Top 25 talk

David Collinge · February 28, 2006, 12:22:26 PM

Wooster is the holder of a number of records (most total Top 10 and 25 polls, most total and most consecutive weeks with votes), but yes, they are approaching another. If they are in the final (i.e. post-tournament) top 10, that will tie them with Carthage for the longest consecutive top 10 streak, at 38. They'd likely then take that record outright in next season's preseason poll, seeing as they return 8 men of their 9-man rotation. BUT...to hang on to the top 10 in the final poll will require at a minimum that they beat RMC and Transy, and probably the winner of the Miss. College bracket as well...that's a very tall order. So that streak is in serious jeopardy.

Whereas Amherst will definitely be in the final top 25, and take that consecutive weeks record for their own.

smedindy · February 28, 2006, 01:30:13 PM

Here's my final power rating amalgamation of the year:

1. Lawrence
2. Wittenberg
3. Hope
4. Baldwin - Wallace
5. Wooster
6. Amherst
7. North Central
8. Wisc - Whitewater
9. Transylvania
10. Carroll
11. Augustana
12. Lincoln
13. Puget Sound
14. Calvin
15. Illinois Wesleyan
16. Wisc - Stout
17. Ohio Northern
18. Carnegie Mellon
19. Tufts
20. Virginia Wesleyan
21. St. John Fisher
22. Mississippi College
23. York (PA)
24. Worcester Tech
25. St. Thomas (MN)

The Bottom 10:

395. Daniel Webster
394. Green Mountain
393. Maine - Presque Isle
392. Principia
391. Centenary
390. Anna Maria
389. Maranatha Baptist
388. Massachusetts College
387. SUNY - Purchase
386. Bard

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · February 28, 2006, 02:09:34 PM

So basically what all these polls and ratings tell us is that Ohio Northern got screwed by being in a really competitive conference and losing a few too many. I guess only one or two (Albion) sad stories like that isn't too bad with a 59 team tournament.

smedindy · February 28, 2006, 02:15:59 PM

Yep, Ohio Northern and Albion are the two that stick out.

Wilmington was #30 in my eyes, but if ONU can't go, neither can Wilmington.

Sam Johnson · February 28, 2006, 03:13:08 PM

Since this was the final poll of the year (for the regular and conference season anyhow) it looks like Lawrence has created a little history. If I'm not mistaken, they are the 1st team in the history of this poll to start unranked (they were "Others Recieving Votes" in the pre-season poll) and finish ranked #1.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · February 28, 2006, 03:42:27 PM

Quote from: smedindy on February 28, 2006, 02:15:59 PM
Yep, Ohio Northern and Albion are the two that stick out.

Wilmington was #30 in my eyes, but if ONU can't go, neither can Wilmington.

When doing my projections, I actually had Wilimgton ahead of ONU, but both after Albion in the GL region.

Quote from: Sam Johnson on February 28, 2006, 03:13:08 PM
Since this was the final poll of the year (for the regular and conference season anyhow) it looks like Lawrence has created a little history. If I'm not mistaken, they are the 1st team in the history of this poll to start unranked (they were "Others Recieving Votes" in the pre-season poll) and finish ranked #1.

It's not the final poll, its the final regular season poll. There will be one more after the tournament. Lawrence already has the record. No team has ever reached #1 during the year, which started out of the Top 25. I thinks that's how it is anyway. Sager can confirm.

Sam Johnson · February 28, 2006, 04:04:57 PM

Quote from: Hoops Fan on February 28, 2006, 03:42:27 PM
Quote from: Sam Johnson on February 28, 2006, 03:13:08 PM
Since this was the final poll of the year (for the regular and conference season anyhow) it looks like Lawrence has created a little history. If I'm not mistaken, they are the 1st team in the history of this poll to start unranked (they were "Others Recieving Votes" in the pre-season poll) and finish ranked #1.

It's not the final poll, its the final regular season poll. There will be one more after the tournament. Lawrence already has the record. No team has ever reached #1 during the year, which started out of the Top 25. I thinks that's how it is anyway. Sager can confirm.

Care to revise HF? I noted that it was the last regular season poll.

Sam Johnson · February 28, 2006, 04:06:29 PM

Quote from: Hoops Fan on February 28, 2006, 03:42:27 PM
Sager can confirm.

Full disclosure requires that I admit that I'm pretty sure I heard this from Gregory in the first place.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · February 28, 2006, 04:12:59 PM

I just meant that you can't say they "finished" in #1, because nothing is finished yet.

Still, I do think they are the only team to ever start outside the Top 25 and reach #1 in the same season, finished or not, so the point is moot. (As Jesse Jackson likes to say).

smedindy · February 28, 2006, 04:13:38 PM

Yeah, if they don't win it - they won't finish #1.

Pat Coleman · February 28, 2006, 04:14:18 PM

I believe Mr. Ypsi did the legwork on that.

Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) · February 28, 2006, 04:20:22 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on February 28, 2006, 04:14:18 PM
I believe Mr. Ypsi did the legwork on that.

Whoever it was; it wasn't me.

Mr. Ypsi · February 28, 2006, 04:28:40 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on February 28, 2006, 04:14:18 PM
I believe Mr. Ypsi did the legwork on that.

Guilty as charged - with all the times you've chided me for not doing my homework, that must have really stayed in your memory!

I notice that the national champion has always been unanimously #1 in the final poll. Several years that certainly wasn't surprising, but a couple of years the eventual champ was low enough in the last regular poll that at least 1 or 2 dissenters would not have shocked me. Do you require your voters to put the champ #1, or have they all just done it anyway?

smedindy · February 28, 2006, 04:48:43 PM

Why wouldn't the champ be #1. If they're not, that's just wrong. I mean, if York (NY) somehow won it all - I think the voters would reward them as #1 in the poll.

Mr. Ypsi · February 28, 2006, 05:14:31 PM

Quote from: smedindy on February 28, 2006, 04:48:43 PM
Why wouldn't the champ be #1. If they're not, that's just wrong. I mean, if York (NY) somehow won it all - I think the voters would reward them as #1 in the poll.

This goes back to a philosophical debate held earlier (where I was distinctly in the minority among those who spoke up!) - is there a difference between 'hottest' and 'best'. If a poll is to reflect a 'body of work', not just a recent streak, I'd suggest that there IS a difference. If York (NY) were to win the tourney, they would clearly deserve to be known as The Champions - and yet would probably still not have cracked the top 100 (or at least top 50) in YOUR rating system!

By MY understanding of the difference between polls and tournaments, Villanova and NC State deserved to be known as The Champions, but there is no way I would have voted them #1.

(BTW, this is NOT to knock the merits of any past DIII champions - I believe Catholic had the lowest ranking going in, but they were still a highly respectable 14th.)