Top 25 talk

[Hugenerd]

Tried to watch a little tonight to see EConn and MIT - both games were blowouts, but I noticed MIT has 5 of its top 6 guys at 6'6" or taller.  They seem to be playing only 6 again this time around (as they did famously in their recent deep run).  We'll see how it goes, but it's got to be a little intimidating to some teams.

For comparison, both WPI and Chicago had entire starting fives shorter than 6'6"

MIT has about another 5 players who aren't seeing PT that are 6'6" or taller also. Coach Anderson appears to have had some success recently recruiting tall players.  With regard to the short bench, note also that they have played their first few games without Pre-season All-American Matt Redfield who is 6'8".

[smedindy]

Went to the Hoopsville Tournament today.  Lots to see. I was very impressed with WPI, Gwynedd Mercy, and Wittenberg.  Chicago was solid, but I expected more from the UAA preseason favorite.  Macon and Cabrini were as I expected.

WPI and Chicago were both good squads, but without much Senior contribution, they'll be much better next year. Likewise, Wittenberg is very, very young.  They lost by 21, but they were right in the game the whole first half.  Loads of confidence and athleticism.

Oberlin 65 Witt 63
Capital 63 Witt 46
Stevenson 75  Witt 65
Randolph-Macon 70 Witt 49

This is Witt's first 0-4 start since 1955.  There were probably players on that team who shot FT's underhanded.

To be fair, that's one of the tougher opening stretches in the country.  They're going to have more than their share of rough patches this year, but there are only two seniors on the roster.  They play good minutes and leadership roles, but neither of them is irreplaceable.  One of the things that stands out is when young players come out of the gate believing they belong on the court.  Witt was full of them.  It was fun to watch the dueling freshman #5s on the floor for Witt and Macon.  The early results had me expecting nothing from Witt and they way over-delivered.

And, for what it's worth, we might see FT percentages improve if more people were willing to shoot them underhanded today.

Oberlin's not a rough stretch. They hadn't lost to them since 1979. Even if the Yeomen are improved, that's still a bad loss.

Capital's also a bad loss. They were under .500 last year and Capital has lost to two very pedestrian teams thus far (Thomas More and Methodist)

I can't whitewash the Old Tigers; they look bad.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Went to the Hoopsville Tournament today.  Lots to see. I was very impressed with WPI, Gwynedd Mercy, and Wittenberg.  Chicago was solid, but I expected more from the UAA preseason favorite.  Macon and Cabrini were as I expected.

WPI and Chicago were both good squads, but without much Senior contribution, they'll be much better next year. Likewise, Wittenberg is very, very young.  They lost by 21, but they were right in the game the whole first half.  Loads of confidence and athleticism.

Oberlin 65 Witt 63
Capital 63 Witt 46
Stevenson 75  Witt 65
Randolph-Macon 70 Witt 49

This is Witt's first 0-4 start since 1955.  There were probably players on that team who shot FT's underhanded.

To be fair, that's one of the tougher opening stretches in the country.  They're going to have more than their share of rough patches this year, but there are only two seniors on the roster.  They play good minutes and leadership roles, but neither of them is irreplaceable.  One of the things that stands out is when young players come out of the gate believing they belong on the court.  Witt was full of them.  It was fun to watch the dueling freshman #5s on the floor for Witt and Macon.  The early results had me expecting nothing from Witt and they way over-delivered.

And, for what it's worth, we might see FT percentages improve if more people were willing to shoot them underhanded today.

Oberlin's not a rough stretch. They hadn't lost to them since 1979. Even if the Yeomen are improved, that's still a bad loss.

Capital's also a bad loss. They were under .500 last year and Capital has lost to two very pedestrian teams thus far (Thomas More and Methodist)

I can't whitewash the Old Tigers; they look bad.

Those teams are a heck of a lot better than, say, Johnson State and Mount Ida.

[smedindy]

Still ain't rough. Oberlin's Massey rating was 288 last year and that was a high water for them for a while. Oberlin's won 44 games from 2006-07 through last season.

Capital last beat Wittenberg in 2010-11.

I can't say that a second rate OAC team and a historically challenged team is rough by any means, especially for a team the caliber of Wittenberg. Those should have been gimmie "W"s.

[sac]

Witt beat capital by 24 last year.

[Greek Tragedy]

If we are talking tough stretches, Hope's schedule has to be up there. They played the defending champs in the 1st game and then WIAC power Stevens Point. Hope then plays their annual NAIA foes and the annual CCIW challenge.

[David Collinge]

Seeing Oberlin listed among a "tough stretch" just makes me wish all the harder that Jim Loesel was still around. He'd really enjoy that.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

If we are talking tough stretches, Hope's schedule has to be up there. They played the defending champs in the 1st game and then WIAC power Stevens Point. Hope then plays their annual NAIA foes and the annual CCIW challenge.

Exactly.  It's been tough.  Few teams play even two decent opponents.  I don't think they're comparable talent wise, but I find it difficult to believe Witt would be winless against a majority of the schedules in the country.  That's all I was trying to say.  They're not going to be contenders this year, for sure, but they're not winless terrible.  It's a strong, young team.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Let's get this week 1 poll out so we can talk about actual Top 25 related things.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/men/2014-15/week1


New Top 25 is indeed out.  Lots of surprises as expected, but hard to argue with anything this early in a chaotic season.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I wonder how long it's been since Williams was unranked?  I'm too lazy to check.

[sac]

I wonder how long it's been since Williams was unranked?  I'm too lazy to check.

Not that long ago.  Week 3 2013 they had just dropped out of the poll.

In 2012 they went 17-8 and finished unranked, started 2013 unranked and made the week 2 poll before losing to Stevenson which knocked them out for week 3 and re-entered the poll in Week 4.  They've been ranked since I believe (though I stopped here)

[John Gleich]

http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/men/2014-15/week1


New Top 25 is indeed out.  Lots of surprises as expected, but hard to argue with anything this early in a chaotic season.

Is a surprise a surprise if it's expected?

[Just Bill]

http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/men/2014-15/week1


New Top 25 is indeed out.  Lots of surprises as expected, but hard to argue with anything this early in a chaotic season.

Is a surprise a surprise if it's expected?

That is so deep.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/men/2014-15/week1


New Top 25 is indeed out.  Lots of surprises as expected, but hard to argue with anything this early in a chaotic season.

Is a surprise a surprise if it's expected?

I expected to be surprised, I just didn't know what those surprises might be.