2024 Check the Net Preseason Rankings

This week on Check the Net, Impact89’s College Basketball Podcast, join Colin, Kylee, and Eli as they make and explain the 2024 Check the Net Preseason Rankings! Follow along with the official rankings as you listen on the Impact 89FM website!

Creators and Guests

Host

Colin Pearson

Host of the Check The Net Podcast, featuring all things NCAA basketball

EF

Host

Eli Flikkema

Host

Kylee Tabler

msu jmc’26

What is Check the Net on Impact 89FM?

Are you a fan of college hoops? Check the Net is a podcast that covers everything about the world of college basketball. Whether it is discussions regarding top teams and weekly rankings, updates on transfer portal and coaching news, or commentary on the latest major stories from around the game, Check the Net has got you covered. The podcast covers both men’s and women’s basketball across all Division I conferences. Check the Net is available through Impact 89FM’s website, as well as via all major audio platforms.

Kylee: 00:00

Welcome back to Check the Net, Impact 80 nine's men's and women's college basketball podcast. I am your host, Kylie Tabler, and I am joined yet again today by my friends, Collin Pearson and Eli Flickama. Wahoo. Welcome.

Eli: 00:13

We're back in the studio, peeps.

Colin: 00:15

Yay. Back from fall break.

Eli: 00:17

I've missed it dearly. This is Mahogany, and we're back.

Kylee: 00:23

I've I've missed my yap sesh. I scheduled the yap sesh every Wednesday.

Colin: 00:28

I know. Last week was rough, man. Midterms.

Eli: 00:31

It was yeah. Yeah. I I'm sure Kylie hated turning 21.

Kylee: 00:35

Aging was crazy.

Eli: 00:38

Kylie's old now. She's older. She's wiser. She's here to guide us through her women's basketball top 5.

Kylee: 00:44

Know if wiser is the correct way to describe me.

Eli: 00:47

But So this is a bad top 5?

Kylee: 00:49

No. It is a very accurate top 5 and should be the standard of top 5.

Colin: 00:53

I'd mostly agree with your top 5, so

Eli: 00:55

I'll I'll we'll get to your top 5 in a minute.

Colin: 00:57

But, Kylie, what you got?

Kylee: 00:59

Yeah. Yeah. So so my top 5 and number 1, I obviously have South Carolina, my my Queens over there. Nothing nothing

Eli: 01:08

hiring Asia Wilson's jersey this year?

Kylee: 01:10

I believe so.

Eli: 01:11

They are. Yeah.

Kylee: 01:12

Good for them. Nothing gonna break my stride. Love South Carolina. Love Don Staley. They lost one player, and they reloaded.

Kylee: 01:18

So here we go. Number 2, I have USC. You know? Again, a very lit up roster.

Eli: 01:26

JT very often.

Kylee: 01:27

Yep. Yep. They're gonna be crazy. They got 2 pre preseason AP all Americans on their team. Just absolutely insane.

Kylee: 01:34

Number 3, I have Yukon. I believe in the the Paige the Paige Becker senior year magic that's gonna be occurring, and I'm super duper excited for, to get to see her play again this year. Number 4, I have Texas. I think they're gonna be good. Definitely gonna be strong.

Kylee: 01:51

The they also have an AP, preseason all American as does Yukon. And then at 5, I have Notre Dame. Again, another team with a preseason all American, in Hannah Hidalgo, but I think they'd be very good, and I think the actual AP top 25 snuffed them a little bit.

Colin: 02:07

So Yeah. I mean, that's real. I mean, I my top 5 is very, very similar. Yeah. I also have South Carolina at 1.

Colin: 02:14

I flip flopped UConn and USC from yours. I have UConn at 2, Paige Becker's senior season. I have USC at 3. You know, they're 2 all American preseason players. They're insane.

Colin: 02:27

I put Notre Dame at 4 because Hidalgo,

Kylee: 02:31

Crazy.

Colin: 02:31

You know, especially in that, you know, sophomore season, little bit more experienced. She was gonna be insane. Oh, yeah. Just like she was all season last year. And then I look at number 5 Texas.

Colin: 02:44

You know, they're just a great team. Very strong all around.

Eli: 02:47

Mhmm.

Colin: 02:48

But really hard to argue with them being up

Kylee: 02:50

there.

Eli: 02:50

I feel

Kylee: 02:50

like for the most part, these 5 teams, you can kind of shuffle around a little bit. They're all extremely gonna be extremely talented, and they're all, like, you know, they're gonna be very great games to watch.

Colin: 02:58

Oh, for sure. I think the I think one of the best parts about it is we have a lot of representation from a lot of different conferences here.

Eli: 03:05

Mhmm.

Colin: 03:06

You know, we've got, you know, for the 2 of us, we've got 2 big 12 teams. We've got a big east, a big 10, and an ACC. Yeah. Like, it's just very spread out. And then Eli, not to spoil anything, but he has a big 12 in there.

Colin: 03:18

And frankly, I considered putting him in there as well. So Yeah.

Eli: 03:22

I am breaking with the other 2 a little bit, and I'm having USC headline myself.

Colin: 03:27

South Carolina. Right?

Eli: 03:28

No. The the the real one.

Kylee: 03:30

The so

Eli: 03:31

The University of Southern California. I I just think it's so hard to argue with a team that has 2 out of 5 of the preseason APL Americans, and they're going to be the ones starting every single game on that court for the Trojans. And just as the other team, whether you're home, away, neutral, that's just gonna be in the back of your head for the week leading up to that game. And I I just think that that intimidation factor on top of how incredible they're gonna be on the court, there's really nobody else I can pick. But South Carolina is right in there at number 2.

Eli: 04:02

Yep. Because I mean, I I couldn't leave them out. Nightmare.

Kylee: 04:06

Real.

Colin: 04:07

But I

Eli: 04:09

like Kylie said, they're poised to just come back and do the exact same thing again.

Kylee: 04:13

Mhmm. Yes.

Eli: 04:15

I I I actually have Texas higher than either of the other 2. I have them in at number 3.

Colin: 04:19

Very interesting. Mhmm.

Eli: 04:21

I think that they're going to really make a splash in their 1st season in the SEC. Mhmm. I think a lot of SEC women's basketball has just really isn't ready to deal with big 12 women's basketball, kind of like we're gonna see on the men's side as well. And then I have Yukon at 4, ready for Paige Bikers to break out. And then at 5th, I have Iowa State, who is also my pick to win the Big 12.

Eli: 04:44

I honestly think Audi Crook was kind of snubbed for the preseason APL American, and I think they're going to be really, really huge in the Big 12, especially without the pressure of Texas. Yeah. I just don't see anybody really getting in their way until the tournament.

Colin: 05:00

Yeah. Especially without Texas. I think that's a great, great piece to bring up because, on the women's side, especially Texas and Oklahoma were easily the 2 best challengers in the big twelve. Mhmm. You know, Baylor's obviously up there and a few other teams, and we'll talk about that when we go through our top 25.

Colin: 05:16

But, realistically, Iowa State's got a lot less competition this year. And so, you know, going into this season, they're gonna have a nice easy way to the top of the big 12.

Eli: 05:27

I don't know if it's gonna be easy.

Colin: 05:29

Easier than it has been.

Kylee: 05:31

Yeah. Easy is, like, an understatement, but I wanted to touch on when you said, Audi Crooks getting snubbed for the a AP preseason all American. I I agree not necessarily about her being snubbed. I agree about some other people being snubbed specifically from South Carolina. Like, Tianina Pow Pow being snubbed from that Yeah.

Kylee: 05:51

Order specifically or Raymond Johnson or any of those, insanely, like, impactful players that were on that team last year. None of them being an AP, all American preseason, I think, is insane.

Colin: 06:04

At the same time, who would you remove from that list?

Kylee: 06:07

Kihei Arafon. No.

Colin: 06:08

Yes. Really? Correct. I I disagree. I think she's Who would you remove?

