My Week 3 Top 25 Ballot Breakdown

Another look at my Top 25 ballot this week heading into mid-December

I’m back with another ballot breakdown! FYI, this is the last Top 25 ballot I will officially submit until the new year, as we don’t vote again for a few weeks. So this current Top 25 poll that came out yesterday will be the ranking all the way through the holiday tournaments and big-time non-conference matchups. That said, I’ll continue to publish a shorter breakdown of my updated Top 25 each week, even though it will not count towards an official poll. I will likely take a Ryan Scott approach and start from scratch with my ballot once we hit January for our next poll, especially after having seen a ton of games and pivotal non-conference contests. 

But anyway, here is how I put together my Top 25 this week…

#1 NYU: No surprise here. I’ve had NYU at #1 since the preseason. The Violets picked up a solid 79-63 win over Tufts on Saturday, earning yet another marquee win that only strengthens their resume. This team is playing at such a high level right now and showing no signs of slowing down. NYU plays Brooklyn today before taking a two-week break from game action. 

#2 Transylvania: The Pioneers have been my #2 team since the preseason as well, and are off to a 7-0 start. That included a pair of road wins over Franklin and Manchester this week in HCAC, winning both by wide margins. Lots of balance throughout the rotation for Transy, which contributes to the success. Teams can’t focus on just one or two players, because at all times, the Pioneers have five players on the floor who can score it well and at a consistent rate. 

#3 UW-Whitewater: The Warhawks stay at #3 after dominating Wheaton in their lone game of the week. The 73-45 victory saw Whitewater take control in the second and third quarters, as the offense came consistently through all four quarters. I’ve been really impressed by UW-Whitewater these last few weeks and the Warhawks just continue to pile up quality victories as WIAC play gets closer. The stats back up just how strong Whitewater has been in non-conference play, and I think this is a team right in the middle of the national title conversation. 

#4 Christopher Newport: The Captains did not play this week, so little to report on this front. Keeping CNU at #4 is more of a forward-thinking ranking and eye-test assessment than anything else. The Captains have quality wins over Emory and Elizabethtown along with an 8-0 record, and have certainly proven to be a Top-10 team. I know several voters have CNU in various spots in their respective ballots, but for now, I have not seen anything that would lead me to drop the Captains further in my ranking. When they are fully-healthy, CNU is a really challenging matchup for pretty much anyone in the country, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Captains make a return trip to the Final Four once again this season. Alivia Giles has given CNU a stronger post presence than many expected upon hearing the news that Anaya Simmons would not be back for this season, as Giles is currently averaging 11.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. If memory serves, she had a pretty strong performance in an exhibition against North Carolina A&T last season in addition to contributing off the bench at an average of about 13.7 minutes per game. Great to see the way in which she has stepped up. 

#5 Scranton: Scranton is definitely finding more of a rhythm at this point in the season, with several newcomers, particularly transfers Victoria Toomey and Kaeli Romanowski, settling in. Romanowski leads Scranton in assists (26) in addition to averaging 8.8 points and 4.2 boards per game. Toomey is now at 5.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest, and this increased contribution (from a statistical perspective) seems to have allowed Kaci Kranson more room to do what she does on the offensive end. Defenses cannot key in on Kranson too much, for fear of giving up wide-open looks to other shooters on the floor, both on the perimeter and inside. And as a result, Scranton’s offense is clicking, with the Lady Royals averaging 80.2 points per game. This past week saw Scranton record conference wins over Drew and Goucher, neither of which was even close in terms of margin of victory (average of 53.5 points in margin of victory between the two). 

#6 Gustavus Adolphus: This might be one of the best teams we’ve ever seen at Gustavus Adolphus. The Gusties are playing so well together right now that they will be extremely tough to be beaten by anyone, both in the MIAC, and as we head into the postseason. If the win over UW-Stout showed us anything, it is that Gustavus is a very smart basketball team. The complexity of many of their schemes is pretty impressive, and I wouldn't be surprised if they run the table in the MIAC. They went 2-0 last week with a pair of dominant league wins over Macalester and St. Catherine. 

