Tag Archives: Catholic

Dave’s Top 25 ballot: Week 10

Posted on by

Sorry for the tardiness on this, but celebrating the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl title got me a little out of sync this week and then the computer I have my blog written on decided to quit working when I went to post this on Wednesday morning. Better late than never, I guess.

Once again, I had to do some real analyzing after not only the number one team lost, but when several other teams on my previous ballot took losses. (And as you will notice, I will already be changing my number one team next week.)

The one thing I have noticed and even discussed with other voters, there may be 15 or 20 teams everyone feels comfortable with, but those last five or ten spots are turning into a cluster(fill in the blank). For the most part, it seems like no one wants to step up and grab their position in the polls or in their conferences. As a result, I think voting this season may be getting harder in some ways than usual years when you really have a sense of who the best teams in the country are.

1 – Whitworth – Up 1 spot
I really debated about this. The Pirates have certainly been on a tear winning every one of their games except the season opener against St. Thomas, but besides Whitman their conference schedule has been somewhat weak. They already had to use extra time to get past a pretty decent Whitman squad, but they have also been dominating teams for the most part. I am sure I will be changing this pick sooner than I would like (and now after the fact this is indeed true).

2 – St. Thomas – Up 1 spot
I seriously considered putting the Tommies back into the number one place after they clearly rebounded from their lone loss pretty well. However, I had decided that St. Thomas’ loss to Concordia-Moorehead was worse than Whitworth’s loss to St. Thomas in game number one, so I didn’t feel comfortable changing that mentality a week later.

3 – WPI – Up 1 spot
Being the Engineers are undefeated and had a nice victory of Springfield this past week, I could have easily decided to move WPI all the way to #1. However, I am still considering who they have played… or not played. WPI is clearly having a better season than anyone could have expected, but I may need to see a little more before I think #1 is the right place for WPI.

4 – Rochester – Down 3 spots
I expected the Yellowjackets to get through the weekend unscathed, though maybe bruised, as my number one team. Of course if they had lost to Brandeis, I wouldn’t have been shocked. But to lose to an NYU team that I clearly had overrated earlier this year was not what I would have expected. Rochester did rally to get through the weekend 1 and 1, but they lost the wrong game. Considering it was their first loss of the season, on the road, and many teams below also lost, Rochester didn’t fall as much as I thought about moving them.

5 – Middlebury – Up 1 spot

6 – Catholic – Up 1 spot

7 – Hampden-Sydney – Up 2 spots

8 – Illinois Wesleyan – Up 6 spots
I was already starting to buy into the Titans, but when you beat Augustana (on the road) and Wheaton (at home) to sweep the season series from those two and remain three games ahead of North Central, I was ready to buy in further. Can the Titans get through the entire CCIW unscathed? Maybe, but the conference is too good in general for that to possibly happen. So I will continue to move IWU up the board, but won’t jump them into my top five until they get through the conference unscathed.

9 – Ramapo – Up 1 spot

10 – Amherst – Up 3 spots
The Lord Jeffs had a very good week beating Rhode Island and two conference opponents, albeit at home. As a result, their win over Williams now becomes a bigger factor, especially since it was a blow out, so I moved them ahead of the Ephs. However, Amherst didn’t have the strongest out-of-conference schedule and lost two games as well, so I think this could be my ceiling unless they beat Williams on the road in the same manner.

11 – Williams – Down 3 spots
I did move the Ephs down, but it had more to do with teams I moved ahead of them than the week they had. Granted they won two games on the road in the conference, but they were both close games against Bowdoin (12-9) and Colby (6-15). I know it isn’t the easiest thing to travel in the NESCAC especially from northwestern Massachusetts to anywhere in Maine (there is no such thing as a straight drive from Point A to Point B in that scenario), but if the Ephs are that good they should handle that scenario a bit better.

12 – UW-Stevens Point – Down 7 spots
It wasn’t like the Pointers had it easy this week: they played on the road against Platteville and La Crosse who are both having solid seasons. What surprised me was the fact the Pointers were held to just 46 points against Platteville and then couldn’t recover a few days later against La Crosse and only scored 62. That is just the kind of week that can derail a team and makes a voter nervous. I am not sold on just how good the WIAC is this season maybe because the top of the conference isn’t as good as usual while the middle of the conference is just as tough as always.

13 – St. Mary’s (Md.) – Up 2 spots

14 – Calvin – Up 2 spots

15 – North Central (Ill.) – Up 2 spots

16 – Christopher Newport – Down 5 spots
I was confident the Captains were pretty good this year, but when you lose to a .500 team like Greensboro at home, I take pause. I still think CNU is a solid team, but I may have had them too high in my poll. (And since I voted they lost to Virginia Wesleyan at home and it wasn’t close.)

17 – Wooster – Down 5 spots
The win over Denison at home was destruction; the loss on the road against Wabash was… well… embarrassing. I am not sure if the Scots were looking too far ahead to their game against Ohio Wesleyan or not, but this is the time of year where a team needs to put its foot down and not stub its toe.

18 – Rhode Island – unchanged

19 – Wheaton (Ill.) – unchanged

20 – Rose-Hulman – Up 3 spots
The Engineers put their foot down on the HCAC. With a very important game against underachieving Transylvania who beat them at home earlier in the year… they won on the road. Rose-Hulman now has a two game lead on the conference forcing everyone to go through Terre Haute, Indiana if they want to automatically pack their bags for the NCAA tournament.

21 – Cortland State – Up 3 spots

22 – UW-Whitewater – unranked
As I mentioned earlier, I am not sold on the top of the WIAC. I have also not been sold on the Warhawks a lot this season; they simply lost too much from last year’s national champions. But they keep winning and are now just a game back of UW-Stevens Point and may be finding their stride… for now.

23 – MIT – unranked
For the engineers, I mean beavers, no I mean Engineers (plenty of them in my Top 25), they still don’t have Jamie Karraker or Noel Hollingsworth back and may never get them back, but they are still winning. There are three seniors in double-figures including Mitchell Kates and Will Tashman who are scoring 15+ points a game and some of the underclassmen are stepping up. Only one of their four losses is a bad one (Salem State) and they have won five straight. Maybe MIT has found a way to win this season despite the challenges they have faced.

