Friday, December 09, 2005
I JUST STOPPED IN TO SEE WHAT CONDITION MY CONDITION WAS IN
Let's take a step back and take a look at the big picture as we're seven or eight games into the season for every team. It's hard to follow every PL team every day, so this is meant as a wrap up for those of you who have been too busy to pay attention. This is the first part of two.
For the record, the RPI is really only there because it will be interesting in 3 months to look back and see where teams stood. For the moment, though, it's pretty meaningless.
AMERICAN
Record: 1-6
RPI: 132
What's happened: AU started the season with 6 straight losses, but their strength of schedule is currently #8 in the RPI rankings, keeping their RPI afloat.
Best Win: 20 points over Mount St. Mary's, their only win
Worst Loss: Loyola Md., a team that has wins in the single digits for most of this decade.
What's gone right: Freshmen starting to develop, some sort of chemistry developing as well. Flashes of brilliance from Billbe and emergance of Nichols as a defensive stopper.
What's gone wrong: Andre Ingram seems to be rusty, and 40 point losses to anyone are a bad sign. Linas Lekavicius is either in the doghouse or has been forgotten by Jeff Jones.
Prediction: Should turn things around with easy games at home vs. Howard and Towson in the next week. From there, who knows. Away games at Vermont and St. Francis PA should give some indication as to whether AU can win at all on the road this year.
ARMY
Record: 2-5
RPI: 255
What's Happened: After starting the season off right with road wins at Columbia and VMI, staying close against UConn and taking the Citadel to OT, the Black Knights have dropped two straight to Sacred Heart and VMI (who they play twice this year in one of the dumber schedules of all time).
Best win: Columbia
Worst Loss: Fred Willard's alma mater, VMI
What's gone right: The Matt Bell show continues at West Point, with Bell dropping 15-20 points a night and providing the few assists Army has gotten. The Black Knights are also shooting the ball better, with a FG% around 42, much better than last year when they would shoot in the 20s or 30s consistently. Jarell Brown is also emerging as a threat to score, something Army has not had a lot of. Two DI wins means they will finish better than last year no matter what.
What's gone wrong: They're still Army. With Bell the only player averaging over 25 minutes a game, it's not that Army has a deep bench so much as no one has earned minutes (see: AU). Home losses to VMI and the Citadel, albeit close ones, are still embarassing.
Prediction: Might steal an upcoming OOC game against Cornell, Dartmouth, or Brown, but still haven't shown that they can have more than 2 or 3 PL wins.
BUCKNELL
Record: 5-1
RPI: 9
Best win: Syracuse
Worst Loss: Villanova
What's Happened: Two Big East wins and a win streak at home that has gone on since last November.
What's gone right: Pretty much everything. Loss to Villanova means they won't make the top 25 without beating Duke, but when you're flirting with the Top 25 in the Patriot League, you're doing pretty well.
What's gone wrong: Injury to John Clark hurts depth somewhat, but nothing too drastic.
Prediction: Still no indication that Bucknell is anything short of a giant primed to win 12-14 PL contests.
COLGATE
Record: 4-4
RPI: 215
Whats Happened: Colgate has been inconsistent, beating up on Princeton one day and then getting twacked by Quinnipiac, a school that I am skeptical even exists.
What's gone right: Chones brothers seem to have boosted them, with Kyle hitting the glass and Kendall scoring. Kyle Roemer continues to live up to my hype (please ignore said hype for AU's Lekavicius). He leads the team in minutes and points. They also actually drew 1000+ people to a game vs. FAU.
What's gone wrong: Turning the ball over a lot has cost them.
Prediction: Jury's still out. CU could compete for the #2 spot, or for the #5 spot.
Stay tuned next week for part II @ 2:18 PM
Let's take a step back and take a look at the big picture as we're seven or eight games into the season for every team. It's hard to follow every PL team every day, so this is meant as a wrap up for those of you who have been too busy to pay attention. This is the first part of two.
For the record, the RPI is really only there because it will be interesting in 3 months to look back and see where teams stood. For the moment, though, it's pretty meaningless.
AMERICAN
Record: 1-6
RPI: 132
What's happened: AU started the season with 6 straight losses, but their strength of schedule is currently #8 in the RPI rankings, keeping their RPI afloat.
Best Win: 20 points over Mount St. Mary's, their only win
Worst Loss: Loyola Md., a team that has wins in the single digits for most of this decade.
What's gone right: Freshmen starting to develop, some sort of chemistry developing as well. Flashes of brilliance from Billbe and emergance of Nichols as a defensive stopper.
What's gone wrong: Andre Ingram seems to be rusty, and 40 point losses to anyone are a bad sign. Linas Lekavicius is either in the doghouse or has been forgotten by Jeff Jones.
Prediction: Should turn things around with easy games at home vs. Howard and Towson in the next week. From there, who knows. Away games at Vermont and St. Francis PA should give some indication as to whether AU can win at all on the road this year.
ARMY
Record: 2-5
RPI: 255
What's Happened: After starting the season off right with road wins at Columbia and VMI, staying close against UConn and taking the Citadel to OT, the Black Knights have dropped two straight to Sacred Heart and VMI (who they play twice this year in one of the dumber schedules of all time).
Best win: Columbia
Worst Loss: Fred Willard's alma mater, VMI
What's gone right: The Matt Bell show continues at West Point, with Bell dropping 15-20 points a night and providing the few assists Army has gotten. The Black Knights are also shooting the ball better, with a FG% around 42, much better than last year when they would shoot in the 20s or 30s consistently. Jarell Brown is also emerging as a threat to score, something Army has not had a lot of. Two DI wins means they will finish better than last year no matter what.
What's gone wrong: They're still Army. With Bell the only player averaging over 25 minutes a game, it's not that Army has a deep bench so much as no one has earned minutes (see: AU). Home losses to VMI and the Citadel, albeit close ones, are still embarassing.
Prediction: Might steal an upcoming OOC game against Cornell, Dartmouth, or Brown, but still haven't shown that they can have more than 2 or 3 PL wins.
BUCKNELL
Record: 5-1
RPI: 9
Best win: Syracuse
Worst Loss: Villanova
What's Happened: Two Big East wins and a win streak at home that has gone on since last November.
What's gone right: Pretty much everything. Loss to Villanova means they won't make the top 25 without beating Duke, but when you're flirting with the Top 25 in the Patriot League, you're doing pretty well.
What's gone wrong: Injury to John Clark hurts depth somewhat, but nothing too drastic.
Prediction: Still no indication that Bucknell is anything short of a giant primed to win 12-14 PL contests.
COLGATE
Record: 4-4
RPI: 215
Whats Happened: Colgate has been inconsistent, beating up on Princeton one day and then getting twacked by Quinnipiac, a school that I am skeptical even exists.
What's gone right: Chones brothers seem to have boosted them, with Kyle hitting the glass and Kendall scoring. Kyle Roemer continues to live up to my hype (please ignore said hype for AU's Lekavicius). He leads the team in minutes and points. They also actually drew 1000+ people to a game vs. FAU.
What's gone wrong: Turning the ball over a lot has cost them.
Prediction: Jury's still out. CU could compete for the #2 spot, or for the #5 spot.
Stay tuned next week for part II @ 2:18 PM
