Top 25 discussion

[BachDog]

Not closely enough. Apologies for the waste of space. Sorry, really. My bad. But...

   GO NYU!! That's all...Thanks for the re-education.

[sunny]

   Just to address the notion that ANYONE, let alone GM, will beat NYU: FAT CHANCE. D3hoops.com has NEVER been behind the NYU squad this year and you know what?? NYU will win this tournament hands down. Three girls averaging double figures, two more with eight a piece, nationally ranked shot blocker in Bachman (my sis, yes, I am biased), player of the year in McEntee. They get better and better each game and still haven't peaked...GM winning, no way.

   And when NYU wins it will be vindication and I'll remember it...And so will d3hoops.

Wow - do people not understand how a poll works?  "D3hoops.com" does not tell its voters how to vote.  I guess you could argue that Pat should be voting them No. 1, but how can you blame this web site for how 24 other people vote? 

For the record I agree that they are underrated at No. 6, but a) they'll move up plenty if/when they make a good run in the tournament and b) honestly, they are ranked sixth out of how many Division III team? - be happy with it.

[gobombers15]

   Just to address the notion that ANYONE, let alone GM, will beat NYU: FAT CHANCE. D3hoops.com has NEVER been behind the NYU squad this year and you know what?? NYU will win this tournament hands down. Three girls averaging double figures, two more with eight a piece, nationally ranked shot blocker in Bachman (my sis, yes, I am biased), player of the year in McEntee. They get better and better each game and still haven't peaked...GM winning, no way.

   And when NYU wins it will be vindication and I'll remember it...And so will d3hoops.

Don't worry, Bach, you'll be playing Ithaca in your second round game, anyways. Here's TC complaining that they're not in the top 25 when GMC has played two Upstate NY teams on a neutral court and made an impressive showing in neither. GMC beat Nazareth (3-11 conference record and 7th place out of 8 teams in the Empire 8), 70-60, then proceeded to lose the following day to Geneseo (14-12 overall, 9-7 conference record and 5th place in the SUNYAC).

Say what you will about IC's record, but at least we stepped out of conference and played someone, unlike GMC. Ithaca lost by 5 to a very good Cortland team (25-2) at their place, by 4 to a tourney-bound St. Lawrence (24-3) at their place, by 11 to UR (who handed NYU one of its two losses) in a game where IC led by 7 late in the first half. I understand IC would be a prohibitive underdog if they play NYU, I'm just pointing out that it wouldn't be a surprise if it's Ithaca, and not GMC, matching up with NYU in the 2nd round. The Bombers are 13-3 in their last 16 games since Erika Steele was inserted into the lineup. It's gonna be a battle for GMC.

[BachDog]

I know how d3hoops gets the rankings. I know that there are a number of people in control of the rankings. I can accept that. What I do take issue with, and what I was addressing specifically, was the coverage of NYU by d3hoops; and I'm assuming (again, I may be wrong) that d3hoops does have authorization over its content on the website; and in turn the coverage. Correct??

[Rick Akins]

As a Howard Payne University fan--ranked #2 by the way this week by d3hoops--I want to go on the record as being perfectly satisfied with the respect recieved by our team.  I believe HPU is for real and has an excellent chance to win lots of games in this tournament.

HOWEVER, while I understand hyperbole, for our NYU friend to say his team will win a 63 team tourney "hands down" is pretty funny.

[Rick Akins]

sorry, apparently my fingers do not know how to spell "received."

[sunny]

I know how d3hoops gets the rankings. I know that there are a number of people in control of the rankings. I can accept that. What I do take issue with, and what I was addressing specifically, was the coverage of NYU by d3hoops; and I'm assuming (again, I may be wrong) that d3hoops does have authorization over its content on the website; and in turn the coverage. Correct??

I figured Pat's response addressed your concerns with the coverage as well as anyone could. 

What does "a number of people in control of the rankings" mean?  There are 25 voters  - Pat and then three from each region.  There really isn't anyone "in control" outside of Pat being the one who asks people to vote and then publishes the poll - but that's a mechanics issue, not really a ranking issue. 

[David Collinge]

sorry, apparently my fingers do not know how to spell "received."

They don't seem to be able to spell "hpuyjfan16," either.    My guess would have been that you're a fan of Mary Hardin-Baylor, not Howard Payne.  Although I suppose it's not impossible to be a fan of both.

