Blogs : NCAA Division III Blog

The Importance of Knowing your Competition?

This past weekend marked the biggest showdowns yet between ranked teams, particularly with the two Wisconsin (La Crosse and Oshkosh) Invitationals that featured 14 and 13 ranked teams, respectively, from the latest men's and women's rankings.  How much importance do various national contenders place on seeing their competition before St. Olaf on November 17th?

Below is a list of the current top 20 teams in the men's and women's rankings and the number of ranked teams they have faced so far this season.  (Note: This was determined by the rankings of the teams when they met, not by current standings.  In other words, if Team A and Team B met in early September when they were both ranked, that would count even if Team B has since dropped out of the current top 35 teams.)

MEN

1     Calvin College (MI)          8

2     New York University          9

3     Wisconsin-La Crosse          23

4     Willamette University (OR)   1 

5     SUNY Cortland (NY)           5

6     Haverford College (PA)       14

7     St. John's University (MN)   14

8     Wisconsin-Platteville        22

9=    Augustana College (IL)       14

9=    North Central College (IL)   16

11    Ohio Northern University     9

12    St Lawrence University (NY)  6

13    Wisconsin-Stevens Point      24

14    Williams College (MA)        3

15    Allegheny College (PA)       10

16    SUNY Geneseo (NY)            4

17    Nebraska Wesleyan            6

18    Carnegie Mellon (PA)         5

19    Trinity College (CT)         6

20    College of New Jersey        17

WOMEN

1     Amherst College (MA)         9

2     Calvin College (MI)          3

3     Washington University (MO)   12

4     SUNY Geneseo (NY)            7

5     Williams College (MA)        8

6     SUNY Plattsburg (NY)         15

7     Case Western (OH)            5

8     Willamette University (OR)   1

9     Wisconsin-Platteville        18

10    Wisconsin Eau Claire         27

11    Nebraska Wesleyan            7

12    Dickinson College (PA)       14

13    Depauw University (IN)       1

14    Wisconsin-LaCrosse           25

15    St. Olaf College (MN)        35

16    Ithaca College (NY)          11

17    Haverford (PA)               11

18    Mass Institute of Technology 12

19    Bowdoin (ME)                 4

20    Middlebury College (VT)      7