I often use what I like to call the “grand scheme of things” method. It’s a good way to not freak out too much about things that might feel overwhelming in the moment, but are actually fairly trivial. Let’s say
I often use what I like to call the “grand scheme of things” method.
It’s a good way to not freak out too much about things that might feel overwhelming in the moment, but are actually fairly trivial. Let’s say that I realized I hadn’t studied long enough for an exam. I might just say to myself, “well, in the grand scheme of things, this test probably won’t effect anyone but me, and only for a short while.” Then I could rationalize leaving the books behind and heading out for the evening.
Granted, this is not a good method for achieving a high GPA. But it can alleviate some of the stresses we feel day to day, or put certain things into an appropriate perspective.
So I will say that in the grand scheme of things, the Hawaii men’s basketball team getting only five points in this week’s Associated Press poll and seven in the Coaches Poll won’t make Wikipedia’s 2016 year recap page. But what are sports if not an excuse to get irrational about trivial events?
So let’s get nuts.
Hawaii currently sits at 20-3 on the season (18-3 against Division I opponents) and just dominated both UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton to take sole possession of first place in the Big West. The win over Irvine (19-7, 8-2 Big West) broke the teams’ tie for first and leaves the ‘Bows controlling their own destiny with six conference games remaining before the Big West Tournament.
One of Hawaii’s three losses was an evenly played game against No. 3 Oklahoma, another a road loss at Texas Tech. (Interestingly, those two teams play tonight in Lubbock.) A 14-point home loss to Long Beach State appears to be Hawaii’s only true blemish all year.
Yet the lack of respect it’s receiving seems unusual, especially given the team’s style of play and depth of talent. If they were a plodding team winning most of their games by small margins and with low scores, they may fly under the radar. But they play an exciting and well-rounded brand of basketball and are winning by some hefty margins.
After the Irvine crushing, it seemed fair to assume that if the ‘Bows handled their business against Fullerton, they’d pick up a lot of votes and sit at the edge of the Top 25. Instead, Hawaii is ranked 38th this week and still not even held in as high esteem as it was a few weeks ago. It’s not surprising to assume that Hawaii’s only chance to reach the NCAA Tournament would be to win the conference tournament, but it sure seemed like there would be some more support for its success to this point than a few measly AP votes.
Irvine gets a shot at redemption on Sunday in California and maybe a road win in that gym would give Hawaii a boost. But there isn’t much reason to suspect a ground swell of support if it hasn’t already occurred.
Maybe Hawaii doesn’t deserve to be in the Top 25, but it has done enough to be given more consideration than it’s receiving. In the grand scheme of things, this week’s AP Poll is of little consequence. But why have it if not to overreact to its minutiae?
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David Simon can be reached at dsimon@thegardenisland.com.
