Tag Archives: The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops

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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Top 25 Ballot Breakdown: Week 4

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By Riley Zayas

January 2, 2024

It’s that time again! With New Year’s Day being yesterday, Top 25 ballots were submitted today, one day later than is typical for the D3hoops.com Poll. As I do each week, I wrote down my thoughts and analysis on my Top 25 ballot, and the 25 teams that I included. Once again, I am one of just 25 voters in this national poll, so this is simply the perspective of one national voter on the Top 25 landscape, but not a representation of how every voter approaches their ballot. That is one of the things that makes this poll so great. With 25 voters, you get varying opinions and perspectives on teams, leading to an interesting ranking. And that is even more so the case this week, as we went three weeks without an official Top 25 Poll. Within that time, we had an incredible amount of nationally-relevant matchups, many of which were at neutral sites, and gave us a chance to watch teams face off in key non-conference contests. Those matchups, as you will see in my notes below, proved especially insightful in several cases, as I worked to order and evaluate the teams in my ballot. It will not surprise me if we get a large number of teams in the “receiving votes” category this week, simply because there were so many results (impactful wins and losses) within the last few weeks that will affect how teams are perceived and ranked within each voter’s ballot.

Anyway, here we go…

  1. NYU (11-0): The Violets took down a solid UW-Platteville team on a neutral court in Santa Cruz, California, in what was a fourth Massey Top 50 win for NYU. The way the Violets performed in that 76-50 victory, including outscoring the Pioneers 16-2 in the second quarter, continues to speak volumes about NYU’s depth and talent level. This is a squad that heads into UAA play with a perfect 11-0 record and six Massey Top 100 wins already. Lots to like from the Violets right now.
  2. Transylvania (11-0): Transylvania had a solid week, notching a win over UW-Eau Claire (currently Massey Top 50) in Lexington. The Pioneers went 2-0 on their home court with victories over Edgewood and UWEC, and are very much on pace to go 25-0 once again through the regular season. As I mentioned last week, the defensive efficiency is exceptional, but the balance amongst scorers on the offensive end is another thing that makes Transy dangerous. All five starters scored in double figures in the win over UWEC on Saturday.
  3. UW-Whitewater (11-0): The Warhawks were not in action this last week, so no real update on Whitewater. The body of work from this team through non-conference play was really impressive, especially as Carroll remains in a good position as a Top 25 contender, and Illinois Wesleyan surges higher in the poll (or at least, in my ballot…we’ll see about the poll when it is released tonight). The IWU win came on the road, and the victory over Concordia-Moorhead, a narrow victory, but a win nonetheless, came on a neutral court. Throw in a quality win over Chicago, and this team looks very strong headed into WIAC play. Beyond just the numbers, Whitewater is incredibly tough to defend, with five shooters on the floor at all times. There is clear communication between the guards and posts, and that is valuable as well. We’ve seen it against nationally-ranked competition multiple times this year, and we’ll see it through WIAC play in the coming weeks and months.
  4. Rhode Island College (12-0): Just behind Whitewater, RIC also boasts a really impressive resume. Four wins over Top 50 Massey teams, two of which were on a neutral court, certainly sticks out. I like the direction the Anchorwomen are headed in, and they continue LEC play against Mass.-Dartmouth on Thursday in a matchup that should push RIC a little bit.
  5. Scranton (11-0): The Lady Royals remain in the Top 5 with a perfect record and strong on-court play. The victory over DeSales is Scranton’s lone Massey Top 100 win, but to put context to the 11-0 record, Scranton ranks No. 2 in efficiency nationally (only behind NYU), per D3Datacast.com. That efficiency shows up when watching Scranton compete, and everything seems to be clicking for the Lady Royals heading into a key Landmark Conference duel at Elizabethtown tomorrow.
  6. Illinois Wesleyan (11-2): Yes, I have the Titans ahead of Hope, who beat them earlier in the year. But I think we have seen IWU tested a little bit more, and more importantly, away from their home court. That said, the margin between IWU, Gustavus Adolphus, and Hope is very, very narrow. The depth of IWU continues to be very impressive, and results-wise, three of IWU’s top four wins (all Massey Top 50) have come away from Bloomington. The neutral court victories over Puget Sound and WashU are strong wins, as is the victory at Chicago. The continual improvement of the Titans has been cool to watch, and I think at this point, we’re seeing a team that is cohesive, balanced, and remarkably tough to beat on the defensive end.
  7. Gustavus Adolphus (9-1): The Gusties took down Bethel, 61-45, on Saturday, adding to its win total heading into a pivotal MIAC matchup at Concordia-Moorhead tomorrow. Overall, the non-conference portion of the schedule served Gustavus fairly well, as it yielded a strong win over UW-Stout, and even the loss to Rhode Island College provided a good test and benefitted the Strength of Schedule. As mentioned a second ago, the margins between IWU, Gustavus, and Hope are minimal, but right now, I’m giving the Gusties a slight edge ahead of a very good Hope team.
  8. Hope (12-1): The Flying Dutch came away with two wins in New York City over Lehman and Salem State, but that did little to strengthen Hope’s resume. However, Hope has several top-level results already this year, and I’ve been impressed by the approach of this team. Having a completely new starting five is difficult, so beating Illinois Wesleyan, UW-Platteville, Millikin, and Augustana, amongst others, becomes even more notable. That’s my biggest takeaway from Hope right now. Massey Ratings has the Flying Dutch at No. 3.
  9. Christopher Newport (13-1): To be clear, CNU didn’t fall from No. 6 to No. 9 on my ballot purely because of the loss to SUNY New Paltz. But it did have something to do with it. CNU had two tough games at the Stevens Tournament, and while the Captains beat Stevens on Saturday, it took them a little while to pull away. We saw similar situations against both Grove City and Whitman. CNU is certainly a Top 10 team in my mind, and playing so much away from home does not make things any easier. To only have one loss heading into January is actually a big positive, considering the schedule CNU has played so far. Ultimately, IWU, Gustavus, and Hope had slight edges over the Captains, though we will see what plays out moving forwards.
  10. Millikin (10-2): We hear so much about Elyce Knudsen and Bailey Coffman when discussing Millikin, which is valid, but I think Sophie Darden and Matayia Tellis have both stepped up for Millikin as well. That creates a real challenge for opponents on both ends of the floor. There are no major visible weaknesses for the Big Blue, who boast two wins over Massey Top 50 teams in DePauw and UW-Platteville. I’ll be interested to see how the rest of the voters handle the loss to Hope. Considering that game was played in Holland, and against a Hope team that we know is Top 10-caliber, it is hard to knock Millikin that much. The CCIW is going to be an incredibly tough league, evidenced by the fact that I have two CCIW squads within my Top 10 right now.
  11. Emory (10-1): Emory is a better team than I think they’ve been given credit for. The Hardin-Simmons win sticks out, considering HSU has experience and depth, and several different scorers on the floor at all times. I thought Emory handled that very well on the defensive end, and besides the loss to CNU (in which they were without Claire Brock), Emory has not stumbled. Expect several more top-quality results from the Eagles as UAA play tips off.
  12. Johns Hopkins (10-1): I had JHU on my last ballot, but the Blue Jays have made some significant jumps to reach the No. 12 spot this week. The 87-79 victory over Chicago on a neutral court last week was yet another quality win for the frontrunner in the Centennial Conference, who only seems to be playing better and better as the weeks progress. JHU had not played for 20 days leading into the matchup against Chicago, but seemed to be in rhythm from the jump. That was impressive to see, and the wins over WashU and Gettysburg contribute well to JHU’s current resume as well.
  13. UW-Stout (10-1): The Blue Devils have added a mid-year transfer, Lexi Wagner, who previously played at D1 Youngstown State and D2 Mercyhurst. Wagner is a skilled scorer, and only improves the versatility and depth found on UW-Stout’s roster. It is another big positive for a team that rolled through the first two months of the season with virtually no hiccups outside of the loss at Gustavus Adolphus. The offensive efficiency is exceptional, and the Blue Devils will be able to win plenty of games behind their outside scorer presence. That said, the WIAC schedule is no joke, and I’m excited to see how Stout navigates the first week of league play with a game at UW-Stevens Point and a home duel against UW-Oshkosh; UWSP is 11-0 and UWO is in my Top 25 this week.
