Where would YOU rank ISU in preseason?

[Cycsk]

I'm not quite sure where all the Top 5 rankings came from. We never thought of ourselves as being Top 5 last year. Sure, we had a legitimate shot at the Final Four last year, but I don't recall any of us calling us a Top 5 team last year. Are we that much better this year? Better, yes, but that much? Still too many unknowns with surgeries, new coach, and new players. I hope the "too early prediction" people are right, but I just don't see where it comes from.

 

[Wesley]

Number 9, number 9, number 9.

 

[Cycsk]

So, who is ahead of us? And who is just behind us in the rankings?

 

[ISUCubswin]

I'm jus really excited for the conference matchups next year. Somehow the conference is going to be better this year with OU, ISU, and KU, and then Texas adding Shaka Smart to their staff, they become a very difficult team. And Scott Drew does Baylor things every year.

1. Kentucky
2. North Carolina
3. Kansas
4. Maryland
5. Duke
6. Virginia
7. Iowa State
8. Oklahoma9. Michigan State
10. Wichita State

 

[Wesley]

I'm not quite sure where all the Top 5 rankings came from. We never thought of ourselves as being Top 5 last year. Sure, we had a legitimate shot at the Final Four last year, but I don't recall any of us calling us a Top 5 team last year. Are we that much better this year? Better, yes, but that much? Still too many unknowns with surgeries, new coach, and new players. I hope the "too early prediction" people are right, but I just don't see where it comes from.

B-o-o-o-o-o


Bubble buster.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

I'm surprised you're this optimistic about the upcoming season

Skewness.

 

[Cycsk]

B-o-o-o-o-o


Bubble buster.

Sorry about that. I just don't recall even any of us calling ourselves a Top 5 team until a couple of the "way too early rankings" came out.

 

[acgclone]

I would have to say #12 to start the year. I think with a new staff and very little depth to start the year, we may lose a couple early ones that we shouldn't. I see us hovering between 10-15 at least until Feb. After that, if we take care of business, we can climb.

For us to get into that top 6-8 range, I think we need Burton eligible and Cooke and Naz to be 100% with no rust.

It may take a while to get to that point.

It's far more important where you are ranked in March, than it is November anyway.

 

[Go2Guy]

Pre-season, I suppose you mean as of right now / Aug 28, Nov 1? Yeah, I could see a top 10 ranking.

But, I'm a little less confident as we get in the preconference schedule, say by mid/late Dec

There are a couple of bogies that is preventing myself of a more optimistic rank; we need our two surgery guys to be as close to full potential by Dec 1. Also, I just wonder how the team responds to the new coaching schemes.
Also, we have some tough road games, like Illini and Cincy that could be a challenge, but on paper we should win

 

[CyTwins]

I'm not quite sure where all the Top 5 rankings came from. We never thought of ourselves as being Top 5 last year. Sure, we had a legitimate shot at the Final Four last year, but I don't recall any of us calling us a Top 5 team last year. Are we that much better this year? Better, yes, but that much? Still too many unknowns with surgeries, new coach, and new players. I hope the "too early prediction" people are right, but I just don't see where it comes from.

We have a lot less unknowns than most teams out there, that's why we're ranked so high out of the gate. We return 6 of our top 8 players from a team that was seeded #9 going into the tourney. Plus Cooke and Burton can realistically replace what BDJ and Hogue brought in and the other 6 should improve

 

[randomfan44]

I'm not quite sure where all the Top 5 rankings came from. We never thought of ourselves as being Top 5 last year. Sure, we had a legitimate shot at the Final Four last year, but I don't recall any of us calling us a Top 5 team last year. Are we that much better this year? Better, yes, but that much? Still too many unknowns with surgeries, new coach, and new players. I hope the "too early prediction" people are right, but I just don't see where it comes from.

There's a difference between preseason rankings and real rankings. Preseason rankings are based mostly on what players are returning and ISU returns a lot of good players. That will land them right about Preseason Top 5. Not sure if they finish there but that's where they'll start.

 

[rholtgraves]

I think 7th or 8th is fair.

 

[Cypower69]

12 or so. I think we will loose 1-2 non- conf games with growing pains and then turn it on.

 

[Cycsk]

We have a lot less unknowns than most teams out there, that's why we're ranked so high out of the gate. We return 6 of our top 8 players from a team that was seeded #9 going into the tourney. Plus Cooke and Burton can realistically replace what BDJ and Hogue brought in and the other 6 should improve

Good points. Still, I wonder if any of us were even predicting a Top 5 ranking before the published ones came out. Final Four possibility, yes, Top 5 pre-season ranking, I don't recall anyone predicting that before the published ones started us all talking about it.

 

[CTTB78]

#5. Can't wait to see what CSP does with our defensive intensity.

 

[Twilight]

We'll certainly be ranked in the preseason top-10. But can we stay there?

 

[cyclonepower]

11-14 sounds right...

 

[randomfan44]

Good points. Still, I wonder if any of us were even predicting a Top 5 ranking before the published ones came out. Final Four possibility, yes, Top 5 pre-season ranking, I don't recall anyone predicting that before the published ones started us all talking about it.

Meh, fans are cautious sometimes. It's hard to get a read on other teams right now. Kentucky lost almost everyone but have some excellent recruits coming back. But they go from having 4 guys 6'10" or taller to only 4 guys taller than 6'5". KU lost a decent wing an a mediocre big, replaced them with three excellent recruits and will be loaded and seem to be the team with the fewest question marks around them. Carolina lost some and return some but I'm not really sold on them. Oklahoma returns most of their good players and bring in solid recruits and will be very solid. The big question marks on ISU is what they will be able to do with their new coach and the caliber of their bench.

 

[WalkingCY]

Anywhere #1-#5 honestly. This team is loaded.

 

[cyclones500]

I'm jus really excited for the conference matchups next year. Somehow the conference is going to be better this year with OU, ISU, and KU, and then Texas adding Shaka Smart to their staff, they become a very difficult team. And Scott Drew does Baylor things every year.

1. Kentucky
2. North Carolina
3. Kansas
4. Maryland
5. Duke
6. Virginia
7. Iowa State
8. Oklahoma
9. Michigan State
10. Wichita State

That looks like the 10 we'd need to consider for this conversation, and debating the order within it. I haven't been able to zoom in on which Pac-12 & Big East leaders are at the fringe of that. (Assuming Arizona and then Villanova/Georgetown).