AP Top 25 - Getting and Staying Ranked

[Irishdawg]

Congrats to Creighton cracking the top 25. I'd love to be in the top 25 but beggars can't be choosers. This season, making the tourney in any capacity would be a big time success for the program and fanbase. If LoVett and Ponds somehow both stay next year (probably unlikely but I can dream) then we get a HUGE boost of size and also get Mikey Dixon, a solid guard to use off the bench and tons of other reinforcements. If that happens I'd expect top 25 level, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself. Must beat St. Joseph's.

Are they actually going to get drafted if they do leave? Serious question as I don't check the mock drafts often, but neither are listed as a top 100 prospect on NBADraft.net.

Both have elite level quickness, but I think at the next level size would be an issue in terms of defense.

[Jet915]

Congrats to Creighton cracking the top 25. I'd love to be in the top 25 but beggars can't be choosers. This season, making the tourney in any capacity would be a big time success for the program and fanbase. If LoVett and Ponds somehow both stay next year (probably unlikely but I can dream) then we get a HUGE boost of size and also get Mikey Dixon, a solid guard to use off the bench and tons of other reinforcements. If that happens I'd expect top 25 level, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself. Must beat St. Joseph's.

Are they actually going to get drafted if they do leave? Serious question as I don't check the mock drafts often, but neither are listed as a top 100 prospect on NBADraft.net.

Both have elite level quickness, but I think at the next level size would be an issue in terms of defense.

I've seen a couple of recent mock drafts and Mikal Bridges and Khyri Thomas are the only names I see going in the first round as of now.

[stever20]

the mock draft on ESPN-
Bridges going #12
Thomas going #28

only Big East players in the mock draft right now.

[MullinMayhem]

Congrats to Creighton cracking the top 25. I'd love to be in the top 25 but beggars can't be choosers. This season, making the tourney in any capacity would be a big time success for the program and fanbase. If LoVett and Ponds somehow both stay next year (probably unlikely but I can dream) then we get a HUGE boost of size and also get Mikey Dixon, a solid guard to use off the bench and tons of other reinforcements. If that happens I'd expect top 25 level, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself. Must beat St. Joseph's.

Are they actually going to get drafted if they do leave? Serious question as I don't check the mock drafts often, but neither are listed as a top 100 prospect on NBADraft.net.

Both have elite level quickness, but I think at the next level size would be an issue in terms of defense.

Ponds is a 1st or 2nd round talent in the NBA for sure. If he was 6'4 he might be top 15. He has gone into a massive slump which kind of helps us if he wants to leave early but we need him to shoot like he did last year. He posted something on Twitter about being in no rush and his time will come but who knows what he ends up doing? LoVett's only real hope is overseas IMO. He seems closer to 5'10 than 6'0 or whatever he's listed as. Ponds is 6'1. LoVett's injury is now a major concern and it seems the team does not want to reveal the true severity of it. I don't say this having any inside info, I say this as someone who noticed he was "day to day" about 20 days ago and is still slotted to miss 2 weeks. He was limping at MSG walking a bit but I didn't know if that was from the injury or the wrap on his knee making it harder to walk.

[NJRedman]

Congrats to Creighton cracking the top 25. I'd love to be in the top 25 but beggars can't be choosers. This season, making the tourney in any capacity would be a big time success for the program and fanbase. If LoVett and Ponds somehow both stay next year (probably unlikely but I can dream) then we get a HUGE boost of size and also get Mikey Dixon, a solid guard to use off the bench and tons of other reinforcements. If that happens I'd expect top 25 level, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself. Must beat St. Joseph's.

Are they actually going to get drafted if they do leave? Serious question as I don't check the mock drafts often, but neither are listed as a top 100 prospect on NBADraft.net.

Both have elite level quickness, but I think at the next level size would be an issue in terms of defense.

Ponds is a 1st or 2nd round talent in the NBA for sure. If he was 6'4 he might be top 15. He has gone into a massive slump which kind of helps us if he wants to leave early but we need him to shoot like he did last year. He posted something on Twitter about being in no rush and his time will come but who knows what he ends up doing? LoVett's only real hope is overseas IMO. He seems closer to 5'10 than 6'0 or whatever he's listed as. Ponds is 6'1. LoVett's injury is now a major concern and it seems the team does not want to reveal the true severity of it. I don't say this having any inside info, I say this as someone who noticed he was "day to day" about 20 days ago and is still slotted to miss 2 weeks. He was limping at MSG walking a bit but I didn't know if that was from the injury or the wrap on his knee making it harder to walk.