24 – Wesley – Down 4 spots
I knew that trying to sweep St. Mary’s, especially with the second game being on the road, would be a tall task. So, I really wasn’t going to eliminate them from my ballot and they only moved this far down because I was moving other teams in that I think might still be better despite the fact the Wolverines have still won 12 of the last 13 (as of my voting).

25 – SUNY-Old Westbury – unranked
In a constant search for who are the best 25 teams, I am taking another stab at a team that maybe isn’t getting enough attention. I don’t have the space to explain the season the Panthers have had simply from Superstorm Sandy and the aftermath. But consider that Old Westbury played their first 13 games of the season on the road, had to travel by van to every practice for the first several months at a gym off campus, and they didn’t even have their own locker rooms during that time. Still, the Panthers are undefeated in their conference and while games have been close recently it is probably because the Panthers aren’t used to playing in their own gym!

Dropped out this week:

DeSales – 21st last week
I will be the first to admit, I made a mistake here. Shortly after I placed DeSales in my ballot and stated they were one team flying lowest on the radar, they lost two games in conference including a pivotal game with Delaware Valley before falling asleep against Misericordia.

Transylvania – 22nd last week
The Pioneers did it to me again. I bought in and put them back in my Top 25 only to see them lose to Rose-Hulman, at home no less. I just can’t figure out the Pioneers who didn’t lose any of their starting offense from last year’s squad, but clearly lost something from the seniors who left even if it wasn’t on the court.

Alvernia – 25th last week
You can almost copy my comments about DeSales into this section: they lost a pivotal game against conference and Reading, PA rival Albright. They didn’t lose two games, but when you are on the very bottom of the ballot, any slip can cost you.

Dave’s Top 25 ballot: Week 8

Posted on by
DiBartolomeo
With Monday’s loss by St. Thomas, is the University of Rochester next in line to be No. 1?
Rochester athletics photo

This week, voting in the Top 25 was relatively easy especially when compared to last week’s overhaul that proved more challenging – though enlightening – than expected. You aren’t going to see a lot of changes this week. In fact, the first 12 positions in my poll didn’t move. I did have to deal with questions about close wins and surprising losses, but it was a handful of teams this time, not the entire ballot. So, here we go:

1 – St. Thomas – unchanged

2 – Rochester – unchanged

3 – Whitworth – unchanged

4 – WPI – unchanged

5 – Middlebury – unchanged

6 – UW-Stevens Point – unchanged

7 – North Central (Ill.) – unchanged

8 – Williams – unchanged

9 – Catholic – unchanged

10 – Ramapo – unchanged

11 – Christopher Newport – unchanged

12 – Hampden-Sydney – unchanged

13 – Wooster – UP 5 spots
Very good week for the Scots who put their foot down on the NCAC. A win over Ohio Wesleyan on the road helped give the Battling Bishops their second straight loss and give Wooster a two-game lead in the conference.

14 – Stevens – unchanged

15 – Amherst – unchanged
The Lord Jeffs did win three games this week, which would normally have me move them up. But first, there isn’t much room for moving upward and second, they only faced one team with a winning record and all three of the games were at home.

16 – St. Mary’s (Md.) – UP 1 spot

17 – Calvin – UP 4 spots
When you lay the wood to your rival Hope in one of the biggest rivalries in college sports, people take notice. Hope is clearly having a tough season (which featured another loss this week to Olivet), but the fact Calvin manhandled them in a game where a winless team would probably still make it interesting is rather telling. Calvin now has a two-game lead in the MIAA.

18 – Illinois Wesleyan – UP 4 spots
The Titans didn’t exactly beat anyone stellar in conference play this week, but they won both games on the road in a conference that has already shown that the top teams can lose to those struggling below .500. Big test coming up… North Central at home.

19 – Albertus Magnus – unchanged

20 – Brandeis – unranked
The Judges made a statement this weekend beating Chicago and then Wash U on the road. Brandeis has only two losses at the hands of Rhode Island College in the first game of the season and Amherst at the beginning of December. Seven straight wins has them tied on top of the UAA with Rochester who they will face at home on Sunday.

21 – Guilford – DOWN 5 spots
The ODAC is probably tougher this year than in years past with nine of the twelve teams with winning records and eight teams within four games of the top of the conference. Guilford got a win over Randolph midweek, which kept them from falling out of the poll with their loss to Washington & Lee, albeit on the road. And the road doesn’t get easier. They have Lynchburg at home and then on the road at Hampden-Sydney this week. Let’s see if they stay on my ballot.

22 – Virginia Wesleyan – unranked
The Marlins do lead the ODAC with a perfect 8-0 and have won five straight. However, the four-game slide at the end of December and barely able to get by Roanoke (who seemed to have the game in hand) are signs that maybe this Marlin team is lucky to be 8-0 in the conference. They are on top of the ODAC recordwise, but I am not convinced they have figured things out.

23 – Wesley – unranked
Really can’t keep the Wolverines off my ballot any more. 10 straight wins including St. Mary’s and Salisbury in the last two show this team is playing very good basketball right now. Wesley has wins over Eastern Mennonite and Virginia Wesleyan as well this season and nearly got past Christopher Newport back in November (lost in triple overtime). The Wolverines have a rematch with St. Mary’s on Saturday that will determine who is in control of the CAC heading into February.

24 – Rhode Island – unchanged
The Anchormen didn’t exactly impress this week. In fact I thought about dropping them when considering they beat Mass-Dartmouth and Plymouth State – a combined 5-26 – by a total of nine points. The games were on the road and New England is probably distracted with the Patriots this week, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. A battle for the top of the LEC looms Saturday with Eastern Connecticut on the road – if Rhode Island doesn’t forget they play Western Connecticut first.

25 – Rose-Hulman – unchanged
The Engineers didn’t do anything to impress me this week, either. They beat Franklin (who is 11-6 and has a win over Illinois Wesleyan on their resume) easily, but then struggled at home against 7-10 Bluffton. So, I thought about moving Rose-Hulman off my ballot until I remembered they still only have two losses. Who would I have replaced them with? Transylvania who beat Rose-Hulman last week – so the reason would have been good.

