2023 FanLax Forum Poll

[Matnum PI]

1. NU -- still winning.
2. Syracuse -- still No. 2 for me.
3. UNC -- lost in South Bend, in a strange venue and hostile environment. Still cannot see how someone climbs over them.
4. JMU
5. Denver
6. Boston College
7. Maryland
8. Florida
9. Loyola
10. Notre Dame -- showed how they can play.
OK, what did I miss?

Stonybrook out of top 10 for you?

Thinking similar. Trade Stonybrook for Loyola and you have the Top Ten. In the wrong order, but you have the Top Ten...

[Matnum PI]

[Brownlax]

I'm not sure of putting Stony Brook ahead of UNC right now NJBill?

[njbill]

SB's two losses to NU and Syr weren't bad losses at all. UNC's loss to ND was worse than either of SB's losses. Yes, UNC has the very good BC win and the good JMU and Florida wins which are better than any SB win.

SB has beaten the teams they should have beaten and lost to the teams they should have lost to. UNC can't say that. They should have beaten ND. To me, that loss drags them down for now.

Anyway, that's the way I see it.

Where's your list?

[Brownlax]

SB's two losses to NU and Syr weren't bad losses at all. UNC's loss to ND was worse than either of SB's losses. Yes, UNC has the very good BC win and the good JMU and Florida wins which are better than any SB win.

SB has beaten the teams they should have beaten and lost to the teams they should have lost to. UNC can't say that. They should have beaten ND. To me, that loss drags them down for now.

Anyway, that's the way I see it.

Where's your list?

Thanks for the explanation. I’ve only done one list on this forum and I’m always late on Mondays!!

[Seacoaster(1)]

1. NU -- still winning.
2. Syracuse -- still No. 2 for me.
3. UNC -- lost in South Bend, in a strange venue and hostile environment. Still cannot see how someone climbs over them.
4. JMU
5. Denver
6. Boston College
7. Maryland
8. Florida
9. Loyola
10. Notre Dame -- showed how they can play.
OK, what did I miss?

Stonybrook out of top 10 for you?

Thinking similar. Trade Stonybrook for Loyola and you have the Top Ten. In the wrong order, but you have the Top Ten...

Yup, you can certainly make that argument.

[user1020]

1. Cuse
2. NU
3. JMU
4. Denver
5. UNC
6. SBU
7. MD
8. BC
9. FL
10. ND
11. Loyola
12. UVA

I think the top 12 are set but I think the order could be mixed up after 1 and 2

[Seacoaster(1)]

1. Cuse
2. NU
3. JMU
4. Denver
5. UNC
6. SBU
7. MD
8. BC
9. FL
10. ND
11. Loyola
12. UVA

I think the top 12 are set but I think the order could be mixed up after 1 and 2

Yeah, totally solid top 12, and I agree that pretty much from, say, No. 3 to No. 8, these teams could be placed anywhere in that range.

Just for the record:

I still think BC beats Maryland. The BC-Notre Dame game (in South Bend) should be a good one. I like BC 14-13.

I am not convinced that SBU has a well-rounded enough team to claim No. 6.

I am always reluctant to place the loser in a head to head game above the winner, but I understand you to be saying JMU's trajectory is better than UNC's, and if they played now, JMU would compete better and win. Not sure I agree, but that isn't crazy.

I love that we are all thinking that JMU and Denver have a chance to reach the Weekend.

[user1020]

1. Cuse
2. NU
3. JMU
4. Denver
5. UNC
6. SBU
7. MD
8. BC
9. FL
10. ND
11. Loyola
12. UVA

I think the top 12 are set but I think the order could be mixed up after 1 and 2

Yeah, totally solid top 12, and I agree that pretty much from, say, No. 3 to No. 8, these teams could be placed anywhere in that range.

Just for the record:

I still think BC beats Maryland. The BC-Notre Dame game (in South Bend) should be a good one. I like BC 14-13.

