Top 25 talk

[Titan Q]

That is interesting that Oshkosh is viewed as the consensus #2. I was thinking the UW-La Crosse was the #2 in the WIAC for next season. They return Ethan Anderson and Wyatt Cook and most of the rest of their roster. The lose of Terek Nesheim are large shoes to replace, but the remaining core is there.

Sorry, "consensus" might be too strong.

Tom said this...

WIAC

1. Platteville - Lose All American Voelker but a lock to be top 25, Return a lot, top 10 I would think
2. Oshkosh - Lose a lot, Return good nucleus of Mahoney, Peterson, Borchert, near end of top 25 to start
3. La Crosse - Lose a couple starters but return some good parts and recruits, around same spot as Oshkosh
4. Eau Claire - lose best player Rabedeaux but return a lot, definitely a team to watch for top 25
5.  Stevens Point - will be garbage unless the transfer market is extremely beneficial to them, lose 5 of top 6

And no one disagreed until now.

It is no longer a consensus.

[Greek Tragedy]

I think we, the WIAC, was in the same boat as last year going into THIS past season. Oshkosh was the #1 pick for basically anyone in the WIAC. After that, it was tough to figure out with Platteville, Stevens Point, La Crosse and Eau Claire figuring out who would challenge the Titans.

For this upcoming season, it's Platteville and everyone else. Oshkosh loses their two big guys, Eau Claire loses their top guy, Point loses a ton and La Crosse takes a hit. We're basically just flipping Platteville and Oshkosh. Year's past it seemed pretty easy...

[Titan Q]

Added RPI, Marietta, Wabash, and St. Joseph (CT)...now up to 21 teams I feel good about for the 2020-21 Preseason Top 25.

(alphabetical order)

* Albion (21-5, 12-2)
* Amherst (18-8, 7-3)
* Brockport (26-3, 17-1)
* Elmhurst (25-5, 11-3)
* Emory (22-5, 11-3)
* Hobart (23-5, 15-3)
* Illinois Wesleyan (19-9, 11-5)
* Johns Hopkins (24-4, 16-2)
* Marietta (21-7, 14-4)
* Middlebury (21-6, 6-4)
* Randolph-Macon (28-2, 15-1)
* RPI (24-5, 17-1)
* St. Joseph CT (26-3, 11-0)
* St. Thomas (26-3, 19-1)
* Swarthmore (28-1, 18-0)
* Tufts (23-6, 8-2)
* UW-Platteville (23-5, 12-2)
* Wabash (17-9, 3-5)
* Wash U (22-5, 11-3)
* WPI (20-8, 10-3)
* Yeshiva (29-1, 16-0)

--------
Other candidates...

PSU-Harrisburg
Rochester
St. John's
Susquehanna
Texas-Dallas
UW-La Crosse
UW-Oshkosh
Virginia Wesleyan
Wheaton (IL)

Who else?

Who will be the favorite in the NWC?

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Please keep the ideas coming.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Rochester loses almost no one from that roster.  A VERY talented team.  As Coach Flokerzi said to me, "We're tall, but not big."  Some good weight work over the summer and another year of improvement is going to make them very formidable.  I saw them play Swarthmore this year and if the Garnet are on your list for next season with what they lose, Rochester should certainly be on the list. I'm assuming that was a home and home, which means the return game in New York will likely be a great battle.

[WUPHF]

Rochester returns almost everyone and I think we get more from Kailan Lee and Ryan Algier may contend for league player of the year, but they only had two wins over Massey Top 50 teams this season; an early season win over Ithaca and a conference win over the increasingly enigmatic Brandeis.

I would think they would have to work their way in rather than start off as a serious candidate.

[Titan Q]

Rochester returns almost everyone and I think we get more from Kailan Lee and Ryan Algier may contend for league player of the year, but they only had two wins over Massey Top 50 teams this season; an early season win over Ithaca and a conference win over the increasingly enigmatic Brandeis.

I would think they would have to work their way in rather than start off as a serious candidate.

Totally hear you on this - it's where I was on Swarthmore before I started digging into all of this.  But as I'm looking at the options, I realize I have to say that ("I would think they would have to work their way in...") about a lot of teams that will end up in my preseason Top 25.

It starts to become about taking good gambles at some point around #15.  Rochester could be a good gamble.

Rochester vs whoever the WIAC #2 is, for example -- seems Rochester has the better case going in.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Rochester returns almost everyone and I think we get more from Kailan Lee and Ryan Algier may contend for league player of the year, but they only had two wins over Massey Top 50 teams this season; an early season win over Ithaca and a conference win over the increasingly enigmatic Brandeis.

I would think they would have to work their way in rather than start off as a serious candidate.

I just mean, having seen Rochester play Swarthmore, and knowing what each team brings back, if you're going to include Swat in the poll, you should also include Rochester.

[Titan Q]

I just mean, having seen Rochester play Swarthmore, and knowing what each team brings back, if you're going to include Swat in the poll, you should also include Rochester.

If you had to vote today, Ryan, would you have Swat in?

[Pat Coleman]

I will have Swarthmore in my preseason Top 25, based on what is projected to return here.

[Titan Q]

I will have Swarthmore in my preseason Top 25, based on what is projected to return here.

Yes, but you are not on the Top 25 Double Take.  You are just the founder/owner/publisher guy.

[Pat Coleman]

I didn't realize you guys were doing your bit.

[jmcozenlaw]

I didn't realize you guys were doing your bit.

PSU-Harrisburg possibly in the "just outside the top 25" category

Returns everybody and has a transfer 6'5" guard coming from a D-I MAC program, to be closer to an ailing mother, or so I've heard. Don't know w name but will watch it closely.

[Pat Coleman]

That would certainly be huge. Wish that program was still in the CAC.

[Titan Q]

I didn't realize you guys were doing your bit.

[ronk]

 U can take the boys out of the country but u can't take the country out of the boys.