Props To The Patriot League #1

I promised my readers a regular Patriot League update...and I'm delivering on that promise. Watch as I skillfully navigate my way through a league I know little to nothing about. I'm hoping that Chaz (Holy Cross graduate) will chime in at some point to provide insight to this select group of academic institutions. The Patriot League's motto is great: "Today's Scholar-Athletes, Tomorrow's Leaders." This blatantly reveals that, while these kids may have heart, determination, and brains...they don't necessarily have much in the way of athletic skill. But this is not a bad thing. The motto is also saying, although we might lose to you in basketball...your dropouts will be working for our graduates in five years. "Winning" is truly relative.

Here are the Patriot League standings as of Wednesday night:

1. American University Eagles - 20-7, (12-1) - (RPI: 80)
2. Holy Cross Crusaders - 15-13, (10-3) - (RPI: 184)
3. Navy Midshipmen - 18-10, (7-6) - (RPI: 146)
4. Lehigh Mountain Hawks - 15-12, (5-8) - (RPI: 240)
5. Army Black Knights - 9-18, (5-8) - (RPI: 308)
6. Colgate Raiders - 9-18, (5-8) - (RPI: 292)
7. Lafayette Leopards - 8-20, (4-9) - (RPI: 306)
8. Bucknell Bison - 7-21, (4-9) - (RPI: 296)

This is not the best of years for the Patriot League. Their conference RPI is 26...and that's out of 31 conferences. Four of their teams have an RPI of 292 or worse (out of 343 possible schools). American U. is the class of the league, losing only one conference game to an always feisty Holy Cross squad. The Crusaders have overachieved this season, going 3-8 to start the year with losses coming at the hands of Brown, Harvard, and Yale. (Insert your own intellectual, elitist, Ivy League taunt here) Holy Cross has bounced back nicely in league play and have wrapped up the #2 seed for the Patriot League conference tournament. Navy last went to the Elite Eight in 1986 when David Robinson was their star player. Lehigh's most notable alumni is none other than capitalist crusader Lee Iacocca. Army and Lafayette are noteworthy because neither team has ever been to the NCAA Tournament. Bucknell became the first Patriot League team to win a NCAA Tournament game in 2005 when, as a #14 seed, they defeated #3 Kansas by a score of 64-63. And Colgate reminds people of toothpaste. Seriously...I'm sure Colgate is a nice safety school for those who couldn't get into Wellesley.

Each Patriot League team has one game left in the regular season. All four of those games happen this Saturday. Here are the match-ups: American U. at Lafayette, Lehigh at Holy Cross, Army at Bucknell, and Colgate at Navy. My projected winners are in bold, as I have to make picks. The Patriot League Conference Tournament is right around the corner. First round games begin next Wednesday (March 4th), so I'll check back in with these beloved 8 teams some time next week with a Tournament preview.

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