  14. Wartburg (11-2): The Knights are difficult to figure out. Wartburg clearly has plenty of experienced talent, but has shown some inconsistency as of late. They have taken two fairly-one sided loss to Whitman (85-51), and WashU (72-46) in the last two weeks, but also beat DePauw, 89-40, on a neutral court within that span. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the Knights as ARC play resumes. It will not surprise me to see Wartburg back near (or in) the Top 10 as the next two months progress. But the losses to Whitman and WashU are difficult to grade as a voter, considering neither was a very competitive contest. Time will tell, but Wartburg is a Top 15 team at this point in time from my perspective, and I would guess most voters will agree.
  15. Amherst (9-0): I’ve had the Mammoths in my Top 25 since the preseason, and having seen them play, I have little doubt that a No. 15 ranking is warranted. But Amherst also does not have the current results to back that up…yet. We get NESCAC play on Friday/Saturday of this week, and Amherst opens against Williams and Middlebury (who beat Stevens and lost to New Paltz by 3 this past weekend). Both games are at home, and will give us a good chance to see how Amherst contends against stronger competition.
  16. Hardin-Simmons (11-2): HSU is 11-2 and in a good spot right now as ASC play picks back up. The trip to Georgia saw the Cowgirls defeat Piedmont and fall to Emory, as their record moved to 11-2. For the most part, I like what I’ve seen from HSU, and the experience on the roster continues to be a point in the Cowgirls’ favor. But ASC play will be the real test. McMurry and Mary Hardin-Baylor are HSU’s next two games, and both teams have opened the season strong. I was glad to see HSU challenge itself by going to Emory and contending on the road, and as a result (along with a few other key results from other teams), HSU does not really move much in my ranking.
  17. Whitman (9-3): I said it last week, but Whitman’s performances against Wartburg and Christopher Newport in Nashville were very valuable. It gave us a chance to see the Blues in action against Top-15 ranked opponents on a neutral court, especially having not been tested all that much early in the non-conference schedule. Beating Wartburg, 85-51, put the Blues back on my radar, and contending against CNU only furthered the resume. The 17-25 spots in this ballot, as you will see, were very tough to arrange in terms of order. Whitman ultimately ends up at No. 17 as I value Wartburg highly and the wins over Colorado College and Pacific certainly help. I should also note that while Whitman has three losses, only two came against D3 opponents.
  18. Bowdoin (10-1): Bowdoin defeated Chicago this past week in a strong victory for the Polar Bears, who are trending up, in my opinion. We’ve seen wins over Bates and Springfield in addition to the recent one over Chicago, and much like Amherst, NESCAC play should only solidify Bowdoin’s place in the Top 25. Watching them play, the offensive efficiency really sticks out, especially as the Polar Bears shoot 45.6% from the field. Interested to see where Bowdoin ends up in tonight’s Top 25 Poll, as I think Bowdoin is a little bit underrated at this point in time.
  19. UW-Oshkosh (9-2): Early on, I was unsure about Oshkosh, but as the season progresses, I like the way the Titans are playing. According to Massey Ratings, Oshkosh is the nation’s best defensive team, and we saw that in the Titans’ 69-41 win over Ripon on Saturday. They allow an average of 44.7 points per game, and currently hold quality wins over WashU and Wittenberg, in addition to having beaten Ripon. Definitely right up there with Whitewater and Stout as a WIAC contender, and certainly in position for an NCAA Tournament bid.
  20. Catholic (11-0): Catholic has more than earned its spot in my ballot, as going undefeated is no small feat. My concern had been the quality of Catholic’s schedule, but having watched the Cardinals’ win over Marymount, I am confident in where Catholic ended up in my ballot. We’ve seen Catholic beat three Massey Top 100 teams (Shenandoah, Elizabethtown, Marymount), which strengthens its resume, and I am especially interested to see the home matchup against Scranton on Jan. 12. That will be a crucial matchup in the Landmark, and especially so for Catholic, considering it is a chance to face Scranton at home.
  21. Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-1): UMHB is similar to Amherst and Catholic right now in the sense that The Cru has put together a very strong run to open the season, but does not have many quality results to point to. Millsaps challenged the Crusaders on a neutral court in New York City, but UMHB passed that test and extended its win streak to 11. Ultimately, you have to win the games in front of you, and that is what UMHB has done. Katie Novak-Lenoir, in her first year as head coach, is leading the program extremely well, playing a fast-paced style that also puts an emphasis on quality defense. UMHB faces UT-Dallas this coming Saturday in what should be a great defensive battle within the ASC.
  22. WashU (7-4): This is a case where you really have to balance a look at the overall body of work in addition to recent performance. WashU started the season with a 3-4 record, but in the four games since First Team All-UAA guard Jessica Brooks returned to the floor, the Bears are a perfect 4-0. And those wins have come against Dubuque, Fontbonne, UW-River Falls, and Wartburg. Three of those four are in the Massey Top 100. Two of those (UWRF and Wartburg) are in the Massey Top 50, and WashU beat those two teams on consecutive days. The 72-46 win over Wartburg at Wartburg’s holiday tournament was pretty impressive and played a role in getting WashU to No. 22, as opposed to being No. 24 or No. 25. Again, I think Wartburg is a solid Top 15 team, and to win by that margin on the opponent’s home court deserves some serious recognition. WashU also has Lexy Harris in the post, who is quickly making her case to be a Freshman All-America selection. The Bears have also played the nation’s sixth-toughest strength-of-schedule, according to Massey Ratings. I really like the direction WashU is headed in with UAA play beginning this week.
  23. Puget Sound (8-3): The Loggers are in my ballot for the first time this season. They play several non-D3 opponents in non-conference play (much like Whitman), which makes it a little tougher to gauge the ordering of Puget Sound in my ballot. But the fact that the Loggers went to the Midwest on consecutive weekends and faced UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout, Illinois Wesleyan, and John Carroll is something we rarely see from NWC teams, and is outstanding for resume-building. Puget Sound went 2-2 in those games, picking up a Massey Top 50 win over UW-Eau Claire (on UWEC’s home court) and a neutral court win over John Carroll, who is in the Massey Top 100. Their D3 losses to IWU and UW-Stout are quality losses, especially with the way both have played since those early November matchups. If you remember, Puget Sound fell to IWU by a 78-77 margin and led that game, 44-36, at the half.
  24. Trinity (TX) (9-4): December saw Trinity drop three games in the span of a week, all of which were away from home and against Massey Top 100 opponents. It also saw the Tigers leave the D3hoops.com Classic with a quality win over Framingham State, who was 11-0 entering the contest. Natalie Anderson being unavailable for the last four games did not help the matter, as she nearly averages a double-double, with 18.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. That said, Trinity’s guard play is exceptional and St. Thomas (MN) transfer Natalie Greenwood should give the Tigers more depth in the post, especially in Anderson’s absence. It will not surprise me in the slightest if Trinity closes the regular season by going undefeated through the remainder of SCAC play.
  25. MIT (8-2): The final spot in my ballot really came down to three teams: MIT, Tufts, and Smith. All three had similar resumes, though Smith’s 66-63 loss on Sunday to Dickinson hurt the Pioneers’ chances of being ranked just a little bit more. I had Smith high in early December, but watching more film on them and evaluated results since that point, I think MIT has the edge, especially considering, amongst other aspects, MIT won at Trinity (CT), while Smith beat the Bantams at home. MIT also has three Massey Top 50 wins, while Smith has just one. Tufts was also in the mix, but it was tough for me to think about putting Tufts ahead of MIT, when MIT beat the Jumbos on the road. In fact, all three of MIT’s best wins came away from home, which is pretty notable. That included a win over WashU that looks even better as of late. We’ll see what is ahead for MIT in NEWMAC play.

