MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[hasanova]

Donho,

I can't see any case to be made for ranking RMC ahead of VWC.  RMC has more losses, VWC has beaten Guilford, and the two teams split with each other.  Further, setting aside the three losses each has to the other ODAC contenders, RMC has a L to W&L. 

As to the schedule point, RMC may have a tougher OOC schedule, but VWC's in-conference schedule is much tougher (already faced RMC and Guilford twice, and facing the Royals for the second time tomorrow night; RMC only played the Quakers at home this year).  I don't see a case for putting RMC ahead of VWC at this stage of the season. 

Right or wrong, I don't see #16 passing #1 based just on last Wednesday's game ... especially when Guilford has tradition on its side and EMU doesn't.   EMU's had a great season and looked like world beaters that night (and against RMC), but they have three losses and two of them are to BC and HSC, teams decidedly in the middle of the ODAC pack.  I'm expecting GC to drop to about 5th and EMU to break the Top 10 ... just one man's opinion.

[Mr. Ypsi]

hasa,

I don't know about the real poll, but after 7 ballots of the Posters' Poll, you're right on target.  Guilford has dropped even less than that (currently in a tight race for 3rd).  I speculated on that board that EMU might be the toughest team of all to place (two BIG wins over then-#1 teams, but three losses to so-so opponents) - they have already had votes as high as 4 and as low as 11.  They currently look to finish somewhere in the 7-9 range.

[BbSpecial]

I think you all are spot on. A loss to # 5 and #16 doesn't move the #1 team too far from the top. I just wanted to read the validations.

Tonight's game, VWC @ EMU, will take care of the itself. The winner moving to a 5-8 spot and the loser near 20 somewhere. A Randolph-Macon over Lynchburg win will move them ahead of the loser, too.

The rankings will include the Monday games, correct?

[BbSpecial]

This is my first ODAC season, and what a ride it's been!!

How many times has the regular season winner won the tourney?

[bigrips77]

Tonight's game, VWC @ EMU, will take care of the itself. The winner moving to a 5-8 spot and the loser near 20 somewhere. A Randolph-Macon over Lynchburg win will move them ahead of the loser, too.

The rankings will include the Monday games, correct?

Probably not... Pat or someone else with D3 could tell you more in detail but I think the ballots are turned in by Monday based on play through Sunday.

[hasanova]

Tonight's game, VWC @ EMU, will take care of the itself. The winner moving to a 5-8 spot and the loser near 20 somewhere. A Randolph-Macon over Lynchburg win will move them ahead of the loser, too.

The rankings will include the Monday games, correct?

Probably not... Pat or someone else with D3 could tell you more in detail but I think the ballots are turned in by Monday based on play through Sunday.

I agree.

[hasanova]

hasa,

I don't know about the real poll, but after 7 ballots of the Posters' Poll, you're right on target.  Guilford has dropped even less than that (currently in a tight race for 3rd).  I speculated on that board that EMU might be the toughest team of all to place (two BIG wins over then-#1 teams, but three losses to so-so opponents) - they have already had votes as high as 4 and as low as 11.  They currently look to finish somewhere in the 7-9 range.

Good to know.  Thanks.  I think almost every good team will have at least one game a year where all the stars and the moon line up in a negative fashion.  GC's was against EMU.  Does anyone remember Washington U.'s beating at the hands of Transylvania?  Don't get me wrong, EMU's playing great this year and certainly handed it to Guilford on Feb. 10, but I still believe Guilford's the better team over the long run.

[algernon]

hasa,

I don't know about the real poll, but after 7 ballots of the Posters' Poll, you're right on target.  Guilford has dropped even less than that (currently in a tight race for 3rd).  I speculated on that board that EMU might be the toughest team of all to place (two BIG wins over then-#1 teams, but three losses to so-so opponents) - they have already had votes as high as 4 and as low as 11.  They currently look to finish somewhere in the 7-9 range.

Good to know.  Thanks.  I think almost every good team will have at least one game a year where all the stars and the moon line up in a negative fashion.  GC's was against EMU.  Does anyone remember Washington U.'s beating at the hands of Transylvania?  Don't get me wrong, EMU's playing great this year and certainly handed it to Guilford on Feb. 10, but I still believe Guilford's the better team over the long run.

I'm not sure who's the better team in the long run ..... It could be Guilford; it could be EMU.

