What's the point of preseason rankings 
?Really, who cares about preseason rankings. What does it really mean to be ranked before the basketballs hit the floor? Yes, Midnight Madness brought excitement to campuses all over America. Every team now has that dream of making it to the Final Four in Atlanta, but there is a long journey ahead and they will have to prove it on the hardwood, not in the newspaper where the rankings are listed.
There is great talk and PR, but they settle it in the arena, where the score starts off 0-0.
College hoops is here and I can't wait for my first game. This is a great sport which settles on a champion by playing it out, unlike college football and its potential for controversy.
I have seen teams start the season ranked in the top 15, but injuries can take their toll. Then there is the fact that some squads simply fail to reach their potential. Every year we find a few sleepers that come out of nowhere and stun everyone, competing for conference titles and NCAA berths.
I am sure that will happen again this season. Suddenly a coach here or there will make a name for himself with an upset as his team moves up the ladder of success.
That's why this sport is special. It also shows that the rankings mean little other than to provide fodder for sports talk radio shows and newspapers all across America.
-Dick Vitale (10/19/06)
