charcoal
Junior
Posts: 243
Loc: Dallas
Reg: 11-21-04
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01-05-06 09:46 PM - Post#13045
For what it's worth in that site is not yet up and running for this time-honored ritual:
Penn 13-1
Harvard 9-5
Cornell 8-6
Columbia 8-6
Yale 7-7
Princeton 5-9
Dartmouth 3-11
Brown 3-11
comments and counter-predictions of course invited
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Anonymous
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-05-06 10:21 PM - Post#13046
In response to charcoal
I hope we do that well.
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The Lion King
Senior
Posts: 394
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-05-06 11:31 PM - Post#13047
In response to charcoal
I think all Cornell and Columbia fans would take that in a New York minute. After watching Columbia collapse since the Army debacle, and with Nwachukwu down for who knows how long, I'd be satisfied with 7-7, which would give them a winning overall record (which would be bogus since it would include CCNY).
Penn is far and away the league's best (in what is a below-par year for the Quakers, which gives you an idea of the rest of the league). So I'd say 12-2 for Penn; somehow I think Princeton will manage to pull one out against them, and they'll lose one to an oddball team, probably not Harvard. They just don't look good enough to go 13-1, not even against this year's unusually short dwarves.
Your 9-5 for Harvard sounds reasonable, since they have set themselves apart from the rest of the dwarves. But as for the remaining six, as far as I'm concerned, you can pull them out of a bag. Brown, Dartmouth, and Princeton may be a shade worse, though I'm skeptical even of that--Princeton in particular, because the first two are simply mediocre, whereas Princeton has been either godawful or fairly decent. So here's my prediction:
Penn 12-2
Harvard 9-5
Cornell 7-7
Columbia 6-8
Yale 6-8
Princeton 6-8
Brown 5-9
Dartmouth 5-9
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SFlaQuaker
Postdoc
Posts: 2427
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-05-06 11:40 PM - Post#13048
In response to The Lion King
What in the world makes you say this Penn team is below-par? Have you seen them play?
I called it around this time last year, got laughed at, and was almost right. I'll say it again this year.
14-0.
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The Lion King
Senior
Posts: 394
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 12:23 AM - Post#13049
In response to SFlaQuaker
Look, I don't want to get into an argument. I'm not saying that Penn stinks, and I'm not saying that they face any serious challengers in the league. All I'm saying is that they haven't beaten any high-ranked teams yet, and usually by this point in the season, if it's a good year for Penn, they have at least one top-50 scalp.
Perhaps I should have said average instead of below-par, but all I'm saying is that Penn has high standards. So far they've beaten everyone they should have, and they've played respectably against three top-10 caliber teams, but they don't have that signature win yet. That's all I'm saying.
The fourth week in January will tell. Whatever happens, barring an NCAA victory, I think you have to call it sub-par for Penn if they go 0-4 in the Big 5. I would even call 1-3 sub-par by Penn standards without any other major victories. But perhaps I just have too high an opinion of Penn basketball.
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SFlaQuaker
Postdoc
Posts: 2427
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 12:35 AM - Post#13050
In response to The Lion King
Temple should've been a win. Villanova's been our "marquee win" a couple times, but they werent a top 5 team. What win would you count as marquee? Beating Temple wouldn't really count by past standards. Maybe Colorado would have, but they're just a much better team than Penn was that night. Duke's Duke. You don't want to count Drexel or Hawaii, which is fine w/ me.
This is as deep as the Big 5 has been in a long time, and I'd still be surprised if we ended up 0-4.
All I know is what I've seen from this team, and this isn't a below-par team in my mind. And unless you've seen them play, I just don't think it's fair to label them that way. If anything, our top teams of the last 10 years have LOST games to teams they should beat, and only Temple falls there this year (and even that wasn't a Davidson or Delaware type "sure thing").
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Condor
PhD Student
Posts: 1888
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 01:43 AM - Post#13051
In response to SFlaQuaker
I would agree SFQ. To date, this appears to be one of our better post 70’s Penn teams. When was the last time we had a perimeter defense that could compete with top 5 teams? Of course, the season is still early, but based on the early results, I would prefer to compete in the post-season with this team vs. the U/Koko teams.
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The D
goober
Posts: 55
Age: 39
Loc: Philadelphia, PA
Reg: 10-27-05
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 08:31 AM - Post#13052
In response to Condor
Just compare last year's Providence and Wisconsin games to this year's Duke and Villanova games, and it's easy to see the improvement the team's seen at this point in the season. Last year Penn was looking worse at this point, and the rest of the league was looking much better. Penn then went 13-1. I'd say there's no way that 13-1 or 14-0 are out of the question.
