With the season kicking into high-gear and games actually having been played the polls got a big shakeup this round. The holidays have thinned the voting pool a bit, but we’ve still got a good representative sample and some of the results are pretty intriguing. Coming off a solid performance in Puerto Rico the Iona Gaels still check in at #1, but #4 and #9 might surprise you. Unfortunately #23 probably won’t.
Results (first place votes and change from last poll in parentheses):
- Iona (8 of 9 first place votes, n/c)
- Seton Hall (1 first place vote, +1)
- St. John’s (+1)
- Wagner (+7)
- Rutgers (-3)
- Fairfield (-1)
- Hofstra (+2)
- Long Island (-2)
- Manhattan (+7)
- Princeton (-3)
- Sacred Heart (+6)
- Yale (n/c)
- Stony Brook (-5)
- Rider (-3)
- Fordham (-1)
- St. Peter’s (-1)
- St. Francis (NY) (+4)
- Fairleigh Dickinson (+5)
- Marist (+3)
- Army (-1)
- Columbia (-8)
- NJIT (-3)
- Monmouth (-5)
Notes:
- The team that caused the biggest disagreement this week was Fairleigh Dickinson. Here’s what Asher Fusco had to say about ranking the Knights 15th: “The biggest reach here is probably Fairleigh Dickinson, but solid performances against Providence and Lehigh and a head-to-head victory against St. Peter’s makes it hard to rank the Knights any lower.”
- Another team that’s a tough one to rank is Rider. The Broncs are 1-4, but that includes an eight-point loss at Pittsburgh and a six-point loss to Penn in overtime. As Chris McManus pointed out in his notes, the Broncs may be the best four-loss team in America right now.
- McManus also noted why Rutgers seems to be getting a pass here despite losing to Illinois State on Tuesday night. “Rutgers remains steady despite a loss to Illinois St. because Wagner [ed. note: enough voters decided they had], Hofstra and Fairfield haven’t shown enough to leapfrog the Scarlet Knights.”
- The big movers up are Wagner, Manhattan and Sacred Heart. The Pioneers are benefitting from a head-to-head victory over Stony Brook and being ranked so low to being with. The Seahawks are off to a great 4-1 start with a win over fellow poll member Princeton. Manhattan has been impressive in the early season under new head coach Steve Masiello. The Jaspers are playing a lot of close games and beat Fresno State before falling in overtime to Colorado State last night in the Preseason NIT.
- The big fallers are Stony Brook, Columbia and Monmouth. For the Seawolves it’s a case of high expectations needing to come back to earth a little bit, but last night’s win over the Lions was a good start. Columbia is dealing with a serious rash of injuries. The Hawks are 0-5 and struggling mightily. An eight-point loss to Brown on Tuesday night is their only defeat where the margin was within 30 points.
Thanks to all the poll voters: Jerry Beach, Jaden Daly, Pico Dulce, Guy Falotico, Asher Fusco, Chris McManus, Gary Moore, and Jon Solomon.
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