However, I think that EMU has defeated Guilford by 27 points and that's pretty impressive.  EMU also defeated RMC by more than 20 ..... another impressive victory.  We might think about it this way:  Everything lined up in a negative fashion for EMU against BC and HSC and Southern Virginia (NAIA).

What should be taken into consideration is that neither team has more than 1 top-quality win outside of the conference.  Guilford has played some really low-quality competition, out-of-conference, and has only 1 non-conference win to brag about .... the 29-point thrashing of Maryville (19-4).  The Quakers' most outstanding accomplishment in-conference was to defeat RMC by 9 and defeat the Marlins' by 15 (after losing to them earlier in the season.  They should also be given credit for winning 2 games against Hampden-Sydney, albeit by small margins.

To make a comparison, EMU has also played some very low-quality competition .... Penn St.-Brandywine, Lancaster Bible, 4 games against USAC teams that have losing records, etc. etc. ..... with their best non-conference wins being a 22-point victory over Wesley (15-6) and their 21-point win over Southern Virginia in the rematch.  Their most outstanding accomplishments in-conference are a drubbing of both the Quakers and Yellow Jackets, with another victory over the Marlins.  I think that the two teams' accomplishments this season are really very comparable but would rank the Royals higher on the basis of their 27-point win over the Quakers and their drubbing of the Yellow Jackets (plus the fact that they defeated Roanoke by 28 and 50 points and had a 35-point victory versus Washington and Lee.

That DOESN'T mean that I think they are the better team .... just that their accomplishments this season seem to me to be more impressive than the Quakers ..... by a little.

[bigrips77]

tonight's winner in Harrisonburg almost assures itself a bid to the dance.  The loser will probably still get in but can't slip over the final week or early in the ODAC tourney.  If you're Guilford or R-MC, I would imagine you're pulling for VWC to win today...

As for who is the team to beat, I still think it's Guilford.  EMU has the ability to score a ton of points and have done so in big games... that said, I think Guilford's approach offensively is more "fail-safe" than EMU.  If the Quakers aren't hitting it from three, they've got Sanborn inside and guys who can get to the hole.  Not to say EMU can't do this, just not as effectively.  Their M.O. is more toward shooting from anywhere.  R-MC is a year away from really being dangerous, while VWC is tough in that they've been pretty effective in close games, and get much of their points off their defense.

[2RMCFans]

GO JACKETS!!!

(And travel safely, Hornets, it's dark and dreary in Ashland today but so far nothing is falling.)

[BbSpecial]

The rankings will include the Monday games, correct?

http://www.d3hoops.com/faq.php?question=6

I just found (above link) that the rankings are through Sunday's games, so tonight's contests will be reflected in next week's (final?) rankings. Thank you bigrips77 and hasanova.

Speaking of tonight: We got a few snow showers in the Valley this afternoon, but nothing stuck to the roads (maybe the bridges - so, be careful). The sidewalks are spotty, too. Watch your step. There may be a few more snow showers before this front finishes. Very little accumulation expected. Traveling Marlins, travel safely. Everyone be safe out there  tonight.

[Mr. Ypsi]

The rankings will include the Monday games, correct?

http://www.d3hoops.com/faq.php?question=6

I just found (above link) that the rankings are through Sunday's games, so tonight's contests will be reflected in next week's (final?) rankings. Thank you bigrips77 and hasanova.

Speaking of tonight: We got a few snow showers in the Valley this afternoon, but nothing stuck to the roads (maybe the bridges - so, be careful). The sidewalks are spotty, too. Watch your step. There may be a few more snow showers before this front finishes. Very little accumulation expected. Traveling Marlins, travel safely. Everyone be safe out there  tonight.

The final regular-season poll comes after the conference tournaments.  The the FINAL poll is done after the Final Four is concluded.

[donho]

 Well after watching R-MC again this weekend and really paying attention to individual players here is what I think, Now I know I am nobody in the basketball world but here goes. All year I have been saying that I think R-MC has been over-ranked, I still feel that for early in the year that is true.However right now if they play as a unit and play for 40 minutes( they went stupid again on saturday twice for like 6 minutes) they are very very dangerous. They have 8 players that offer some good quality to the team. No one is outstanding but 8 of them are solid players and play their rolls well.
  They could go far, if they play 40 minutes!

[donho]

 bigrips77, I can assure you this I would NEVER want to see vwc win a game! NEVER!!!

[donho]

 Nova, just how old are you?? 40 years of watching???