Eli: 06:13

Who would

Kylee: 06:13

you remove? That's who I that's who

Eli: 06:14

think it's perfect?

Kylee: 06:15

That's who I would remove.

Colin: 06:16

I just I don't know who you would put above those players. And so it that in my mind, at least, you know, It's not that I completely agree. I think there's a lot of players that could have made that list.

Kylee: 06:27

I think I think Kiara often is very talented. I think she's gonna have a very good season this year. I think based off of what was last year, it was all Cameron Brink who did a lot of legwork for that team at Stanford. So I think get, like, get I think not giving someone on that national championship team a spot there when they all had very insane games. Like, Tina and Papa had, like, the high the highest 3 point percentage In the country.

Kylee: 06:50

Yeah. In the country.

Eli: 06:51

Yeah.

Kylee: 06:51

So I think snuffing some people like that, I think, is

Eli: 06:55

That's a reasonable team. Yeah. Perfect season

Kylee: 06:58

Mhmm.

Eli: 06:59

And then only loses one player. It it wasn't all her.

Kylee: 07:03

And it wasn't because, to be fair, Camila Cardoso loved her. She really did not have many breakout games. Like, she the her main thing was cleaning up the boards. Like, she didn't score a whole lot. Like, she was, I mean, scoring

Eli: 07:15

crucial for South Carolina, but so was everybody else.

Kylee: 07:19

Exactly.

Colin: 07:19

And I think that's why you can't, you know, pick 1 or 2 for that AP All American. You really don't know which one of them is going to shine.

Eli: 07:28

Mhmm. You don't think there was enough of a standout?

Colin: 07:30

I don't think there was enough of a standout.

Kylee: 07:32

I do. But that's just me personally.

Colin: 07:34

You know, they're all just such important players to that team. Mhmm. But, you know, they all had their ups and downs all throughout the season and just picked up where each other left off.

Kylee: 07:43

Yeah. But that at the same time too, Kiki Aroffin was hidden behind Cameron Brink last year.

Colin: 07:48

Look. South Carolina, easily the best team. Yeah. But I totally get why the AP didn't put any players on that. That's just impressive.

Colin: 07:56

In my opinion.

Eli: 07:57

Speaking speaking of easily the best team, we're gonna get into our consensus top 25.

Colin: 08:02

Yeah. So

Kylee: 08:03

we're gonna go side by side.

Colin: 08:05

Our The AP.

Eli: 08:06

I I think we can go in bunches. Okay. Our our top 25 consensus actually perfectly mirrors Kylie's top 25. So it's

Colin: 08:13

It does. South

Eli: 08:14

Carolina, USC, Yukon, Texas, and then Notre Dame.

Kylee: 08:18

Yeah. Such a win over here. I got the right picks.

Colin: 08:21

That's not how that works.

Kylee: 08:22

That is. That is. But the AP top 25 has South Carolina, Yukon, USC, Texas, and UCLA, which, well, I think UCLA is gonna be good. I don't think they're gonna be better than Notre Dame.

Colin: 08:35

Yeah. We have Which is why

Eli: 08:36

for us, UCLA slots in at number 6. Yeah.

Colin: 08:39

Yeah. And on theirs, Notre Dame slots in at 6. It's really not that big of a switch. And then 7 and 8 for us versus the AP, we also switched. We put Iowa State above LSU.

Eli: 08:50

Mhmm. I

Colin: 08:51

think there's kind of that general consensus that Iowa State is just little bit of a better team this year

Eli: 08:57

Mhmm.

Colin: 08:57

Especially with some of the struggles LSU had in the season last year.

Eli: 09:01

LSU is gonna get a little battered this year, and I'm not sure they're ready for that.

Colin: 09:05

I agree. Especially, you know, the SEC somehow just got harder even Yeah. You know, with Texas and Oklahoma added. Speaking of Oklahoma, our next, like, door mirror the AP exactly.

Eli: 09:15

Mhmm.

Colin: 09:16

It's NC State, Oklahoma, Duke, and Baylor.

Kylee: 09:18

Yeah.

Eli: 09:18

And, Trevor, we we debated about these. We did not copy them over verbatim. We we were shuffling these around until we found an arrangement that looked right to us.

Kylee: 09:28

Like, as you as you see when we get to the men's side where we really do some damage to what the AP did because it's

Colin: 09:32

home. Absolutely.

Kylee: 09:33

We did. We the the AP top 25 for the women's side is typically pretty consistent or, like, we're swapping some very little.

Eli: 09:41

The the women's women's college basketball tends to have a lot more separation Mhmm. Between talent levels, between player levels. So it's it makes the AP voters job just that little bit easier.

Colin: 09:53

Yeah. Yeah. And it makes our jobs a little bit easier too if we're

Eli: 09:55

being honest.

Colin: 09:57

Mhmm. We do get a few mix ups coming down the stretch here

Eli: 10:01

after the vote. At 13th, we have Louisville.

Colin: 10:04

Yeah. Yeah. Who, the AP poll has at 17th. Mhmm. We bumped him way up because realistically, Louisville has some of the best recruits in the country.

Colin: 10:14

They have some great transfers, and they're kinda posed for a breakout season, a little bit more than some of the teams we put them above, like Kansas State at 14, Ohio State 15.

Kylee: 10:24

Mhmm.

Colin: 10:25

And that's North Carolina 16. Yeah. Louisville just seems to be that better team.

Eli: 10:30

Mhmm.

Colin: 10:30

The AP had those teams all above Louisville.

Eli: 10:33

The AP has those teams 13, 14th, and 15th with West Virginia in at 16th.

Colin: 10:38

Yeah. And, we dropped West Virginia down to 18th.

Eli: 10:41

Just below Indiana.

Colin: 10:43

Yeah. We brought Indiana up, and, that was in part because of my arguing. I will take full responsibility for that.

Eli: 10:48

Colin picked Indiana to win the Big 10.

Colin: 10:50

He did. I did. And I still believe in them. You can go listen back to that episode for a little bit more reasoning, little bit more depth on that.

Kylee: 10:57

Yeah. The reasoning's not good.

Eli: 10:59

We we don't believe in them.

Kylee: 11:00

We don't understand.

Colin: 11:01

But But

Kylee: 11:02

we don't understand how picking one of them, not picking one of the LA teams.

Colin: 11:05

Indiana is 25th on the AP poll, and I think they are way better than that.

Eli: 11:10

The AP voters have Maryland in at 18th, while we drop them to 19th. Yep. And then our first big shakeup over the AP poll, we have Columbia out of the Ivy League in at 20th.

Colin: 11:21

Yeah. I think that, you know, that might surprise some of our listeners, who are not as regular listeners. If you're a regular listener, you know we love the Ivy League.

Eli: 11:30

We love the Ivy League. Oh, I

Colin: 11:31

love it. Realistically, Colombia was one of the best teams in the country last year and probably should've gotten a bid to the tournament even though They did. Or they did. Yeah.

Kylee: 11:41

They got

Colin: 11:41

But they probably could have gotten a they did get an at

Kylee: 11:43

large bid.

Colin: 11:44

They got an at large bid.

Kylee: 11:45

Princeton, everything on top. Yeah. Was it Princeton got the

Colin: 11:48

got the Correct. Tournament bid. Columbia got the at large.

Eli: 11:51

Columbia got the last four in

Colin: 11:52

there. And Columbia recruited some extra players.

Eli: 11:55

We believe in Ivy League Ivy League basketball,

Kylee: 11:57

you guys. Y'all need to hype on the hop on the hype train, for real.

Eli: 12:01

Hop on the Ivy train.

Colin: 12:02

Yeah. And, I don't believe Columbia even received any votes. Princeton received one vote. Yeah. In the AP pool

Eli: 12:09

Yeah.

Colin: 12:09

And that was the only Ivy League team. And, frankly,

Eli: 12:12

Cleveland the IVs.

