Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Checking Past Rankings

Mid summer, I figure it is a good time to catch up on the All Time Greatest Rankings, to see what ‘the fans’ think, based on rankings/polls I created at a site Rankopedia.

The most popular Syracuse basketball poll yet has been The Greatest Syracuse Orangeman Basketball Player Ever.

Dave Bing leads the way as he should, with the input of 54 voters. Out of 54 votes, Bing has 24 1st place votes, 11 2nd place votes, and 5 3rd place votes. Inexplicably, nine voters did not put Bing in their top ten, but that’s their prerogative, I guess. Melo has 14 1st place votes, and Coleman 5.

With 35 votes in, Roosevelt Bouie leads the Most Underrated Syracuse Basketball Player of All-Time with 15 first place votes.

Stevie Thompson, one of my all time favorite players is a distant second, while Vinnie Cohen, my vote for the most underrated, is a distant third.

Melo is the Greatest Syracuse Freshman Basketball Player Ever.

Really, was there any doubt? Great statistics and a National Championship to boot. He has 18 first place votes (out of 22). The Pearl is a distance second, with GMac in third. I think Billy Owens at number 6 and Lawrence Moten at number 7 are being slighted, but that’s where they fall today.

The Greatest Syracuse University Basketball Coach goes to Jim Boeheim, by a landslide (though only 11 votes so far total). Boeheim has all 11 first place votes.

Actually, I think that ranking, one to seven, is fairly accurate.

The Greatest Syracuse Orangemen Basketball Guard falls to Dave Bing who has 6 first place votes out of a low 8 votes cast (strangely, two voters did not put Mr. Bing in their top 10). Lawrence Moten and Jonny Flynn pick up the other two guard first place votes.

I wouldn’t put Flynn ahead of the Pearl or Douglas.

The Best Syracuse Basketball Player of the Decade 2000-2009 goes to Carmelo Anthony, who has 7 first place votes out of 12.

Anthony’s lead isn’t that great over Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick, who are at 2nd and 3rd respectively.

There are other rankings that could be of Syracuse Fans interest:

Greatest Big East Men's Basketball Program in History of League, has UConn just a shade ahead of Syracuse.

UConn has 7 first place votes and 15 second place votes, out of 33 cast. Syracuse 17 first place votes, but only 2 second place votes out of 33 (the Orange were left off of 8 ballots; of the 25 who voted for them, nobody had them lower than 4th, and that was only 1 person).

Greatest Player in History of Big East Men's Basketball has Pat Ewing at number one and Chris Mullin at number two. That’s how I would put it too.

Syracuse players are doing well towards the top of the list, with the Pearl at number three, Lawrence Moten at number five, Derrick Coleman at number seven, Melo at number eight, Sherman Douglas at nine, Owens at fourteen, and Warrick at eighteen. I think a little bit too much Syracuse bias, but then again, I’m all for it! So keep stuffing that box.

The Greatest All-Time Men's College Basketball Program has UCLA well out in front with Kentucky and North Carolina in a close battle for second and third. That’s how I would see it too.
The Orangemen come in seventh; no complaints from me… I have them at sixth myself.

So if you like to vote, feel free to go to the links above. You have to be a member at Rankopedia to vote, but membership is free (and there are no catches).