Posters' Poll

[frodotwo]

POSTERS' POLL, Valentines Day, 2010:

                                       Last week

1.  Williams          322        {2}
2.  WashU            311        {3}
3.  St. Thomas      280        {6}
4.  Guilford           277        {1}
5.  UWSP              272        {7}
6.  Whitworth        263        {5}
7.  VaWes             225        {4}
8.  EMU                223        {11}
9. WillyPat            220        {9}
10 UWW               217        {8}
11 MIT                  205       {10}
12 Midd                192        {12}
13 RandyMac        163        {16}
14 St. Norbs         147        {14}
15 Chapman         146        {15}
t16 F & M             110        {18}
t16 UT-Dallas       110        {19}
18 St. Mary's        101        {20}
19 Anderson          89        {13}
20 Carthage          81         {22}
21 Wooster           65         {17}
22 Medaille           34         {25}
23 SJF                  30         {30}
24 IWU                 25        {21}
25 Cabrini              24       {26}

26 Brandeis           22        {23}
27 MissCol             14        {24}
28 MerchMar           13      {30}
t29 JCU                   12      {29}
t29 Central             12       {30}
31 Hope                   9       {28}
32 CMS                    6      {NV}
t33 Gordon              2        {NV}
t33 UMHB                2        {34}
t35 Stevens            1         {27}
t35 Wheaton           1         {NV}
t35 Wittenberg        1         {NV}

Dropped out: #30 Colby

[Gregory Sager]

Speaking of tracking devices, another one that I use -- Massey -- was instrumental in my decision to leapfrog Wash U above Williams this week. The SOS discrepancy between the two teams, combined with the impressive road trip by the Bears last weekend, was just too big for me to ignore.

Then again, Massey has Williams ahead of WashU in their overall rankings.

I use Massey as a tracking device, not as Holy Writ.

[nwhoops1903]

Sorry, but I've been trying to see if this would be the day I would break five digits on my post count.

Good work Sager!  I got a digit for you.    just kidding!!!

[magicman]

I was the other voter who had Wash U at #1 but I didn't leapfrog them over Williams as I've had the Bears at #2 for the past several weeks. I was the low voter on Williams leaving them at #3 where I had them last week. I only dropped Guilford 1 spot   I added Franklin & Marshall back into the rankings this week at #25 as they have reeled off 9 in a row and seem to be peaking for another run in the NCAA's.   

[nwhoops1903]

I was the other voter who had Wash U at #1 but I didn't leapfrog them over Williams as I've had the Bears at #2 for the past several weeks. I was the low voter on Williams leaving them at #3 where I had them last week. I only dropped Guilford 1 spot ...  

Guilford got 2 #2's, yours and some other voter who must have missed them getting destroyed at home.  How did they not fail your sniff test after laying that egg?

Only other observation that struck me as odd was MIT #3?!?!  Wow!

Actually thought moving down 1 spot (Whitworth) was okay. I don't think we deserve to be ahead of W-SP.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I only dropped Guilford to #2; I came very close to leaving them at #1.

[Hugenerd]

I was the other voter who had Wash U at #1 but I didn't leapfrog them over Williams as I've had the Bears at #2 for the past several weeks. I was the low voter on Williams leaving them at #3 where I had them last week. I only dropped Guilford 1 spot ...  

Guilford got 2 #2's, yours and some other voter who must have missed them getting destroyed at home.  How did they not fail your sniff test after laying that egg?

Only other observation that struck me as odd was MIT #3?!?!  Wow!

Actually thought moving down 1 spot (Whitworth) was okay. I don't think we deserve to be ahead of W-SP.

If you look at last week's poll, you will see that MIT had a #4 and a #5 vote, so it shouldnt be that huge of a surprise to see them at #3, based on losses ahead of them.

http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4188.1860

[magicman]

I was the other voter who had Wash U at #1 but I didn't leapfrog them over Williams as I've had the Bears at #2 for the past several weeks. I was the low voter on Williams leaving them at #3 where I had them last week. I only dropped Guilford 1 spot ...  

Guilford got 2 #2's, yours and some other voter who must have missed them getting destroyed at home.  How did they not fail your sniff test after laying that egg?

Only other observation that struck me as odd was MIT #3?!?!  Wow!

Actually thought moving down 1 spot (Whitworth) was okay. I don't think we deserve to be ahead of W-SP.

Both of Guilford's guards had a bad night shooting from the field against EMU. That happens occasionally. But their overall record is still one of the best in the country and they are playing in one of the toughest conferences in Division III this year. This team made it to the Final Four last year and returned the top 3 players from that team. They have a better record this year than they did last year at this point and I believe the league is stonger this year than last year. No other conference has had 4 members in the Top 25 much less 4 in the Top 11 as the ODAC did in week # 8. They still have 4 in the top 16 even after beating each other up. Williams lost to 3rd place Randy-Macon (actually in 4th with the tiebreaker) and if they played in the ODAC this year I think they would have more losses than Guilford. How about you? Any outliers you wish to own up to?

[Hugenerd]

No other conference has had 4 members in the Top 25 much less 4 in the Top 11 as the ODAC did in week # 8.

