Streakin’ into 2008

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With the season revving up again, it’s worth noting the eight teams who are still undefeated. That means they haven’t lost to any opponent yet, regardless of their level of play. Sorry, Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark, but it was too difficult to make these lists using only Division III games.

There are three other teams that sport double-digit winning streaks in conference, none of whom are ranked. Then there are those teams who are still looking for their first win.

Without further adieu – and with a nod to the folks on the message boards who are tracking this stuff – here are a few streaks to watch the rest of the way.

Undefeated

Most of these teams have a winning streak as long as their list of games played this season. That makes sense – good teams win games and make the playoffs, at least in their conference, where they eventually lose or win the national title.

Elizabethtown is the exception to the rule. The Blue Jays have 10 wins overall dating back to last season when they missed the four-team MAC Commonwealth playoff. They head to York (Pa.) this weekend where they’ll face fellow bluebirds Johns Hopkins. If E-town leaves town with two Ws, its next big test will be January 19 at home versus DeSales (8-1).

Here are the other undefeated teams with their next big test.

– Elizabethtown (9-0, 10 wins overall)
– Williams (10-0): From 0 to difficult in 8 days, the Ephs play winless Mitchell on Friday and archrival Amherst on January 12.
– Rochester (9-0): Next weekend’s Chase Tournament is very deep with ranked Brockport State, upstart Nazareth and undefeated Geneseo State involved.
– Coast Guard (8-0): After Lesley on Saturday, the Bears won’t be able to coast by WPI (7-3) to start NEWMAC play.
– Emerson (8-0): The Lions play Rivier, who gave No. 15 Wheaton (Ill.) a fight before falling in overtime. Later Emerson travels to Nashua to play Rivier on the road. I’m really fighting the urge to make a “Lake and Palmer” joke here.
– Mass-Dartmouth (8-0): Next week the Corsairs play Salem State (9-1), who appears on this list for a different good reason.
– Stevens (8-0): The Ducks have a big weekend ahead at RIT and Nazareth (7-1). Other than a win against CCNY (1-10), Stevens hasn’t played a road game this year.
– Geneseo State (6-0): The Chase Tournament looms large for the Knights as it does for Rochester

Masters of their domain

Here are the longest active winning streaks in conference play, dating back to last year or longer if necessary. This includes conference playoff games but not games against conference opponents in the NCAA tournament. Why? Because. So there.

– Aurora: 14 straight in NATHC
– Salem State: 12 straight in MASCAC
– Centre: 10 straight in SCAC
– Manhattanville: nine straight in Skyline; plays in MAC Freedom this year
– Averett: nine straight in USAC
– Wooster: nine straight in NCAC

I feel your pain

I’ve never played for an undefeated team, but I’ve played for a winless one. If you’re a competitive person, it’s painful beyond words. Since I’ve also played on a one-win team, I also know that one win makes a huge difference. Here’s hoping all these guys are on the right side of at least one score this year.

– Rockford (0-9 this season, 18 straight overall)
– Albertus Magnus (0-8, 14 overall)
– Mitchell (0-10, 13 overall)
– Delaware Valley (0-9, 12 overall)
– Alma (0-11, 11 overall)
– Denison (0-11, 11 overall)
– St. Mary’s (Minn.) (0-9, 11 overall)
– Philadelphia Bible (0-9, 11 overall)
– Colorado College (0-10, 10 overall)
– Maine-Presque Isle (0-7, 10 overall)
– Monmouth (0-8, 9 overall)

Something’s gotta give

You may already know who heads the list for longest active conference losing streak. According to my count, Caltech hasn’t won a SCIAC game in (5^3 + 4^3 + 3^3 + 2^5 + (1 x 11)) tries. But they can probably point out multiple math errors in that last sentence. At least one of these teams is guaranteed to drop off the list since Centenary moved into the PnAC and plays Marywood twice.

– Caltech: 259 straight in SCIAC
– Austin: 17 straight in SCAC/ASC
– Centenary: 17 straight in PnAC/Skyline
– Marywood: 16 straight in PnAC
– Crown: 16 straight in UMAC
– Lynchburg: 14 straight in ODAC
– Elmira: 14 straight in Empire 8
– Bard: 13 straight in NEAC/Skyline
– Rockford: 13 straight in NATHC
– Luther: 12 straight in IIAC
– MCLA: 11 straight in MASCAC
– Beloit: 10 straight in MWC

If time permits, I’d like to get the list of undefeated and winless women’s teams. And I’m sure there are errors with the men’s lists. In fact, I made them…uh…on purpose. Yeah, that’s it. On purpose. So go ahead, see if you can find them and post them below. Please?

For the 11th time, let’s tip off

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ATLANTA — If this is Emory, this must be Tuesday. Or Wednesday. I’ve been crossed up on the days of the week all … well, week.

This is the final game of the Southern Hospitality tour. Twenty-two teams have battled to try to keep from becoming a blur in my mind. Perhaps I should be doing the battling.

Mitch Cole, the Birmingham-Southern coach, just came over to me and said “everything I say tonight is off the record!”

I told him I wouldn’t stick my head in his huddle (his bench is right next to my seat at the scorer’s table) but if the fans could hear it then I don’t think it could be off the record.

Birmingham-Southern huddles up

Emory is back after a three-week layoff. Spiros Ferderigos, Emory’s best player, has his left hand taped, but hit a three-pointer early and more or less controlled a rebound with that hand so he looks OK for now.

Emory and Birmingham-Southern are both 6-3.

Darkest gym ever?

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DECATUR, Ga. — At Agnes Scott College this afternoon and I cannot recall having been in a darker gym. I can’t imagine a night game here because some of the light is natural.

Now, that having been said, the campus is really nice. I’ve been to some women’s schools that give off the appearance that they’re in trouble as an institution, but this is not one of them.

Agnes Scott lists 12 on its roster but I never saw more than nine warm up. And 13 minutes to tip they are still back in their locker room.

Phonernetting here too.

Edit: The podcasts are up. Alex Stewart, the Agnes Scott head coach, played basketball at Georgia Tech, so she has some interesting perspective on moving from the ACC to the GSAC.

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Welcome to 2008. Or 1958.

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LaGRANGE, Ga. — That’s what it feels like, anyway in Mariotti Gymnasium here at LaGrange. It is a building high on character but low on amenities.

I can’t get on the Net here yet so you’ll have to wait for a photo but picture Hoosiers-type seating for maybe 600 people. No word if Hampden-Sydney coach Bubba Smith took out a tape measure and compared it to their gym back in Farmville.

LaGrange SID John Hughes tells me the building opened in 1958. The other athletic facilities are about a half-mile from here and are a lot more modern.

A lot of HSC fans here, probably many connected to Drew Prehmus and Tyler Murray, Tiger seniors from Atlanta.

You can listen on HSC’s radio broadcast from their Web site. If I weren’t typing on my phone I’d say more.

Edit: I’ve added today’s interview, with LaGrange men’s coach Warren Haynes.

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Struggling, for starters

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Huntingdon has struggledIt’s been a tough season so far for the Huntingdon men’s basketball team. The Hawks are 2-10 under first-year coach Mike Pugh, working with a new offensive philosophy and a fair amount of new players.

For Pugh, it’s his first season as a Division III coach after years in the high school and junior college ranks.

Pat Coleman spoke with Pugh about the transition for his team and for himself. What did Pugh think about Division III basketball as a high school coach in Alabama, and what is his take now? Listen on.

And Happy New Year! Our long-awaited redesign is still on the back burner, but I decided we really needed to have the new logos up there. It’s long past time.

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