Columns in order:
Adjusted RPI's 2015-17 (conference rating at top),
2018 non-conf. average RPI's and SOS's based on 2017,
2018 pre-season poll rankings
Mercer and ETSU were picked to finish tied for 3rd, but these teams seem to always be in the mix -- ETSU has won the last two regular-season titles and Mercer has earned the auto bid two times in a row.
More previews to come...follow links to rpiupdate.blogspot.com's daily scoreboards, team schedules, conference standings, NCAA Tournament projection and the most updated, accurately adjusted Division I men's soccer RPI rankings available.
The Southern Conference really dropped off a cliff last season, as the conference RPI ranking fell from 12th to 23rd. This is a conference that sent an at-large team (ETSU) to the NCAA Tournament as recently as 2016. Belmont jumps from the Horizon League to the Southern (men's soccer only), but with the Bruins picked 6th that doesn't appear at first blush to help. Mercer's return to form seems more likely.
Belmont's addition forces the conference to ditch the home-and-home schedule of the 6-team era. That's 4 extra non-conference games to schedule...let's face it, ETSU went nuts in this department. They simply begin the season visiting North Carolina and Wake Forest, the top 2 RPI teams last season. The rest of the non-conference schedule is pretty good as well, with only two losing squads among the 10 opponents. The Bucs will be well tested for October's conference games.
Belmont's addition forces the conference to ditch the home-and-home schedule of the 6-team era. That's 4 extra non-conference games to schedule...let's face it, ETSU went nuts in this department. They simply begin the season visiting North Carolina and Wake Forest, the top 2 RPI teams last season. The rest of the non-conference schedule is pretty good as well, with only two losing squads among the 10 opponents. The Bucs will be well tested for October's conference games.
UNCG is picked to dethrone two-time-defending regular-season champs ETSU. The Spartans placed four players on the pre-season all-conference team, including senior goalkeeper Jon Milligan. Furman earned a couple of first-place votes in the pre-season poll, and returns five pre-season all-conference players including midfielder and 2017 Player of the Year Laurence Wyke.
Mercer and ETSU were picked to finish tied for 3rd, but these teams seem to always be in the mix -- ETSU has won the last two regular-season titles and Mercer has earned the auto bid two times in a row.
More previews to come...follow links to rpiupdate.blogspot.com's daily scoreboards, team schedules, conference standings, NCAA Tournament projection and the most updated, accurately adjusted Division I men's soccer RPI rankings available.
