We're number one!!!! A time wasting poll while we wait . . . .

What say you?

I voted "wortheless" but my real feelings are a little more nuanced.

I'm not a fan of the preseason poll because it's completely un-earned. Give me a high ranking based on our team's accomplishments, not speculation.

I'm not a fan of having the #1 bullseye hanging on our back either. Especially with a young team. If we had 5 returning seniors who made a deep run last year, and know how to deal with pressure, maybe I'd feel differently. But we don't. Many of these guys have NO IDEA what they're about to get into.

Finally, taking on Michigan State right off the bat makes it even tougher. KU will certainly have the 'weight' of that #1 on them, whereas Michigan State can come in loose since they're the underdogs with 9 teams ahead of them in the top 10. I'm sure Izzo is using this as a motivator.

The good news is that there's really no downside to this game. If we win, we'll have a "quality win" that will figure into our strength-of-schedule and figuring out our seed in the tournament. If we lose, so what? Nobody hangs their hat on the 1st game out of the box, and if you lose to a top 10 team, nobody holds it against you.

On the upside, being ranked #1 IS nice recognition for the program and helps recruiting, so it's not all bad.

I tend to agree NotO. I always like being number 1 but up until January 1st it doesn’t mean too much. I’ve seen teams ranked highly fall apart terribly (can anyone say Oklahoma last season) and I’ve seen teams get better and better as the year goes on (I.e. Virginia last season until they were blasted in the tourney). More often than not KU tends to modestly improve as the season progresses with two exceptions. With some teams we have been prone to slumps and swoons and of course, injuries are always a risk of a team falling (can anyone say Embiid). I pray for team chemistry giving us continual improvement and good health.

I will include the proverbial "knock on wood." Hopefully the Hawks stay healthy and as has been pointed out gel as a team. The big thing is I hope they get along and are really enjoying each others company. When you are in a hostile arena it is strong medicine to feel good about the guys you are with.