AP Poll, Coaches Poll, Mid Major Poll

[soconjohn]

They have the SoCon's best non-conference win.

[apaladin]

That Sammy meltdown is still bugging me. 19-4 just sounds so much better than 18-5 to me. not saying 18-5 is not outstanding because it certainly is. I have to take some blame for that Sammy loss.. I remember looking at the scoreboard with 4:20 to go when we had the ball and a 10 point lead. My thought was we are 4 minutes away from being 17-4 so it was at least partially my fault. Keep thinking of the ETSU meltdown that ending up costing us at the end. Hopefully we will have a better ending to the basketball season.

[DungeonRealm]

That Sammy meltdown is still bugging me. 19-4 just sounds so much better than 18-5 to me. not saying 18-5 is not outstanding because it certainly is. I have to take some blame for that Sammy loss.. I remember looking at the scoreboard with 4:20 to go when we had the ball and a 10 point lead. My thought was we are 4 minutes away from being 17-4 so it was at least partially my fault. Keep thinking of the ETSU meltdown that ending up costing us at the end. Hopefully we will have a better ending to the basketball season.

Yep we gave that one away, but thank goodness a committee does not decide who gets to compete in the SoCon tourney in Asheville!
Besides the last 1 minute vs. Wofford and the last 4 minutes vs. Samford we have been playing some really good ball of late, hopefully we continue that on Thursday night to setup a nice showdown with ETSU on Saturday

[tya1]

Furman is #79 in the Pomeroy ratings. Have we ever been higher?

Wofford is inside the bubble at #31. ETSU is #60, UNCG is #89, Samford is #139, Mercer #160. Six SoCon teams in the top half of NCAA basketball and four in the top quarter (almost.)

[gman]

Bracketology article has the SoCon with 2 teams in the tourney. http://usatoday-va.newsmemory.com/?publink=1fd02bc1b

[Affirm]

That Sammy meltdown is still bugging me. 19-4 just sounds so much better than 18-5 to me. not saying 18-5 is not outstanding because it certainly is. I have to take some blame for that Sammy loss.. I remember looking at the scoreboard with 4:20 to go when we had the ball and a 10 point lead. My thought was we are 4 minutes away from being 17-4 so it was at least partially my fault. Keep thinking of the ETSU meltdown that ending up costing us at the end. Hopefully we will have a better ending to the basketball season.

Definitely is your fault we lost to Samford. We would have won the game if only you had thought “we’re probably going to end up losing this in the next 4:20”. Just kidding, somewhat.

[fufanatic]

Bracketology article has the SoCon with 2 teams in the tourney. http://usatoday-va.newsmemory.com/?publink=1fd02bc1b

I'll still take a believe it when I see it approach to 2 SoCon teams in the field, but despite my disdain for Wofford, that would be the best case for the entire league. Wofford wins regular season with 1-2 losses tops, cruises until the finals and loses to someone else elite - hopefully Furman. But mid-majors ranked in the upper 20s/low 30s have been left out before. Very little margin for error.

Still think Furman would have an average case for an at-large spot if they somehow won out and lost in OT in the conference finals. Would have a road win at a likely top 10 Villanova, and home wins against Wofford, ETSU and UNCG. Only one bad loss to Samford at home. Road losses at potential NCAA Tourney teams LSU, Wofford, ETSU and UNCG. Unlikely, but not insane to consider. Strength of schedule would be the real negative.

[apaladin]

I think that bad loss at home to Samford ended any long shot at an at-large. 5 losses is much worse than 4 and now you would have to add at least one to make it 6 minimum. They are not taking a SoCon team with 6 losses or more.

[DungeonRealm]

I think that bad loss at home to Samford ended any long shot at an at-large. 5 losses is much worse than 4 and now you would have to add at least one to make it 6 minimum. They are not taking a SoCon team with 6 losses or more.

Yep probably Wofford if they reach the title game undefeated in SoCon and lose title game to one of the other good teams (FU, UNCG, ETSU)would be the only scenario to get consideration for SoCon at large

[apaladin]

I think that bad loss at home to Samford ended any long shot at an at-large. 5 losses is much worse than 4 and now you would have to add at least one to make it 6 minimum. They are not taking a SoCon team with 6 losses or more.

Yep probably Wofford if they reach the title game undefeated in SoCon and lose title game to one of the other good teams (FU, UNCG, ETSU)would be the only scenario to get consideration for SoCon at large

Agree but I don't see WC going undefeated and even if they did they would not have a signature win. Best non-conference win would be a .500 SC team. (11-11) now. Currently WC is #31 in the AP poll and FU is #31 in the coaches poll. I suspect WC's unbeaten streak will end Thursday at ETSU,

[gman]

Good piece on the NET rankings that includes positive comments about Furman and Rafferty. https://www.cbssports.com/college-baske ... -be-built/

The original tweet:

[Paul C]

Love this quote:

"According to Sports Reference - College Basketball, Rafferty's averages of 17.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals shouldn't be sustainable. No player has ever finished a season averaging 17/9/4/2 in the history of College Basketball Reference's database. "

[fufanatic]

Love this quote:

"According to Sports Reference - College Basketball, Rafferty's averages of 17.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals shouldn't be sustainable. No player has ever finished a season averaging 17/9/4/2 in the history of College Basketball Reference's database. "

We've said this a lot over the last few years with guys like Croone and Sibley, probably because for a while we weren't sure this success was sustainable, but replacing Rafferty is going to be incredibly hard, if not impossible. He makes every piece of the game move for the Paladins. So much harder to replace than a guy that averages 25 a game. He deserves a chance at the NCAAs. Let's give it to him.

[CharlieFU]

Love this quote:

"According to Sports Reference - College Basketball, Rafferty's averages of 17.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals shouldn't be sustainable. No player has ever finished a season averaging 17/9/4/2 in the history of College Basketball Reference's database. "

We've said this a lot over the last few years with guys like Croone and Sibley, probably because for a while we weren't sure this success was sustainable, but replacing Rafferty is going to be incredibly hard, if not impossible. He makes every piece of the game move for the Paladins. So much harder to replace than a guy that averages 25 a game. He deserves a chance at the NCAAs. Let's give it to him.

He is certainly our MVP. And you could argue he is more important to this team than any other in the Niko/Richey era.

[fufanatic]

Love this quote:

"According to Sports Reference - College Basketball, Rafferty's averages of 17.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals shouldn't be sustainable. No player has ever finished a season averaging 17/9/4/2 in the history of College Basketball Reference's database. "

We've said this a lot over the last few years with guys like Croone and Sibley, probably because for a while we weren't sure this success was sustainable, but replacing Rafferty is going to be incredibly hard, if not impossible. He makes every piece of the game move for the Paladins. So much harder to replace than a guy that averages 25 a game. He deserves a chance at the NCAAs. Let's give it to him.

He is certainly our MVP. And you could argue he is more important to this team than any other in the Niko/Richey era.

I think that is a pretty easy argue to make, although I hold a special place in my heart for Stephen Croone, who was about all we had to get excited about for a couple of years before the program started rolling.