Basketball BlogPoll Roundtable: Week Two
So, another part of these whole BlogPoll shenanigans is this Roundtable. Basically, there is a different host each week (this week it's SBN blog A Sea of Blue, one of the better blogs out there: honest), who poses question to the assortment of college basketball blogs to answer. I'm running a day-or-so late on this, but late's better than never, right? So, here are my answers. Feel free to leave your own in the comments; these are good ones, so they should generate plenty of conversation. Particularly the last one, considering we're a Kansas blog.
1) Who really looks like the best team in college basketball this season?
Despite his suddenly potty-mouthed press conferences, I'm going to have to go with Roy's Boys up in Chapel Hill. It's funny. Coming into the season, all anyone could talk about was the glut of talent and athleticism in Chapel Hill, and there were more than just whispers about a potential undefeated season. No one could contain themselves, really, from openly treating the Heels as the 31st NBA team. But, somehow, their two consecutive losses completely slid them under everyone's radar, as ESPN and the other bandwagon-jumping members of the MSM fell for the Flavor of the Week; four times. First, it was UNC-slayer Wake Forest who drew all of the attention. Then, Pittsburgh. Then, Duke. And now, finally, it was Connecticut. But now, with the Huskies' loss Monday night, everyone's gearing up to jump on to the Boomer Schooner and Blake Griffin's back.
Still, the best team in the country never really changed. It was UCONN and UNC on their own level, but then Jerome Dyson went down for the season and Calhoun's team fell down into the second tier. And don't get me wrong, the second tier is still loaded (Pitt, UCONN, Memphis, Duke, Oklahoma, maybe UCLA or Arizona State), but they aren't on the same level as North Carolina. After spending oodles of time hating on the Heels just because everyone was so convinced they were going to be the greatest team in CBB history, I'm almost favoring them. They were so overrated for so long, that when they fell off the pedastal, for whatever reason, they became underrated. Vastly, vastly underrated. They certainly aren't a lock to win it all, of course, and I'm not evey saying they're going to win. But, they have the best team in the country, talent-wise, and it isn't particularly close.
The rest of the answers after the bump...
2) Is Blake Griffin the Player of the Year already, or can somebody catch him?
No, there is no more contest. Plenty of players have made little runs, from Luke Harangody waaaaay early on to Hasheem Thabeet lately (with little splashes made by Stephen Curry, Tyler Hansbrough, James Harden, among others), but it's Griffin's to lose. And, I don't think 40-and-23 lines are going to lose anybody anything, ever. Dude is incredible. If they do much of anything in March beyond the first weekend, it'll be because of Blake. No doubt about it. Without the beast, they are on the level of, I don't know, maybe Texas? A slightly better Texas? Slightly worse? Whatever the case, not quite the same team, to say the least.
So, yeah, Blake Griffin, you're the player of the year. You should be the Big 12's third straight National Player of the Year, but Michael Beasley was robbed last year. Robbed, I tell you.
3) What currently ranked team is the biggest disappointment so far this year?
Currently ranked...well, just cause this is the BlogPoll Roundtable, we'll go off the more intelligent, awesome-r BlogPoll. Still, the question is very relative. Basing disappointment on preseason expectations, it absolutely has to be Purdue. I understand they've had to deal with injuries, and I understand that they still aren't out of the Big 10/11 Title Race. And, also, I think they're one of the better teams in the country. But, they aren't as good as expected. Coming in, they were a Top 10 team that was making noise as a Final Four contender, potential Big 10/11 Champion and, hell, maybe even a sleeper pick to cut down the nets in Detroit. Expectations they haven't met, needless to say.
Not that they aren't good, anymore, just that nearly every real "disappointment" isn't ranked, anymore.
4) Predict the next team to beat Oklahoma.
Ah. The fun one.
Honestly, this one is tough for me. Because, while I'm growing more confident (if not completely irrational) that we beat them, the question asks the "next team" to beat 'em. And, Texas could beat them tomorrow. They have the desperation, they have the homecourt advantage, they have Damion James and A.J. Abrams. But, they don't really have an answer for Blake, and I don't think that the Longhorns will come out on top. A close game throughout, no doubt, but in the end, Boomer Sooner stays ahead.
So, I'll have to go with Kansas. I think they lose in Paige, too, and I'm even more confident about that one.