Hope you enjoyed this ballot breakdown! The D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll will be released tonight, so stay tuned for that. Have a great rest of your day! And as always, feel free to reach out with thoughts/feedback, Leave a comment below, DM me on X/Twitter (@ZayasRiley) or email me at rileyzayas@gmail.com.

Other links that are insightful & mentioned above: 

D3Datacast.com WBB Efficiency Ratings

Massey Ratings-D3 WBB

Scott Peterson’s Current Season Results Model

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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Here’s how I’m currently seeing the Top 25…

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December 28, 2023

By Riley Zayas

Hope everyone had a happy holidays and a Merry Christmas! This is a great time of the year, and we’re now into our final holiday tournaments of the season. The next tournaments on the calendar after this week? Conference tournaments, and of course, the NCAA Tournament soon to follow. That’s hard to believe! We’re halfway through the season, and honestly, this season has gone so fast. I’m excited to see how conference play unfolds across the country, and we will have no shortage of things to talk about as January and February plays out.

I put together a Top 25 ranking this weekend, just to see where I was on several of these teams as we enter a huge week of non-conference matchups. Next week, we’re back to submitting official Top 25 ballots for the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, so expect a new Top 25 next Monday. Until then, here’s how I’m seeing the national landscape of D3 women’s basketball! I kept my thoughts to more of minimum this week, but hopefully some of it provides good insight and reasoning behind why some of these teams are where they are within my Top 25.

