Fire Up the Indignation, the First College Hoops Coaches' Poll Is Out

I've already seen a few people more than a little puzzled about the preseason college hoops coaches' poll. It was released today and everyone seems to be zeroing in on one thing: USC got 22 points in the poll?

That'd be USC, which lost DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson, its coach and, well, everyone of consequence with the exception of leading scorer Dwight Lewis. Sure, Alex Stephenson, a transfer from North Carolina, is eligible this year, but this is a team in rebuilding mode to put it gently.

So yeah, it's absurd that they got any votes really. And maybe the coaches were trying to vote for South Carolina, which could actually be a good team this season. Here's the thing: none of it matters. This poll doesn't go into a computer and determine a team's fate. This is purely conversation fodder and only serves as the most basic of primers for hoops fans shaking off the rust.

Just remember that before you freak out today and start back in with the "Why do coaches vote?! Rabble rabble rabble!" rhetoric. None of it matters.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.