Before Soccer America and everyone else and their grandma release their polls, what do you thin kthe top 25 should look like? Here is Shaggy's top 25: 1. IU (National champs are number 1 until someone else beats them, they earned it) 2. UCSB 3. UVA (only six players graduating from a team that went 17-4) 4. New Mexico (lost to above ranked team in tourney) 5. SMU (always reloads from fertile Texas recruiting grounds) 6. Duke (young squad made deep tournament run) 7. UCLA (always strong) 8. St. Johns 9. Maryland 10. UNCG (a strong mid major feared by acc superpowers) 11. Notre Dame (best coach in the country gets it done) 12. Penn State (up and coming national power) 13. Creighton (fans will make them one of the best home teams nationwide) 14. Hartwick (only 3 losses last season, got snubbed in tourney) 15. Wake (always good during regular season, question abound about post) 16. Memphis 17. ODU (forced Duke to OT) 18. California 19. Michigan (gave eventual national champs a run for their money in tournament) 20. UCONN (always ranked, rarely live up to hype, have at in UCONN kid ) 21. Boston College (4 regular season losses in a rough conference) 22. College of Charleston 23. San Francisco 24. Portland 25. Binghamton (gotta love the small schools) Surely, everyone else will disagree, so lets here your thoughts. But don't be a wuss and knock everyone else's poll without giving your own.
If you were grading on potential/hype, they're a top 10 team. But for a team that's gotten to the 2nd round the last 2 seasons, that's a reasonable ranking. They've got to earn their stripes, so to speak. Soccer America, naturally, will have them 6th and we'll all scratch our heads over that one. Here's an early heads up (ie, shameless plug) for everyone- WHUS will be broadcasting the UConn-Duke exhibition match on Saturday, August 27th at 7 PM.
And that is supposed to be a good thing? I'm not trying to be a smart-ass I'm just curious if that is meant to be a positive because UVA has to rebuild their leadership and their defense which was their strong suit in 2004. UVA loses from last years squad the following defensive starters, Defender, Jeff Tuman Defender, John Hartman Defender, Matt Oliver and Midfielder, Kirk Dinnal Midfielder, Mike Littlefield Of course UVA's best player from 2004 Hunter Freeman left for MLS. I thought Paul Johnson was transferring? And Chefik Simo is hanging up his spikes no?
Not to enrage the good denizens of the PSU thread which bears my name in it's title, but Penn State has been an "up and coming" side for years now. Pray tell what is it that makes you think that this is the year they'll actually arrive? And please, I beg you, don't give me the usual PSU littany of this player and that player, each one's resume more impressive than the last. Just show me where that team actually, you know, WINS something. Michigan? Based on what? That they "gave the National Champions a run for their money"? Well I suppose, but I see nothing much to make me rank them anywher near that hige. Meanwhile, Ohio State, which also gave Indiana "a run for their money" by actually beating them, beat both of those teams last year and went to the round of 16, but doesn't get a mention. And where is Akron? If you don't think they'll be a Top 20 team by the end of the year then you're not paying attention.
On a squad of 35 (which is what UVA has), losing 6 seniors is only 17% of the team. Under 25% would be a less than average number of seniors to lose. Clearly, graduating seniors tend to have contributed in their last season because 1) they are more familiar with the system and coach 2) they put in the time 3)with that time, they have improved. So to say that "O my goodness, they lost 5 seniors who really contributed!!! They are toast!" is quite an overreaction. The majority of graduating seniors make solid contributions to their teams. Dinall only played in 10 games, starting 7. Not a key piece of the team. Littlefield only started 12, once again, replaceable. Hill only 14, Hartman 15. They only tremendous losses are Oliver, Tuman, and Freeman. Losing 3 key players isn't a big deal, especially for a squad of 35. Chefik Simo was at one time a tremendous player, but I am sorry to say, in his last year, you could see the effects of injury. They return their number 9, Adam Cristman, who was their leading goal-scorer and also has youth nat. team experience. They return Jeremy Barlow, who was their second leading goal-scorer. Need some leadership? Try a three year starter at keeper. UVA return a brilliant goalkeeper in Ryan Burke who will be able to shore up any problems in the back, the kid has been their starter for 2 years and will only be a junior. Goalie is one of the best positions to have a strong leader, he can see the whole field and organize his defense. Now, he is forced to lead and will play even better because of it. You need someone to replace Freeman in the middle? Try on Dane Murphy, the kid has under 20 national team experience, and is one of many talented freshman ready to reload the program. If they need more help in the back, incoming freshman Robert Rogers can take care of that. He is one of a handful of high school players to be with the US under-20 national team, and is a fast, experienced player who is one of the best defenders from the class of 2005. This is Virginia man, they reload! I am not saying that UVA is going to win the national championship, but they are the type of team that deserves to be in the top 5. Should they get hot, they can make another deep run in the tournament. I remember a certain team that lost Pat Noonan in 2002 but was still able to do alright the next year... And if memory serves me correctly, they lost a certain Ned Grabavoy after the 2003, but that didn't ruin the '04 season now, did it? Those guys are on the same level or above Freeman, hmm? Any team worth its salt loses key contributors, but if that team truly is worth its salt, it will be able to reload. Which is exactly what UVA has done, and quite well if I might add.