  1. NYU: Nothing has changed here. We’ll see how NYU looks coming out of a long break and playing on the West Coast this week against UC-Santa Cruz and UW-Platteville, but the Violets have continually earned the top spot in my ballot. UAA play will be the real test.
  2. Transylvania: A close second, the defending national champions look to be playing the best defense in the entire country. Opponents simply can’t score on the Pioneers. Last week against Bluffton in HCAC play, Transy held the Beavers to four straight single-digit quarters in a 75-29 win. The last time this season that Transy allowed more than 50 points in a game? Nov. 12 against DePauw. And they allowed exactly 50 in that one. Record watch: The D-III record for scoring defense in a season was set by New Rochelle in ‘99…that season, New Rochelle allowed an average of 39.2 points per game. The Pioneers currently sit at 41.3 points per game. I should note that it is much tougher to maintain that average come NCAA tournament time, and yes, postseason games do factor into the final total when it comes to records and such. But it just puts into perspective how strong the Transylvania defense has been so far.
  3. UW-Whitewater: This was a tough selection in terms of keeping Rhode Island College behind UW-Whitewater, but when you look at the numbers and watch the film, I think the Warhawks win out narrowly. RIC came up with a huge win over Gustavus Adolphus last week, but UWW had a really solid win of its own, defeating Messiah 62-36 in Puerto Rico. That came a day after beating Manhattanville, 70-35. Messiah was held to just 13 points in the entire second half of that game, a further sign that UWW’s defense is really coming alive. That is especially timely, with WIAC play tipping off in about a week. This UWW team is Final Four-caliber, no doubt.
  4. Rhode Island College: Based on what I saw from the win over Gustavus Adolphus, I’d say RIC is very much in the conversation for another big run to the Final Four, but this year, the Anchorwomen won’t surprise many. The level RIC has been playing at is incredible, and just watching the film from the neutral court win over Gustavus, RIC’s defensive pressure against an extremely dangerous and balanced Gustie offense really stuck out. And RIC also beat Baldwin Wallace handily while in Florida, which is a great win that adds a little bit to the resume.
  5. Scranton: The Lady Royals have a key test upcoming against Elizabethtown on Jan. 3 and picked up a key road win in overtime against #18 DeSales last week that should prove impactful on Scranton’s resume. Scranton has found different ways to win throughout this season, and that is a valuable attribute. D-I transfer Victoria Toomey continues to be an impact transfer for the Lady Royals and has done a good job of giving Scranton an edge in the post. My Top 6 teams are all undefeated, and the margin between 4-6 is very minimal.
  6. Christopher Newport: Again, the margin between Scranton and CNU is extremely narrow. Grove City challenged the Captains a little more than I would’ve anticipated in the first game of last week’s Music City Classic, but then again, it was the first game of the event, and played not long after a lengthy bus trip to Tennessee. The win over Whitman was especially impressive, considering Whitman looked like the better team for the entire first 10 minutes before CNU turned the momentum and took charge. The 70-61 victory is CNU’s best win to date, and the Captains hold steady at #6.
  7. Illinois Wesleyan: The Titans continue to climb in my rankings, with a seven-game win streak heading into Friday’s matchup at Hendrix. As I’ve said before, the fact that IWU has won (and won convincingly in multiple cases) against good competition without a completely healthy roster is a major point in the Titans’ favor. Once Lauren Huber is back on the floor, this team will only be more dangerous. The offensive schemes are polished, and this is a program that has long taken pride in tenacious defense. We saw that in the win at Chicago, and with the way IWU has performed as of late, I’d put them up against anyone in the country. In my eyes, and with what we’ve seen recently, this is a Top 10 team…no doubt about it.
  8. Gustavus Adolphus: A loss to RIC does not do much to hurt the Gusties’ resume in my opinion. It was a competitive game, and RIC has proven to a Top-5 team consistently so far. Gustavus is still very much in the national title conversation in my opinion, and it won’t surprise me in the slightest if they run the table in the MIAC and go undefeated in league play once again this season.
  9. Hope: The Flying Dutch have proven to be a top-tier team for the better part of this season. Starting with the IWU and UW-Platteville wins in mid-November, and leading up through the big victory over Millikin last Wednesday, Hope continues to impress. The Flying Dutch are 10-1, and I honestly didn’t think I’d have Hope in the Top 10 before New Year’s Day. But here we are.
  10. Wartburg: Whitman took down the Knights by a fairly significant margin at the Music City Classic, and that forced me to move Wartburg down a little bit. But not out of the Top 10. We saw them defeat a fairly strong DePauw team the next day, 89-40, and if anything, that result proved the loss to Whitman was more of a combination of Whitman being better than expected and Wartburg having a tough afternoon. Wartburg is very much a top-caliber team and I’ll be interested to see if we get a Wartburg/WashU matchup in the championship game of the Wartburg Holiday Tournament on Saturday. That’ll be one more great non-conference test for the Knights before ARC play resumes.
  11. Emory: I really like the Eagles’ chances to have a big year in the UAA. Claire Brock and Daniella Aronsky are two of the best players in the league and we shall see how Emory fares against a strong Hardin-Simmons squad in Atlanta later this week. That’ll be a great test, and unlike the CNU game earlier this year, Emory should have Brock available, which will make a difference. UAA play is right around the corner!
  12. Millikin: Losing to Hope in Holland is not going to damage Millikin’s resume all that much. From a Top 25 perspective, Millikin battled through all four quarters, and it was competitive all the way through. Elyce Knudsen is undoubtedly one of the most electrifying players in the country, and what she can do with the ball in her hands is amazing. Bailey Coffman continues to be a force there in the post, and Millikin has plenty of contributors stepping up around those two. The Big Blue is 9-2, and amongst Millikin’s nine victories are wins over DePauw and UW-Platteville, both of which really boost the resume.
  13. UW-Stout: Another team that makes a big jump forwards. At this point, Stout has shown it has all the pieces to compete on a national level, and the guard play we’ve seen from the Blue Devils has been nothing short of incredible. This team is very dangerous from 3-point range, and is efficient on the offensive end, which will yield good results in WIAC play. The Blue Devils battle Augsburg on Saturday before getting into WIAC play. Whether this high ranking holds up or not remains to be seen, but I am very confident in putting Stout at #13, based on the film I’ve watched, and comparing what I’ve seen to the other handful of teams that are realistically of Top 25 caliber.
  14. Smith: 7-1 with a handful of quality victories, Smith hasn’t played since Dec. 9. The Pioneers are back in action on Saturday, and NEWMAC play tips off in early January. That will be the big test for Smith. So far, I think this continues to be a team that has exceeded expectations, and I think a lot of that goes back to how balanced the Pioneers are offensively. They’ve scored 60+ points in all eight games, which is not something always seen amongst top teams in the northeast region of the country.
  15. Hardin-Simmons: As previously mentioned, HSU is prepping for a big test at Emory on Saturday. Overall, the Cowgirls have largely played at the high level we anticipated they would, and in a lot of ways, a tremendous amount of credit should go towards HSU’s strong senior class. Their leadership seems to have been instrumental in the early part of the season, especially coming off the disappointing loss at ETBU. HSU is 10-1, and has won its last five, including a quality win over UT-Dallas at the very beginning of last week. The ASC is going to be an exciting conference race to follow as the rest of the season plays out.
  16. Chicago: The Maroons are 7-2 and they don’t have a bad loss, having come up short in games against UW-Whitewater and Illinois Wesleyan heading into the holiday break. The 74-68 overtime win over Carroll remains Chicago’s “best” result (in my opinion), but the Maroons have a great opportunity at two RRO victories on Friday and Saturday. Their resume could easily skyrocket if they manage to go 2-0 against Johns Hopkins and Bowdoin at another edition of the Music City Classic in Nashville.
  17. Amherst: Amherst is one of the tougher teams to judge and rank, considering the Mammoths haven’t yet played a Top 100 team. But they are 7-0 and playing at the level I expected they would, having brought everyone back from last year’s squad. Kori Barach leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, and is following up well on her stellar sophomore season in 2022-23. Definitely a player to watch once NESCAC play tips off.
  18. Johns Hopkins: The Blue Jays play in a very competitive Centennial Conference and already faced #1 NYU, so JHU knows what playing tough opponents is all about. This matchup against Chicago on Friday is especially timely considering it is a mid-season game, rather than a season-opening weekend contest like NYU was. And in a region that has Scranton, Elizabethtown, Catholic, Gettysburg, and Messiah, JHU needs every potential RRO win that it can get. The Blue Jays are 8-1, having won their last seven, and are coming off a 20-day holiday break. With their body of work so far, including wins over WashU, Marymount, and Gettysburg (along with what I’ve see from an eye test perspective), JHU definitely belongs in the Top 20 for the time being.
  19. Whitman: I was skeptical of Whitman early, but watching the Blues defeat Wartburg how they did, and battle CNU all the way through, my skepticism was clearly a bit presumptuous. The loss to Willamette back on Dec. 2 still doesn’t look great on the resume, but neither does HSU’s loss to ETBU, or Smith’s loss to Mass.-Dartmouth. Whitman holds quality wins over Pacific, Colorado College, and Wartburg at this point, which should yield at least two RRO wins for the Blues. Schematically, Whitman has been very effective when it comes to passing on offense, with good reads and well-timed passes to the post. The Blues have also been pretty consistent with their offensive rebounding, and those second-chance opportunities are huge, especially in tight games.
  20. Bowdoin: A four-point loss to what is a very good Whittier team remains Bowdoin’s only blemish, as the Polar Bears are 8-1 with wins over Springfield, Bates, and Colby. Facing Chicago on Saturday will be Bowdoin’s toughest opponent yet, and I’m excited for that one. This team is led by Sydney Jones, a junior guard who seems to make plays left and right for Bowdoin on both ends of the floor, as she averages 14.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Bowdoin has used the same starting five for all nine games this season, and there is a sense of chemistry and cohesiveness seen when watching the Polar Bears play. I would guess that consistency in the starting lineup has something to do with it.
  21. Trinity (TX): Depth is the concerning aspect of things with Trinity, and it was evident in the Tigers’ two losses in Oregon against Willamette and Puget Sound last week. Injuries certainly factored into that, with Natalie Anderson being unavailable for both games, and Maggie Robbins playing sparingly against Willamette and not at all against Puget Sound. Ava Limoncello played sparingly in both games as she came off an injury suffered against Southwestern on Dec. 2. So the impact of those injuries cannot be overstated. At the end of the day, Trinity is 8-3 with losses to really strong teams, but the performance we saw on the West Coast certainly hurt the Tigers’ Top 25 standing. We’ll see what the D3hoops.com Classic brings, as Trinity faces Ohio Northern and Framingham State on consecutive days.
  22. Trine: The Thunder are 8-2 and much like in past years, it seems the MIAA title will come down to Hope or Trine. Having watched Trine battle UW-Stout so closely, and beat Ohio Northern on the road, the Thunder are clearly playing at a Top 25 level. Early on, that was a little tougher to see, but as the season progresses, Trine is definitely solidifying itself within these rankings. Two challenging non-conference duels are on tap for the Thunder against Carnegie Mellon and Gettysburg later this week.
  23. Mary Hardin-Baylor: The Cru is 11-1 under Katie Novak-Lenoir, in her first year as head coach of the program, and currently holds an 11-game win streak after beating Berry and Millsaps in New York City. Playing with pace and rebounding incredibly well, UMHB is playing at a very high level right now. The Crusaders’ only loss came against Trinity (TX) in the season opener, and was a game that saw UMHB hold a 10-point second-half lead, only for Trinity to mount an incredible comeback and steal the win. Again, keep an eye on the ASC title race. Between UMHB, HSU, and McMurry, it will be an exciting league to watch in Region 10.
  24. DeSales: The Bulldogs continue to win with great defense, as per usual, and taking Scranton into OT was a point in their favor. They slowed down the Scranton scoring attack, and previous to that, beat Messiah by 20 in an impressive victory. DeSales is 7-2 and has a very tough start to MACF play, so keep an eye on these next few weeks for DeSales. The Bulldogs face Arcadia, Lebanon Valley, and Stevens by mid-January. All three have a legitimate shot to be regionally-ranked.
  25. Loras: The Duhawks slid into the #25 spot, and it wasn’t easy. Tufts, Elizabethtown, Webster, Catholic, and Trinity (CT) were all very much in the mix for #25, but Loras ultimately won out. 8-2 overall with a recent win over Elizabethtown in Puerto Rico looks pretty good, and the 51-36 victory over Coe back on Nov. 21 is even stronger now that Coe is off to a 10-2 start. The win over Elizabethtown showcased Loras’ offensive strengths, as the Duhawks shot 50.9 percent from the field, had 36 points in the paint, and Silvana Scarsella scored 30. If Loras can keep that kind of offensive rhythm going into ARC play, the Duhawks will be tough to beat.

