Post by GuyF on Oct 24, 2014 10:33:28 GMT -5
Ok, folks, you can slide back off from the edge of your seats. It's time for my annual game-by-game picks!
As a reminder, I've usually been pretty close on these, and I am not one to be overly optimistic about a given season, but...
11/14 vs Cleveland State. Tough opener for sure. Should be interesting. W, 1-0.
11/18 at Wofford. 7 am on ESPN2! Against a foe that knows us from last year. Bad news. L, 1-1.
11/21 at Wake Forest. I know we destroyed them a couple years back. And I know they're not expected to be good this year. But... L, 1-2.
11/23 at North Texas. Tricky game, though I admit I know little about them. 195 RPI last year. W, 2-2.
11/26 vs Delaware State. Cupcake city. W, 3-2.
11/30 at Arkansas. Tough test. Winnable, but... L, 3-3.
12/7 at Monmouth. I think the Hawks are building something--but we will have had a week off. W, 4-3, 1-0.
12/10 vs Rider. Broncs are not good on defense. W, 5-3, 2-0.
12/13 vs Indiana State. We almost won there last year, and you know they have no interest in this game. W, 6-3, 2-0.
12/20 at George Mason. GMU isn't what it was and is still trying to get back. W, 7-3, 2-0.
12/23 vs Florida Gulf Coast. Hope they enjoy their visit to Rockefeller Center! W, 8-3, 2-0.
12/28 at Drexel. Sluggish return after holiday. L, 8-4, 2-0.
12/30 at UMass. Minutemen are a MAAC team this year, playing 4 of our league foes, all at home. I think they'll go 2-2 vs MAAC. We won't be one to fall. W, 9-4, 2-0.
1/4 at Siena. Lots of mixed views on the Saints, but no question they have this one circled on the calendar. L, 9-5, 2-1.
1/6 vs Quinnipiac. Back on track and refocused. W, 10-5, 3-1.
1/10 vs Canisius. No Billy Baron. Nuff said. W, 11-5, 4-1.
1/13 vs Fairfield. Stags trending downward. W, 12-5, 5-1.
1/16 at Niagara. My hunch is that the Purps will exceed expectations--but they're not ready to win a game like this. W, 13-5, 6-1.
1/18 at Canisius. With both Buffalo teams down, a rare sweep! W, 14-5, 7-1.
1/22 at Rider. Broncs always pretty good at home, so no cakewalk. But... W, 15-5, 8-1.
1/25 vs Niagara. Let's get those bench guys some run, Coach Cluess. W, 16-5, 9-1.
1/31 vs St. Peter's. First look at the rising Cocks. Wait, what? W, 17-5, 10-1.
2/2 at Fairfield. Stags will ugly it up and keep it interesting, but... W, 18-5, 11-1.
2/6 vs Siena. Send those whiny hayseeds home with an L. W, 19-5, 12-1.
2/8 vs Marist. Can't gauge the Foxes just yet, but they don't defend much. W, 20-5, 13-1.
2/13 at Manhattan. Friday the 13th in Riverdale? Can't be good. L, 20-6, 13-2.
2/15 at Quinnipiac. No easy game for sure, but... W, 21-6, 14-2.
2/20 at Marist. This game could be a shootout. Which we like. W, 22-6, 15-2.
2/22 vs Monmouth. Momentum builder for stretch run. W, 23-6, 16-2.
2/27 vs Manhattan. Jaspers won't sweep. W, 24-6, 17-2.
3/1 at St. Peter's. Cocks might be the most dangerous team in Albany. L, 24-7, 17-3.
I think Iona is the best team in this league, comfortably. I've been saying Siena will finish second all along, and I will stick with that. But they're no better than 14-6.
This should be Cluess' best team, or at least on par with the at-large team. There are two dangers in Albany--playing a "road game" in the final vs Siena, and playing a good team that we swept during the year. But when the chips are down, I think the only teams that could beat us up there are Siena (only because they're at home) and St. Peter's. And I do think these teams will finish 2-3 in the standings, so we likely would see one of them in the final.
I have never predicted such lofty results for Iona, but I don't see a reason for us to be WEAKER than last year, and if we prove to have the depth we think we've seen, we should be stronger. If Tim has to shorten the bench to 6-7 guys again, we will lose more than I have projected.
I also think the MAAC is a shade weaker as well. The teams expected to be near the top have major flaws, but Iona does not, and on every night in league play Iona will have 3 of the top 4-5 players on the floor.
