Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

[MisterWizard]

Central
1 Northwest Missouri State 23-1
2 Southwest Minnesota State 24-5
3 East Central 21-7
4 Arkansas-Monticello 18-5
5 Augustana (South Dakota) 20-7
6 MSU Moorhead 22-5
7 Arkansas Tech 18-6
8 Upper Iowa 21-9
9 Northern State 21-8
10 Southern Nazarene 18-10

[MrAugustana]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

As Stanger noted in a different thread, these rankings only count THROUGH Sunday night's games. Which doesn't help Northern in particular, and I would assume helps Upper Iowa a little (since they won one game after these rankings against an unranked but still decent Mankato team), unless some unexpected teams win their conference tourneys.

At this point, I would think the biggest potential change-maker on the bottom half of that bracket would be Arkansas Tech's performance in the GAC tournament, or any possible upset tourney winner (meaning anyone other than NWMSU in the MIAA and anyone other than East Central, Arkansas Tech, or Arkansas-Monticello in the GAC). I can't see much changing between now and the final rankings for Augie, Moorhead, or UIU, other than UIU maybe jumping up a spot and, I suppose, Augie maybe dropping below Moorhead if their loss to SMSU did enough damage to negate whatever it is that helped them jump MSU-Moorhead this week.

Or maybe I'm just wrong all around and things will look completely different in the final rankings.

Either way, really pumped to see Augie in a relatively "safe" spot (quotation marks necessary, since nothing is ever fully safe in the Regional Rankings unless you're in those upper 3-4 spots in the second-to-last rankings release) in terms of possibly being knocked out by upset tourney winners. Especially knowing that such an upset didn't happen in the NSIC conference tournament. Just hope Augie can stay in that 5-6 position when the final rankings are released.

[Peacock]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

Good to see and what I expected if this was only through Sunday. As MrAugustana said - barring any upsets this coming weekend NSIC should have 4 teams. May be an upside for UIU based on Monday win and if Arch Tech doesn't play well in their tourney.

[Stanger86]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

This is pretty much as I expected, as well. UIU should be the fourth NSIC team, unless a surprise team wins the MIAA or GAC Tournaments. I also expected Moorhead to drop a couple spots.

As currently constructed, no same-conference opening round matchups.

[MisterWizard]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

Here's an interesting tidbit that may or may not be true. I've heard that for the weekly rankings the committees will rely heavily on the Performance Indicator. But the true "selection" process on Sunday is much more of a constructive debate, with the PI playing a role but head to head and SOS and who's playing well right now etc factoring in to the conversation. And certainly from a seeding standpoint too.

So this final weekly ranking is a good marker, but I wouldn't start scouting specific matchups just yet. And whomever is 11th right now could sneak up on somebody, but that's doubtful given the good finish by Upper Iowa.

[NSU4LIFE]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

We are all in agreement then that despite having lost head to head and UIU having two more loses they won't fall below NSU?

[simple as a $3 bill]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

As Stanger noted in a different thread, these rankings only count THROUGH Sunday night's games. Which doesn't help Northern in particular, and I would assume helps Upper Iowa a little (since they won one game after these rankings against an unranked but still decent Mankato team), unless some unexpected teams win their conference tourneys.

At this point, I would think the biggest potential change-maker on the bottom half of that bracket would be Arkansas Tech's performance in the GAC tournament, or any possible upset tourney winner (meaning anyone other than NWMSU in the MIAA and anyone other than East Central, Arkansas Tech, or Arkansas-Monticello in the GAC). I can't see much changing between now and the final rankings for Augie, Moorhead, or UIU, other than UIU maybe jumping up a spot and, I suppose, Augie maybe dropping below Moorhead if their loss to SMSU did enough damage to negate whatever it is that helped them jump MSU-Moorhead this week.

Or maybe I'm just wrong all around and things will look completely different in the final rankings.

