[M T]

We tend to overlook external factors in assessing wins and losses and attribute everything to the abilities & effort of players and the skill & effectiveness of the coaches.  Certainly, when we look back at previous year's losses, we don't usually put asterisks too account for external factors affecting unexpected losses or wins.  I bet Harvard doesn't put an asterisk on one win where their opponent lost 40% of their starters immediately before .

I'm not sure that I'd put the Arizona loss in any particular pattern other than one for seasonal respiratory illness.  That goes for losses by any team, any sport, anywhere.  Yes, you hope that illnesses are somewhat infrequent and don't affect too many players on your team at once.

Yet one loss can dramatically affect an elite team's season.

For Stanford, there is actually a decent measure of the levels of illness on campus (students primarily but staff as well) in the measurements here.

If it isn't the policy already, if I were Stanford, I'd consider requiring dorm roommates to be on different teams (WBB and WWP for instance).  On travel, I'd want to minimize players rooming together if they play similar positions.

[M T]

We tend to overlook external factors in assessing wins and losses and attribute everything to the abilities & effort of players and the skill & effectiveness of the coaches.  Certainly, when we look back at previous year's losses, we don't usually put asterisks too account for external factors affecting unexpected losses or wins.  I bet Harvard doesn't put an asterisk on one win where their opponent lost 40% of their starters immediately before .

I'm not sure that I'd put the Arizona loss in any particular pattern other than one for seasonal respiratory illness.  That goes for losses by any team, any sport, anywhere.  Yes, you hope that illnesses are somewhat infrequent and don't affect too many players on your team at once.

Yet one loss can dramatically affect an elite team's season.

For Stanford, there is actually a decent measure of the levels of illness on campus (students primarily but staff as well) in the measurements here.

If it isn't the policy already, if I were Stanford, I'd consider requiring dorm roommates to be on different teams (WBB and WWP for instance).  On travel, I'd want to minimize players rooming together if they play similar positions.