Top 25 talk

[John Gleich]

I'm having trouble gauging York...  I mean, they've got the same record now that they did at this point last season... But what does that mean?  Have they improved since last year, and are they legitimately a National Championship contender, or are they a team that, depending on the bracket, are essentially a lock for a Salem slot, just to be destroyed by teams from the midwest (little m) and Great Lakes?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I've been high on York at the beginning of the year and doubtful over the last month, but this week's results have changed my mind again.  They kicked the crap out of Catholic, avenging their only legitimate loss (the Salisbury game was obviously a slip-up that got them focused), but Catholic came out and beat them.

I just have this feeling that they are head and shoulders above just about everyone in the East (geogrpahical area, not NCAA region).  If they had played Lincoln or Amherst or even one of the UAA schools, I might be able to judge them better.  I think they are very good; they lost basically nothing from last year.

It still is a crapshoot about where to place them nationally though. 

[John Gleich]

I talked to some of the players last year after we'd won our 2nd title and after they'd been rather humbled...  From the way the guys were talking, they knew they needed to step their game up to reach that next level, nationally.  They've got plenty of motivation... they've tasted the cream at the top, and it tastes so good...  If they reach Salem again, and they're playing a team that HASN'T been there in the last 3 or 4 years (in other words, the players have never been there), then I'd say they've got an advantage...  The whole mistique of the Final Four can be pretty intimidating, even though it is a lot of fun.  Two years ago, at the Friday night dinner, we were eying up all the players from the other teams... trying to figure out who the best team was.  Last year, we KNEW who the best team was ( ) and the other teams were still trying to figure it out.

I'm not trying to say that they lacked focus last year... but it's hard to truly focus when you don't exactly know what's coming next.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I have to assume Amherst/Rochester and York are the favorites to come out, just because they have team leaders who have been there before.  I may include Lincoln in that group in terms of talent, but it will take a  good string of play to get there, even out of the Eastern Half of the country.  Experience will mean a lot.

[Greek Tragedy]

I was suprised after a home loss to Point, Stout only dropped one spot (though they did lose almost 60 votes).  Also nice to see Whitewater back in the Polls.  They've been on a roll.  Of couse, Oshkosh was on a roll when they jumped back into the polls and then proceeded to lose right away! lol.    Whitewater crushed Point on Wednesday at Quandt.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Whitewater definately deserved it; they've been on a nice roll of late.  They also have the easiest road to a regular seasn WIAC title.

I am suprised OH Northern still got 27 votes.  I know I'm a big fan, but the 2-4 OAC teams have been proving how even they are.  Its tough to say one is better than another at this point, especially to the tune of 20-some points.

[Pat Coleman]

27 points = average of one spot per voter

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Were they really mentioned on every ballot?  If so, then I'll shut up.  It just seems odd that they (who weren't all that well loved by the voters to begin with) would stay up there after a loss.  I guess its more of the confusion that this week has brought on.

[David Collinge]

This week's poll is #105.

Congratulations to the following teams which reached (or tied) their highest ranking ever in the D3hoops.com poll (it goes without saying, BTW, that the #1 team is always on this list):
#3 Baldwin-Wallace College
#6 York College (also reached #6 in preseason and Weeks 1 and 2 polls this season)
#11 Mississippi College
#14 Carroll College

Streaks, Milestones, and Tidbits
* This is the fourth consecutive week with the same teams comprising the top 10, albeit in a different order each week.
* The College of Wooster is in the the top 10 for the 75th time, extending their record in this category, and for the 35th consecutive week (record: Carthage, 38 weeks)
* Illinois Wesleyan University is in the top 10 for the 40th time, moving into 6th place all time in this category, and in the top 25 for the 75th time (4th all time).
* Amherst College is in the top 25 for the 60th consecutive week (record: (tie) Catholic University and UW-Stevens Point, 62 weeks)

Congratulations to these fine programs on their achievements!

[Pat Coleman]

No, I know they weren't on every ballot (they weren't on mine, for example) but I'm not sure at that low in the voting it's meaningful to parse what they got and, say, Wilmington didn't.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I was just trying to bring something up.  There wasn't a lot that stuck out at me this week.  That was one of them.  The OAC has been very interesting this week.

[David Collinge]

Some background to these weekly posts of mine that I thought you might find interesting:

Data through poll #105

Most appearances in top 25 (bold indicates current top 25 member):
1.  Wooster 97
2.  UW-Stevens Point 85
3.  Hampden-Sydney 80
4.  Illinois Wesleyan 75
5.  Catholic 70
6.  Wittenberg 68
7t. Amherst 65
7t. Franklin & Marshall 65
9.  Williams 63
10t. Buena Vista, Hanover 62

Longest active top 25 streak (record: 62):
1.  Amherst 60
2.  Wooster 58
3t. Puget Sound 35
3t. Wittenberg 35
5.  Illinois Wesleyan 30
6t. Albion 26
6t. St. John Fisher 26
8.  Wartburg 19
9.  York (Pa.) 16
10t. Augustana, Hope, Lawrence 11

Most appearances in top 10 (bold indicates current top 10 member):
1.  Wooster 75
2.  Hampden-Sydney 59
3.  UW-Stevens Point 55
4.  Amherst 49
5.  Catholic 41
6.  Illinois Wesleyan 40
7.  Washington U. in St. Louis 39
8.  Carthage 28
9t. Christopher Newport 33
9t. Rochester 33
 

[fisheralum03]

do you think there will be a D3 prediction page for the bracket for the tournament like in football. I know they have one in D1?? It would probably take a lot of work to do though

[David Collinge]

Longest streak of top 10 appearances (bold indicates active streak):

1.  Carthage 38 (2000-03)
2.  Wooster 35 (2004-curr.)
3.  Hampden-Sydney 31 (2002-04)
4.  Williams 30 (2002-04)
5.  Washington U. 29 (2001-03)
6.  Illinois Wesleyan 28 (2004-curr.)
7.  Catholic 25 (2001-03)
8.  Calvin 24 (1999-2001)
9t. Hanover 23 (2003-05)
9t. Rochester 23 (2003-04)
9t. Wooster 23 (2000-01)

12. Albion 22 (2005-curr.)

[sac]

Dave--your weekly poll tidbits are becoming a favorite.  Good work.

Albion has managed to stay in the top 10 consecutively through all the losses.

I guess its important which week you lose.