Poll Ballots - Week 5

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale use to get there.

Week 1       Week 2      Week 3       Week 4

 

Large Schools

1. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines have been very impressive all season...except for their two-point home win over Kenmore West earlier this season.  On Thursday night, they visit the Blue Devils for the rematch.

2. Jamestown (AA) - Jaysean Paige may be grabbing the headlines right now, but these Red Raiders are balanced and are playing good team basketball right now.

3. Williamsville South (A1) - Add Bennett to lthe list of quality wins for the Billies.

4. Canisius (MMAA) - It's rivalry week for the Crusaders.  They haven't lost a home game to St. Joe's since 2006.

5. St. Joe's (MMAA) - Winners of six straight have been ranked behind Canisius all season and are looking to change that this Saturday.

6. McKinley (AA) - The Macks body of work to this point keeps them as the top rated Yale Cup team.

7. Williamsville North (AA) - Another key game in ECIC I is this Friday night when the Spartans visit Lancaster.

8. East (A2) - Won by 13 at Bennett earlier this season and by 19 against Hutch Tech last week.

9. Bennett (A1) - Apparently the Tigers weren't buying into the theory that McKinley and Riverside were the top two teams in the Yale Cup. 

10. Riverside (A2) - The loss to Bennett doesn't look as bad now, but after picking up two league losses already, the Frontiers need a win against East on Monday.

 

Small Schools

1. I-Prep at Grover (C) - Not sure if they could sneak into the large school top ten, but they're still at the front of the line in the small school ranks.

2. St. Mary's (MMAA) - The Lancers get a very stiff challenge when they host Bishop Timon-St. Jude on Tuesday night.

3. Newfane (B1) - Huge game for the Panthers this Friday night at Wilson, where they haven't won since 2006.  Don't worry Blue Zone, noone will write to the paper to complain if you chant "start your sailboats".

4. Maple Grove (C) - The Red Dragons helped break in the new backboard and rim at Westfield last week in a 32-point victory.

5. Dunkirk (B1) - Completed the season sweep of Olean to help ensure they will be the team to finally dethrone the Huskies as CCAA I champs.

6. Wilson (B2) - Prep Talk TV is heading north this weekend.  There will be a radio broadcast on 1340 AM.  The home of the Lakemen will be at capacity early this Friday for the rematch with Newfane. 

7. OTC Middle College (C) - Bigtime measuring stick for the Kats Monday night when they host I-Prep at Grover.  Hopefully they'll be at full strength.

8. Tapestry Charter (C) - The Thunderhawks go from routing Olmsted this past Saturday, to a game at McKinley this Saturday. 

9. Panama (D) - The Panthers flipped the script against Clymer on Friday night and are now in the driver's seat in CCAA IV.

10. Tonawanda (B1) - In order to keep this place in the poll and first place in ECIC IV, the Warriors must beat the visiting Golden Eagles of Cleveland Hill on Tuesday night.

 

-centercourt

Comments

[Butters]

cc,
Bennett can only be added "In name only"as a quality win.Bennett did not have it's current roster. I think if I recall they only had 6-7 players dressed.

[TML1000]

Right...this furthers my point that wins in early or mid December can not be taken in such high regard in relation to current polls.

[hoopster]

TML I agree with your point only if a team's play later in the year merits dropping them in the polls. Quality wins in December are as important as quality wins in February from a poll perspective save playoffs, where it counts oh so much more with the one and out playoff format.

[Lucky13]

Exactly, of course if a team's lineup was depleted,that's a special circumstance and needs to be noted. Otherwise they're good wins.You wouldn't tell NF their wins vs. Jamestown,Aquinas,and Canisius are not as good because they were in December.

[Butters]

CC, Who are Bennett's quality wins other than their last two(Mckinley,Riverside)to warrant your vote? Oracle(no), Two wins over Burgard,(no)Fredonia(no), Or are they getting your vote for currently playing well?

[centercourt]

So if the same kids became ineligible again next week, it would mean more to beat Bennett with seven players dressed in January?

If the Tigers only had six or seven players dressed, that's their problem. I'm assuming they knew when the season started, so if they weren't eligible by that time, those players are accountable. Remember how East and Jamestown fell in the polls last year when the suspensions occured? They should have, they lost. Climb your way back up, but a loss to a lower ranked team, regardless of who's on the court, will cost you in a poll ranking. The same thing happened to Nichols when they lost two straight after Canestro was injured.

I understand that teams play differently early in the season and some improve, get healthy, or find the right lineup as the season progresses. But unless there is something else to go on, to me, a win is a win is a win. Otherwise, the score should just say *Played in December*.

We were fortunate enough this year in WNY to have the top dogs play each other in December and help sort some of the guess work out of the polls. Those great games shouldn't be regarded as highly because they were in December? It's the only results we have to use.

The last couple years, Joe's plays a different lineup each night in the first few games trying to figure out what might work best for them. I understand that they will be at their best in February, but I don't rank them based on potential. The losses count like losses. I left after the Riverside game this year thinking Joe's was probably a better team, but the scoreboard said Riverside, so that's how they were ranked until the Frontiers recent skid.

