:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/24363527/20131128_krj_aj6_246.0.jpg)
When we last touched base with our boys in blue, they were receiving votes and respect, no doubt just another good win or two from finally making the top 25. What has happened in the interim? Well, first they had last week's Whelan Watch knocked out by game coverage. Then they went to the Bahamas and laid a significant egg? What has all that done for them in the polls? About what you would think, really.
First the Coaches' Poll:
| Rank | Team | Record | Votes | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State (31) | 7-0 | 799 | 1 |
| 2 | Arizona (1) | 7-0 | 758 | 3 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 6-0 | 695 | 6 |
| 4 | Kentucky | 7-1 | 683 | 4 |
| 5 | Syracuse | 7-0 | 682 | 7 |
| 6 | Louisville | 6-1 | 607 | 9 |
| 7 | Kansas | 6-1 | 597 | 2 |
| 8 | Duke | 6-2 | 547 | 5 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 8-0 | 517 | 11 |
| 10 | Wichita State | 8-0 | 484 | 12 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | 7-1 | 476 | 8 |
| 12 | Florida | 6-1 | 426 | 13 |
| 13 | Oregon | 7-0 | 417 | 15 |
| 14 | Connecticut | 7-0 | 410 | 14 |
| 15 | Memphis | 5-1 | 311 | 19 |
| 15 | Gonzaga | 7-1 | 311 | 10 |
| 17 | UCLA | 7-0 | 261 | 21 |
| 18 | Iowa State | 5-0 | 245 | 22 |
| 19 | Villanova | 7-0 | 201 | 42 |
| 20 | Baylor | 7-1 | 195 | 17 |
| 21 | Michigan | 5-2 | 156 | 20 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 6-0 | 122 | 26 |
| 23 | Indiana | 6-1 | 76 | 25 |
| 24 | Iowa | 7-1 | 63 | 23 |
| 25 | North Carolina | 4-2 | 62 | 16 |
| Others Receiving Votes: Virginia 42, New Mexico 36, San Diego State 35, VCU 35, Pittsburgh 33, Dayton 26, Boise State 21, Creighton 17, Saint Mary's 13, Florida State 10, Missouri 10, Colorado 8, Charlotte 6, Marquette 4, Notre Dame 2, George Washington 1 |
And the AP top 25:
| Rank | Team | Record | Votes | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State (63) | 7-0 | 1623 | 1 |
| 2 | Arizona (2) | 7-0 | 1547 | 4 |
| 3 | Kentucky | 7-1 | 1473 | 3 |
| 4 | Syracuse | 7-0 | 1375 | 8 |
| 5 | Ohio State | 6-0 | 1340 | 7 |
| 6 | Kansas | 6-1 | 1240 | 2 |
| 7 | Louisville | 6-1 | 1139 | 9 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 8-0 | 1094 | 10 |
| 9 | Oklahoma State | 7-1 | 1070 | 5 |
| 10 | Duke | 6-2 | 1021 | 6 |
| 11 | Wichita State | 8-0 | 911 | 12 |
| 12 | Connecticut | 7-0 | 836 | 13 |
| 13 | Oregon | 7-0 | 801 | 14 |
| 14 | Villanova | 7-0 | 785 | 37 |
| 15 | Florida | 6-1 | 758 | 15 |
| 16 | Memphis | 5-1 | 748 | 21 |
| 17 | Iowa State | 5-0 | 623 | 17 |
| 18 | UCLA | 7-0 | 548 | 19 |
| 19 | Gonzaga | 7-1 | 380 | 11 |
| 20 | Baylor | 7-1 | 377 | 18 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | 6-0 | 274 | 24 |
| 22 | Michigan | 5-2 | 223 | 22 |
| 23 | Iowa | 7-1 | 171 | 23 |
| 24 | San Diego State | 5-1 | 150 | |
| 25 | Dayton | 6-1 | 90 |
| Others Receiving Votes: Indiana 74, Virginia 73, New Mexico 71, North Carolina 62, Florida State 40, Pittsburgh 36, Boise State 36, VCU 30, Charlotte 20, Creighton 17, Colorado 17, Missouri 16, Harvard 10, Illinois 10, Cincinnati 8, Ole Miss 3, George Washington 2, Saint Mary's 2, Xavier 1 |
As you can see, there is the slightest glimmer in the AP top 25, as the team received a solitary sympathy vote from an otherwise uncaring world. This week's lone game doesn't come until this Saturday, and it against Bowling Green. KenPom has BGSU as the worst opponent on Xavier's schedule to this point with the exception of Abilene Christian. It's going to take the Muskies more than a week to recapture the momentum lost over Thanksgiving.
Whelan's status: getting his best blender out of storage and settling in for a long haul.