Posters' Poll

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I just don't get all the love for Ithaca.  Would they be a top 5 team if they hadn't lost that one game?

They've played well and shown up every night, but beating Rochester, St. Lawrence and St. John Fisher on the road doesn't equate to a top ten spot in my book.

They're a good squad who deserves an opportunity to prove themselves in the tournament, but I just can't put that much faith in them without a little proof.

[Ralph Turner]

I just don't get all the love for Ithaca.  Would they be a top 5 team if they hadn't lost that one game?

They've played well and shown up every night, but beating Rochester, St. Lawrence and St. John Fisher on the road doesn't equate to a top ten spot in my book.

They're a good squad who deserves an opportunity to prove themselves in the tournament, but I just can't put that much faith in them without a little proof.

IMHO, "Float-up" and east coast bias!

We get one team that gets out of the East bubble, Rochester.

We know what the Midwest does.  Outside of the East, Mid-Atlantic and Atlantic Regions, we seem to get more inter-regional play among teams that have stronger playoff pedigrees.  We seem to have a better concept of how the teams outside those three regions perform on a relative national basis.

However, they may get to the Elite 8 without a reasonable test of quality.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

However, they may get to the Elite 8 without a reasonable test of quality.

It'll depend on the draw.  I think there's eight or nine teams in New England that would give them a game.  You never know whose going to get matched up early on.

[magicman]

I just don't get all the love for Ithaca.  Would they be a top 5 team if they hadn't lost that one game?

They've played well and shown up every night, but beating Rochester, St. Lawrence and St. John Fisher on the road doesn't equate to a top ten spot in my book.

They're a good squad who deserves an opportunity to prove themselves in the tournament, but I just can't put that much faith in them without a little proof.

IMHO, "Float-up" and east coast bias!

We get one team that gets out of the East bubble, Rochester.

We know what the Midwest does.  Outside of the East, Mid-Atlantic and Atlantic Regions, we seem to get more inter-regional play among teams that have stronger playoff pedigrees.  We seem to have a better concept of how the teams outside those three regions perform on a relative national basis.

However, they may get to the Elite 8 without a reasonable test of quality.

Last year if you recall UMass-Dartmouth got all the way up to #2 in the week 10 poll with their 19-0 record. I think that Ithaca has played a stronger schedule this year than UMD did last year. And as Ralph mentions, the float up and east coast bias has a lot to do with it, for both UMD last year and Ithaca this year. If Ithaca was undefeated at this point they probably would be a top 5 team.

[Ralph Turner]

However, they may get to the Elite 8 without a reasonable test of quality.

It'll depend on the draw.  I think there's eight or nine teams in New England that would give them a game.  You never know whose going to get matched up early on.

Far be it for me to rate the Northeast by a single team, but when WPI (17-4/8-1) came to Concordia-Texas (7-14/6-11), they lost 85-86.

CTX (as the school is now branding itself and is using as its URL as in ctx.edu) plays the up-tempo style that has lots of quick, fast, hot-shot guards who play a swarming defense.  It is not a Grinnell style; it is more like Nolan Richardson's "40 minutes of hell".  It seems that these are the type of players that UNE is recruiting.  We have "tons" of these players all over Texas.  These types are at the schools that have beaten UMHB (LeTourneau, UT-Tyler and Mississippi College).

As more schools video-stream their games, we will become more familiar with styles of play!

[Mr. Ypsi]

I just don't get all the love for Ithaca.  Would they be a top 5 team if they hadn't lost that one game?

They've played well and shown up every night, but beating Rochester, St. Lawrence and St. John Fisher on the road doesn't equate to a top ten spot in my book.

They're a good squad who deserves an opportunity to prove themselves in the tournament, but I just can't put that much faith in them without a little proof.

I hope this wasn't directed only at MY voters, since we placed them only one slot above the d3hoops.com poll!  (And, while 7th, they were closer to 11th than 6th. )

But let's compare them to some of their peers in the poll (chosen because although Ralph is probably only half-serious in his 'east coast bias' accusation, these are definitely NOT east coast teams):

TEAM              OVERALL RECORD    OWP    OOWP

7. Ithaca                   20-1             .528      .547
6. UPS                      19-2              .466      .544
8. Trinity TX              19-2              .515     .511
t10 Buena V               20-2              .464     .522

Ithaca is higher on overall record, OWP, and OOWP than ANY of these non-east coast teams, yet trailed UPS by more than they led Trinity or BV!  Perhaps they are UNDER-ranked?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

TEAM              OVERALL RECORD    OWP    OOWP

7. Ithaca                   20-1             .528      .547
6. UPS                      19-2              .466      .544
8. Trinity TX              19-2              .515     .511
t10 Buena V               20-2              .464     .522

Again, I'm not saying they stink, just that they have yet to prove anything.  It's the same reason I've avoided moving Buena Vista up the rankings.  UPS, while not playing a great schedule, have been dominant in nearly every game they've played, including those against their top conference opponents.  Trinity lost by one, in overtime, to Stevens Point, and has moved through a very tough schedule unscathed.  They may have benefited from my deep respect for the road trips made by the SCAC and ASC teams.

