Top 25 talk

[sac]

I watched the Wooster/Witt game online........I think they might be a little underrated.  They have a lot of good looking players, and Cooper's as good of a guard as you will find at the D3 level.

My only concern was defensive intensity, which wasn't quite up to what I see in the MIAA every week, but then the MIAA is currently beating the crap out of each other on defense.  Wooster played well enough on D to hold Witt to 61 points, and it would have been a blow out if Witt wasn't playing PlayStation3 from 3 for a half of the game.

[LogShow]

Also Brandeis played Kenyon in the second game of the season... and a win is a win, especially a 9 point victory in the start of the season when your trying to figure out how your lineup will work for the year.

A win is a win...True Dat!   

[David Collinge]

HOW THEY FARED (week of Feb. 11-17) (COMPLETE)      
      
#   1   Amherst (22-2) def. Trinity (CT) 69-58
#   2   UW-Whitewater (19-4) won at #16 UW-Platteville 70-66 and lost at #9 UW-Stevens Point 76-47
#   3   Centre (21-1) won at DePauw 69-66
#   4   Hope (19-3) won at Adrian 70-48 and def. Alma 92-43
#   5   Mass.-Dartmouth (21-2) lost to Rhode Island Coll. 79-72 and won at Eastern Conn. 80-76
#   6   Rochester (17-5) lost at #10 Brandeis 68-64 and lost at NYU 92-85 (2 OT)
#   7   Washington U. (18-4) won at Case Western Reserve 71-68 and won at Emory 78-71 (OT)
#   8   Augustana (18-5) lost at Wheaton (IL) 73-60 and won at Millikin 59-56
#   9   UW-Stevens Point (19-4) won at UW-Eau Claire 89-68 and def. #2 UW-Whitewater 76-47
#   10   Brandeis (18-4) def. #6 Rochester 68-64 and def. Carnegie Mellon 84-81
#   11   Capital (20-3) won at Mt. Union 80-68 and def. Ohio Northern 83-75
#   12   Plattsburgh St. (21-2) def. New Paltz St. 87-68 and def. Oneonta St. 83-59
#   13   Mary Hardin-Baylor (20-3) won at Howard Payne 71-68 and won at Sul Ross St. 78-58
#   14   Wooster (20-3) won at Denison 82-64 and def. Wittenberg 66-61
#   15   Guilford (19-4) won at Hampden-Sydney 78-71, def. Bridgewater (VA) 77-69, and def. Eastern Mennonite 100-93
#   16   UW-Platteville (17-6) lost to #2 UW-Whitewater 70-66 and lost at UW-Superior 70-59
#   17   St. Thomas (20-3) def. Augsburg 72-60
#   18   Occidental (19-3) won at Redlands 83-80 (OT) and lost to Pomona-Pitzer 62-47
#   19   Ursinus (21-2) won at Franklin & Marshall 77-60 and won at Dickinson 88-62
#   20   Stevens (20-4) def. Hunter 69-55 and lost at Utica 65-59
#   21   Puget Sound (17-5) won at Whitman 104-67 and lost at Whitworth 80-78
#   22   Lawrence (18-2) won at Ripon 87-83 and def. Beloit 72-48
#   23   Virginia Wesleyan (19-5) won at Eastern Mennonite 78-68 and won at Randolph-Macon 69-66
#   24   UW-Oshkosh (17-6) won at UW-River Falls 80-63
#   25   Maryville (TN) (21-2) won at Huntingdon 69-61

[OLD STUDENT/ATHLETE]

As a Centre fan, I consider it an honor to be ranked ahead of Wooster. I agree that they should be ranked higher. Our trip to Wooster in the NCAA
tournament last year was like a trip to Duke or North Carolina. The gym, the fans, the size of the school, campus, were very impressive. If they still have the post player who had the cast on his arm last year, they will have to be reckoned with. Also, they had a very deep bench, and have a lot of experience in post season play. One of my favorite teams outside of Centre. A great academic school also!

[David Collinge]

As a Centre fan, I consider it an honor to be ranked ahead of Wooster. I agree that they should be ranked higher. Our trip to Wooster in the NCAA
tournament last year was like a trip to Duke or North Carolina. The gym, the fans, the size of the school, campus, were very impressive. If they still have the post player who had the cast on his arm last year, they will have to be reckoned with. Also, they had a very deep bench, and have a lot of experience in post season play. One of my favorite teams outside of Centre. A great academic school also!

That was Tim Vandervaart, and he's been graduated.  But thanks for the well-wishes.  I know that Centre gained a lot of fans in northeast Ohio that weekend as well. 

[pbrooks3]

As a Centre fan, I consider it an honor to be ranked ahead of Wooster. I agree that they should be ranked higher. Our trip to Wooster in the NCAA
tournament last year was like a trip to Duke or North Carolina. The gym, the fans, the size of the school, campus, were very impressive. If they still have the post player who had the cast on his arm last year, they will have to be reckoned with. Also, they had a very deep bench, and have a lot of experience in post season play. One of my favorite teams outside of Centre. A great academic school also!

Agree with OLD STUDENT/ATHLETE.  Wooster was one heck of a program last year, and they're apparently repeating it this year even without Tom Port.  I was there last March for the D3 tournament also pulling for Centre and the fan support in their gym for the Scots was pretty amazing.  Many townspeople come out for the games, and they weren't real pleased when some of the Centre fans were taking their "season ticket" seats for the game between Centre & Wooster.  Other than that, they were true basketball fans.  Definitely a bigtime D3 basketball venue and program.

