John Feinstein has given his reasons for continually voting Virginia over Kentucky the AP Top 25 poll.
In an e-mail to Rick Bozich of WDRB.com, Feinstein lists several reasons for casting his weekly vote to the Cavaliers.
Here is an excerpt of his explanation to Bozich:
“Hey, Rick – Someone just sent me your Kentucky-UVa column. I’m honestly not sure why anyone in Kentucky CARES that I’ve voted UVA #1 the last three weeks, except I guess that it’s me and I’m evil incarnate.
“I’m guessing if the kid in Indy (Zach Osterman of the Indy Star) had voted UVA #1 this week instead of me it would have barely been noticed. I gotta say your five points are pretty much EXACTLY why I’ve voted for UVA!
“1. Everybody’s Super Bowl. If that’s the criteria, then Duke has to be #1 every week since 1992 regardless of record…
“3. NBA draft picks? How in the world is that relevant to THIS season? And, again I love teams that win with great college players. No one did that better than (former Indiana coach Bob) Knight. How many future NBA All-Stars played for U-Conn last year? But they WON…
“4. Recruiting battles? (UK coach John) Calipari recruits one-and-dones who are passing through Kentucky not going to school there. I feel the same way, BTW, about the one-and-dones at Duke (Feinstein is a Duke grad). Please don’t tell me that Kyrie Irving is a “Duke alumnus.” Most of Bennett’s players will stay 3 or 4 years and graduate. I prefer his style but both apparently work….
He also adds at the end:
“Far more relevant is Kentucky’s refusal to play UTEP on the 50th anniversary of the most important college game ever played. Kentucky people always yammer about how Rupp was unfairly cast as a racist, villain. Fine, let’s play the game and let the story be told from BOTH sides. THAT matters, not my stupid vote in the AP poll…”
Feinstein is the only voter in both major college basketball poll who is not giving his first place vote to Kentucky.