Colin: 12:13

Realistically is a better team.

Eli: 12:14

The the AP pool has Florida State and Ole Miss in the 19th 20th by comparison. We dropped Florida State to 21st ahead of Creighton at 22nd and Gonzaga at 23rd.

Kylee: 12:26

And we dropped out Ole Miss because dropped Ole Miss completely. You in there?

Colin: 12:29

Yep. Couldn't tell you. Realistically, in the SEC, Ole Miss is not gonna make a dent. No. No.

Colin: 12:36

That's the biggest issue. They might be a great team in, like, some other conference, but in the in the SEC with

Eli: 12:42

so much strength above it above them,

Colin: 12:44

I don't think they deserve to be ranked simply because their strength to schedule is gonna be too hard.

Kylee: 12:49

They're gonna suffer too many blows to their record.

Colin: 12:51

It's just not gonna

Eli: 12:52

be a lot. Of the SEC, the voters closed out their last 5 with Creighton at 20th followed by Kentucky, Nebraska, Alabama, and Indiana.

Kylee: 13:01

That's not what ours is.

Colin: 13:03

Guess what? We dropped Kentucky. We dropped Nebraska.

Eli: 13:06

Yeah. And we dropped Alabama.

Colin: 13:07

We dropped Alabama. And we moved Indiana way up, but that's a whole another story. Yeah. We dropped those in favor of 3 teams that we thought were just a lot better and completely underrepresented in the AP pool. Mhmm.

Colin: 13:22

You know, Creighton, obviously, we dropped to 22. That's fine. Florida State, we had dropped to 21. Gonzaga, we dropped to or we brought up to 23rd. They were unranked.

Colin: 13:32

They received 16 votes only in the a people. Crazy. But they're Gonzaga. And that women's team, I mean, we all

Eli: 13:38

picked them in the conference. For the

Colin: 13:39

West Coast

Kylee: 13:40

Conference. They're gonna win the West Coast Conference again. Yeah. And it's not gonna be a discussion.

Eli: 13:44

And it won't be close. Right.

Colin: 13:45

No. And they're gonna have some good games against some other teams that I think they can win. Mhmm. I don't remember their nonconference schedule. I'm gonna look that up real quick.

Kylee: 13:55

Yeah. But But then so at 24, while Colin is searching for that, we threw in TCU. I think it's absolutely insanity that the AP pool did not put in TCU, especially with, the inclusion of Hailey Van Lyth on their team.

Colin: 14:09

Oh, it absolutely is. Yeah.

Kylee: 14:10

So I think it's absolutely bonkers.

Eli: 14:12

30 votes for TCU, second team out.

Kylee: 14:14

Yes. So I But with

Colin: 14:16

Hailey Van Lyth and some of the other talent I mean, TCU last year

Kylee: 14:20

They're they're they should be injury free.

Colin: 14:23

TCU last year had to forfeit games and do open tryouts because they had so many injuries.

Eli: 14:29

Yeah.

Colin: 14:29

They were almost undefeated before that point. They were top 5 in the country.

Kylee: 14:33

Yeah. They were ranked up they were up there.

Colin: 14:35

You know? So

Kylee: 14:36

I feel as if it's really not smart to put them out. Realistically, we

Colin: 14:41

probably could have put them above 24 because we know the talent on that team. The only issue is the potential for injury. You know?

Kylee: 14:48

We just need to see production. Yeah.

Eli: 14:49

Just like the voters, we're waiting to see them prove themselves. Is TCU back?

Kylee: 14:53

We just gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Colin: 14:55

We gave him a little bit

Eli: 14:56

more benefit of the doubt.

Colin: 14:58

And finally, at 25th back to Gonzaga for a

Eli: 15:01

second because

Colin: 15:02

You'll have to wait. They're nonconference. Stanford and Florida State are both on that schedule, and I think those are 2 teams they can kinda show off against. I really

Kylee: 15:10

think they can definitely

Colin: 15:11

show off against Stanford.

Eli: 15:13

Both of those teams.

Kylee: 15:13

Yeah. And I think Florida State is gonna be a very good game.

Colin: 15:16

Realistically, those are their best two games their best two opponents. They play like Cal and Wyoming and a few others as well. But I think, Stanford and Florida State, if they could be either or both of those teams, that's a great showing for Gonzaga. Yeah. Absolutely.

Colin: 15:33

And then moving to 25.

Eli: 15:35

Eli Drumroll, please.

Colin: 15:37

Would you like to do the honors?

Eli: 15:38

Darlings of last season's last a people, it's the MAAC champions, Fairfield. Yeah. Alright.

Kylee: 15:47

Let's punch the mic. 30 winning

Eli: 15:50

team last year. Checked in at 25th in the last 8 people.

Kylee: 15:53

Yep. Yep. Yep. And only received 3 votes from the 8 people.

Eli: 15:56

Ridiculous.

Kylee: 15:56

What are you doing?

Colin: 15:57

Especially being ranked 25th in the at the end of last season.

Kylee: 16:00

Yeah. What are you doing? Like like, what's that all about? I'm sorry. They just don't.

Colin: 16:05

They were ranked at the end of last season.

Eli: 16:07

They had They lost loss?

Colin: 16:09

They lost, yeah, one loss in the season. They lost 1 player, brought in a bunch of great players. I mean, this

Kylee: 16:15

It's because the a people hate small conferences.

Colin: 16:18

They do. They absolutely do. But we love them.

Eli: 16:20

But we love them.

Colin: 16:21

We pay attention. You know? And Fairfield deserves that ranking at 25th. I don't think they deserve to go any higher than that at this point because they haven't proven themselves.

Eli: 16:30

If they, like, beat a p 5 team Yeah.

Kylee: 16:33

Then, yes.

Colin: 16:34

And they have some they have some good teams coming up on their schedule too, I believe.

Kylee: 16:37

Right. Well, Colin looks up another schedule.

Eli: 16:39

Let's talk about that. The honorable mention.

Kylee: 16:41

I heard Yes. Yeah.

Eli: 16:42

The a the a people's first five teams out were Iowa, TCU, Utah, Illinois, and Stanford.

Kylee: 16:49

Yeah. Yes. So I feel as if Iowa was a fair one. We didn't write them down, but I feel like Iowa is a fair honorable mention. We had South South Dakota State.

Kylee: 16:57

We had Toledo. Woo hoo. And then we had, Michigan State who

Eli: 17:02

green.

Kylee: 17:03

Go white, who did receive 16 votes, the same as Gonzaga from the AP poll. So it's I think it's very fair assumption. We might be seeing our Spartans at some point ranked to the top 25.

Colin: 17:13

Our hesitation there was, I think just counteracting our own bias.

Kylee: 17:18

Yeah. We can't we can't throw Michigan State up at number 1.

Colin: 17:22

We know we're biased. But we've also seen that team play in a, you know, a scrimmage, and they hit almost every 3 they they took. Looked really good. They looked really, really good.

Kylee: 17:31

We've got a lot of new players, a lot of new actors coming in this year. So I think

Colin: 17:35

Speaking of new players, Eli, you wanna talk about our top new player?

Eli: 17:39

Emma Shumate. She's gonna be so gut.

Colin: 17:43

Yeah. Transferring from Ohio State last year, she was a star in the Big 10.

Eli: 17:47

I can't wait to watch her in 2 weeks when she scores, like, 25 points against D Mercy or whoever we're exhibitionarians.

Colin: 17:53

Yikes. Oakland. Exact and, Wayne State, I believe. Exactly. Wayne State's on Monday.

Eli: 17:58

In? Like, this Monday. And we'll be there.

Colin: 18:00

I plan on being there.

Eli: 18:01

I'll be there.

Colin: 18:02

So, that'll be a lot of fun. Fairfield, yeah, they, they play, like, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, Villanova, Saint John's.

Eli: 18:12

That's that's what being a 31 team and getting ranked last season will give you your score.

