University Athletic Association

[newtonnancy]

OK SORRY I didn't mean to get your shorts in a bunch.

If you go top to bottom, I will give you the Polar Bears and we agree Bates is down, even if I give you Williams, Trinity and Colby are awful this year (I don't care what Trinity's record is, I spoke with people who have seen multiple games), Tufts I assume will be the usual Tufts although they haven't started great and everyone is ok we'll even say even with their respective teams of a year ago.

All I am saying about the UAA is that every team save Brandeis and Wash U are better then last year and I wouldn't be suprised if Wash U still got up to win the UAA. 

I would think the Polar Bears, Maroons and Yellow Jakets are the top 3 teams out of the bunch

[nescac hoops]

nancy,
my shorts are not currently in a bunch. last year my shorts were in a bunch when you and snowman made it seem like an absurdity to suggest the nescac was as strong or perhaps stronger than the uaa but the satisfaction of the nescac success in the tourny at the uaa's expense "unbunched" them.
as for this year, i wanted to hear your opinion. i agree with them for the most part, especially that the nescac isnt as deep this year. though personally i was NEVER entirely impressed by brandeis - i was very impressed with their best player the past couple of years (can't remember her name). they played the softest non-conference imaginable and sometimes looked shaky against some shaky tufts teams. they had some great wins over the past years but something about them made me know they didn't have a shot at bowdoin no matter where they played the game.

[David Collinge]

i will tell you that bowdoin, no matter how much they lose, always finds a way to be great. i can't remember a time they were ranked out of the top 10 no matter who they lose.

The last time Bowdoin was not in the top 10 was very early (Week 3) in the 2001-02 season.  That's an ongoing streak of 78 consecutive top 10 rankings, which is a record for the D3Hoops.com women's top 25.  (This is one of the few poll records not held or shared by Wash U., whose longest top 10 streak was 64 weeks, from the inception of the poll in 1999 through Week 2 of the 2003-04 season.)

[newtonnancy]

Nescac Hoops,

Believe me when I tell you, I agree wholeheartedly about the cream puff schedule that Coach Simon continually puts in place. Although last year was better with #8 Bates (at the time) on the schedule, she is famous for beating nobody's and I think that hurts the team when they jump into association play. They only play 24 games, not 25 and last year when the babson game got postponed, they couldn't find time in the schedule to make it up. But remember this is a program that Coach Simon has that did NOT have a winning season for 12 years up until 4 years ago and it seems the women is deathly afraid of losing again, why else pick up Simmons when MIT drops you from the schedule. Simmons migt actually be worse then MIT!

Ditto NYU, I mean its not like either program can't find worthy opponents, UNLESS YOU JUST NEED THE WINS.

That is why I am impressed this year with Chicago, Case and Emory they picked up real teams and lets not forget Rochester and Wash U who always have tough team on the early calendar.

[nescac hoops]

nancy,
i totally agree with you on brandeis underachieving when it counts - both in conference and preseason play. i said the same thing about the amherst men on the men's nescac forum and they made it seem like a crazy suggestion.

as a williams grad, that is something about them that i applaud. 3 years ago they opened up the season after two weeks of practice against a #2 ranked scranton team (and won) and last year opened up with southern maine ranked #1 in a highly contested game they lost without one of they're stars (broken leg/foot). this year they went to wash u in hopes of getting a crack at the "dynasty" but wash u lost to lake forest in the opening game and the two teams didn't meet in the championship. i would like to see bowdoin beef up their schedule a bit but i think it may be hard to get teams up to maine to play and during the 1st semester (non conference games) it is hard for nescac teams to travel (hard for bowdoin to go anywhere to play) - they may also be trying to protect their 43895734875683745 winning streak at home, however, they do play southern maine every year and manage to win at home.

i can't really speak for other uaa teams b/c being in the NE area i don't really hear too much except for brandeis. i will say i HATE nyu and their head coach. i have heard rumors about her in the bast b/c my friend's sister used to play there and a friend of mine is a williams basketball alum who was at their ncaa game last year. i don't know how she gets away with what she does. it makes me sick to see how in some people's minds she is a coaching genious. her players are downright dirty (beyond just being aggressive) and she demands that they play this way. it's awful to see.

[newtonnancy]

First let me apologize, I got an email from someone "remiding me" Brandeis only had 9 out of 10 losing seasons prior to 4 years ago, Ok fine, just goes to show at the D3 level you can coach forever without any expectation of winning.

Now, everybody in the Northeast should head to Brandeis when Chicago is in town, saw them again today and they look really good, I am as excited about them as I was the Judges when Fitzpatrick was a senior. Don't miss them, fast and fun!

[newtonnancy]

BTW  Alan   where the heck are you? This board isn't the same without you, how about some love

[Perseph]

NYU will be prepared for the UAA this season. They have improved each of the four games I've seen them play. This is the first team in a number of years where the entire team is committed to playing defense. They are physically strong and the coach can go ten deep. One never knows about how strong or weak the other teams in the UAA really are, because one rarely plays against a common foe pre-conference. But this squad has good chemistry and talented players. I predict they will be a force in their conference.

[mark_reichert]

Anybody know how to contact the uaa web site at rochester.edu?

They don't seem to have updated the record book for the 2005-06 season either here

http://www.uaa.rochester.edu/Basketball/UAA_WBasketball_Records.htm

or here

http://www.uaa.rochester.edu/Administration/UAA_Record_Book.doc

It's particularly noticeable on the doc because none of the usual team stuff includes any 2005-06 updates.