The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Championship Game preview: A look at both offenses

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This is coming out a day later than I wanted it to, but regardless, it is crazy to think that we have just three days left of the 2022-23 D-III basketball season! What an amazing year…those games in November feel like an eternity ago and part of that is because the women’s season has been extended by a couple weeks as compared to most years, with the D-III national championship being played in a combined setting alongside the D-I Final Four and D-II national championship game.

That matchup features the nation’s top two “vote-getters” in terms of total points received in the year’s 14 D3hoops.com Top 25 polls: #1 Christopher Newport and #2 Transylvania. Each carries a flawless record into Saturday’s championship in Dallas, with Transy at 32-0 overall, and CNU, 31-0. Needless to say, this is the #1 vs. #2 battle we always hope for come tournament time, but rarely get, thanks to improbable upsets and geographical seeding.

Splitting this into two parts, I’m planning to take a look at both teams’ offenses today, and follow that up with some notes on the defenses tomorrow. Then, Saturday morning I will have a post live from Dallas before tip-off. So stay tuned for all of that!

Transylvania … on offense

Personnel

In terms of scoring production, the Pioneers do not lack depth, with four players averaging double figures in points. Second Team D3hoops.com All-American Madison Kellione leads the way with 15.3 points per game, followed closely by Kennedi Stacy at 14.1. Dasia Thornton adds 12.2 per contest, and Laken Ball rounds out the group at 10.4. Not surprisingly, those four have started every game of the season for Transy, forming the backbone of the Pioneers’ success.

On the boards

Transy averages just over 15 offensive rebounds per contest, with 484 this season. Thornton leads the way with 111 total. The Pioneers are not great on the offensive glass, but have athletic guards as well as two experienced post players in Thornton and Ball who can pull down an offensive board when needed.

Shooting-wise

As a team, Transy has shot above 48% from the field in its last two games, and on the season, is 42.5% from the field. The Pioneers have range when necessary, averaging 8.5 3-pointers per game, but tend to work the ball inside whenever possible, taking plenty of mid-range jumpers and shots at the rim. Against CNU’s man-to-man pressure defense, that could obviously change slightly, but it worked for the most part against Smith, who employed a man-to-man defense throughout the national semifinal contest. Transy favored the one-on-one matchup between Thornton and a Smith defender in the post in the semifinal win, which led to 18 points and nine free throws for Thornton. Look for that to be a factor against CNU, especially with the Captains’ limited depth in the post.

Final thoughts

Transylvania isn’t a team that is going to dominate in transition. Rather than pushing the ball upcourt frequently and risking a turnover, the Pioneers tend to be more slow-paced when holding possession, focusing on making good passes and getting the ball to the paint when possible. They aren’t afraid to pass the ball 10 times in order to get the best shot, which, as we saw against Smith, can make for a long day for the opposing defense, especially when that defense is running a man-to-man. Excited to see this disciplined and incredibly efficient offense in person.

Christopher Newport…on offense

Personnel

CNU may only have two double digit scorers on its roster (one of whom will be unavailable for the title game), but the Captains have exceptional depth and phenomenal shooters up and down the bench. Sondra Fan, a Fourth Team D3hoops.com All-American, leads the way with 14.4 points per game. Anaya Simmons, who averaged 13.7 PPG through 26 games injured her knee on the first weekend of the tournament and has been out for the remainder. Gabbi San Diego returned from an injury in the second half of this regular season, and displayed her shooting ability against Tufts in the Elite Eight, putting 32 points on the board. Both Fan and San Diego will be focal points for the CNU offense in Dallas. And while I’m mentioning those two, Gordon Mann of D3hoops.com wrote a fantastic piece on their long-lasting connection prior to the national semifinal game against Rhode Island College. Check that out here: https://www.d3hoops.com/playoffs/women/2023/cnu-playmates-before-teammates

In total, seven of the players expected to be available on Saturday average six points or more per game.

On the boards

The Captains have tallied 469 offensive rebounds per game this season, but 101 of those came from Simmons. Hannah Orloff is the next best rebounder offensively for CNU, with 59 this season. As a team, CNU has a number of guards who have pulled down a handful of offensive boards throughout the season, and that could very likely be the case on Saturday.

Shooting wise

CNU converts on 45.9% of this shooting attempts, the sixth-best mark nationally, and that consistency has contributed greatly to the Captains’ perfect record this season. On average, the Captains tally 30.8 made field goals per game, and while they have a group of guards with plenty of 3-point range, CNU’s aggressive attack on both ends of the floor results in plenty of drives to the basket. The Captains just have this ability to put their heads down and get to the rim, often drawing fouls along the way. They’ve been sent to the free throw line 20+ times in each of the last two games, and expect that to be a source of point production for CNU on Saturday.

