With Wash U repeating in Salem, let the debate begin regarding the team of the decade.
The 'Point team in '05?
The Wash U team in '08 or '09?
Williams '03?
Amherst '07?
Calvin '00?
Quote from: ephoops on March 21, 2009, 05:18:15 PM
With Wash U repeating in Salem, let the debate begin regarding the team of the decade.
The 'Point team in '04 & '05?
The Wash U team in '08 or '09?
Williams '03?
Amherst '07?
Calvin '00?
Quote from: frodotwo on March 21, 2009, 07:25:22 PM
Quote from: ephoops on March 21, 2009, 05:18:15 PM
With Wash U repeating in Salem, let the debate begin regarding the team of the decade.
The 'Point team in '04 & '05?
The Wash U team in '08 or '09?
Williams '03?
Amherst '07?
Calvin '00?
Not to mention the 01 Catholic team, the 02 Otterbein team and the 06 Virginia Wesleyan team.
FrodoTwo-
I did not list Point's '04 team because I believe that most D-3 fans would agree that the '05 team was better.
I listed both the '08 and '09 teams for Wash U because it's not clear to me which team was better.
Knightstalker-
I didn't list the Catholic, Otterbein and VW teams because IMHO I believe they are each a notch below the teams that I did list.
Quote from: ephoops on March 21, 2009, 08:35:16 PMI listed both the '08 and '09 teams for Wash U because it's not clear to me which team was better.
'08 was the better team, although they had Sean Wallis out with injury, so I don't know how you'd count that?
Actual players on the floor, I think I'd still give it to '08 because of Troy Ruths; if you count Wallis, it's '08 hands down.
Having been in Salem to see every team that has won a title there this decade... Stevens Point '05 was hands-down the best team!
i think uw- platteville teams of 1997 -98 and98-99 teams then uw-stevens point
I think looking at the 2000's, it has to be Stevens-Point by a hair over Wash U. Two straight titles, extremely well-coached, two All-American caliber players plus great role players, the first title they had to beat a Williams team that was a juggernaut (defending titlist, only one loss all year, three wins over a stellar Amherst team, a win at Holy Cross) and the second title they slaughtered teams in the Final Four if I recall. That offense was a well-oiled machine. Wash U is close second given that they are the only other two-time titlist and won in pretty convincing fashion in the final four plus had to navigate the section of death or whatever, and also knocked off a defending titlist the prior year. Amherst, Williams, and Va Wesleyan all honorable mention since all won a title and nearly repeated, and all put up gaudy win totals for two straight seasons. I think if you go back into the late 90's than Plattesville would beat anyone -- not more talented than any of those teams, but played ridiculously tough defense, always very deep, and the Bo Ryan factor would put them over the top.
Quote from: nescac1 on March 23, 2009, 10:33:45 AM
I think if you go back into the late 90's than Plattesville would beat anyone -- not more talented than any of those teams, but played ridiculously tough defense, always very deep, and the Bo Ryan factor would put them over the top.
I consider the 98 Platteville team the best D3 team I've seen outside Calvin's 1992 team. I did not see either of the Stevens Point teams or Williams.
There are many ways to rate teams using numbers, at one time I had a nice list of the final four teams but due to an unfortunate computer malfunction its gone........but I recall the 05 Stevens Point team was the highest rated and by far.
While WashU has the last two walnut and bronze (and various polymers), they haven't rated anything eye popping. They've simply gotten it done.
Consider how different things might have been if a couple early round games finished a little different.
From 2009
WashU 67 Lawrence 65
WashU 73 Whitewater 70
From 2008
WashU 79 Wooster 74
WashU 70 Augustana 67 OT
Washington could have lost any of these games, and their legacy would be 2 teams that couldn't get out of the first weekend.
Thats the NCAA Tournament.
While I agree that the 2005 UWSP team was the most talented team, I'm not sure they'd have beaten this year's Wash.U. team. In fact, on talent alone, this year's Wash.U. team might have been a top 10-15 club, but their poise, execution, team play and experience got it done. UWSP f 05 beat a surprise Rochester team which, by the 2nd half, had run out of gas in the final. Also, Wash U's road to the final was arguably the toughest ever. Head to head, I think Wash.U. wins at least 4 of 10, maybe more.
I saw the '05 UWSP and '09 Wash U teams twice apiece, and I'd have to agree with D-Mac that the Pointers were the better team -- but not by a huge margin. Play them off ten times, and UWSP probably wins either 6-4 or 7-3 -- but all ten games would certainly be worth watching.
UWSP was well-coached, talented and poised. I don't think that Wash U has a large edge in any of those categories.
This is a little tweak to the subject. Tyler Nading, Aaron Thompson, Cam Smith, and Sean Wallis (missed the middle year) that have gone 17-1 in the NCAA's. 2007 with two sophomores and a freshman starting along with the first sub a freshman had to beat #11 Whitworth, @ #1 Stevens Point, #10 Hope to get to the Final Four. Lost to #4 Virg. Wesleyan on a semi controversial play, and then beat #2 Wooster. In 2008, had to beat #17 Wooster, @#6 Augustana, Buena Vista, #14 Millsaps to get to the Final Four. Then beat #1 Hope and #3 Amherst. This year survived the "Bracket of Death" by beating, #20 Lawrence, #8 Whitewater, @#3 Wheaton, #1 St. Thomas, to get to #23 Guilford and finally #6 Stockton. I'm not sure you'll find another run of this nature where the same 4 players were involved. Most impressive.
