“Rankings mean nothing.” That’s what my teammate told reporters when my high school water polo team upset the top-ranked team in our division long before I gave up playing competitive sports in favor of writing about them.
Basketball fans across the nation should heed his words and repeat that mantra over and over: Rankings mean nothing.
Ohio State remains the No. 1 team in the nation this week and has an excellent chance of earning the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The latter is the ultimate prize of a successful regular season and could mean the difference between a national championship run and a run that fizzles in the Elite Eight or earlier.
Still, the ranking means nothing.
Although the Buckeyes are 27-3 and 15-1 in Big Ten play, they are not quite as dominant as their gaudy record would indicate.
Ohio State has not beaten a higher-ranked opponent all season. More importantly, it has beaten only one team that was considered of equal, if not better, quality: Wisconsin.
The Badgers were No. 1 in the AP poll while the Buckeyes were No. 1 in the coaches poll during their second meeting Feb. 25, and that win represents their only marquee win on the season. Their next best win is at home against Michigan State.
And although there is something to be said for winning every game you’re supposed to win, several questions about this team remain unanswered.
Can the Buckeyes win on the road? Possibly, but they haven’t proven that yet. All three of their losses have been away from home (albeit to elite teams in UNC, Florida and Wisconsin) and they will be playing at neutral sites during the next few weeks. Just how much playing away from the friendly confines of their Columbus campus affects this young team remains to be seen.
Memphis is in the same position as Ohio State. It is ranked No. 5 and just completed an unblemished Conference USA season without so much as breaking a sweat. But just like last season, John Calipari’s squad has not been challenged by any of its league brethren.
Its highest-rated opponent all year in conference was Houston, which ranks only No. 96. Will that leave them woefully unprepared for the rigors of the NCAA Tournament to come, and does this team truly merit its lofty ranking just because it feasted on a bunch of patsies all season?
The easy run-up to the Big Dance hardly bothered the Tigers last season as they rolled into the Elite Eight before falling to UCLA. Still, Memphis lucked out last season by not facing an opponent seeded higher than No. 9 before facing UCLA. The jump in competition in the NCAAs will likely force Calipari’s team home a bit earlier this year, no matter what any subjective poll says.
Today we know more about the true worth of Kansas, UNC and UCLA because of what they have accomplished during the season by playing (and beating) consistently quality opponents. Now that tournament time is upon us, every possession is crucial because one mistake can end a season. And players, as well as fans, coaches and media, would be wise to remember what my high school teammate said.
THE SLIPPER DOESN’T FIT TWICE: Last year’s Final Four darlings, George Mason, won’t get the shot to be Cinderella once again as their bid to win the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament fell just short.
The Patriots lost to Virginia Commonwealth 65-59 Monday night, and will assuredly not receive an at-large bid. George Mason had led 57-52 with less than two minutes remaining before Eric Maynor clinched the game with a personal 9-0 run.
Mason’s legacy, however, is intact as its Final Four run last season that included wins over Michigan State, North Carolina and UConn captivated a nation. Mid-majors from now to eternity will constantly be compared to the Patriots as they attempt to make another miracle run.