After trying to describe the maelstrom that is the men’s poll this week, analyzing the women’s poll is like slipping into a relaxing, warm bath. The top 8 teams all held their positions over the holidays, and all but one actually gained votes (the exception, Scranton, lost just a single vote.) For several weeks I have been tracking the consolidation at the top of the poll, and this week the consolidation may have reached a maximum: the top 10 teams collectively received 5,068 of a maximum 5,125 points, an “efficiency ratio” of 98.9%. In other words, the 25 voters are virtually unanimous about who the nation’s top 10 teams are.

Bowdoin held on to the top spot for the fifth consecutive week and 21st time overall, second only to all-time poll champions Washington U. (53). At the other end of the upper echelon, Howard Payne took advantage of a loss by then-#9 McMurry (to #15 UW-Stout) to slip into the top ten for the first time in school history.

As noted above, congratulations to Howard Payne University for becoming the newest member of the top 10 club!

Aside from the Yellow Jackets, the only high-water mark in this week’s “Poll of Stability” was reached by the #17 Chicago Maroons, tying the all-time high set just last week.

>#1 Bowdoin is a member of the top 10 for the 80th consecutive week, extending their record in this category;
>#18 Mary Washington is ranked for the 20th consecutive week; for #10 Howard Payne, this streak has reached 10 weeks;
>#10 Howard Payne, #15 UW-Stout, and #22 Medaille received votes for the 10th straight week; and
>#4 Scranton, #16 Hardin-Simmons, and unranked Washington U. each received votes in the 115th straight poll, extending their perfect records.

>#1 Bowdoin and #4 Scranton are each in the top 10 for the 80th time;
>#7 Brandeis is a top 25 team for the 40th time, and #18 Mary Washington is ranked for the 20th time;
>#4 Scranton is in the top 25 for the 112th time, extending their record in this category; and
>Unranked St. Benedict received votes in this poll, marking their 110th time as a vote-getter.

Congratulations to these outstanding programs, and Happy New Year to all! 🙂

David Collinge has become the D3hoops.com Top 25’s unofficial historian and has produced weekly notes that he’s been posting on the message board. We’ve invited him to bring his milestones and observations to the Daily Dose.

The voters in the men’s poll took a week off to celebrate the holidays, and returned to find that 14 of the previous top 25 lost at least one game (a 15th lost an exhibition game, and two other teams were idle), including two losses by the #1 team and losses by five of the top 6 in the Dec. 19th poll. The new poll, the 114th poll in D3hoops.com’s history, reflects this turmoil. The gap between the new #1 (UW-Stevens Point) and #3 (Amherst) is just 5 points, the closest the top 3 have ever been to one another. The #1 votes are nearly evely split between the top three teams, with #1 Stevens Point receiving just nine #1 votes; only Wittenberg (8 in week 6 last year) and Carthage (8 in 2000-01 week 3) reached the top with fewer #1 votes.

Two-time champion Stevens Point is the #1 team for the 14th time, a mark exceeded only by Carthage (22.) The #1 team in the 113th poll, the College of Wooster, slipped to #4 but added another week to their many poll records: most poll appearances (114, a perfect mark), most top 25 appearances (106), and most top 10 appearances in total (84) and consecutively (44). #3 Amherst was denied the top spot in the poll, despite gaining 6 first place votes, but did extend their record streak of top 25 appearances to 69 consecutive weeks.

The University of Texas at Dallas, the first D3 team this season to upset a D1 team, made its poll deut this week at #22. Texas-Dallas becomes just the 7th team in poll history to make its poll debut as a top 25 team, and recorded the fourth-highest vote total for a first-time vote-getter. #23 Brandeis also appeared in the top 25 for the first time this week. Congratulations to the Comets and Judges!

> #12 Augustana, #14 Hope, and #21 Lawrence are each members of the top 25 for the 20th consecutive week.
> #21 Lawrence received votes for the 50th consecutive week. #3 Amherst has received votes in 70 straight polls; Lincoln has been mentioned 20 straight times; and #5 St. Thomas and #6 Whitworth are vote-getters for the 10th consecutive week.
> UW-Whitewater had received votes in 82 consecutive polls before falling short this week. Calvin had a 30-week voting string snapped as well.

High-Water Marks:

#11 Averett reached an all-time high ranking for the fourth straight week, a streak likely to end after their loss to Guilford last night. #2 Ohio Northern, #6 Whitworth, #15 Bates, and #20 NYU also attained their highest-ever rankings this week, as did #22 UT-Dallas and #23 Brandeis, our top 25 debutantes.

Milestones:

> #1 UW-Stevens Point is in the top 10 for the 60th time;
> #14 Hope and #16 Wheaton (IL) are each ranked for the 50th time;
> #9 William Paterson is in the top 25 for the 40th time;
> #6 Whitworth is ranked for the 20th time;
> CCIW rivals #16 Wheaton (IL) and #17 Carthage are vote-getters for the 75th time each; and
> #5 St. Thomas received votes for the 70th time in this poll, and Worcester Polytech attracted votes for the 30th time.

Congratulations to all of these outstanding programs!