The polls are so ridiculous.  Other teams lose 7-8 games and don't budge from the Top 25.  The Power 5 bias is very strong, and they vote as a block.  I don't think the A-10 has done anything to promote the Dukes.  It would be interesting to know how orher A-10 coaches voted. 
As for the media polls, even worse.  I would like to know who votes from the local papers.  Do they even vote for the Dukes?

Tennessee FINALLY dropped out of the AP poll.  It wasn't the loss to sub .500 Arkansas or even to Virginia Tech which is currently underwhelming at 15-12 but finally a loss to LSU to give them 11 and knock em out.  Even then they get the full "respect the streak" treatment from ESPN.

Meanwhile Duquesne is ranked 19th in the RPI and is leading a pretty solid conference in the A-10.  Lose a tough game to 20 win Saint Louis on the road and poof...Gone from the coaches Top 25 and almost all but out of the receiving votes area of the AP poll.  meanwhile Colorado State's toughest win is 133 RPI Fresno State and they immediately get a spot in both the AP and Coaches Top 25, a spot that should have gone to Duquesne weeks ago.  

Oh well...  

SkepticAl wrote:

It's probably somewhat similar to what happens when the NCAA Tournament Selections get made (I hope the ladies DON'T get left out again - if they don't win the A-10)  For better or worse as far as the guys go - when you are comparing say the 6th place team in the Big 10 vs the fifth place team in the ACC - at least the voters/committee members have SEEN them a couple of times and can make a judgement-  Wonder how many times the voters have SEEN Duquesne's ladies and some of the other teams from the non-power 5 conferences-- 

It'd depend on which game(s) they see of each team also.  If they'd see our best stretch (the second half against St John's, at Pitt, vs UD) vs our worst games folks could think this team is a top 15 team vs. doesn't belong in the top 100.  The same could be said for most of the other teams also.

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Regarding the bracket...
At this point, if this team stays injury free, beats La Salle tonight, and doesn't lose to a sub-100 RPI team in the A10 tourney they should dance. 

Without a sub-100 RPI loss, I can't see right now the Dukes falling below #37 on the S-curve (a #10 seed) without some decent upsets in the last couple regular season games or tournies to end the year.  Note, however, that a #10 seed may still be one of the last 4-5 teams in the tourney, so the Dukes may seem like they're on the bubble.  If the Dukes do suffer a bad loss, then it's up to the committee and what happens elsewhere.

SkepticAl wrote:

Rogabee:  Agree with you 100% -  You're helping to make my point.  When you point out WHICH stretch the committee might see -  You listed two different scenarios that could involve 2 or 3 games which they MIGHT have seen -  when the committees can evaluate the guys programs in my example - could be using 7-10 games for their judgement -  LOT easier to decide based on 7 sightings vs 2 sightings.

Hopefully there are no bad losses in there - St. Bonaventure will be tough at their place - I was impressed with their motion offense at Palumbo - I kind of expect two teams from the A-10 to get bids (hopefully there is more)
If DU gets GW in the semi finals with Jones healthy and lose would they come up short based on that?.  Would the two A-10 bids go to the two teams in the final?

Still kind of disappointing that when you are 24-3 in a fairly good conference - have as many road wins as any program other than U Conn (that is one criteria that gets mentioned when they talk about the selections for the guys) -  In this scenario could be looking at a 26-5 or 27-5 team with No bad losses and they are kind of on the bubble and among the last ones in.

If the Dukes lose to GW in the semis with Jonquel playing, the Dukes should be in should they beat La Salle. 

While road wins are a criteria that gets talked about for the men, even if they talk about it for the women they don't use it much.  Even if they would...the Dukes best road win is probably over a Dayton team missing three starters in OT.  Second best road win is over a team ranked #85.

Regarding records...  Colorado State is 24-1 and their only loss is to #30 on the road by 1 in a normally decent (except this year) MWC.  Yet, if they lose in their conference tourney they're probably out.  UTEP is 22-2 in CUSA, yet they're likely out with a semifinals loss.  It's a relatively strong year on the bubble, helped in part by the weakness of the MVC, MWC, MAAC types with only 3 top 100 teams combined among those three conferences.  The P5 conferences scheduling better for the RPI helps, too.  As such, the better conferences are looking stronger as their bottom teams are now top 100 teams that wouldn't be a lot of years (Cal at 12-15, Iowa St at 13-13, Marquette at 14-14, etc are now all top 100).

Last edited by rogabee (2/24/2016 10:45 am)

Tonight's game will hurt the RPI win or lose levon due to SOS. 
After that, lose the next two...and you could be out.

I wouldn't mind their proposal of a 7 against Oregon at all!

It will be so nice to see us with a spot in the UConn Invitational. Have to tip your hat to them, but they're making a mockery of the sport. Can they be elevated to the WNBA?