{"id":4626,"date":"2014-01-17T16:03:47","date_gmt":"2014-01-17T20:03:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=4626"},"modified":"2014-01-17T16:03:47","modified_gmt":"2014-01-17T20:03:47","slug":"the-new-year-report-conference-previews-part-six","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=4626","title":{"rendered":"The New Year Report: Conference Previews – Part Six"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Part Six of the New Year Report, we are going to focus on four of my favorite small conferences because there is a TON of passion in these leagues.\u00a0 Particularly, the Ivy and Patriot (two leagues without scholarships) are really great.\u00a0 Also, the NEC has some real impassioned rivalries, as well as the Big Sky, which is the West Coast’s version of the NEC.<\/p>\n

IVY<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Harvard used to be the doormat of the Ivies.\u00a0 Now, they are the crown jewels.\u00a0 It’s amazing what a little “academic leniency” can do for a basketball program.<\/p>\n

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  • Preseason Favorite:\u00a0 Harvard<\/em>
    \n<\/strong>The Crimson are absolutely loaded this year.\u00a0 Last year they were the best team in the league and they only added to the roster with a couple studs coming off suspension.\u00a0 This is a no-brainer pick.<\/li>\n
  • Most Impressive:\u00a0 Harvard<\/em>
    \n<\/strong>The Crimson have lived up to their billing, with two close losses – both on the road – to Colorado and UConn.<\/li>\n
  • Most Disappointing:\u00a0 Cornell<\/em>
    \n<\/strong>No one thought Big Red would compete for an Ivy title this year, but they have been DREADFUL.\u00a0 Just god-awful.<\/li>\n
  • “My” Favorite:\u00a0 Princeton
    \n<\/em><\/strong>People are ready to just hand the Ivy title to Harvard, and while they will probably win it, their dates with the Tigers will be tough.\u00a0 Princeton’s season-opening loss to Penn, though, shrunk their margin for error to almost nothing.<\/li>\n
  • Potential Sleeper:\u00a0 Columbia
    \n<\/em><\/strong>The forgotten team in the Ivy race this year will likely be Columbia, but they are good.\u00a0 Very good.\u00a0 Don’t believe me?\u00a0 Just ask Michigan State, who nearly lost to the Lions in East Lansing earlier this year.\u00a0 Columbia also has wins over decent teams such as Stony Brook, Saint Francis (NY), American, and North Texas.<\/li>\n
  • Also Relevant:\u00a0 None
    \n<\/em><\/strong>If anyone else makes a legitimate run at the title, it will be quite a surprise.\u00a0 Brown is probably the only team that you could even make a case for.<\/li>\n
  • Dregs: Cornell<\/em>
    \n<\/strong>The rest of the league can hold its own, though Penn could be pretty bad as well.\u00a0 But, Cornell is just awful.\u00a0 It doesn’t seem that long ago when Big Red took out Temple en route to the Sweet 16.<\/li>\n
  • The Pick:\u00a0 Harvard
    \n<\/em><\/strong>You would have to be quite the contrarian not to take the Crimson here.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    PATRIOT<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

    After years of the stability of a solid, insular, 8-team league, the Patriot reached out and grabbed two really nice additions – Boston U. and Loyola (MD).\u00a0 Now, the league is as strong as ever.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Preseason Favorite:\u00a0 Boston U.<\/em>
      \n<\/strong>The newest member comes in at just the right time, as they are experienced and talented and should win the league.<\/li>\n
    • Most Impressive:\u00a0 American<\/em>
      \n<\/strong>If we really had written this at the New Year – before conference play began\u00a0– the Eagles probably wouldn’t have even made the “relevant” list.\u00a0 But, they are 5-0 in conference so far, including 4 road wins (Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, and Lehigh) and a 14-point home win over Loyola.\u00a0 This has been the most surprising, most impressive start to a conference season as there has been around the country.<\/li>\n
    • Most Disappointing:\u00a0 Lafayette<\/em>
      \n<\/strong>The Leopards are in the discussion for most disappointing in the country, as they were picked 2nd in the preseason and look like the worst team in the league.<\/li>\n
    • “My” Favorite:\u00a0 Bucknell
      \n<\/em><\/strong>Mike Muscala\u00a0is now playing professionally in Spain, after being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of last year’s draft, so the Bison are in rebuild mode.\u00a0 But, they have some real talent.\u00a0 And, this young, talented team has wins at Penn State, Albany, and Kent State, as well as very close losses at Stanford and at St. John’s.<\/li>\n
    • Potential Sleeper:\u00a0 Army
      \n<\/em><\/strong>Watch out for the U.S. Army, as they won their first 4 Patriot League games this year before falling to Holy Cross Wednesday night.\u00a0 They are experienced and solid and won’t be an easy out on any night all year.<\/li>\n
    • Also Relevant:\u00a0 Loyola (Md), Holy Cross, Lehigh, Colgate
      \n<\/em><\/strong>The other newcomer, Loyola, has a solid team that has underperformed so far.\u00a0 Holy Cross is always relevant, but never seems to put it all together.\u00a0 Lehigh is rebuilding after the loss of NBA lottery pick, C.J. McCollum.\u00a0 And, Colgate is looking to turn around a disastrous start to conference play and rekindle the fire from a fantastic non-conference schedule.<\/li>\n
    • Dregs: None<\/em>
      \n<\/strong>Lafayette is the only one that is borderline here, and I think they have the talent to avoid being a “dreg.”<\/li>\n
    • The Pick:\u00a0 Boston U.
      \n<\/em><\/strong>The Terriers are just too solid not to win this conference.\u00a0 The roadtrips will be new, but they are too experienced to slip up too many times.\u00a0 Plus, with Bucknell and Lehigh both rebuilding, their only true threat turns out to be an out-of-nowhere American team whom they should handle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      NEC<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

      Always one of my favorite leagues, even without a good Long Island team, the NEC never fails to entertain.<\/p>\n