The Undefeated and the Winless

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Maranatha Baptist and Green Mountain also continued to lose.

[Greek Tragedy]

They have a big win over Emmaus Bible (had to play them twice to do it!) but there is no way they are winning an LMC game this year.

[smedindy]

Now, while I think that Lawrence and North Central face a tall order in going unbeaten the rest of the year, what about the winless staying winless all year long.

Let's see:

Albertus Magnus (0-7) - Well, they should get win #1 against Daniel Webster at home. Should.

Caltech - I think this is pretty much a guaran-damn-tee (TM - Billy Tubbs) that they will be o-fer the year. But I do think they're getting better.

Daniel Webster (0-8) -  They could notch a win at home against Magnus. That may be about it.

Goucher (0-12) - They could spring one on Marymount or St. Mary's. What happened to them?

Northland (0-11) - That's a pretty weak league they're in. Presentation or Crown could be victims. They have a five game homestand coming up.

Oberlin (0-13) - Were tied with Denison with 3:00 to go, then lost by 8. They have nine on the roster, play seven really. Can see them getting lucky against Hiram or Kenyon, but they'd have to be lucky.

Principia (0-10) -  There is some hope of springing one on a weak member of the SLIAC. Webster and Fontbonne are likely candidates.

Thomas More (0-14) - Massey rates them as the 'best' winless team. That's sort of like being the most graceful and urbane Stooge. Maybe there's a win in there against Thiel or Westminster. Maybe.

Green Mountain (0-9)* - They have two games with Mitchell, who has only one win. They also play Word of Life Bible, which I can't find ANY info on.

[Greek Tragedy]

Now, while I think that Lawrence and North Central face a tall order in going unbeaten the rest of the year...

On paper, I really don't see Lawrence going unbeaten the rest of the year too much of a tall order.

They have a bit of a challenge vs. Grinnell this weekend at home.  But, LU takes care of the ball and I don't see them really letting this game get away.  Carroll at home next week will be one of the tough ones, but it is at home.

The return legs to Grinnell and Carroll will be a bit tougher, with Carroll knocking off LU last year in Waukesha.  And, I think the Ripon game in Ripon is one of those "throw out the records" kind of games.

Sure, LU got upset AT HOME vs. St. Norb's last year and at Knox, but no one really sees those happening in any league. 

With that said, I definitely think LU has a lot better chance of going undefeated than North Central does, going up against the likes of IWU again, Carthage (who I think is better than their record), Augustana and Elmhurst, just to name a few off the top of my head!

[smedindy]

In conference play, anything can happen. That's why I said a tall order. It's not like Lawrence is in the SLIAC.

Anyway, I wonder what the attendance will be at the Albertus VO-5 Magnus game against the Devil...er...Daniel Webster???

[hopefan]

Smed  -- doubtful that Prin will compete with Webster  -  Webster is not as bad as their record shows, and not in the same "class"  as Prin.   Fontbonne also has better talent than the record indicates, BUT, they are playing almost ALL freshmen.   Still, I think they should handle Prin easily.   I really think Prin challenges Caltech and the New England schools for best shot at perfection. 

I was chuckling  - if we had a 64 team tourney for the weakest teams (win and you're eliminated), how stong (er weak) would the NE region be....  Albertus, Green Mountain, Daniel Webster, Mt Ida (1 Win), Mitchell (1 win), E Naz (1 win), Anna Maria (loser by 40 to E Naz) and everyone's favorite Maine Presque Isle.  Heck, teams with 2 or 3 teams wouldn't even qualify for the regional!!!!!!!!

[smedindy]

Thanks hopefan. I was just looking at the records and the 'rep' of the schools. As hard as it is to go undefeated in conference play, it's equally hard to go winless unless you're in a Caltech situation. And Principia wasn't horrible last year. What happened there?

I do think that Oberlin has a great shot as well of being unloved throughout the year.

The NE region would be odds on faves to 'win' that tourney!

[hopefan]

Smed  -  Prin graduated 4 starters from last year  - over 75% of their scoring and rebounding  -  I did a preview last March of the upcoming season based on hypothetical returners (see page 1 of SLIAC postups) and called for a tough rebuilding year for them.  They were actually pretty decent last year  (relatively speaking at the SLIAC level).

[hopefan]

Well, our undefeateds got cut in half as North Central is nipped by Millikin.  Congrats to Lawrence on being our last undefeated team

Undefeated against D3 also took a big hit as Calvin loses to Hope, and Bluffton gets skewered by Transy.  Only Albion and Occidental survive in this group.

Albertus Magnus crushes Daniel Webster to fall off the winless group, and Thomas More wins its first against Thiel.  Winless are at 7 including Goucher, Green Mountain, Caltech, Daniel Webster, Oberlin, Northland, and Principia.

One of our winless vs D3 won vs D3... Crown beats Presentation   ... all others lose making our list at 7...  Thiel, Ferrum,  Fontbonne, Immaculata, Marantha, Rut-Cam, and Maine Presque Isle.

[Gregory Sager]

Caltech may not have left the winless list, but in yesterday's game they were within three points of Pomona-Pitzer -- one of the two top teams in the SCIAC this season -- with under two minutes to go.

it's not a win, but it ought to count for something.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Updated:

Undefeated ( 1 )

Lawrence (10-0)

Undefeated vs D3 only ( 2 )

Albion (13-1)
Occidental (11-1)

Winless vs D3 only ( 7 )

Ferrum (4-11)
Fontbonne (3-10)
Immaculata (1-12)
Maranatha Baptist (1-13)
Rutgers-Camden (1-13)
Thiel (2-12)
Maine-Presque Isle (1-12)*

Winless ( 7 )

Caltech (0-13)
Daniel Webster (0-10)
Goucher (0-13)
Northland (0-12)
Oberlin (0-14)
Principia (0-11)
Green Mountain (0-11)*

*Denotes Provisional School

[Pat Coleman]

UMPI is also provisional.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I thought so; I'm not sure how I missed that??

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Caltech may not have left the winless list, but in yesterday's game they were within three points of Pomona-Pitzer -- one of the two top teams in the SCIAC this season -- with under two minutes to go.

it's not a win, but it ought to count for something.

Maybe Caltech can run with Redlands; that looks to be their only shot, unless someone in the conference doesn't notice how decent they are this year and overlooks them (a la P-P this weekend).

[hopefan]

hoops fan, though these pages haven't caught up with it yet, Crown beat Presentation on Saturday, falling off our list of winless vs D3.