Quote from: WAS A PLAYER on March 24, 2009, 03:41:18 PM
This is a little tweak to the subject. Tyler Nading, Aaron Thompson, Cam Smith, and Sean Wallis (missed the middle year) that have gone 17-1 in the NCAA's. 2007 with two sophomores and a freshman starting along with the first sub a freshman had to beat #11 Whitworth, @ #1 Stevens Point, #10 Hope to get to the Final Four. Lost to #4 Virg. Wesleyan on a semi controversial play, and then beat #2 Wooster. In 2008, had to beat #17 Wooster, @#6 Augustana, Buena Vista, #14 Millsaps to get to the Final Four. Then beat #1 Hope and #3 Amherst. This year survived the "Bracket of Death" by beating, #20 Lawrence, #8 Whitewater, @#3 Wheaton, #1 St. Thomas, to get to #23 Guilford and finally #6 Stockton. I'm not sure you'll find another run of this nature where the same 4 players were involved. Most impressive.
Yowser!!!!!!!
Quote from: WAS A PLAYER on March 24, 2009, 03:41:18 PM
This is a little tweak to the subject. Tyler Nading, Aaron Thompson, Cam Smith, and Sean Wallis (missed the middle year) that have gone 17-1 in the NCAA's. 2007 with two sophomores and a freshman starting along with the first sub a freshman had to beat #11 Whitworth, @ #1 Stevens Point, #10 Hope to get to the Final Four. Lost to #4 Virg. Wesleyan on a semi controversial play, and then beat #2 Wooster. In 2008, had to beat #17 Wooster, @#6 Augustana, Buena Vista, #14 Millsaps to get to the Final Four. Then beat #1 Hope and #3 Amherst. This year survived the "Bracket of Death" by beating, #20 Lawrence, #8 Whitewater, @#3 Wheaton, #1 St. Thomas, to get to #23 Guilford and finally #6 Stockton. I'm not sure you'll find another run of this nature where the same 4 players were involved. Most impressive.
North Park's 15-0 tournament run from 1978 thru 1980 involved almost identical lineups:
1977-78C: Michael Harper
PF: Al May
SF: Modzel Greer
SG: Michael Thomas
PG: Tom Florentine
Key reserves: Jim Clausen, Ernie Flores, Roger Clausen, Greg Gierke
1978-79C: Michael Harper
PF: Jim Clausen
SF: Grant Grastorf
SG: Modzel Greer
PG: Michael Thomas
Key reserves: Keith French, Scott Groot, Greg Gierke
1979-80C: Michael Harper
PF: Jim Clausen
SF: Grant Grastorf
SG: Modzel Greer
PG: Michael Thomas
Key reserves: Keith French, Scott Groot, Greg Gierke
Harper, Greer, and Thomas, the three stars who carried the Vikings to their national-championship threepeat, each started on all three teams. Jim Clausen was the sixth man on the first title team and the inside player who did the grunt work on the second and third teams (and he, along with Thomas and Groot, started on the 1980-81 team that bowed out in the first round of the D3 tourney), and Greg Gierke was the backup PG on all three teams.
Also quite impressive. I guess The Bears will have to go back and get their third title to be able to "one up" the Vikings with 4 straight appearances.
Its a new decade!
*rankings are last regular season poll
2010 Stevens Point
Final Four
#5 UWSP
#2 Williams
#3 Guilford
#16 Randolph-Macon
Carleton 59-58
#15 St. Norbert 63-48
#19 Texas-Dallas 74-67
rv IWU 72-56
#16 RMC 72-60
#2 Williams 78-73
2011 St. Thomas
Final Four
#8 St. Thomas
#2 Middlebury
#5 Wooster
#4 Williams
Northwestern 70-60
rv IWU 78-70
#3 UWSP 66-64
#7 Augustana 72-56
#2 Middlebury 59-57
#5 Wooster 78-54
2012 Whitewater
Final Four
#8 Whitewater
#3 MIT
#5 Cabrini
rv IWU
Northwestern 83-68
rv St. Thomas 91-62
#24 Wheaton (IL) 67-56
#6 Virginia Wesleyan 76-62
#3 MIT 71-56
#5 Cabrini 63-60
2013 Amherst
#2 Amherst
#1 St. Thomas
#3 North Central (IL)
rv Mary Hardin Baylor
Plattsburgh St. 89-72
Randolph - Macon 93-76
rv Cabrini 101-82
#3 North Central 52-44
MHB 87-70
2014 Whitewater
Final Four
#3 Whitewater
#6 IWU
#7 Amherst
#9 Williams
Northwestern 79-55
rv Augustana 88-77
#16 Texas - Dallas 81-63
Emory 74-51
#6 IWU 71-63
#9 Williams 75-73
2015 Stevens Point
Final Four
#8 Stevens Point
#4 Babson
#6 Augustana
#9 Virginia Wesleyan
Concordia (WI) 88-56
rv IWU 70-53
#11 Emory 73-53
#25 ETBU 45-28
#9 Virginia Wesleyan 68-59
#6 Augustana 70-54
My initial thought is Amherst. They did have the easiest schedule too.
If we are talking strictly tourney performance, it might actually be last year's Point team.
Whitewater may not have had the best teams, but probably the best championship games...huge comeback vs Cabrini (down 20?) and Young's full court sprint for the win in 2014.
What do you guys think?
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on December 18, 2015, 11:34:34 AM
My initial thought is Amherst. They did have the easiest schedule too.
If we are talking strictly tourney performance, it might actually be last year's Point team.
Whitewater may not have had the best teams, but probably the best championship games...huge comeback vs Cabrini (down 20?) and Young's full court sprint for the win in 2014.
What do you guys think?
18 to be exact with 12 minutes to go. Ugh. :-\