Top 25 talk

[smedindy]

Smedindy, did you attend the IWU/Wabash game where IWU won by 12?  If so, how do you think Wabash played that game?

I thought Wabash played up to their potential in the first half - and let the game get away in the second half. This Wabash team has a tendency to be inconsistent during games at times, sometimes in critical moments.

[gordonmann]

Incidentally I got to see the Kenyon swimming banners when Dave Kunka gave me a tour of their facility a couple years ago when he and I did the Wooster-Ramapo game.  Pretty impressive.

[David Collinge]

I went to Kenyon last year, and what caught my eye were the trophy cases.  Evidently there is a rule that says that each varsity sport gets the same amount of space in the trophy cases; so in the men's basketball section, there is a tall, prominent trophy for finishing second in some 4-team holiday classic a couple of decades ago, whereas in the women's swimming case there are so many national championship walnut-and-bronze plaques that they're stuck in there sideways so they'll all fit.   

By the way, Kenyon is supposed to open their new multi-million dollar athletic facility on Wednesday, when the men's hoops team hosts Wooster.

[titanhammer]

"Larry" getting some pub tonight on ESPN for being the only men's undefeated college basketball team.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Time to do it up:

1.   Wittenberg (16-1, 7-1) wins over OH Wesleyan and at Allegheny
2.   Wooster (16-1, 8-0) wins at Hiram and vs OH Wesleyan
3.   Albion (14-2, 5-1) win over Kalamazoo, home loss to Calvin
4.   Hope (16-1, 5-1) wins over Adrian and at Alma
5.   Lawrence (14-0, 8-0) wins over Carroll and at St. Norbert
6.   IWU (14-2, 4-2) wins over Wheaton and at North Park
7.   Puget Sound (13-3, 7-1) loss at Willamette (I called it), win at Linfield
8.   York (14-2, 4-2) loss at Catholic, win over Mary Washington
9.   Augustana (16-1, 6-0) wins over Millikin and #13 North Central
10. Baldwin-Wallace (15-2, 9-1) wins over Heidelberg and at Wilmington
11. Carnegie-Mellon (14-2, 4-1) home loss to Case Western Reserve, win over Emory
12. Amherst (12-2, 2-1) wins at Elms, at Wesleyan and at Connecticut College
13. North Central (14-2, 3-2) wins at Robert Morris-Springfield, at Carthage and a loss at #9 Augustana
14. WPI (15-1, 5-1) wins at Coast Guard and over Wheaton
15. Wartburg (14-2, 7-1) wins over Buena Vista and Coe
16. St. John Fisher (12-3, 3-1) win over Rochester Tech, home loss to Nazareth
17. Randolph-Macon (15-3, 10-1) wins over Roanoke and Washington & Lee (OT)
18. Mississippi College (14-1, 11-1) wins over Texas-Dallas and Texas-Tyler
19. Occidental (13-1, 4-0) wins at Whittier and Redlands
20. Hampden-Sydney (12-4-6-4) home loss to VA Welseyan, loss at Emory and Henry
21. Stout (13-4, 6-3) win at Platteville
22. Transylvania (14-3, 5-1) wins at Hanover and over Manchester
23. Whitewater (11-4, 6-2) home loss to Oshkosh
24. NYU (14-2, 3-2) win at Hunter, loss at WashU, win at Chicago
25. OH Northern (12-4, 7-3) loss at Muskingum, win at Capital

[David Collinge]

As I'm sure you've seen, the new top 25 is posted.  As always, there are a few milestones for which congratulations are in order:

#3 Lawrence, #8 Baldwin-Wallace, #11 North Central, and #20 Transylvania have achieved their highest ranking ever (i.e., in poll history);
#7 Augustana has tied it's highest-ever ranking (2003-04 Week 1);
#25 Carroll enters the top 25 for the first time; and
Bates (ORV) receives votes for the first time ever.

Congratulations to the coaches, student-athletes, and fans of these fine programs!

[sac]

Alright I need opinions on why UW-LaCrosse is not ranked or even receiving votes.  15-3 overall, a best in the WIAC 14-3 in-region record.

I'm stumped

[Mr. Ypsi]

Alright I need opinions on why UW-LaCrosse is not ranked or even receiving votes.  15-3 overall, a best in the WIAC 14-3 in-region record.

I'm stumped

They tied for 20th in the Posters' Poll (which I am about to post).  We in no way mean to compete with the real poll, but this is exactly the sort of discussion I had hoped to provoke!

[titanfan]

Sac,

I had UW-Lacrosse on my posters poll ballot!

I was very surprised they received no votes in the real poll.

[Ralph Turner]

Alright I need opinions on why UW-LaCrosse is not ranked or even receiving votes.  15-3 overall, a best in the WIAC 14-3 in-region record.

I'm stumped

They tied for 20th in the Posters' Poll (which I am about to post).  We in no way mean to compete with the real poll, but this is exactly the sort of discussion I had hoped to provoke!

Aw c'mon guys! We are talking about UW-Whoever!  All of those UW's look alike!   When I threw the darts at the WIAC board on Saturday night, I got Oshkosh, Stout and Lacrosse.  I know I will not be able to reproduce that next week.  But who cares?  It's the WIAC!

In the 2005-06 polls, there will be 6 WIAC's who receive votes, and the Pool A bid will be 18-10 and then run the table!   

[iwumichigander]

I gotta really think any of these receiving votes would have been better choices for #24 or #25 - Trinity (Conn.) 35, Elmhurst 35, Ohio Northern 33

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ralph,

I can definitely identify with that post!

I figure a ballot with NO WIAC teams is virtually an invalid ballot, but there is also no one who has separated themselves.  On my PP ballot I eventually put Oshkosh #20, LAX #24, and Whitewater #25.

[njlincolnlion]

iwumichigander:

It's just my two cents, but I think the pollsters has it right, and I'm quite satisfied with Lincoln at #24  .

[diehardfan]

4 WIAC and 4 CCIW teams receive votes... confusion abounds

I gotta really think any of these receiving votes would have been better choices for #24 or #25 - Trinity (Conn.) 35, Elmhurst 35, Ohio Northern 33

Caroll is a great choice for the top 25... the played #3 Lawrence really close this week, they beat Whitewater who is receiving votes, Carthage @ Carthage, and they lost to Oshkosh by only one. I'm confused as to why they are a bad choice?  

I'm all for Elmhurst being ranked, especially after they thoroughly trashed my Thunder, but the fact is that Lincoln is a pretty strong candidate for a Pool B with their season almost over, and a high QOWI and good record. I don't really blame voters for going with a team that will very likely be there Selection Sunday.

Aside from the fact that I still think that Oxy is probably better than Puget, and Va Wes is probably better than RMC, this looks like a great poll to me. Great work by the voters!

[smedindy]

I struggled to put Oxy on my PP ballot - because their SOS is heinous. I do think that matters.

I almost pulled the trigger on Carroll but I have Lincoln high and I think 24th is good for them.