Top 25 talk

nwhoops1903 · February 12, 2011, 01:09:50 AM

115-69 Whitworth over Willamette. Go Pirates! I

frodotwo · February 12, 2011, 12:39:55 PM

Up by 30+ points with 8 minutes to play before subs start to play (looks like the usual sub pattern). I remember UT-Dallas last year played with 6 players dominating minutes played for the year and then one of their rotation goes down in their league championship game. They beat Wheaton at home in the NCAA by a buzzer beater and then lost to UWSP playing with just 5 players. Whitworth could be at risk just the same way. Their starters are playing well, but all it takes is a tweaked ankle or knee (heaven forbid) or foul problems to throw your rotation out of whack.

nwhoops1903 · February 12, 2011, 12:58:35 PM

Quote from: frodotwo on February 12, 2011, 12:39:55 PM
Up by 30+ points with 8 minutes to play before subs start to play (looks like the usual sub pattern). I remember UT-Dallas last year played with 6 players dominating minutes played for the year and then one of their rotation goes down in their league championship game. They beat Wheaton at home in the NCAA by a buzzer beater and then lost to UWSP playing with just 5 players. Whitworth could be at risk just the same way. Their starters are playing well, but all it takes is a tweaked ankle or knee (heaven forbid) or foul problems to throw your rotation out of whack.

Yep. All true. I think it is a very calculated risk. Fortunately, they play great defense and fouls have been a rare issue for first 6.

Mr. Ypsi · February 12, 2011, 04:10:34 PM

#6 VaWes falls by 9 to HSC. #13 Wabash falls by 12 (at home) to Hiram. Amherst drops their second straight (both to top 7 teams), 74-70, at Williams.

Combined with at least 8-9 other top 25 losses this week, there's gonna be some shake-up in the poll!

nescac1 · February 12, 2011, 06:06:03 PM

Definitely. I think Williams will earn a few more number one votes with a big weekend including blowing out a pretty solid Trinity team and beating a very talented Amherst squad. But they will probably settle in at number two unless Whitworth suffers a surprising loss tonight. After that, Middlebury, Augustana, Wooster, and even Stevens Point can all stake a claim to the third spot.

Western Conn lost two tough games, but I note that the second (today) was played without their star, not sure what the story is there. But in all events they are sure to drop quite a bit.

nwhoops1903 · February 12, 2011, 06:53:14 PM

Quote from: nescac1 on February 12, 2011, 06:06:03 PM
Definitely. I think Williams will earn a few more number one votes with a big weekend including blowing out a pretty solid Trinity team and beating a very talented Amherst squad. But they will probably settle in at number two unless Whitworth suffers a surprising loss tonight. After that, Middlebury, Augustana, Wooster, and even Stevens Point can all stake a claim to the third spot.

Western Conn lost two tough games, but I note that the second (today) was played without their star, not sure what the story is there. But in all events they are sure to drop quite a bit.

I suspect there are only 3 1st place votes in play unless Wooster loses, then 4. Hard to see WW losing ground unless they struggle tonight. George Fox is a well coached team and I always seem to call them the conf. spoiler. Have a knack for big games.

NWC plays a 4 team conf. tourney for the Pool A spot and all 4 teams now know who they are, GF is not one of them. Lewis & Clark, Whitman, and Pacific Lutheran are all close and the 2, 3 and 4 spots are very much undecided.

Whitworth officially won the NWC Men's Basketball Championship last night. There second straight and 4th in the past 5 years. Whitworth has won 47 of their last 48 games played.

smedindy · February 12, 2011, 07:12:30 PM

Another one bites the dust. Wabash loses at home to Hiram (not a pushover, but c'mon...) 70-58.

Mr. Ypsi · February 12, 2011, 07:19:27 PM

Quote from: nwhoops1903 on February 12, 2011, 06:53:14 PM
Quote from: nescac1 on February 12, 2011, 06:06:03 PM
Definitely. I think Williams will earn a few more number one votes with a big weekend including blowing out a pretty solid Trinity team and beating a very talented Amherst squad. But they will probably settle in at number two unless Whitworth suffers a surprising loss tonight. After that, Middlebury, Augustana, Wooster, and even Stevens Point can all stake a claim to the third spot.

Western Conn lost two tough games, but I note that the second (today) was played without their star, not sure what the story is there. But in all events they are sure to drop quite a bit.
I suspect there are only 3 1st place votes in play unless Wooster loses, then 4. Hard to see WW losing ground unless they struggle tonight. George Fox is a well coached team and I always seem to call them the conf. spoiler. Have a knack for big games.

NWC plays a 4 team conf. tourney for the Pool A spot and all 4 teams now know who they are, GF is not one of them. Lewis & Clark, Whitman, and Pacific Lutheran are all close and the 2, 3 and 4 spots are very much undecided.

Whitworth officially won the NWC Men's Basketball Championship last night. There second straight and 4th in the past 5 years. Whitworth has won 47 of their last 48 games played.

Hate to break it to a voter on the Posters' Poll, but the unanimity of first place votes for Whitworth there is probably about to be broken. I'm definitely leaning towards jumping Williams over Whitworth. They avenged their only loss (suffered when they were missing their best player) and IMO have an overall better resume than Whitworth (who, like most teams in the 'Siberia' of d3, simply hasn't had much opportunity to show how good they are).