Kylee: 18:16

That would be a good game.

Colin: 18:17

Yeah. So those will be some good games for them. Obviously, no rankings.

Eli: 18:21

Expect them to win all of those games, but speak for yourself.

Kylee: 18:25

They could. They very well did.

Colin: 18:27

Think they could. I think they very much could.

Eli: 18:30

Yeah. Fairfield Fairfielders, if you're listening to this, we're rooting for you.

Kylee: 18:34

We you I'm sending you all my positive energy, so don't worry. Alright. Alright. Should we go on to the absolute dumpster fire of a

Eli: 18:41

of men's race? Men.

Kylee: 18:43

Alright. It's a lot less it's a lot less satisfying than what we just went through and a lot more frustrating. So I'll start with my personal top five. So at number 1, I have Yukon. I'm sorry.

Kylee: 18:54

Like, how can you

Colin: 18:55

Oh, no.

Kylee: 18:56

How can you not have the number 1 t the the team who won the national champion back to back? I

Colin: 19:02

don't cannot.

Kylee: 19:02

I don't care how many, like, people they lost.

Eli: 19:04

We'll get to you.

Kylee: 19:06

I don't I don't care. It's it's the Dan it's the Dan Hurley project or the Dan Hurley system. He's coming for a 3 p, and you can't tell me they don't have a really, really good chance of 3 peeting. Do I think it'll be as dominant of a performance as they did last year? Absolutely not.

Kylee: 19:19

But I think, as of right now, they have a decent possibility. Again, this is before I've watched them play any basketball. Alright. And number 2, I have Houston. You know, I hate ranking them this high too, but, you know, I just you you gotta.

Kylee: 19:31

Unfortunately, you gotta. Number 3, I have Alabama. You know, scoring a lot really does win basketball games, unfortunately. Number 4, I have Duke. Again, I'm hyping I'm hopping on the Cooper flag hype train, but Duke also has a lot of other players.

Kylee: 19:48

Great new recruits coming in. Great players returning. They're gonna be a they're gonna be a tough team to to play and to watch this year. And then I've got UNC at number 5. Again, I hate, I hate, I hate.

Kylee: 20:00

However, you you gotta you gotta look at who they have, and you gotta, you know, just say yes. RJ Davis coming back for for for his final season. So gotta give it up for him.

Colin: 20:09

Eli, I'll let you go next.

Eli: 20:11

Okay. I also have Yukon at number 1 because the only reason Den Hurley isn't the head coach of the Lakers right now is because he wants a 3rd ring.

Kylee: 20:19

Yep. Yep.

Eli: 20:20

I think

Colin: 20:20

you could've gotten one with Lakers too, but that's

Kylee: 20:22

No. He could not have. Point. No. That's the worst job in the world.

Colin: 20:26

True. Anyway, continue, Eli. Eli just gave me an example.

Eli: 20:31

At number 2 because, like Kylie said, I scoring scoring does win basketball games. And I I know they're getting kind of a lot of love in the AP, but I don't think the SEC is as strong of a conference this year as it was last year. No. And I don't think Alabama's gonna have to face that much competition. So and at 3rd, I have Iowa State because I believe in the Cyclones.

Eli: 20:55

They are right now top 10 in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball. Just all all sports schools

Kylee: 21:03

I will love. I will love.

Eli: 21:05

4th, I have Houston. I I think the battle between those two schools is gonna be just as incredible for the big 12 championship as it was last year. Yep. And then at 5th, I have Gonzaga. I just think that they've reconstructed so, so well.

Eli: 21:19

And with a little bigger of a West Coast conference this year, little stronger reschedule, I think they're one of the best teams in the country.

Colin: 21:25

Yeah. I I can definitely agree with Gonzaga. As for Kylie's picks, I agree with a single team. Eli's picks, I agree with, what, 2 teams?

Kylee: 21:36

Colin is coming out of left field here.

Colin: 21:39

So here's the thing. I think I think the top 2 teams in the country are big 12 teams. Which ones I I picked Kansas when I did my big twelve rankings, which Shame. Makes me feel obligated to say Kansas 1. Shame.

Colin: 21:56

That could easily be Houston. That could be my number 2 pick, the Iowa State. I think top 2 teams in the country are big 12.

Eli: 22:03

I could easily be convinced of that. I'm just not convinced that Kansas is one of them.

Colin: 22:08

I do think Kansas is one of them.

Kylee: 22:09

I'm not convinced of that.

Colin: 22:11

But That's that's my opinion. Number 3, I agree the SEC looks kinda weak.

Eli: 22:17

Mhmm.

Colin: 22:17

But I don't think Alabama's winning it. I think Tennessee has that one in the bag.

Kylee: 22:22

They're gonna miss Dalton Connect for

Colin: 22:24

a They are going to miss Dalton Connect for, you know, a lot. But, that is a team that plays a lot of good good basketball. They do.

Kylee: 22:33

They do.

Colin: 22:33

I'm not too worried about them. I have them at 3. I agree with Kylie, UNC. You know, you gotta look at the players. You gotta look at the stats.

Colin: 22:40

UNC is at my number 4, and Gonzaga, you know, that West Coast Conference has got nothing on that team.

Kylee: 22:46

Yeah. No. Not even close. Yeah.

Colin: 22:50

You can't argue with Gonzaga. Like No. I get it. Some of their preseason games are gonna be tough, but Yeah.

Kylee: 22:56

They've got a good they've got a pretty good

Colin: 22:57

Like, they've got preseason schedule. They've got Baylor. They've got San Diego State. They've got Kentucky and Yukon Oh. And UCLA.

Kylee: 23:06

These are those are those are some really, really good games

Colin: 23:08

to watch. Nonconference games. They play a lot of teams.

Kylee: 23:11

Oh, yeah.

Colin: 23:12

You gotta also remember Saint Mary's is always good. Mhmm. You know, and the West Coast Conference added Oregon State and Washington State who lost everyone, but that doesn't mean they can't be good.

Kylee: 23:23

I think that does. That that exactly that's exactly what that equates to.

Colin: 23:28

Okay. Fine.

Kylee: 23:29

They're not they're not bringing any new challengers is what I'm gonna say.

Colin: 23:33

That's that's fair. Yes. So I have Gonzaga at 5. Yeah. Shall we go to our consensus?

Colin: 23:39

Because

Kylee: 23:39

Yes. It it's it's it's real. It's a little bit messy in your

Eli: 23:43

case. We

Kylee: 23:44

we're about to go 1 by 1 to explain. Like, it's about to be bad. So starting at Do

Colin: 23:49

we even wanna compare with the AP? Because it's just so different.

Kylee: 23:52

Yes. I need people to know how much smarter we are than the AP people.

Eli: 23:56

Kylie, lead take us take us away.

Kylee: 23:58

Yes. So Take it away. Number 1, we have Yukon. They have Kansas. So dumb.

Kylee: 24:03

Number 2, we have Hold on. Yeah.

Colin: 24:05

Who else says Kansas?

Kylee: 24:06

You heard me. You heard what I said. Yeah. Number 2, we have Houston. They have Alabama.

Kylee: 24:12

Okay. Fine.

Colin: 24:13

They have Houston at 4.

Kylee: 24:14

And if Houston at 4, we have Alabama at 4, so it trades out. Yep. At number 3, we have Iowa State. At number 3, they have Yukon.

Eli: 24:22

They

Colin: 24:22

have Iowa State at 5.

Kylee: 24:23

And we have Kansas at 5. So they we just kinda flipped around.

Eli: 24:28

Top 5. They're just kind of wrong.

Kylee: 24:29

Yeah. So at 6, we both have Gonzaga.

Colin: 24:32

Yep.

Kylee: 24:32

So at 7, they have Duke. We have North Carolina.

Colin: 24:36

Yep.

Kylee: 24:37

Yep. At 8, we have Tennessee. They have Baylor. Interesting. At 9, we have Duke, and they have North Carolina.

