Top 25 talk

[Titan Q]

I'm impressed you do this much work before the data sheet comes along.

I like getting the conversation going here on the board.  This is really helping me identify Top 25 candidates. 

[Titan Q]

Here is the Street & Smith's preseason poll (came out a few weeks ago):

1. UW-Oshkosh
2. Nebraska Wesleyan
3. St. John's
4. Oswego St
5. North Central
6. Nichols
7. Trinity (CT)
8. St. Thomas
9. Augustana
10. Monmouth IL

Monmouth is really a stretch.  13-13 last year, 11-7 in MWC.  Here are the 13 wins - Eureka, MacMurray, Illinois College, Grinnell, Knox, Beloit, Illinois College, Lake Forest, Ripon, Knox, Ripon, Cornell, St. Norbert.  Lost by 28 to UW-Whitewater, lost by 13 to Loras.

I know Will Carius is a stud (25.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg), but man that seems like a #10 out of left field.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Isn't Trinity more of a stretch than Monmouth?

[Gregory Sager]

As usual, the Street & Smith preseason poll is worth posting only for giggles.

[Titan Q]

Isn't Trinity more of a stretch than Monmouth?

Yes!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Isn't Trinity more of a stretch than Monmouth?

Yes!

Plus a Top 10 without Swarthmore on it is kind of silly.

[Titan Q]

Isn't Trinity more of a stretch than Monmouth?

Yes!

Plus a Top 10 without Swarthmore on it is kind of silly.

Crazy.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Isn't Trinity more of a stretch than Monmouth?

Yes!

Plus a Top 10 without Swarthmore on it is kind of silly.

Crazy.

Plus, from what I hear, Swat's freshman class is better than last year's.

[Titan Q]

My work-in-progress ballot...

1. UW-Oshkosh
2. North Central
3. Swarthmore
4. Amherst
5. Middlebury
6. Emory
7. Wash U
8. Nebraska Wesleyan
9. Wittenberg
10. St. John's
11. Nichols
12. Augustana
13. Christopher Newport
14. St. Thomas
15. Wooster
16. Whitman
17. Texas-Dallas
18. Oswego State
19. Wabash
20. Eastern Connecticut St
21. Marietta
22. Augsburg
23. Randolph-Macon or Guilford
24. Simpson
25. Brockport St


Watch List When Season Starts (also a work-in-progress)
* UW-Platteville
* CCIW #3 (Illinois Wesleyan? Carthage?)
* WIAC #3
* UAA #3
* Randloph Macon or Guilford
* Babson
* WPI
* Oneonta St
* MIAA #1 (Albion? Trine? Calvin? Hope?)

[thebear]

Having Oswego, & Brockport in the top 25 and Oneonta on the watch list, is probably not a realistic scenario.  All three teams are good, but the SUNYAC with its 18 game double round robin tends to eat up favorites.  Oswego loses 3 seniors with about 35% of their minutes. Oneonta, which took Oswego to overtime at Oswego in the SUNYAC tournament, has 97% of their minutes returning, and lots of inside size.  Brockport loses two regulars, including one starter, but does get back a regular from a medical redshirt.  I think the league is Oneonta's to lose out of the gate.

[Titan Q]

Having Oswego, & Brockport in the top 25 and Oneonta on the watch list, is probably not a realistic scenario.  All three teams are good, but the SUNYAC with its 18 game double round robin tends to eat up favorites.  Oswego loses 3 seniors with about 35% of their minutes. Oneonta, which took Oswego to overtime at Oswego in the SUNYAC tournament, has 97% of their minutes returning, and lots of inside size.  Brockport loses two regulars, including one starter, but does get back a regular from a medical redshirt.  I think the league is Oneonta's to lose out of the gate.

This helps.

[SpringSt7]

Just one Northeast poster's take but I think Middlebury is a little high at 5–return a lot of really good talent but lost in the quarterfinals of the NESCAC tournament as the 1 seed and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season and quite frankly, neither looked like upsets. They could very well end the year in the top 5 but I think 12-15 is a more realistic spot.

I don't know which team it is, but there is a probably a 3rd NESCAC team in the top 25. Williams loses its 3 best players but does return 2 starters and has an experienced senior class as well as some potentially really good young talent. Hamilton loses 2 of its 3 best guys from a Sweet 16 team but the returner is conference POY and a 2nd team NABC all American.

[Greek Tragedy]

Lots of talk about CNU and for good reason, but fellow conference members Salisbury, York (Pa) and even Mary Washington could see some votes this season.

Salisbury finished 19-9 and was a tournament team last year. They lose 2nd leading scorer Blair Davis (14.0), but return top scorer Ward (14.9) and then 3-6 scorers as well. Along with Davis, Salisbury loses two other starters, but they combined for just 11.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg. Davis did step up in league play, averaging 17.9 ppg.

York was also a tournament team and finished 22-8. They lose Jason Bady (18.4 ppg), but return their next four top scorers, and they'll all be seniors.

Mary Washington returns four of their top five scorers.

[Greek Tragedy]

St. John Fisher finished tied for 2nd in the E8, two games back of Alfred. However, Alfred loses their top three scorers. Nazareth loses all five starters, so SJF may take the league as they only lose top scorer Ryan Henderson and return everyone else from a 18-9 team.

Hanover loses Cam Fails but returns everyone else from their 21-7 tourney team.

Maybe a little stretch, but William Paterson returns everyone, while NJCU, Ramapo and Rowan all lose multiple players, so they could jump to the top of the NJAC.

[nescac1]

I'm surprised to see no love for Scranton, who seems like the number two team in their region this year (after Swarthmore).  They return all five starters from a 20-6 team, and two of those starters were frosh last year, and a third a sophomore in his first year playing after an injury, so they figure to be much improved.  They only graduated one senior total and add a very highly-regarded frosh guard to the mix.  Given that their top competition (Drew and Moravian) look down and in light of a weak non-league schedule, I'd bet they cruise through the regular season with hardly any losses.