McCaffrey’s Musings
By: Tim McCaffrey
Happy New Year! We begin with a women’s top 11 that has begun to take form.
TMAC’s Top 11 - WBB
#11) Daemen (9-2) ⬆1
#10) Pace (7-7) NR
#9) Dominican (10-6) NR
#8) Holy Family (11-5) ⬆3
#7) Le Moyne (10-5) ⬇2
#6) St. Thomas Aquinas (11-4) ⬆3
#5) Southern Connecticut (9-4) ⬇1
#4) Bentley (10-4) ⬆3
#3) Jefferson (13-2) ⬇1
#2) Southern New Hampshire (11-2) ⬆1
#1) Assumption (13-1) ↔
OUT: #6 New Haven, #9 Adelphi, #10 American International
Yes, I do know SNHU defeated Assumption in Manchester. One game does not alter an entire body of work. There is plenty of time left for change, however this is where we stand at the moment. The demise of Bentley was greatly exaggerated. The data accumulates over many months and not a fortnight. Teams ranked six and lower all have losses that would be considered “bad” by the Regional Selection Committee (RAC).
Jefferson’s tough loss at STAC doesn’t eliminate them from a chance to host the regional, but it does mean the Rams have a more difficult hill to climb. Bentley also isn’t out of the mix to host. The Falcons have already banked a win over SNHU and are part of our Women’s Game of the Week…..
#1 Assumption @ #4 Bentley: Wednesday, January 11, 5:30 PM
A loss for either team doesn’t hurt much aside from potentially moving Kerry Phayre’s contingent down to the two-line. Bentley needs this for any chance to host. D2Easthoop’s own Steve Zerdelian will have honors of broadcasting, so no matter if you are at the game or are watching online, you’ll have made a good decision!
The men’s rankings are sporting a heavy dose of the NE-10.
TMAC’s Top 11 - MBB
#11) Franklin Pierce (7-7) ⬇5
#10) Post (8-7) ⬇1
#9) Southern New Hampshire (8-6) NR
#8) Le Moyne 9-7 ⬆2
#7) St. Thomas Aquinas (14-2) ⬇4
#6) Southern Connecticut (11-4) ⬆1
#5) Saint Anselm (10-4) ↔
#4) New Haven (10-3) ⬆4
#3) Pace (13-3) ⬆1
#2) Dominican (13-1)* ↔
#1) Bentley (12-1) ↔
*Games against Cheyney do not count as far as ranking purposes.
Out: #11 Jefferson, #12 Wilmington
It stands out like a sore thumb, so we have to talk about the drop of STAC. The Spartans have a numbers problem, namely Strength of Schedule (SOS). This is one category, but it has been a MAJOR point of emphasis for the RAC. Spartans stand at 271 of 298 teams and are projected to be 293 by the season’s end. The next closest team in the top 11 is Southern Connecticut at 198.
Post’s loss at Bloomfield is going to make an at-large path next to impossible. New Haven’s win in Manchester over Saint Anselm shows the Chargers are ready to return to the dance. The surprise team this year is Southern Connecticut who sports an eight-game winning streak. However, the Owls only defeated one team with a winning record over that span (Bloomfield).
Until Next time…. To all the coaches who use this article as bulletin board material….. Try this quote…..
I have a destination that answers your denial of what I can be! - Harry Belafonte
We need your help… This website is expensive….. https://www.patreon.com/D2easthoops
This was written by Tim McCaffrey, to write to him, try t.p.mccaffrey@gmail.com, he returns every e-mail!