Colin: 24:45

Yeah. So we swapped Duke and North Carolina. One team in between. Honestly, they could have been right next to each other. They're both gonna be about the same level this year.

Kylee: 24:53

They're both gonna be very good.

Colin: 24:55

Top ten talent. You know? They're gonna

Kylee: 24:56

be fun to watch face off for sure.

Colin: 25:00

Due to Kylie's,

Kylee: 25:01

Number 10, we have Creighton. Yep. I'm a Creighton believer over here.

Colin: 25:05

Kylie had a lot of faith in Creighton.

Kylee: 25:07

I still have a lot of faith

Eli: 25:08

in Creighton.

Colin: 25:09

Up to 10. Correct. I don't have quite that much faith. I would've put him around that, like, 13, 14, 15. AP has him at 15.

Colin: 25:18

I think that's a pretty reasonable spot for Creighton. Personally

Eli: 25:21

Nope. 10.

Kylee: 25:22

10. But 10. 10. 10.

Eli: 25:24

Consensus says 10.

Kylee: 25:25

Consensus says 10. They beat UConn last year in season. I have faith. Ryan Calcater's back again.

Eli: 25:31

We have Baylor at 11.

Kylee: 25:32

We do Baylor at 11.

Eli: 25:33

And the a people has Auburn who, we have not deigned to put within our top 15.

Kylee: 25:40

Yeah. But they also have Arizona at 10, and we have Arizona at 14. Yeah. So, I mean, move them down a little. They, you know, they lost, is it Armando Balo?

Kylee: 25:51

Yes. He's at Indiana, LOL.

Colin: 25:53

Speaking of Indiana.

Kylee: 25:54

We have them at 13, and we have Purdue at 12 and Baylor at 11.

Colin: 25:58

So, yeah, Baylor at 11, I think, makes a lot of sense. Big 12, you know, they're gonna be good in the big 12. Big 12's such a good conference. Yes. They gotta be competitive.

Colin: 26:06

11. Arizona, also big 12. That's weird to say. Ew.

Kylee: 26:10

It's gross.

Colin: 26:11

I hated that.

Eli: 26:12

I can't wait for Arizona to be

Colin: 26:13

someone to talk about. Excited, but I hated it. I, you know, I hated saying that.

Eli: 26:17

And then we've we

Colin: 26:18

have 1213. Can we talk about Purdue and Indiana right next to each other for a second?

Kylee: 26:22

The in state rivalry.

Colin: 26:24

Because

Eli: 26:25

Also our first big ten teams.

Kylee: 26:26

Yes. Yeah.

Colin: 26:27

The first big ten team in the a people is Purdue at 14.

Kylee: 26:31

Yeah. We have a little more faith in the big 10

Eli: 26:33

than them. They have Purdue behind number 12 Tennessee and number 13 Texas A and M.

Kylee: 26:38

Because where? Who? We

Colin: 26:41

dropped Texas A and M completely out. Yeah.

Eli: 26:44

We don't believe in the Aggies.

Kylee: 26:45

We do not, and I feel as if that's

Eli: 26:47

the area. Proven themselves to us or to anyone.

Kylee: 26:50

No. Apparently, the AP poll believe in that magic. I do not.

Colin: 26:54

Yep. They didn't, you know, they didn't get a lot of new players. They didn't have a lot of great players last year. Like, they had they were good. They were a tournament team that had a win.

Kylee: 27:03

You get a win against Nebraska, and all of a sudden, you're ranked 13th in the country. Like like, come on. Come on. That makes no sense.

Eli: 27:11

Yeah. We we beat an SEC

Colin: 27:13

team, Texas.

Eli: 27:13

We beat an SEC team in the 1st round. Why aren't we top 10?

Kylee: 27:16

That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying.

Colin: 27:19

Want to be top

Kylee: 27:19

10 again. Better this year.

Colin: 27:21

I don't wanna be top 10 again.

Kylee: 27:23

I think it's a really good thing we're not ranked.

Colin: 27:25

I agree.

Kylee: 27:25

So we'll get into that later.

Eli: 27:27

Rounding out our top 15, we have Texas. We I think we believe in Longhorn Basketball just a little bit more than the voters do. They have them down at 19th.

Colin: 27:36

And I think that's mostly because in the SEC, that big twelve style of play is gonna essentially dominate. Yeah. And so, you know, Texas, I think, is better than 19 where the AP has them. I still don't know if I would put them above Tennessee or Alabama, but, like, they're gonna be 3rd and Yeah.

Kylee: 27:53

They're still gonna be good. Solidly. Yeah. So a a a team we have that is not in the AP poll.

Colin: 28:00

Yeah. Our first our first addition to the AP poll is

Kylee: 28:04

at 16. We have Illinois.

Colin: 28:06

I I feel like that one goes without saying. The AP had them at 26th. They were the 1st team out, and I think they're, like, realistically, they're a good team.

Eli: 28:14

I I think we all believe that the big ten is gonna come down to Purdue, Indiana, and Illinois. So

Kylee: 28:19

Those are our 3

Colin: 28:20

Yep.

Kylee: 28:21

Picks to win.

Eli: 28:22

So I think Those are

Colin: 28:23

3 ranked big 10 teams.

Eli: 28:25

It's egregious that the a people has UCLA and Rutgers ahead of Illinois.

Kylee: 28:31

Yeah. Which is nasty. Yeah. What is

Colin: 28:33

that all about?

Kylee: 28:35

We'll get to that too. Don't worry. And 17,

Colin: 28:39

this one hurt all of us a little bit because I don't think any of us really wanted them here, but No. It feels like they deserve to be somewhere in the AP or in our pool.

Kylee: 28:48

I mean, I don't

Colin: 28:49

think so, but pop off. Auburn at 17th for us.

Kylee: 28:53

Yeah. After that first round exit to Yale, they really belong.

Colin: 28:56

AP had them at 11th. People. AP had them at 11th. They had some recruits. They're SCC.

Eli: 29:01

I think just don't think they're a top 15 team.

Kylee: 29:03

I think they're set up really by the media really well every year and by the AP poll, and then they lose a lot. And then I'm like, well

Colin: 29:14

Yeah. But they lose to good teams, quote, unquote, good teams.

Kylee: 29:16

I was gonna say, not in March, they don't. And Well Hey.

Eli: 29:19

We love the Ivy League.

Kylee: 29:20

We do love the Ivy League over here.

Colin: 29:22

Yeah.

Kylee: 29:23

But so the AP poll at 16 17 has Arkansas. I don't believe they should be that high. We have them at 21. Yep. And then Indiana who we had

Colin: 29:31

A little higher. Yeah. Higher. Let's talk about Marquette quick because we have them at 19th. I know I'm skipping a little bit in our rankings, but AP had them at 18th.

Colin: 29:42

That feels like a very reasonable place for Marquette.

Eli: 29:45

For the 3rd string the 3rd fiddle in the Big East. Yeah.

Colin: 29:48

Yeah. Yeah. And, same with our 18th. AP had them at 20th at Cincinnati. Cincinnati's a really interesting one.

Kylee: 29:56

Yeah.

Eli: 29:57

They just they still don't feel like they play big 12 basketball.

Colin: 30:00

Yeah. Except that they were, like, good last year.

Kylee: 30:03

They almost they made a run to almost make it in

Eli: 30:06

the tournament. It's working for them. Yeah. I think they're they're continuing to play their own kind of inspired by, I would say, the Big East and the American style of basketball.

Colin: 30:16

Absolutely. Yeah.

Eli: 30:17

It's it's led them to decent success in the Big 12.

Colin: 30:20

Yeah. Now do I think they're gonna be Iowa State or Houston or Kansas anytime soon? No.

Kylee: 30:26

I think they can be Kansas.

Colin: 30:28

Suit yourself. Well, I think they could probably you know, if they play Baylor twice, they could split with them. They could maybe take down Arizona even. Yeah.

