MBB: Liberty League

[7express]

Does the Liberty League site have the actual records/tournament right??

According to the standings, both Skidmore and Clarkson finished tied for 4th at 9-7 and each team was 1-1 against the other.  Clarkson was 1-1 against Hobart (Hobart's only league loss) while Skidmore was 0-2, so I figured that would give them the 4th seed, but I guess not as it says Skidmore's got it and is playing Hobart.  Hopefully Magic or someone else can explain what the tiebreaker was.

[hopefan]

I'll beat Magic to this one.. as an RPI grad I've been following this and received a copy of the LL tiebreaker process.. it has a bit of a switch in its process that gave the tiebreaker to Skidmore... rather than record vs no 1, then no 2 etc, it first looks at the CUMULATIVE record vs all teams ahead of the tied teams... the record vs Hobart, Union and RPI....  Skidmore was 2-4, Clarkson 1-5...   Skidmore gets the spot...  had that finished tied, the next element would have been against 'the ladder', and Clarkson's win vs Hobart would have been the decider....

[7express]

Thanks!  +1 to you.

[ITH radio]

This just in from @hwssid / hwsathletics.com:

Richie Bonney named to 2013 Capital One Academic All-America DIII MBB First Team.

www.hwsathletics.com/news/2013/2/19/HBB_0219134545.aspx

[with age came?]

Congratulations to Hobart and Rich Bonnie!  Good luck in the NCAA's!!  Hope another Liberty League team gets an ECAC bid ( my understanding is if schools don't indicate their interest formally in the beginning of the season they may not be able to play & I don't think there is a snowballs chance in hell of a Pool C bid)..  Certainly any of the other playoff schools and (maybe an outside chance for Clarkson) would seem to be worthy.  If Clarkson gets a bid I will make every effort to go to my first D-3 game this year as I'm finally feeling a little more healthy.

[ITH radio]

Drawing RIC in the first round seems like a raw deal for the Statesmen...

[magicman]

Drawing RIC in the first round seems like a raw deal for the Statesmen...

It is a bit of bad luck that they sent Hobart out on the road. Especially after the NCAA made a big to do about the New Jersey schools not ever getting to host an NCAA event because of the state's gambling issues. Then they go and give Ramapo and Stevens home games by letting them rent some facilities at  New York schools. I think Hobart will have a tough time getting by Rhode Island, a team that has made it to the sweet 16 several times in the past few years. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

As several have said including the committee chair, the New Jersey schools were allowed to put in for hosting sites outside of their state... the committee bracketed not worrying about the hosting situation first and foremost... and in the long run didn't want to punish the students involved for something out of their control. They found a place to host... they deserved to host... they got it.

From what I have learned, Hobart finished sixth in the regional rankings in the final East rankings... RIC was fourth in the Northeast... that is a fair match up.

[with age came?]

Guess all of my teams are done for the season.  Went on the ECAC web site to find out about the upstate tournament and I think that they did not have enough teams to hold one.  Appparently Clarkson and RPI withdrew and most of the other teams that declared are in the "big dance" except for Hartwick. Perhaps Magic or Bengals Rule or Bear or somebody can tell why not one SUNYAC school declared?  Do they have to many games to be able to play?  It makes me sad because I think Clarkson and RPI would have been invited to play if they had remained - though there stilll might not have been enough teams. Any way I'll have to root for Magic's Cards although the winner of the Husson/Cards game faces a daunting task against Amherst (who I have losing to UW Whitewater in the semis).

[jdex]

Am sure Cortland would have declared for any postseason play. Tis been Coach Span's process through a long tenure. Believe some schools declare and then decide not to participate. Some coaches with young squads usually like extending the season. Some leave it up to the players. Some don't like being thrown the ECAC crums. Many reasons for sure. Seems to us it's always good on the school's resume to say you made the postseason, however small the reward.

[ITH radio]

As several have said including the committee chair, the New Jersey schools were allowed to put in for hosting sites outside of their state... the committee bracketed not worrying about the hosting situation first and foremost... and in the long run didn't want to punish the students involved for something out of their control. They found a place to host... they deserved to host... they got it.

From what I have learned, Hobart finished sixth in the regional rankings in the final East rankings... RIC was fourth in the Northeast... that is a fair match up.

If you look at the bracket however it appears as though RIC is a 2 seed and Hobart a 15....

Guess we'll find out Saturday night.  Hopefully HOB can give them a scare like they did to Cabrini, maybe even pull off the (big) upset.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Division III doesn't have seeding and looking at a bracket you can't determine RIC is #2 and Hobart is #15... because so much of the decisions in the early rounds and further down the bracket have to do with geography and the ability to get teams to a location without using a plane (500 miles or less).

So you look at the first round, the most likely potential of the second round, and so on. If the NCAA spots the chance of unnecessary flights... then the committee is tasked to reexamine what they created. Usually the committees don't get dinged too much because they do take the time to consider the long-range possibilities. So while RIC and Hobart are sitting in where a 2/15 game would be set-up in a "traditional D1 bracket"... this is D3 and that isn't even close to that match up. It is a #6 regionally ranked team (Hobart) vs. a #4 regionally ranked team (RIC).

[thebear]

Went on the ECAC web site to find out about the upstate tournament and I think that they did not have enough teams to hold one.  Appparently Clarkson and RPI withdrew and most of the other teams that declared are in the "big dance" except for Hartwick. Perhaps Magic or Bengals Rule or Bear or somebody can tell why not one SUNYAC school declared? 

Wouldn't be surprised if budgets factored into it.  Most SUNY schools are being squeezed pretty hard financially, and it's hard to justify $5K for the bus, hotel, meals for an ECAC tournament game.

You also have to have above a .500 overall record to qualify. 

That leaves only Geneseo, Brockport, Buff State and Oswego. 

[Argylebballer]

RIC alum here. All friendly stuff, but I don't know much about Hobart. What would you say about the team?
Also anyone here making the trip to Providence this weekend?

[Pat Coleman]

As several have said including the committee chair, the New Jersey schools were allowed to put in for hosting sites outside of their state... the committee bracketed not worrying about the hosting situation first and foremost... and in the long run didn't want to punish the students involved for something out of their control. They found a place to host... they deserved to host... they got it.

From what I have learned, Hobart finished sixth in the regional rankings in the final East rankings... RIC was fourth in the Northeast... that is a fair match up.

If you look at the bracket however it appears as though RIC is a 2 seed and Hobart a 15....

Guess we'll find out Saturday night.  Hopefully HOB can give them a scare like they did to Cabrini, maybe even pull off the (big) upset.

Yeah, this doesn't read like a D-I bracket, though, especially with the island teams thrown in. I'd think of it like a 7-10 game feeding into a 2 Ramapo or a 6-11 game feeding into a 3 Ramapo.