I am not convinced that SBU has a well-rounded enough team to claim No. 6.

I am always reluctant to place the loser in a head to head game above the winner, but I understand you to be saying JMU's trajectory is better than UNC's, and if they played now, JMU would compete better and win. Not sure I agree, but that isn't crazy.

I love that we are all thinking that JMU and Denver have a chance to reach the Weekend.

I agree I went back and forth with SBU, BC, and MD. I put SBU ahead at 6 because their losses are to #1 and #2. BC and UMD I would have no problem flipping because I think they are having very similar seasons. I almost put UNC at #3, but I couldn’t leave them there after the ND loss. I’m also excited for BC and ND I think it could be a good game, but I think BC pulls away towards the end 15-11.

[Seacoaster(1)]

1. Northwestern -- yawn...nobody left to play until the Weekend?

2. Syracuse -- yawn....I think the Orange will lose to UNC, and get that undefeated monkey off their backs. SMart.

3. JMU -- better offense than Denver?

4. Denver -- better defense than JMU?

5. UNC -- still think they beat everyone below them, even though they haven't. Weird.

6. Stony Brook -- two losses to Nos. 1 and 2.

7. Boston College -- nice win in South Bend. Medjid the most underrated superstar in the country?

8. Notre Dame -- this is a good team. Would not want to draw them in the quarters.

9. Florida -- hard to say, but this is where they land on this dumbhead's poll.

10. Maryland -- good team, not great. We should see the disparity when they travel to Evanston.

11. Loyola -- always tough to say how good Loyola is, given the shape of the PL.

12. Virginia -- I actually see some improvement at UVA this year, and wonder if Kennedy's influence over the team is part of it.

13. UMass -- always under the radar, and difficult to assess given the shape of the A10.

14. Michigan -- Stuck them here, but other than PSU, they really haven't beaten anyone, right?

15. Penn State -- couldn't think of who else -- Army? Penn? Yale? -- should go here.

So, what'd I get wrong?

[Matnum PI]

Reminder: FanLax Forum Polls are due on Monday (Today) at noon EST. Enjoy this weekend's games. Forum Poll Link (with Submission Links towards the bottom of the page). All are welcome to submit a ranking.

[user1020]

1. Cuse - here until they lose, if they lose

2. NU - difference this year might be a slightly improved defense

3. JMU - I think they would beat Denver if they played 9-8, I think Denver’s defense is slightly better but JMU’s offense is definitely better

4. Denver

5. UNC - I think they’re youth and inexperience will start to hurt them soon in ACC tourney and beyond

6. Stony Brook - consistent

7. BC

8. UMD - can’t tell if they’re improved, Northwestern game will tell us a lot

9. Notre Dame - improving as the season goes on

10. Florida

11. Loyola - just consistent

12. UVA - I like this team this year for some reason

This has been my top 12 for the last few weeks, but the order has changed. I think after this group there’s a slight drop off.

[user1020]

1. Northwestern -- yawn...nobody left to play until the Weekend?

2. Syracuse -- yawn....I think the Orange will lose to UNC, and get that undefeated monkey off their backs. SMart.

3. JMU -- better offense than Denver?

4. Denver -- better defense than JMU?

5. UNC -- still think they beat everyone below them, even though they haven't. Weird.

6. Stony Brook -- two losses to Nos. 1 and 2.

7. Boston College -- nice win in South Bend. Medjid the most underrated superstar in the country?

8. Notre Dame -- this is a good team. Would not want to draw them in the quarters.

9. Florida -- hard to say, but this is where they land on this dumbhead's poll.

10. Maryland -- good team, not great. We should see the disparity when they travel to Evanston.

11. Loyola -- always tough to say how good Loyola is, given the shape of the PL.

12. Virginia -- I actually see some improvement at UVA this year, and wonder if Kennedy's influence over the team is part of it.

