Top 25 talk

[David Collinge]

#3 Augustana seems to be in a spot of trouble with Wheaton (Il).
For audio (and, I believe, video), http://www.wheaton.edu/wetn/

[David Collinge]

#25 Calvin dumps #4 Hope 59-58 on a buzzer-beating trey (0:01.7) from freshman Veldhouse. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Pat,

Yes, I'm the stat prof.  And a 4% difference in standing (among 395 teams) would mean the difference between first and 16th (which is FAR more than the difference being discussed)!  I've often had reason to think I should have thought before I posted - perhaps you should realize that you should have that epiphany as well.

The 4% difference in strength of schedule, 11th to 28th, is 17 spots. Your example is 15 spots. Do please inform me as to what I am missing.

I wasn't talking about difference in standing at any point. I was talking about your blowing up a molehill of strength of schedule into a mountain of difference.

smed, OS, and I WERE talking about difference in standing, specifically 1st vs 2nd (a distance of ONE spot, in case there are any mathematically-challenged lurkers out there).  Since Augie had a noticeably higher SOS (true, it is only 4% if considering all 395 d3 schools, but it would be equally true to say that 28th is more than twice as far from the toughest schedule as 11th!), OS and I were both wondering if SOS really factored into the ratings as much as smed assumes it does.  It was hardly intended as making a mountain out of a molehill, just alerting smed that his result didn't 'feel' right in terms of how he says his formulation works.

(And I'm not sure the 4% of 395 schools is really relevant - we would probably all agree that there are AT MOST perhaps 60-70 schools that are likely to EVER be within hailing distance of a #1 vs. #2 debate!)

[augie_superfan]

#3 Augustana    60  
Wheaton (Ill.)     64


Rick Harrigan was hurt for a lot of the 2nd half.  Big shots down the stretch by Wheaton's senior leader, Tony Bollier.  2 FTs by Mohan with 8 secs left to seal it.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Looks like the 'baby Knights' of Calvin are growing up as fast as the 'baby Titans' did two years ago!

[smedindy]

Ypsi, it certainly does, and now the point is moot, isn't it. The difference between 11 and 28 is small - if Lawrence had Wooster's SOS then Augie would have been in first.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ypsi, it certainly does, and now the point is moot, isn't it. The difference between 11 and 28 is small - if Lawrence had Wooster's SOS then Augie would have been in first.

Yes, I would say that Wheaton rendered THAT discussion moot!

With Augie, Hope, and WPI already going down tonite, it's gonna be another challenging week for top 25 voters!

[Pat Coleman]

Since Augie had a noticeably higher SOS (true, it is only 4% if considering all 395 d3 schools, but it would be equally true to say that 28th is more than twice as far from the toughest schedule as 11th!),

Understood. As long as you understand that I am challenging the fact that 11th to 28th is noticeable.

Thankfully Smed understands.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Since Augie had a noticeably higher SOS (true, it is only 4% if considering all 395 d3 schools, but it would be equally true to say that 28th is more than twice as far from the toughest schedule as 11th!),

Understood. As long as you understand that I am challenging the fact that 11th to 28th is noticeable.

Thankfully Smed understands.

Since Wheaton pretty much rendered the discussion moot, I hope this will be the end, BUT...

I never contended the difference between 11th and 28th was major (just that I thought it might not have had the weight in smed's ratings that he thought it did), but 'noticeable'?!  Is the difference between d3hoops.com #11 Puget Sound and (putative) #28 Coe noticeable?

[Greek Tragedy]

#3 Augustana    60  
Wheaton (Ill.)     64

I can hear diehardfan yelling and screaming from California, "WAHOO!" or something like, "I used to go there and give cookies to the players!!!"  

[Ralph Turner]

#3 Augustana    60  
Wheaton (Ill.)     64

I can hear diehardfan yelling and screaming from California, "WAHOO!" or something like, "I used to go there and give cookies to the players!!!"  

Wow!!!  What was that?

I just thought I saw an e-cookie going across the monitor screen!

[Mr. Ypsi]

#3 Augustana    60 
Wheaton (Ill.)     64

I can hear diehardfan yelling and screaming from California, "WAHOO!" or something like, "I used to go there and give cookies to the players!!!" 

Wow!!!  What was that?

I just thought I saw an e-cookie going across the monitor screen!

Miraculously (given my computer skills!) I just intercepted it!  It was e-delicious!

[Pat Coleman]

And now they are using it to track your every movement!

[Gregory Sager]

And now they are using it to track your every movement!

And here we all thought that April was just some harmless coed who moved to Cali after graduation to do something nature-y ... while all along she's been an NSA operative specializing in cybernetic surveillance.

[digs]

In the future I advise all coaches against scheduling Wheaton on Feb. 8.  #3 and #13 both come out of the night with losses to Wheaton...