NE Region General Questions

[WPI89]

Northeast – Week 3
1 Amherst 23-2 23-2
2 WPI 23-2 23-2
3 Williams 20-3 22-3
4 Rhode Island College 22-3 22-3
5 Middlebury 19-2 22-2
6 MIT 19-4 20-4
7 Springfield 18-7 18-7
8 Brandeis 17-7 17-7
9 Curry 18-7 18-7
10 Westfield State 19-4 21-4
11 Eastern Connecticut 18-4 18-7
12 Tufts 16-5 17-8

RIC higher than I personally thought but no real surprises..............

[middhoops]

We are past mid-January and have a pretty clear idea of who is who now.
After Amherst, who appears they can clobber anyone, who's next, WPI?
Let's get this going!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I think it's a really down year for the region.  Even the computer calculations I've seen have us pretty far down the potential Pool C list right now.  It's going to be atypical.  A lot of teams in the regional rankings will have glaring weaknesses.

Middlebury may still be the 4th or 5th best team in the region and we all know they're not exactly having a banner year.

[pjunito]

I agree with Hoops, if I had to do a top 8, it would go like this..

1. Amherst
2. WPI
3. Bowdin
4. Albertus
5. Eastern CT
6. Midd
7. Springfield
8. Babson/MIT

[GnacBballFan]

Pj lol no Williams?

[GnacBballFan]

1. Amherst
2. WPI
3. Williams
4. Albertus
5. Bowdoin
6. East Conn

That's my quick top 6, I gotta look at some games played for others.

[pjunito]

I would say that I left Williams out on purpose to stir up some great debate... but, I just forgot.

1. Amherst
2. WPI
3. Bowdin
4. Albertus
5. Williams
6. Eastern CT
7. Midd
8. Springfield

[toad22]

Bowdoin, as good a season as they are having, should not be ranked ahead of Williams.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Bowdoin, as good a season as they are having, should not be ranked ahead of Williams.

I don't necessarily buy into that, as they lost a close game AT Williams.  If only NESCAC would join virtually every other d3 conference and have a double -round robin, we could see the result of Williams AT Bowdoin.

[7express]

I'd go:

1) Amherst
2) WPI
3) Albertus
4) Williams
5) Eastern Connecticut
6) Bowdoin
7) Middlebury
8) Springfield
9) Babson
10) Rhode Island College
11) MIT
12) Mass-Dartmouth/Western Connecticut.

As hoops said, really bad overall.  Mid is having a terrible season, yet they'll probably still be top 8 or 9.  RIC is also having a terrible season and will probably crack the rankings.

[pjunito]

Bowdoin, as good a season as they are having, should not be ranked ahead of Williams.

I know it was November... but I can't get the image of losing to Southern Vermont out of my head.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I've got:

Amherst
Williams
Albertus
Bowdoin
WPI
EConn
Babson

I'm not really willing to rank anyone beyond that.

[nescac1]

I think Hoops Fan is about right with his rankings, although Williams/Albertus is a toss-up.  We've seen this story from WPI before -- gaudy record, and equally gaudy ranking, thanks to playing a fairly weak schedule -- no games vs. any teams currently in the top 25, only one difficult road game so far (at Springfield) -- only to flame out early in the NCAA tourney.  I think they are a top-25 caliber team, just not a top-5 caliber team.  They always play great as a team but without Coppola lack that star scorer to carry them vs. elite competition.  Albertus is the toughest to place.  They clearly have three absolute star players, and they've dominated virtually everyone except for an impressive three point loss on the road vs. a D1 team.  Loaded with transfers so difficult to ascertain their true level.  But, their D3 schedule to-date is pretty awful.  Their next two tough games will be telling -- if they win both of those, I think they deserve to be ranked no lower than second in New England and certainly above everyone save for Amherst. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Bowdoin, as good a season as they are having, should not be ranked ahead of Williams.

I know it was November... but I can't get the image of losing to Southern Vermont out of my head.

A game on November 15 will count just as much as a game on February 15.

[mass_d3fan]

I would have to agree with nescac1.  Don't want to, but the truth is WPI is in the exact same position that MIT was a couple of years back.  At that time I took them to task for not stepping up and scheduling the traditional big power teams in the NE.  Come on ADs & Coaches, it is time to step up and have some games the whole country will be talking about.   how much fun would it be for WPI to play Amherst or Williams.  Hell, Springfield played them both a couple of years ago.

WPI has hit the top 5 for the second year in a row.  Time to get a game with Amherst, Williams, Middlebury.....  I realize it is impossible to predict in any given year when schedules are created who will be one of the top dogs in the region, but let us at least try.   The is no real excuse why this cannot happen.  If you want to be considered on of the elite programs, then play some elite programs. I mean really, RPI & Newbury?  Those were the two new teams the Engineers picked up on their schedule following what was argueably their best regular season and being ranked in the top 6 from Week 7  through 13.

Give Sam Longwell credit in the way he has stepped up to be the scoring threat that was lost when Copolla went down.  He has been the top scorer in 10 of the engineer's 17 games (17.8 ppg) and is also leading the team in rebounding (6.2 rpg).   Also, Dom Mastascusa has come up with some big games when the team has needed it.  Ryan Kolb has been steady playing the PF slot.

The team is winning which is the bottom line, but I have also seen some bad coaching and on court decision making that has helped the Engineers as well.  I just beleive that the team would be better prepared for the NCAAs if they tested their mettle against the real elite programs, especially the NESCAC top tier.