USA Today/WBCA voters should take note, and study up a little themselves, making adjustments for ranked teams that lose to bad teams, and then voting them out of the top 25. And then they should pay attention to the quality midmajor teams that are lurking in the ‘Others receiving votes’ category and move them up.
Or they could take out a bluebook and write an essay on the following topic: Why mediocre BCS teams get more votes than outstanding midmajor teams – analyze and discuss.
(Record through Monday) Points -- Last week's rank (first-place votes)
1. Tennessee (7-0) 772 -- 1 (29)
For reasons unclear, one voter decided that Maryland now deserved a first-place vote instead of the Volunteers, who thrashed a good Old Dominion team by 32. Tennessee will get back at it against another pair of solid midmajors this week, but both are in Knoxville – and the results are predictable.
2. Connecticut (7-0) 744 -- 2 (1)
The Huskies don’t play until Monday, but they have a 30-point thumping of a decent Virginia team to keep them warm through the next few long Northeast nights. It’s a shame Pat Summitt cancelled the Tennessee-UConn game, because that would have been the highlight of this and most other regular seasons.
3. North Carolina (10-1) 692 – 4
After losing to Tennessee, the Tar Heels took on Wofford. Next up, Coastal Carolina. Previous victims: NCCU (whatever that might be), Elon and Coppin State. That’s just too easy for a team this good.
4. Stanford (7-1) 649 – 4
By virtue of not playing, the Cardinal move up a notch, but Baylor comes to Maples Pavilion on Sunday. The trip to New Mexico next Tuesday isn’t a gimme either.
5. Maryland (13-1) 641 -- 6 (1)
The Terrapins, with more games than any other team in the country, finally get a rest. They don’t play again until Dec. 20, and after surviving Middle Tennessee State and beating Temple, they’ve certainly earned a top five spot. But that first-place vote still doesn’t compute, given the loss to twice-beaten Rutgers.
6. Rutgers (7-2) 633 – 3
The Scarlet Knights have now lost to the Stanford of the East (that would be Duke), and the real one – and that has to call into question just how good Rutgers really is. Both those teams are quality, no doubt, but they are also a step below Tennessee and UConn. By the way, another school full of really smart kids is next, but don’t look for Princeton to pull off the upset.
7. Georgia (9-0) 585 – 8
The Bulldogs only play one game between now and Dec. 29, and that’s against Mercer, so it should be a happy holiday season in Athens. The best win so far, though, has been Georgia Tech, so it’s not like Andy Landers is playing C. Vivian Stringer’s schedule.
8. LSU (6-2) 576 – 7
Stanford didn’t play and went up a notch; LSU didn’t play and dropped a spot. Go figure. Upcoming games against Louisiana Tech, Illinois-Chicago and Miami of Florida may not add much luster to the reputation, but they should add three more wins.
9. Oklahoma (6-2) 538 – 9
Oklahoma didn’t play, and didn’t twitch – and in fact, in a mathematical oddity, had exactly the same number of points as in last week’s poll. A trip to Michigan State is next, and though the Spartans, and the Big 10, aren’t near to what they were, a win there should impress some voters.
10. Baylor (6-0) 505 – 10
The Bears were also taking finals, and will warm up for their date at Stanford with a home game against shaky Oregon, which has lost to Portland and South Dakota State. The Ducks can’t hang with Baylor, but the Cardinal might be able to.
11. Texas A&M (8-1) 437 – 11
The Aggies look to be a pretty good team, but that loss to resurgent Wake Forest raises questions. We’ll know a lot more after unbeaten Auburn comes to town Saturday.
12. California (8-2) 400 – 12
The Bears got Devanei Hampton back, but she’s far from full strength – and that may have been the difference in the loss to Rutgers. Cal is now off until Dec. 21, taking finals, and the Bears’ preseason schedule is all but over (the Pac-10 plays 18 league games).
13. West Virginia (8-1) 382 – 13
The Mountaineers are hoping no one notices that Tennessee is the only good team on the schedule. Presybterian is up next – but just in case, the always tough Blue Hose are coming to Morgantown. Play somebody …
14. Auburn (9-0) 376 – 14
So the Tigers have won at Ohio State and Arizona State, and haven’t lost. So why are they behind Texas A&M, which doesn’t have any better wins, and lost to Wake Forest? Only the voters can answer that, but the real decision will come on the floor Dec. 15 in College Station.
15. Duke (7-3) 339 – 15
Hey, did anybody notice Duke beat Rutgers? That would be number six Rutgers, by the way, and usually that kind of upset is rewarded with a bump in the rankings. It’s finals right now, but maybe next week some voters will factor in the Blue Devils’ big win.
16. DePaul (7-0) 290 – 16
The schedule is weak, and getting weaker (Chicago State, Northern Illinois, Northwestern), but unbeaten is unbeaten. This is probably about right.
