Top 25 talk

[y_jack_lok]

Not sure of the best place to post this. Just thought some folks would find it interesting.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/04/25/herkimer-new-york-basketball/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F36ab71f%2F6266c281956121755a4f5382%2F5d8eba7eade4e23ecc892665%2F37%2F72%2F6266c281956121755a4f5382

[PoppersMacsLive]

List of teams which I think belong in the Preseason Top 25 discussion. Some of these are shoo-ins, others probably are doubtful to make many ballots. Who is missing from this list, and which teams don't belong?

Berry
CNU
CWRU
Dubuque
Elmhurst
Emerson
Emory
Hampden-Sydney
Heidelberg
Hope
IWU
John Carroll
Johns Hopkins
Keene State
LeTourneau
Marietta
Maryville (TN)
Middlebury
Mount Union
Mount Union
Oswego State
Pomona-Pitzer
RMC
Roanoke
Rochester
Rowan
Saint John's
Saint Joseph (CT)
St. Thomas (TX)
Stockton
Swarthmore
Trinity (TX)
UMHB
UW-La Crosse
UW-Oshkosh
UW-Platteville
UW-Whitewater
WashU
Wesleyan (CT)
Wheaton (IL)
Whitworth
Williams
WPI

[Greek Tragedy]

I think the earliest I've seen games scheduled is Tuesday, November 8. I presume the preseason poll will be out at the end of October?

[WUPHF]

I would move Emory to the do not belong category until further notice.

I am 100% sure they have talent, but they lose the best or second best point guard they have ever had and quite possibly the best player they have ever had.  They return two sophomore forwards and a guard or two that have a lot of promise and a few solid upperclassman.  The roster shows a transfer from Vanderbilt as well who averaged 2.4 minutes per game as a sophomore, so who knows...  There are so many questions left to be answered.

If I was a voter, this team would not be on my radar.

[Pat Coleman]

I think the earliest I've seen games scheduled is Tuesday, November 8. I presume the preseason poll will be out at the end of October?

I mean, we would love to be closer to Oct. 15, but ramping up the process takes a while and I'm not sure if we can hit that.

[Greek Tragedy]

I think the earliest I've seen games scheduled is Tuesday, November 8. I presume the preseason poll will be out at the end of October?

I mean, we would love to be closer to Oct. 15, but ramping up the process takes a while and I'm not sure if we can hit that.

So between Oct 15 and Oct 31. LOL

[Greek Tragedy]

Mount Union is going to be pretty good, but you probably only need to list them once. 

North Central (IL) will be in there with Matt Helwig back, I believe. Wooster probably the favorite in the NCAC with Wabash losing Davidson and Co.

Whitman before Whitworth.

Nichols brings back nearly everyone for their 6th year.

Hanover?

[WPI89]

WPI has a midnight game the "night of Nov 7" - so 12:01 am the 8th - pretty sure that is the first game!

[Gregory Sager]

Augustana has a chance to be a really good team in 2022-23.

[WUPHF]

Augustana has a chance to be a really good team in 2022-23.

The last I looked, Augustana lost key players to graduation and attrition, but maybe I am mistaken or maybe their newcomers are fantastic?

[Gregory Sager]

Their freshman class was very solid last season, and they still have one of the foremost matchup problems in the midwest in Daniel Carr.

[WUPHF]

Their freshman class was very solid last season, and they still have one of the foremost matchup problems in the midwest in Daniel Carr.

It is going to be a challenge to rank the teams with so many talented players graduating, especially the fifth-year players, but Augustana does not look like the prototypical Top 25 team, but we should have a sense by the end of November, given their schedule.

[Gregory Sager]

I'm telling you, the Doggies have a chance to be really good in 2022-23, especially in a CCIW that should be up for grabs.

[WUPHF]

I'm telling you, the Doggies have a chance to be really good in 2022-23, especially in a CCIW that should be up for grabs.

As one of three common opponents from the CCIW, I hope they do well.

[nescac1]

There is no doubt that there will be a few teams each from the UAA and CCIW who end up being very strong this year -- but it just seems like neither conference has anything close to an obvious top-10 team, and a lot of uncertainty and competitive balance from top to bottom.  I imagine something like 4-5 teams in each could get a first place vote in a pre-season conference poll.  Makes it very difficult to figure out who the inevitable top 25 squads emerging from those leagues will ultimately be ...

Compare that to say New England, where it just seems like every major league has a loaded team (or two) clearly at the top of the pre-season standings ... Williams / Midd in NESCAC, WPI / Emerson in NEWMAC, Keene State in LEC, Nichols in CCC, St. Joseph's in GNAC.  All of those teams are at worst top 40 teams nationally and most are clearly top 20, but it's unclear where the depth in any of those leagues is going to come from.