[David Collinge]

Top 25 Tournament Glance, Rounds 1-2      

#   1   Bowdoin (26-1) hosts Mt. Holyoke (21-7) Fri.
#   2   Howard Payne (27-1) has first-round bye; hosts Chapman (23-5) Sat.
#   3   Scranton (25-2) hosts Lehman (19-9) Fri.
#   4   Messiah (25-2) hosts Westminster (PA) (22-6) Fri.
#   5   Hope (24-3) plays Denison (24-4) Fri. at DePauw
#   6   NYU (23-2) hosts Ursinus (19-9) Fri.
#   7   Calvin (25-2) plays Thomas More (22-4) Fri. at Wilmington
#   8   Southern Maine (25-2) hosts Williams (20-6) Fri.
#   9   DePauw (25-3) hosts Transylvania (19-8) Fri.
#   10   Mary Washington (26-2) hosts Notre Dame (MD) (18-6) Fri.
#   11   Washington U. (20-5) plays Manchester (21-6) Fri. at Lake Forest
#   12   McMurry (24-4) plays Puget Sound (21-6) Fri. at George Fox
#   13   Emmanuel (27-1) hosts Salve Regina (22-6) Fri.
#   14   Lake Forest (23-2) hosts Maryville (MO) (22-5) Fri.
#   15   UW-Stout (23-5) hosts Simpson (21-6) Fri.
#   16   Wilmington (24-4) hosts Oglethorpe (21-7) Fri.
#   17   Brandeis (19-5) plays #21 Maine-Farmington (25-3) Fri. at Emmanuel
#   18   Hardin-Simmons (21-5) season complete
#   19   Rochester (20-5) plays St. Lawrence (24-3) Fri. at Cortland St.
#   20   Medaille (23-4) plays at Cortland St. (25-2) Fri.
#   21   Maine-Farmington (25-3) plays #17 Brandeis (19-5) Fri. at Emmanuel
#   22   McDaniel (23-3) plays William Paterson (22-5) Fri. at Randolph-Macon
#   23   Wheaton (IL) (19-7) plays St. Benedict (22-5) Fri. at UW-Stout
#   24   Illinois Wesleyan (22-5) plays Carroll (21-4) Fri. at Luther
#   25   Luther (22-4) hosts Concordia (WI) (23-3) Fri.

[Ralph Turner]

sorry, apparently my fingers do not know how to spell "received."

They don't seem to be able to spell "hpuyjfan16," either.    My guess would have been that you're a fan of Mary Hardin-Baylor, not Howard Payne.  Although I suppose it's not impossible to be a fan of both.

He's got bi-polar disease.  Horribly afflicts him.  He vacillates between whichever school is in the playoffs!     

[Rick Akins]

David:

I love your top 25 updates!!  I am also HPU75 but lost my access somehow and went back to my football name.  My wife and I are HPU grads but we  live near UMHB and have  3 daughters who have(2) or will soon (1 we hope) graduate from UMHB.  My heart is really with HPU and this is a GREAT  time to love the Yellow Jackets!! Ralph can tell my whole story another time!  HPU got a great bracket by the way!!










Jackets

[TC HOOPS]

Pat Coleman : I was SHOCKED when I read your Tournament preview and you had Gwynedd-Mercy as the " Most likely to disappoint " in the NY bracket. How would that be disappointing to lose to NYU, the 6th ranked team in the nation on their home court? That's if we get by Ithaca.

If we do get to play NYU TRUST me it won't be a blow out if we lose!!!!

[Pat Coleman]

In person I've seen NYU blow out two teams far better than GMC. That's why I wrote that.

[TC HOOPS]

Pat :" Far better then GMC" Tell me how many times have you seen GMC play to make a statement like that?

And you still didn't answer the question. How would it be disappointing for GMC a team with 4 votes in the TOP 25 to lose at NYU a team ranked 6th in the Nastion?

[roaring0506]

TC Hoops: Give it a rest. Technically rankings don't mean very much (except if you like to see your name in lights).  Yeah, you can talk about respect and all that, but there are a lot of teams who probably feel they could/should be ranked the the top 25, and ranked teams who feel disrespected because they feel their rank is lower than deserved.  We don't see anyone else fighting about rankings and status, now do we?  The NCAA Tournament is here, and rankings and records mean nothing.  Whether your team is respected or not, doesn't matter anymore.  The #1 team in the nation could lose their first game on Friday.  So could the #2, #3, and #4.  Does that mean that GMC, or the team that beats them, is better than all of those teams.  I think everyone who knows basketball is smart enough to realize that every team has off games.  Everyone is entitled to there own opinions, and if Pat thinks GMC see isn't top 25 material, then let him think that.  There's no reason to keep badgering the subject. 

I don't know anything about GMC, except for their record and their opponents.  They're record is impressive, their opponents not.  Does that mean they won't do well in the tournament?  Nope - It's March Madness.  Anything can happen.  Like I said on another board, let the girls and the game speak for itself.