Don't think they are deep enough to overcome the loss of Segares, the guy meant way too much too them, and they don't have the backups to come in and contribute in the same way. I hope they prove me wrong, they are a great story, but I don't think they will.
Man, instead of just telling me that I am wrong, put some meat in the argument. All you have done is tell me you don't like 2 of my 25 teams (not bad on my part) and that you have two other teams (both Ohio, you homer you) that deserve to be in it. In fact, I assume you live in Uniontown, which is basically in the backyard of Akron. YOU are being ignorant if you think everyone in the county is keeping close tabs on your hometown university. I will let you in on a little secret. My job isn't to "pay attention" to the Zips, in fact, all I do is play the game of soccer at college and my knowledge of the teams in my top 25 are from first hand experience. I don't claim to be an expert. So if you are so much more enlightened than I on the game of college soccer, and you expect me to watch every DI school in the country, will you please do more than just knock my selections. Why not actually state a case for Akron, instead of just saying they will be a top 25 team? It is ignorant to just say "they are going to be a top 25 team" and offer no justification for such a claim. I honestly would like your opinion, but keep your ignorant criticism to yourself until you have stepped on the field with some of these players. You know what would be even better? If you would have the cajones to put out your own top 25. I am not going to bash, I am just curious. But really, why not, instead of knocking me poll, put out your own, because my little top 25 if just that, my first hand opinion on the top 25. Feel free to disagree with it, and ever more free to make your opinion known, but please, we are talking about a freaking preseason poll put out by a player on a bigsoccer board... If you are going to disagree, go for it, but I personally prefer soccertom and his courteous though straight forward opinion to your negativity.
How can you have Hartwick and not FIU they have only beaten Hartwick last year and the year before great record but very soft schedule.
how about UAB, they haven't done a whole lot the last few years, but they are a good program. from what i understand they have an excellent recruiting class coming in this fall that was ranked in the top 5 by some polls. they are usually hovering somewhere in the top 25 and do very well in conference usa.
Re VCU, history might indicate they will overcome the loss of Segares, who, by the way from his defender position has scored game-winning goals in the last two Chicago Fire matches and is positioning himself as the league's ROY. If you recall, a year earlier the Rams lost both of their forwards, Matthew Delicate and Macolm Cephus to graduation. They responded by claiming a national seed for the third consecutive year and advancing to the round of eight. With CAA POY, forward Dominic Odoro & 3/4 of its backline returning, and a host of quality recruits, this could be the best VCU team ever. We won't have to wait long to find out. The Rams host the Tar Heels in Richmond on September 2.
A team that could give some folks trouble is URI. 12-8-1 last year but return 10 of 11 starters and lost only 3 seniors. unfortunately one was the countries leading scorer in Gotsmanov but sophmore Lukasz Tumicz and Junior Jeffry Gonsalves look to take up the slack, gonsalves has 9 goals and 8 assists and was a second team all atlantic 10, tumicz was on the all rookie team. Not sure what the incomming freshman look like,,,anyone have a list of who they recruited?
Hartwick finished the season with 3 losses, FIU seven. Hartwick, in their "soft schedule", beat Syracuse, Rutgers, and No. 7 Old Dominion (away, I might add). They tied Ohio State (who I felt was a great team last year but lost too much this year) and William and Mary. FIU is quite a talented squad, but I only had 25 spots, and if FIU is better than Hartwick just because they beat them late in the season, shouldn't Michigan State be better than IU because they beat IU in the Big Ten Tournament semis?
