Pinewood played two mediocre Hawaiian teams and then Incarnate Wood in Iolani.
Bishop McNamara has No. 14 Roland Park, National Christian (which beat Christ the King), Pickerington Central (one of Ohio's best) and Neumann Goretti (one of Pennsylvania's best) all in its bracket. Plus a league with No. 5 St. John's and solid Paul VI. Plus the Bishop Walsh tournament at the end of the year that will likely have Roland Park again, and No. 12 St. Frances.
And McNamara just beat previous No. 7 Riverdale by 41 and previous No. 23 Southeast Raleigh by 21. They have at least nine D1s and several Power 5s -- Pinewood, or anyone else for that matter, just doesn't have that kind of depth.
Who did Riverdale TN, Roland Park, and Southeast Raleigh beat to deserve to be ranked so high in the first place? Even Riverdale Baptist (MD) shouldn't be ranked in the top ten and they're better than those two IMO. And obviously CTK was over ranked at the start of the season as were just about everyone else.
I'd like to see Bishop McNamara play live ! Too bad they didn't come to the Nike TOC. While they sound like a top ten team, no team is unbeatable. I recall a few years ago Pinewood upsetting the best team in the nation (IMO for two seasons) SMS. So even the best teams, and the best teams on paper, can be beat out on the court. But I will say thank you for your insight on the team and their challenges. That will help me as I start keeping an eye on them the rest of the season. And it will help determine IMO what team at the end of the season had perhaps the harder SOS. Or achieved the most based on the group of players they had, and how much they over came greater challenges by season's end.
If Bishop McNamara can get past St. John's even once that might prove more to me than anything they've done thus far. Or anything that they appear to be to some people on paper.
Remember things aren't always what they seem.
Example: Salesian beat Centennial ( a very good team) and then loss three straight at the Nike TOC. Centennial after losing to Salesian went on to beat Grandview ( Who beat Mitty typically one of you highest ranked teams), Bensen Tech, and Sanford, in the next 3 games of the Nike TOC. Mitty went 2-2 at the TOC and Salesian 1-3. Does that mean Mitty and Salesian are really not top teams? Or does that mean preparing for 4 tough road games at typically the toughest tournament in the nation is a lot harder than playing in a local or close to home tournament or playing a local league team is not quite as tough a challenge?
Clay, your statement below this comment proves the point "things aren't always what they seem."
And Centennial just may beat Windward? Who knows after MCD showed Windward may meltdown in the last four minutes, if the game is close, which most likely will be the case.
