As mentioned in previous postings about the CIS Top 10, it is an inexact science and positions can be taken both pro and con for any ranking (outside of not ranking Carleton #1). However, today's rankings bring up at least two glaring discrepancies in my opinion. The most obvious to me is knocking the Toronto Varsity Blues completely out of the Top 10 despite an overtime loss on the road at a Guelph team that is ranked and rides a 11 game winning streak - moving the Blues from #8 to #11 after that single loss, which they then rebounded from with a solid win against a very good Brock team is questionable. Toronto is two spots below a Calgary team they defeated head-to-head on a neutral court in October. As well, with all due respect to the St. Mary's Huskies, who had a great start to their season, moving them up to #8 despite having to go to overtime against one of the lowest ranked teams in Canada is a stretch. As well, the Huskies are only one week removed from losing twice, the second time badly, at Cape Breton, who are ranked below them. True, St. Mary's have not yet played a home regular season game and I have no doubt that the Huskies will be heard from in the second half of the season as Coach Ross Quackenbush seems to always find a way to get his team's going late in the year, but if these rankings are indicative of the Top 10 teams in Canada right now, I think the Huskies do not belong right now. St. Mary's has an opportunity to support these rankings and prove me wrong on Thursday night when they host X in Halifax.
Courtesy of the NABCC ...
NABCC Top Ten
November 27, 2007
LW League Votes
-- ------ -----
1. Carleton (43) #1 6-0 516 votes
2. UBC #4 9-1 471 votes
3. Acadia #6 5-1 390 votes
4. Concordia #3 2-1 359 votes
5. Brandon #7 7-1 358 votes
6. Windsor #2 4-2 315 votes
7. Guelph #10 6-0 229 votes
8. Saint Mary's #9 3-2 193 votes
9. Calgary #12 7-1 165 votes
10. Alberta #5 5-3 129 votes
11. Toronto #8 5-1 120 votes
12. Ottawa #15 6-0 57 votes
13. Cape Breton #11 5-1 19 votes
14. Queen's #13 4-2 18 votes
15. St. Francis Xavier NR 4-1 3 votes
4 comments:
Obviously the coaches have no idea what they are doing when it comes to the Top Ten. Some of them seem to have no idea about strength of schedule nor do they even pay attention to the most basic catergory for inclusion the "win - loss"
How can a team like St Mary's who only have 3 wins (2 of those coming against one of the worst teams in the CIS, in which they needed double overtime to beat) be in the top ten at all let alone at #8 and Ottawa who is 6-0 and beat a ranked Windsor team this week cant even get a spot in the 10?? What a joke.
Toronto loses in 0T to a ranked Gueplh on the road and beats Brock yet slips from #8 to #11. It seems to me that the coaches just see one loss and drop you 3 places with no consideration for the stregth of opponent, how you lost (OT), where you lost and who teams they are ranking ahead of you beat.
Cape Breton dont make it to the 10either with a record of 5-1 after they beat St Mary's twice last week.
Can somebody please explain to me why St Mary's gets rewarded for beating one of the lowest ranked teams in the CIS in double OT?
I am assuming that coaches may be looking out for themselves, their friends, and their conference. I would think coaches outside of the OUA are doing all they can to ensure that their conferences are represented in the Top 10 even though they dont deserve to be. Im sure these coaches would hate the fact that atleast 5 spots out of the 10 should go to OUA teams and are voting to stop this from happening. Given that these rankings do have some bearing on the Wildcard for Nationals I am sure there are coaches out there with their own agendas.
The coaches should be ashamed of themselves.
I agree. Ottawa deserves a spot in the Top 10. Absolutely.
By the way, what is the NABCC? And does it have a website?
What else is new?
The CIS rankings is about as arbitrary and flawed a rankings system as you can reasonably expect. This is part due to regionalism and part due to the fact that there can be no accounting for the obvious disparities between conferences. At the very least, it can be established that OUA teams are by and large, superior to their Atlantic counterparts these days.
It will be interesting to see how those Atlantic teams fare at the CIS finals in Ottawa this year, far away from their home supporters.
But on the whole, I don't think the players or coaches much care about rank. Superiority is proved on the floor, not in a coach's poll.
NO question block voting was happening! Defies logic that U of T was dropped that much and Ottawa U not rewarded for beating the #2 ranked Lancers handily and the much hyped Mustangs...
Post a Comment