WBB: Little East

[7express]

Eastern has the best player in the conference (Mya Villard) along with valuable role players both in the starting lineup (Julie Keckler) and off the bench (Anna Berry, Jaclyn Santella) so that's why they get my nod as the favorite.  Denise Bierly can probably role 9 or 10 deep with that group she has this year while coach Ducharme probably only has about a 7 or 8 rotation group, those couple extra bodies that Eastern can rely on for important minutes very well could be the difference.

I don't know much about Boston or RIC's rosters from last year to this year to make an educated guess on them.  Boston usually seems to have a high roster turnover from year to year though.

[SidelineHero]

Eastern has the best player in the conference (Mya Villard) along with valuable role players both in the starting lineup (Julie Keckler) and off the bench (Anna Berry, Jaclyn Santella) so that's why they get my nod as the favorite.  Denise Bierly can probably role 9 or 10 deep with that group she has this year while coach Ducharme probably only has about a 7 or 8 rotation group, those couple extra bodies that Eastern can rely on for important minutes very well could be the difference.

I don't know much about Boston or RIC's rosters from last year to this year to make an educated guess on them.  Boston usually seems to have a high roster turnover from year to year though.

No disagreement from me that ECU is the team to beat this year.  Depth will be an issue for UMD but they are being underrated. They will be there in the end. I disagree with you on Mya being the best player in the conference.  Brown from UMD is head and shoulders better than anyone in the conference. Don't forget Grassi from UMB will also be in the mix. Mya will have to have a special season to finish ahead of either of those two.  Not taking anything away from Villard.  I love watching her play and she is a great young lady.  No doubt this will be a great season for the LEC as there seems to be more parity this year and a lot of talented players.  Kudos to all the coaches for recruiting well and raising the bar for overall expectations for the Little East Conference.

[AllStar]

[AllStar]

[AllStar]

[7express]

Looks like this is Eastern's and RIC's conference to lose.  Castleton is protecting the home fort quite nicely, but they still have to play at the 2 Connecticut schools a very long trip for them, as well as playing @ USM.  Doesn't seem like very long since you don't think Vermont and New Hampshire are that big, but it's actually about 190 miles between the 2 schools. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

With conference action always comes surprises. There are teams who upset those at the top of the conference and make the races a bit more interesting. That is especially true for programs who look to distance themselves from the rest of the conference, but a surprising loss keeps those plans at bay.

Sunday night on Hoopsville, we continue to dive into conferences races across the country and look at how the last week's results have either helped clear up races or made them more messy. Plus we talk to several conference leaders to find out how they are faring.

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[deiscanton]

Wednesday's game between UMass Boston and W. Connecticut, which is to be played at W. Conn, has been postponed to Monday, February 17 at 2 PM, as a precaution.  There is a confirmed case of a UMass Boston student with the novel coronavirus.

[SidelineHero]

Looks like this is Eastern's and RIC's conference to lose.  Castleton is protecting the home fort quite nicely, but they still have to play at the 2 Connecticut schools a very long trip for them, as well as playing @ USM.  Doesn't seem like very long since you don't think Vermont and New Hampshire are that big, but it's actually about 190 miles between the 2 schools.

I am going to go with ECU for the regular season.  UMD will take over second place by the end of the season.  Don't sleep on them being the eventual playoff champion. They continue to improve with every game now. 

[AllStar]

Updated chart:

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Women's first Regional Rankings released.

https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2020/02/women-regional-rankings-first

[7express]

Looks like a decent chance for the LEC to get a 2nd team and IF (and believe me that's a very big if) things break just right possibly sneak a 3rd team in at the very late round for this year.

Boston is about done, I say they need to win the LEC tournament to get in.  RIC is hanging on by a string, right about where that cutoff line normally is.  They played and beat Eastern last night (completing the season sweep) which I believe was not factored into this week's rankings so hopefully they can move up a couple spots.  They still have a bye and only have 2 games before the season ends, both of which they should win (@ Keene, home vs. Western).  Assuming they win both AND make the LEC final, which would mean beating either Dartmouth (if they finish 2nd) or hopefully Boston (if eastern loses again and they finish 1st) should be enough to get RIC into the dance.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Remember ... a lot changes in Week 2's rankings. Results versus Regionally Ranked Opponents (vRRO) makes it's first appearance ... changes the landscape considerably for teams.

Let's take a look at things Wednesday and then see how the LEC shapes up. (Not saying they aren't in good shape, but I find trying to read the tea leaves off of Week 1 to be challenging.)

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The second week Regional Rankings are out: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2020/02/women-regional-rankings-second

[AllStar]