Those are just my personal feelings, but UPS and TTx seem a cut above the other two.

[Ralph Turner]

I just don't get all the love for Ithaca.  Would they be a top 5 team if they hadn't lost that one game?

They've played well and shown up every night, but beating Rochester, St. Lawrence and St. John Fisher on the road doesn't equate to a top ten spot in my book.

They're a good squad who deserves an opportunity to prove themselves in the tournament, but I just can't put that much faith in them without a little proof.

I hope this wasn't directed only at MY voters, since we placed them only one slot above the d3hoops.com poll!  (And, while 7th, they were closer to 11th than 6th. )

But let's compare them to some of their peers in the poll (chosen because although Ralph is probably only half-serious in his 'east coast bias' accusation, these are definitely NOT east coast teams):

TEAM              OVERALL RECORD    OWP    OOWP

7. Ithaca                   20-1             .528      .547
6. UPS                      19-2              .466      .544
8. Trinity TX              19-2              .515     .511
t10 Buena V               20-2              .464     .522

Ithaca is higher on overall record, OWP, and OOWP than ANY of these non-east coast teams, yet trailed UPS by more than they led Trinity or BV!  Perhaps they are UNDER-ranked?

My comment about Ithaca was half-serious, but these facts about Ithaca allow us some insight on the team.

They are 21-1* (The investigation into whether there was any performance-enhancing drugs involved in the win by Rochester Tech  is still under investigation.)  That takes character, in and of itself.

They have a "good" win over Rochester.

Therefore, Ithaca is 7th on my ballot.

I have great respect for the NWC teams.  They play a solid brand of ball. The WIAC's and WashStL and St Thomas are also there.

I look at this, not as rungs on the ladder, but like contestants in the bicycle race.  I think that the top 6 are in one peloton.  Ithaca is distant from that group.

Thanks for the love given to Trinity.

[Gregory Sager]

I just don't get all the love for Ithaca.  Would they be a top 5 team if they hadn't lost that one game?

They've played well and shown up every night, but beating Rochester, St. Lawrence and St. John Fisher on the road doesn't equate to a top ten spot in my book.

They're a good squad who deserves an opportunity to prove themselves in the tournament, but I just can't put that much faith in them without a little proof.

I hope this wasn't directed only at MY voters, since we placed them only one slot above the d3hoops.com poll!  (And, while 7th, they were closer to 11th than 6th. )

But let's compare them to some of their peers in the poll (chosen because although Ralph is probably only half-serious in his 'east coast bias' accusation, these are definitely NOT east coast teams):

TEAM              OVERALL RECORD    OWP    OOWP

7. Ithaca                   20-1             .528      .547
6. UPS                      19-2              .466      .544
8. Trinity TX              19-2              .515     .511
t10 Buena V               20-2              .464     .522

Ithaca is higher on overall record, OWP, and OOWP than ANY of these non-east coast teams, yet trailed UPS by more than they led Trinity or BV!  Perhaps they are UNDER-ranked?

My comment about Ithaca was half-serious, but these facts about Ithaca allow us some insight on the team.

They are 21-1* (The investigation into whether there was any performance-enhancing drugs involved in the win by Rochester Tech  is still under investigation.)  That takes character, in and of itself.

They have a "good" win over Rochester.

Therefore, Ithaca is 7th on my ballot.

I have great respect for the NWC teams.  They play a solid brand of ball. The WIAC's and WashStL and St Thomas are also there.

I look at this, not as rungs on the ladder, but like contestants in the bicycle race.  I think that the top 6 are in one peloton.  Ithaca is distant from that group.

Thanks for the love given to Trinity.

I hereby suggest that, just as we already have a D3 Championship Belt^TM, we now assign the D3 Posters' Poll Yellow Jersey^TM to whichever team happens to be ranked #1 in the Posters' Poll at any given moment.

[hickory_cornhusker]

I just don't get all the love for Ithaca.  Would they be a top 5 team if they hadn't lost that one game?

They've played well and shown up every night, but beating Rochester, St. Lawrence and St. John Fisher on the road doesn't equate to a top ten spot in my book.

They're a good squad who deserves an opportunity to prove themselves in the tournament, but I just can't put that much faith in them without a little proof.

I hope this wasn't directed only at MY voters, since we placed them only one slot above the d3hoops.com poll!  (And, while 7th, they were closer to 11th than 6th. )

But let's compare them to some of their peers in the poll (chosen because although Ralph is probably only half-serious in his 'east coast bias' accusation, these are definitely NOT east coast teams):

TEAM              OVERALL RECORD    OWP    OOWP

7. Ithaca                   20-1             .528      .547
6. UPS                      19-2              .466      .544
8. Trinity TX              19-2              .515     .511
t10 Buena V               20-2              .464     .522

Ithaca is higher on overall record, OWP, and OOWP than ANY of these non-east coast teams, yet trailed UPS by more than they led Trinity or BV!  Perhaps they are UNDER-ranked?