Kylee: 30:36

I feel like that's possible.

Colin: 30:37

And I think that's a team that just, like they have some tricks up their sleeve. They can do some interesting stuff that's not usually seen in big 12 basketball.

Kylee: 30:45

Mhmm.

Colin: 30:46

And, you know, we don't see it very often in basketball in general. They play a very different style from everyone. Throw some surprises out there. They'll probably lose a trap game or 2, though, and that's why I think we have an 18.

Kylee: 30:58

Yeah. No. They definitely will. They'll lose a couple I

Eli: 31:01

wouldn't say they're a big 12 contender, but I will definitely say that they're a tournament team.

Colin: 31:05

Yeah. Yeah. Agree. At 20, it it's excessive it's so bad that the AP poll doesn't put didn't put any a 10 teams Yeah. In when 2 a 10 teams made it to the 2nd round of the tournament last year.

Colin: 31:20

And so I petitioned our group to put VCU in at 20. VCU is the consensus. So the a ten has their own coaches' poll, and so VCU won that over Dayton over Loyola Chicago. And I think one of us picked VCU. I don't remember that.

Kylee: 31:37

Eli. Eli, I think we picked Loyola.

Colin: 31:38

We both picked Loyola.

Kylee: 31:39

I had still faith in them.

Eli: 31:40

Yeah. I I

Colin: 31:42

I could see any a 10 team at this 20th spot. Yeah. Dayton. I could see see see VCU, Loyola. AP pool for some reason has a lot of faith in Saint Louis with Robbie Avila.

Colin: 31:52

I can completely understand that because they're essentially Indiana State's team from last year. Mhmm. They stole, like, 3 players and a coach. Yeah. Yeah.

Colin: 32:00

So I could see that. I think there should be an a ten team in this top 20, right around that 20th spot. Which one?

Eli: 32:08

Yeah. I

Colin: 32:08

don't know. We threw VCU in for the sake of VCU.

Kylee: 32:12

Yeah. And the AP poll don't agree with that. They don't agree.

Eli: 32:15

To round it out for the voters, Texas, they have Texas at 19th, a little lower than we have them. And then their bottom 5, they have Florida, UCLA, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Rutgers. Orf.

Colin: 32:26

Guess who we dropped out from?

Eli: 32:28

Almost all of those teams.

Kylee: 32:30

All of those. All of those.

Eli: 32:31

All 5 of those teams.

Colin: 32:32

All 5. Florida. SEC ball's not that good. No. UCLA, not that hyped.

Colin: 32:38

So overhyped. Overhyped. Kentucky, SEC ball's not that good.

Eli: 32:42

New coach.

Kylee: 32:42

And, yeah, new coach, new style of play.

Colin: 32:45

Ole Miss. Why are they in there? Seebo is not that good.

Eli: 32:48

I I know they were the last undefeated team last year, but that's because they played, like, Mississippi Delta State.

Kylee: 32:53

Real. Like Rutgers, not on the hype train over here. We are not on the Rutgers hype train.

Colin: 32:59

I have mixed opinions about because I think they could be good, but I don't think they deserve to be ranked.

Kylee: 33:04

They haven't think we're giving them than anything. Way more credit right now.

Eli: 33:06

Because on one on one hand, New Jersey basketball, but on the other hand, Rutgers.

Kylee: 33:14

Yeah. After coming off a a few seasons of not doing so hot Yeah.

Eli: 33:18

They they've got some admittedly incredible freshmen.

Kylee: 33:22

Yes.

Eli: 33:22

And as soon as I see them beat a power 5 school, I will start to believe.

Colin: 33:28

Yes. Because they're freshmen.

Kylee: 33:30

Yeah. And it's there's a very big learning curve coming into college, and that's normal. So it's not like I'm gonna be like, oh, like, they should be doing better. No. Right.

Colin: 33:39

Listen. Reasonably rank a team that's depending on a bunch of freshmen.

Kylee: 33:43

Exactly.

Eli: 33:44

Definitely not preseason.

Colin: 33:45

No. Especially not preseason, especially without, like, a big, like, senior Yeah.

Kylee: 33:51

Solid senior

Colin: 33:52

leader. Lead those. It's just not gonna happen.

Eli: 33:55

Come come back to us in week 2, and we might have changed our tune. Yeah. I guess we'll see.

Kylee: 33:59

Come back at during big 10 play. We we might have Yes. Especially that. Saying some different stuff. But to round out our bottom five, we have Arkansas at 21 who made people essentially

Colin: 34:09

John Kalipari's team.

Kylee: 34:10

Yeah. But But you know? Yeah.

Eli: 34:13

John Kalipari's team lost to Oakland last year.

Kylee: 34:15

That is also true.

Colin: 34:16

Exactly. So who knows?

Kylee: 34:17

Yeah. We have Memphis at 22. This was a

Eli: 34:20

We could

Kylee: 34:20

I think this was a Collin petition.

Eli: 34:22

The American is an incredible basketball conference. Mhmm.

Colin: 34:25

Yeah. And, like, it's kind of absurd that no American teams even receive votes.

Kylee: 34:31

Yeah. That's actually

Colin: 34:32

awful. You know, it's that it it was very surprising when I saw oh, sorry. Alabama Birmingham received 4 votes.

Kylee: 34:39

You're kidding. And Memphis didn't receive

Colin: 34:41

Memphis didn't receive any. Arkansas Little Rock received 3 votes.

Kylee: 34:45

No. Who? They're really hating on Memphis this year.

Colin: 34:50

So I think everyone's hating on Memphis. I know we talked about Memphis.

Eli: 34:54

And everybody's hating on the American Jets.

Kylee: 34:56

That was that was our consensus.

Colin: 34:57

Looked at essentially, they are a little bit not even a little bit. They're very upset they didn't make the tournament last year, and they are going to fight back into it.

Kylee: 35:06

And FAU lost their coach and some of their players.

Colin: 35:08

Yeah. Memphis is going to be good.

Eli: 35:10

I I still believe that UAB winning the AAC tournament last year was a fluke, and I

Kylee: 35:16

fully They received votes too.

Colin: 35:18

Yeah. Yeah. The only American team to receive votes.

Kylee: 35:21

They received 4 votes.

Eli: 35:22

I can't do it.

Colin: 35:22

Number 23, we wanted 1 more Big East team in there. We chose Xavier.

Eli: 35:27

I, I think the Big East as a whole just did really, really good in the transfer portal this off season. I think they pulled in some incredible talent conference wide. And honestly, we Kylie lobbied to put Saint John's in there instead of Xavier. Mhmm. There's I I think the Big East is gonna be it might finally get over that 3 bid hurdle.

Kylee: 35:46

Might be a a bit better than what it has been.

Colin: 35:49

Yeah. Because, you know, in the past few years, it's been very clearly, you know, 3 teams at the very top, and that's it. Yeah. And then it just drops off so steeply after that. I think they're finally gonna, you know, have some more competition at the top there.

Kylee: 36:02

Yeah. And Xavier received 73 votes for, from the AP poll, so that's why we decided to to throw them back in there.

Colin: 36:10

Exactly.

Kylee: 36:11

We have Kansas State at 24, which we all think it's absolutely bonkers that they're not anywhere near the rankings here.

Colin: 36:18

Yeah. That is We don't understand that they only have 30 votes in the AP less than Wake Forest.

Kylee: 36:24

Which that's another point of what the heck.

Eli: 36:26

So I'm flabbergasted that Florida is 21st, and Kansas State is not right.

Kylee: 36:32

Especially in picking up Coleman Hawkins. They had a decent team last year too. Like, they're alright. Yeah. But, I I mean, come on.

Colin: 36:37

Yeah.

Kylee: 36:38

Like, that like, what's happening over there? Like, what's happening at the a people?

Colin: 36:41

It is a whole another story.

