Comments

Pensive,
I share your sentiments about Coach Bennett. I was tremendously impressed last year. So yes, for that reason, of the five teams I have lumped in the final tier, I would give Virginia the best chance of moving on up.
And Casey, of course I had Butler in the final game. And if you buy that one, I have some seaside property to sell you in Iowa.

Dan on 10/21/2010 (6:50 pm)

well…that was pretty insightful stuff Dan. But I won’t put Virginia in the lower echelon for this simple reason. They may have the best unheralded coach in n the nation. There is a lot of Dick Bennett in Tony and if I recall correctly,  the most physical test Duke had in the ACC tournament last year was the first round game against Virgina, ...as overmatched as Virgina was.  I think he (Tony) is a star on the rise in the coaching ranks..and he is a perfect fit for Virginia. I suspect he will get the most out of the least again this year even though the talent level is appreciably less.

pensive1 on 10/21/2010 (6:25 pm)

Well said, Dan. I mean, I had Butler going to the title game last year, didn’t you? To relate it to another sport, college football…think about how preseason rankings actually affect where these teams end up playing in the postseason. Perfect example, the 2004 Auburn Tigers. Auburn started out unranked because the media, who had never seen the 2004 Tigers play, decide they are somehow unworthy of a top 25 ranking. Auburn goes undefeated, but never jumped preseason favorites USC and Oklahoma, which played for the national championship. The media really should step back from preseason rankings. Someone on ESPN picked the Pirates to win the NL Central this year for crying out loud. I guess, at the very least, it gives me something else to complain about. Go Deacs!

Casey on 10/21/2010 (4:33 pm)