Yeah. I haven't done this post in a few weeks, because I've typically not been online when the polls are revealed. I've been figuring that by the time I see them, everyone has. Even now it's a few hours later, but I should be a bit more on the ball the rest of the season in terms of breaking these down as they're released.
Sweet stability indeed, as USC remain atop the D-I poll. The top four in fact are precisely the same as last week. Florida, Texas, and Michigan State split the ten first-place votes that didn't go to USC, as Hawaii have (understandably) lost all theirs. North Carolina, following their loss to Duke, were the only team to drop out of the top ten, as they now lie at #13.
But interestingly, Duke made the rankings anyway. I figured their loss to NC State would take them out of the running for it, but they're one of two new sqauds with a number by their name, at the expense of Ohio and UCLA. The other is Kansas, another team I find deserving but that I wasn't really expecting to get the honour.
The big movers in the poll this week are Missouri, jumping from #25 last week all the way up to #18 this week. As I said in my power rankings post, this will probably be the Tigers' high-water mark for the season. Florida are coming to town, and that's not likely going to be a good night for Mizzou or their fans. But even the worst of outcomes couldn't tarnish such a great start to this season.
Mostly business as usual throughout the rest of the poll. You can view it here.
I'm gonna have to do some kind of post cramming two months of D-II coverage into one night, because I've let it slip a bit. But let's take a look at that poll, too. It's still Concordia-St Paul ruling the roost, getting 46 of the 48 first-place votes. The other two went to Central Missouri at #4, one of two remaining unbeatens in D-II (the other is Armstrong Atlantic State, down at #21).
My Western Washington Vikings remain moored on #7, as the top nine are all the same in composition and order as they were a week ago. #10 last week Angelo State fell precipitiously in this poll, all the way down to #16. Losses to not exactly on-the-map teams like Texas Woman's (named in ARV in the poll) and Texas A&M-Commerce (not in the poll at all) will do that to you. Regis at #24 and U-Indy at #25 both fell out of the rankings with losses this week, being replaced by Wheeling Jesuit and Point Loma Nazarene, respectively.
You can view the complete poll here.
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