#7 Rhode Island College: Even with Tufts, Babson, and Trinity (CT) all exhibiting some early-season struggles, RIC’s victories over those three are of notable quality, and the Anchorwomen have not stumbled thus far. With a 9-0 record, RIC rolled to wins over Southern Maine and UMass Boston this past week within LEC play. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from this group, especially with three starters averaging double figures in scoring. We knew what Madison Medbury and Izabelle Booth would bring to this squad, having contributed to last year’s Final Four run. But Sophia Guerrier was the surprise addition to the roster, as she wrapped up her career in 2020-21 as a D3hoops.com Third Team All-American. After not playing during the 2021-22 or 2022-23 seasons, Guerrier is back on the roster this year and currently leads RIC in points (11.3) and rebounds (6.2). 

#8 Wartburg: Like everyone in my Top 7, Wartburg’s ranking doesn’t change on my ballot this week. I thought the Knights played well against a Simpson team that seems to be finally hitting its stride in Saturday’s 83-72 win, and Bethany Lutheran gave Wartburg a bit of a challenge over the final three quarters of Tuesday’s 93-83 win. Overall, Wartburg has really come together and is 9-0 for a reason. Matchups against Whitman and DePauw at the Music City Classic on Dec. 19-20, will be a great set of non-conference tests for the Knights. So far, only UW-Eau Claire has really taken them down to the wire. 

#9 Smith: This is a lot higher than I would’ve expected I’d have Smith in mid-December. That said, the body of work is there, particularly in a 76-68 win over Williams (a team that nearly took down RIC) and a 66-63 victory over Trinity (CT) (who is most certainly a NESCAC title contender). The five-point loss to Mass-Dartmouth sticks out, but at this point everyone from #9-#25 has a very close win to a slightly-above average team or a loss. Sofia Rosa has come in and made a huge impact, and will be in contention for NEWMAC Player of the Year honors if she continues at the pace she’s at. It is completely possible that one or two other teams may end up jumping Smith at some point, but with what I have seen up until now, Smith is my No. 2 team out of the northeast (behind RIC). 

#10 Emory: The Eagles have had limited opportunities against high-quality opponents, but they will certainly get their fair share of RRO opportunities in the UAA, which is a gauntlet of a league schedule in January and February. Emory is on an eight-game win streak, having only dropped its season-opener to CNU, 57-47. They beat a solid Piedmont squad (who is 5-2 currently) on Tuesday of this past week, 69-54, and the Eagles have a fairly balanced spring attack when you take a look at the numbers. Claire Brock is obviously a key part of the success with her scoring ability, but Daniella Aronksy, Katherine Martini, Izzy Munson, and Morgan Laudick have also all stepped up and contributed well. Emory does not play again until Dec. 30, when Hardin-Simmons battles the Eagles in Atlanta. 

#11 Trinity (TX): The Tigers are up four spots in my ballot. While they did not play this past week, there were certainly a few results ahead of them that affected things and the way my ballot was structured. I haven’t seen quite enough to move the Tigers into my Top 10, but I think they are headed that direction. Natalie Anderson has become a force to be reckoned with, and Jamie Ruede is making a huge impact as a freshman. Many of the questions surrounding Trinity in the preseason were in regards to how they would move forwards after losing several key starters to graduation. It doesn’t even seem like Trinity has skipped a beat. 

#12 Illinois Wesleyan: IWU put together a 2-0 week on the road in the CCIW, demolishing Wheaton and taking down North Central. That was a North Central game in which IWU held control in every quarter but the fourth, including in overtime, as the Titans outscored the Cardinals, 8-1. And Lauren Huber wasn’t available once again, which makes me think that with her back on the floor, this IWU may be eyeing the Top 10 when the season is said and done. The depth we continue to see is just so impressive, and better than what I’ve seen from a lot of teams throughout this season. There is a certain chemistry that has given IWU great consistency on both ends of the floor for much of the year, and I think the Titans are in a position right now, where, if they were to utilize their press the way they did against UW-Whitewater, many of these Top 25 teams would have some real trouble. While the offense is strong for the Titans, I think the defense is even better, and as long as they maintain that, they should continue moving higher in the poll. Yes, I have them above Millikin. At this point, I see the margin between the two as being extremely thin, with IWU having a slight advantage.

#13 Millikin: That said, Millikin did not move in my ballot this week after the 101-98 overtime loss to Carroll. It was on the road, and it was a game that could’ve gone either way. Carroll made some timely buckets at the end of regulation and Millikin was unable to counter as OT played out. But my opinion on Millikin didn’t change as I watched that game, because of how competitive and back-and-forth it was. Good teams will be challenged by other good teams, especially in league play. Carroll is a team that pushed Chicago into OT earlier this season, and is going to be in the Top 3 or 4 of the CCIW. Matchups against Alma and Hope on consecutive days on Dec. 19-20, will be pretty interesting, considering Hope is right in the mix in the middle of my ballot, and Alma has produced a couple of notable victories so far this season. Tough two-day stretch that will provide one more good non-conference test for Millikin. 