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Anonymous
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 08:45 AM - Post#13053
In response to The D
I think 13-1 for Penn is a good estimate judging from the out of conference results thus far. That said, 14-0 and 12-2 would also not surprise me. Re: the quality of this team when compared to other recent Penn teams... that is still to be determined. I think this "could" be one of the better Quaker teams in recent years. Defensively, we have not been this good in a long while, but the offense is still hit or miss. If guys like Oz and Whitehurst can hit 3s more consistantly, and Zoller and Danley stay healthy this team can finish the schedule with a lot of wins. I think we will know more after the La Salle, St. Joes, and Fordham games.
-Mike
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TomPittsburgh
maximus
Posts: 538
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
Reg: 11-28-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 12:16 PM - Post#13054
In response to
Penn wins the league going away with no serious challengers on the horizon. They have the potential to go 14 - 0 but there might well be a slip during one of those weekends on the road. Harvard appears the be the league's second place team. Obviously the leage is extremely weak this year,
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nix23
goober
Posts: 52
Loc: NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 01:01 PM - Post#13055
In response to TomPittsburgh
My prediction for the season is that Joe Scott gets fired or maybe that is just my hope for the season.
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foehi
Masters Student
Posts: 531
Reg: 12-22-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 04:09 PM - Post#13056
In response to The Lion King
This will be a "below par" Penn team only if (God forbid) something happens to Ibby. Otherwise, they are better than that.
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10Q
Professor
Posts: 23416
Loc: Suburban Philly
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 04:48 PM - Post#13057
In response to foehi
This will be a below par Penn team if no one but Ibby can shoot. When the other guys chip in, they are fine. But we've seen it go both ways and there's no way to tell if Ibby is going to keep getting the help he needs to make this a good Penn team.
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twodown
newbie
Posts: 1
Reg: 11-22-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 05:29 PM - Post#13058
In response to Condor
I like this years team, but its a stretch to suggest that this year's Penn team's prospects for advancing in the NCAA tournament are better than the prospects for advancing during the Ugonna/Koko years. This year's team has no reliable 3 point shooter, and no inside go-to player like Ugonna. I would take that team with its seniors and Shiffner and Begley in a rematch with Oklahoma State before I would take this years team against whomever they may draw if they get to the Dance.
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SFlaQuaker
Postdoc
Posts: 2427
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 05:50 PM - Post#13059
In response to twodown
Ugonna did all he could in that game, but they shut down Schiffner and Begley, and their PG ate us alive.
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pennhoops
Postdoc
Posts: 2470
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 05:55 PM - Post#13060
In response to SFlaQuaker
I would take this year's Penn over the team that lost to OK State. Ugonna and Koko might have an advantage up front (but not as much as you'd think) but it wouldn't do the team much good if they never got their hands on the ball.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32848
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 06:51 PM - Post#13061
In response to pennhoops
It's still soooo early to compare this team to the U/Koko/Toole team, and nothing has been accomplished yet. However, at this point, this is a MUCH better defensive team---almost at every position. Say what you will about U as an offensive player and talent, he simply did not bring much D on a regular basis. I remember him being eaten alive by the Drexel forward (Battle?) who was about the same size. Similarly, Koko could block shots but didn't stop many people from getting to the hoop. Toole was a fine offensive player, but was limited (especially due to injuries) on defense.
This team lives and dies with "D". It also boxes out well, steals the ball at a clip never seen before at Penn and plays good fundamental hoop. It does not shoot particularly well to date, but Whitehurst is just rounding into shape.
The very fact that we are comparing this team with a 2 time Ivy champ, however, is telling in a weak Ivy season. I see Penn losing at most 2 games, and just as likely, 0. Thus, I see the season as follows:
Penn 13-1
Harvard 10-4
Yale 8-6
Cornell 7-7
Brown 7-7
Columbia 6-8
Princeton 5-9
Columbia 4-10
Dartmouth 3-11
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foehi
Masters Student
Posts: 531
Reg: 12-22-04
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Re: Predictions on the Season
01-06-06 07:25 PM - Post#13062
In response to pennhoops
They do have one thing in common; neither could make free throws especially well.
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The Lion King
Senior
Posts: 394
Reg: 11-21-04
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crank up that adding machine
01-06-06 07:46 PM - Post#13063
In response to palestra38
By my calculations, you would have to eliminate both entries for Columbia and make them 3-11 instead for your prediction to balance out.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32848
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: crank up that adding machine
01-06-06 07:54 PM - Post#13064
In response to The Lion King
A long week after the New Year's break. Let's try that again:
Penn 13-1
Harvard 10-4
Yale 7-7
Brown 7-7
Cornell 6-8
Columbia 5-9
Princeton4-10
Dartmouth4-10
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