I couldn't rank a c-usa team that lost 8 games. They did put together a good recruiting class, but freshman can only help so much. Perhaps they will be ranked by the end of the season, but I just don't feel like they have earned it yet. They have the potential to do well, but right now it is just potential, and I would rather rank a team coming off a 4 loss season than one coming off an 8 loss season.
Well done on a solid poll. While my depth of knowledge would give a shoddy Top 25. I'll do my top 15. 1. Indiana - Defending champs. They earned this spot too. 2. UCLA - Most talented group in the country. 3. Duke - Young team made a Final 4 run in '04. 4. UCSB - Deserved the title - lost some strong players. 5. Maryland - Always seem to find their way to the F4. 6. Wake Forest - Losses of Parkhurst, Riley hurt. 7. SMU - A lot of talent, shame they lost out on Nguyen. 8. North Carolina - Best players want to play in the best conference. 9. New Mexico - Rowland will put up Pore-like numbers this season (wait he did last season also?!?) 10.Notre Dame - Dalby will carry a very strong team 11.Boston College - Davies will do likewise here. 12.Penn State - Biased call? You betcha. Sorry Bill Archer. 13.Creighton - Finest stadium in the country should play to some good results. 14.Virginia - Lost the whole backline and Freeman (and his inflated assist stats) 15.Northwestern - My darkhorse pick. Return the whole roster from a team that upended IU in Bloomington last year. Alvarez has Chivas USA written all over him. I can hear the catcalls now - but just remember I said this come tourney time! On the fringe: Ohio State and Michigan - Both lost key goal-scorers (Cook and Knox) should be interesting to see how both are replaced. Old Dominon - Solid squad last year, tougher schedule this year should show us something. UConn - Perennial underachievers (like some other teams I am fond of) for the past few years. Should be solid though. California - Sorry my west coast soccer knowledge is right up there with Tom Cruise's knowledge on anti-depressants. PS - Where has Sandon been?
UWM has finished 2 of the last 3 seasons in the Top 25, however i don't know what to expect from them this year. Gone are the nucleus of the team: Antou Jallow - Gelfe IK (Allsvensken) Khaled El-Ahmed- Sigma Olomuc (Czech Rebublic) Trent Furtsch- Bavarians SC Chris Brisson- Minn. Thunder Kirk Thode- Bavarians SC Cliff Ellsworth- ? Ian Holker- ? For those that don't follow the program those are some huge shoes to fill as most were 4 year starters and the core of the great UWM teams of the past 3-4 years including the one that got as high as #8 in the nation in 2002. We have an easy schedule this season and its probably a good thing as this years team will be young and inexerianced. We do have 2 Dombrowskis' though so things are not too bad. Its possible we end up in the top 25 but it would be a feat all things considered this year.
1. IU 2. New Mexico 3. UCLA 4. Duke 5. Santa Clara 6. Northwestern 7. Maryland 8. Boston University 9. Ohio State 10. Saint Louis 11. Notre Dame 12. Creighton 13. SMU 14. UCSB 15. Portland 16. St. John's 17. UCONN 18. Portland 19. Memphis 20. Virginia 21. UAB 22. North Carolina State 23. Akron 24. UNCG 25. Penn State Honorable Preseason Mentions: Virginia Comm Loyola Marymont Washington Wake Forest ODU California Boston College Michigan ODU College of Charleston Kentucky South Carolina Clemson Florida International Coastal Carolina Wisconsin Milwaukee Stanford-Oh my how they have fallen!
Interested to see how Boston U. will do. I know absolutely nothing about them. I find it tough to believe that they would be better then your traditional powerhouses such as UNC and even their cross-city rivals, Boston College. Having them at #8 definitly is a unique choice..... probably wont be seeing that in Soccer America!
I think Santa Clara is going to be solid this year, but 5th nationally? A bit high. Saint Louis is way too high, but I understand that you are excited about a new season as a fan of the Bills (I would be too, maybe that way I could forget how they have fallen ). UCSB may be a bit low. And New Mexico at 2? I like Portland, I think they have potential. I think 15 is fair for them. And Northwestern at 6 takes rocks, but they definately have the potential.