#14 Tufts: At 6-3, I don’t think Tufts is out of the conversation. The Jumbos contended with NYU for a full three quarters. But with their best win probably being a 72-54 win over Roger Williams, I can understand why some voters may have them a lot lower, or not in their ballot at all. Tufts has shown some inconsistencies and was really challenged by Emmanuel, who is a good program, but has not had the best start to a season at 4-6 overall. Even the 71-53 loss to RIC back in early November is something voters may point to, considering Tufts struggled against RIC at that point, and does not seem to have gotten a whole lot better since then…but then again, I liked what I saw against NYU and I think Tufts can compete with the best in the NESCAC. Time will tell on the Jumbos. 

#15 Hardin-Simmons: The loss to ETBU really hurts the Cowgirls’ resume, though it was a one-point road loss in league play, so to an extent, that game is not indicative of HSU’s overall performance. While I’m surprised they lost that game, you have to credit ETBU for pulling off the upset. We didn’t learn a ton more about HSU in a pair of 20+ point wins over Howard Payne and Sul Ross State this past week, though it was nice to see the Cowgirls get back on track. Paris Kiser is my pick to win ASC Player of the Year at this point in time, as her scoring ability is tremendous, and even seems improved from where it was last year within the HSU offense. She is playing more off the ball this year as Colorado College transfer Anna Fanelli is a true point guard for HSU, which has allowed Kiser to play more on the perimeter and do different things within the offensive scheme. That Dec. 30 matchup against Emory will be huge for both teams. 

#16 Amherst: Amherst is 7-0, but has no real quality win as of now. I think this is a situation where you have to watch the team play rather than just going purely on the record. With basically everyone back from last season, the Mammoths breezed through the first five weeks of the season without any real challenge, outside of Albertus Magnus keeping it competitive in a 64-57 win for Amherst on Nov. 21. Amherst has been right around this #16-#20 range for me all season, and I don’t see Amherst moving up until NESCAC play begins and we get to see them face Williams, Tufts, Colby, Bowdoin, and Trinity. But so far, so good, for Amherst. 

#17 Chicago: The Maroons were not in action this week, but I slid them up a couple spots nonetheless in a similar situation to what I ended up doing with Trinity (TX). Chicago 7-1 with its only loss coming two weeks ago to UW-Whitewater, and now, the wins over Carroll, North Central, and Denison all look pretty good. The biggest game of this next week will be the Dec. 16 matchup between Illinois Wesleyan and Chicago. It will be great to see how those two match up, and I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Chicago so far. The Maroons rebound really well, and I expect that to be a key both against IWU and in the UAA. 

#18 UW-Stout: Stout’s lone result of the week was a 95-16 win over Northland, and while we got to see Maraya Wiltrout put up a career-high in points, I’m not sure we learned a ton about how the Blue Devils stack up nationally. Having watched the Blue Devils play multiple times this season, the large amount of returning production has allowed Stout to start this season strong, and they are playing with plenty of cohesiveness right now. This coming Saturday is a huge matchup for the Blue Devils at Trine, and will be a pretty impactful result for both teams. There’s a chance Stout doesn’t make it into the Top 25 this week. But with a win over Trine? I think the Blue Devils would, in that case, find their way onto most voters’ ballots, especially since it would be a road win.

#19 Hope: The Flying Dutch have been one of the pleasant surprises of these first five weeks or so in D-III women’s hoops. While some were pretty optimistic of Hope’s upside early in the preseason, I was, admittedly, a little more uncertain. I knew they had great talent (though mostly unproven at the college level), and I’d argue that Hope’s coaching staff is one of the best at the D3 level. But with so much production having graduated, it seemed like we might be in for a down year at Hope, considering many players would be seeing significant minutes for the first time in their careers. For the most part, that hasn’t been true, as the Flying Dutch are off to an 8-1 start and hold wins over Illinois Wesleyan and UW-Platteville. The Wisconsin Lutheran loss felt uncharacteristic, but WLC turned around and nearly beat Transylvania, too. Hope is right inside the Top 20 for me, and I feel pretty confident with where I have the Flying Dutch this week. Hope comes off a 2-0 week that featured two really strong defensive performances, giving up an average of 38 points per game in wins over Saint Mary’s (IN) and Calvin. 

