By Tim McCaffrey
It has been almost a month since I have published my definitive rankings of the region’s best teams. Some squads have played more than half of their games since last time, while others have not even taken the floor. One of those teams that has not suited up is tops in the Women’s Rankings…
Women’s Lucky 13
1) SNHU 9-2 ▲ 1
2) Le Moyne 8-2 ▲ 2
3) Pace 12-2 ▼2
4) USciences 10-2 ▼1
5) Bentley 5-4 —
6) Chestnut Hill 12-3 ▲5
7) Jefferson 11-4 —
8) St. A’s 8-6 ▲ 1
9) Stonehill 5-5 (NR)
10) Daemen 7-3 ▲ 3
11) SCSU 6-6 ▼3
12) Post 9-2 ▲ 2
13) Caldwell 9-5 (NR)
OUT: Assumption (6); AIC (10); Dominican (12)
The region is a mixed bag. Some groups above have yet to defeat an over-.500 team. Others not listed have three wins against such teams, but have struggled in the games against teams that, frankly, should be defeated. Bentley is 5-4 versus the fourth toughest schedule in the country. Some units decided to accumulate wins against teams that historically aren’t in the upper half of the region. Still others have had their schedules decimated thanks to the pandemic. Every team’s wins, losses and schedule weave a story which will have to be deciphered by the Regional Advisory Committee (RAC). The group of three coaches and three administrators (one of each from all three conferences in the region) will be given the task of determining the Top 10 for a couple weeks, and then the vital Top 8! There are categories and the system is formulaic. It leaves very little room for interpretation, but there is some leeway. At the Musings, we take the data, break it down and spit it out. This season, however, with the lack of non-conference games for some teams, every game has an increased worth. Also, coaches should not be afraid of makeshift contests. Sciences probably needs one good non-conference win to bolster its at-large hopes, while other schools may want to look inside the league for a non-conference game.
Keep your 
on:
#6 Chestnut Hill- The Griffins host two integral affairs at Sorgenti Arena in the Germantown section of Philadelphia this week. Tuesday, the Griffins get #4 Sciences and Saturday they host #12 Post. All three of these schools need quality wins in the worst possible way, but the team with the best chance to emerge from the CACC as an at-large is the Griffins, who have won six in a row and are in the midst of a five-game homestand. The non-con slate hasn’t been strong, but Jim Connolly has his charges in position to gain an entry into the field of 64!
#10 Daemen (5-0, ECC) vs. Mercy (6-0, ECC) — It is true, you have never heard me say this game was for the balance of power in the ECC. If form holds, Sunday’s tipoff in Dobbs Ferry will be a battle of the unbeaten in league play. The Mavericks are 2-14 versus the Wildcats all-time and have mustered just one win in Westchester throughout the series. That triumph was the first game the two schools played in the ECC on January 6, 2014. I fully expect Jenepher Banker’s squad to punish the rest of its schedule. The group has a way of putting other teams on watch and is the alpha of the loop until further notice. Mercy hasn’t won eight league games since the turn of the century, but that will change this season, even if not by the end of the weekend.
Men’s Top 13
1) Bentley 11-2 ▲1
2) Dominican 10-2 ▼1
3) STAC 12-3 ▲3
4) Franklin Pierce 7-3 —
5) St. A’s 8-4 ▲5
6) Jefferson 9-3 ▲6
7) Pace 9-5 —
8) Adelphi 10-5 ▲1
9) Stonehill 9-6 ▼1
10) New Haven 9-5 ▼7
11) Daemen 10-6 ▲3
12) Assumption 7-4 ▼4
13) Felician 8-4 NR
OUT: SNHU (11); Le Moyne (13)
Any team on this list, and several not included with a solid run, could gain an at-large. Expect some serious fluctuation as the year progresses. One of the teams not listed is Post University. The purple and orange (no, I’m not making that up) may be the team most under the radar. They carved out a big-time win in Manchester versus Saint A’s and the only blemish over the last five was a one-point defeat at the hands of the region’s top team, Bentley. While undefeated in the CACC (4-0), Post’s resume is not spotless. It has what the committee will see a bad loss at Saint Michael’s and two more that don’t look so hot at the moment (Bridgeport, SCSU). Mark Kuntz and his Eagles may not always play the hits, but this leader has his band tuned up at the right time. They do, however, need an undefeated week and that’s no small ask! Tuesday, #13 Felician enters the Drubner Center. The Golden Falcons also have a strong away from the JOB Gym hand-raise (Pace) and have played as well as anyone south of Bentley since mid-December. One other factor: After this week, the schedule is Golden. Ivan Lewis’s group will travel more than 13 miles only once (@Goldey-Beacom) for the remainder of the campaign. As legs get tired and bodies do not recover as quickly, that could spell the difference for a team that is inconspicuous.
ODDs and EVENs
Major credit to the NE10 for expanding the playoffs to include all teams. Typically, the conference leads the way on such issues and this is no exception. If you didn’t read the excellent article penned by our Steve Zerdelian on this very subject, check it out here! If you have yet to see how Sciences saved its season in Rockland County versus Dominican with an 80-74 win in double OT, then you will likely need the video which has to be seen to be believed. With the score, 59-56 in favor of the Chargers, nine seconds left and Isla Brennan inbounding in front of the Devils' bench, she did the unthinkable and called her own number. She passed the ball off the backside of a defender and established herself in bounds. By the time DC had any idea of what was happening, she had distributed the ball into the corner to Dayna Balasa, who despite not having hit a FG on the day (0-2) and not attempting a shot in the second half, calmly nailed the triple to tie the score. It was Balasa's first three-pointer in over a month. Fast forward to 1:34:30 and please note the score is incorrectly listed (59-54) on the display, if you would like to witness the insanity of it all! Brennan, who played for her father, Tom, while at Middletown South High School in Central Jersey, showed why being a coach’s kid can pay off!
Next week, we’ll drop the rankings from 13 to 12 and we’ll have much more, so be kind, courteous and make the extra pass! Bye for now!
McCaffrey’s Musings is authored by Tim McCaffrey who has covered D2 basketball since 2003. While not broadcasting or writing this column, he umpires baseball and lots of it. His website, closecallsports.com has millions of viewers which is frankly hard to believe, but completely verifiable! He responds to all e-mails so if you have a question or just want to chat or share your opinion feel free to reach out at: tpmccaffrey@gmail.com