Final Thoughts

CNU is a fun team to watch, because the guards and post players work so well together and they have a speed element to their offense that is very tough to defend. RIC held them to a shooting percentage of just 28.1% in the national semifinal, so CNU will obviously be looking for a better offensive showing in this one. They’ll need it against Transy’s defense, and I think we’ll see it. As mentioned above, the Captains’ fearless ability to get to the rim makes for exciting offensive possessions and can generate momentum in a hurry.

That’s a look at both offenses! Hope it was informative and on-point as we get ready for this showdown on Saturday morning. They posted photos of the court today and man, it is a great venue for a basketball game. Looking forward to it!

For any questions/feedback/corrections email me at rileyzayas@gmail.com or DM me on Twitter (@ZayasRiley).

The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: 5 teams who did not receive a Top 25 vote, but deserve recognition

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I have started working on some postseason analysis articles, and something I was interested in putting together was the top five teams (in my opinion, mind you) who never received a Top 25 vote this season, but separated themselves for one reason or another. We focus so much on the Top 25 during the season, but there are a number of teams doing great things within their own conferences who don’t quite have national relevance (usually because of a weak conference/weak SOS). So I thought I’d look at five of those teams here. This list isn’t perfect by any means, and in non particular order. But I tried to give some insight into this past season, as well as what the future might look like for the program heading into next season. So here you go…

Ripon (20-7 overall, 14-1 MWC): Interestingly enough, the Red Hawks did not make the NCAA Tournament, but were one of the two teams ranked in Scott Peterson’s Top 50 that did not receive a single Top 25 vote this season. Despite falling to Knox in the MWC Tournament final, Ripon really impressed me this season in the games I watched them play, including in non-conference. The Red Hawks battled UW-La Crosse down to the wire in mid-November, falling 69-62, and took down what ended up being a very solid UW-Stout team, 67-59, on a neutral court. Ripon also played UW-Oshkosh tough, outscoring the Titans in both the third and fourth quarters.

Alison Leslie, Skyylar Brescia, Bonnie Jensen, all averaged double figures in points, and Leslie and Jensen do each have one year of eligibility remaining. Brescia was a fifth-year. So technically, Leslie and Jensen could return for a fifth season, but considering Ripon is a college, there is a good chance neither comes back. Without graduate degrees (from what I understand), it makes it much tougher for players to return for a fifth season. So keep an eye on that.

St. Norbert (24-4, 18-0 NACC): Due to playing in the NACC, SNC was overlooked by and large this season. To be honest, they weren’t a team I really even considered for my ballot, though I did follow the NACC closer than I had in years past, and going 18-0 in any league is very difficult. There were some solid teams in that league too, which kept parity present, and the standings competitive. But SNC was atop the whole time, and like Ripon, ranked in Scott’s Top 50.

They make this list in part because they did schedule very well….the four losses were to UW-Eau Claire (#13 at the time), Carroll (strong bubble team at one point), Randolph-Macon (First four out sort of team) and Hope (in the NCAA Tournament). Add that to a non-conference win over UWSP, along with the flawless conference record, and you have a quality, under-the-radar type of squad.

Don’t get me wrong…losing 71-43 to Carroll isn’t pretty, and the number of NACC games doesn’t leave a lot of room to play in more than one multi-team event, or make a long road trip in non-conference play. But SNC did well with the schedule it had, and also made the NCAA Tournament for the first time as the NACC’s Pool A qualifier.

Five seniors were listed on the roster this past year. Not sure what the outlook is heading into next season, but Kaycee Gierczak (who averaged 14.5 PPG) has two years of eligibility remaining, as does Natalie Cerrato (who played in all 28 games this past year). Two others have one year of eligibility left. Gierczak is the key. If she returns next year, SNC could make waves nationally with a good schedule and record. But like Ripon, St. Norbert is a college, and the fact that Gierczak was already listed as a senior despite this being her third collegiate season (per SNC website) makes me think she is close to graduating. Maybe we see her transfer to another program to continue her studies and basketball. Maybe there is a way she stays. I’m just speculating at this point.

Maine Maritime (22-7, 13-1 NAC): Maine Maritime put together its third 20-win season and tallied the most wins in a season since 2006-07, also reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 16 years. They tallied 2,000 points in a season for the second time in program history, and watching them play, it was clear they had things figured out.

An NCAA Tournament team but probably not a Top 25 team, Maine Maritime fit into that category of being a name to know within Region 1, and a 20+ win team at that, though the SOS and number of notable wins weren’t there. They ranked in the Top 15 nationally in assists per game, and that ball movement paid dividends throughout the conference schedule.

Here is what I really like when it comes to Maine Maritime though. Of their top five starters (4 of whom started 27 games or more), four will presumably be back next season. One was a freshman, two were sophomores, and one was a junior. Only Lauren Plissey, the team’s second-leading scorer, will depart, having been a grad student this season. Obviously players can transfer, and things can come up, but if Maine Maritime can retain those four, including leading scorer Maria Barela, the future could be bright heading into next season.

Eastern Connecticut (22-6, 15-1 LEC): An NCAA Tournament team, EConn entered the national tournament ranked fourth in Region 2, just behind Rhode Island College, who made a Final Four run as the year’s undoubted “Cinderella” team. The fact that EConn lost in the Little East Conference championship put two LEC teams in the NCAA Tournament, and of all the teams on this list, I liked EConn’s resume best. Without winning the Pool A, Ripon, Maine Maritime, and St. Norbert don’t get in. But EConn was taken off the Pool C table within the first 15 rounds from what I understand, in large part because they were the second team in Region 2, just behind Babson, who was picked early.

What I’m trying to say is that while EConn never received a Top 25 vote, the Warriors’ national presence was there, landing them on this list. All four regular season losses were to NCAA Tournament teams (Trinity CT, Babson, Smith, RIC), and the margins were all respectable. In fact, Trinity won narrowly, 59-54, and Babson only beat EConn by eight, 77-69. Along with a win over Middlebury, the Warriors had a fairly strong schedule that prepared them well for LEC play, where they won the regular season conference title.

They nearly won an NCAA Tournament game too, leading 28-23 at halftime against Marietta. The Pioneers came back in the second half for a 51-47 victory in what was likely the final collegiate game for most (if not all) of EConn’s starting five. You never want to say a team is heading into a rebuilding year, having no idea what kind of young talent is up and coming within the program, but if the Warriors do indeed have to replace all five starters (consider all were seniors), it could be a tough start to the 2023-24 season come November.

Case Western Reserve (15-10, 6-8 UAA): The fifth team on my list, and again, these are in no particular order, comes from what may have been the toughest league this season (though my personal opinion would give the WIAC that title). CWRU went toe-to-toe with the likes of NYU, Chicago, WashU, and others in the UAA, and really improved over the course of the season.