That's all, just four questions. It'd be fun to get everyone's own personal opinion on the questions, and there really doesn't have to be long explanations. It's fun to write it, but simply listing your answers is fine.
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Comments
Agree with 3 of your answers.
1. North Carolina is probably the best team. However, I do not have any confidence in them winning the National Championship.
2. Blake Griffin, OU would have to fall apart in these last couple of weeks for Hansbrough to sneak in there.
3. This is where I disagree with you, UCLA is the biggest disappoint to me so far this year.
4. Going to agree with OU as well just because I’m not going to look at any of the other schedules right now.
I just got back from your mom's basement.
I like UCLA on #3 as well...
can’t say I’ve paid a whole lot of attention to Purdue
Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.
Yeah, I almost said UCLA.
And, from scanning the other answers, that seems to be the more popular choice. It was close, but from my perspective, I thought that Purdue was more hyped in the preseason. And, to me, they are currently roughly similar teams. So, I went with the Boilermakers.
and you could very well be right...
I guess to some extent perception probably plays a role in why people would be more disappointed with UCLA.
Some people are like Slinkies...not really good for anything but they make you smile when pushed down the stairs.
#3-Invalid Comparison
3) What currently ranked team is the biggest disappointment so far this year?
Currently ranked…well, just cause this is the BlogPoll Roundtable, we’ll go off the more intelligent, awesome-r BlogPoll. Still, the question is very relative. Basing disappointment on preseason expectations, it absolutely has to be Purdue. I understand they’ve had to deal with injuries, and I understand that they still aren’t out of the Big 10/11 Title Race. And, also, I think they’re one of the better teams in the country. But, they aren’t as good as expected. Coming in, they were a Top 10 team that was making noise as a Final Four contender, potential Big 10/11 Champion and, hell, maybe even a sleeper pick to cut down the nets in Detroit. Expectations they haven’t met, needless to say.
Not that they aren’t good, anymore, just that nearly every real “disappointment” isn’t ranked, anymore.
They were a top ten team according to other pre-season polls, but you have no idea what they were pre-season according to the blog poll, since the first one came out last week. They may be just where they were according to these voters, but you are comparing apples and oranges.
Secondly, do you realize they are a game behind MSU in the Big 10/11 race? Also, they are at a disadvantage in that they had to play Wisconsin (tied for 4th) twice, while only getting Indiana once. MSU only gets Wisconsin once in East Lansing, and gets Indiana twice. They both only played Michigan once, and every other team twice.
Lastly, they lost Hummel for four games in conf. play and lost three of those games (probably would won 3/4 with Hummel). Hummel is their leading rebounder and third leading scorer. Even with their injury issues, they are #12 in Pomeroy and ahead of #16 MSU (which they beat by 18 in W. Lafayette). Yet, people still talk about MSU making the Final Four. I don’t see Purdue being a disappointment.
UCLA fits the narrow criteria better since they are tied for 3rd in the Pac 10 and could finish as low as 4th place by the end of the season.
Eh.
As I said, a lot of it was just gut feeling.
And, really, UCLA is the smarter choice, I just wanted to be a little different.
I was talking about “currently ranked” in terms of eligible teams based off the BlogPoll, to pick a disappointment. I don’t know if it made a difference.
And, I still think that Purdue is an awesome team. So, maybe it wasn’t the best choice. But, if you wanna use KP rankings, UCLA’s up at 7.
before today?
and even though you guys won’t believe me, I had a comment typed earlier (which I cancelled) that said I have zero faith in Carolina to win it all because I’m still not convinced.
I just got back from your mom's basement.
Haha.
Yeah, UCLA’s KP ranking was prior to Saturday, when I made the pick. All right. Today they’re at 8. Yeah, you’re not punished too much for losses by statistics.
And, I agree with you on Roy winning a NC. I just don’t see it happening. He becomes too emotionally attached, IMO. The one time he won, it was with Doherty’s players, and there wasn’t the same lovey-dovey, cry-at-press-conferences relationship. But when he recruits the guys, and falls in love with them (which really isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, just not the best thing to win a NC), they always seem to choke at some point.
Although, I don’t know, maybe that means nothing.
If I had to pick, right now, the team that would win it all, I have no idea who I would say. But it won’t be UCONN, and it won’t be UNC IMO.

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