It's not like I say Falls beat Jamestown on 12/10 so hand them the AA title. But I am saying that because of that win, they will stay ranked ahead of them until something happens to change that. But it has to be more than me thinking the Red Raiders look good and might win a rematch.

A poll should be based on everything that has happened to date, and more heavily weighted on recent results. Predicting the outcome of a particular game can be much more simple, like "I think they'll win".

[centercourt]

Butters -

Bennett got my vote for winning two games over teams ranked in the top ten. Show me another team that is not ranked, that you could say that about.

[TML1000]

No...it would mean that beating Bennett without some of their good players is not nearly as good a win as it would be if they fielded a full squad.

I don't think you caught my drift....I said nothing about not dropping teams who lose games now. Of course the games between the top teams early on should have been used to figure out the polls, but they are not the only results we have to use. All teams have played many games since then and some have improved and some have not. So basically, there are currently many things to go on in rankings teams...head to head is a big part of that, but there are other factors....many more now than a month ago.

I fully agree with placing Bennett in the top 10....I probably more than anyone weight recent results the heaviest. Basically my philosophy is, this week's poll is for how the teams are playing right now, not how they were playing last week or last month. Past results have to be looked at, naturally, but weighting month old results heavier than a result that occurred a few days ago is crazy considering this is a poll...this isn't called, "Body of Work Rankings" or "RPI"

[guest]

December doesmatter and when sectionals comes around so will jan. at the end of the day the top teams have to perform throughout the season,beginning to end. can't wait till sectionals. my question is are some people saying these top teams should not have played because it was december?

[TML1000]

Actually...teams do not have to perform throughout the season. Teams only truly have to perform in the sectionals, regionals and so on. Everyone makes the sectionals.

[Observations]

Two observations I have made: Canisius just might be the most overrated team in WNY this year, and Davon Alexander might be the most overrated player in WNY this year.

[Earl Schunk]

Grover (I guess I should say I-prep) showed why they are the top team in the small schools poll today, defeating OTC. Chris Holland again showed All WNY form, Kenny Pringle had an excellent game, and Kadeem Hillman seems to improve with every game, dominating the inside.

[TML1000]

Kadeem played very well tonight....he hit more than a few mid range jumpers, rebounded well, hit his free throws and threw down another two handed slam. If he continues that type of play, especially the shooting touch, he's going to be a very tough match up for any team in C(statewide). Add to that the speed of Pringle and the other guards and of course the do it all ability of Holland....a real shot to bring home another C state title for the Yale Cup.

[guest]

No chance a team struggles all year and wins sectionals, consistancy equals championships. some teams can pull off a upset but I doubt #7 seeds will be in finals

[Big East]

I am surprised to see Timon ranked ahead of North in the actual poll considering the circumstances. They have no common factors besides Batavia, and North beat Batavia and Timon lost. I know the North win was earlier in the year, but it stil is a marquee win nonetheless.

[BBBfan]

The "other" blog moved East out of the top 10 because they beat a depleted Bennett team. Who was missing from the lineup?

[Prep Talk Retiree]

One observation I am making: The Observations guy is wrong on both counts. Further observations about Observations' observations will remain unobserved by the friendly crowd here because they have bad words in them. Both that team and that player are very good.

[TML1000]

Blair Estarfaa went off tonight....42 points. Wheatfield had no answer for him...both off the dribble and shooting from long range. What's interesting is that he sat out most of the second quarter for no apparent reason. He could have had 50.

Maryvale really sped up Wheatfield to the point where N-W couldn't get into their high-low offense at all and had to rely on quick shots that didn't fall. Clearly they did not have the athletes to match up with Estarfaa on the defensive end. If he can put together some more performances like this and if Maryvale makes a good sectional run, he can make 1st team...definitely a top 5 offensive player in the area. Doesn't have the defense of someone like a Holland or a Stasiak but is still very good.

[guest]

TML you mentioned defense, who do you think are the areas top defenders? This question can be for you to CC. Also, what has happened to StateChamps2003 this year?

[TML1000]

I don't think you need to look any further than Chris Holland for the area's best defender. He can defend the one through the five positions at this level. He has the speed to guard players smaller and seemingly quicker than him, while he has the size and toughness to guard players in the post. He is a very good rebounder for his height.

If Holland is 1, I'd say Stasiak is 1a....he's another player who can guard just about any opposition player. He is physically and mentally tough.

Agbeko has been huge for Joe's in the shot altering department. I would say he is the best defender in the lane that I have seen this season.

The entire Falls lineup defends extremely well. Bailey for Ken West is one of the best perimeter defenders I've seen this season...he is averaging 3.8 steals per game.

[Lucky13]

TML,I hope you'll continue to post your weekly top ten at the PrepTalk Live Chat post. I know sometimes you post it later in the day. I was just looking for it now and didn't see it, yet.

[TML1000]

I'm going to do it shortly...before the chat.