Posters' Poll

[magicman]

Interesting poll results. Not sure I understand some of the placements, though. Would like to hear some of the reasons for these votes, if possible.


Middlebury #23.  This 1 vote cost Middlebury the #1 ranking. (They could have been ranked 16th and would be #1)

Va Wesleyan   #24     Just wondering if its the same voter that gave Middlebury it's #23 vote. Hope they understand that we do list the team we think is the best as #1 and not #25.

MIT received no ranking by one voter.  Left off on purpose or perhaps inadvertently?

WPI #3  seems pretty high

I'm not overly impressed with gaudy W-L records against weak schedules. (I'll take credit for each of the above). I want to see Midd, Va. Wes., and MIT keep it up through the teeth of their conference play.

To me, the even more alarming fact is that someone thinks UW-W is #9.

KS,
I can understand that you think Middlebury might be placed too high, and I agree their schedule hasn't been as tough as some of the other top teams, but they did make it to the Final Four last year, losing to the Champs by 2 points in the semi's and they returned a majority of that team. They also have a pretty good bench as 10 players average double digit minutes. They played their first 6 games without their All American, Ryan Sharry, and included in that stretch was a win on the road, over a decent Ramapo team by 11 points. That's the same MOV that Willie Paterson, at home, beat Ramapo by. I'm guessing that you ranked Willie Pat higher than Middlebury ( 11 or 22) or only 1 spot worse (24) I've seen Middlebury play and I think they're a very good team. Certainly Top Ten.

MIT made it to the 2nd round of the NCAA's last year without their best player Noel Hollingsworth. I believe this team would have beaten Rochester last year if he had played and would have been in the sweet 16 at the very least. He's back and leads the team in scoring (17.9ppg). In addition to Hollingsworth, they also returned their top five scorers from last year. They have five players averaging double digits. I watched them play this year on the road against a very good Tufts team and they won a tough game 60-56. That same Tufts team beat Williams at Williams last week 80-71. They are also a Top Ten team in my opinion.   
   

[KnightSlappy]

Interesting poll results. Not sure I understand some of the placements, though. Would like to hear some of the reasons for these votes, if possible.


Middlebury #23.  This 1 vote cost Middlebury the #1 ranking. (They could have been ranked 16th and would be #1)

Va Wesleyan   #24     Just wondering if its the same voter that gave Middlebury it's #23 vote. Hope they understand that we do list the team we think is the best as #1 and not #25.

MIT received no ranking by one voter.  Left off on purpose or perhaps inadvertently?

WPI #3  seems pretty high

I'm not overly impressed with gaudy W-L records against weak schedules. (I'll take credit for each of the above). I want to see Midd, Va. Wes., and MIT keep it up through the teeth of their conference play.

To me, the even more alarming fact is that someone thinks UW-W is #9.

KS,
I can understand that you think Middlebury might be placed too high, and I agree their schedule hasn't been as tough as some of the other top teams, but they did make it to the Final Four last year, losing to the Champs by 2 points in the semi's and they returned a majority of that team. They also have a pretty good bench as 10 players average double digit minutes. They played their first 6 games without their All American, Ryan Sharry, and included in that stretch was a win on the road, over a decent Ramapo team by 11 points. That's the same MOV that Willie Paterson, at home, beat Ramapo by. I'm guessing that you ranked Willie Pat higher than Middlebury ( 11 or 22) or only 1 spot worse (24) I've seen Middlebury play and I think they're a very good team. Certainly Top Ten.

MIT made it to the 2nd round of the NCAA's last year without their best player Noel Hollingsworth. I believe this team would have beaten Rochester last year if he had played and would have been in the sweet 16 at the very least. He's back and leads the team in scoring (17.9ppg). In addition to Hollingsworth, they also returned their top five scorers from last year. They have five players averaging double digits. I watched them play this year on the road against a very good Tufts team and they won a tough game 60-56. That same Tufts team beat Williams at Williams last week 80-71. They are also a Top Ten team in my opinion.   
   

It's fair to include some sort of adjustment for last year's team (especially early on), but I don't include it. It's more than fair (better, actually) to include MOV, but unfortunately I don't include it.

I am looking at a way to give a boost to undefeated teams because they are (potentially) better than their schedule strength indicates. But at the same time, I'd rather see a team consistently play opponents that are .600+ in winning percentage than have maybe beaten an .850+ team mixed in with a bunch of sub-.500 teams.

That's why my system ranks WPI so high (too high, but I'm living with it at the moment). 10 out of 13 games were versus teams that have won better than 60% of their D3 games.

Only 4 of MIT's 14 opponents have a winning percentage of 60% or more. For Middlebury, it's 5 out of 14.

If MIT and Midd keep winning, my system will (should) have them ranked "properly" by season's end. WPI's high ranking looks like an issue that I'll be fighting all year. We'll have to see if they keep winning as well.

[Mr. Ypsi]

KS, so you're saying the Commissioner should disallow your ballot until the end of the season?

[KnightSlappy]

KS, so you're saying the Commissioner should disallow your ballot until the end of the season?

I did vote IWU rather high, so you know my system isn't too bad...

[Mr. Ypsi]

KS, so you're saying the Commissioner should disallow your ballot until the end of the season?

I did vote IWU rather high, so you know my system isn't too bad...

Zing!