[Mr. Ypsi]

UMHB has only one loss to a sub .500 team.  That was a road loss to McMurry at the end of a tough road trip.  UMHB had made the 3.5 hour bus ride to Abilene for the Thursday game.  They spent the night in Abilene Thursday and Friday night and then played on Saturday.

God almighty, there is no limit to the extent shameless homers will go to explain away, justify or excuse a loss by a team from their favorite school or conference.

OxyBob

And on the SCIAC board you made no attempt to 'spin' Oxy's inexplicable stomping at home by a mediocre Pomona team.  +k for both wit and consistency!

[PS, Oxy was still in my PP top 25, though barely.]

[ILive4This]

So with a "losing streak" how far does UMD spiral down. It was always just a matter of time, until a loss or especially two hurt them hard in the polls with their weak schedule.

[ILive4This]

OXY BOB how did you accumulate such a high karma rating?

[Pat Coleman]

Circle of friends who give a round of applause every 24 hours, no doubt.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

So with a "losing streak" how far does UMD spiral down. It was always just a matter of time, until a loss or especially two hurt them hard in the polls with their weak schedule.

Hmm... last time I checked they beat Eastern Connecticut St. yesterday. So I am guessing the losing streak is over. Though I am quite sure they will lose that remaining first place vote and fall a little bit. But, that being said, they are still 21-2!

[LogShow]

OXY BOB how did you accumulate such a high karma rating?

Through excellence, perseverance and really good grammar. Also, by having that certain joie de vivre, and by calling out all shameless homers.

Circle of friends who give a round of applause every 24 hours, no doubt.

There's that, too.

OxyBob

As an outsider that often reads the SCIAC boad, I always enjoy reading OxyBob's posts because they are insightful, filled with substance, and witty.  I feel he often raises good points and finds very witty ways to argue other's reasoning.  At the very worst it adds a bit of comedy to the boards, but he seems to be catching a bit of a bad rap.

[Mr. Ypsi]

UMHB has only one loss to a sub .500 team.  That was a road loss to McMurry at the end of a tough road trip.  UMHB had made the 3.5 hour bus ride to Abilene for the Thursday game.  They spent the night in Abilene Thursday and Friday night and then played on Saturday.

God almighty, there is no limit to the extent shameless homers will go to explain away, justify or excuse a loss by a team from their favorite school or conference.

And on the SCIAC board you made no attempt to 'spin' Oxy's inexplicable stomping at home by a mediocre Pomona team.

And speaking of shameless homers, here's the World Renowned IWU/CCIW Apologist and Excuse Maker, Mr. Ypsi, on hand to back Ralph Turner.

I offered no excuses for Oxy's loss to Pomona; the Tigers got beat.

Eyewitness report from Eagle Rock:

Pomona 62, Oxy 47

The Sagehens were red-hot in the first half and handily defeated the Tigers, snapping Oxy's 9-game winning streak. Pomona took a 14-4 lead, then hit 4 straight 3s to break the game open, and led 34-14 at the half. Pomona shot 59% on 13-for-22 (6-for-8 3s). Oxy made a little run in the second half, cutting the lead to 13 at 50-37, but that was as close as the Tigers would get.

[PS, Oxy was still in my PP top 25, though barely.]

And to top it off, there's the "Who Cares?" capper to your post.

OxyBob

Well, the high karma obviously did not come from accurately reading posts!  OB, I clearly stated that you did NOT 'spin' the Oxy loss - some of us are not as cynical or snarky as you, and actually mean what we say.

There's also the little matter of the part of my post you conveniently did NOT quote: "+k for both wit and consistency".  I doubt even you are snarky enough to award karma when you "actually" are accusing another of INconsistency and hypocrisy.

Oh well, no good deed goes unpunished.

[kiltedbryan]

Why #14 Wooster (20-3) should be ranked in the #6 to #10 range?

Five Players back who played significant minutes on last year's Final 4 Team (Evan Will, Brandon Johnson, Marty Bidwell, Devin Fulk, James Cooper).

All-American James Cooper is shooting 54% from the floor (52% on three pointers, 57 of 110).  He delivers this season when Wooster needs points.

I agree with most of your points WSF (the two above in particular), and while I am interested with where my alma mater gets ranked, I'm not too troubled by it so long as Woo continues to win and secures an NCAA bid.  Then they can just prove or disprove the rating on the gym floor in March.

I do think the Wooster team I'm watching play now is significantly improved over the one I saw in November- and maybe even January...but I don't doubt that this is true of plenty of teams.

[Mr. Ypsi]

OXY BOB how did you accumulate such a high karma rating?

Through excellence, perseverance and really good grammar. Also, by having that certain joie de vivre, and by calling out all shameless homers.

Circle of friends who give a round of applause every 24 hours, no doubt.

There's that, too.

OxyBob

As an outsider that often reads the SCIAC boad, I always enjoy reading OxyBob's posts because they are insightful, filled with substance, and witty.  I feel he often raises good points and finds very witty ways to argue other's reasoning.  At the very worst it adds a bit of comedy to the boards, but he seems to be catching a bit of a bad rap.

As a fellow outsider and reader of the SCIAC board, I agree.  Perhaps the 'bad rap' comes from attacking even those who are supporting him?  While I readily admit to being a 'homer', to the best of my recollection (OB will probably dig up a contrary post) my only 'excuse' for Oxy's rout of my Titans was that they were heavily dependent on freshmen (and are NOW much improved over December) and (obviously tongue-in-cheek) "how can you expect a bunch of Illinois teenagers, suddenly transported to what passes for summer, to concentrate on basketball".

Or perhaps the 'bad rap' comes from offering gratuitous insults to those who say they are supporting his team?