I agree with you, it doesn't matter who's ranked No. 1 or No. 2 during the season. It has no bearing on the Tournament or the final outcome of the season. I'm with you 100% on that.
But you know what...it still feels DAMN GOOD to be ranked No. 1 in the AP for the first time since 1990. Take off your devil's advocate hat for a moment and just enjoy it.
Today's Associated Press has the Orange jumping four spots to No. 1. This comes after last week's top three teams -- Kansas, Kentucky and Purdue -- all suffered losses while Syracuse beat No. 7 Villanova before a record-breaking crowd in the Carrier Dome.
The Orange were the runaway, receiving 59 first-place votes from the national media panel to make the jump from fourth. This is their first time on top since a six-week run during the 1989-90 season.
Seems crazy, right? The last time SU was ranked No. 1, Mike Hopkins was still playing for the team instead of coaching it.
So if 59 folks voted the Orange to the top, that also means six folks voted elsewhere (presumably for Kansas). We already know about Goodman (Parrish isn't in the AP), but who else joins the fold?
Tom Keegan of the Lawrence Journal-World (Kansas), who is not at all biased. Nope. And even puts SU at #3. THREE!
Joshua Parrott of the Daily Advertiser (LA)
Bill Cole of the Winston-Salem NC Journal
Bob Sutton of the Times-News Burlington NC
Elton Alexander of the Cleveland Plain Dealer
Update: Watch Syracuse literally rise up the rankings from Week One. Thanks Jameson.\
Update: SU also No. 1 in the Coaches Poll. Orange receive 23 first-place votes, Kansas receives 7 and Duke receives one. Coach K...you can't do that...