MBB: NESCAC

[7express]

I don't think RIC will be that good.  Take a look at their wins before MIT: 9 against Lasell, 2 against Brandeis, 3 against Bridgewater, and 2 against Bates.  And they scored 56 or fewer in 3 of the 4 games and failed to crack 49 in 2 of them.  So its not like they were blowing teams out.    The MIT win was good, but since MIT shouldn't have been #1 when it happened, RIC shouldn't have jumped as much as they did.  And I agree, I don't know how their still ranked.  The Eastern loss at home no less is a big head scratcher.  Likewise, I'm not sure how good WPI is either.  They got a ridiculous 13 3's to beat RIC and their other 3, granted all on the road have only been won by a combined 11 points.  I can live with Salem state because their a pretty good team, especially in Salem, but the #19 team in the country should be beating Husson & Fitchburg by more then 4 & 3 points respectively. 
Shocking that Amherst lost at home to Babson, but I have no problem seeing them still ranked, I think Babson will be better then people think and by the end of the season that loss might not seem so bad.  Williams however should be ranked, probably at the expense of RIC.  Take a look at the body of work.  Williams losing at home to Stevens is a "better" loss then RIC losing at home to Eastern, and of the teams Williams beaten compared to RIC at this point (due to MIT's injuiries) Wesleyan/Salem state/Springfield are better wins and a larger margin of victory then RIC's wins over Brandeis & MIT.  IMO, what I said in parapgraph 1 is why RIC is still ranked and Williams isn't.  By beating the #1 team in the country (and who really shouldn't have been close to #1 based on who was playing) AND the preseason rankings which is solely based on records last season (why Amherst was top 8 even though they lost a great pick and pop shooter, why MIT was #1 even though Hollingsworth & Karraker are out until mid-late January if not the whole season, why Eastern Connecticut even received votes in the poll, why Williams wasn't ranked- bad record but injuries KILLED them last year) the voters bumped RIC up to a pedestal they didn't deserve and because they were so high last week, they kept them in for 1 week.
IF MIT was around 10-15 where they should've been when they lost to RIC, the voters don't bump RIC as high (maybe only around 20), and likewise don't bump WPI as high this week (maybe only around 22/23).  And if preseason polls were abolished (I've said this numerous times they do nothing except give people something to talk about) and came around after teams had played 10 games when you have a better idea of how teams look: MIT wouldn't be ranked (which they aren't), and neither would Amherst & RIC.  WPI would be ranked probably right around where they are (18-22 rank) and Williams would be somewhere in the top 15.
Just my 2 cents and as you know I have no ties or alligience to any of those teams I just mentioned.

[jayhawk]

like Toad 22 comments- Teams will get to play each other and we will get to see who wins
Preseason and early polls are fairly difficult to gauge in D3 hoops unless we know that a bunch of great players are returning

[grabtherim]

Are you guys getting paid by the word?  After you finish patting each other on the back after every post, take a second to look up the word brevity. I wanted to read your long posts, but the future called and told me I was too short on time.  Seriously, i love a good back and forth on basketball, but this it turning into War and Peace on even the most mundane issues.  I really enjoy reading the opinions of you serial posters, but geez, I have a plane to catch in 2015.

[WPI89]

December 11th Spread

Amherst -12.0 @ Anna Maria
O/U: 137.5

Jeffs and the over

[amh63]

It was a high scoring game tonight as Amherst trounced Anna Maria in an away game.  Whomever had "Amherst and over" in Walzy's prediction won.  Amherst had a 14 point lead at the half at 43-29.  It went up to 86-52 in the 2nd half before the benches were emptied by both schools.  Amherst put 13 players on the floor and I counted via live stats the other team put in 16 players.  Three of Amherst's starters were in double figures and Toomey and Workman were not among them.  Toomey had 8 and Workman had 6.  Toomey had a short night by getting 5 fouls.....with 3 within a few seconds!  Kalema and Conner Green lead the scoring with both over 20 points.  Click lead his team in points and rebounds.....a double double.....a fine tough player.
Have to go to the box to see the stats/particulars and how Aaron got his last two fouls at the same time.
Next Amherst game on Dec. 30 away in NYC, I believe.
Had to make corrections to my numbers after looking at the box and the writeup on the Amherst website.  Can't add it seems.  Kalema scored ONLY 20....but more important ran the team with Aaron on the bench.  Conner Green had 24 and a "breakout" game on both sides of game.  Glad to read that the defense side of Amherst has picked up.  No mention of how Aaron picked up his last three fouls in such a short time....but it is not a thing to write about...me thinks.
FY Sanderson has a way for scoring in his brief times on the floor.

[7express]

Amherst and Over.

Finally went 2-0.

[Pat Coleman]

Stickiness is the right word for it as there is simply no justification for Amherst to be ranked above Williams, or to be ranked at all, based on relative performances to-date this season.  I posted at great length about it on the Top 25 board, so won't repeat myself here.  I am sure Maker doesn't care because the only poll that really matters (other than for fans, since it's fun to argue about) comes at the end of the season, but it's a pretty laughable ranking. 

Agreed. I think they will continue to slide toward each other but since I hadn't been voting for Amherst anyway, there wasn't anything I could do. I couldn't take them any farther off my ballot.

[7express]

I'm here at the Ridgefield high St Joes high game two of the better teams in Connecticut.  What's this kids name that's going to Anherst again??  Jeff Racy??

[maineman]

I'm here at the Ridgefield high St Joes high game two of the better teams in Connecticut.  What's this kids name that's going to Anherst again??  Jeff Racy??

That's his name!

[7express]

Kid has done nothing so far.  0 points 0-3 shooting, 1 foul possibly a couple rebounds.

[frank uible]

In basketball as in life, getting mentioned in the press is far from an assurance of quality.

[7express]

He finished 1-8 from the field I believe with 2 points.  Only a junior and this was first game so he'll have better days this year

[jayhawk]

7express right about off night for Racy and others according to this quote from his coach
game:http://www.newstimes.com/sports/article/St-Joseph-boys-basketball-team-rallies-past-4113747.php

looking forward to starting NESCAC games

[Charles]

He finished 1-8 from the field I believe with 2 points.  Only a junior and this was first game so he'll have better days this year

how does a junior commit to a D3 college or just he just hope to get accepted academically and hope to be recruited?

[WPI89]

December 11th Spread

Amherst -12.0 @ Anna Maria
O/U: 137.5

Jeffs and the over

Still waiting on my Karma