#20: Elizabethtown: The Blue Jays took care of business in Landmark play on Saturday, defeating Susquehanna, 75-59, improving to 6-2, with the only losses coming to Catholic (in OT) and CNU. Both CNU and Catholic are currently ranked, and overall, I think Elizabethtown is in a good spot. But the Blue Jays’ biggest non-conference test is approaching quickly. While the matchup with CNU may have been against a higher ranked opponent (Loras is currently unranked), that has the chance to be a play-in game for Pool C. Neither team can really afford another loss, and winning that matchup in Puerto Rico would be big from an SOS/RRO standpoint. 

#21 MIT: Winning on the road at Tufts and Trinity (CT) is not easy, no matter who you are. And to do it in consecutive weeks is all the more impressive. MIT’s resume is pretty solid with those two wins, though they are far from a lock in my ballot. These next few weeks will tell us a lot more about them, but for now, with a 6-2 record and respectable losses to NYU and Colby, MIT is in. I value quality road/neutral court wins, as those are always a little tougher to come by, and MIT now has three of those if you include the WashU win at the Scholar’s Classic. 

#22 DeSales: Beating Messiah just before Messiah beats Mary Washington is always a positive, and while I don’t think Messiah is of Top 25 caliber at the moment, it was a pretty solid performance from DeSales last week. The Bulldogs are showing that the season-opening loss to Muhlenberg was very much fluke, and have now rattled off eight straight wins. DeSales hosts Scranton on Dec. 19 in a must-see matchup, and I think we will be able to learn a lot more about this DeSales squad seeing the Bulldogs battle a Top-5 team on their home court. 

#23 Trinity (CT): I’m not dropping the Bantams out of my ballot just yet. I get it. 6-4 overall with an 0-2 record this past week is far from ideal. Depending on what happens with a few of the other fringe Top 25 teams over the next few weeks, Trinity may not still be on my ballot when we vote again if a couple teams jump ahead of them. But with all of that said, I feel like it’s easy to overreact to a couple of bad performances. With the talent and experience on the roster, I am optimistic for the time being in Trinity. I think they are a Top 25 team, even if the last few games haven’t exactly shown it. They lost to Smith by 3. And Rhode Island College by 4. They beat the Emmanuel team on the road that pushed Tufts to the brink (at Tufts) just a week ago. Not to mention an 11-point win at Stevens. The talent is there and three of their four losses have come by six points or fewer. Those are 50/50 games for the most part, and while you would really like to see a team of Trinity’s caliber go at least 1-3 in those games, rather than 0-4, I am taking a wait and see approach with the Bantams. I won’t be surprised if they turn a corner heading into NESCAC play at the beginning of next month.

#24 Concordia Moorhead: Another fringe Top 25 team that snuck in this week, Concordia has put up some pretty solid results, but flown under the radar after dropping games to UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point. But the Cobbers have won six straight since then, and are 6-0 in MIAC play at this point. I had a chance to watch the UWW/Concordia game on that opening weekend of the season, and Concordia took one of the nation’s top teams right down to the wire on a neutral court. That was impressive. So were the recent wins over St. Benedict and Hamline in MIAC play. We don’t get to see MIAC teams play many non-conference games, but I think Concordia made the most of its opportunities outside of the MIAC and was challenged in a big way. That seems to have contributed to Concordia’s strong start within the conference. Obviously, the matchup against Gustavus Adolphus is going to be the big one. In fact, Concordia doesn’t play again until that game. Circle it on your calendars! Jan. 3 is when Concordia visits Gustavus in what will be a huge MIAC contest. 

#25 Johns Hopkins: JHU is playing well right now, with seven straight wins and a 6-0 record in the Centennial Conference. Under first-year head coach Rodney Rogan, JHU beat WashU and Marymount and the Blue Jays’ only loss is to NYU. In league play, we’ve seen JHU beat Gettysburg and Dickinson, which only improves the Blue Jays’ resume. Look for the Dec. 29 matchup against Chicago to be a key one for JHU; it’ll be played on a neutral court in Nashville and a pretty important test for both squads before things really ramp up in conference play.

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In case you missed it, I had the privilege of appearing on Hoopsville last night as part of the D3 WBB “Double-Take” along with Scott Peterson. It’s always great to be part of Hoopsville and I appreciate all the work Dave does to promote this great level of college hoops. If you have a minute, here’s the link to yesterday’s show: https://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/index

Have a great rest of your day!