NCAA Basketball: 4 biggest takeaways from first set of 2019-20 NET rankings

4. It is Completely Different than the AP Poll

The NET Rankings and the AP Poll aren’t even similar. The two do not have a single team ranked in the same position in the top-25. Not only that, but the NET Rankings have SIX teams in the top-25 that the AP Poll does not have ranked.

This to me at least, is rather bizarre because if that is the case, what does the Associated Press base their rankings off of? I mean how is it possible to have every single team ranked in a different position, plus six total teams out of the top-25 that the NET Rankings have in?

The biggest differential between teams in the AP Poll and the NET Rankings is Kentucky who the AP Poll has at six, but the NET Rankings have at 58. The NET Rankings have Kentucky’s strength of schedule at 280th and their non-conference SOS at 279th, which is why they have them so low.

Notably, Kentucky is only 1-0 against quadrant one teams, 0-0 against quadrant two, 0-0 against quadrant three and 1-0 against quadrant four. Their loss to Evansville doesn’t even fall within the four quadrants as the Purple Aces sit at 183rd according to the NET Rankings.

Kentucky wasn’t the only school that had a surprising differential in ranking between the AP and NET though, another was the Virginia Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are ranked ninth in the AP Poll, but 39th in the NET Rankings.

Despite Virginia’s 2-1 record against quadrant one teams and 5-1 record overall against quadrant teams the NCAA still has them at 39th which is surprising to say the least. Virginia has undoubtedly the best defense in the nation as they allow only 44.2 points per game.

Not only that, but according to the NET Rankings, Virginia also has the 108th most difficult schedule, which compared to some other top teams, actually isn’t horrible. To put that into perspective, Gonzaga who is ranked second in the AP and sixth in the NET, has the 277th most difficult schedule.

So tying it back to Virginia, why are they so low? Was it the 29 point loss to Purdue (ranked 44th in the NET rankings), is it their struggling offense that puts up only 53.6 points per game, or is it something else?

Whatever it is, the Cavaliers are ranked 30 spots lower in the NET Rankings than they are in the AP Poll, but you should expect that to rise a good bit once ACC play gets into full swing.