Welcome to your weekly reminder that there is an alternative to the Knicks’ and Nets’ disastrous seasons.
Here are this week’s local college basketball rankings:
(Last week’s rankings in parentheses)
1. St. John’s (1)
Record: 6-2, 0-0
Up next: Sunday (Noon) vs. Syracuse
The 46-point thrashing of Fordham was a thing of beauty, with the balance and ball movement on offense, but Sunday’s game with the No. 2 Orange will give a better indication of where the Red Storm really are right now.
2. Iona (2)
Record: 5-2, 2-0
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. St. Bonaventure
The Gaels have won four straight by an average of 13.5 points, including wins over Marist and Fairfield to start the MAAC season. Things get tougher starting Saturday against St. Bonaventure (6-3), followed by four straight road games.
3. Manhattan (5)
Record: 6-2, 2-0
Up next: Sunday (2 p.m.) at UNC-Wilmington
The Jaspers have won three straight games, but haven’t played a winning team since their home loss to Fordham. After taking on the Seahawks, Manhattan travels to play South Carolina two days later.
4. Seton Hall (7)
Record: 7-3, 0-0
Up next: Saturday (Noon) vs. St. Peter’s
Although the Pirates’ best player, Fuquan Edwin sprained his ankle in a win over LIU Brooklyn, Seton Hall has won three straight games, including wins over Rutgers and NJIT. Before Big East play begins, the Pirates can firm up their non-conference record with three straight home games.
5. Stony Brook (3)
Record: 6-4, 0-0
Up next: Sunday (1 p.m.) at New Hampshire
The Seawolves missed an opportunity for an impressive win over La Salle, blowing a 12-point first half lead last week at Madison Square Garden, but Jameel Warney displayed an all-around game that is only getting better, putting up 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
6. Fordham (4)
Record: 5-3, 0-0
Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. Howard
Tom Pecora’s young group bounced back in a big way after the embarrassment against St. John’s, pulling out a second-half comeback win at Colgate, 77-73, behind Branden Frazier’s 27 points.
7. Columbia (8)
Record: 6-5, 0-0
Up next: Dec. 21 (4 p.m.) vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
The Lions will have had 11 days off before facing the Knights and hope to break a string of four straight games alternating wins and losses.
8. St. Francis Brooklyn (6)
Record: 5-5, 0-0
Up next: Thursday (7 p.m.) vs. Lafayette
Just when the Terriers were starting to gain some serious sleeper appeal in the Northeast Conference, they suffered surprising losses to Army and Monmouth to break a three-game winning streak.
9. NJIT (10)
Record: 6-6
Up next: Dec. 21 (2 p.m.) vs. Holy Cross
The Highlanders lost to Seton Hall and LIU Brooklyn this week, but received an unexpected offensive explosion from sophomore guard Winfield Willis, who scored 30 points in the loss to the Blackbirds.
10. Wagner (11)
Record: 5-5, 0-0
Up next: Saturday (3 p.m.) at Rider
The Seahawks got a much-needed, hard-fought overtime win at Penn on Saturday, ending a three-game slide. Now comes another three road games against Rider, La Salle and Monmouth.
11. Rutgers (9)
Record: 4-7, 0-0
Up next: Saturday (4 p.m.) vs. UNC Greensboro
With four straight losses and one win in the past seven games (against Division II Stillman), it’s scary to think how ugly things will get when American Athletic Conference play starts on Jan. 1.
12. LIU Brooklyn (13)
Record: 3-6, 0-0
Up next: Wednesday (7 p.m.) vs. Lamar
The Blackbirds earned a 96-93 win over NJIT on Thursday, with Jason Brickman becoming the all-time assists leader in the Northeast Conference.
13. Fairleigh Dickinson (12)
Record: 3-9, 0-0
Up next: Dec. 21 (4 p.m.) at Columbia
Following back-to-back wins at Rutgers and Seton Hall, the Knights were rewarded with consecutive road games at Stony Brook, one-loss Princeton and 23rd-ranked Iowa. Their next home game, on Jan. 5 against Hofstra, will come nearly six weeks after their last.
14. Army (16)
Record: 2-6, 0-0
Up next: Friday (6 p.m.) at Maine
After five straight losses, Army pulled off an impressive 67-54 win at St. Francis Brooklyn. With another few weeks until the Patriot League season begins, the Black Knights still have time to turn this thing around.
15. Hofstra (15)
Record: 2-6, 0-0
Up next: Sunday (1 p.m.) vs. Central Connecticut State
After three straight losses, the Pride’s only game this week — against SMU — was cancelled because of bad weather. All in all, not a bad week.
16. St. Peter’s (14)
Record: 2-6, 0-2
Up next: Saturday (Noon) at Seton Hall
The Peacocks opened the MAAC season with the difficult trek to upstate New York, falling to Niagara and Canisius. Their in-state matchup with Seton Hall will be their fourth straight road game.
17. Fairfield (17)
Record: 1-8, 0-2
Up next: Sunday (1 p.m.) vs. Northeastern
Eight straight losses says it all.