Critical Stretch

Forum Forum Lehigh Sports Lehigh Men’s Basketball Critical Stretch

This topic contains 3 replies, has 3 voices, and was last updated by Bison137 Bison137 8 years, 2 months ago.

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  • #29821

    lfnadmin
    Keymaster

    Though Lehigh’s record is 2-4, there’s plenty to love about how the Mountain Hawks have done. All four losses have come to schools with a Real Time RPI of less than 150 (Xavier, Yale, Arkansas St., LaSalle) and all have com on the road. Ironically, the highest-visibility of our current wins, Mississippi State, is the worst RPI on our schedule (236 Real Time RPI).

    In these next four games, it’s going to be critical to get above .500 and establish that this team is serious about making a run in the Patriot League, and if you judge that by RPI, that seems accessible. Three of the four teams are below 200 in RPI (RMU, Stony Brook, SFPA) and the fourth (Mt. St. Mary’s) also looks like a winnable game, even though it’s on the road.

    The first six games have been the toughest-ever schedule I’ve ever seen in the Patriot League. With a 3-1 or 4-0 stretch in these next four, I like where we might sit going into league play. Bucknell, Holy Cross and Loyola will be tough competition in the league, and it’s critical that the Mountain Hawks get a head of steam, in my opinion.

    #29828
    Bison137
    Bison137
    Participant

    LU has a good chance to win the next four but, ironically, their RPI will get worse even by going 4-0 since the four opponents have a poor W-L record. Fortunately Cabrini doesn’t count at all in the RPI.

    Yes, very tough opening schedule. The only tougher one I remember for a PL team for the first six might be Bucknell’s in 2005-06: (1) opened at Rider, who was the MAAC co-champ the year before; (2) played Syracuse, who went on to win the Big East tournament, in the Carrier Dome; (3) At Niagara, who was the other MAAC co-champ; (4) At DePaul, who was a fairly good Big East team featuring a future NBA player; (5) At Yale, a middle-of-the-pack Ivy; and (6) home vs #4 Villanova. The best part was the Bison going 5-1 over that stretch, beating Syracuse and DePaul on the road and giving Nova a good game.

    #29838
    jimk72
    jimk72
    Participant

    137, my dad attended Bucknell before dental school, and I grew up in Milton. Dad took us to several games at Davis every year so I’m very familiar with BU b-ball prowess. In my mind the 2005 and 2006 editions of the Bison are clearly among the three best teams in Patriot League history. Of course I’d like another edition of the the Engineers (aka Mountain Hawks) to join the club. An NCAA tournament win is truly the holy grail for the league.

    #29839
    Bison137
    Bison137
    Participant

    [quote quote=29838]137, my dad attended Bucknell before dental school, and I grew up in Milton. Dad took us to several games at Davis every year so I’m very familiar with BU b-ball prowess. In my mind the 2005 and 2006 editions of the Bison are clearly among the three best teams in Patriot League history. Of course I’d like another edition of the the Engineers (aka Mountain Hawks) to join the club. An NCAA tournament win is truly the holy grail for the league.

    [/quote]

    Nice to hear from someone who attended games in Davis. I think the 2005-06 Bison team was the best PL team by a wide margin. Ranked in the top 25 in the nation and had an OOC RPI in the top 25. The league may never see a team of that calibre again. And ironically, three of the five starters were non-scholarship.

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