Rankings Don't Matter, But #1 Does

Poll rankings don't matter in December...unless you're number one in the country. You can already hear the Twitter shouts that “Polls don't matter!” “Connecticut is better!” “Bet Purdue will flame out in March again!” And yes, being number one in December doesn't guarantee any success and, yes, I'd rather have a Final 4 or National Championship instead of a number one ranking, but it does matter.

Purdue basketball has given us a very recent example of the top ranking not meaning anything in March just last year, promptly lost the next game and, of course, lost in the Sweet 16 (again!) to St. Peter's. In fact, because of last year some Boilermaker fans have been timid amount the rapid rise in the rankings this Purdue team has made. Getting that ranking now doesn't guarantee any post season success either, but let's not pretend it doesn't matter. My Twitter replies would say otherwise based on how much people want to see their team with the one next to it. However, for fans it's a talking point and doesn't mean much, but to the program it does.

Let's throw out the subjectivity of the poll, fans arguing over which team is truly better and all those talking points that don't matter at the end of the season; being ranked number one means a lot to Purdue basketball itself. The historic precedent of the top ranking alone makes it a big deal. Purdue basketball has played for 125 seasons and had NEVER been ranked number one until season 124. Now they have done it in back-to-back seasons. More importantly, in 22 days Matt Painter's squad went from unranked to #1 in the country. That's a demonstration of team construction and solidifies where this program has gotten to under Painter.

Again, you'll hear the arguments of “It's not a Final 4!” or Indiana fans referencing those dusty banners when it comes to historical relevance, but how about the contemporary importance? Purdue is not a blue blood, they have a narrative to shake, but do you think being ranked #1 matters in visual and recruiting? While Painter may never target the one-and-done recruits, but being able to go into a kid's home and say “We've been number one in back-to-back seasons and can do it again with you in West Lafayette.” seem like a pretty big pitch to make?

In my house the saying is 'no moral victories.' While it may seem like I'm arguing in favor of one, it's about the growth of the program. Yes, I want the Final 4 and national championship more and Purdue is in desperate need of a March breakthrough, but being ranked #1 is not a fluke. This is a team that has demonstrated it's capable of doing so. More importantly, I see it as the chicken and egg argument. Of course you don't have to be ranked number one to make a run, but doing it in back-to-back seasons after never being the top team in the previous 123 seasons is a sign of the elevation of this program. That's the egg that will preclude the breakthrough.