University Athletic Association

[deiscanton]

Joel--

Maine-Farmington is a former NAIA D2 team, but now plays in the North Atlantic Conference in DIII.  Maine Maritime is the defending champion of that league, but Maine-Farmington is a primary challenger for that title and the automatic bid of that conference, along with Husson-- Husson is located in Bangor, ME.  Maine-Farmington is led by Kari Simpson, a player that Christine Clancy of Brandeis played against in high school.

[jagluski]

USA Today/ESPN/WBCA DIII Coaches Poll is out:

Wash U is #1 with 5 first place votes
George Fox is #2, 8 points back
Brandeis stays #8
NYU moves up to #11
Chicago enters the poll at #24

[Pat Coleman]

That being said, this is another argument for why preseason polls should potentially be eliminated.  The reason Brandeis is ahead of Wash U(and why Auburn football didn't make the BCS last year) is that they started higher.  Wash U's been passing all teams who have lost, but can't pass Brandeis because they're still undefeated.  Whether they should or not is a separate question, one I'm not ready to answer until UAA season. 

They can pass Brandeis. Teams swap places occasionally. Didn't it happen just this past poll with George Fox passing Wash U?

Since there are 25 games and not 11-12, there isn't really much comparison to the BCS. There are plenty of chances for things to work themselves out on the court.

[kluch]

Wow,I just got back from The Emory - UW Oshkosh game and Emory beats UW-Oshkosh at the buzzer.

[jagluski]

New poll out already:

#1 S. Maine (579 points)
#2 Brandeis (573 points and 5 first place votes)
#3 Wash U (570 points and 9 first place votes, the most in the poll)
#15 NYU
#19 Chicago

We'll find out how good all four of these teams in the next two weeks.  Wash U plays Maryville tomorrow and then hosts Chicago on Saturday in the UAA opener for both teams.  Brandeis will travel to NYU next Saturday.

[jagluski]

Wash U falls to Maryville tonight 63-56 in their last non-conference game of the year to fall to 10-1.  This would be considered a bad loss in my book.

Wash U shot 27% in the first half to trail by 16 at the break and battled back throughout the second half, but couldn't make it over the hump.  Kelly Manning led the team back early and Manning and Beehler fouled out late.  The Bears had chances to cut the lead to 3 with under a minute to go, but Sarah Schell missed a couple of free throws.  I would not want to be Chicago at this point, coming into Wash U this weekend.

[deiscanton]

I guess Wash U would have to be favored to win at home  on Saturday over Chicago now, if the Bears weren't favored already.  It will still be a tough game, though. 
Can anyone at Wash U tell me how I can follow this one live since KWUR is not scheduled to cover the game on Saturday?

All the same, congrats to the Maryville Saints on their win tonight.  I managed to listen to the final minutes of the game on the Maryville webcast after I got woken up by the news that Wash U was trailing late in the game.  I did not expect this news tonight.

So, are my own Brandeis Judges really the #1 team in DIII?  I didn't feel like they were after yesterday's 19 point victory over Endicott despite the fact that Brandeis never trailed all game.   It must have been that Brandeis had an off night at the free throw line, and that Brandeis did not have the best night on offense.  The Judges did hold Endicott to 41 points, though.  However, when you consider that NYU had to come from behind in Monday's victory over Montclair St., and also that Wash U never came all the way back tonight against Maryville with Manning and Beehler fouling out of the game, it looks like the real season has just gotten underway.

[Ralph Turner]

Wash U falls to Maryville tonight 63-56 in their last non-conference game of the year to fall to 10-1.  This would be considered a bad loss in my book...

But, I think that it will only be a 7-point QOWI loss, no different in point value than a road loss to a Brandeis.  Wash StL might regret not picking up a win over the likely SLIAC AQ winner.  Maryville MO has a 28 game in-conference winning streak.  I suspect they will finish with a QOWI >.666.

[bearswatcher]

What the Heck Happened, I go home for vacation and the wheels fall off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jag, my point earlier in the year that remove Manning and this team just isn't as good as past teams seems to be so. KMann has a so so game, fouls out and BAng SlAm BoOm

[deiscanton]

UAA Action for weekend of January 6-8, 2006

Friday, January 6, 2006

Rankings are listed in parentheses first by D3Hoops.com ranking followed by ESPN-USA Today-WBCA ranking.

Tipoffs at 6 PM Eastern

1.)  Carnegie Mellon at (#2/#7) Brandeis

Internet audio:  None planned.  WBRS is not scheduled to do this weekend's games.  I hear that Mark Simon wanted to come on Friday to check out the Brandeis teams, but I do not know if he will do an internet webcast.

Of note:   Brandeis point guard Amanda DeMartino is 5 assists away from breaking the all-time school career assist record.  The current record stands at 351 career assists, set by Pam Vaughan from 1987-1990.

2.)  Rochester at (#15/#10) NYU

Internet audio:

Rochester feed:  http://www.wysl1040.com
NYU feed:  http://www.wnyu.org

Saturday, January 7, 2006

1.)  (#19/#21) Chicago at (#3/#1) Wash U

Tip time at 1 PM Central/ 2 PM Eastern  (I think that is correct, if I am wrong, please correct.)

Internet audio:  None planned.  KWUR is not scheduled to do Saturday's games.

2.)  Tip at 3 PM Eastern

Case at Emory

Internet audio:  Teamline-- check Emory's website for details.

Sunday, January 8, 2006

All tips at approx. 3 PM Eastern

1.)  Rochester at (#2/#7) Brandeis

Internet audio:  http://www.wysl1040.com

2.)  Carnegie Mellon at (#15/#10) NYU

Internet audio:  http://www.wnyu.org

[sandman]

Well, Case has struggled with illnesses and injuries and now stands at 6-4 before they enter UAA play.  This Saturday, the game is at Emory, so I'd need a Universal Remonster to watch it.  Can the Lady Spartans continue their 10-game win streak over their traveling partners? Also,  their final non-conference game will be at Bethany on Monday.

After that, I will be in Cleveland to watch them take on Chicago (who is still my pick to win the UAA, even if Case won the last meeting by 28) and Wash U (who as we now know, IS beatable).  But this Saturday's game between the two may change my opinion there.

[deiscanton]

INTERNET COVERAGE UPDATE

D3HoopsNet to cover Carnegie Mellon v. Brandeis Friday, Jan. 6, 2006.

Mark Simon will have the call on D3HoopsNet of the UAA doubleheader of Carnegie Mellon at Brandeis.  Women will tip at 6 PM Eastern, men at 8 PM Eastern.

Check out http://www.d3hoops.com/audio for further details on how to access the webcast.

Information courtesy of Brandeis Athletics.

[enterthehooligans]

Just checking in from NYC. Can't wait for tomorrow night when UAA competition starts up again with U of Rochester vs. the currently undefeated NYU women's bball team. Should be a great game with the hooligans bringing the noise. We even got our own photo album up on the newly remodeled nyuhoops.com. Check it out for updates from tomorrow's game.

[jagluski]

UAA Action for weekend of January 6-8, 2006

Saturday, January 7, 2006

1.)  (#19/#21) Chicago at (#3/#1) Wash U

Tip time at 1 PM Central/ 2 PM Eastern  (I think that is correct, if I am wrong, please correct.)

Internet audio:  None planned.  KWUR is not scheduled to do Saturday's games.

You are correct, according to Wash U's website.

[jagluski]

Wash U (who as we now know, IS beatable). 

It wouldn't suprise me if the UAA winner this year, like last, has 2-4 losses as a reflection of all the good teams in the conference and not the lack of quality of any of them.