The Undefeated and the Winless

[David Collinge]

My pick for unbeaten, selected with zero research and only because the head coach is a friend, lost for the only time by two points on the road and has not lost since. Hopefully that all changes tomorrow, though. 😀

[Gregory Sager]

I feel your pain, pg04.  My winless picks have been "big losers" in four of the past five years:

2012: Millikin: 1-24
2013: Knox: 1-22
2014: Knox:  1-22
2016: Martin Luther: 1-16 (so far)

Not once have I prevailed in the winless contest.  One more thing I lost was the right to claim my alma mater in this year's undefeated pool.  Mr. Ypsi picked Augustana (who finished second in this year's undefeated pool) at the stroke of midnight, beating me by an hour, when the contest entry started this year.  My hope now is no more losing 

Next season we really ought to add a One Win survivor pool, just for augie77's sake.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I feel your pain, pg04.  My winless picks have been "big losers" in four of the past five years:

2012: Millikin: 1-24
2013: Knox: 1-22
2014: Knox:  1-22
2016: Martin Luther: 1-16 (so far)

Not once have I prevailed in the winless contest.  One more thing I lost was the right to claim my alma mater in this year's undefeated pool.  Mr. Ypsi picked Augustana (who finished second in this year's undefeated pool) at the stroke of midnight, beating me by an hour, when the contest entry started this year.  My hope now is no more losing 

Next season we really ought to add a One Win survivor pool, just for augie77's sake.

I don't think I've had a stretch of seasons like augie77, but this year I had Augie for unbeaten who almost outlasted all other picks and is now 17-1, and Earlham for winless who almost outlasted all other picks and is now 1-16.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Updated through games on 1/26

Undefeated (4)
Lancaster Bible
Benedictine
Whitworth
John Carroll

Undefeated vs D3 (1)
Nebraska Wesleyan^

Winless (2)
Curry
Washington & Jefferson

Winless vs D3 (2)
Valley Forge
Kalamazoo

^Regular season schedule does to contain any more games capable of knocking them off the list.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Since Neb Wes joins the IIAC next(?) season, this is a moot point for them, but we probably should have some minimum number of D3 games to be eligible in either contest.  Neb Wes will probably finish as the ONLY team to be unbeaten against D3 (I'm betting that none of the current unbeatens will win the walnut-and-bronze), but they played, what, 4-5 D3 teams?  Several hundred D3 teams beat 4-5 D3 teams!

(I'd be more precise about their record, but Pat doesn't even list them as a D3 team, and I'm much too lazy to go to their website without a link from Pat!)

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Since Neb Wes joins the IIAC next(?) season, this is a moot point for them, but we probably should have some minimum number of D3 games to be eligible in either contest.  Neb Wes will probably finish as the ONLY team to be unbeaten against D3 (I'm betting that none of the current unbeatens will win the walnut-and-bronze), but they played, what, 4-5 D3 teams?  Several hundred D3 teams beat 4-5 D3 teams!

(I'd be more precise about their record, but Pat doesn't even list them as a D3 team, and I'm much too lazy to go to their website without a link from Pat!)

They're actually pretty good.  It's a shame their two best players will graduate this year.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

NWC played four Division III opponents this year. They have sometimes played half their schedule against D3 when they took getting into the tournament far more seriously in the past. Interestingly, they are "eligible" for the NCAA tournament this year, but I really don't know what the committee is going to do with four or five games. They are granted an exception every year for the number of games they play (below .500 just to be eligible; we aren't talking about below .700 for all games to count), but that doesn't mean they get in with four wins and zero losses.

Yes, next year it will be moot anyway.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

NWC played four Division III opponents this year. They have sometimes played half their schedule against D3 when they took getting into the tournament far more seriously in the past. Interestingly, they are "eligible" for the NCAA tournament this year, but I really don't know what the committee is going to do with four or five games. They are granted an exception every year for the number of games they play (below .500 just to be eligible; we aren't talking about below .700 for all games to count), but that doesn't mean they get in with four wins and zero losses.

Yes, next year it will be moot anyway.

It'll be interesting to see if they show up in the West Region rankings.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I was watching the Curry game (playing at ENC) - they were, scarily, doing well, down 35-40 at the half.  Then I turned the game off to have dinner with my family.  When I came back, they'd lost by 36!  Yikes!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

NWC played four Division III opponents this year. They have sometimes played half their schedule against D3 when they took getting into the tournament far more seriously in the past. Interestingly, they are "eligible" for the NCAA tournament this year, but I really don't know what the committee is going to do with four or five games. They are granted an exception every year for the number of games they play (below .500 just to be eligible; we aren't talking about below .700 for all games to count), but that doesn't mean they get in with four wins and zero losses.

Yes, next year it will be moot anyway.

It'll be interesting to see if they show up in the West Region rankings.

I'll be checking in on their status and committee thinking prior to Feb. 10 (9), so we will have a good idea.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wash & Jeff was down 15 in the second half, but they've got it back even with three minutes to go.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wash & Jeff was down 15 in the second half, but they've got it back even with three minutes to go.

They made it to overtime.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wash & Jeff was down 15 in the second half, but they've got it back even with three minutes to go.

They made it to overtime.

Double overtime!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Wash & Jeff was down 15 in the second half, but they've got it back even with three minutes to go.

They made it to overtime.

Double overtime!

And not enough, the Presidents are still winless.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Updated through games on 1/28

Undefeated (4)
Lancaster Bible
Benedictine
Whitworth
John Carroll

Undefeated vs D3 (1)
Nebraska Wesleyan^

Winless (2)
Curry
Washington & Jefferson

Winless vs D3 (2)
Valley Forge
Kalamazoo

^Regular season schedule does to contain any more games capable of knocking them off the list.