Eli: 36:43

And you you might have noticed that one of our favorite our favorite conferences

Kylee: 36:47

Not being represented.

Eli: 36:48

Is not here. It's missing.

Colin: 36:50

Which is why McNeese stays here. Never does.

Kylee: 36:52

My gosh.

Eli: 36:53

It's why at 25th, we have the Princeton Tigers.

Colin: 36:56

Of course. I'm just kidding. Don't worry, guys.

Kylee: 36:58

We we have faith. We they received 2 votes.

Eli: 37:02

2.

Kylee: 37:02

But we have so much faith in them. You know, that's

Colin: 37:05

The Ivy League has been so good for years, and they're gonna keep

Kylee: 37:08

it good. Fun.

Colin: 37:09

They keep winning tournament teams or tournament games.

Kylee: 37:12

2 bit Ivy? 2 bit Ivy.

Eli: 37:14

2 bit Ivy.

Colin: 37:14

It should be, but it won't be. Yeah.

Eli: 37:16

But it should be. It should be.

Colin: 37:17

It should be. Some of those honorable mentions could have gone in that 25 spot. We're talking Saint Mary's. We're talking BYU and Grand Canyon. We debated on those for a little bit.

Kylee: 37:29

We did. We did. We we we swapped them around for

Colin: 37:32

I'm still confused why we put Louisville in the honorable mentions

Eli: 37:35

because you picked them to win the ACC.

Kylee: 37:39

That's why we threw them in there to to make fun of you again.

Colin: 37:43

You guys you guys put

Kylee: 37:44

them in. We put, and then we decided to put well, Oakland, we threw in there for funnies because they beat Kentucky last year. But then we decided to throw a handful of big 10 teams in there. Like, Rutgers, we, you know, we put them in there. They're in the a people.

Kylee: 37:59

But then we had 2 2, big 10 teams who are tied at 29 votes in the a people, MSU and Ohio State. I think Ohio State's gonna be pretty good

Colin: 38:10

this year. They've got some talent. They've got Yes. A good coach.

Eli: 38:14

I'm really not seeing it. I you know? There's 3 of that's why there's 3 of us.

Colin: 38:19

I think they're a tournament team. I don't think they're a great tournament team.

Kylee: 38:23

I think they can win, like solid probably a tournament game or 2. 7 seed. And then Yep. Yeah. I think that's where Michigan State's gonna land, though, too.

Kylee: 38:32

I agree. Michigan State probably is 7 seed at

Colin: 38:34

this point.

Kylee: 38:35

Like, I'm I I'm shocked they didn't rain guys because of how they always be hyped in Michigan State up in the AP poll. Like

Colin: 38:40

Like, they did UCLA.

Kylee: 38:42

Yes. But I think it's a really, really good thing that we're not ranked in the AP top 25. We saw what happened last year. We saw the the the detriment to my mental health that that did to me.

Eli: 38:51

Like James Madison. Our our last honorable mention goes to Oregon, who was a great Pac 12 and tournament team last year. Mhmm. And even though the travel is going to be rough on them, I I think they still have the makings to be a pretty decent big ten team.

Colin: 39:07

And the big 10 is

Eli: 39:08

an

Colin: 39:09

open slate this year. I mean, we talked about it a little bit earlier. I wanna talk about it just a little bit more. The AP has the top big ten team ranked at 14th.

Kylee: 39:17

I think that's too low, unfortunately.

Colin: 39:19

We have Purdue in Indiana at 12 13th.

Kylee: 39:21

I think that's yeah. No.

Eli: 39:23

Still which still feels low.

Colin: 39:24

Still feels low.

Eli: 39:25

But it feels better because we I we have Purdue at 12th, Indiana at 13th, and Illinois at 16th because that's that's how close we feel the big ten is right now. Mhmm.

Colin: 39:35

Yeah. And, frankly, there are so many teams in the big ten that it's

Kylee: 39:39

There will be multiple that will be sliding in and out of the AP pool all year.

Colin: 39:43

Yeah.

Kylee: 39:43

There will be multiple of them.

Colin: 39:44

Gonna be a lot of tournament teams, and it's gonna be a lot of 6, 7, 8, 9 teams.

Kylee: 39:48

Yeah. It's gonna be just, unfortunately, just like last year where we have 8 big 10 teams in the tournament. But, hopefully, this year, they will actually be better because

Colin: 39:57

I sure hope so.

Kylee: 39:58

I think they will. I think I think they'll be a bit a bit I

Colin: 40:01

just I don't see the talent. I do. I Player talent's not not there.

Eli: 40:07

Yeah.

Colin: 40:07

It's all going big 12 and big east.

Kylee: 40:09

But I it's I think the entire talent pool of college basketball is changing,

Colin: 40:14

and it is very So it's very different.

Kylee: 40:17

So I think that's just kind of a circumstantial all around kinda thing. But, I guess, honorable mentions on the AP poll side, Illinois had 92 votes first out. Saint John's had 91. Xavier at 73. And then Texas Tech at 58, who I did kinda think about, but

Colin: 40:31

I also thought about Texas Tech

Eli: 40:32

at 58, who

Kylee: 40:32

I did kinda think about. But

Eli: 40:34

and to our great confusion, 5th out was Wake Forest.

Kylee: 40:37

We don't get it.

Colin: 40:38

I I'm still so confused. I checked. They didn't have, like, freezer

Eli: 40:42

recruits. Here.

Colin: 40:43

They weren't good last year.

Kylee: 40:44

I need someone from the AP pool to sit me down and explain because I don't I don't get it.

Eli: 40:48

I mean, I guess they get to beat up on Stanford and Cal now.

Kylee: 40:52

Congrats.

Colin: 40:53

Yeah. But they're gonna get beat up on by Duke and North Carolina and NC State.

Kylee: 40:59

That is also true.

Colin: 41:00

Heck. They'll probably lose to, like, SMU. Real. Yeah.

Kylee: 41:04

But, hey, 37 votes. But 37 votes. 37 votes.

Eli: 41:10

Go away, folks.

Kylee: 41:11

That is our That's our freezing and top 25. Top 20 fives and then our own personal top fives.

Eli: 41:16

Feel feel free to angrily leave comments, on our Spotify I'll release Colin. If you think you're wrong.

Kylee: 41:21

I'll release Colin's phone number so

Eli: 41:23

you can angrily text him about it. We'll leak it.

Kylee: 41:26

No. Please don't. But, so what we're gonna do is we're gonna transition over then to talking about charity games we have coming

Colin: 41:33

up this month. 25. I am going to also list it in our, blog posting article on the Impact 89 FM website. So if you are, like, oh my gosh. They just read off a bunch of rankings and numbers.

Colin: 41:45

I wanna actually, like, visualize this and see. Yeah. It'll be look on the impact info. And we'll

Eli: 41:51

we'll put the link to that in our episode description.

Kylee: 41:53

Yes. It'll be out there. So don't worry.

Colin: 41:55

It'll all be out there.

Kylee: 41:56

You'll be

Eli: 41:56

able to

Kylee: 41:57

find it. Angrily be like, they're all wrong. It's whatever.

Eli: 42:00

Send us an email.

Kylee: 42:01

Yeah. But so Charity games.

Eli: 42:03

Box is actually magically linked to your nearest trash can.

Kylee: 42:06

True.

Colin: 42:07

Yes. It's impressive.

Kylee: 42:08

Yeah. But Charity. Charity games. We are all super excited.

Eli: 42:13

Great games in the next week.

Kylee: 42:14

There is a lot.

Colin: 42:15

Yeah. And, like, Esquel's here. I'm so excited.

Eli: 42:18

The the scrummages won't be a secret anymore.

Kylee: 42:20

So exciting.

Eli: 42:21

These games are Friday Saturday. Yeah. As you are listening to this, one of these games will have already happened, and the some of the other ones will be tonight. Saturday

Kylee: 42:31

night. Yeah. Crazy. I mean, I have 3. Do you want me to start?

