Best team in the nation?

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Who's the overall best team in the country for the coming academic year, at full-strength?

Michigan
6
23%
Berkeley
0
No votes
Princeton
1
4%
Florida
1
4%
Illinois
6
23%
Texas A&M
1
4%
Chicago
11
42%
Rochester
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 26

suds1000
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Best team in the nation?

Post by suds1000 »

This is on NAQT and (m)ACF, of course.

Also, anonymity sucks. Tell us whom you voted for and why. I'll save my own vote until later.

This is what I know as far as "full-strength" goes:

1. Michigan = Kemezis/Lafer/Wolpert/?

2. Berkeley = Hoppes/Farris/Vinokurov/?

3. Princeton = Frankel/Kostovetsky/others

4. Florida = Dhuwalia/Comer/others

5. Illinois = Cvijanovich/Potru/Ricci/Sorice

6. A&M = Benefiel/Mitchell/Morris/Romero

7. Chicago = Austin/Beard/Teitler/Devecka (I'd imagine)

8. Rochester = Bush/Elsner/others

Also, if you can fill in these question marks or replace the "Other"s with actual names, please do so.

And yes, I really am just this bored.
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AuguryMarch
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an addendum on teams

Post by AuguryMarch »

This is an informal poll, but at least you should get the teams right... (I don't think any of this is a secret, but if it is, then I'll get angry calls from them soon)

Last I heard, on NAQT, chicago will have Andrew, and on ACF, they will have Subash.

Also, Ezequiel may be playing ACF Nats for Michigan.

Didn't Lenny graduate this year?

Finally, last I heard, Farris wasn't going to play either of the championships, having won them both. I heard he may play California-area tournaments, though.

Don't know if that changes anyone's votes, but I'm guessing it does. All of this could be wrong, so I find these polls sort of meaningless. Some team always surprises with who they dig up. (I also heard that Jason Mueller has agreed to get Jeff Johnson a tenured faculty position at Mizzou along with student standing so he can play. Unfortunately, this means that Jason is no longer on the A team.)

(Commence flamewar on how no one ever retires, with a preemtpive "You should just study and beat them, then" coming frome me)
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Post by suds1000 »

Of course, I was basing most of my assumptions on what I had heard, i.e. that Subash, Andrew, and Zeke were retired. Excuse my inability to keep Weiner's Rule #3 in mind, and thanks for your preemptive answer, Paul.

I was under the impression that Farris would still be playing at national tournaments and the like, although I might have misheard that secondhand from someone.

And yes, I believe you're right about Lenny graduating (confirmation, Frankel?).

Man, Jeff Johnson? Awesome. If only it were true...that'd be pretty hilarious.
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Post by MLafer »

I voted for my team. It always comes down to Michigan, Berkeley and Chicago (and maybe Florida on NAQT q's). Berkeley is a big question mark right now as far as their nationals lineups so I can't in good faith vote for them, plus they lost their best overall ACF player in Seth. I'd probably put Chicago if Subash was playing NAQT and Andrew ACF but of course they're writing for those tournaments this year and that won't happen.

Feel free to prove me wrong (by beating us).
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Post by Chris Frankel »

Assuming Zeke, Yaphe, and Subash are really retired (which obviously is always in doubt):

Michigan is probably #1 at this point. Kemezis is very good, and even though I was too wasted to remember 75% of CO, I know from being on Lafer's team that he pretty much proved he can be the base for a top tier team. Leo "horrible at quiz bowl" Wolpert might actually prove to be a good contributor as well. I'd favor Illinois for second based on the given lineup, but we'll have to see how it works out in practice.

Chicago and Berkeley need to have clear lineups before people can judge. Teitler and Hoppes will provide the backbone for very good teams, but will they have the support to contend for titles? Rochester and A&M are interesting in that they have a tendency to both pull out wins against higher ranked teams and get upset by lower ranked teams. They're still very good and should be in contention; Rochester on NAQT and A&M on ACF. Florida, I don't know enough about to say.

As for Princeton, Lenny graduated in 2003, but returned as an economics grad student last year. He'll be around after I graduate, and I don't know how long he'll keep playing. He's in "semi-retirement," which means he'll only be playing ACF Nationals and maybe Regionals. We probably won't contend for any titles, but I think top 5 in ACF is an attainable goal. I imagine we'll field a UG team for NAQT, but seeing as how I'm dreadfully bad at that format I don't know how far we'll go.
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Post by SethAtCal »

I voted for Chicago.

Looking at Chicago: I think Paul is right, that Andrew will play NAQT, and Subash will play ACF. I don't know who else will be playing at nationals, but I'm sure Andrew and Subash will be able to find good support--my impression is that there are a bunch of solid supporting players here.

Looking at Berkeley: I don't know if David Farris is going to play any national tournaments next year. I don't know if Jon Pennington or Nick Meyer are going to play anything next year. There is a chance that they could reassemble the Farris/Hoppes/Meyer/Pennington team from ICT 2002. Also, Jerry Vinokurov is a beast, and Paul Lujan is a beast but never seems to play national tournaments. I've never figured that out. In any case, I'm pretty sure Jerry and Jeff will play, and that's already a very, very good combination. Finally, I think Jeff Hoppes is the best overall ACF player at Berkeley, and has been ever since he arrived there.

I really don't know anything about any other teams.

-Seth
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Post by SethAtCal »

I forgot: Princeton is getting Jordan Boyd-Graber. I don't know if he's going to play, but if he does, he might really help--he's quite good on science, and that's something Princeton's been lacking for a while.