The Spartans lost their two “high-quality” non-conference games to Marietta and Baldwin Wallace, but opened UAA play with a one-point win over Carnegie Mellon before adding a 74-64 victory over WashU later in the month. A win over Rochester and another win over WashU (this time in St. Louis) caught my attention, and watching them play via livestream several times, you could see the improvement taking place as they battled each week over the final two months of the season.

Next season, CWRU may be without Isabella Mills, who averaged 18.0 PPG and was the heart and soul of the team. But she does have one year of eligibility left, and everyone else who averaged above 5 PPG is either a junior or below. This could be a program on the rise in the UAA. Kayla Characklis is a name to remember, as she stepped up late in the season, and ended up averaging 11.4 PPG. The forward will be a senior next year.

That’s a wrap on this post. Scott Peterson and I will be doing another YouTube video (though this one will not be livestreamed) recapping the season and taking a look at some various topics in D3 WBB. Once it goes up next week, I’ll put a link here. It should be insightful, and will be interesting to look at some numbers from the preseason now that we are essentially at the season’s end.

Is anyone heading to Dallas next week for the national title game? Hope to see a great crowd. 1 week from tomorrow! Can’t wait. Have a great day.

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February 14, 2023: The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: My Week 11 Top 25 ballot…with context

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It’s that time of the week! The Week 11 D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll is out and I submitted by ballot yesterday afternoon, which I posted to Twitter. It is crazy to believe we only have two ballots left to submit this year…this season has flown by. A few conference tournaments are starting this week, the rest coming next week. Before postseason action begins, here’s how I saw the Week 11 Top 25, with the ranking for each team in the poll listed in parentheses next to the ranking I gave that team in my ballot. As always, drop your thoughts in the comments section below. Also feel free to shoot me a DM on Twitter (@ZayasRiley) or an email at rileyzayas@gmail.com. Always appreciate insight from readers! All the info listed below should be spot-on, but apologies in advance for any flaws. This is not a perfect perspective on the Top 25 by any means. Just one voter’s view of things. As we’ve said so many times this season, there is such a vast number of top quality D3 WBB programs that several great teams will be left off ballots each week.

Side Note: Your D3 hoops viewing schedule tonight should include the rematch between DeSales and Stevens, as DeSales seeks to avenge its only loss of the year. 8 pm EST tip-off in that one. Additionally, Hoopsville had yet another phenomenal show last night with a number of great MBB & WBB interviews that you should certainly check out. Link to that archive is here: https://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2022-23/feb13. And Dave will be on air again Thursday, as Hoopsville is the home of the Top 16 reveal from the MBB and WBB national tournament selection committees. These Top 16 are ideally the 16 who would host in the first weekend of the national tournament if the season ended today. Link to that show will be put out in my Thursday morning post.

Getting to the poll…

The Week 11 D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll

Biggest risers: Gustavus Adolphus (+7), Baldwin Wallace (+7)

Biggest drops: Trinity CT (-7), Puget Sound (-5)

ADDITIONS: Loras (#24), Millikin (#25)

SUBTRACTIONS: La Verne (#23), Rochester (#25)

I really liked…that Gustavus Adolphus broke into the Top 15. This is a team that will really do some damage in the NCAA Tournament, and currently has a .913 win percentage and a .529 SOS. Not enough for one of those Top 16 seeds probably, but still pretty exceptional. They continue to separate themselves in the MIAC.

I didn’t like…Messiah sliding all the way up to #13. I will say that middle part of the ballot is a challenge at times, with no good options for a team in that 12-15 range. But Messiah seems to be a team relying on its win percentage rather than the quality of opponents played. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good team, I’ve seen them play. But #13 good? I don’t know about that. Most of their “quality” wins came before Dec. 10, so in late February, that’s a hard argument to make, sliding a team up two spots.

My Ballot

1-Christopher Newport (#1)- The Captains rolled past Salisbury on the road in their lone game of the week. They’re at that No. 1 caliber and likely won’t move out of this spot for me, unless a loss makes me reconsider.

2-Trinity TX (#4)- Trinity bounced back from the loss to Colorado College by trouncing Dallas 109-47, and Austin, 84-40. The Tigers play at home from here on out, with two regular season games left (both at home), then the SCAC Tournament on their campus in the week to follow.

3- -NYU #6)- The Violets made a statement this week, and moved up two spots in my ballot. I debated whether or not to mvoe NYU higher than 5th, but with a statement win over Chicago and another over WashU this weekend, I couldn’t keep them that low.

4-Scranton (#3)- The Lady Royals pulled out a road win at Elizabethtown in overtime in a solid effort and also beat Drew, 54-42, this past week. Two nice wins there. These top 8 or so are very close in margin for me. They could honestly be put in any order, and I’d probably agree, somewhat.

5- Smith (#5)- Smith had a really strong week of its own, winning by a somewhat surprising 74-56 winning margin at Springfield, along with an exceptional 80-67 win over Babson. Smith is now 22-1 and watching them multiple times recently, they appear to be a squad that will make a tournament run.

6-Transylvania (#2)-Transy held Mount St. Joseph and Anderson each below 40 points in two more dominant defensive efforts this past week. I really like the way the Pioneers are playing right now, with an experienced roster, and I expect they will be in the Top 16 on Thursday, despite many of the numbers (such as SOS and results v/RROs) being lower than most of the teams in that conversation.

7-Hope (#7)- Hope took down Calvin in a great game on Wednesday, and held Olivet to just 18 points in Saturday’s win. 18 points! The bottom half of the MIAA is really weak, so from a numbers standpoint, that game actually hurts Hope’s SOS a bit. But what can you do? Overall, the Flying Dutch have a very solid resume, and more than pass the eye test for me. Hope is a national title contender, and I like the depth on the roster as well. That depth will help them tremendously come tournament time.

8-UW-Whitewater (#16)- The Warhawks pick up two more high-quality WIAC wins, taking down Oshkosh and Stout, and after having their struggles throughout the course of the conference schedule, became the first WIAC team to clinch at least a share of the conference title.

9-DeSales (#9)- DeSales dominated against Immaculata and Delaware Valley this past week, and should be in the Top 16 despite a very low SOS. I didn’t move DeSales up or down this week.

10-Hardin-Simmons (#8)- The Cowgirls slide up to 10th after putting 120 points on McMurry in their only game of the week. Kendra Whitehead has her team at top level right now, already locked in to host the final two rounds of the ASC Tournament, along with receiving a quarterfinal round bye.

11-Trine (#15)- I had the Thunder four spots higher than where they ended up in the poll. The win at Calvin on Saturday did it for me. Trine looked composed and played very well in a tough road atmosphere against an experienced and talented Calvin squad. That’s a big win there in addition to the other notable victories they have on their resume currently. However, I think #15 is fair…Massey has them #17.

12-Gustavus Adolphus (#14)- This is a team that continues to impress, and it was nice to see them rewarded with a Top 15 ranking this week. I had them 12th as I came away convinced in the Gusties’ standing as one of the nation’s top squads after Wednesday’s dominant 82-56 win over Concordia-Moorhead, who is in the Pool C conversation and Gustavus’ main challenger in the MIAC. Nobody has been able to slow the Gusties in MIAC play.

