Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

[clenz]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

I realize I'm coming off a tad harsh in these posts but I was thinking about this last night watching Texas beat Kansas. I found myself thinking many times, there is no way Drake could keep up with these teams. North Carolina has been timed at getting the rebound and getting the ball up court for a lay up in under 3 (2.4 or 2.5 I believe during a game earlier this season) seconds during a game. Is Drake quick enough to be able to slow them down? I realize every dog has it's day, but I'm trying to realistic here. I would be happy if a Valley team made the Sweet 16 or past, but I'm not sold Drake is the 14th best team

[dustin86]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

The answer to your question is probably no. The basketball rankings are just as flawed as the football rankings. They do not accurately "rank" the teams in order of who is best, rather they are ranked in order of who lost least recently.

If you rank teams on who has lost the least recently UNI would be close to last place.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

I realize I'm coming off a tad harsh in these posts but I was thinking about this last night watching Texas beat Kansas. I found myself thinking many times, there is no way Drake could keep up with these teams. North Carolina has been timed at getting the rebound and getting the ball up court for a lay up in under 3 (2.4 or 2.5 I believe during a game earlier this season) seconds during a game. Is Drake quick enough to be able to slow them down? I realize every dog has it's day, but I'm trying to realistic here. I would be happy if a Valley team made the Sweet 16 or past, but I'm not sold Drake is the 14th best team

You would think enough mid-major runs to the Sweet Sixteen would douse perspectives like yours...obviously not. It's this same, tired old "BCS is God" rhetoric that will relegate the Valley to a one (max two) bid conference.

And the worst part of it is - Drake has had to win 21 STRAIGHT GAMES just to get on the radar. Personally, I don't think the 5 BCS teams you listed could play the same schedule and each end up on the winning end 21 times in a row. Agree to disagree, I suppose.

And the sad part of it is, once Drake loses - which very well may happen this week - doubters like you will be so very quick to point and say, "See I told you. They're not that good." Seriously, what's it going to take for the Valley to get an ounce of respect...

[dustin86]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Clenz you have to relize that Drake would probably not play man to man defense against a team like Indiana. They would probably play a zone defense of ever a box in one to slow down the inside play of DJ White and also slow down Eric Gordon. Just because a team doesnt have the hieght advantage doesn't mean that they will not contend.

Look at some of out games that we play. Teams have figured out that you can double team the post players from letting them get the ball down low. There have been numorous times that jordan is dominated in the first half but then in the second half he has done nothing because the teams make adjustments at half.

[jegbomb52]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

I realize I'm coming off a tad harsh in these posts but I was thinking about this last night watching Texas beat Kansas. I found myself thinking many times, there is no way Drake could keep up with these teams. North Carolina has been timed at getting the rebound and getting the ball up court for a lay up in under 3 (2.4 or 2.5 I believe during a game earlier this season) seconds during a game. Is Drake quick enough to be able to slow them down? I realize every dog has it's day, but I'm trying to realistic here. I would be happy if a Valley team made the Sweet 16 or past, but I'm not sold Drake is the 14th best team

This same argument was made the year that LSU played for a national title and lost to UNI at their place. Look no further than IA State playing into overtime with Texas and getting wollopped by 30 by Drake.

Would Drake be undefeated in the Big XII? No, probably not. Could they beat Kansas, Texas, Louisville, sure, absolutely. If you don't think so then you obviosly havn't watched Drake pop 13 three point baskets right in the eye of defenders.

DRAKE IS FOR REAL! Like it or not.

[clenz]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

You would think enough mid-major runs to the Sweet Sixteen would douse perspectives like yours...obviously not. It's this same, tired old "BCS is God" rhetoric that will relegate the Valley to a one (max two) bid conference.

And the worst part of it is - Drake has had to win 21 STRAIGHT GAMES just to get on the radar. Personally, I don't think the 5 BCS teams you listed could play the same schedule and each end up on the winning end 21 times in a row. Agree to disagree, I suppose.

And the sad part of it is, once Drake loses - which very well may happen this week - doubters like you will be so very quick to point and say, "See I told you. They're not that good." Seriously, what's it going to take for the Valley to get an ounce of respect...

The funny thing is you think I don't respect the Valley. Funny a Panther fan trying to put down the Valley. I don't think so.

I don't think the 5 BCS teams you listed could play the same schedule and each end up on the winning end 21 times in a row.

You don't think UNC, Indiana, Texas, or A&M could run throught he Valley with the players they have? You seriously think that? Ok I'll let you have that opinion.

I'm just not sold on this team being #14 with more or less the same players as last year

I believe DRAKELAWPANTHER that you were the one to give up on this season for the Panthers and said there wasn't another game you saw us winning.