Either way, really pumped to see Augie in a relatively "safe" spot (quotation marks necessary, since nothing is ever fully safe in the Regional Rankings unless you're in those upper 3-4 spots in the second-to-last rankings release) in terms of possibly being knocked out by upset tourney winners. Especially knowing that such an upset didn't happen in the NSIC conference tournament. Just hope Augie can stay in that 5-6 position when the final rankings are released.

You'd much rather be 6th than 5th. That's not a light at the end of a tunnel, That's the headlamp on the train called Justin Pitts and it has 2nd round exit written all over it, as opposed to getting to another Regional final. With a 2nd round match-up if you're 5th. Walthall's probably sitting there patting himself on the back right now, thinking, just as I drew it up with that early exit.

[ddwitte]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

We are all in agreement then that despite having lost head to head and UIU having two more loses they won't fall below NSU?

I probably have a bias, but I am not convinced. We were ahead of them last week. They went 2-0 and we went 1-1 with a loss to the now 5th ranked team. Then after that they went 1-1 with a loss to the 2nd ranked team while we didn't play. So, I think the odds that we pass them are somewhere around 25%, but I think there is a possibility.

[NSU4LIFE]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

I probably have a bias, but I am not convinced. We were ahead of them last week. They went 2-0 and we went 1-1 with a loss to the now 5th ranked team. Then after that they went 1-1 with a loss to the 2nd ranked team while we didn't play. So, I think the odds that we pass them are somewhere around 25%, but I think there is a possibility.

I don't have to convince myself, I enjoy hope no matter how bleak. We would like Missouri Western to lose immediately and Southern Nazarene to win one or two, right?

[Augieholic]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

You'd much rather be 6th than 5th. That's not a light at the end of a tunnel, That's the headlamp on the train called Justin Pitts and it has 2nd round exit written all over it, as opposed to getting to another Regional final. With a 2nd round match-up if you're 5th. Walthall's probably sitting there patting himself on the back right now, thinking, just as I drew it up with that early exit.

As enjoyable as it would be for the current rankings to hold, Augie won't finish ahead of Moorhead in the final rankings since the Dragons won in Sioux Falls earlier this year.

Concerning when to play NW, while all options are mostly futile the possibility of Augie playing them on the second night of a back to back (which the MIAA doesn't do) might present a better opportunity than a Tuesday Sweet 16 game. Either way it's almost certainly a kamikaze mission but to be the best you've got to beat the best........WWOOOOOOO.

[NSU4LIFE]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

I don't have to convince myself, I enjoy hope no matter how bleak. We would like Missouri Western to lose immediately and Southern Nazarene to win one or two, right?

Nevermind, Missouri Western finished last in the MIAA

[MrAugustana]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

As enjoyable as it would be for the current rankings to hold, Augie won't finish ahead of Moorhead in the final rankings since the Dragons won in Sioux Falls earlier this year.

Concerning when to play NW, while all options are mostly futile the possibility of Augie playing them on the second night of a back to back (which the MIAA doesn't do) might present a better opportunity than a Tuesday Sweet 16 game. Either way it's almost certainly a kamikaze mission but to be the best you've got to beat the best........WWOOOOOOO.

This is an interesting point. If McCollum weren't such a good coach, this wouldn't concern me as much, but even having one extra day for him to prepare the Pittses is more than I'd like, especially when the NSIC schools are more used to back-to-back games (as Augieholic noted) than the average MIAA school.

[Stanger86]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

We are all in agreement then that despite having lost head to head and UIU having two more loses they won't fall below NSU?

Correct. What did NSU do on Monday or Tuesday that would merit a move up?

[NSU4LIFE]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

Correct. What did NSU do on Monday or Tuesday that would merit a move up?

Just saying, we aren't dead yet. Cmon Nazarene!

[Augieholic]

Re: Men's Central Region Rankings (3/1)

Just saying, we aren't dead yet. Cmon Nazarene!

The last thing any team in slots 7-10 wants is an upset GAC or MIAA conference tourney winner. Northern should be cheering for a Nazarene loss ASAP.