FanLax Computer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 9:58 pm
chosen1lax wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:49 pm
...but at this point are we awarding rankings based on name brand recognition or based on how teams have performed this year...
Are you really asking?...
chosen1lax wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:49 pm
... Villanova seems to not get credit for their Penn State win. NOVA beats PSU, PSU beats Yale, Yale beats NOVA. All teams have 1 loss. Why the disparity in the rankings? Should they not be clustered together? The Media Poll has Nova at 18, Yale at 11 and PSU at 8???...
You think they should be near each other because you're taking on a head-to-head perspective but head-to-head doesn't work. You need to adopt a resume/body of work perspective. Once you do that, the rankings look more like PSU at #8, Yale at #11 (more like, but not exactly), and 'nova at... #9 (not #18). 'nova has better wins than Yale yet... #18. I agree with you. Does not make sense. But Yale is Yale so humans will do what humans do.
All valid points and issues.
The Inside Lacrosse poll contradicts itself. The so-called lax media has some questionable rankings based on the
information available as of Sunday, March 5th. Granted, it is early in the season and there is a certain degree of speculation, but IL is significantly in conflict with the Coaches' poll, USA Lax Magazine and (most importantly!) FanLax.
IMO, certain teams get evaluated by a different standard. This likely plays a roll in how teams are ranked all season, the whole SOS concept, committee criteria, etc.
Here are a few observations:
DUKE: #5
Duke has wins against two unranked teams, and two teams ranked below Penn State, but is ranked above Nova. If Duke beat Penn State, UDel and Hofstra by a wide margin, would the Blue Devils be ranked 18th (like Nova) by Inside Lacrosse?
02/04 vs Bellarmine W 19-7
02/07 vs High Point W 20-8
02/11 @ Jacksonville L 13-12
02/17 vs Denver W 14-13
02/25 @ Penn W 12-14
03/05 @ Syracuse W 13-14
OHIO STATE: #9
How about the Buckeyes? Wins over Air Force, Cleveland State and UNC? More impressive than Nova's wins over Penn State, UDel and Hofstra?
02/04 vs Air Force W 15-7
02/11 vs Clev. State W 19-12
02/19 vs UNC W 8-5
02/25 vs Virginia L 6-17
03/04 vs Cornell L 13-16
ST. JOE'S #13
The Hawks lost to Hopkins, won a close game against a 1-4 Towson and have three wins against teams with a combined record of 8-14. Does this constitute a strong body of work? It is said there are "no good losses."
02/11 vs Sacred Heart W 17-5 (0-5)
02/18 @ Towson W 13-16 (1-4)
02/25 vs Providence W 19-6 (3-3)
03/04 @ Hopkins L 15-14 (4-2)
PRINCETON #14:
The Tigers only have two wins against unranked teams and lost to lower ranked Georgetown, but are ranked #14 ahead of the Georgetown and Nova. Are their wins over Monmouth and Manhattan better than Nova's wins over Penn State, UDel and Hofstra?
02/18 vs Monmouth W 22-9
02/21 vs Manhattan W 14-9
02/25 vs Maryland L 5-11
03/04 vs Georgetown L 10-13
Nothing against these teams It's the rankings I question. And we can dissect this all we want, but Inside Lacrosse pollsters are arguably outliers.