JRGNYR --- I agree HC is the favorites. I just don't see the storybook ending, ie. them winning 17 straight (expecting them to win the rest of the way to the NCAA's). And HC hasn't won the last three straight although you are correct they won 3 straight not including last year.

I don't think they will do it, especially because they haven't been winning in dominating fashion. Home court advantage throughout is a HUGE + though because AU vs. HC in the 2nd round on their floor could be a sellout with all HC fans. There is no doubt this is a huge advantage to them....I still just don't see them advancing all the way. (also keep in mind, students are on spring break and likely won't be at the games for the most part)

I agree with your AU comment though. They have to get over the hump before they can be mentioned with the champions. 3 for 3 in runner-up trophies isn't a great stat, although it still makes me laugh that Hoop Time is so convinced that AU sucks so much. His commentary regarding Ingram's 37 pt performace... "Andre Ingram, who missed a free throw that could have won the Holy Cross game in regulation, missed two free throws with 18 seconds to go in overtime Note the correction, we originally said the free throws were in regulation to win, not OT to tie) with Lafayette up by two, rendering his 37-point performance pretty much meaningless"....that is classic. I can't say enough for someone who kills a kid who scores 37 pts. Chances are without him AU gets run out of Lafayette's gym...either way, HC are the favorites no doubt, prediction stands though -- they don't make it their 4th title in 5 years.

I love you guys. Anybody who doesn't drink the AU kool-aid or think Ingram walks on water is evil and hates ya. LMAO

I hate to bust yer bubble, but other than busting yer bubble, there's not much I "hate." Certainly not any of the teams in the conference.

The difference between me and you is that I am not a fan. I like the league and its teams, but I could care less who wins as long as I get a decent story.

I could write all kinds of things about why teams other than AU should be considered contenders if I based it only on what they did in the past. But the last three years do not count this year. I cannot help that the Eagles, despite entering the league with a full roster of scholarship kids recruited as CAA players (a higher level, esp. at the time they entered the league) have not been able to win it in any of those three years.

Just like I cannot help that Ingram cannot seem to make a free throw when it really matters. 37 points is nice. Very impressive. But it is not a W. Twice in key situations, the guy has not been able to make an unguarded shot 15-feet from the basket. Only a fool would not sense a pattern there.

Nonetheless, if he comes to the line with 1 second left, shooting two down one in the final, and makes them both, I will be as happy as any AU fan.

Why? Because overcoming adversity always makes a great story.

Of course, given how AU has faded down the stretch, that does not seem very likely.

Onc exception to below ... I said I don't care who wins. That is true in conference play. Out of conference, I like to see Patriot League teams win.

Anyone have any thoughts on the PL first/second teams if they were named today?

ht- hey, i don't hate you and i don't think you hate us. au is developing a wonderful legacy of not quite making the cut in the final and choking away games (andres and andre, neither knocked down the FTs when we needed them). but we can change it... maybe. andre is still a solid player who could play on any PL team and likely many better ones, too. he can hit fade-aways right before the buzzer, so maybe he should pretend someone is covering him. don't count us out for the final- we've made it three straight years and we might a fourth. doesn't mean we will win it, but... well, you know... us AU kool-aid drinkers will guzzle it down to the last drop.

prediction: i believe dre was the only PL player on the NABC all-american district list, so i'd assume he will be up there somewhere. and perhaps jason thomas, too. he's been player of the week three times, and though he hasn't always been "with it", i'm not sure there are 10 players who are definitely that much better than him.

of course, as president of the blue shirts, i pass out the kool-aid... at the navy game, there'll be teddy grahams, too.

hamilton(poy)-ingram--mcnaughton-simmons--olivero

Just because HC hasn't dominated games doesn't necessarily mean they're going to choke down the stretch.

I'm figuring you think Bucknell will win the PL, and that certainly carries some merit. But HC just beat Colgate on the road by 13. Bucknell beat the Raiders by a deuce.

