Pre Season Top 10

[Vowelguy]

St. John's [has] ... just about everybody back and the top 3 scorers.

Everybody ... except their coach. That's their key wildcard.

 

[alexrgct]

It's an odd leap to go from pointing out that Delaware's schedule hurts them to thinking that means there was something they should have done in terms of scheduling that they didn't. It's a statement of fact, not a judgement. Their schedule is a joke and doesn't make them better, especially as you approach the business end of the season. Kansas, a middling team, had absolutely no fear of Delaware. That says a lot.

A top 10 team expects to make the Sweet 16 and aspires to make the Elite Eight. Those teams falling into that category have a better schedule than the Blue Hens, and it makes it tough for Delaware to break through.

Also not sure how men's preseason rankings apply to the women's game. WCBB tends to stick reasonably close to the script. There may be a surprise or two and a disappointment or two, but things rarely play out that shockingly.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

It's an odd leap to go from pointing out that Delaware's schedule hurts them to thinking that means there was something they should have done in terms of scheduling that they didn't. It's a statement of fact, not a judgement. Their schedule is a joke and doesn't make them better, especially as you approach the business end of the season. Kansas, a middling team, had absolutely no fear of Delaware. That says a lot.

A top 10 team expects to make the Sweet 16 and aspires to make the Elite Eight. Those teams falling into that category have a better schedule than the Blue Hens, and it makes it tough for Delaware to break through.

There are some aspects of this thread that are all over the place. To be blunt - Deleware is unlikely to be breaking through anywhere. They are likely to have a good season. The better teams on their schedule - obviously OOC - are about as stiff as some exceptionally good teams schedule OOC. Make no mistake, UConn consistently has a high SOS because they do play a number of good teams. The average # of major conference teams (not necessarily good ones) that most teams play OOC is 2, maybe 3. Deleware's conference is good enough that they have to play decent ball, but their St. John's, Georgetown and MD games mentioned above will be their best games. They certainly have the potential to be top 10 this season, not so much afterword.

As to Kansas - I like the coach, but that team has classically under-achieved. Historically, they play a cup-cake OOC and take their lumps in the Big 12. A Sweet 16 for either Deleware or Kansas will be success in my opinion. Baring injuries, I give Deleware a better shot at the elite 8 than the Jayhawks. JMHO.

 

[DobbsRover2]

It's an odd leap to go from pointing out that Delaware's schedule hurts them to thinking that means there was something they should have done in terms of scheduling that they didn't. It's a statement of fact, not a judgement. Their schedule is a joke and doesn't make them better, especially as you approach the business end of the season. Kansas, a middling team, had absolutely no fear of Delaware. That says a lot.

A top 10 team expects to make the Sweet 16 and aspires to make the Elite Eight. Those teams falling into that category have a better schedule than the Blue Hens, and it makes it tough for Delaware to break through.

Also not sure how men's preseason rankings apply to the women's game. WCBB tends to stick reasonably close to the script. There may be a surprise or two and a disappointment or two, but things rarely play out that shockingly.

UTenn fans used to say how much UConn's "cupcake" schedule back in the early 2000s hurt them. Guess so. If Blue Hens get a few games in against decently strong teams (MD, St.John's, maybe St. Bonny), they can make it work in the NCAAs.

And of course men's preseason rankings have nothing to do with women's rankings, which have to run true to form. Except when they don't. With just the teams in the NC's here's the list of those non-sure thing candidates in last 8 years:

• 2010-11: ND listed at #12, Texas A&M at #8
• 2008-09: Louisville at #9 - #10
• 2005-06: Baylor at #8, Michigan State at #15
• 2004-05: Maryland #14

So yeah, preseason rankings even for WCBB are not things I'd wager my collection of Husky jerseys on. Not sure what you consider to be a surprise, but if I was told that any of the teams not ranked in the top 10, maybe even the top 6, would be in the NC game of the "reasonably close to script" WCBB, I would be amazed. And this in a sport where the UConns, UTenns, and Stanfords seem to make everything patty cake simple. Nope, no surprises in WCBB. How far up does your "reasonable" extend? #14 and #15?

 

[Vowelguy]

It's an odd leap to go from pointing out that Delaware's schedule hurts them to thinking that means there was something they should have done in terms of scheduling that they didn't. It's a statement of fact, not a judgement. Their schedule is a joke and doesn't make them better, especially as you approach the business end of the season. Kansas, a middling team, had absolutely no fear of Delaware. That says a lot.

A top 10 team expects to make the Sweet 16 and aspires to make the Elite Eight. Those teams falling into that category have a better schedule than the Blue Hens, and it makes it tough for Delaware to break through.