My comment about Ithaca was half-serious, but these facts about Ithaca allow us some insight on the team.

They are 21-1* (The investigation into whether there was any performance-enhancing drugs involved in the win by Rochester Tech  is still under investigation.)  That takes character, in and of itself.

They have a "good" win over Rochester.

Therefore, Ithaca is 7th on my ballot.

I have great respect for the NWC teams.  They play a solid brand of ball. The WIAC's and WashStL and St Thomas are also there.

I look at this, not as rungs on the ladder, but like contestants in the bicycle race.  I think that the top 6 are in one peloton.  Ithaca is distant from that group.

Thanks for the love given to Trinity.

I hereby suggest that, just as we already have a D3 Championship Belt^TM, we now assign the D3 Posters' Poll Yellow Jersey^TM to whichever team happens to be ranked #1 in the Posters' Poll at any given moment.

but some teams have yellow jerseys so having the Posters Poll Yellow Jersey would be meaningless. You would have to get something like a polka dot jersey so it would stand out against the rest of the teams.

[Gregory Sager]

I just don't get all the love for Ithaca.  Would they be a top 5 team if they hadn't lost that one game?

They've played well and shown up every night, but beating Rochester, St. Lawrence and St. John Fisher on the road doesn't equate to a top ten spot in my book.

They're a good squad who deserves an opportunity to prove themselves in the tournament, but I just can't put that much faith in them without a little proof.

I hope this wasn't directed only at MY voters, since we placed them only one slot above the d3hoops.com poll!  (And, while 7th, they were closer to 11th than 6th. )

But let's compare them to some of their peers in the poll (chosen because although Ralph is probably only half-serious in his 'east coast bias' accusation, these are definitely NOT east coast teams):

TEAM              OVERALL RECORD    OWP    OOWP

7. Ithaca                   20-1             .528      .547
6. UPS                      19-2              .466      .544
8. Trinity TX              19-2              .515     .511
t10 Buena V               20-2              .464     .522

Ithaca is higher on overall record, OWP, and OOWP than ANY of these non-east coast teams, yet trailed UPS by more than they led Trinity or BV!  Perhaps they are UNDER-ranked?

My comment about Ithaca was half-serious, but these facts about Ithaca allow us some insight on the team.

They are 21-1* (The investigation into whether there was any performance-enhancing drugs involved in the win by Rochester Tech  is still under investigation.)  That takes character, in and of itself.

They have a "good" win over Rochester.

Therefore, Ithaca is 7th on my ballot.

I have great respect for the NWC teams.  They play a solid brand of ball. The WIAC's and WashStL and St Thomas are also there.

I look at this, not as rungs on the ladder, but like contestants in the bicycle race.  I think that the top 6 are in one peloton.  Ithaca is distant from that group.

Thanks for the love given to Trinity.

I hereby suggest that, just as we already have a D3 Championship Belt^TM, we now assign the D3 Posters' Poll Yellow Jersey^TM to whichever team happens to be ranked #1 in the Posters' Poll at any given moment.

but some teams have yellow jerseys so having the Posters Poll Yellow Jersey would be meaningless. You would have to get something like a polka dot jersey so it would stand out against the rest of the teams.

They may have yellow sleeveless basketball jerseys, but they don't have the D3 Posters' Poll Yellow Jersey^TM -- an authentic replica of the Tour de France leader's spandex bicycle jersey, complete with the patches of numerous sponsoring corporations all over it.

Mr. Ypsi, of course, will be responsible for soliciting the sponsors who will cover the costs for the D3 Posters' Poll Yellow Jersey^TM.

[Ralph Turner]

Mine is in!

I looked around my closet and found an old Jersey from a Triathlon that I lost to Lance Armstrong about 20 years ago.

(Okay he was 15 years old, and he beat me and 5,000 other competitors.)

[pbrooks3]

I submitted mine earlier as well.

[Marty Peretz]

I get that St. Thomas hasn't lost a game, but are they the real deal? It doesn't seem like they've played much of a schedule. I don't doubt that they're good, but are they number 1 good?

[Mr. Ypsi]

I get that St. Thomas hasn't lost a game, but are they the real deal? It doesn't seem like they've played much of a schedule. I don't doubt that they're good, but are they number 1 good?

Relax, Marty, Wash U has already taken over #1 in the PP!

The Tommies did beat two SCIAC teams on the road (including first-place Pomona and usually good Oxy) and beat two UW teams (albeit, lesser ones) at home.  All but five of their games are MIAC, which seems down this year.  So you can't hold their schedule against them in a blameworthy way, but, yes, they haven't been tested very heavily.  They MAY be #1, they MAY be #10; we won't really know 'til the post-season.

I'm curious about Wheaton.  You can't totally ignore their three losses when Raymond was out (or sub-par), but now that he's healthy again they are back to destroying good teams.  While I can't in good conscience vote them there now, it would not at all surprise me if they finish the season back at #1.