HC won at Navy and American, while Bucknell tripped up and lost both those games.

The key is that HC has won the games that Bucknell hasn't (excluding the head to head matchup). I think everybody would agree this is a different HC team playing now than they were when they went to Bucknell, and in a lot of ways it's a much different Bison squad as well.

HC has won the games they've had to, and they are too well coached to go into a game unprepared. If they don't execute, well what can you say? They may very well get upset, but I think your logic is flawed when you base your prediction on the fact that HC hasn't been dominating games. HC isn't going to win every game by 30.

JRGNYR --- My prediction is more based on the wins than anything. The fact that they will have to end up winning 17 straight (assuming they don't lose this week in Reg. season play) would be quite a feat. Don't get me wrong its possible, I just feel like there are areas that are lacking and will cause them to trip up. Bucknell can get hot and do damage, or even Lehigh/AU (I know most people consider them done) but I see it as more wide open than most people do. I'll be interested to see if HC can maintain their amazing play.

It is definately possible, I just am doubting it. Your points are well taken though.

So Prediction, as you point out, this is more a case of winning one game at a time against some stiff competition. The fact that a winning streak builds up in the process, does not IMO make the next win any more difficult.

I don't know about that. If you ask teams that have huge winning streaks how easy it is to keep them maintained ----ESPECIALLY when the pressure builds I think the answers may suprise you. Bucknell went on cold pizza on wednesday morning with a huge win streak and caught an L against AU on Friday night.

All I'm saying is come tourney time when things get tough and everyone starts to hype Holy Cross as a possible 12 (or even higher) seed the fact that the next loss could totally knock them out of postseason play could make things interesting. The chances of having a 17 game winning streak going into the NCAA tournament is quite a prospect yet it would scare me a bit if I was an HC fan IMO.

Doesn't scare me - I like the sound of it. Especially since Willard prepares the team one game at a time...

I'm pretty sure that Willard is preparing the team one win at a time. The last few years, as good as the teams have been, they've stumbled along the way. In '01 there were late losses at Boston University and Army. '02 was an up and down year but the team peaked at just the right time. In '03, there was that awful loss at Marist, plus HC probably should not have lost to Yale in that tournament in Hartford.

This year there were games that scared the bejesus out of the HC fans. That Lehigh Valley swing is always difficult. Navy and American are really solid teams and HC and played them after they'd knocked down Bucknell the week before and they won. They just defeated a scrappy Colgate squad despite shooting poorly.

These are all games that, arguably in the past, HC may have lost because of letdowns for whatever reason.

I'm certainly not saying this year's HC team is one of destiny. Far from it. I do think it's the best squad Willard has put together in his six years in Worcester. I also think there is a lot of respect for the program now, at least in the media, who as we know loves a Cinderella story.

If HC had been winning every game by 30, I'd be worried, because those types of blowouts really inflate a team's ego. But the fact is they've had to work their tails off for every win, plus you have a few breaks go your way. Add it all up and it turns into a really solid season. No doubt though HC will have to work harder now with Bucknell coming to town and the tournament on the horizon, but HC fans' confidence in Willard has been a worthy investment. As good as Bucknell has been this year (and I'm taking nothing away from them - that team does scare me and I know they are very capable of winning in Worcester on Wednesday), I don't see this HC team falling into the trap that previous teams have.

A shoutout to Kevin Hamilton (HC) from cbs sportsline......

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/8216398

HT: You said the blue shirts would hate you for saying Ingram didn't deserve his award... well, I don't. We lost. Had no other player scored more than 15 points, Dre might deserve it. But winning with whatever it was Hilliard did... he deserves the award more than Ingram. I'm sure if you asked Dre, he'd trade the win for the honor. I sure would.

Hey Guys

Just wanted to alert you of another Patriot League Basketball board, if you ever wanted to just check it out. It has pretty cool features and it's a free board, so if you're interested, check it out.

http://www.basketballboards.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=103

Go HC. Sustain your big mo and play like each game is your last.