#33 in USA Today ESPN coaches poll.....

[The Don]

I thought we would be higher.
Link:http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

[John C.]

So much for #65 as some would say of our NIT Championship.

I think the coaches had us lower all year.

[sheg]

Originally Posted by John C. I think the SIDs had us lower all year.

FYP

33rd feels about right. When you consider the top 48 or so teams are in the dance (plus 17 conference champs that aren't top 65 caliber), the selection committee said UD was about 58th (48 in NCAA plus 3 seed in NIT).

UD's run, coupled with some spectacular NCAA flameouts, puts them about 35th or so in any sane reckoning.

[San Diego Flyer]

I feel that's fair. None of the NIT teams we beat get to vote. A close look at the voters makes me wonder who might have even given us the 3. Not that we didn't deserve 3, but I don't see any of them throwing Dayton a bone.

Dana Altman, Phil Martellus, and Charlie Coles would have been the only voters that we played against. I don't see any of them being overly impressed with us.

[The Wright Stuff]

If you notice, UD is the ONLY team in the final poll not to make the NCAA Tournament. I think thats fairly significant from the standpoint of the respect UD gained from some coaches during the NIT Championship run. This to me also highlights the significance of the exposure UD received from playing all those games on ESPN in primetime.

[flyerfanatic86]

There are 32 teams that made it to the 2nd round of the tournament, so it seems like there is a good amount of respect considering that alone.

[Flyer'95]

Interestingly enough, we finished last season at #34 in the same poll, despite making the dance and winning a game as an underdog. So i guess the age old of question of whether winning the NIT is better for the program or going to the dance is better is still unanswered. It does, at the very least, seem to suggest that winning the NIT is better than losing the first round of the tourney. Winning a game in the tourney last year didn't seem to do anymore for us than winning the NIT this year.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

[Buster Goode]

I was hoping for higher, but this about right. I think many of us believe that if we took the floor against the 32 teams ranked higher than us right now, we could probably beat about half of them.

[CE80]

Originally Posted by Flyer'95 Interestingly enough, we finished last season at #34 in the same poll, despite making the dance and winning a game as an underdog. So i guess the age old of question of whether winning the NIT is better for the program or going to the dance is better is still unanswered. It does, at the very least, seem to suggest that winning the NIT is better than losing the first round of the tourney. Winning a game in the tourney last year didn't seem to do anymore for us than winning the NIT this year. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

I guess I have to give credit to 3 coaches that view winning 5 straight games (only 1 at home) against some pretty good competition, as an accomplishment.

Personally, I do think this years team was a bit better than last year's team when all was said and done.

[UDDoug]

Originally Posted by Flyer'95 It does, at the very least, seem to suggest that winning the NIT is better than losing the first round of the tourney. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

I agree with that. While few remember the NIT winner after several months, even fewer remember second round losers in the NCAA. I'd peg an NIT championship and a sweet 16 appearance as close to equivalent in terms of short-term recognition. Longer term not sure either matters much, that comes from consistent NCAA appearances and advancement. Not individual year accomplishments, short of a Final 4.

[UDan71]

I agree with UDDoug.

It seems that long term accomplishments carry a lot of weight with coaches - not just one good year. And WHEN you play well - in your league and certainly in the Big Dance.

When you look at that list of top 25 teams, UD lost to #7, went 1-2 (including 25-point win) against #14, lost to # 16 by one at their place, lost to #26 and beat #27. If we can get one or two more victories over that caliber of school next year, our portfolio will begin to look like a solid, consistent, year-to-year program and not just a flash-in-the-pan one which had one class of talented players who made a couple-year run.

Three points is disappointing, though. But not surprising.