Dropped out this week:

Ohio Wesleyan – 13th last week
Yeah, this might be harsh, but I wouldn’t have removed them from my Top 25 with just their loss to Wooster. Their lost to Hiram by 13 on the road midweek on the other hand made the loss to Wooster at home just the cherry on top. I like the Battling Bishops but they shoot horribly from the free-throw line and they have games like Hiram, Allegheny and others that have me shaking my head.

Washington Univ. – 20th last week
A trusted friend in the Midwest Region things the Bears are a Top 25 team and I agree with him, until they lose at home to Brandeis. Sure, on paper that shouldn’t be a surprised since Brandeis is clearly playing well. Except it was at home where Wash U. hadn’t lost all season and this is the Bears third loss in the UAA. Furthermore, Wash U is now 2-2 in the last four games. I watched the game against Brandeis and nothing impressed me. Something doesn’t seem to be working right now in St. Louis. Here is hoping they turn it around fast before they lose any chance of making the NCAA tournament.

Dave’s Top 25 ballot – Week 7

Posted on by
Sam Longwell
Sam Longwell and his WPI teammates moved up on Dave McHugh’s ballot.
WPI athletics photo

After the week of carnage in the men’s Top 25, I decided to completely overhaul my ballot. Last week I went through a gut check; this week I started over. I looked at teams I already had on my ballot, teams I was considering, teams that was provided to voters, and teams that caught my attention as I went through each region. The result was initially about 50 programs on the table. Then after a quickly cutting based on a quick look at the teams on the table, I was left with 41 schools to consider for this week’s ballot.

From those 41 I started anew going through each team’s results up to this point and painstakingly looking at their wins, losses, travel, what other factors could have been at play and their overall statistics. As a result, you will see a lot of changes on my ballot compared to last week including, maybe, some surprising moves.

No.1 St. Thomas – Unchanged
The Tommies may have actually solidified their No.1 ranking in my ballot through the overhaul.

No.2 – Rochester – Unchanged
The Yellowjackets certainly proved they are a very good team this past weekend with not only the win over Chicago, but a very strong win over Wash U. They are shooting very well this season and winning by an average of 18.6 points a game.

No.3 – Whitworth – UP 2 spots
I am a little nervous about the Pirates this high after the week they just had. They barely survived against Whitman (who lost two games this week) and George Fox (who then beat Whitman). And some of their stats have me worried like only outrebounding their opponents by 2.4 a game. However, they have four players averaging double-figures this season and continue to win.

No.4 – WPI – UP 4 spots
The Engineers are still undefeated though they didn’t really get tested this past week. They do have the most wins in Division III including a victory over Rhode Island a month ago. However, I have the same concerns with WPI as I do with Whitworth.

No.5 – Middlebury – DOWN 2 spots
The Panthers are still undefeated, but they are barely getting it done. Yet another weekend in the NESCAC sees Middlebury barely beat an opponent this time at home. My confidence is shaky despite the fact they are beating opponents on average by more than 15 points and shooting 51.9% a game with four players in double-figures.

No.6 – UW-Stevens Point – UP 12 spots
The Points big move up my ballot is based on not only the fact they beat Stout and La Crosse this week by an average of 12 points, but also the fact I took a longer look at all teams. Stevens Point has five players averaging more than 10 points a game while they only turn the ball over about ten times a contest. I do have questions on whether the Pointers can get through the conference unscathed, but they have a two game lead in mid-January so they are pretty well positioned.

No.7 – North Central (Ill.) – DOWN 3 spots
The Cardinals were bound to trip up in the CCIW, but I didn’t see it happening to a struggling Carthage team. They did right the ship against Augustana, but I said last week I wasn’t confident with the Cardinals. Now North Central has some impressive wins and are not only beating their opponents by more than 13 points a game, but they are holding opponents to an average of 56 points a game. However, I doubt the Carthage game will be their only bump in the road the rest of the season.

No.8 – Williams – UP 12 spots
I have not been giving the Ephs enough credit. When I took a longer look at their season, their lone loss to Stevens became less of a concern for a team that is outscoring their opponents by 19.1 points a game and shooting a very impressive 52.2% from the floor. With four players in double-figures leading a team that has swept Wesleyan and beaten Springfield and looked better against common opponents than Middlebury, it was high time I bought into the Ephs.

No.9 – Catholic – DOWN 3 spots
I didn’t think the Cardinals could get through the Landmark unscathed (especially since they still have to play Scranton twice), but the loss to Juniata on the road gave me pause. Catholic teams of the past would have taken a loss like that and turned into a losing streak. Maybe the new Landmark schedule allowed CUA to stop the bleeding by Saturday or they are showing they can handle a few bumps and bounce back.

No.10 – Ramapo – DOWN 3 spots
The Roadrunners got tripped up by a single point by William Patterson this week which certainly had me shaking my head. However, Ramapo has five guys averaging between 11 and 16 points a game while outrebounding their opponents by nearly seven boards a game. Ramapo seems to be playing well despite concerns their top player Will Sanborn takes nights off.

No.11 – Christopher Newport – DOWN 1 spot
The loss in double-overtime to North Carolina Wesleyan was both expected and unexpected. Sure, NC Wesleyan would be gunning for Christopher Newport and the game was on the road. However, it showed the Captains may have to stay focused for every game in their conference this season. Now, they have three players averaging more than 15 points a game and their two losses have been by eight total points. So, I feel comfortable… for now.

No.12 – Hampden-Sydney – UP 2 spots
I was actually more impressed the more I looked at Hampden-Sydney this week. They are outscoring their opponents by nearly 23 points a game while shooting 51.1% from the floor and getting seven more boards a game. They are even dishing nearly 20 assists a game! The Tigers just have to stay focused in what will be a tough run of Randolph-Macon, Eastern Mennonite, Randolph, Guilford and Lynchburg in the next five games.

No.13 – Ohio Wesleyan – UP 2 spots
The Battling Bishops are playing very solid basketball right now. However, they have Wooster this coming Saturday at home. That will give all of us a chance to grade both teams and see who is in control of the NCAC.

