Wednesday, the preseason USA Today Coaches Poll was released, and the Creighton Bluejays were #15 — sandwiched between Michigan State and Memphis. They’re the highest-ranked non-BCS team on the list, ahead of perennially ranked mids like UNLV, Gonzaga, and San Diego State.
It’s just the second time Creighton has found itself in the preseason rankings. Prior to the 2006-07 season, they were 23rd in the Coaches Poll and 19th in the AP Poll. That team was toppled by Nebraska in the season’s first week, tumbled from the Top 25 and never returned (though they did stage a late-season rally to make the NCAA Tourney).
Creighton, and the MVC, officially document only the AP Poll in their historical records as it’s the “traditional” Top 25 ranking, owing to its’ history (the AP has annually put out a poll since the 1950-51 season). But it’s the Coaches Poll that ESPN recognizes, and thus the poll the network uses to decide which teams get their scores on the BottomLine. Despite only being in existence since 1993-94, because of ESPN’s pervasiveness in the living rooms of American sports fans, their preference for the Coaches Poll makes it arguably more important. Sure enough, all throughout the day today Creighton’s name has been scrolling across the BottomLine with a #15 next to it, across all of ESPN’s networks.
While it’s just their second time in the preseason Coaches Poll, the Jays are no stranger to the poll overall, having been ranked in parts of four different seasons:
2002-03 — Creighton was the top vote-getter the week of December 2, and moved into the poll at #24 a week later. They’d remain in the Top 25 the rest of the season, peaking at #9 the week of January 20 when they were 15-1. After a loss to Evansville, they tumbled to #15 the next week; they’d finish the season ranked #15 with a 29-5 record.
2003-04 — Creighton received four votes in the preseason Coaches Poll, and steadily climbed up until moving in at #23 the week of January 5 with a 9-0 record. They’d move up to #20 a week later when they sat at 12-0; Tyler McKinney’s eye injury and the team’s subsequent struggles bounced them from the polls two weeks later.
2006-07 — The Jays were ranked #23 in the preseason poll, but fell to #25 without playing a game after several teams played games before them and started 1-0. After a road loss to Nebraska six days later, they fell from the poll entirely. How lowly regarded were the Huskers? The loss cost Creighton 87 votes; they had 89 votes in securing their #25 ranking, but one loss dropped them to the bottom of the “Also Receiving Votes” list with just two votes. By the final poll, they had earned back 47 votes to finish second in the “ARV” list or #27 overall.
2011-12 — Creighton received 19 votes in the preseason poll, putting them eighth in the “Also Receiving Votes” list and 33rd overall. By the season’s third week (November 21) they’d moved into the poll at #25. The Jays remained ranked in the Coaches Poll for the entire season, save for two weeks in mid-February where a three-game losing streak temporarily derailed their momentum. They finished the season ranked #20.
When the AP releases it’s preseason poll in a couple of weeks, Creighton will likely be ranked near the middle of the Top 25. When it comes out, we’ll look at their history in the AP poll, which includes a couple of teams from the Tom Apke era in the mid-70s.