Empire 8

[Caz Bombers]

rankings were done before Alfred beat Naz last night

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The fact the Naz game isn't factored in right now is important to remember. Data is through Sunday.

And when a team falls out of the rankings (like SJF did this week and was sitting at the very bottom last week), it doesn't help Alfred. Their SOS is poor ... very poor. .475 poor. I am not sure what you think should vault them in. 2-1 vRRO with the two wins being a #8 in the Week 2 rankings.... 1-1 (I think) moving forward - against, again, a #8 regionally ranked team. The resume is not good.

[AUPepBand]

rankings were done before Alfred beat Naz last night

Oh, Alfred beat Naz last night? Cool!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

[Pat Coleman]

rankings were done before Alfred beat Naz last night

I don't know if Pep has ever followed a sport which plays more than one game a week. 

[thebear]

Alfred has a split [W home L road] with regionally ranked Nazareth [18-7].

They have two road losses to Geneseo [8-17] and Sage [10-15], and a home loss to Regionally ranked [3rd in the SUNYAC] Brockport [16-10].

They haven't played anyone else who is ranked in the East region.

They have bottom fished the lower layers of the east region for several of their non-conference wins...

[Pat Coleman]

They have bottom fished the lower layers of the east region for several of their non-conference wins...

This especially is super relevant. At time of ranking, Alfred was 18-4 vs. D-III, with a .475 SOS.

[AUPepBand]

rankings were done before Alfred beat Naz last night

I don't know if Pep has ever followed a sport which plays more than one game a week. 

Wait, does racquetball count? 

[Basketball23]

I couldn't be happier for Alfred. To think where that program was, as recently as the late Aught's is incredible. The season they are having, no matter the outcome this weekend, will be remembered for a long time. However, you simply can't play two different versions of Bryant and Stratton, lose to Sage, and get blown out by Geneseo (this year at least) and expect good things. Their best wins are against mediocre (in a National, maybe even regional context) Naz and SJFC teams. Their is an argument to be made, that the best thing on Alfred's resume aside from beating Naz last night is losing to Brockport. I don't live close to Mayberry anymore so I cant get to McLane but I'll be watching online and rooting for the Saxons get it done. I dont want to see their fate tied to their schedule.

[thebear]

And Since Kornaker is now rooting for the NESCAC, the E8 is a one and done conference at this time.

[AUPepBand]

All kidding aside, Pep is aware, as stated previously, that the Saxons have a snowball's chance in hell of getting an at-large berth to the Big Dance.

The non-conference schedule that includes East Birdsall Tech and Seneca Stenographer's School is bottom fishing at its finest. Da boys know they need to get it done on the court...and they've earned the right for that to be the Saxons' home court.

On Saxon Warriors!

[thebear]

Pep - Hint - for next year, Alfred needs to schedule for their non-conference games:

[None of these bust their travel budget]

Rochester 72 miles
Brockport 90 miles
Hobart 72 miles
Cortland 119 miles
Ithaca 97 miles
Morrisville 162 miles
Oswego 144 miles
Geneseo [They had an unusual bad Year] 42 miles
Buff State 95 miles

9 solid non-conference games within 3 hours drive...

[AUPepBand]

For a couple of non-conference games, Alfred State and AU have for the past few years bringing in some cupcakes for a quasi-tournament in which teams go round-robin but A-State and AU don't play each other. That's when the two Bryant & Strattons appeared on the schedule and Pep doesn't know who's in charge of that tourney. And, early in the season, the Saxons' play was a bit sporadic, with a horrid shooting night at Geneseo.

Brockport State game was the first of the spring semester after a three-week layoff and was a good tough game for the Saxons to get right back into it. Glad they played it, even with the loss, as it prepared them for the Empire 8 slate.

AU at one time regularly played Hobart, Union, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, RIT, Ithaca, Buffalo State etal. Ironic you should include Morrisville State on the list....when Pep was at Mooville, he closely followed the (junior college) Mustangs as sports editor of the Chimes. At the time, friend Bob Baker was coaching AU and actually asked me about one of the Mustangs he was looking at as a transfer!

Pep has little say in scheduling. Perhaps some that do will respond accordingly.

On Saxon Warriors!

[Basketball23]

The non-conference is one thing but the departures in the E8 over the last decade certainly hasn't helped Alfred (or anyone for that matter) in hopes of getting an at-large bid. There were some really good RIT, Ithaca, and Stevens teams over the years. To lose them and have to replace them with Houghton and now Keuka? Woof.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Alfred actually has a snowball's chance in hell of being ranked. The at-large chances are ... none.