They weren't a preseason Top Ten team with those guys last season... With Virginia and Cal in the first two games, we'll have a pretty good indication very quickly.
You were seeking good RESEARCH. Where is yours? Butler tied for the Horizon League last year (with UWM); so they could not "finish second again." Oh well.........SACK????
They tied on record at 6-1 so they share...but lost the head-to-head and UWM recieved the #1 seed in the tourney and hosting rights. UWM then went on the win the league tournment. Doesn't look so "tied" and even now does it.
... and UCLA was a consensus top five pick, despite having lost Taylor, Griffin, Gregorio, Wells, and Maurin (and Lawson, IIRC). The year before, Stanford was in the top five, despite having lost players like Dunivant, Levesque, Graham, and Maliza. UCLA was mildly over-rated, Stanford extremely so. Pre-season soccer polls rarely seem to consider the need for rebuilding, but they should.
West Virginia's got 9 starters and all their major subs back from a team that finished the regular season ranked in Soccer America's poll. I'm interested as to why nobody's ranked them. I'm a homer, I know (;
I suggest you offer your own ranking and name West Virginia among your Top 25. Problem solved. I'm a helper!
I watched West Virgina play last year and it was pretty ugly soccer. I think Coach Seabolt has them moving in the right direction and I wish them well.
No question that WVU plays "ugly". Defend, defend some more, and then counter. But it beat Notre Dame and St. John's, so I expect them to stick with it.
Tulsa doesn't even get an honorable mention? they lost in the elite 8 to almighty Indiana, and aren't even a preseason top 42 for you? wow.
1. always for me ucla, the only consistant team in the country. after that more of a randomly ordered top 25.... 2-25....virginia, indiana, c of charleston, new mexico, tulsa, ucsb, stanford, creighton, washington, st. johns, syracuse, a random florida school, michigan, odu, uconn (always ranked and respected), duke (average, but still a good run), portland, unc...could make a comeback...., smu, notre dame, maryland, clemson and carolina could pop in when ones' ranked the other's not......, penn state, a cusa school like slu/memphis/uab.... throw in another west coaster maybe santa clara or san francisco....honorable...wake forest...maybe...ncstate??? that is my guess i know it'll be torn to shreds, but whatever/ oh well
Rockhil....best wishes during your time in drug rehab...hopefully you can access the site from your center and follow Syracuses run to the Final IV......unless Jim Boeheim takes over, i dont see it....cant even fathom it...a metter of fact SJU, Hofstra, Hartwick, Marist and Binghamton all of a better shot of getting there long before SU
UCLA, the only consistant (sic) team in the country? Why of course they are young man, you just keep thinkin' that way. Get the glue bottle away from your nose and keep in mind that crack kills. GO HOOSIERS! *******
Rockhill, 27 posts, maybe you are new. No UWM mention in your 2-25 list? That is like the other guy who left Tulsa out of his list.
ok i just threw my list together in a few minutes....sorry a couple should have been added a couple should have been left off i apologize, i still think some are solid picks and still think ucla is the most consistant team in the country, i mean look at their roster/national team players, rediculous, ok i'll give you indiana, but they are a well coached team in the past yes some talent but no ucla squad wise...thats just what i think...i know we all have disagreements, so every now and then just agree to disagree you know?
I would agree that UCLA has had the best players in the past decade, but IU has been the best TEAM. Its the same principle you witness at times with Real Madrid, the Yankees, the 03-04 Lakers, and a million teams in between. The most talented team doesn't always win. Talent is important, but your cohesiveness and chemistry as a team are just as crucial.
IU has it's share of quality players, but they also do it with age and maturity among their role players. IU always maintains a large contingent of redshirt players (at least 8 this next season), and that longer tenure in the program adds a good bit of continuity and cohesiveness.
OK. I'll give it a go. Here is my PRE-SEASON top 25. 1. Indiana (They are going to have several surprises in Big 10 play) 2. UCLA (Loads of talent) 3. Duke (Best recruiting assistant coach in the business) 4. Maryland (Hard to beat Cirovski's passion) 5. New Mexico (One of the few D-1 mens programs within several states) 6. SMU (ONLY D-1 program for the entire state of TX!) 7. Virginia (Always great recruiting and talent) 8. Ohio State (They will be real tough to score on) 9. Wake Forest (This could be a mistake, but we'll see) 10. Michigan (I think they are ready to build on the 2003 NCAA run) 11. Northwestern (Virtually whole team is back) 12. Tulsa 13. Boston College (Will make some serious noise in the ACC) 14. Notre Dame (I like Bobby Clarke and I'm catholic) 15. North Carolina 16. St Johns 17. Creighton 18. Stanford 19. U Conn 20. Washington 21. California 22. Santa Clara 23. UNC-Greensboro 24. Penn State 25. UCSB There you have it. I gave it a shot.
i agree, but i think and some programs think, college is just preparation for professional ranks and producing pro's is sometimes as crucial as producing championships, take a team like ucla or portland and imagine if they kept all their players all four years, i know portland would have had conor casey, jaqua, kelly gray, and one or two other stars that all went pro at the same time, could you imagine a line up w/half the players all american status, unreal...yes cohesiveness is still vital and thats where a well coached team like IU comes in, just a solid system and winning tradition, but sometimes evaluating it does look at their record for producing pros and yes i know IU has had its share, just a comment....
Interesting call on BC... was that the Catholicism coming through? Haha... You could be right on, though...
Here's my un educated ( I blame my western PA public school and PA state college education) guess at top 15. 1. Indiana 2. Maryland 3. Duke 4. UCLA 5. New Mexico - Bobby Clarks son is an assistant here and from what I've heard a great recruiter 6. Virginia 7. UNC - Greensboro 8. St. Johns 9. SMU 10. Wake Forest 11. Creighton 12. Northwestern 13. UC Santa Barbra - I think losing 5 starters is a big deal. 14. South Florida - not really sure why I'm ranking them this high, I blame the fact that I'm still on my first cup of coffee. 15 Ohio State - 2 reasons why I'm including Ohio State, first is I hate Penn State and they have a pretty good team. It's easier to rank Ohio State then give Archer positive rep.