17t. Notre Dame (8-1) 237 – 20
The win at Bowling Green may not have caused much stir nationally, but that was a huge test for the Irish – who look to be very much like a top 15 team. Valparaiso at home is the last game before finals, and the almost certain 9-1 record (lost only to Maryland) is a legitimate indicator of how good Notre Dame really is.
17t. Ohio State (6-2) 237 – 18
The Buckeyes have played two good teams and lost to them both. They should have no trouble with the struggling Washington program and midmajor Youngstown State, but that still doesn’t make them a top 20 team – or the Big 10 a strong league.
19. Arizona State (5-3) 222 – 19
Thursday’s trip to Texas Tech should tell us a lot about the Sun Devils, who have good losses but no good wins. The Red Raiders are, after all, 9-1, but they are also coming off a loss to 4-6 Houston. Someone is going to be exposed.
20. Vanderbilt (8-3) 111 – 17
The Commodores probably shouldn’t even be in the top 25 after losing to Colorado (which lost to Siena at home), but they are from the SEC and did beat Duke. They’re off until Dec. 22 to contemplate their sins.
21. Michigan State (7-2) 107 -- 23
Indiana State must be better than we thought – the Spartans beat the mighty Sycamores 83-58, and jumped two spots in the rankings. OK, let’s be serious. Old Dominion beat Michigan State head-to-head, and has better wins. The Monarchs clearly deserve this spot, except for blind BCS bias.
22. George Washington (7-3) 103 – 21
Bruce Springsteen wondered in ‘Radio Nowhere’ if there was anyone alive out there – and you have to join in the chorus when you see the Colonials in the top 25. They’ve lost to James Madison, which lost to Liberty, and to UNLV, which has lost six times, including to UC Riverside. Liberty, among several others, should be in the top 25 instead.
23. Texas (7-2) 92 – 25
Since Virginia beat Texas on a neutral court, logic suggests that Virginia is the better team. And Virginia has played a much tougher schedule (the Longhorns’ best win is UT-Arlington). Tradition is a wonderful thing, but teams should be rewarded for how they’re playing now, not for what they did three years ago.
24. Oklahoma State (8-0) 74 – not ranked
All unbeaten teams are not created equal, or even in the same species. The Cowboys’ biggest win is UC Riverside, and they’ve hammered such worthies as Lamar, High Point and Sam Houston so far. The trip to 4-5 TCU counts as a real test on Kurt Budke’s creampuff schedule.
25. Wyoming (8-1) 62 – 22
Colorado’s beaten both Wyoming and Vanderbilt, which are in the top 25 – and Colorado, as mentioned, lost to Siena at home. Manhattan beat Siena by five on the road, so maybe it’s the Jaspers who really deserve to be number 25.
Dropped out: #24 North Carolina State (8-3)
Now that Xavier and East Carolina piled on to the Wolfpack, their true colors are revealed. This isn’t a bad team, but beating weak opponents doesn’t really prove much (though they still got 15 votes).
Others receiving votes: Old Dominion 37; Marist 36; Arkansas 27; Georgia Tech 25; Iowa State 18; Utah 18; Pittsburgh 16; North Carolina State 15; Texas Tech 15; Wake Forest 12; Florida State 11; Penn State 9; Hartford 8; Colorado 6; Marquette 5; Western Kentucky 5; Temple 3; Louisville 2; Kansas 1; South Alabama 1; Tulane 1.
So Old Dominion loses to Tennessee, as everyone else has, and Oklahoma State leapfrogs the Monarchs into the top 25. According to the early, and admittedly unreliable, RPI, ODU has played the third toughest schedule in all the land, and has an RPI of 9. The Monarchs don’t play again until Dec. 28, and certainly deserve a ranking as a Christmas present.
The USA TODAY/ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 31 head coaches at Division I institutions. All are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The board for the 2007-08 season: Agnus Berenato, Pittsburgh; Pam Borton, Minnesota; Brian Boyer, Arkansas State; Beth Burns, San Diego State; Debra Clark, Florida A&M; Beth Couture, Butler; Leslie Crane, Western Illinois; Dana Eikenberg, Southern Illinois; Tricia Fabbri, Quinnipiac; Sharon Fanning, Mississippi State; Brian Giorgis, Marist; Julie Goodenough, Charleston Southern; Kellie Harper, Western Carolina; Mary Hegarty, Long Beach State; Nate Kilbert, Mississippi Valley State; Melissa McFerrin, American; Kevin McGuff, Xavier; Tina Martin, Delaware; Curt Miller, Bowling Green; Dan Muscatell, Sacramento State; Paul Nixon, Columbia; Rick Reeves, Gardner-Webb; Lee Ann Riley, Stephen F. Austin; Jennifer Rizzotti, Hartford; Rhonda Rompola, Southern Methodist; Julie Rousseau, Pepperdine; Brady Sallee, Eastern Illinois; Cindy Stein, Missouri; LaVonda Wagner, Oregon State; Adrian Wiggins, Fresno State; Kay Yow, North Carolina State.
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