Whitworth is obviously very, very good; whether or not they are #1 good, ....

nwhoops1903 · February 12, 2011, 07:44:01 PM

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on February 12, 2011, 07:19:27 PM
Quote from: nwhoops1903 on February 12, 2011, 06:53:14 PM
Quote from: nescac1 on February 12, 2011, 06:06:03 PM
Definitely. I think Williams will earn a few more number one votes with a big weekend including blowing out a pretty solid Trinity team and beating a very talented Amherst squad. But they will probably settle in at number two unless Whitworth suffers a surprising loss tonight. After that, Middlebury, Augustana, Wooster, and even Stevens Point can all stake a claim to the third spot.

Western Conn lost two tough games, but I note that the second (today) was played without their star, not sure what the story is there. But in all events they are sure to drop quite a bit.
I suspect there are only 3 1st place votes in play unless Wooster loses, then 4. Hard to see WW losing ground unless they struggle tonight. George Fox is a well coached team and I always seem to call them the conf. spoiler. Have a knack for big games.

Hate to break it to a voter on the Posters' Poll, but the unanimity of first place votes for Whitworth there is probably about to be broken. I'm definitely leaning towards jumping Williams over Whitworth. They avenged their only loss (suffered when they were missing their best player) and IMO have an overall better resume than Whitworth (who, like most teams in the 'Siberia' of d3, simply hasn't had much opportunity to show how good they are).

Whitworth is obviously very, very good; whether or not they are #1 good, ....

Deep breath...So I am curious, who has Williams played other than Mid and Amherst? $:-\$ Not in Siberia and I don't see much on their resume.

At least WW jumps on a plane pre conference in an effort to remove the Siberia

designation.

The latest NCAA Division III statistics report was released on February 8th and Whitworth is second in the nation in turnovers per game. The Pirates are giving up only 9.7 turnovers per contest, while Wis.-La Crosse now leads (9.6). Even more impressive, Whitworth ranks among the top 25 of more than 400 NCAA Division III schools in ten different statistics:
Turnovers Per Game - 2nd
Scoring Margin - 3rd
Scoring Offense - 16th
Scoring Defense - 23rd
Field Goal Percentage - 8th
Field Goal Percentage Defense - 9th
Three-Point Percentage - 4th
Three-Pointers Per Game - 7th
Free Throw Percentage - 4th
Assists-to-Turnover Ratio - 15th

Massey has the Schedule ranked at 29. Williams at 54. Good day sir.

Mr. Ypsi · February 12, 2011, 08:03:53 PM

Granted, Williams has not played a schedule truly worthy of #1 either. But Amherst and Middlebury are much better than anyone WW has played (and Trinity, Bowdoin, and Bates may well be the equal of WW's top opponents - Williams blew all of them out). The win that first got WW serious attention (Carthage) has been severely eroded by their current 13-9 record.

I am in no way knocking WW; I just don't see anything in their record that 'screams out' #1. They may be the 2005-06 Lawrence, which went undefeated, yet I had NO doubt IWU would beat them in the tourney (they did, though I admit to some doubts late in the game!

).

nwhoops1903 · February 12, 2011, 08:51:31 PM

The statement that Trinity, ...and Bates is outrageous. Nothing to back that up.

7express · February 12, 2011, 10:14:06 PM

Quote from: nescac1 on February 12, 2011, 06:06:03 PM
Western Conn lost two tough games, but I note that the second (today) was played without their star, not sure what the story is there. But in all events they are sure to drop quite a bit.

According to the WCSU website Brooks was suspended on Thursday for behavior "detrimental to the team." He should return to the team when the team is back at practice on Monday. Either way I'd like them to remain in the top 25 but wouldn't be surprized if they dropped out entirely. We didn't really play well this week.

Mr. Ypsi · February 12, 2011, 11:51:42 PM

Quote from: nwhoops1903 on February 12, 2011, 08:51:31 PM
The statement that Trinity, ...and Bates is outrageous. Nothing to back that up.

Granted. L&C and Whitman both have better records than any of the three I mentioned, though with not only no common opponents, but perhaps not even any opponents' common opponents, who can tell?

I WILL confess that I hadn't recently checked records when I made the statement. For Bates, especially, I admit bias (my family has a cabin, now entering the fourth generation, less than 15 miles from them

; and only about 20 miles from Bowdoin). Bates, Bowdoin, and Trinity are all doing somewhat worse than I thought they were doing. Being (in typical d3 fashion) in entirely different universes than L&C and Whitman, they may (or may not) be their equal.

But I assume you WILL admit that WW does not have any wins over a Midd or Amherst?!

Heck, maybe I'll settle it all by voting Augie #1!

smedindy · February 13, 2011, 01:44:09 AM

Whilst it's fun to debate, thankfully there's a mechanism to determine the #1 team when all is said and done.

And no, it's not a contest on memorizing each episode of MSNBC's Lockup, complete with bleeps.

Mr. Ypsi · February 13, 2011, 02:23:01 AM

Quote from: smedindy on February 13, 2011, 01:44:09 AM
Whilst it's fun to debate, thankfully there's a mechanism to determine the #1 team when all is said and done.

And no, it's not a contest on memorizing each episode of MSNBC's Lockup, complete with bleeps.

Yes, that IS the fun of it!

And, of course, we could even indulge in the fun of debating whether or not the winner of a single-elimination tournament is necessarily #1.

They are obviously and indisputably the champion, but given that upsets can happen on any given night, are they indisputably the 'best' team?

[And I say this as a proud fan of d3 College World Series champion IWU (which isn't even single-elimination)! They won it, they are legitimately the champions. Were the the 'best' team last year? I seriously doubt it (except for the two weeks where it most counted).

]