The Macs are ranked #1 in the country for the first time in program history. In the first D3Hoops Top 25 poll of the season, the Macs edged out Illinois Wesleyan and Randolph-Macon to claim the #1 ranking. The Macs received 13 of the 25 possible first place votes.
Coach Elliot Steinmetz was not impressed with the #1 ranking. “Let me know what we are ranked on March 20,” he told MacsLive. The DIII National Championship Game is scheduled for March 20, 2022, and that is all Coach Steinmetz cares about.
Randolph-Macon was the preseason #1 ranked team. They started off the year 6-0, before losing their most recent game to Christopher Newport, now ranked #17, 77-76 in overtime. Randolph-Macon is now ranked 3rd in the nation. UW-Platteville and Wheaton (IL) were ranked #4 and #5, respectively. The Saint Joseph (CT) Blue Jays, a team the Macs beat twice last season, are ranked 6th. Elmhurt, UW-La Crosse, Roanoke, and UW-Oshkosh round out the top 10.
As it stands now, the matchup on December 30th between Yeshiva and Illinois Wesleyan will be #1 vs #2. These two teams have started the season strong, with the Titans standing at 5-0, and the Macs at 8-0. If you were not planning on coming to this game, you may want to reconsider making the trip to Washington Heights on December 30 to watch two heavyweights face off.
“Nice.” After finding out that the Macs were ranked #1 in the country, this was all Co-Captain Eitan Halpert had to say. There is no doubt that the ranking is a huge accomplishment, but this reaction by Eitan Halpert shows that rankings are by no means enough.
This team is not satisfied with a #1 ranking, they will not be satisfied until the job is finished.
MacsLive:
For more Yeshiva Maccabees content follow MacsLive on Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Comments