No.14 – Stevens – Unranked
I said when I dropped Stevens out of my poll last week it was not because of Stevens, but when I took a closer look I couldn’t believe I had made the move to begin with. Stevens has beaten Williams and only lost to NYU (by 6). They have three players averaging more than 14 points a game and are outscoring their opponents by than 10 points a game.

No.15 – Amherst – UP 9 spots
I had been holding the Lord Jeffs kind of low this season, so it was a good thing I took a longer look this week. They have six players scoring 10 points or more while outscoring their opponents by 15.6 a game. Sure, the loss to Babson at home still raises concerns, but the Lord Jeffs appear to be better than I was giving them credit for.

No.16 – Guilford – UP 6 spots
The Quakers continue to roll right now having won eight straight games. They are playing pretty good basketball in all aspects and have some very good wins on their resume this season.

No.17 – St. Mary’s (Md.) – DOWN 8 spots
It is a big drop for the Seahawks who beat Franklin and Marshall, but they lost to Wesley this past week as well. I think Wesley is a good team, but now St. Mary’s has lost two games that weren’t even close (13 to Catholic and 14 to Wesley) and they all but blew a huge halftime lead on the Diplomats. They are also being outrebounded by 3.1 a game which could be a big problem the rest of the season. I need to take pause and see how St. Mary’s responds to Saturday’s loss before I consider moving them back into the top 15.

No.18 – Wooster – DOWN 2 spots
There isn’t anything the Scots did to slide this week, I just did some rearranging in the overhaul. They are dominating on the boards and are shooting well. However, they are turning the ball more than their opponents and they have a big test on Saturday against Ohio Wesleyan.

No.19 – Albertus Magnus – DOWN 2 spots
The Falcons are certainly having a very good season on paper, but they really haven’t played anyone while only outscoring their opponents (including Yale) by five points a game and also being outrebounded by more than five boards a game. Nothing else stands out to me as they work their way through a weak conference. I am leery this could be more smoke and mirrors than anything else.

No.20 – Washington (Mo.) – DOWN 8 spots
The Bears have me nervous. They have now lost three games this season all on the road. Granted, Rochester is proving to be a very good team, but Wash U. was barely able to get past Emory making me realize they seem to struggle away from their home court. They are dominating on the boards at an 13.6 average and they have six of the next eight at home, so I will be watching to see if the home court is truly their advantage.

No.21 – Calvin – Unranked
The Knights may not have an impressive schedule especially with a loss to Carthage and a very low scoring output against Wheaton, but they are outscoring opponents by more than 17 points a game, outrebounding by nearly 11, and shooting very well on average. I would think this week they should beat Hope who is struggling this season, but anything is possible in a rivalry game – so I will be watching.

No.22 – Illinois Wesleyan – Unranked
The Titans are getting the job done when they need to. Yes, the loss to Franklin is still quick to remind me they can overlook teams, but they are holding opponents to about 62 points a game while outrebounding them by over nine a game. The biggest concern is they are shooting just 65.3% from the free throw line though they have shot 81 more free shots than their opponents helping make up for the misses. A win over Augustana and dominating Carthage was good enough for me to move them back into my Top 25.

No.23 – Randolph – DOWN 3 spots
The loss to Virginia Wesleyan wasn’t unexpected. It was on the road and just a six point spread, so I am not going to knock the Wildcats too much for that. They are still outscoring opponents by nearly 15 points a game and have maybe one of the most underrated players in the country. If they can solve a weak rebounding game, they could be a team to watch out for in February or later.

No.24 – Rhode Island – Unranked
The Anchormen have given me fits this season. However, they seem to have left their two-game slide in the rear view mirror having won five straight. Not many challenges await them in the conference for a team that holding opponents to less than 60 points a game. They just need to remain focused on each game.

No.25 – Rose-Hulman – DOWN 4 spots
Their loss to Transylvania didn’t cost them that much since I think Transy is playing well (despite a loss to rival Hanover). It was only the Engineers second loss of the season, though it was at home. What impresses me the most is that they are holding opponents to 48.2 points per game and outscoring them by more than 15. That along with the fact that opponents are shooting just 26.6 from beyond the arc really makes me appreciate Rose-Hulman’s defense and defense is the key to winning as we all know.

Dropped out this week:
Franklin & Marshall – No.11 last week
I wasn’t really going to knock the Diplomats for the loss on the road at St. Mary’s, but when they couldn’t beat winless Washington College I knew I had to take a long look at F&M. To start the season, F&M played 5 of its first 7 and 8 of 12 at home. They now have three road losses including to a Shoremen team that they had beaten by 19 earlier in the season (granted, Chestertown tends to be a tough place for the road teams). Factor in the inconsistencies of Honorable Mention preseason All-American Hayk Gyokchyan and it has me thinking the Diplomats are overrated. And Centennial conference isn’t through with them yet. The Diplomats are in the middle of six of seven games on the road and opponents may not be that awestruck by F&M.

New York Univ. – No.13 last week
I realize that the Violets didn’t do anything for me to drop them out of my Top 25. They won three games last week including two conference games at home. I also realize that since I was their only voter last week that was the only points in the poll they were getting. Now, that being said… it gave me great pause to realize I was the only one voting for them and it wasn’t like I had them in the 20’s. Sure, they only have two losses on the season, but they got beat up by Brandeis over a week ago and didn’t exactly play the best game of the season against Carnegie Mellon. And their only significant win was to SUNY-Old Westbury in early December. I will keep my eyes on the Violets, but taking the time to reexamine my Top 25 cost them a spot.

UW-Whitewater – No.23 last week
I indicated last week that a loss this week would cost the Warhawks a spot in my poll and they ended up losing to 7-9 UW-Superior who had just gotten throttled by UW-Platteville earlier in the week. When looking at their stats, the Warhawks also didn’t impress me. They are playing a lot of close games and are not outrebounding their opponents. They are allowing teams to shoot nearly 40% from beyond the arc and are losing at the free throw line. Yes, the Warhawks are the defending champions, but they are showing just how much they lost from that team.

