UConn not #1

[Moranis]

At least according to Mike Adras, the head coach of Northern Arizona who voted Ohio State #1 and Kansas #2 in his final poll, with UConn at #3. 

"I voted for who I thought was the best team in the country based on the entire body of work during the season," Adras told USA Today. "I believe it is Ohio State. I want to congratulate Connecticut for winning the NCAA tournament. They deserved it."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6296385

Certainly an interesting take about the tournament and the season as a whole.

[Fafnir]

His reasoning makes sense to me, especially given the voting instructions.

[Mike-Dub]

I would have done the same thing.  Even though Uconn won the NCAA Tournament Final they are not the best team in the nation to me.

I am biased though because I wanted Butler to win (feel bad for them had a great run and just put up a stinker) and would have put them at #1 if they won. 

[fairweatherfan]

I think it's a legitimate position, although rankings are always skewed toward recent performance, and never more so than after the tourney. 

But it's hard to say UConn was the best college team this year when they finished 9th in their own conference and then got red hot for a month.  They deserve the title, but titles don't always go to the best squad, especially in single-elimination formats.

[Donoghus]

I'm sure Buckeye fans are rejoicing over this small victory.   

[bdm860]

I think nobody takes the last poll after the championship game seriously. 

This ain't college football ya know, the champion has already been determined.

If anything, I think it's just more of a tradition thing, whoever wins the tournament should automatically be #1, and then just vote on everybody else.

[papa shuttlesworth]

I would have done the same thing.  Even though Uconn won the NCAA Tournament Final they are not the best team in the nation to me.

I am biased though because I wanted Butler to win (feel bad for them had a great run and just put up a stinker) and would have put them at #1 if they won. 

You would have put Butler #1 if they won?  They have much less claim based on their season performance than UConn.

[CeltsAcumen]

UConn is NOT the best team in college basketball, but they do have scoreboard.

UConn played 1 good team, Kentucky.  They didn't play Ohio State, Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, etc. etc. etc.

Beating Butler and Arizona means nothing when you consider neither were in the top 25 at the tourney start.

So congrats for winning the championship, but just like UCLA, Duke and Kansas of past seasons, you played nobody.

[papa shuttlesworth]

UConn is NOT the best team in college basketball, but they do have scoreboard.

UConn played 1 good team, Kentucky.  They didn't play Ohio State, Duke, Kansas, North Carolina, etc. etc. etc.

Beating Butler and Arizona means nothing when you consider neither were in the top 25 at the tourney start.

So congrats for winning the championship, but just like UCLA, Duke and Kansas of past seasons, you played nobody.

They did beat 4 of the top 25 teams back to back to back to back in the Big East tournament, though.  That's pretty good.

I'm not saying that they didn't have a relatively easy ride to the championship compared to winners in other years, but they did beat a few good teams along the way.

[Employee8]

UConn is the best team.  Look, you have the NCAA Tournament and you put all those teams together.  You say to them, "Hey guys, one loss and you're out.  Let's see what you're made out of."

Ohio State choked.  Kansas melted.  UConn was the last one standing, they earned the championship and the title of being the best.  Dead gladiators don't get recognized.

The Spurs are the best team based on their record.  Do we give them the Larry O'Brien trophy now?  No.  They've got to go through the gauntlet to prove that they are indeed the best.

[Assassin70]

You can always have these healthy debates anytime you have a single elimination style format.

But with that said UConn is holding the trophy...and they don't care what anyone else thinks.

I will add my .02$ however. 

It is always funny to me when someone wins and the debate is well they are not the best team.  And with 1 loss and your done championships you could make valid cases.  But...everyone knows the rules coming in.  If you beat the best teams all year go undefeated and get bounced out the tourney early...clearly you are not the best.

Take the Patriots for instance clearly you could make a great case the the Patriots were a better team then the Giants (and lots would agree) but at the end of the day the Patriots didn't get it done.

Number 1 to me is when the dust settles...and after all drama and turmoil of that season comes to an end whoever is holding that trophy is the best team. 

End of story.


But like I said that is just how I feel about it.

P.S. If his team won the tourney would he still vote for Ohio state?

[Mike-Dub]

I would have done the same thing.  Even though Uconn won the NCAA Tournament Final they are not the best team in the nation to me.

I am biased though because I wanted Butler to win (feel bad for them had a great run and just put up a stinker) and would have put them at #1 if they won. 

You would have put Butler #1 if they won?  They have much less claim based on their season performance than UConn.

I already said I'm biased.  Oh and if you go by everyone has to put UConn at 1 shouldn't everyone have to put Butler at 2 because they came in second?

[Finkelskyhook]

As Calhoon said:

"We've got the trophy".

[fairweatherfan]

I would have done the same thing.  Even though Uconn won the NCAA Tournament Final they are not the best team in the nation to me.

I am biased though because I wanted Butler to win (feel bad for them had a great run and just put up a stinker) and would have put them at #1 if they won. 

You would have put Butler #1 if they won?  They have much less claim based on their season performance than UConn.

I already said I'm biased.  Oh and if you go by everyone has to put UConn at 1 shouldn't everyone have to put Butler at 2 because they came in second?

VCU is clearly at worst the 4th best team in the country.   

[nickagneta]

UConn is the best team.  Look, you have the NCAA Tournament and you put all those teams together.  You say to them, "Hey guys, one loss and you're out.  Let's see what you're made out of."

Ohio State choked.  Kansas melted.  UConn was the last one standing, they earned the championship and the title of being the best.  Dead gladiators don't get recognized.

The Spurs are the best team based on their record.  Do we give them the Larry O'Brien trophy now?  No.  They've got to go through the gauntlet to prove that they are indeed the best.

You can always have these healthy debates anytime you have a single elimination style format.

But with that said UConn is holding the trophy...and they don't care what anyone else thinks.

I will add my .02$ however. 

It is always funny to me when someone wins and the debate is well they are not the best team.  And with 1 loss and your done championships you could make valid cases.  But...everyone knows the rules coming in.  If you beat the best teams all year go undefeated and get bounced out the tourney early...clearly you are not the best.

Take the Patriots for instance clearly you could make a great case the the Patriots were a better team then the Giants (and lots would agree) but at the end of the day the Patriots didn't get it done.

Number 1 to me is when the dust settles...and after all drama and turmoil of that season comes to an end whoever is holding that trophy is the best team. 

End of story.


But like I said that is just how I feel about it.

P.S. If his team won the tourney would he still vote for Ohio state?

Thank you and thank you. TPs to both gentlemen for saving me the time to write the exact same thing.

You are in a tournament style deciding championship sport where the winner of the tournament is the champion. Period. End of story. The champ is #1 and the champ has the hardware. Simple as that.

Did the Pats get to be considered the best team the year they went 17-0? How many times has the NBA's regular season champ come up short for being the Larry O'Brien trophy winner or as they otherwise call it, the NBA Champion? How many times recently has the team in Major League Baseball with the league best record after the regular season been called the World Series Champion?

This coach's words ring hollow and are ridiculous. I wonder if his team made the tourney and won it all as a 14th or 15th seed whether he would vote another team number one? Hah, my guess is he wouldn't.