Top 25 talk

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I don't know if you realize this, but no matter what their size, conference or what you may perceive of Princeton basketball, the fact remains they are still a division I team that has had 19 consecutive winning seasons (you can check their 2005-06 media guide on page 4).  I don't know of many schools that have had that many winning seasons in a row in any conference or division.

New Jersey City University has a streak of 29 straight winning seasons. 

And Hope has 26 straight entering this year

[David Collinge]

I don't know if you realize this, but no matter what their size, conference or what you may perceive of Princeton basketball, the fact remains they are still a division I team that has had 19 consecutive winning seasons (you can check their 2005-06 media guide on page 4).  I don't know of many schools that have had that many winning seasons in a row in any conference or division.

New Jersey City University has a streak of 29 straight winning seasons. 

And Hope has 26 straight entering this year

Wittenberg's last losing campaign was in 1955-56 (8-12); they were 13-13 in 1967-68.  That's 37 straight winning seasons, and 49 straight non-losing ones.  Wittenberg has had 15 losing seasons in 94 years of basketball.

[Knightstalker]

NJCU has 29 straight winning seasons, 34 straight non-losing seasons.  Coach Brown has 22 of the winning seasons himself.  The last NJCU/JCSC coach to have a losing season is current AD Larry Scheiner in the 69-70 season.

In fact NJCU has 11 losing seasons in 74 years of playing basketball.  I have to admit that there 10 seasons with no record, and it appears that there was no team from 41-42 until after WWII ended.  11 losing seasons in 64 is more accurate to me.

[ScotsFan]

I guess everyone that was jumping on the Maryville bandwagon must have caused a shift resulting in the bandwagon to derail.  

[wooscotsfan]

Final:  #2 Wooster 133  Westminster 110

Wooster was led in scoring by Tom Port with 32 points, James Cooper with 28 points and Tim Vandervaart with 19 points.

Wooster made 12 three pointers in this game but Westminster made 18 three pointers to keep this game under a 25 point margin.  Wooster shot 64% from the floor and 50% on three pointers to secure the win tonight.

Wooster moves to 9-0.    Baldwin Wallace is next on 12/29.

[hugenerd]

I see a bunch of people have jumped on my comment about the consecutive winning seasons.  I realize there are a bunch of historically good DIII teams, all I was saying is that Princeton is a historically pretty good DI program and that just because they have played some awful games this year, they are still a DI caliber team.  Hopefan states on another board that DIII is 0-43 against DI this year; therefore, I was just stating that no matter who the DI team, a DIII school is going to be in for a fight at best.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

First, I think there are quite a few D1 schools who IWU could beat easily; no one has ever heard of them, but still.  I agree, Princeton is good, even though they have been pretty sloppy this year thus far.  It should be a fun game to watch.


Anyway, the last one before a holiday break:

1.   IWU (7-0) win at Illinois College
2.   Wooster (9-0, 4-0) home win over Westminster (PA)
3.   Wittenberg (6-1, 1-1) idle
4.   Amherst (7-0) home win over Emmanuel
5.   Puget Sound (5-1, 2-0) neutral win over PSU-Behrend
6.   Albion (7-1) neutral wins over UDallas and LaGrange
7.   Hope (9-0) idle
8.   Lawrence (6-0, 2-0) idle
9.   WPI (9-0) idle
10. York (6-1, 1-1) win at Juniata
11. Randolph-Macon (7-1, 4-0) home win over #17 Lincoln
12. Stout (8-1, 4-0) win at Bethany Lutheran
13. Augustana (7-0) idle
14. Hanover (6-2) idle
15. Wartburg (6-1, 1-0) idle
16. Elmurst (7-2) home wins over Marian and Olivet
17. Lincoln (8-3) overtime loss at Wilkes, win at Baptist Bible, loss at #11 Randolph-Macon
18. Baldwin-Wallace (8-1, 4-0) wins at Ohio Northern and at home over Capital
19. Rochester (6-2, 0-1) idle
20. St. John Fisher (5-1) neutral win over Lake Erie
21. Hampden-Sydney (7-0, 3-0) home win over NC Wesleyan
22. Maryville (8-1) loss at Averett
23. Carnegie Mellon (9-0, 1-0) idle
24. John Carroll (6-2, 3-1) home overtime loss to Ohio Northern
25. Oshkosh (5-3, 1-2) win at Carroll, home win over Haskell Indian Nations

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Lots of idles this week.  I don't see much change.  John Carroll is probably out, although perhaps unfairly.  Lincoln may drop a few spots, even though they played tough.  I hope Maryville doesn't drop to far either, both teams are solid B contenders with losses to pretty good teams this week.

If I'm voting, JCU is out and Ohio Northern is in.  ONU has won every game with the exception of a two point loss to #18 Baldwin-Wallace.  This includes the 12 point, overtime win at #24 JCU this week.  They seem to have earned it.

I'm not sure Oshkosh deserves to saty in, but they beat a good Carroll team on the road, so I'm not sure they deserve to drop out just yet.

[digs]

I think if you were looking for a D3 win over a D1 school you could find an easier team than Princeton to beat.  We may not get it this year because of scheduling and it will always be rare since anyone that is beatable by a D3 school would be stupid to schedule the game.  Nothing to gain and everything to lose--including future recruits.

[smedindy]

Shenandoah does play at Longwood this year. That may be winnable.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I'm not sure its winnable, but probably the closest we've got.  Now if someone could schedule Stony Brook or Stetson, then we might have a game.  Also, I'm fairly confident IWU could beat anyone in the SWAC.

[hopefan]

hoops fan , having seen IWU demolish Wash U this year, I feel they are at a level that could compete with any of the lower teams in several of the eastern conferences, ie the Sienas and FDUs, the Ivys the New England schools like New Hampshire, Maine, the patriot schools like Colgate.  I don't have them in front of me so I can't be more specific, but you get my drift.  I really think IWU is that good, and that well coached.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I don't disagree; I think that's the point I was trying to make.  I honestly think they could score a D1 AQ playing in the SWAC.

[smedindy]

Siena is usually holds its own in the MAAC. They had a down year or two recently, but usually they're up there. Same with FDU in the NEC.

Jackson State is 197th in the Sagarin ratings and Southern is 185th in the Pomeroy rankings.  And according to Sagarin, the Atlantic Sun and the MEAC are worse than the SWAC.

I have no doubt many D-3 teams could be Savannah State.

[Titan Q]

I'm about 99% sure that IWU would defeat crosstown D1 Illinois State pretty convincingly this year.  Most ISU fans who also follow IWU to some degree concede that the Titans are the better club.  ISU, a program with a pretty solid basketball history, has been in rebuilding mode the last 2-3 years...they're picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley, which may be the best mid-major conference.  If IWU is better than Illinois State - which again, I am very comfortable in saying - than the 2005-06 Titans are better than a lot of D1's.  

Illinois State is at #158 in the Sagarin Rating right now, with 176 D1 teams under them.  I honestly think that is right about where IWU would fit into the rankings.  I'd say the same about last year's UW-Stevens Point team.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/bkt0506.htm