Great Lakes Region

[KnightSlappy]

2. Wooster (12-2, Wittenberg, L-Adrian, L-Transylvania) -- They're "helped" if Adrian doesn't make the rankings at any point this year.

That's not necessarily true. The selection committee looks at both quantity and quality with regard to in-region record versus ranked opponents. If Wooster comes up short on the number of ranked teams it's played -- a problem that's happened to NCAC teams more than once -- that extra game against Adrian could be a boon, even though it was a loss.

Transylvania might not be ranked either but I haven't really looked at the Midwest.  Before the next ranking they play Rose-Hulman again.

I would guess Transy would be 3rd in the MW right now behind North Central and Augustana.

[sac]

Even with 3 in-region losses?

[KnightSlappy]

Even with 3 in-region losses?

Few teams with fewer.

Augustana   11-3
Transylvania   10-3
North Central (Ill.)   12-1
Washington U.   10-3
Illinois Wesleyan   10-3
Grinnell   9-2
Wheaton (Ill.)   10-3
St. Norbert   10-3
Carthage   4-6
Rose-Hulman   12-2
Carroll   11-3
Lakeland 11-1
Spalding 6-2

[sac]

Marietta beat Capital on a 3 with :02 left at Capital 69-68.  Both are now tied at 8-1 in the league.  BW won to remain one back.

Capital now travels to BW on Saturday.

[smedindy]

Hiram beat OWU in an Admiral Ackbar "IT'S A TRAP" special.

[KnightSlappy]

Hiram beat OWU in an Admiral Ackbar "IT'S A TRAP" special.

[KnightSlappy]

Interesting. I thought it would take a bit of time – and perhaps a win over Calvin – for Adrian to get back in the mix, but they might be “ranked” in the GL right now. I’d go:

1.   Ohio Wesleyan (13-1)
2.   Calvin (10-0)
3.   Wooster (13-2)
4.   Thomas More (13-2)
5.   Wittenberg (9-3)
6.   Adrian (8-3)

You could make a case for Marietta (12-4) or Capital (11-3) at #6, but Adrian is the only one of the three to have a win versus a regionally ranked team (Wooster).

Wittenberg and Thomas More could be flip-flopped if you prefer.

[smedindy]

OWU #1 even with their loss against Hiram?

[KnightSlappy]

OWU #1 even with their loss against Hiram?

I would do it, yeah. They still have a win over Witt, and Calvin's still trying to get their SOS above .400(!). OWU-Wooster will be huge this weekend, winner takes the #1 spot.

[KnightSlappy]

Still waiting to do a full update after Saturday, but most of the heavy hitters have results in already.

Wooster beats Ohio Wesleyan, Hiram beats Wittenberg, and Baldwin Wallace beats Capital. Calvin, Adrian win. Thomas More was idle. Great Lakes Region might now look like this:

1. Calvin (11-0)
2. Wooster (14-2)
3. Ohio Wesleyan (13-2)
4. Thomas More (14-2)
5. Adrian (9-3)
6. Marietta (13-4)

Could make an argument for Calvin down to third, but I think the perfect in-region record and common opponent result with Wooster (beating Adrian) would bump them ahead of the NCAC pair.

St. Vincent, Capital, Baldwin Wallace, Wittenberg, and Hope would be the next few in the discussion. Of those, St. Vincent is probably the only one with an argument to make that they should be ranked right now -- could justify as high as #5.

[sac]

Baldwin-Wallace beat Capital, Caps 2nd loss of the week

OAC standings

Marietta 8-1,  13-4
Capital   7-2,  11-6
B-W      7-2,  13-4

In case anyone didn't listen to the Hoopsville interview, BW will still be considered for regional ranking even though they've self-imposed a post-season ban.

NCAC
Wooster beat OWU in the showdown 88-82, OWU's 2nd loss of the week.  Hiram beat Witt.

Wooster  8-0
OWU       6-2
Witt       5-3


Bethany lost to Waynesburg for their 2nd loss of the week.

[wooscotsfan]

I know that the NCAA only looks at their factors in the regional rankings (e.g. only the record against regional teams) but it is also interesting to look at how other national ranking systems stack up the Great Lakes teams. 

Here is the link to the current Massey ratings for Division III:
http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?lg=cb&yr=2013&sub=11620

Great Lakes teams in the Top 60 of the current Massey ratings as of 1/20:

#7  Wooster 15-2
#16 Calvin 15-2
#22 Ohio Wesleyan 13-3
#38 Baldwin-Wallace 13-4
#40 Marietta 13-4
#48 Adrian 14-3
#57 Capital 11-6
#58 Thomas More 15-3

Obviously, Massey looks at the total record and uses a different methodology.

One other factor that may help Wooster in the NCAA rankings is wins against regionally ranked opponents.  Wooster has 3 such wins IF OWU, Baldwin-Wallace and Marietta are all ranked.

[KnightSlappy]

The last spot or two could be very interesting as we approach the first rankings in a couple of weeks. I still think it's

1. Calvin
2. Wooster
3. Ohio Wesleyan
4. Thomas More

as the solid top four, but after it gets a bit interesting with the OAC deciding it just wants to keep beating up on itself.

5. Adrian
6. St. Vincent

Adrian I think has snuck back in as the solid fifth team, but you could make a case for Marietta or Capital in the sixth spot. Probably not Capital so much since they lost head-to-head to Marietta. None of these three have beaten a "regionally ranked" team.

[sac]

One of the OAC's will get ranked though, its almost a take your pick between Capital and Marietta.  Neither has a great resume outside of what they've done in conference.  Of course they play each other the day of the first rankings.

Thomas More has a pretty advantageous schedule to remain ranked, they play the 3 other PAC contenders in their last 3 games.  Thiel, Bethany and St. Vincent.  They should win their next 4.

[KnightSlappy]

One of the OAC's will get ranked though, its almost a take your pick between Capital and Marietta.  Neither has a great resume outside of what they've done in conference.  Of course they play each other the day of the first rankings.

Thomas More has a pretty advantageous schedule to remain ranked, they play the 3 other PAC contenders in their last 3 games.  Thiel, Bethany and St. Vincent.  They should win their next 4.

We're now at Capital with 4 losses and Marietta and Baldwin Wallace with 5 losses. Each of these could find themselves losing two or three more games.