AP Poll: No love for Delaware

Delaware 80, No 11 Penn State 71

The latest AP poll was revealed on Monday, and guess who wasn't in it?

That would be Delaware, fresh off a nine-point victory over last week's No. 11 Penn State. The Lions, by the way, dropped to No. 17.

I used to be an AP poll voter and I know how this works. It's Sunday night. The poll is due. Unless you're the super organized type who keeps a list of results and studies each of the teams during the week, you're scrambling. Maybe you're driving back from a road game. Maybe you have desk duty. Maybe you're doing something that has nothing to do with women's basketball, as fewer and fewer newspapers are dedicating resources to that sport.

So you need teams. The first 10 are easy. The first 15 take a little more thought. You get to 20. The last five? Um, Texas, UCLA.....Sounds good.

What's your process? Do you even have one? I used to wonder if I needed to justify the picks I made the week before. For example, if I ranked Georgetown in the top 10 last week, can the Hoyas suddenly disappear because they lost two games? I mean, they're going to be good, right? Ah, says that little voice inside my head, the co-producer of this blog. It's a weekly poll. Don't make it like figure skating where the thinking is the better results come later in the program. Evaluate each team on its merits, its results. Forget tomorrow. What have you done for me lately?

Do that and Texas doesn't belong.UCLA doesn't either.  No. 23 DePaul?  They have a loss to San Diego State, which just fell to Portland.

But Delaware? Remember the 2-0 Blue Hens behind Elena Delle Donne, who is making a case to be the top player in the country. You're not throwing a mid-major a bone here.This team doesn't have a blemish, and unlike Texas didn't get wins over SE Louisiana and Alcorn State last week.

I know many of my colleagues are stretched.I don't mean to call them out. Let's call it a gentle reminder. It's a weekly poll, folks.And the Blue Hens are one of the top 25 teams nationally this week.

Delaware delivers Lion-sized win

So remember a week and a half ago when we ranked Delaware No. 1 in our Silent Majority preseason poll? Seems like maybe we had a clue if tonight's result against Penn State was any indication. The Blue Hens "stunned" Penn State 80-71, according to the ESPN headline, but to us, it really wasn't all that stunning.  We believe this Delaware team is that good with a healthy Elena Delle Donne holding the reins. The 6-5 junior did it all in this one: 40 minutes, 40 points (on 15-of-21 shooting), 12 boards and 10-of-12 at the free-throw line (as a team the Hens were 21-of-26). Her 40 points is a single game high at the Carpenter Center. The Lions (2-1) were the highest ranked team Delaware has ever beaten and only their third-ever win over a Top 25 team. The Hens trailed 51-43 with 12:08 left but would finish the game on a 19-9 run. That makes Delaware (2-0) a solid No. 1 in our poll, and we suspect those AP voters and coaches  might cast enough votes in their direction next week to get them ranked in those other polls, too.

Summitt in Norfolk? Hampton vs. Stanford? Don't rule it out



Coming to town?



With the season turning a whole week old on Friday, ESPN Charlie Creme has unveiled his inaugural Bracketology.

*The lowdown: No. 1s go to Baylor, Stanford, Tennessee and Notre Dame. For what it's worth UConn is a 2 in Bridgeport. What, can't they play every game in Storrs or Hartford?

*Creme gives Hampton a 16, sending the Pirates to Ames to slay Stanford. We'd like to think the Pirates can do better than a 16.

*Creme gives Liberty a 14; we can't argue with that at this point.

*His nod goes to Delaware as CAA champion, which he prognosticates would make the Blue Hens an 11. Delaware's nonconference slate doesn't overwhelm us, but they could do a lot by knocking off Penn State tonight. The marquee opponent on the sked is Maryland in the Terrapin Classic after the holidays (yes, we're assuming the Terps beat Lafayette first).

*Pat Summitt in Norfolk? Remember the Constant Center is hosting NCAA Tournament first and second rounds. If Creme is right on, Pat Summitt will bring her Lady Vols here. Given what this season represents for Summitt and her program, we'd be giddy to see that happen.