At one time.   NESCAC has had 4 seperate teams in the top 25 over the entire season (Williams, Midd, Amherst, Colby) and so has the CCIW (Carthage, IWU, Wheaton, Augie). Obviously none of those to the level that the ODAC has had 4 teams ranked  very high and consistently.

[nwhoops1903]

Both of Guilford's guards had a bad night shooting from the field against EMU. That happens occasionally. But their overall record is still one of the best in the country and they are playing in one of the toughest conferences in Division III this year. This team made it to the Final Four last year and returned the top 3 players from that team. They have a better record this year than they did last year at this point and I believe the league is stonger this year than last year...

How about you? Any outliers you wish to own up to?

I think I am seeing a trend here.  Previous success in March is factoring into voters minds much more heavily as March grows closer.  Makes sense in many ways but shouldn't in others.  Insiders and outsiders...

Being a newbie to the poll, I am trying to be as vanilla as possible so outliers might be few and far between.  I promise to confess any +/- 4 spot outliers I submit. 

[Ralph Turner]

Both of Guilford's guards had a bad night shooting from the field against EMU. That happens occasionally. But their overall record is still one of the best in the country and they are playing in one of the toughest conferences in Division III this year. This team made it to the Final Four last year and returned the top 3 players from that team. They have a better record this year than they did last year at this point and I believe the league is stonger this year than last year...

How about you? Any outliers you wish to own up to?

I think I am seeing a trend here.  Previous success in March is factoring into voters minds much more heavily as March grows closer.   Makes sense in many ways but shouldn't in others.  Insiders and outsiders...

Being a newbie to the poll, I am trying to be as vanilla as possible so outliers might be few and far between.  I promise to confess any +/- 4 spot outliers I submit. 

IMHO, high quality programs with outstanding coaches are getting each new team with its varied casts of characters to function as playoff-quality units.

When a team is getting to post-season form (again), it only makes sense to consider them in the rankings.  The pretenders have begun to show signs of faltering by now, in many cases.   

[Gregory Sager]

Both of Guilford's guards had a bad night shooting from the field against EMU. That happens occasionally. But their overall record is still one of the best in the country and they are playing in one of the toughest conferences in Division III this year. This team made it to the Final Four last year and returned the top 3 players from that team. They have a better record this year than they did last year at this point and I believe the league is stonger this year than last year...

How about you? Any outliers you wish to own up to?

I think I am seeing a trend here.  Previous success in March is factoring into voters minds much more heavily as March grows closer.  Makes sense in many ways but shouldn't in others.  Insiders and outsiders...

In most cases, I agree with you: This year's poll should reflect this year's performance. But I think that there's something to be said for postseason experience for the specific players involved becoming a factor at this time of the year. In other words, I think it's valid for people to start boosting up Wash U a bit once the Bears get back on track, because this specific group of Bears has the kind of postseason experience on its collective resume that hasn't been equaled over the past thirty years. To a lesser degree I think it may be valid for Guilford as well. But I don't think it's valid to, say, give this year's UWSP team the same benefit of the doubt as Wash U because the Pointers won back-to-back titles in the middle of the past decade, since none of the players who were involved in those Pointers championships are still on the team.

Being a newbie to the poll, I am trying to be as vanilla as possible so outliers might be few and far between.  I promise to confess any +/- 4 spot outliers I submit. 

Any confessions here are strictly voluntary. I publicly note my outliers in order to reassure myself that Hoops Fan is continuing to make me look mundane and boring.

[Ralph Turner]

UMHB 68, at Sul Ross State 65. Final.

The road trip to Alpine TX is always hard.  The NCAA lists that trip at 413 miles.  All of the "Google maps" trips that I can configure have the drive at 8+ hours.

More importantly, Belton is at 509'; Alpine TX is at 4475', nearly 4000 feet in elevation higher.  Only Colorado College is at a higher elevation than Sul Ross.

[nwhoops1903]

I think I am seeing a trend here.  Previous success in March is factoring into voters minds much more heavily as March grows closer.  Makes sense in many ways but shouldn't in others.  Insiders and outsiders...

In most cases, I agree with you: This year's poll should reflect this year's performance. But I think that there's something to be said for postseason experience for the specific players involved becoming a factor at this time of the year. In other words, I think it's valid for people to start boosting up Wash U a bit once the Bears get back on track, because this specific group of Bears has the kind of postseason experience on its collective resume that hasn't been equaled over the past thirty years. To a lesser degree I think it may be valid for Guilford as well. But I don't think it's valid to, say, give this year's UWSP team the same benefit of the doubt as Wash U because the Pointers won back-to-back titles in the middle of the past decade, since none of the players who were involved in those Pointers championships are still on the team.

What about coaches with significant tournament experience and success?  I think that is pretty big factor, perhaps as much as players.

[smedindy]

I go the other way...

If you're good, you're good. Doesn't matter if you've been there every year or never.

Just remember the big hoo-hah regarding the Saints kicker in the NFC Championship game. Joe Buck went on and on and on and on about him not being proven....oh well...