ESPN/USA Today Preseason Poll

[Bahstin]

This is good news. As a Pats fan, I see the value of finding something that will motivate you. Somehow the Patriots always have the mentality that they are getting disrespected and they prove themselves on the field. Jeff getting no respect, the team being well outside the top 25, etc are all great motivators. I hope it keeps up.

[FLHoya]

gigafan99 said:

In 2001 I think we started #34.

We were top 25 by early December and never left the poll the rest of the season.

Then we lost four seniors and were ranked #15 in 2002.

We left the top 25 in January and never returned.

Preseason polls start you where you finished. They're obviously not a great predictor of success.

See, this is what happens when I'm at work and can't research things... I was soooooooo gonna make that point. I actually thought 38 sounded like the exact number we were at during the start of the year.

Besides, as someone for whom those two seasons were my first and second as a Hoya fan, it sounds weird, but the excitement building from unranked (but everyone KNOWS something special is gonna happen) to ranked is so much better than the Top 20 preseason the following year. The only thing missing that 2000-2001 season was that they managed to put the big home victory where we broke out (beating then-assumed to be decent Seton Hall at MCI) over X-mas break...I read about it in Miami International Airport after a transatlantic flight that day. Everybody loves some of the Ewing and Iverson dunks in that pregame highlight package, but one of my favs was always Sweetney's fierce rebound/dunk in that SHU game.

By the way, I had a good laugh over 007's "I'm sick of the lack of research in these polls!" comment. That's such a great typical Kurt quote...I'd say that'd be perfect for the 007 Memorial Plaque in McDonough in 70 years, if a variation of the "Because Blue and Gray are our %$@#$* school colors!!" theme wasn't such a shoo-in.

[lichoya68]

except for calhouns comment on stephan smith show ... we AINT GOT NO RESPECT SO.. lets get right to it.. forget the respect ..and just lets get to the FEAR.. right now.. go hoyas.. they shall see after a tough time in ooc games.... then we will be ready for the big east .. eighteen and nine iwll be mighty fine... and thats 12 and four in the big east yup.. on the way to the tourney .. then theyll know.. ;D go hoyas

[idhoya]

I talked to Larry Conley at SEC Media Days and he thinks UConn is the best team in the country. He also said Price would not play this season and that Williams would get a slap on the wrist cause he's a first offender. That was Thursday. Conley primarily does SEC games, with an occasional ACC contest. Also said he's does radio for BE games, but doesn't see them much. Talked up Rudy Gay, but had only "read and heard about" JG. Asked me if GU really ran a full version of the "Princeton" offense. Of course, I broke it down for him so it would forever be broke!! Nice guy though, who looks older than he is. BTW, Vandy was picked third on their side and will be better than people think. tough game for GU.

[Big Dog]

Nothing good can come from having a number next to our name this early in the year when we all agree that though there is tremendous potential for this team to be very good, nothing is certain. People will be very quick to give us our due if we start winning some games. But preseason top 25 is not a distinction we deserve quite yet.

[Hoyasaxa20]

Let's be honest. #38 is fair. I love the Hoyas, as much as anyone here, but we did fall apart at the end of last year. We are young, we are streaky, and - I hate to say it - but histroy shows that progress does not come without set backs. We WILL do well this year. We will be ranked inthe top 25 in due course. Roy will improve. Jeff with continue to play great. Hopefully Wallace will get his touch back as well. All of that being said, we continue to lack some of the row talent that the Duke's, UConns and Illinois of the world have. We are doing all of the right things, but we are not there yet. In due time.