[jegbomb52]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Hey, I am not "confident" that we will win another game this year either. I hope we do but I wouldn't place money on the Panthers straight up with any one remaining game.

That being said, UNC, Indiana, Texas, or A&M would eventually even trip up to a "hot" drake team or a "riled up" Qwest Center. I am not trying to take away from these teams, I am just saying that 21 straight is tough, no matter who, what, when or where.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

I believe DRAKELAWPANTHER that you were the one to give up on this season for the Panthers and said there wasn't another game you saw us winning.

What's your point???? I'm not arguing the PANTHERS could beat those BCS schools right now. I'm arguing that DRAKE could. After all, last time I checked, the Panthers were not leading the Valley with a #6 RPI...

In years past - when UNI was ranked in the Top 25 - I would have argued then that UNI was capable of beating other Top 25 teams. You and Jim Nantz would have argued the opposite.

[Whitey81]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Flip side:
How do you NOT recognize what Drake has done YTD? Should they not be rated because they are in the Valley? They've won 21 games in a row against mostly other DI schools. Sure they will drop like a stone win they lose 1 game because they don't have the long history of basketball powers Kansas, Texas, UNC, Duke, etc. Would they beat everyone in the Big 10, Big 12. Doubtful. Would they be competitive, probably.

You play who's on your schedule. Enjoy the ride, enjoy the Valley attention and let's hope we beat them Saturday(then watch the talk about being over-rated...)

[panthertrack]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Drake had better hope they run the regular/MVC tourney table or they won't get a seed that will give them a chance to win an NCAA game.

They'll be one and done at best in the NCAA tourney. Still a heck of a step up from where things were a few years ago.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

I just think it's bad form - and a huge "dig" on the Valley - to say: nope, no way the best team in the Valley should be ranked so highly or could compete with other BCS schools.

[SteinPizza]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

I just think it's bad form - and a huge "dig" on the Valley - to say: nope, no way the best team in the Valley should be ranked so highly or could compete with other BCS schools.

Drakelaw, I see your point. I tend to somewhat side with those who argue against Drake's ranking, but only because the MVC is down this year. It's perfectly legit to ask the "who have they beaten" question this year. It doesn't help Drake's case that SIU's season has been a bust. If SIU was playing to their pre-season hype, it would give The Valley a credibility boost. That said, I'd love to see Drake do well in the tourney, and I hope they prove the above wrong.

[Whitey81]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

Drakelaw, I see your point. I tend to somewhat side with those who argue against Drake's ranking, but only because the MVC is down this year. It's perfectly legit to ask the "who have they beaten" question this year. It doesn't help Drake's case that SIU's season has been a bust. If SIU was playing to their pre-season hype, it would give The Valley a credibility boost. That said, I'd love to see Drake do well in the tourney, and I hope they prove the above wrong.

Well said!

[DancerHall Cat]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

But see, that's why I think the "experts" say the Valley is down this year...

Drake is a #3 seed in Lunardi's bracket today. He has Drake's record at 20-1 (and I know Drake has 2 non-D1 wins), but my question to Mr. Lunardi is this, "If Drake has lost one of those games...would he leave the loss off of the record?

It's little things like leaving two wins off of the record that the media does to lessen teams like Drake. It was a game, they had to come and play to win it...it should be counted.

1st - the RPI numbers suggest that the conference is down. Our numbers are not horrible, but they arent what they were our last 2 years. We sure liked to scream from the rooftops when we were the 6th best conference RPI-wise, but we don't bring it up in our comparisons with the "big-boys" now.

2nd, is Lunardi doing this ONLY to mid-majors? If not, you have no point.

EDIT: I will answer the 2nd question myself. On the right side of Lunardi's page is says that records are D-1 only. If we should count D-II then should we count D-III....NAIA.....a game against Valley? In each case, it would be a game, and they would "have to come and play to win it" To me it seems like, since this is a Division-I tournament he is projecting, D-I games are a logical place to draw the line. His system is neutral in that regard, and you are making an issue where there isn't one.

[DRAKELAWPANTHER]

Re: Could #14 Drake beat other ranked teams?

What is really happening is that Drake and Illinois State are emerging from the depths of the conference. On the surface, to the untrained eye, that means that the league is down. To people who watch the Valley religiously it means that those teams are finally catching up and making it harder to win in this conference.

You've absolutely hit the nail on the head.

And simply because the Valley's is "down" - a #8 RPI instead of #7 or 6 - shouldn't so heavily devalue a 21-game win streak...It's not like a down year in the Valley is comparable to playing high school teams or something...