13. UMass -- always under the radar, and difficult to assess given the shape of the A10.

14. Michigan -- Stuck them here, but other than PSU, they really haven't beaten anyone, right?

15. Penn State -- couldn't think of who else -- Army? Penn? Yale? -- should go here.

So, what'd I get wrong?

I don’t hate NU at #1, but I’m giving it to Cuse until they lose. I agree with JMU and Denver. I love Medjid she is one of my favorite players. Maryland should be above Florida.

[Matnum PI]

[Seacoaster(1)]

1. Northwestern -- yawn...nobody left to play until the Weekend?

2. Syracuse -- yawn....I think the Orange will lose to UNC, and get that undefeated monkey off their backs. SMart.

3. JMU -- better offense than Denver?

4. Denver -- better defense than JMU?

5. UNC -- still think they beat everyone below them, even though they haven't. Weird.

6. Stony Brook -- two losses to Nos. 1 and 2.

7. Boston College -- nice win in South Bend. Medjid the most underrated superstar in the country?

8. Notre Dame -- this is a good team. Would not want to draw them in the quarters.

9. Florida -- hard to say, but this is where they land on this dumbhead's poll.

10. Maryland -- good team, not great. We should see the disparity when they travel to Evanston.

11. Loyola -- always tough to say how good Loyola is, given the shape of the PL.

12. Virginia -- I actually see some improvement at UVA this year, and wonder if Kennedy's influence over the team is part of it.

13. UMass -- always under the radar, and difficult to assess given the shape of the A10.

14. Michigan -- Stuck them here, but other than PSU, they really haven't beaten anyone, right?

15. Penn State -- couldn't think of who else -- Army? Penn? Yale? -- should go here.

So, what'd I get wrong?

I don’t hate NU at #1, but I’m giving it to Cuse until they lose. I agree with JMU and Denver. I love Medjid she is one of my favorite players. Maryland should be above Florida.

Yeah, I have Florida above a team they beat, just like I have Syracuse below a team they beat. Just going with my sense of the teams now, but certainly reasonable people can disagree.

[FanLax Computer]

The FanLax Forum Poll is great. But humans are human. Humans have inconsistencies including favoritism based on previous seasons, recency bias, etc. All my poll does is erase these inconsistencies. With that said, this is the Forum Poll... minus inconsistencies:

1 Syracuse
2 Northwestern
3 Denver
4 North Carolina
5 James Madison
6 Boston College
7 Maryland
8 Stony Brook
9 Florida
10 Loyola
11 Notre Dame
12 Virginia
13 Michigan
14 UMass
15 Marquette
16 Army
17 USC
18 Yale
19 UConn
20 Penn
21 Richmond
22 Penn State
23 Drexel
24 Princeton
25 Johns Hopkins

[@inthe8m]

Oh, I see some inconsistencies. I fear the cassette tape you are using in your TRS-80 is getting a bit old.

[FanLax Computer]

Oh, I see some inconsistencies. I fear the cassette tape you are using in your TRS-80 is getting a bit old.

Name it. Calculators don't make mistakes...

[@inthe8m]

Oh, I see some inconsistencies. I fear the cassette tape you are using in your TRS-80 is getting a bit old.

Name it. Calculators don't make mistakes...

Calculators and computers are only as good as what is being entered into them. Any formula that has Marquette in the Top 15 has some errors in it.

[FanLax Computer]

... Any formula that has Marquette in the Top 15 has some errors in it.

Disagree. Their win ranking (#32) is not amazing but is also nothing to sneeze at (OSU, G'town, Cincinnati) but their only loss is to N'western. So one might say, PSU should be ahead of them and... I have PSU at #22. PSu's wins (Princeton, Towson Rutgers) are better than Marquette, though not amazing, and their losses are definitely worse and this hurts them (Vanderbilt-Yikes, Michigan, Loyola). Every game counts. Every W and L counts...