By Tim McCaffrey
Welcome to the freshest McCaffrey’s Musings! We will have our rankings in a moment, but first I wanted to highlight a coach who is having a breakthrough season.
Karen Pinkos (left) is seeking a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in her tenure at the helm of Southern New Hampshire women’s basketball. When I talk to other coaches or administrators about the Penmen, invariably the first thing you hear is, “I’m so happy for Karen.” Just when it looked like the squad was the favorite to gain its first Northeast 10 Championship, two starters, Meg Knollmeyer (13.8PPG/13.0 REB) and Gyanna Russell (13.1PPG) suffered injuries in a game at Bentley. At the time of their departures from the starting lineup, the duo were the Penmen’s top two scorers.
Shockingly, the Penmen have not missed a beat. They have regrouped and have yet to lose (4-0) with the retooled rotation. Few teams could have sustained a loss of one player of that magnitude, let alone two. The contingent is fun to watch and they execute to precision. Credit to the team’s perseverance goes to its leader. She has done a remarkable job piecing the Penmen together and keeping it galvanized through all the adversity of the season!
If your favorite team is eliminated and you’re looking for a team to root for then perhaps the Penman are your choice. Don’t hesitate to give some of your good Karma back to Pinkos. There isn’t a kinder person in the region!
TMAC’S Women’s Seeds
1) Southern New Hampshire (20-5) LOCK: Should not only be a lock on the top spot, but a lock to host the regional with one more win.
2) Chestnut Hill (22-4) NEAR LOCK: Probably two more wins away, but it’s hard seeing CHC not dancing with its resume.
3) Le Moyne (16-5) NEAR LOCK: Big affair @ Pace Tuesday. Win will clinch lock status as the Dolphins would be 5-1 against the top 10.
4) Jefferson: (20-6) NEAR LOCK: A home win over Sciences Wednesday should be enough to secure a bid, but the Rams are big fans of Bloomsburg and Lincoln who were nice off the radar triumphs. 4-3 vs. regionally ranked teams is solid!
5) USciences (19-3): The Devils have yet to defeat a team projected to be in the field and have mustered merely six wins against teams over .500, but with no bad losses and the rest of the field imploding here is where they should be, for now.
6) Pace (19-6): Pace doesn’t need a win vs. Le Moyne Tuesday, but it’s strongly advisable after another bad loss. Sometimes quantifying bad losses vs. good wins is tough when one team has none of either and another has multiple in both departments.
7) Bentley (12-8): Has #8 in common opponents 3-1 vs. Daemen’s 0-2 against St. A and Stonehill. Is winning the criteria enough when the records are so different?
8) Daemen (16-4) When you peel back the onion the resume isn’t all that strong, but they are the class of the ECC. Seeking first win versus Top 10 team and won’t be able to get one unless it makes NCAAs.
Overall Thoughts:
Stonehill (13-8) has completed its regular season and despite a win at Daemen, it doesn’t win the categories versus the Wildcats. Many of the loyal readers reached out for my thoughts on the 1st WBB rankings, and I thought Ink Blot Sports said it best. “As for the NE10 teams, and where the Chestnut Hill and Jefferson slot in among them, it almost feels random.” (Full Tweet below)
https://twitter.com/InkblotSports/status/1494196950719205376
Stonehill could still climb into the field if there are no upsets and Bentley slips up Tuesday against Saint Anselm, or Friday in its first-round NE 10 contest.
Men’s Top Eight
1) Bentley (18-4) LOCK: There is still a chance they could drop to #2, but it won’t be lower than that.
2) Franklin Pierce (15-8) NEAR LOCK: Will attain lock status with one more win. Sweep over Bentley means an NE-10 Tournament title coupled with a win over the Falcons could mean the top spot.
3) Saint Anselm (15-8) NEAR LOCK: Swept by FPC, but still need one win.
4) Dominican (18-6) They are ahead of Pace because they have better numbers in the criteria. Early-season wins @ New Haven and Adelphi are golden!
5) Pace (17-8) By virtue of its sweep over New Haven it’s hard to move the Setters off this line despite having the criteria favor #6.
6) New Haven (17-7) Winless (0-3) against #4 & #5, however the pendulum could swing if either loses one more and UNH does not.
7) St. Thomas Aquinas (22-4) This is about as good as the Spartans could do. Impossible to imagine they drop lower than seven, but it is hard moving them up. Zero margin for error.
8) Daemen (18-7) The Wildcats just don’t have the numbers versus STAC, but because the schedule was so difficult, the group still has a chance.
Outside at the Moment
9) Adelphi (17-9): Heartbreaking 0-3 week for the Panthers saw them tumble, but all is not lost. Make a deep run to the finals of the NE 10 and get some help and there’s a chance, albeit slim for the Garden City contingent.
10) Southern New Hampshire (13-10): Whether it’s SNHU, Stonehill (14-11) or Jefferson (18-5), the clock has just about run out!
Overall Thoughts:
The National Committee is led by Rusty Osborne, the Head Men’s Basketball Coach of Alaska Anchorage. There has been a long mission for teams to play high-level schedules. When the best teams in the region play, it makes the region better. There isn’t an award for accumulating wins. Not only must you go out and schedule teams, but you also have to beat them. I thought the bracket was magnificently parsed last week and am confident that you’re in good hands with the leadership in Division II for the Men’s Basketball Committee nationally and regionally.
Until Next Time…..
Enjoy the week, and enjoy the great basketball and we will see you back here Monday! Be nice!
McCaffrey’s Musings is authored by Tim McCaffrey who has covered D2 basketball since 2003. He has broadcast hundreds of Division II Games and can be paid by food. If you would like to reach out he responds to all e-mails tpmccaffrey@gmail.com