Wheaton – No.25 last week
I know they beat North Park and Millikin by an average of 22 points this week, but when I took a deeper look at things I just couldn’t hold them in my 25th spot. Sure, they have four guys averaging between 10 and 20 points a game and they are outscoring their opponents by 14 a game. But, they are tied for fourth in the CCIW with Augustana (whom they play this week) and if I can’t put Augustana in my poll, I am not sure I can justify Wheaton. I do like the Thunder as a team and if they can go on a run, they could be back in my poll soon.

Dave’s Top 25 ballot

Posted on by
Derek Raridon
Dave McHugh doesn’t have North Central No. 1, or even in his top three, and he’ll tell you why.
D3sports.com photo

In an effort to provide more information and give the fans of Division III basketball something to ponder each week, I thought I would try and give you a look at my men’s Top 25 ballot and give you reasons for most, if not all, of the teams on my ballot. I will also give you a reason for the teams I removed. This by no means will explain why some teams are in the actual Top 25 or not. This is simply a chance for you to see how I voted and some of the reasons behind it.

Now, I am certainly not perfect in my voting, as I will describe, and I am certainly not fool-proof in my thinking. So, please take this information simply for what it is … information. Healthy debate is more important than bashing my particular ballot.

Of course, there have already been five previous weeks of Top 25 polls plus a preseason poll, so I am a bit tardy on the season with this. However, it is never too late to start and this is certainly when voting in the poll becomes much more interesting.

This week, I did a little house cleaning, “blowing up” part of my poll and the thinking behind it. You will see some big movers that are due to the fact I had them too low to begin with or I am changing my mind on other teams. I also eliminated teams despite no losses because I have other teams I think I am not giving a fair shake to.

