AP Polls more than just flawed

[bigwes68]

Out of curiosity, NWhoopaholic -- is ANY media outlet that subscribes to AP eligible to vote? As in, could a certain sports editor of a certain university student paper vote in the high school AP poll?

 

(Not that it matters this year, though. But it could have last year.)

[OS91]

For example, obviously people are voting on records & not taking into account the caliber of a team's schedule.

 

Example

 

Oliver Springs is not ranked in the top 10 and are sporting a 13-4 record. Oliver Springs has played AAA powers Oak Ridge, White County, Franklin County, good AA teams in Anderson County & York Institue, and soundly beaten three very good A programs at their gym in COALFIELD, ONIEDA, & Greenback.

 

Coalfield is ranked #7 in the A poll ( I wonder if a certain biased voter in Wartburg had anything to do with this inflated ranking?.) with a 11-2 record. While Coalfield is good, they are hardly on the level of the Clarkrange #10, Jackson County #9, and unranked Oliver Springs. For instance, Oliver Springs beat up on Coalfield by 20 points in Coalfield. Coalfied beat a bunch of lower tier single A teams with losing records, but is ranked #7 ahead of established Tennessee basketball powers ackson county, Oliver Springs, & Clarkrange? You got to be kidding me? Also, Copper Basin & Red Boling SPrings ranked high because they play cupcakes.

 

This is just one example. OS, Gleason, Clarkrange, & Jackson County are easily the top 4 teams in Single A. the Media who votes in this poll needs an injection of reality as they are suffering from ignorance or being blatantly biased against certain teams who play some of the better teams in Tennesssee to prepare them for March.

[coachh17]

Despite biased voters, the CoachT Fan Poll is more accurate than the AP poll. The AP poll is always a joke until much later in the season.

[CYJacket]

Waaaa!

 

OS and Coalfield are closer than twenty points. I submit when they played that neither played to their potential but OS played the better game that night. Coalfield is getting noticed because they were in the top 8 last year by being there in the 'Boro and they only lost one player from that team. To date they have not played a full game to their potential and are still winning. Oliver Springs program is, and has been, in good shape for several years. Problem: last year with the power players they had they were out in the Substate and didn't make it playing schools of similiar size, now they have dropped down and when the big guy is in the gym he will usually beat the smaller guys.

 

Last time I checked ONE vote does not change an outcome in any type of poll or election. It may count, just not change the outcome across this State with 135 school systems to review. Don't think that fellow in Wartburg could do any thing to swing this poll. Cry wolf somewhere else 91. All you do is whine about Kingb.

[goosevol]

Brian isn't an AP voter, but the AP poll is absurd and it's like that every year. I'm sure that there are some voters on the panel who research the teams and cast a very good ballot, but many simply see who has the best record and that's how they vote.

I hope Coalfield is the sixth best team in the state because I'm sure then that I'll be in Murfreesboro watching both Coalfield and Oliver Springs in March.

[catback]

One vote carries the weight of just that, One vote. While I will admit that I feel that Oliver Springs is a better team, having won at Coalfield, the Yellowjackets record of 13-2 cannot be ignored, with one of those losses coming in a holiday tournament (Patriot Invitational). The season is still somewhat young, and with each passing week, I think the polls will start reflecting the better teams, I'm not saying that will include or exclude Oliver Springs or Coalfield, thats up to how each team plays down the stretch. As far as who is the better team between OS and Coalfield, we'll have to wait until Jan. 24th to find out. Jennifer Smith is out for the season, that could be a difference maker between the two, still, it should be a good game.

Goose, I did'nt see you at the Oliver Springs vs. Wartburg game last night, were you there? If not, you missed a doosy!! (Boys game)

Edited January 12, 2006 by catback

[UCSportsFan]

One vote carries the weight of just that, One vote. While I will admit that I feel that Oliver Springs is a better team, having won at Coalfield, the Yellowjackets record of 13-2 cannot be ignored, with one of those losses coming in a holiday tournament (Patriot Invitational). The season is still somewhat young, and with each passing week, I think the polls will start reflecting the better teams, I'm not saying that will include or exclude Oliver Springs or Coalfield, thats up to how each team plays down the stretch. As far as who is the better team between OS and Coalfield, we'll have to wait until Jan. 24th to find out. Jennifer Smith is out for the season, that could be a difference maker between the two, still, it should be a good game.

Goose, I did'nt see you at the Oliver Springs vs. Wartburg game last night, were you there? If not, you missed a doosy!! (Boys game)

 

Coalfield barely beat Monterey the other night if i'm not mistaken. Jackson County beat Monterey in Monterey by 50 and it wasn't that close! I have seen OS play and i guarantee you there are a better team than Coalfield without even seeing them. I'm sure OS will take care of that poll come tournament time anyways!

[CYJacket]

I didn't say I agreed with the poll, attempted to give a reasoned answer as to why Coalfield appeared. 1) they were in the dance last year with one player missing this year, odds are good, not great they will be back. 2) Oliver Springs had a good year last year but lost their experience and no one knows what they really have yet but even with experience they didn't get there last year. 3) Oliver Springs has played "up" but did they beat Oak Ridge? Had they I would put O.S. at the top of the heap in single A. However they are beating schools with one third their student population.

 

OS91 has a problem with Brian, and Morgan Co.. He needs to get a life.

 

Good post Goose.

[bigdave25]

OS is better than Coalfield and Better right now than Oneida. They have shown this by beating both of them. The vote is not about last year. It is about this year, and this season OS has been better to this point. They should be ranked above Coalfield. However, in basketball the polls don't matter. It'll all be settled on the court.

[OS91]

Great Post BigDave

 

 

Jacket, if I am going to be accused of having an obession, I doubt it would have anything to do with any area or person West of Roane & Anderson County.

 

Good try though....

Edited January 12, 2006 by OS91

[KevB1990]

I knew yesterday the AP polls might be ugly but I never dreamed they'd look like this. Apparently some pollsters voted manually and gave teams such as Jackson County & Jackson Northside votes even though they weren't in the right class in the poll menu. Subsequently, they received some votes but not what they would've gotten and so they wind up lower than they should be. It would've looked better if they'd been totally left out and that could be more easily explained.

 

However some of the results are unexplainable. I know polls create conversation, and these certainly do, but as an AP voter who takes the job very seriously, I am embarassed by how some of them turned out.

 

Like we've already said in the boys' poll on that board...they're getting everything worked out just like in football...it took a while before ALL the schools were in the right classes.

 

And as far as voting, I'm pretty sure most newspapers in the state that have AP access are eligible, but then again it might be restricted to the papers that are members of the TSWA. Not sure for certain, but as someone else said and gave Teresa Walker's email addy, contact her...but for the love of God guys BE CIVIL...

[KevB1990]

It is beyond the realm of sanity that you have people voting on these polls who either never watch high school basketball or are absolute idiots.

 

Forget these idiots and let the coaches in each classification vote. Yes I know that it is not perfect. Some coaches might not vote for a team because they don't like another coach or team. But those coaches are in the minority.

 

At least the coaches see the other teams play and most have enough basketball knowledge to make an intelligent poll.

 

Thoughts from the Lynchmob :justwrestle:

 

I got a thought for you...before you open your mouth wash your feet.

 

The poll isn't accurate because the thing had teams not in the correct classification. And another thing, I voted and I watch high school basketball, but I live in the Eastern part of the state and have to rely on the scores provided by this site...so for more accurate results...report the scores when they come in and do it correctly and BE PATIENT with AP while they fix this problem.

 

Besides, to my recollection the State Tourney is in MARCH, not JANUARY!