Top 25 talk

[John Gleich]

In terms of true math logic, he is correct, but with other things taken into account, he is not exactly on point.

The transitive theory and score comparisons don't work in terms of rankings, though.  There isn't a quantitative value that can be placed on wins and losses, and there are so many other factors that are taken into account.  For one, though the pollsters try to be as objective as possible, the polls is, at its core, subjective.  The merit in the poll comes from the fact that the pollsters are very informed and because of that, we accept their subjectivity as being MORE objective than if, say, you pulled 25 fans out of the crowd at any hometown game  (hmm... I wonder who THEY would put #1...)

[scottiedawg]

Top Vote Getting Movers
+12 Elizabethtown
+9 Wilmington
+4 Augustana
+4 Mass Dartmouth
+4 Rowan
+3 Capital
+3 St. Thomas
+3 Centre
+3 Heidelberg
-4 Mary Hardin Baylor
-4 UW Whitewater
-4 Albion
-5 Emerson
-6 Roanoke
-9 Rhode Island Col
-9 Trinity (Conn)

This ignores teams that went from zero votes to some votes (Carleton, UW Platteville, William Patterson), and those that went from some votes to zero votes (Grinnell, Shenandoah, UW LaCrosse).

[John Gleich]

Point leading Augie 31-25 at the half.  The Point broadcast is found HERE and LIVE STATS HERE

[Greek Tragedy]

I'm guessing no official Top 25 until after the holidays?  With New Year's on a Tuesday, is Pat going to wait until the following week?

[LogShow]

Now onto another note. UMD had 1300 fans at the game on a thursday night, in what I am sure the Judges had hoped would be a low key game.

Why the hell would they expect a low key game?  They were the number 3 team in the country.  You don't think that every student at UMass Amherst would be at the basketball game if they were playing Duke?? 

Not if they all went home for Chistmas Break

[David Collinge]

I'm guessing no official Top 25 until after the holidays?  With New Year's on a Tuesday, is Pat going to wait until the following week?

There won't be a poll release this week (there never is for the "Christmas-Tuesday," partly because of the paucity of games that week), but there will be one on or about New Year's Day, which will take into account all of the games played in the two weeks since the Week 4 poll.  As you can see in the 'How They Fared' post, most of the candidates will have played multiple times in that two-week stretch.  Because of the holiday, I wouldn't expect to see a new poll until Weds. Jan. 2 at the earliest.

[Greek Tragedy]

Just for fun...what does everyone think of the possibility of Point jumping up a spot (or two??) after their road win against #5 Augustana.  Point will of course need to beat a 5-1 Cal. Lutheran team on the road as well before the next poll.

Point is 15 votes behind #2 Brandeis and 18 behind #1 Rochester, both idle.

I'm sure Point will take some of Augustana's votes from them.  Just a thought.

[LogShow]

I wouldn't be suprised if point did move up...they did get a first place vote after losing earlier this year.

As for the game against Cal Lu.  They may be 5-1 but their schedule includes wins over Chapman, Whitman, and La Serria.  Along with a loss to Chapman.  Point will probably have a 20 point win even one Cal Lu's floor.

[LogShow]

Merry Christmas to everyone in the D3 world!

[ILive4This]

Interesting to note, I came home for break and found an old USA today from November, with a small very small article on D3 basketball, and their pre season favorite was Point. They did not have rankings just mentioned various teams. Amherst and Williams were the mentions from the Northeast. Brief mention of Wash U and Tyler Nading. They also mentioned players to watch, Strong from Guilford was clearly a mention there.

[TeeDub]

I wouldn't be suprised if point did move up...they did get a first place vote after losing earlier this year.

As for the game against Cal Lu.  They may be 5-1 but their schedule includes wins over Chapman, Whitman, and La Serria.  Along with a loss to Chapman.  Point will probably have a 20 point win even one Cal Lu's floor.

And that is being conservative!

