Year 1 – Game 5 Rankings

These official power rankings are released every 5 games by the Global Basketball Cup Association.  They are determined by a polling of a select group of international sports writers.

GBC Power Rankings after 5 games

(Previous rank in parentheses)

1. New York (1) 5-0
2. Istanbul (2) 4-1
3. Madrid (4) 4-1
4. Sao Paulo (5) 4-1
5. Sydney (7) 4-1
6. Moscow (12) 4-1
7. Tehran (11) 3-2
8. Toronto (6) 3-2
9. Lagos (13) 4-1
10. Mexico City (10) 3-2
11. Jakarta (18) 3-2
12. Delhi (19) 3-2
13. Paris (3) 2-3
14. Johannesburg (15) 2-3
15. Buenos Aires (8) 2-3
16. Manila (17) 2-3
17. Bogota (23) 2-3
18. Shanghai (9) 1-4
19. Seoul (14) 1-4
20. Cairo (21) 1-4
21. Kinshasa (24) 1-4
22. Lima (22) 1-4
23. Tokyo (16) 1-4
24. Karachi (20) 0-5

Season 1 Burning Questions – Games 1-5

A quarter of the way through season 1’s first year’s games, a lot has already happened. Only one unbeaten team, New York, and one winless team, Karachi, remain. We have some surprises among the top teams, and one notable surprise team – Paris – struggling. As we look back, and ahead, what are the top questions on this writer’s mind?

Change in the air for free-falling French?

It has only been four games, but the winds of change are picking up in Paris where “Le Bleu” have returned in shame after a stunning 98-87 loss in Cairo to a lowly-ranked Egyptian team.  The loss is Paris’ second on the season, which is surprising for a team projected to easily finish in the top four.

“We are not playing up to our standards,” Paris coach Jean-Michel Praud told reporters after the Cairo match.  “It’s that simple.  As the coach, that’s on me.”

Le Bleu’s other loss came in their first game at home against Lagos, who eked out an 85-81 win.  Paris fans wrote it off as opening-day jitters and a case of an under-ranked opponent, which looked feasible with Lagos going 3-1 so far on the year.  But losing to the now 2-2 Egyptians is much more concerning.