season Top 25, they are probably more familiar with Dan and his program than others across the country.

Cormac Gordon placed URI 19th, and he's from Staten Island
Jerry Carino placed URI 21st, and he's covers Rutgers and Seton Hall, etc
John Feinstein placed URI 22nd, and he's from the DC area with National Public Radio.

Last season, Feinstein had us in his top 25 3 out of the 4 weeks Rhody received any votes. So consider him a "friendly" for sure.

[section(105)]

Recent NY Post has us at 25, NY Daily News nothing......

[RhowdyRam02]

We drop from 17 to 5 votes in the latest AP, which makes us the 40th ranked team.

[Rhody15]

Odds are the last time we'll be receiving votes this year.

[steveystuds06]

Odds are the last time we'll be receiving votes this year.

We win tomorrow we still get votes.

[TruePoint]

We drop from 17 to 5 votes in the latest AP, which makes us the 40th ranked team.

That's dumb. Win by 25 and lose votes.

[RhowdyRam02]

When you lose one of your top two players for the year that will happen.

[TruePoint]

When you lose one of your top two players for the year that will happen.

So dumb. This is why there should be no votes or voters in sports. You can't penalize a team because of something that happens on paper (well, you can I guess, but it is wrong). If you think that a personnel change will impact the team on the floor, why not let that play itself out and then vote on it?

[adam914]

Totally TP. If thats what they are basing it on then it should be the "What We Think Will End Up Being The Top 25 Poll"

[SGreenwell]

When you lose one of your top two players for the year that will happen.

So dumb. This is why there should be no votes or voters in sports. You can't penalize a team because of something that happens on paper (well, you can I guess, but it is wrong). If you think that a personnel change will impact the team on the floor, why not let that play itself out and then vote on it?

I think it's fair - voters can't pretend it didn't happen. When Kenyon Martin broke his leg, I'm pretty sure Cincy was downgraded properly.

[adam914]

So then you are ranking teams based on how good you think they'll be, and not ranking them based on what has happened so far.

[TruePoint]

When you lose one of your top two players for the year that will happen.

So dumb. This is why there should be no votes or voters in sports. You can't penalize a team because of something that happens on paper (well, you can I guess, but it is wrong). If you think that a personnel change will impact the team on the floor, why not let that play itself out and then vote on it?

I think it's fair - voters can't pretend it didn't happen. When Kenyon Martin broke his leg, I'm pretty sure Cincy was downgraded properly.

They don't need to pretend anything. The results should actually follow according to what they think (if they are right), and when they do then vote accordingly.

[SGreenwell]

So then you are ranking teams based on how good you think they'll be, and not ranking them based on what has happened so far.

Most teams have played 0 or 1 game. If you're going to even have a poll, then yeah, it's probably going to be based on a team's reputation, chatter about the team, and scouting reports from scrimmages and exhibition games. I'd prefer that teams be ranked based on how good the pollsters think they are, as opposed to rigidly keeping a team at #X because they didn't lose. I realize I might be in the minority on that though. I also usually prefer when the AL and NL Rookie of the Year goes to an actual prospect, as opposed to a 29-year-old having a fluke year, or a guy with better counting stats in 600 ABs vs. 400.