Cindex Six Shots: Week 9

By - January 10, 2007


Six quick musings on the ninth edition of the Slipper Rankings released Wednesday afternoon on CSTV.com:

  • Pack It Up, Pack It In: Nevada, ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25 and riding a seven-game win streak, holds down the Cindex penthouse for the second consecutive week. The Wolf Pack (14-1, 2-0 WAC) have never been ranked lower than third in the Slipper Rankings since the poll’s inception during the first week of the season.

  • Valley-Ball: Indiana State (10-4, 3-1 MVC) is making its Cindex debut, entering the table at No. 16 with a one-slipper designation. The Sycamores have won five straight contests and handed Butler — the nation’s No. 12-ranked team — its one and only loss of the season on Dec. 9. The Terre Haute school is the sixth ballclub from the Missouri Valley Conference in the Slipper Rankings, joining Southern Illinois (No. 5), Missouri State (No. 6), UNI (No. 7), Wichita State (No. 9) and Creighton (No. 13).

  • MAAC Daddies: Matt Brady’s Marist side is back in the Cindex in the No. 12 slot following a two-week hiatus. The Red Foxes (12-4, 4-1 MAAC) are lodged in a three-way tie with Siena and Loyola (Md.) for first place in the Metro Atlantic as a Monday night showdown with the Saints looms.

  • Steady As She Goes: Since making its first appearance in the Slipper Rankings in Week 3, Air Force (16-1, 3-0 MWC) has made a gradual climb up the ladder. The Falcons, which suffered their lone loss of the season against Duke on Nov. 20, entered the rankings at No. 14 and have climbed all the way to No. 3. With today’s poll, Jeff Bzdelik’s flyboys have earned a five-slipper ranking — the elite designation reserved for bona fide Final Four threats — for the first time this season. Here's a week-by-week look at Air Force's steady ascent:

  • Atlantic Tumble: Xavier, the prohibitive favorite to repeat as Atlantic 10 champs, held down its No. 10 spot for the third straight week. But two of the league’s top contenders have dropped from the Cindex thanks to some unimpressive results over the past week. Dayton plummeted from No. 12 after suffering a one-point loss to Rhode Island in Kingston, the third setback for the Flyers in four tries. Meanwhile, Saint Louis checked out from No. 13 after an even more unimpressive week which included losses to perennial conference doormats St. Bonaventure and Duquesne.

  • Cindex Staples: Just five teams have appeared in each of the nine CSTV.com Slipper Rankings that have been released to date. Those schools are Nevada (currently ranked No. 1), Southern Illinois (No. 5), Missouri State (No. 6), Xavier (No. 10) and Winthrop (No. 11). Butler, which topped Notre Dame and Indiana during the season’s first week in the Midwest Regional of the NIT Season Tip-Off, entered the Cindex in Week 2 and has remained close to the top since.

Posted by at 05:34 PM on January 10, 2007
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