1 – St. Thomas (Minn.) – UP 1 spot
The Tommies moved into my #1 position this week due to solid play so far this season. They have very good wins over Whitworth, Whitman and UW-Stevens Point and just pasted Augsburg which had come in looking like they were having a really solid season. They certainly will have some challenges in the conference, but the Tommies look good.
2 – Rochester (N.Y.) – UP 1 spot
I will first admit, I am leery and very worried this is just too high for the Yellowjackets. They are an impressive 12-0 and have an solid win over Ohio Wesleyan while also rolling through their region, so far. Their toughest test comes up this weekend with Chicago and Wash U. coming to the Palestra. Stumble here will have me disappointed in myself and have Rochester falling quickly.
3 – Middlebury – DOWN 2 spots
I had the Panthers No. 1 in the last poll, but after watching their game against Tufts, I couldn’t keep them there. I have hardly, if ever, dropped a team from No. 1 without a loss. However, the game against the Jumbos was just bad. If Tufts could have hit the shot at the end, I probably would have dropped the Panthers even further. Now, don’t get me wrong, Middlebury looks really good this season considering they lost Ryan Sharry due to graduation, but I need to see they are playing better basketball before I am even comfortable with them at No. 3.
4 – North Central (Ill.) – UP 1 spot
I actually moved the Cardinals up a spot from last week and realize I am the only voter with them outside of the top three spots. After seeing North Central in Las Vegas, I just don’t see them surviving the CCIW unscathed and I am not sure I can see them getting to the final four, let alone Salem in general. Landon Gamble is a terrific player inside and Derek Raridon is good forward. However, when the Cardinals did not handle expressive, pressure defense from Ramapo and UW-La Crosse very well, I took pause. Raridon actually disappeared at times against the pressure. North Central did get past Wheaton (who had some flu issues) this past week, but Augustana looms this week and Illinois Wesleyan on January 23rd.
5 – Whitworth – UP 2 spots
I probably undersold Whitworth all season, but have moved put them in my Top 5 this week. They have been playing pretty good basketball after their lone loss of the season being to St. Thomas on opening night. That being said, Whitman is basically the only strong contender they will face the rest of the season. Time will tell just how good the Pirates really are.
6 – Catholic – UP 3 spots
I have loved the Cardinals since the Hoopsville Classic. They are a very talented team, despite going only about eight deep. However, they certainly seem like a team that has jelled. Catholic has a chance to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament if they can keep playing at this level, but they have also shown in the past when things get tough they tend to derail. Here is hoping they keep their focus when foes in the Landmark, including Scranton, start gunning for them.
7 – Ramapo – UP 3 spots
The Roadrunners were another mixed bag in Vegas. I love the play from guys like Stephon Treadwell and Elgin Brown, but was very disappointed in Will Sanborn. I could find a slot machine far easier than his teammates seemed to find him on the court. If Sanborn continues to want to take games off, Ramapo isn’t going to get very far. However, when he is on and with the likes of Treadwell and others contributing, the Roadrunners could be a big surprise by the end of the season.
8 – WPI – UP 7 spots
I actually can’t believe I have the Engineers this high in my poll. They are undefeated with a win over Rhode Island College on their resume, but that is it. Their conference looks to be their biggest test as they still have two games each with MIT and Springfield ahead. However, the Engineers have not had a lot of close games, so they certainly seem to be in control.
9 – St. Mary’s (Md.) – UP 7 spots
Here is another team I have kept low on my ballot until recently. With their lone loss being to Catholic, the Seahawks are playing very good basketball. They have wins over a tough Randolph-Macon squad along with Christopher Newport and F&M the night this poll came out. The Seahawks have shown that even with the loss of a major inside presence in the offseason, they can find ways to win even when they aren’t putting a lot of points on the board. What I am worried about is if the Seahawks can stay focused.
10 – Christopher Newport – UP 2 spots
Here is another one-loss team that is quietly getting things done. They lost to St. Mary’s (a future conference opponent) on the road and have tested themselves with Randolph-Macon, Salisbury, Wesley, and Eastern Mennonite and got victories in all of them. Ahead is the conference which doesn’t seem all that challenging, but teams like Ferrum and N.C. Wesleyan will be gunning for them.
11 – Franklin & Marshall – Unchanged
I actually moved a few teams ahead of the Diplomats this week, because they are heading into a challenging few weeks. Their loss to Transylvania wasn’t that surprising to me, so I didn’t really punish them earlier (they have been in and around this spot in my poll for most of the season). However, they have shown some inconsistent play especially from their big man inside who produces one night and disappears the next. How they hold up with six of seven games on the road (though, they lost the first already to St. Mary’s) will give me a better sense of whether they are too high in my poll.
12 – Washington (Mo.) – DOWN 8 spots
Just as I bought into the Bears, they stumble against Chicago. I actually had Wash U. No. 4 last week, but their loss to the Maroons was their second road loss of the season (the other being to Wheaton) and has me a little worried. They have to travel to Atlanta and then Rochester this weekend and while Mark Edwards always has his team ready, but I wonder if sometimes they are looking too far ahead.
13 – New York Univ. – DOWN 4 spots
OK… I admit… I am the only voter voting for NYU. Why? I am not as sure as I was a week ago. I actually had them #9 until they lost to Brandeis this past weekend. And while I usually subscribe to the theory of not buying into NYU in non-conference play, something about what I saw in preseason and during the beginning of the season had me maybe a little too confident. I also thought their loss to New Jersey City was simply a blip on the radar. Heck, they handed Stevens their only loss of the season. Now I am very nervous. The Violets face Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon this weekend. Certainly not overly challenging competition, so one stumble here will have them out of my poll next week.
14 – Hampden-Sydney – Unchanged
I think the Tigers are very underrated. They are 11-2 this season with their loss to N.C. Wesleyan the only head-scratcher. The loss to Guilford was almost written in the cards as you will see below. Hampden-Sydney has maybe the best talent in the ODAC if not the country including Harrison George. However, they do have the tough task of playing in the ODAC and with games against Randolph-Macon, Eastern Mennonite, Randolph, and Guilford (again) in a four-game stretch starting Jan. 16. A lot of questions will be answered before the end of the month.
15 – Ohio Wesleyan – Previously unranked
Every time I went to buy in with the Battling Bishops, something made me take pause. A loss to Rochester and narrow victories against Defiance, Otterbein, and DePauw had me wondering what Mike DeWitt’s squad was really all about. But then they beat Wittenberg on the road by 12 and I put more chips on their spot – in fact they went from unranked to No. 15 as part of my gut check this week. This is a good squad that is tied with Wooster on top of the NCAC and has a real shot of winning of the conference or at least making the tournament if they don’t.
16 – Wooster – UP 1 spot
Two losses for the Scots at this point in the season isn’t bad. They did lose to Adrian at home which had me worried, but their loss to a tough Transy squad on the road is nothing to be worried about. They are in the middle of my Top 25 because they need to make a statement to move up. Of course they have to play two against Ohio Wesleyan and still have one more against Wittenberg that could make things a little more interesting.
17 – Albertus Magnus – UP 1 spot
The Falcons only loss this season is to D-I Yale … but they really haven’t had too many challenges. They have beaten a surprisingly down Wesleyan squad and a scratch-your-head Trinity (Conn.) team. And they have no challenges in their conference. How good are the Falcons? I really don’t know.
18 – UW-Stevens Point – UP 1 spot
Yes, it took this long to get down to a WIAC school. Surprised, aren’t you? In some ways I am surprised as well, but I can’t get a read on the WIAC this season. Either the teams are really good, but can’t beat everyone, or they are more “average” than they have been in the past. That doesn’t mean a team like the Pointers isn’t good, but when you look at a loss on the road to Concordia (Texas) two games after losing to St. Thomas … I take pause. The chances of them getting through the conference unscathed are about as likely as me winning the lottery. Stout, La Crosse and Platteville are the next three (all at home) before seeing Whitewater on Jan. 23. The next two weeks will tell me if the Pointers are for real or if this placement in the Top 25 is appropriate.
19 – Randolph – UP 2 spots
I thought I would be voting for an ODAC team with Randolph in the name this season, but I thought it would be Randolph-Macon (which I did do in the preseason). However, Clay Nunley certainly has things going well in Lynchburg. The Wildcats are undefeated with wins over Ferrum and Johns Hopkins causing me to take notice. However, their win over Randolph-Macon impressed me (and other voters) and so they have moved up. They do have Virginia Wesleyan and Guilford coming up which will give me a better sense of where the Wildcats are and especially just how good Colton Hunt is (some think he is the best player in the conference).
20 – Williams – Previously unranked
Yeah, I may be underselling the Ephs here. They have wins over Wesleyan and Springfield, but they also lost to Stevens. Not all bad, but from the preseason on I haven’t felt like Williams was a top team and their road trip out west didn’t sell me either. I have them in my Top 25 for the first time and I am looking to see how they do in the coming weeks especially vs. Amherst on Jan. 23.
21 – Rose-Hulman – Previously unranked
The Engineers are off to the best start in program history – that is 100 seasons of basketball – and they are stealing the headlines from their HCAC foe Transylvania. Jim Shaw has a good squad that has only lost to Carroll. However, Transylvania is resurging and Hanover won’t be a push over (they beat them by just one earlier this season). My eye is on Rose-Hulman because as good as I thought they would be, I didn’t think they would be 12-1.
22 – Guilford – Previously unranked
The Quakers popped on my radar a few weeks ago when they beat Eastern Mennonite and Randolph-Macon in back to back games. Then they lost badly to Virginia Wesleyan which at the time I didn’t think was that big a deal. When they slapped Hampden-Sydney around and won by 14, I decided they deserved some attention. The Quakers won’t see another big test until Jan. 26 when they rematch with Hampden-Sydney. So, I am giving them a shot.
23 – UW-Whitewater – Unchanged
I can hear the WIAC fans already screaming that I have the defending champs too far down my poll. But to be honest, even when I had them far higher, I was nervous. Remember how much this team lost from last season? While they have wins over Illinois Wesleyan, Stout, and La Crosse, they also lost at home to Stevens Point and on the road at St. Norbert. They barely beat a sub-par Carthage and River Falls squads while also blowing others. That all adds up to inconsistency. I can truly reevaluate them starting on January 19th when they face Stout again and then Stevens Point. If they get through those games unscathed, I will be happy to move them up.
24 – Amherst – Unchanged
Who are the Lord Jeffs this season? They have played one team of note, Springfield, and lost, and even lost to Babson at HOME! I am just not sure what I should be expecting from an 11-2 squad that also has put up over 100 points twice, though in a relatively close game against Curry. They won’t get a real test until January 23rd when they face Williams, though they will take on Wesleyan in a week. Until they really blow me away, I am going to continue to keep Amherst around – for now.
25 – Wheaton (Ill.) – DOWN 19 spots
I nearly eliminated Wheaton this week, but kept reminding myself that their two losses were probably partially due to the fact several of their players have been down and out with the flu. However, this was also their best chance to put a stamp on the CCIW with games against Illinois Wesleyan and North Central and they couldn’t do it, especially leading at the half against the Cardinals. They will get their chance again, but still have Augustana first and any stumble at this point will drop them out of more than just my poll.

