Johns Hopkins and Tufts: unbeaten records mask a true top-15 test

A 2-0 start for Johns Hopkins and a 1-0 start for Tufts look like a mismatch in sample size, but the ratings say otherwise. Both programs carry an A+ overall grade, and both sit inside the top 15 of Division III, with Tufts at No. 6 and Johns Hopkins at No. 12 among 406 ranked teams. This is a non-conference game, and it is being played at a neutral site in New York, NY, so neither side gets a home advantage.

Johns Hopkins has been the bigger mover, climbing 29 spots since the preseason after opening at No. 41, and its defense grades out at A+ with a No. 6 defensive rank. Tufts has only risen three spots from its preseason mark of No. 9, but No. 6 is the highest Versus has placed the program since it began tracking them in 2022, and its own defense also grades A+.

Versus projects a tight finish, with Johns Hopkins favored 72-70 and given a 57 percent chance to win. Johns Hopkins arrives on a two game winning streak, including a win over York PA that snapped a stretch dating back to November 2024, while Tufts opened its season with a 72-52 result at Wheaton MA. Both programs have posted winning records in every season Versus has on record.