13- WashU (#22)- You can’t really fault the loss at NYU. That’s a tough place to play and an even tougher team to beat. They end up sliding down two spots for me, but part of that is me putting Gusty higher, rather than purposely dropping WashU lower. It’s somewhat of a mute point, but for the record, NYU certainly didn’t dominate WashU. The stats were fairly similar and WashU actually led by a solid margin throughout the first half and into the third quarter before NYU closed the gap and won by five. WashU also beat Brandeis this past week, moving to 16-6 overall.

14-Trinity CT (#19)- Trinity knew how tough the end of the NESCAC schedule was, but I’m not sure that many people anticipated Trinity going 1-3 to end the regular season. The Bantams were 0-2 against Bates and Tufts this past weekend, and though both games were competitive, Trinity was unable to get the job done on the road. Naturally, that hurts their ranking ability a little bit, especially as the three losses in their final four games moved them out of first place in the league standings. But I still think this is a team equipped for a deep run. Teams will key in on Reilly Campbell so it’ll be about who can step up around her in that post unit that will have an effect on Trinity’s postseason success. Just my $0.02.

15-Ithaca (#10)- Ithaca hasn’t played many top notch opponents within the last month and a half, but a 21-2 record can’t be easily ignored. I just don’t know how good the Bombers are. Outside of Skidmore (#96 Massey), Ithaca hasn’t played a Massey Top 150 team in their last 10 games. Looking forward to seeing them in a high-quality battle come tournament time.

16-Chicago (#18)- Chicago’s loss at NYU bothered me a little bit. I can understand a 10-point loss, even a 20-point loss. After all, NYU is stellar, and you’re on the road. But Chicago losing 80-44 definitely surprised me on Friday evening. Of course that’s not the only reason I dropped them two spots. Part of it was also Gustavus Adolphus playing really well and Ithaca jumping up in my ballot. Chicago is certainly in the Pool C conversation, but it appears that it’ll be a two-way battle between NYU and WashU for the UAA crown.

17-UW-Oshkosh (RV)- Maybe my most controversial (or questionable) selection of the week. I’ll admit, #17 is somewhat high. By my calculations, all eight points UWO received came from me. That’s ok. The Titans went 0-2 this past week, so I didn’t anticipate they would show up on a lot of ballots. But looking at the total body of work, UWO has an outstanding resume. Wins over Wartburg, DePauw, and Ripon are great in non-conference, and in the WIAC, they’ve beaten La Crosse, Stout, and Eau Claire all at least once. Their Pool C chances seem fairly favorable right now as well.

18-Millikin (#25)-Millikin broke back into the Top 25, though seven spots lower than where I had them. The CCIW’s leader is in a tough Region 8, with WashU, Transylvania, and Chicago all in there. But I don’t think Millikin will be contending for a Pool C on Selection Monday (or “Matchup Monday”, I’ve heard both terms used). They won twice on the road at IWU and Carthage this past week, looking very sharp in both. Head coach Olivia Lett has her squad ready for a tournament run.

19-UW-Eau Claire (RV)- The Blugolds aren’t ranked for the second straight week, and like UWO, I can see why. But applying my similar line of thinking and approach to this ballot, UWEC’s SOS and total body of work cannot be overlooked. Massey has the Blugolds #2 nationally in SOS and while I thought the last five games from UWEC were decent but not outstanding by any means, overall, when I compare UWEC to the rest of the teams in competition for these final six spots in my ballot, I don’t see a better resume or a more dangerous tournament team.

20-Puget Sound (#21)- The tough part about teams with resumes like Puget Sound’s is that one loss can cause some significant ramifications. Though the Loggers had been frequently trailing NWC opponents in the first half of games only to dominate in the second half, Pacific found a way to maintain its lead and shock PS on the Loggers’ home court this past week. I had no choice but to drop them five spots, mostly because other teams were just more deserving. I’m more interested to see how much the loss affects regional rankings in Region 10. It shouldn’t be too much, though R10 has been a roller coaster this year.

21-Wartburg (#20)- Wartburg enters my ballot after yet another 2-0 week, with wins over Central and Buena Vista. The Knights will have a challenge on their hands against the next team in my ballot, Loras, in Saturday’s regular season finale, but haven’t lost since Dec. 20. I’ve watched a bit more of them since they broke into the poll last week and this definitely appears to be a team that will be dangerous in March. They’ll almost certainly have a tough first weekend draw, though, so a tournament run will not come easily.

22-Loras (#24)- The Duhawks, also out of the ARC remain in my ballot, and are back in the poll as well. That’s good to see. Loras has taken a pair of losses in conference action, but since losing to Wartburg on Jan. 18, the Duhawks have rattled off six straight victories. It’s a two-way battle between Wartburg and Loras atop the ARC standings and right now, there isn’t a clear favorite.

23-Babson (#17)- Babson slides down five spots in my ballot, in part due to Wartburg and Loras rising and PS and UWEC sliding further down, but still deserving a higher ranking than Babson from perspective. The Beavers were 1-1 this past week, losing by 13 at Smith, while beating Wellesley. I need to see a bit more of Babson if I’m going to rank the Beavers ahead of a team like UWEC or Puget Sound.

24-Baldwin Wallace (#12)- The Yellow Jackets prevailed in a big way on Wednesday night, taking down ONU in overtime, 66-62. It was a well-executed performance from BW, and though I’m not yet sold on the Yellow Jackets, they have the resume of a Top 25 team in my opinion. I will say it feels a bit too high to have BW at #12 in the poll; Massey has them #24 and Scott Peterson’s model has them #31.

25- Ohio Northern (#11)- I wasn’t sure what to do with ONU. They have an .850 win percentage and .585 SOS but at the same time struggled at times against Capital and John Carroll. I thought they were decent against BW, despite coming away with the loss. Maybe I’m being too harsh on ONU, I don’t know. This is the largest point of difference between my ballot and the poll, with a difference of 14 spots. I’ll reevaluate next week, but it’s really difficult with these teams who have been inconsistent in their last 8-10 games and aren’t generally favored as a Top 25 team by computers, but still have some quality wins and a resume worthy to be in the Top 4 of their region.

26-Calvin

27-UW-Stout

28-Mary Hardin-Baylor

29-Tufts

30-Rhode Island College

Fell Out: Rochester, Calvin

Back In: Wartburg, Baldwin Wallace

Biggest risers: Gustavus Adolphus (+7), Ithaca (+5), Hardin-Simmons (+3), Millikin (+3)

Biggest drops: Puget Sound (-6), Babson (-5), ONU (-3)

I’ll end it here. Some good games tonight that you’ll want to tune into…livestream/live stat links are always on D3hoops.com.

And while you’re at it, be sure to share The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops if you, whether it be with a fellow D3 fan, coach, student-athlete or someone else who enjoys D3 WBB. Really trying to bring more attention to this level of women’s college hoops with tournament time literally two weeks away. Have a great day! Subscribe to The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops on Substack: https://d3wbbscoop.substack.com/.