Ponds is not an automatic draft pick right now. Maybe after his junior or senior year but he's small and he needs to be an elite distributor and be more consistent with his shot.

Lovett is looking at Europe and Ponds might go that route too. I hope at least one stays one more year, but im happy with Simon and Dixon leading our back court next year.

[Red Rooster]

Ponds is a 1st or 2nd round talent in the NBA for sure. If he was 6'4 he might be top 15. He has gone into a massive slump which kind of helps us if he wants to leave early but we need him to shoot like he did last year. He posted something on Twitter about being in no rush and his time will come but who knows what he ends up doing? LoVett's only real hope is overseas IMO. He seems closer to 5'10 than 6'0 or whatever he's listed as. Ponds is 6'1. LoVett's injury is now a major concern and it seems the team does not want to reveal the true severity of it. I don't say this having any inside info, I say this as someone who noticed he was "day to day" about 20 days ago and is still slotted to miss 2 weeks. He was limping at MSG walking a bit but I didn't know if that was from the injury or the wrap on his knee making it harder to walk.

Ponds is not an automatic draft pick right now. Maybe after his junior or senior year but he's small and he needs to be an elite distributor and be more consistent with his shot.

Lovett is looking at Europe and Ponds might go that route too. I hope at least one stays one more year, but im happy with Simon and Dixon leading our back court next year.

Agree, in reference to Ponds' draft status, NJ. Currently, Ponds is, at best, a mid-second round pick. Could he play his way into a latter, first round pick during this season? That's possible. But, as of now, he'll likely need another year or possibly, two before being a solid, first round pick.

LoVett could choose to go abroad, as he's slightly, older than his class. So, he may choose to go that route. The staff isn't expecting to lose Ponds after this season, but they believe LoVett may bolt. Things can change, as we all know. But, I'll concern myself about that stuff when the time comes.

Frankly, I feel there is no need to sweat "what could happen after the season" during the season. Just enjoy the season, and worry about that stuff once it's time to cross that bridge.

[MullinMayhem]

Before the huge slump, I believe some mock drafts had Ponds as a late 1st round pick or very early 2nd round pick. He will get drafted for sure if he gets out of the slump. I agree though he really needs to stay another year or two and get out of the slump if he wants to be a 1st rounder. I really hope at least 1 of them stay...that will be huge. Ponds/Simon/Dixon/Williams/Trimble or LoVett/Simon/Dixon/Williams/Trimble would be solid. Then we get a big boost with the big men and we will have way more depth. The key though is getting at least 1 of them to stay. If we somehow get both to stay (probably 99% not happening) then I honestly think we can be a top 25 Sweet 16 type team. If one stays I think we can still appear in the top 25 at some point.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Before the huge slump, I believe some mock drafts had Ponds as a late 1st round pick or very early 2nd round pick. He will get drafted for sure if he gets out of the slump. I agree though he really needs to stay another year or two and get out of the slump if he wants to be a 1st rounder. I really hope at least 1 of them stay...that will be huge. Ponds/Simon/Dixon/Williams/Trimble or LoVett/Simon/Dixon/Williams/Trimble would be solid. Then we get a big boost with the big men and we will have way more depth. The key though is getting at least 1 of them to stay. If we somehow get both to stay (probably 99% not happening) then I honestly think we can be a top 25 Sweet 16 type team. If one stays I think we can still appear in the top 25 at some point.

The NBA draft is about potential and not about realized talent; it's about measurables. That's why guys like Chiek Diallo who sat a year on the bench at Kansas get drafted in the lottery and guys like Josh Hart get drafted much later. Ponds can play. He's Isiah Thomas part II IMO. Which means he's got the talent to be successful in the NBA if he continues to develop but he's got the size in which he won't be a 1st rounder. Thomas changes the game with his speed. That's what Ponds would need to do because all of his other measurables are a liability. It's just the way it is. He can't guard NBA players. But if he can improve enough not to be a complete sieve, and he provides so much offensively that he's tough to guard, then he's got a chance. But too many NBA teams bypass on-court talent in order to give the 19 year old kid who can jump out of the ceiling and has arms below his knees, the shot to see if they can develop. I'm rooting for him.

[kayako]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

1. Nova
6. Xavier
23. Seton Hall
25. Creighton

Xavier moves up to #6 as expected.

[ecasadoSBU]

It's a shame. The loser of Creighton vs. Seton Hall this thursday will probably get bounced from the T25 when they both deserve to be there