Top 25 talk

[Greek Tragedy]

Its also to be noted that both their top player and 3rd best player were each playing on one leg. Whitehead nursing a previous injury that made him sit the previous game and Jenny limping around due to an injury sustained against Point...and they still almost won.

[gordonmann]

That was a really tough shot by Tillema to beat Stout.  He's reached the point where I expect him to make whatever shot he takes in that type of situation, wherever he is.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

When do the 1st regional rankings come out?

Usually the 1st part of February. Last year the 1st set was released on Wed. Feb. 6th, 2nd set on Feb.13th, 3rd set on Feb 20th, and the final set on Feb. 27th was the one we didn't get to see. The NCAA bids were announced on Feb. 28th I believe.

Last year the final day of the  conference tournaments was on Feb. 24th. This year the final day of the season is a week later. The last conference tournament won't be over until March 2nd. If the NCAA follows the same format they have in the past  of 3 published regional rankings and 1 hidden one, then I'm guessing this year it might be February 12th before we see the first set. Then one would follow on the 19th, the 26th, and the hidden one on March 5th. Of course they could give us an extra one this year and make the 1st one on Feb.5th, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that to happen.

Close... but...

There will be a total of four regional rankings with three of them being released to the public and one kept private at the end of the year. The regional rankings come out on Wednesdays involving games and records through the previous Sunday. Regional committees discuss their rankings and then vote on Mondays... the national committee gets together on Tuesdays to discuss and make any changes needed and then the regional rankings are released on Wednesday. However, the last regional ranking we don't get to see is done for the selection and bracket process, so that is all done in a tighter range of just Sunday for all parties.

Timing this year:
First regional rankings - Wednesday, February 12 (followed by the 19 and the 26)
Final regional rankings (not public) - Sunday, March 2
Selection bracket announcement along with hosts for first and second rounds - Monday, March 3

Keep in mind the men's committee for years has not had a problem with releasing the final regional rankings... but the NCAA won't allow them to do so.

[hplc2222]

As of this morning there are 7 undefeated teams, 10 one loss teams, 29 two loss teams, and 29 3 loss teams = 75 teams.
Richard Stockton took their 2nd loss yesterday at Montclair. Now I am not sure they can stay in the Top 25.

Could the collapse be coming for Stockton?

[hplc2222]

Richard Stockton is one of only 24 teams in the nation with at least 11 wins and no more than 2 losses. William Paterson is alo one of these teams. Will that record be strong enough to keep Richard Stocton inside the Top 25?

Stockton's 2 losses were on the road. A 2 point loss to William Paterson and a one point loss yesterday at Montclair.
They had the Montclair game, up double digits in the 2nd half but let it get away at the end, even with a lead in the final minute.

the 24 teams with at least 11 wins and no more than 2 losses - 15 of the teams are in the Top 25 currently

Mary Washington 11-2 **
Wesley 11-1**
Wittenberg 12-1**
Wooster 12-1**
Dickinson 11-2
Endicott 11-2

Augustana 12-2**
Illinois Wesleyan 12-2**
Bowdoin 12-0**
Williams 11-0**
Cabrini 11-0**
WPI 12-1**

William Paterson 11-2
Richard Stockton 11-2**
Dubuque 13-0
St Vincent 12-2
Oglethrope 12-1
Junita 11-2

Cal lutheran 12-2
Messiah 12-0**
NYU 11-1
St Norbert 11-1**
UW Stevens Point 14-0**
UW Whitewater 12-2**

[hplc2222]

The other 10 teams currently in the Top 25 that are not on the list of - at least 11 wins no more than 2 losses are ::

Washington U 10-2 , Amherst 10-2, St Thomas 9-2, Christopher Newport 10-3, Virginia Wesleyan 10-3, Suny Purchase 10-0, Marietta 10-3, St Marys md 10-3., Ohio Wesleyan 10-3, Babson 10-3

Basicaly I now have the new Top 25 narrowed down to 34 teams.

[hplc2222]

The other 10 + win teams that are neither on the current Top 25,  nor fall in the list of at least 11 wins and no more than 2 losses are ::
26 teams

Penn State-Behrend 10-2, Husson 10-0, Texas-Dallas 10-1, Concordia 10-3, Lakeland 11-3, Aurora 10-5, Milwaukee Engineering 10-3, Marymount 10-3, Depauw 10-3, Eastern Nazarene 10-2, Daniel Webster 10-2, Wheaton Ill 10-4, Springfield 10-3, Alfred 10-2, Whitworth 10-3, Albertus Magnus 10-1, Mount Union 10-2, Rose-Hulman 10-3, Guilford 10-3, Bethany 11-3, Scranton 10-3, Stevenson 10-3, Oswego State 10-2, Grinnell 10-2, UW Platteville 10-4, UW La Crosse 10-4

[hplc2222]

At this point it may be easier to identify teams that may drop out of the Top 25 based on how they played since the vote vote. I have identified 6 teams.

Will any of these teams drop out and who would they be replaced with?

games played since last Top 25 vote::

25 Babson 10-3, beat Emerson 72-44, lost to Springfield 88-81, both at home

23 Richard Stockton, 11-2 beat Rutgers Camden at home by 15, had a 28 point lead then cleared the bench, then lost at Montclair by 1 point

22 Ohio Wesleyan 10-3 - lost at Wittenberg 62-60, won at Allegheny 76-64

19 Marieeta 10-3 - lost at Ohio Northen 78-73, beat Baldwin Wallace 97-86 at home

15 Virginia Wesleyan - 10-3 - lost at Bridgewater 78-65, beat Randolph 75-46 at home

14 Christopher Newport 10-3 - lost at home against Wesley 64-46, lost at Penn St Harrisburg 63-60

[hplc2222]

Another way to look at it could be there are 46 teams with no more than 2 losses and 6 teams with 3 losses in the Top 25.

I'm going to say Babson drops out, everyone else stays in.

any opinions?

[hplc2222]

At this point as a beginer, I have to trust last weeks vote. In other words, the experts have the Top 25 and their reasons teams are in or out.

Taking that into account I am predicting the list may change up a bit but only Babson drops out.

This is where it stands now.

undefeated - 7 teams -------- 6 in top 25
1 loss ------- 10 teams - ------5 in top 25
2 loss - ----- 29 teams ------- 8 in top 25
3 loss - ------29 teams - ------6 in top 25

[hplc2222]

correction, only 5 of of 7 undefeated teams are in the top 25-- dubuque and husson are not in

[hplc2222]

NYU at 11-1 will not make it in this week. But they play at Chicago on the 17th and at Washington U on the 19th. Voters will want to wait and see if they can those games on the road I think.

[sac]

Top 25 voters will probably want to know two of Marietta's three leading scorers did not play in either game last week.  Leading scorer Andy Dollman also did not play in the Wednesday loss at Ohio Northern but returned Saturday.

[Pat Coleman]

Have we seen anything about whether their absence is temporary?

[hplc2222]

Were the 3 players all hurt? I did not see an article saying they were suspended. Does Marietta have winter break classes?