May 5, 2016 by Charlie Eisenhood in Livewire, Video with 10 comments
Confirming a general sense that the Metro East — already the country’s weakest region — has gotten even worse in recent years, a simple analysis of the average ranking of the top eight teams in the final regular season rankings shows that the region has never been weaker.
Since the regional redraw in 2011, the Metro East actually improved for two seasons. In 2011, the average ranking of the top eight teams was 80.75, buoyed by solid teams from Cornell, UConn, NYU, and Rutgers. The average dropped to 75.75 in 2012 and to 66.75 in 2013 (three top 50 teams that year).
But since then, things have gone sharply in the wrong direction. 2014’s average ranking was 107.75. 2015’s was 131. And now, in 2016, the average ranking was 148.25.
This year’s Regionals three seed, RIT, finished the season ranked 145th; they dropped out of bracket play this weekend. UConn’s #31 ranking is the only thing salvaging a grim year for the Metro East.
On the bright side, the Women’s Division had its strongest year (average: 79.75) since 2011 (average: 70.5).