I discovered it because they still have

Points Scored:   37   Marsha Harris, New York (vs. Brandeis, 2/15/98)

rather than

Points Scored:   39   Kelly Manning, Washington (vs. Chicago, 2/25/06)

[martin]

Any freshmen having an impact around the UAA?

Molly Hackney has started all nine games for Chicago this year.  She is averaging 8.7 points and 6.3 rebounds.  She is from East Lansing, Mich./ Lansing Catholic.  This evening, she led the Maroons with 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and blocked three shots as UofC defeated Carthage College 72-53 to go to 9-0.

[deiscanton]

Frosh from Brandeis having an impact--

Jessica Chapin (#23 on the Brandeis roster) out of Mendon, NY is coming off the bench averaging 18.8 min. a game.  She is currently 3rd in scoring on the Brandeis team with a scoring average of 8.8 ppg and a rebounding avg. of 3.1 per game. In the road game at Wheaton (MA) earlier this season, her scoring combined with the scoring of fellow frosh Lauren Rashford helped keep Brandeis in the game in the first half when Caitlin Malcolm had to sit out with 2 early quick fouls. 

Sorry for the wait, but my home computer is on the fritz.

I'm waiting for the Brandeis at Tufts game on January 3rd-- Tufts has 2 games this weekend in the WPI Invitational in Worcester, MA.  Tufts should win easily against SUNY-Plattsburgh on Saturday to set up a match on Sunday against WPI for the invitational title.   Tufts has won 6 straight since their opening 2 pt. loss against Suffolk.  In the current 6 game winning streak, Tufts defeated Salem State in Salem, MA by a score of 61-43-- as a result, the Tufts women's team is receiving votes in the D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll.  Tufts is coming off 2 blowout victories at home against Simmons and Wellesley.

Then, the games to pay attention to on January 5-7, 2006.

The game to catch on Friday, Jan. 5 will be the Brandeis at Rochester game on the women's side.  Rochester will be favored in that game because of the home victory by the Yellowjackets against Scranton earlier in the season and the 2 pt. road victory at Medaille also earlier this season, but either side could win this game.  NYU will also be playing an improved Carnegie Mellon Tartans squad in Pittsburgh on Jan. 5.

The big game of the weekend will be on Saturday, Jan. 6, when Wash U goes to play at Chicago.    Case and Emory will also open up against each other that day, but Wash U at Chicago looks to be the bigger game as a Chicago victory that day will shake up the UAA early.  With a younger team, the Bears will need to prove that they have improved since the loss against Lake Forest in the McWilliams Classic.

Sunday, Jan. 7 has Brandeis playing at Carnegie Mellon with NYU playing at Rochester.  NYU at Rochester looks to be the bigger game of the two, but don't overlook Carnegie Mellon as they will be trying to get a home victory against Brandeis.

I'll have a little more on my impressions on the UAA after the first full weekend of conference play, but it seems like Rochester and Chicago have the stronger of the undefeated marks vs. Brandeis or NYU.   Whether or not that translates into league play still remains to be determined. 

[ILive4This]

I hope that Brandeis gets tested by tufts, just enough to get them back into shape after this 3 week+ layoff. The men played today at Curry a team who was 2-7 going into todays game and at one point had a 9 point advantage over the judges late in the first half. Brandeis came away with the win, and i think overall it will be good for them going into conference play this weekend. The women have had a easy schedule thus far and were not really contested at all with the exception of the suprise at wheaton.

In a perfect world, the judges will come away with a win over tufts, while being contested enough to get them into shape for the conference play. Having faced no one even remotly tough so far, playing rochester AT rochester could almost me a death wish, but that is not my concern. What concerns me is how they will play against lesser UAA talent, yet still stronger than most of their non conference schedule..i.e. CMU or Emory (a team that has been their first loss each of the last two seasons).

[martin]

Massey Ratings have the UAA as the top women's D3 conference, just ahead of the WIAC.  Team rankings (and strength of schedule out of 425 teams) through 12/31/06:

4 Chicago  (17)
13 Rochester (120)
38 Brandeis (272)
43 NYU (303)
51 Case (61)
75 Washington (102)
128 Emory (105)
201 CMU (222)

I don't think NYU and Brandeis do much good for themselves with the easy non-conference schedules.

[martin]

Chicago did a number on #29 Wheaton (IL) this evening - 57-36.  The Maroons were ahead 40-18 at the half.  The bench played the second half.  Chicago is now 10-0, with a 4-0 record against the CCIW in their last four games.  They have one non-conference game left, at MSOE next Tuesday, a game they should win.

The game with Washington this Saturday should tell a lot.  Chicago has played a tough schedule and met every challenge.  Winning at Wisconsin-Whitewater was impressive.  I think the Maroons are primed and ready to go. 

Nicaya Rapier seems to be back from her ACL surgery and is playing great.  Nofi Mojidi is just great.  Alex Leach is coming into her own.  Freshman Molly Hackney is making up for the inside presence lost with the graduation of Susie Gutowski,  And Korry Schwanz is in charge.

The bench strength is from freshman - an outstanding group.  I think the Maroons are now the favorites to win the UAA.

[Pat Coleman]

You should use the more accurate margin-of-victory Massey Ratings:

http://www.mratings.com/rate.php?lg=cbw&sub=III&mid=1