By Tim McCaffrey
This week we debut the Musings Top 15 in both men’s and women’s basketball. It’s too early in the season to have enough data, so this ranking is a work in progress! Since we began this column five years ago, every team that has garnered an at-large entry into the Big Dance has been in this ranking. We begin on the men’s side….
1) Dominican 6-0
2) Stonehill 6-1
3) Bentley 3-1
4) Assumption 4-1
5) Saint Rose 4-1
6) Daemen 3-3
7) Pace 6-0
8) Southern New Hampshire 4-2
9) Adelphi 3-1
10) Saint Anselm 2-2
11) St. Thomas Aquinas 4-3
12) Le Moyne 3-2
13) New Haven 3-3
14) Franklin Pierce 3-3
15) Caldwell 3-2
While the CACC sandwiches my rankings…. The NE10 is the stuffing. Some games that move the meter….
Wednesday December 1:
#1 Dominican @ #15 Caldwell 7:30 pm
It’s a rare chance for the Cougars to get a marquee CACC win. They don’t want to miss this opportunity. At the moment these are only two of three schools in the entire conference above 500.
#5 Saint Rose @ #7 Pace 7:30 pm
The Setters have feasted on the leftovers in the non-con schedule and have yet to play an opponent with a winning record.. until now. Pace can prove it belongs, while Saint Rose is talented and tested. The contrast in styles should make for an interesting game in Westchester County. Saint Rose can score in a hurry and Pace puts a body on you as you pay your ticket!
#4 Assumption @ #3 Bentley 7:30 pm
Over the last few years I’ve been buying on Assumption. If there was ever a time to tell the NE10 you’ve arrived it would be with a win in Waltham. Bentley doesn’t lose games like this often, but nonetheless it figures to be a game full of possibilities.
Sunday December 5:
#2 Stonehill @ #10 Saint Anselm 3:30
After the Skyhawks get a cranky STAC Spartans group on Wednesday in North Easton, Chris Kraus and company make the short jaunt north to Manchester where the Hawks await. It’s the kind of week that generally yields a 1-1 result, but if Stonehill can get through these two tough affairs, it is going to be in the thick of the NCAA discussion until the field is announced. That’s the fine line in Division II. A season can swing on a game here or a game there.
Let’s get right into the women’s rankings!
1) Pace 4-0
2) Bentley 3-2
3) Stonehill 0-2
4) Southern New Hampshire 5-1
5) Daemen 2-2
6) Dominican 5-2
7) USciences 4-1
8) Le Moyne 3-1
9) Assumption 4-2
10) Franklin Pierce 5-2
11) New Haven 4-2
12) Southern Connecticut 3-2
13) Post 4-1
14) Jefferson 4-1
15) Molloy 3-3
As we shift to the women’s side of the ledger, the theme remains consistent. The Northeast 10 is the dominant league. The ECC is 1-11 versus them. The CACC is top heavy, but Dominican’s two losses in its last two games have turned the Charger season upside down. How to rank Stonehill was a dilemma. Luckily for all of us this poll means nothing!
TMAC’S GAME OF THE WEEK!!
Tuesday November 30: #3 Stonehill @ #5 Daemen 6 pm
It’s hard to imagine Stonehill heading into December on a hunt for its first win, but that would be the case should the group come up empty in Western New York. Credit Jenepher Banker for stepping up the schedule this season. A win against a top flight NE10 program, even at home, is necessary for the Wildcats.
Until next week…. Always do what’s right!
McCaffrey’s Musings is authored by Tim McCaffrey. When he’s not writing this column, he’s trying to figure out how he went from being a strong swimmer to a slightly below average one… He can be reached at tpmccaffrey@gmail.com.