Binghamton @ Cornell, 7 p.m. | PD's Power Poll

Being the genius that I am, I didn't take a look at the actual games when changing my winter work schedule -- I was able to take off from work for every home game, but this was one I probably should have thought a little bit more about.

The Bearcats (1-4) head to Cornell tonight for a 7 p.m. tip with the Ivy League's preseason favorite in what is again expected to be another difficult contest -- one that I wish I could go watch.

Instead, because I'm an idiot, I'll be following along live online from the Press & Sun office tonight, and I'll put up some thoughts, probably when I get home late.

Here's hoping for the year's first Jaan sighting tonight, as 'Mountie Monty' was suited up against the Zips but didn't get in.

And in case you're wondering, here's today's Power Poll, courtesy of Pipe Dream:

Team record points last week comments

1. UMBC (4-1) 36 (4) 1: The Retrievers have replaced Boston University as the AE’s representative in ESPN’s Bracketologoy, and when ESPN notices that someone in the AE is making noise this early in the season, it probably means something.
2. Albany (4-1) 30 4: The Great Danes are making believers out of teams who thought they wouldn’t succeed without Jamar Wilson. Their only loss is to Bucknell, a team currently residing in the country’s top 40 RPI rankings.
3. Vermont (2-3) 28 3: After defeating NJIT and Loyola for their first two wins of the season, the Catamounts hold strong in the third spot and receive the same number of votes as they did in last week’s poll.
4. Boston (1-4) 25 2: The preseason favorite has been hit by some injuries and some inexplicable did-not-plays. The losses are to good teams, but until they get some wins, the Terriers will be tough to judge.
5. New Hampshire (3-1) 21 6: The Wildcats, predicted in our preseason poll to finish last, have an RPI ranking of 89, tops in the AE. And they beat Central Connecticut State.
6. Hartford (3-4) 16 8: The Hawks got a pair of nice wins over Jackson State and South Carolina State to finish in fifth place at the Las Vegas Invitational this weekend.
7. Maine (3-4) 12 7: The Black Bears hung around before losing to Northeastern this weekend. This could be their highest ranking of the season.
8. Binghamton 9 (1-4) 5: Only one voter failed to put the Bearcats in the bottom two. BU’s 331st RPI ranking is the worst in the AE, worse even than Maryland-Eastern Shores.
9. Stony Brook (0-5) 4 9: The Seawolves were demolished by Columbia, meanwhile their arch nemesis, Maryland-Eastern Shores, is now 1-6 after losing to Florida-Gulf Coast by 13 points. Yeesh.

Compiled by the Pipe Dream Sports staff. First place votes in parentheses.

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For the record, I was the lone voter who did not put Binghamton in the bottom two -- I had the Bearcats seventh, followed by Maine and, of course, the powerhouse that is Stony Brook University. As I wrote, I was still encouraged by our play last Tuesday, despite the outcome.