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Derek Redd reveals his AP Top 25 ballot, Part 1

Hello? Anyone there?

I know we’ve been away for a little while, but we’re back with some minor housekeeping moves (check the new name of the blog), and I figured what better way to reemerge than find a way for you all to possibly mock me?

So here is my AP football ballot after the first full(-ish) week of games this season. It’s a weird one, considering that, as of right now, no teams who aren’t playing aren’t eligible. So there are a ton of old reliables who aren’t on the board.

My picks:

1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma
4. Georgia
5. LSU
6. Florida
7. Notre Dame
8. Auburn
9. Texas A&M
10. Texas
11. Oklahoma State
12. North Carolina
13. Cincinnati
14 UCF
15. Miami (FL)
16. Memphis
17. Louisville
18. Army
19. Tennessee
20. Kentucky
21. Louisiana-Lafayette
22. Brigham Young
23. Appalachian State
24. Pittsburgh
25. Baylor

As you can see, it’s not too far off of what you saw with the full AP poll from Sunday. I guess that’s to be expected. The folks at College Poll Tracker named boring, vanilla ol’ me the third least extreme ballot among the pollsters.

This one wasn’t easy. I had to replace about 10 teams from my preseason ballot due to conferences not playing, and the field to replace them wasn’t ridiculously deep. There were a few big wins by teams that still left me skeptical (more on that in a second). In the end, the teams I voted for in the preseason that were eligible this week moved up into empty spots, mostly in order. That allowed a ton of Group of 5 teams to earn spots on the bottom end.

Army and Louisiana both earned their spots. Louisiana trounced Iowa State (which was 18 on my preseason ballot and fell off my 25 this week, and Army is now 2-0. BYU had a nice opening win, but I’ll keep an eye on them because they already moved what would have been a slam-bang game Sept. 19 versus Army due to COVID-19 issues.

And I know what you’re thinking: why no WVU or Marshall? I thought about it, then decided against it. You can thank Eastern Kentucky for that.

For the Mountaineers and Thundering Herd, the Colonels were just what the doctor ordered, a warmup game that got each team ready for a tougher rest of the schedule. For me the voter, EKU was such an awful team, it didn’t give me enough of a good idea of where WVU and Marshall really stand. Next game for both — at Oklahoma State for WVU and hosting Appalachian State for Marshall — will be a much better barometer. So I’ll reserve my opinion until then.

Welp, there you go. Flame away.

(photo by Sean McNamara)

 

The final Associated Press Top 25 poll is out, and West Virginia came in at No. 24 to close the college basketball season.

Due to the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, all postseason tournaments — including the NCAA tournament — were canceled last week.

The Mountaineers finished the season with a 21-10 record and tied for third-place in the Big 12. WVU was due to open play in the conference tournament last Thursday as the No. 6 seed due to tiebreakers prior to all tournaments being canceled.

Wednesday’s final poll marks the 19th time in school history WVU has finished ranked in the AP Top 25. It is the seventh time since 2007 the Mountaineers have finished ranked by the AP under Bob Huggins and the fifth time in the last six seasons West Virginia has appeared in the final poll.

West Virginia first appeared in the AP Top 25 this season at No. 25 on Dec. 16. The Mountaineers climbed as high as No. 12 in the poll twice — once on Jan. 13 then again on Jan. 27 — before a rough stretch in February saw WVU fall out of the AP Top 25 on March 2. West Virginia was back among the ranked the following week at No. 22 before this week’s final poll was released Wednesday.

You can see how the voting broke down for WVU here, and you can see my ballot here.

(AP photo)

Hey y’all.

I’m just arriving at the hotel in Kansas City for this week’s Big 12 men’s basketball tournament, and while I was in the air the conference put out a press release regarding steps the league is taking to help ensure everyone’s safety with all of the panic and concern about the Coronavirus swirling. That press release is copied below.

 

MEDIA ADVISORY

The priority of the Big 12 Conference is to ensure the safety of everyone in attendance at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Basketball Championships as we continue to monitor all relevant information on the COVID-19 virus and its impact on hosting events in public spaces.

Therefore, the following preventive measures have been established in regards to media availability at Sprint Center and Municipal Auditorium.

  • Locker rooms will be closed to media. All formal, informal and one on one interviews will occur in the interview room with coaches and student-athletes seated on the dais. Media must sit in the provided chairs.

  • Media will be allowed to attend practices as currently prescribed but will be allowed no closer than behind the second row of the media seating section. Media may not stand on the baselines or behind the scorer’s table and team benches. Media may shoot video or pictures from the stands or upper photo area during practice sessions.

  • Media may not access the court at any time during the Championship. Photographers must stay in the photo boxes or on the sideline in front of the media section at the conclusion of games, including the Championship final. Arrangements will be made so that photographers can get a picture of the Championship team from this location.

The Big 12 Conference thanks you for your cooperation. 

VIDEO: Bob Huggins on WVU’s upset of Baylor