Dropped out:
Adrian – Previously ranked No. 13
I had already felt uncomfortable with where I had Adrian, so two straight losses to Calvin and Hope didn’t help their cause on my ballot. Calvin is having a good season, but Hope is having a really tough one. So, I decided to drop Adrian out and see how they handle the losing streak.
Virginia Wesleyan – Previously ranked No. 20
Four straight losses is just too much to handle. They already fell from No. 1 to No. 20 the previous week and even though they won a game, you can’t ignore four straight losses. Now let’s see if they have figured things out.
Lycoming – Previously ranked No. 22
The Warriors are a good team, but I was a little leery with the fact I had them in my ballot. Their loss to 4-9 Widener didn’t make me feel any better. Lycoming is going to need to prove that was just an oddity to make it back in.
Stevens – Previously ranked No. 25
They didn’t lose and yet I still moved them out. They were 8-1 when the voting information came out and I don’t think they don’t deserve to be in my poll but I just had too many teams I wanted to get on my ballot that also deserved it. Stevens is on the short list to get back on when necessary.

Hoopsville Classic: Dave’s take on the teams

Posted on by

Not that often in Division III do we get a chance to see a number of different teams in the same gymnasium in the course of one weekend – outside of the NCAA Tournament. This past weekend the Hoopsville National Invitational Classic gave many of us the chance to not only see eight very different programs each play two games, we got to see three ranked teams and a fourth who should be play against one another.

So with that in mind, I thought I would give you my take on the weekend. Not how the weekend went, but the teams that took part and I have ranked them from bottom to top.

Franciscan – I hate to say anyone was the worst team over the weekend, so I won’t. However, Franciscan was one of two teams that came out of the Hoopsville Classic 0-2. But to be fair, the Barons shouldn’t hang their heads… this was a good test for what is practically a brand new program. Don’t forget that Franciscan only returned three players from last year’s 0-25 squad – that means there isn’t much memory of it. They are made up of mainly freshmen and sophomores who have plenty of talent and will only improve with more playing time and experience especially when they test themselves to tough competition like they saw at Stevenson University and beforehand with Bethany (W.Va.). And while the Barons lost their games to Stevenson and Gallaudet by an average of 14-plus points, they were playing with at least four players not eligible until Dec. 15 including two players that could jump-start their offense. Coach John Lamanna has a good squad and as soon as he and the team get more of a base to their program, they will succeed.

Gallaudet – It is tough for any program to expect to succeed after a major coaching change in the offseason and losing plenty of talent that had provided the best seasons in program history, but Gallaudet has been here before. They seem to always be in this place. After all, the deaf institution already has the disadvantage of a narrower recruiting field then most schools. However, the Bison often seem to find talent who turn coaches’ heads when they seem them play (anyone remember Ronda Jo Miller?). This year Gallaudet has a couple of players we could be talking about down the road: Danny Kelly (listed as a center but can play guard), Layton Seeber, Jocus Houston, and Orion Palmer just to name a few. They along with two of their teammates scored in double-figures in their game against Franciscan – but that is the offense. On defense, I have always been impressed with the discipline especially in a zone look. This weekend the Bison once again showed they will hold high-scoring squads below their average with smart defense which causes turnovers and forces bad shots. The challenge for the Bison will be the fact that Seeber, Kelly, and Houston are seniors and the squad does have a new coach Brendan Stern who certainly is familiar with the program, but still has to get used to coaching this squad. Gallaudet may have never been to the NCAA tournament, but they have a squad that could contend for a conference title and maybe get that automatic bid this season.

Mass-Boston – Talk about a sleeper in the Little East Conference. I am not saying they are going to win the conference with the likes of Western Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island College and Keene State leading the way, but they are going to spoil many a team’s day and be in the mix. Last season’s LEC Rookie of the Year Vinny DeLucia is averaging 11 points a game, but Coach Titus thinks the team’s best player won’t play until the second half of the season. And this Beacons team already has a wealth of talent besides DeLucia. Rahshjeem Benson, Carl Joseph, Jahleel Moise, and Brian Clarke have all started the season strong along with Mike Mitchell and Josh Mojica, but the team needs to mature a bit more. They had a chance to win the game against Stevenson if one player whose basket at the end cut the deficit to one with 1.4 on the clock decided to find his man defensively first and not pound his chest after a half-dunk. His man got the in-bounded ball and had to be fouled before the clock ran out.

This squad has just two seniors. Don’t be surprised if they are playing spoiler this year and maybe battling for a conference title next season.

Stevenson – The host school certainly represented themselves well winning their two games against Gallaudet and Mass-Boston and starting 2-0 for the first time since 2005.

This Mustangs squad certainly has talent. Their center is a 6-6 senior named Andrew Bishop who helped spark comebacks several times over the weekend. You aren’t overly impressed with his presence inside, but certainly appreciate his drive and abilities when he comes up with big shots and solid defense. You then have Brett Burrier who is a 6-6 senior forward who is the perfect three-man who can not only hit shots inside, but can step back and hit big three point shots when needed. And that still leaves guys like Kelly Davis and Stefon McCray who are both juniors and are contributing on both ends of the court.

Now, while the Mustangs started the season 2-0, they are playing in the MAC Commonwealth for the first time and that will mean tough competition from the likes of Messiah, Widener, Lebanon Valley, Elizabethtown, Albright, Alvernia and others. While I don’t see Stevenson fighting for a conference title this year, Stewart at least has his squad moving in the right direction as he starts his second season.

