Top 25 talk

[sac]

We already have one, but we wait until January to put it out since most of us lack the wide-ranging knowledge to vote intelligently before games are actually played.

I don't think the lacking knowledge ends once the season starts. 


I'll give a preseason poll a shot, might be fun.

[Greek Tragedy]

Of course, all this would be on the poster's poll link! 

[Ralph Turner]

I am moving my comments to the Posters' Poll link. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

Thanks, Ralph.  I would have done the same, but...

a) wasn't sure anyone would see it before late December, and

b) anyone reading only the last couple of pages on that thread might never come back!

[ChicagoHopeNut]

Well we are two weeks into practices for most teams and I wonder if anyone out there has experienced a significant injury. Of course I do not wish this on anyone or team but as a Hope fan I know someone always seems to get hurt before the first game. Are there any serious long term injuries out there that may affect some of the potential Top-25 teams?

[Titan Q]

Well, I submitted my preseason ballot for the D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll today.  This is always the toughest ballot by far.  I'm interested to see how the poll comes out.


1 Washington U.
2 Amherst
3 Brockport State
4 Capital
5 Brandeis
6 Guilford
7 UW-Stevens Point
8 Lewis and Clark
9 Williams
10 Virginia Wesleyan
11 Augustana
12 Aurora
13 Elmhurst
14 Calvin
15 Rochester
16 Puget Sound
17 Baldwin-Wallace
18 Wooster
19 UW-Whitewater
20 Hope
21 Worcester Polytech
22 Mary Hardin-Baylor
23 Loras
24 Keene State
25 Grinnell

[hopefan]

Will post this question in several areas where I know the data freaks lurk...

An interesting come-on on the Franklin and Marshall site:

"2nd in Division III wins over the last 25 years"   -  NEAT concept, but I wonder where the source of records is, who's in the top 10, top 20  -  Who's Number 1?

[Titan Q]

Will post this question in several areas where I know the data freaks lurk...

An interesting come-on on the Franklin and Marshall site:

"2nd in Division III wins over the last 25 years"   -  NEAT concept, but I wonder where the source of records is, who's in the top 10, top 20  -  Who's Number 1?

Hopefan, this thread came to mind...

http://www.d3sports.com/post/index.php?topic=4297.0

It is not exactly what you are looking for, but you'll find some helpful information there.

[Mr. Ypsi]

From the thread that Q linked to (Reference: All-time records since the inception of d3, on p. 2 of Multiregion Topics), top records from 1974-75 thru 2005-06 (more than 25 years) seemed to be Witt at 751-177 (.809) followed by F&M at 679-216 (.759).  To get precisely the last 25 years, you'd need to chop off the first 8 years, then add last year, but it's a start!

[d3bballfollower]

Brockport State at 3?  They return some boys who can ball, but the real question will be can they carry over their progress from last year with the departure of Coach Whitmore to Hamline University in St. Paul, MN...

[FisherDynasty]

Titan Q, I like the rankings.    I think Bport will disappoint, they are very good but play the type of game where they can be beaten if a team plays undercontrol.  Expect them to lose a few early and drop lower in the top 25.  However, if they play up to their talent the #3 spot is not far fetched. and if get hot at the end of the season, could make a serious run at the final 4/championship.    I like Rochester at 15, I believe they will have a very good year and actually come out of the east over bport.  disagree with some of the NE teams in there like WPI and keene state, Fisher  will beat WPI in December and knock them out of the top 25.  Also disagree with Grinnell and Williams at #9, they aren't there yet.

[Titan Q]

Brockport State at 3?  They return some boys who can ball, but the real question will be can they carry over their progress from last year with the departure of Coach Whitmore to Hamline University in St. Paul, MN...

The toughest thing about being a D3 voter is that there are so many teams you don't get to see play.  I have never seen Brockport St, for example.

On paper, they look great though.  26-6 last year and 14-2 in the SUNYAC...lost in OT to Wooster in the tournament...return all 5 starters, return 92% of scoring and 92% of rebounding (although Sherod Harris will not play the 1st semester).  Despite the coaching change, they look very good to me at this very early stage.

[Titan Q]

Titan Q, I like the rankings.    I think Bport will disappoint, they are very good but play the type of game where they can be beaten if a team plays undercontrol.  Expect them to lose a few early and drop lower in the top 25.  However, if they play up to their talent the #3 spot is not far fetched. and if get hot at the end of the season, could make a serious run at the final 4/championship.    I like Rochester at 15, I believe they will have a very good year and actually come out of the east over bport.  disagree with some of the NE teams in there like WPI and keene state, Fisher  will beat WPI in December and knock them out of the top 25.  Also disagree with Grinnell and Williams at #9, they aren't there yet.

I did not have Grinnell in my original 25, but I reconsidered.  They were 17-7 last year and won the MWC with a 13-3 record.  The MWC (Lawrence, Carroll, Ripon, etc) has become a pretty solid league and I have a lot of respect for its champion -- I have seen MWC tournament teams Carroll and Lawrence play in recent years and those were good teams. 

Grinnell returns all 5 starters, including John Grotberg (28.1 ppg) and point-guard David Arseneault, who are good players from all unbiased accounts I have heard.

I felt like Grinnell belonged in my preseason ballot...I will bump them if they prove me wrong.

[FisherDynasty]

Reasonable enough.  how about throwing Fisher in there, they went to the elite 8 last year and lost two a #3 ranked bport team very closely and beat them once during the year and also beat a #15 UofR team and also advanced further in the ncaa beating the team that knocked UofR out.   Lost 2 contributers but nothing that cannot be replaced.  Not saying they should be top 15 or even top 20 but should get consideration in top 25. I think they are around a 21-25 ranking.  Should be a solid but not great year competing with uofR and bport out of the east.  Also watch out for Plattsburgh state who was mostly jr's and very talented last year.  Hope it doesnt come off as me pitching Fisher, just stating my opinion.

[Pat Coleman]

FisherDynasty:

Teams that end up in the 21-25 range aren't usually on every ballot, so that makes sense.