New York Area Power Poll – Dec. 4

A number of head-to-head match ups this week impacted the poll in a myriad of ways. For one, Fairleigh Dickinson – after beating both Rutgers and Seton Hall – makes its first appearance of the season in the poll. Also, the only relatively unscathed New Jersey team – Princeton (5-1) – is climbing up the ranks. Back in New York City the St. John’s Red Storm are tightening their grip on first place, but I think that says more about the teams below them than it does about Steve Lavin’s crew.

Let’s get to the poll! Note that we only had five poll voters this week, which is why vote totals are a little lower. I anticipate we’ll be back to our normal six starting next week.

1. St. John’s – 49 points (4 first place votes)
2. Iona – 42 points
3. Stony Brook – 34 points (1)
4. Manhattan – 31 points
5. St. Francis Brooklyn – 31 points
6. Princeton – 25 points
7. Fordham – 23 points
8. Seton Hall – 16 points
9. Fairleigh Dickinson – 8 points
10. Quinnipiac – 8 points

Other receiving votes: Wagner – 7 points; Hofstra – 1 point

Voters were absolutely all over the place this week. Princeton was unranked in one poll and second in another. Wagner was unranked in most of the ballots after losing to Lafayette on Tuesday night, but still managed to appear enough to almost make the Top 10. The Gaels have been impressive, including a road win at Florida Gulf Coast. They open MAAC play tonight against Marist. A few wins this weekend might be enough for Iona to slip past St. John’s and into first place. If you believe Ken Pomeroy’s rankings at this point in the season then that would be the right thing to do.

I doubt that FDU is going to hold onto this spot much longer. The Knights have to play at Stony Brook tonight (which we’ll be at) and then at Princeton on Saturday. Despite the big upsets the Knights are still huge underdogs in those games. Also, watch out for two other Ivy League teams that poll voters seem to have forgotten about, Yale and Columbia. The Lions play tonight against Army and then at Bucknell on Saturday. A couple wins would surely make people take notice. Yale plays Bryant and New Hampshire. At 163 and 165 in the Pomeroy rankings though both teams are probably not getting their fair shake in this poll.