[LogShow]

Maybe, Point is very tough.  I am interested to see how Cal Lu fairs against them.  Good luck to Cal Lu...they will need it

[Greek Tragedy]

Maybe, Point is very tough.  I am interested to see how Cal Lu fairs against them.  Good luck to Cal Lu...they will need it

Point has had subpar performances on the road this year.  A lot of posters will see them knocking off Augustana on the road just recently.  Prior to that, though, they've had troubles with so-called lesser opponents.  They blew a big half time lead against NAIA opponent Viterbo and won by 8.  They held just a four point lead against NathCon foe Edgewood before winning going away thanks to a couple of big runs in the 2nd half and were behind at half against MWC member Ripon before winning by just four against them.

So, don't give up on Cal. Lutheran yet...that's why they play the games!

*to be fair, leading scorer and top 3-pt. threat Pete Rortvedt missed all three of those games.  He was back for the Augustana game...

[Greek Tragedy]

Whitewater won by a million.  OK, just 100-47 over Rockford.  After the Packer game, I stopped by and saw about the last 10 minutes of the first half...got bored and left at half time.  I didn't even bother sticking around for the championship game of St. J's v St. N's.

[David Collinge]

HOW THEY FARED (two weeks of Dec. 17-30) FINAL....at last!

#   1   Rochester (9-0) is idle (until Jan. 9)
#   2   Brandeis (9-1) is idle (until Jan. 7)
#   3   UW-Stevens Point (9-1) won at #5 Augustana 73-63
#   4   Amherst (7-2) lost at Florida Memorial 86-79
#   5   Augustana (9-2) won at Wartburg 75-61 and lost to #3 UW-Stevens Point 73-63
#   6   Guilford (4-2) lost at Shenandoah 64-62
#   7   Williams (9-0) won at Lehman 73-70 and won at CCNY 84-51
#   8   Hope (8-2) def. Roanoke 75-62 and lost to #21 Elmhurst 74-71, both at Orlando, FL; def. Grace Bible 97-48, and def. Mt. Vernon Nazarene 96-77
#   9   Mary Hardin-Baylor (7-1) won at Texas-Dallas 63-56, def. Worcester St. 83-68, and def. Penn St.-Behrend 71-65
#   10   Puget Sound (7-1) def. Edgewood 93-80 and lost to Westmont 78-75, both at Westmont College (CA)
#   11   Washington U. (8-2) is idle (until Jan. 7)
#   12   Capital (8-1) is idle
#   13   UW-Oshkosh (8-2) lost to Defiance 53-46 and def. Tri-State 81-72, both at Orlando, FL
#   14   Plattsburgh St. (7-1) won at Chapman 65-63 and lost to Occidental 69-64 at Chapman
#   15   UW-Whitewater (8-2) def. Cardinal Stritch 94-50, lost to St. John's 79-71 at St. Norbert, and def. Rockford 100-47 at St. Norbert
#   16   Stevens (8-0) is idle
#   17   Brockport St. (4-1) is idle
#   18   Wheaton (IL) (8-1) won at LaVerne 60-45
#   19   Lewis & Clark (6-2) plays Golden State Baptist* def. UC-Santa Cruz 113-65 at Burlingame, CA, def. Villa Julie 111-63 at Phoenix, and def. Westminster (PA) 85-73 at Phoenix
#   20   Virginia Wesleyan (5-2) won at Averett 68-56
#   21   Elmhurst (6-1) def. Tri-State 75-65 and def. #8 Hope 74-71, both at Orlando, FL
#   22   Trinity (TX) (9-1) lost to Carthage 56-49 and def. Cal St. East Bay 59-47, both at Georgetown, TX; def. Wabash 72-66 and def. Ohio Northern 75-58
#   23   Wooster (9-2) def. Benedictine 91-62 and def. St. Mary's (MD) 85-70, both at Nassau, Bahamas; def. Wesley 94-61 and def. Notre Dame (OH) 87-71
#   24   Calvin (5-5) lost to Keene St. 73-67 and lost to Montclair St. 72-69, both at Montclair St.
#   25   St. Thomas (7-2) is idle

*According to the Lewis & Clark website, "The opening game in this weekend's tournament in Burlingame, Calif. against Golden State Baptist has been canceled. [...] Golden State Baptist pulled out of the tournament [...and n]o replacement opponent could be found[.]"

Thanks to MrMike88 for tipping me off about the Amherst game I was unaware of.