-Seth
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Post by ezubaric »

SethAtCal wrote:I forgot: Princeton is getting Jordan Boyd-Graber. I don't know if he's going to play, but if he does, he might really help--he's quite good on science, and that's something Princeton's been lacking for a while.
Well, delusional statements about my ability aside, I do intend to keep playing.

Edit: I voted for Chicago with the assumption that one of Subash or Andrew plays some more

-Jordan
Jordan Boyd-Graber
UMD (College Park, MD), Faculty Advisor 2018-present
UC Boulder, Founder / Faculty Advisor 2014-2017
UMD (College Park, MD), Faculty Advisor 2010-2014
Princeton, Player 2004-2009
Caltech (Pasadena, CA), Player / President 2000-2004
Ark Math & Science (Hot Springs, AR), Player 1998-2000
Monticello High School, Player 1997-1998

Human-Computer Question Answering:
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Post by mujason »

AuguryMarch,

What did I ever do to you? Please have the common human decency to refrain from unprovoked flames in a topic that has nothing to do with me. Coincidentally enough, you had to dis me on MY BIRTHDAY!!! What timing!

Anyway, why aren't Kentucky, Harvard, and Yale included? Did they lose some people?

Jason Mueller
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Jeremy Gibbs Paradox
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Post by Jeremy Gibbs Paradox »

mujason wrote: Coincidentally enough, you had to dis me on MY BIRTHDAY!!! What timing!
Ooooo, looks like I know a birthday boy who could use some birthday spankings :lol: :evil: :lol: Seriously, you're 21, either learn to take a joke or stop whining like a kindergartner being teased at recess. Although, that would cause you to lose part of your "charm."

XOXOXO

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Post by suds1000 »

Had your head buried in the sand too long there, dude? Keep it there.

Kentucky has lost Kelly to retirement, so they're no longer nearly as competitive on the national scale. While Harvard is certainly a good team, I don't consider them in the same cadre as most of the other teams listed above. Yale has lost Beard to Chicago, although they still have Wehrman, I believe. I was considering putting them up there, but I really don't think they could honestly vie for the title of "best in the nation" right now, although I will admit that that is the case for several of these teams.

So, Mueller, how's that becoming a CBI monster working out for you?
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Post by MikeWormdog »

I'm not sure why people think Robert Beard's headed to Chicago along with Peter Austin, but Robert's really going to Georgetown Law School this fall. I'll still be around.

Mike
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Post by Ray »

Voted for Chicago. Both Andrew and Subash are game-distorting forces on the buzzer. With Yaphe/Teitler/Austin/Devecka on NAQT and Maddipoti/Teitler/Austin/Devecka on ACF, I think Chicago will remain the team to beat, even in an increasingly strong midwest region.

It's also my understanding that Ed Cohn will be playing until he leaves for Russia mid-year.
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Post by Matt Weiner »

MikeWormdog wrote:I'm not sure why people think Robert Beard's headed to Chicago along with Peter Austin, but Robert's really going to Georgetown Law School this fall. I'll still be around.

Mike
I'd be happy to see Georgetown active again. Any word on whether Robert will play a part in making that happen?
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Post by grapesmoker »

I'm not voting in the poll because the national tournaments are too far in the future to figure out what the lineups are going to be, and my vote is therefore variable. If either Andrew or Subash play with Chicago, my vote would have to be for them. Otherwise, I'd vote for Berkeley. I don't know who will come to the various tournaments this year but Jeff and I will probably be at both ICT and ACF Nationals. We're a club in a constant state of flux which makes team arrangements difficult. I predict, hesitantly, that neither Nick Meyer nor Jon Pennington will play at national level tournaments this year, and I don't know if David Farris will want to come out of semi-retirement. Like everything at Berkeley, all decisions will be made at the last minute.

Jerry
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Post by MikeWormdog »

Matt Weiner wrote: I'd be happy to see Georgetown active again. Any word on whether Robert will play a part in making that happen?

I think you might see Georgetown at a few tournaments next year, but the law school isn't located in Georgetown but on Capitol Hill. There's not too much contact between the law school and the rest of the university, though a couple law students went to practice occasionally. That said, there are now three former Yale players at Georgetown Law, and I've heard that they might ask for some funding. The undergrads seem to do mainly CBI and possibly TRASH. There might be a separate ad hoc law school team at a few legit tournaments.
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Post by fjkelly6112 »

suds1000 said:
Harvard is certainly a good team, I don't consider them in the same cadre as most of the other teams listed above.

Sad but true. Losing Vik was a blow that squashed any chance of us being a contender in the national tournaments, though I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the boys did without him at ACF. We're a pretty young team (mostly sophomores in the club, and Dan Suzman is our only senior), though, and hopefully we'll be able to improve enough to do something interesting in the near future.

Sorry to derail this, but is there any chance a region-by-region forum could be started up for discussions? I'm wondering what everybody knows about the freshman/grad students that are coming to the Northeast, specifically.


--Frank[/i]
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Post by fjkelly6112 »

Sorry, I'm incompetent when it comes to computers.
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Post by Matt Weiner »

fjkelly6112 wrote:Sorry to derail this, but is there any chance a region-by-region forum could be started up for discussions? I'm wondering what everybody knows about the freshman/grad students that are coming to the Northeast, specifically.
--Frank[/i]
I'll be happy to do that if it becomes necessary/demanded. We'll see if discussion picks up in the fall.
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