A weak schedule isnt a problem if you are playing against an external standard, not just your opponent. This is why UConn was able to emerge -- the BigEast was weak for much of the 90s, but Geno always demanded perfection and so the Huskies would blowout inferior teams.
That is not the case with Delaware. And they were not winning impressively -- against a mediocre Colonial Conference, the Hens had a lot of close or average-marging wins. Back when Old Dominion was rolling through the Colonial in the 90s, they were destroying their opponents.

Also not sure how men's preseason rankings apply to the women's game. WCBB tends to stick reasonably close to the script. There may be a surprise or two and a disappointment or two, but things rarely play out that shockingly.

Completely agree. WCBB is still much much less competitive than MCBB.

 

[Outside Shot]

Delaware's schedule is exactly what it should be for Delaware. They are a mid-major team. With schedules made 2 or so years in advance, their schedule looks perfectly reasonable to me. After this season, they'll return to pre-EDD form.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Delaware's schedule is exactly what it should be for Delaware. They are a mid-major team. With schedules made 2 or so years in advance, their schedule looks perfectly reasonable to me. After this season, they'll return to pre-EDD form.

Absolutely. I believe the problem for many posters here is that when mid majors do well with their #70-#79 schedule and reel off 30 wins or so, the pollsters naturally reward them for what they've accomplished. Some fans feel that all the major conference teams that repeatedly do the sub-regional disappearance act in the NCAAs each year still must be tons better than the Delawares simply because they have more grit in the diet, even if they have 12-13 losses. Personally, I like to see the Gonzagas, UWGB, MTSUs, and Delawares get recognition for the good things they do, not just get derided for tough losses 1200 miles from home. I know others feel differently and think the ranking should be up nearer to the SOS. Delaware reminds me of a little mid-major team from SW Mizzoo St back in 2001 who had one superstar player, a terrible SOS, and ran with her all the way to the FF in Jackie's senior year after getting bounced in the first round the year before. Of course, even back in the 2001, there were p0sters saying, "See, Purdue shut down SW Mizz in the FF because you can't just have one player trying to do it all for a team." Guess not.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Absolutely. I believe the problem for many posters here is that when mid majors do well with their #70-#79 schedule and reel off 30 wins or so, the pollsters naturally reward them for what they've accomplished. Some fans feel that all the major conference teams that repeatedly do the sub-regional disappearance act in the NCAAs each year still must be tons better than the Delawares simply because they have more grit in the diet, even if they have 12-13 losses. Personally, I like to see the Gonzagas, UWGB, MTSUs, and Delawares get recognition for the good things they do, not just get derided for tough losses 1200 miles from home. I know others feel differently and think the ranking should be up nearer to the SOS. Delaware reminds me of a little mid-major team from SW Mizzoo St back in 2001 who had one superstar player, a terrible SOS, and ran with her all the way to the FF in Jackie's senior year after getting bounced in the first round the year before. Of course, even back in the 2001, there were p0sters saying, "See, Purdue shut down SW Mizz in the FF because you can't just have one player trying to do it all for a team." Guess not.

Just to be fair - like Deleware, the supporting cast at SWMS filled their roles. Actually they had a second player that was good - not Styles good, but more than respectable. The rest, as I say, filled in and fit in to make them a dangerous team.

That said, they almost went out in the 2nd round at Rutgers. The RU team that year was extremely underachieving - but had a good chance to tie or win the game just before the end and
Tasha Pointer dribbled the ball off her foot and out of bounds. We hated losing to them both because it was home and also because their coach called Rutgers "Friggin NJ" when assigned the region.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Just to be fair - like Deleware, the supporting cast at SWMS filled their roles. Actually they had a second player that was good - not Styles good, but more than respectable. The rest, as I say, filled in and fit in to make them a dangerous team.

That said, they almost went out in the 2nd round at Rutgers. The RU team that year was extremely underachieving - but had a good chance to tie or win the game just before the end and
Tasha Pointer dribbled the ball off her foot and out of bounds. We hated losing to them both because it was home and also because their coach called Rutgers "Friggin NJ" when assigned the region.

Good point about filling the roles. For the Blue Hens the players did mainly fill that role last year while winning 31 games. but a few TOs in an NCAA game can end your season in a close loss rather than a close win. I just think it's a shame that certain pundits than compost a team's whole season as being bad rather than giving them your due. As you point out, SW Mizz had semi-close 7 point wins over Rutgers and 10 point wins over Duke before blowing out Washington in the regional final, but if Jackie like Elena didn't have another player to shoot at 50% level, things could have been different. Many times things revolve around one play, I just don't think you should crap on a team that did real well all season because the last two minutes or so of a game didn't go as hoped. No team is immune to that problem.