Top 25 talk

[Ralph Turner]

Down goes Magnus!

A "nice" loss.  To the #3 team in the conference. On the road.

Takes the "top 25" pressure off the team.  Allows them to re-focus on "taking care of business" in the conference.

Is there some sarcasm there? I hope so...

Respectfully, no sarcasm.

In the CCIW, WIAC, UAA, ODAC, etc, playing a Top 25 team is pretty common and I think that the players and fans are accustomed to tight conference races.  AMC doesn't face a conference line-up like those conferences so it can be hard for players to maintain the focus of winning the games to get to the tourney. IMHO, watching the Poll numbers sometimes becomes more prominent than winning the next conference game.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Guh... to lose before the poll is even released is gut-wrenching. At least teams playing at night are after the poll's release! Sheesh.

Is there such a thing as the "Hoopsville" jinx?  Didn't we have this discussion a few years ago?

SSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[ziggy]

Down goes Magnus!

A "nice" loss.  To the #3 team in the conference. On the road.

Takes the "top 25" pressure off the team.  Allows them to re-focus on "taking care of business" in the conference.

Is there some sarcasm there? I hope so...

Respectfully, no sarcasm.

In the CCIW, WIAC, UAA, ODAC, etc, playing a Top 25 team is pretty common and I think that the players and fans are accustomed to tight conference races.  AMC doesn't face a conference line-up like those conferences so it can be hard for players to maintain the focus of winning the games to get to the tourney. IMHO, watching the Poll numbers sometimes becomes more prominent than winning the next conference game.

I can understand and agree with that. I was coming more from the perspective that for a true top 25 team that was not a "nice" loss. To put in terms of my world, Massey says that's like losing at Kalamzoo. As a Calvin fan, "nice" is about the last word coming out of my mouth to describe such a game. Of course, Massey didn't say Albertus Magnus is anywhere near a top 25 team anyway.

That being said, they certainly are well positioned to refocus and win the conference and the tourney bid that comes with it. It's game on at that point and the polls mean nothing one way or the other.

[pjunito]

Albertus won't see the top 25 again this year. They don't have the SOS to get the consideration again. However, I agree with some of the other pollsters (Mainly Turner), Win the GNAC championship get an automatic bid. Albertus had a good run (35 consecutive games won in conference). But, this lost middle of the regular season allows Coach Oliver to work on weaknesses. And gets everyone on the team refocused (no longer can they walk around and say we are the number 20, 19, 18) team in the country. Now they have to work harder to win games.

On final thing, please watch Darius Watson play.. He will be an All-American either this year or next; best player in the conference by far and probably in the state.

[Mr. Ypsi]

A rough Monday for the top 25.  #1 St. Thomas just lost by 2 to Concordia-Moorhead!

[(509)Rat]

You're up, Rochester... 

[WUPHF]

A rough Monday for the top 25.  #1 St. Thomas just lost by 2 to Concordia-Moorhead!

Way to go Lutefiskers!

[dcahill44]

Rochester (if they stay clean) will be #1 next week

[Pat Coleman]

Rochester (if they stay clean) will be #1 next week

I wouldn't say it's that automatic. Middlebury goes to Williams this weekend and a win there would be a good statement.

[Greek Tragedy]

And North Central goes on the road to two ranked opponents this week. I would have no problem ranking a 1-loss team ahead of an undefeated team because of strength of schedule and strength of conference. I only get a vote in the posters poll though!

[KnightSlappy]

Rochester (if they stay clean) will be #1 next week

I wouldn't say it's that automatic. Middlebury goes to Williams this weekend and a win there would be a good statement.

A (one, single) good statement indeed! I suppose a potential #1 should have a quality win on their resume.

[Pat Coleman]

No doubt. I suspect you and I are in agreement on this particular case.

[(509)Rat]

Rochester (if they stay clean) will be #1 next week

I wouldn't say it's that automatic. Middlebury goes to Williams this weekend and a win there would be a good statement.

A (one, single) good statement indeed! I suppose a potential #1 should have a quality win on their resume.

emphasis on the "single". I'm guessing a single game against Williams won't significantly bump up their overall SOS from 278th (massey). It certainly would be a very good win, on the road, though.

However, assuming both are undefeated it means Rochester beat Brandeis (and NYU, but mostly Brandeis) this weekend. What I'm getting at is, I would be surprised if Midd jumped Rochester even with the Williams win...

[Ethelred the Unready]

Rochester (if they stay clean) will be #1 next week

I wouldn't say it's that automatic. Middlebury goes to Williams this weekend and a win there would be a good statement.

A (one, single) good statement indeed! I suppose a potential #1 should have a quality win on their resume.

emphasis on the "single". I'm guessing a single game against Williams won't significantly bump up their overall SOS from 278th (massey). It certainly would be a very good win, on the road, though.

However, assuming both are undefeated it means Rochester beat Brandeis (and NYU, but mostly Brandeis) this weekend. What I'm getting at is, I would be surprised if Midd jumped Rochester even with the Williams win...

Hey let's not forget that Midd goes on the road to St. Joseph (VT) before Williams.   Sure, St. Joe's isn't, strictly speaking, a DIII school but you never know

[madzillagd]

We definitely will see some movement in the Top 10 this week with some great matchups.

#1 St Thomas: already lost as we know, expect a drop but not too far. 
#2 Rochester: 1/25 NYU team on the bubble, 1/27 #19 Brandeis
#3 Midd: 1/26 @ #9 Williams
#5 North Central: 1/23 @ #16 Ill Wesleyan, 1/26 @ #25 Wheaton
#7 UWSP: 1/23 #13 UW-Whitewater   
#9 Williams: 1/23 @ #14 Amherst, 1/26 #3 Middlebury