Randolph-Macon – this is where things will be odd to say the least… I have the Yellow Jackets as the fourth best squad of the weekend and despite starting the season 0-3… they are arguably a Top 25 team. I can already imagine some of you saying “WHAT?!” The answer is yes because they have tons of talent which will once again put them right into the mix in the always tough ODAC which I could see on paper getting four teams into the NCAA tournament this season.

It isn’t like RMC got all that easy a start to the season with a loss on the road to Christopher Newport (getting votes in the Top 25) on Thursday and then having to play No. 16 Transylvania on Saturday and No. 19 St. Mary’s on Sunday. In none of those games was RMC beaten by a more talented team… they were beaten mainly by themselves. In the first three games they have averaged 18 turnovers – nearly four more than their opponents; the Yellow Jackets are shooting .558 from the free throw line; are a paltry 19-70 from the three-point line; are being out rebounded by nearly two boards a game; and are being outscored by 17 in the second half of their games. But ask many of the coaches at the Hoopsville National Invitational Classic and they will say Randolph-Macon probably had the most talent of any of the teams there.

So they may fall out of the Top 25 after this start, but they will be back in the poll later this season.

St. Mary’s (Md.) – The Seahawks are always ready for the start of the season and Coach Harney always has them playing tough opponents, but St. Mary’s didn’t look completely ready to start the season. Their first game featured a big lead to start, only to then have Catholic go on a 43-13 run and nearly run the Seahawks out of the building.

St. Mary’s has a lot of talent, but they are still finding themselves. This is probably a different squad if Chris McAuley didn’t have aspirations to play in Division I and left over the summer to pursue them. Instead the Seahawks have to, well, MacGyver what they can in the post with MacGyver Biniak. Biniak is a good player, but the usual double-teams down low on Seahawks post players the last few seasons won’t happen and that means less guys open on the perimeter including senior forward Jeff Haus who has made a killing on the weak side when his player sags in to help in the post.

Team leader Devin Spencer doesn’t seem to be the same player as in years past and James Davenport may be back after he was lost for an entire season due to injury, but he looks like he has lost a season. The bright spot for the Seahawks will be Nick LaGuerre who as a sophomore is already leading the team in scoring. He will take some pressure off of Spencer in both ball handling and shooting and steps up the defense.

St. Mary’s will once again battle for a CAC title and another NCAA tournament berth, but how good they will be this year will depend on whether they don’t rest on their laurels and find a way to adjust what has worked in the past and find what will instead work this season.

Transylvania – The Pioneers did not start the season they way they had hoped. In fact, before Saturday’s game against Randolph-Macon, Transylvania had lost three in a row dating to last season. Catholic simply made the Pioneers look pedestrian on Friday night, but they fought back to beat a scrambling RMC squad on Saturday. However, they are clearly missing their floor general, Tate Cox.

Last season, Cox averaged nine points a game and had a turnover to assist margin of 1.6 to 1 on a squad that lead the nation in the least number of turnovers. Flash forward to this season and the team’s 10.1 turnovers per game from 2011 has blossomed to 14.7 and only in the game against RMC did they have less turnovers than their opponent (RMC had 22). Cox brings a level of confidence and calm on the offensive end this Transylvania team needs, despite the best efforts of Nick Fudge. However, when Cox returns from injury is mainly up to him.

It isn’t to say that Transylvania’s problems are only because they miss Cox on the floor. Ethan Spurlin is banged up and Brandon Rash has struggled this season – despite a very good game against St. Mary’s. They have some young talent like Parker Stansberry who will contribute, but they need others to step up. Coach Brian Lane has already said this is the team’s team… especially the seniors. He is a good coach that can make good adjustments, but the onus is on the seniors to prove they deserve to be recognized in the Top 25.

Personally, they are a Top 25 team with plenty of talent that probably has to get used to missing the two players who graduated from last year’s squad. While Chris Owen and Ashley Hatfield may not have garnered the attention for their production on the court, their leadership off the court clearly is missed and now Spurlin, Rash, Cox and others have to step up into that role and when they do, the Pioneers could be tough to stop.

Catholic – Almost every coach, assistant coach, or fan who watched Catholic play this past weekend pretty much said one thing, “these guys are GOOD!” Tough to argue with that.

I will admit I had the Cardinals in my Top 40 as I worked on my preseason Top 25 ballot… but I had too many question marks to place them in what was my last version of my ballot (there were many versions some of which Catholic did appear in the 20-25 range). The biggest was the fact Catholic, which even coach Steve Howes has admitted, kept falling short of expectations. Whether it was a stretch in the middle of conference play or simply not winning games they should have, the Cardinals have been somewhat disappointing for several seasons in a row – they haven’t made the NCAA tournament since 2007! Would they finally get over the hump? The other question was whether losing sophomore guard Billy Donovan who was coming along nicely as a player with the likes of Shawn Holmes, Nate Koenig, and Chris Kearney would once again leave Catholic with a disappointing season. The answer to both: no.

Catholic is going to be a tough opponent in the Mid-Atlantic and Landmark Conference this season. Shawn Holmes could be an All-American candidate along with Kearney who both left the weekend averaging nearly 20 points a game – against Top 25 teams! Defensively the Cardinals held Transylvania and St. Mary’s to an average of 46.5 points and forced 35 total turnovers (Catholic had just 14 turnovers).

I actually reserved my judgment of the Cardinals after the Transylvania game to see how they did against St. Mary’s. It wasn’t as if the Seahawks weren’t paying attention; their assistant coaches were in the stands scouting on Friday night and early in their game Saturday it looked like St. Mary’s was going to leave Catholic 1-1 for the weekend. But just like in the game against Transylvania, the Cardinals all of sudden hit some kind of switch on offense and defense and before anyone knew it a ten point deficit was gone and then shortly afterward they were up 10 points.

Catholic deserves to be in the Top 25… and deserved to have been there in the preseason. They have too much talent that seems to have come together perfectly. Of course there are still questions remaining like if they can get through the Landmark without going through another spell of bad losses and fighting just to make the four-team playoff. However, if the Cardinals play the rest of the season the way they did at Stevenson … they are going to be a team many will look at to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament come March.