Let's get this going.
As a reminder, I've usually been pretty close on these, and I am not one to be overly optimistic about a given season, but...
11/14 vs Cleveland State. Tough opener for sure. Should be interesting. W, 1-0.
11/18 at Wofford. 7 am on ESPN2! Against a foe that knows us from last year. Bad news. L, 1-1.
11/21 at Wake Forest. I know we destroyed them a couple years back. And I know they're not expected to be good this year. But... L, 1-2.
11/23 at North Texas. Tricky game, though I admit I know little about them. 195 RPI last year. W, 2-2.
11/26 vs Delaware State. Cupcake city. W, 3-2.
11/30 at Arkansas. Tough test. Winnable, but... L, 3-3.
12/7 at Monmouth. I think the Hawks are building something--but we will have had a week off. W, 4-3, 1-0.
12/10 vs Rider. Broncs are not good on defense. W, 5-3, 2-0.
12/13 vs Indiana State. We almost won there last year, and you know they have no interest in this game. W, 6-3, 2-0.
12/20 at George Mason. GMU isn't what it was and is still trying to get back. W, 7-3, 2-0.
12/23 vs Florida Gulf Coast. Hope they enjoy their visit to Rockefeller Center! W, 8-3, 2-0.
12/28 at Drexel. Sluggish return after holiday. L, 8-4, 2-0.
12/30 at UMass. Minutemen are a MAAC team this year, playing 4 of our league foes, all at home. I think they'll go 2-2 vs MAAC. We won't be one to fall. W, 9-4, 2-0.
1/4 at Siena. Lots of mixed views on the Saints, but no question they have this one circled on the calendar. L, 9-5, 2-1.
1/6 vs Quinnipiac. Back on track and refocused. W, 10-5, 3-1.
1/10 vs Canisius. No Billy Baron. Nuff said. W, 11-5, 4-1.
1/13 vs Fairfield. Stags trending downward. W, 12-5, 5-1.
1/16 at Niagara. My hunch is that the Purps will exceed expectations--but they're not ready to win a game like this. W, 13-5, 6-1.
1/18 at Canisius. With both Buffalo teams down, a rare sweep! W, 14-5, 7-1.
1/22 at Rider. Broncs always pretty good at home, so no cakewalk. But... W, 15-5, 8-1.
1/25 vs Niagara. Let's get those bench guys some run, Coach Cluess. W, 16-5, 9-1.
1/31 vs St. Peter's. First look at the rising Cocks. Wait, what? W, 17-5, 10-1.
2/2 at Fairfield. Stags will ugly it up and keep it interesting, but... W, 18-5, 11-1.
2/6 vs Siena. Send those whiny hayseeds home with an L. W, 19-5, 12-1.
2/8 vs Marist. Can't gauge the Foxes just yet, but they don't defend much. W, 20-5, 13-1.
2/13 at Manhattan. Friday the 13th in Riverdale? Can't be good. L, 20-6, 13-2.
2/15 at Quinnipiac. No easy game for sure, but... W, 21-6, 14-2.
2/20 at Marist. This game could be a shootout. Which we like. W, 22-6, 15-2.
2/22 vs Monmouth. Momentum builder for stretch run. W, 23-6, 16-2.
2/27 vs Manhattan. Jaspers won't sweep. W, 24-6, 17-2.
3/1 at St. Peter's. Cocks might be the most dangerous team in Albany. L, 24-7, 17-3.
I think Iona is the best team in this league, comfortably. I've been saying Siena will finish second all along, and I will stick with that. But they're no better than 14-6.
This should be Cluess' best team, or at least on par with the at-large team. There are two dangers in Albany--playing a "road game" in the final vs Siena, and playing a good team that we swept during the year. But when the chips are down, I think the only teams that could beat us up there are Siena (only because they're at home) and St. Peter's. And I do think these teams will finish 2-3 in the standings, so we likely would see one of them in the final.
I have never predicted such lofty results for Iona, but I don't see a reason for us to be WEAKER than last year, and if we prove to have the depth we think we've seen, we should be stronger. If Tim has to shorten the bench to 6-7 guys again, we will lose more than I have projected.
I also think the MAAC is a shade weaker as well. The teams expected to be near the top have major flaws, but Iona does not, and on every night in league play Iona will have 3 of the top 4-5 players on the floor.
Let's get this going.