Kylee: 42:35

Yeah.

Colin: 42:35

Yeah. Kylie, go for it.

Eli: 42:36

We'll we'll do Kylie, Colin, Kylie, me, Kylie.

Kylee: 42:39

Oh, perfect. Alright. So my first game I have, I don't have the date. I think this is Friday. No.

Kylee: 42:44

Yes. Maybe. No. Wait. Yeah.

Kylee: 42:48

Sure. It's Friday.

Colin: 42:49

I'll look it up for you.

Kylee: 42:52

But

Colin: 42:53

Yes. It's Friday.

Kylee: 42:54

But it's Kansas versus Arkansas. Super exciting. It's gonna be a very, very good game, I think.

Eli: 43:02

John John Calipari Razorback debut.

Kylee: 43:04

That's what I'm yes. It'll be super fun.

Colin: 43:06

Debut. Kansas will see

Kylee: 43:08

It'll be interesting to see how AP. These teams are. But I'm more focusing in on Arkansas, like, for sure. So they're playing for the kids foundation. That's it's f o r e for the kids foundation.

Kylee: 43:23

So yeah.

Colin: 43:24

Yeah. Alright. Am I going next? Is that what you said? I picked out Houston versus Texas a and m.

Colin: 43:31

It's a tournament rematch. We're gonna see if Texas A&M actually deserved to be ranked or not. Houston, obviously, is a very, very good team. But in the tournament last year, they were a 2nd round game. Houston won by 5 points only, a 195.

Kylee: 43:46

High scoring game.

Colin: 43:47

Very high scoring game. But that one's on October 27th. I believe that's Sunday. Yes.

Eli: 43:52

It is.

Colin: 43:53

It's at Houston. It's gonna be, benefiting the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance for the hurricane barrel recovery fund, which hurricane barrel was in June, July, right around 4th July.

Eli: 44:05

Yeah.

Colin: 44:05

And so Houston got hit pretty hard with that one, and so they are raising money for that game.

Eli: 44:09

Great great game between 2 teams that are just down the road from each other. Yeah. In that Houston metro.

Kylee: 44:14

Yep. I have another one. Another one. I sorry. I picked 3.

Kylee: 44:18

But, so this one is on also on Sunday, 27th, Tennessee versus Indiana. Again

Colin: 44:24

Oh, that's a

Eli: 44:25

good game.

Kylee: 44:25

Great game. Another really good sneak peek into some 2 top AP top 25 teams facing off. These games are super fun to watch, and it'll help us get a really great idea of what the season's gonna look like. They're pay they're playing for the John McLunden Foundation. Super exciting.

Kylee: 44:42

But yeah.

Eli: 44:42

Alright. My my pick is Creighton versus Purdue.

Colin: 44:46

That's a great game.

Eli: 44:47

Incredible game. 2 teams that we really believe in more than the AP voters do Yeah. Apparently. I 2 t we we saw them both play live in Detroit at the Sweet 16 last year.

Kylee: 45:01

Yes.

Eli: 45:01

Both of these teams have lost very crucial individual players and have looked to replace them almost exclusively from the transfer portal, and they're both looking to remain conference contenders in races that a lot of people think are gonna be a lot closer this year. Purdue is gonna be fighting off Indiana and Illinois like we talked about. Freighton really trying to finally pull Yukon back down to the level that the rest of the big

Colin: 45:24

east is on. Yep.

Eli: 45:25

I this game is at CHI Health in Omaha, so Creighton's the home team, and it's benefiting the United Way of the Midlands disaster relief fund for the, tornado storm system that Omaha experienced in April.

Colin: 45:37

Yeah. Eli, you've been to that arena, haven't you?

Eli: 45:39

I CHI Health is a nice arena.

Colin: 45:42

Yeah. I saw I

Eli: 45:44

saw the pro volleyball federation championship games

Colin: 45:46

That's right.

Eli: 45:47

Between the Omaha Supernovas and the Grand Rapids Rise, Go Rise. Woo. Whoo. It's it's a very nice modern arena that's right on the Missouri River.

Colin: 45:57

Yeah. That's cool. Alright. Kylie, you have one more. I know you're very excited

Kylee: 46:01

about this one. Game, and we're all because

Colin: 46:02

this one is your game.

Kylee: 46:04

It's my game.

Colin: 46:05

Her game is your 2 teams that you grew up watching. Literally. It's the family rivalry.

Kylee: 46:10

It's it's it's the family rivalry, not really, but, it's it's the 2 teams that I grew up watching, as a kid. It's Michigan versus Toledo. Woo hoo, on Friday at, 25th, yeah, at 7:30, at University of Michigan. It's, in Ann Arbor, and they are playing for the University of Michigan Health, CS Mott Children's Hospital, and a Child and Family Life. So super exciting.

Kylee: 46:34

If I didn't have homework on Friday, that's where I'd be.

Eli: 46:36

We would be in Ann Arbor.

Kylee: 46:37

Would be in Ann Arbor watching that game.

Eli: 46:39

Toledo gear.

Kylee: 46:40

Yeah. A 100% wearing Toledo gear, but I'm I maybe I'll wear Toledo gear that day anyway. But I'm super excited, and I think it'll be a very fun game. Test to see Dusty May and his new team, which I think I'm I'm actually low key kind of excited to see how they're gonna be this year.

Eli: 46:54

I guess so What's gonna be a really good MAC team?

Kylee: 46:57

Yeah. Yeah. A good MAC team, Michigan received votes also in the AP top in the AP poll. Quite a few. I think it was, like, what, 19 or something?

Colin: 47:05

Yes. 19. As much as

Eli: 47:07

we were rousing on the voters, they didn't rank a lot of the big ten, but they voted for a lot of the big ten. For big ten.

Colin: 47:12

Yeah. And I think that speaks to, like, the confusion around the big 10. Like, who is actually going to be good? We don't know. Yeah.

Eli: 47:18

We don't know yet.

Kylee: 47:18

So this will be a really, really fun kind of sneak peek at both seasons respectively, and I'm very excited. Go Rockets.

Colin: 47:26

It's gonna be fun. It's look. We've got an exciting weekend ahead. Mhmm. None of

Eli: 47:32

these games count for anything other than for charity. They count in my heart. Not secret scrimmages anymore, so we

Colin: 47:33

get to know what happens.

Kylee: 47:33

That is true. Michigan plays

Eli: 47:35

isn't our charity game on

Colin: 47:44

Tuesday? Ours is on Tuesday. We play Ferris State.

Eli: 47:47

Ferris State.

Kylee: 47:48

Yes. So we'll all be there.

Colin: 47:50

Yeah. That should be a fun one. I'm excited.

Kylee: 47:52

So I'm excited to watch our boys

Colin: 47:54

with that. I believe was in the final 4 of d 2 last year.

Eli: 47:59

Good. Bulldogs.

Kylee: 48:00

So, no, we'll all be there. We're all very excited for, basketball season to actually begin. I've been dreading continuing to watch football. Sorry y'all, but, I'm a basketball pro.

Colin: 48:12

Won on Saturday.

Kylee: 48:12

We did. And so

Colin: 48:13

Michigan this Saturday.

Kylee: 48:15

Bring Paul Bunyan home.

Colin: 48:16

Bring Paul Bunyan home.

Kylee: 48:17

Bring Absolutely. Bunyan home. And I think that we have a shot this year, so, let's do it y'all. But, anyway, thanks for listening to this week's episode of Check the Net on Impact 89 FM. Let us know what you think by connecting with the station on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram at wdBM and at Impact 89 FM.

Kylee: 48:34

This will be our 2nd full basketball season. We are very excited. In the coming weeks, we'll jump right into the 1st regular season games. Oh, so excited. So excited.

Eli: 48:43

They're so soon.

Kylee: 48:44

This season's madness is only just beginning, and we can't wait to talk about it more next week on Check the Net. Have a great week, y'all.