Once upon a time, I worried that voters would be overly 'homerish'.  It seems, in fact, that voters bend so far over NOT to do so, that the reverse occurs.  I myself placed IWU lower than they finished.  Both Hope-affiliated voters had them lower than they finished.  augie-superfan had Augie lower than they finished (and WAY lower than I had them, though yesterday changed my mind!).  Folks, my 'threat' to disallow ballots which are 'too homerish' has never even come close to being invoked.  Now if hopefan (NOT one of the Hope-affiliated voters mentioned above, but virtually the only poster keeping the SLIAC board from extinction) finally joins us and puts six SLIAC teams in his top 10, THEN we'd have a problem!  

[Note to hopefan - just kidding!  I know you would not do that; come join the fun. ]

And we sure could use some southern and western voters.

[Ralph Turner]

NO orphans, but I surely was on the limits of conventional wisdom for as many as I can remember!

I might offer to fill the role of "Lieutenant Outlier".  Let me see how badly my picks were off as the weeks progress!

[Mr. Ypsi]

NO orphans, but I surely was on the limits of conventional wisdom for as many as I can remember!

I might offer to fill the role of "Lieutenant Outlier".  Let me see how badly my picks were off as the weeks progress!

Ralph, your claim to 'Lieutenant Outlier' is to laugh!  You and I had the same top 6 (in order) and nearly matched on many of the rest.  We are the 'consensus twins'!

BTW, no offense meant by asking for southern and western voters.  I realize you are a southern voter, but you are so 'national' I sometimes forget!  But I've tried over and over to get anyone else from the south (I've especially worked on ODAC, to no avail), and unless nwhoops comes back this year, we have no one at all from the left coast (I've made personal appeals to April and David Collinge; no dice; despite our flare-up a few years ago, I'd welcome OxyBob, but, again, no dice).

Also, Ralph, don't know if you follow the National Pickems (since you don't play) - I picked the slate this week and had a game in your honor: McMurry vs. 'Horrid Pain'!   (Some suckers [I hope!] actually took HP.)

[Mr. Ypsi]

I'm not overly impressed with gaudy W-L records against weak schedules. (I'll take credit for each of the above). I want to see Midd, Va. Wes., and MIT keep it up through the teeth of their conference play.

To me, the even more alarming fact is that someone thinks UW-W is #9.

I had them #2, but WW is #9 in the real poll.

KS, I was the one who voted UWW #9.  Much as I respect and like you lugs, if I had to choose my compatriots, I'd probably go with the 'real' poll!  And yes, my ballot was before the real poll came out.  (Pat was gracious enough to once send me the 'stuff' he sends out to his voters a few years ago; I was quite impressed with the wealth of data and stories that were included.)

And yes, UWW beat my Titans.  Barring losses, both will rise on my next ballot.

[FCGrizzliesGrad]

NO orphans, but I surely was on the limits of conventional wisdom for as many as I can remember!

I might offer to fill the role of "Lieutenant Outlier".  Let me see how badly my picks were off as the weeks progress!

I had quite a few outliers in my poll it seems... let's see...
Teams I was top voter
Hope at 1
CMS at 2
Wabash at 5
IWU at 9
Grinnell at 4 (next best 14th)
Lake Forest at 10 (one of three to vote)
Ripon at 20 (orphan)
Rose-Hulman at 25 (orphan)

Teams I was in the bottom 2 voters
Middlebury at 8
Virginia Wesleyan at 11
Whitworth at 13
Emory at 17
Amherst not ranked (only non vote)
Augie not ranked
UW-SP not ranked
Williams not ranked

[Ralph Turner]

NO orphans, but I surely was on the limits of conventional wisdom for as many as I can remember!

I might offer to fill the role of "Lieutenant Outlier".  Let me see how badly my picks were off as the weeks progress!

Ralph, your claim to 'Lieutenant Outlier' is to laugh!  You and I had the same top 6 (in order) and nearly matched on many of the rest.  We are the 'consensus twins'!

BTW, no offense meant by asking for southern and western voters.  I realize you are a southern voter, but you are so 'national' I sometimes forget!  But I've tried over and over to get anyone else from the south (I've especially worked on ODAC, to no avail), and unless nwhoops comes back this year, we have no one at all from the left coast (I've made personal appeals to April and David Collinge; no dice; despite our flare-up a few years ago, I'd welcome OxyBob, but, again, no dice).

Also, Ralph, don't know if you follow the National Pickems (since you don't play) - I picked the slate this week and had a game in your honor: McMurry vs. 'Horrid Pain'!   (Some suckers [I hope!] actually took HP.)

Thanks for the comments.

I am glad that you and I are seeing some of the same things in this year's poll.

And I love beating Horrid Pain!  The game tonight is in the Brownwood Mausoleum, or at least it used to be before the improved lighting and the "new floor" installed in summer of 2007!

Thanks for running the Posters' Poll again this year.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I had Wesleyan 28th last week.  I wish I had put them 25; I would have been hailed a genius.

[Mr. Ypsi]

NYU starting to pour it on - now 65-47 w/ <3 to go.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I didn't like my ballot last week.  I would have liked to wait until this week to start.  So I started over.

I took a slightly different tact this time.  I went through each conference and grabbed any team that seemed worthy of consideration.  I ranked them within each region and then threw the top teams on the table, just like the selection committee.  When one got picked, the next from that region joined the bunch.

I like this ballot a lot more.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I hope this is not an ominous sign.  So far it is just HF and me.  Usually once Darryl Nester posts 'How They Fared' I get 3-4 ballots within a couple of hours!

Oh well, two more days to submit.  Let's go from 12 to 14+!

[sac]

If the rest of the voters are like me they spent today lazily watching falling asleep to the NFL playoff games.