Bumblin' B's

[pabegg]

At the moment, the 5th Pool B would get something around the 54th Pool C.

Except for Maryville and Aurora, no one in Pool B is having an outstanding year (and by Maryville's standards, theirs is just average). The Landmark and Northern schools (below Aurora) have just been beating up on each other.

Pool B is so much weaker in basketball than in football, so the problems that football has don't seem to carry over.

[pabegg]

It's show time for Pool B.

Maryville (16-2) and Aurora (19-5) have clinched Pool B spots.

Nebraska Wesleyan can clinch a bid by sweeping the Independents Tournament Friday and Saturday (they start with UCSC, 1-14 in region). If they lose to Chapman on Saturday, Chapman will probably be ranked ahead of them.

Scranton (15-8) and Moravian (17-7) are the top 2 contenders from the Landmark. Scranton is ahead due to a much stronger strength of schedule. They meet in the Landmark SF Wednesday, so the loser is probably done. Juniata (15-8) is behind them (strength of schedule in between Scranton and Moravian) and plays non-contender Susquehanna in the other SF. The Landmark champion, assuming it's not Susquehanna, will be in contention.

Milwaukee Engineering (17-9) and Marian (15-8 but much weaker strength of schedule) are the other contenders from the Northern, after Aurora. Milwaukee Engineering faces Aurora in the SF on Thursday and Marian faces non-contender Lakeland. If Milwaukee Engineering wins the tournament, they're in contention, while I'm not sure that even going 2-0 is enough to lift Marian into contention.

So the Pool B selection group will probably be (after Maryville and Aurora):

Nebraska Wesleyan
Chapman
Landmark champion
Milwaukee Engineering
Landmark runner-up, possibly

Two of these will make it.

Scranton and Juniata win tonight, will meet in the Landmark final. This makes it almost certain that the Landmark champion will get a bid; we'll see about the runner-up.

[Ralph Turner]

In a sense of fairness, it looks like NebWes and Chapman will be playing for a bid and Scranton and Juniata for a bid.

[LogShow]

You think Chapman can get a bid if they do well in their indy tournament?

[Ralph Turner]

You think Chapman can get a bid if they do well in their indy tournament?

Yes, because they pick up 2 more in-region wins.  UDallas is 8-9 in-region.  NebWes will be 7-1.

[LogShow]

Pool B is mighty watered down.  They are like the low mid-majors of D1.  Not saying all of them are, but there are more then a few

[Ralph Turner]

Pool B is mighty watered down.  They are like the low mid-majors of D1.  Not saying all of them are, but there are more then a few

Well the NATHC gets a Pool A next year.  The Landmark gets one in 2010.

By 2011, I think that we are down to one Pool B bid for about 12-15 teams.

Chapman actually serves a useful function.

They can play at Cal Lutheran and the winner goes to Oxy, or the NWC Pool A comes down to southern California and makes a four team bracket.

[LogShow]

Hmmm 1 bid is slim pickings, but I think I would still like my chances 1 out of 12, if I had a decent team.  Atleast Dallas won't be making the tournament with a losing record anymore.

[pabegg]

In a sense of fairness, it looks like NebWes and Chapman will be playing for a bid and Scranton and Juniata for a bid.

Milwaukee Engineering could still get in over Chapman if both win their tournaments.

[LogShow]

Is that a joke or does Milwaukee Engineering really have a basketball team

[Mr. Ypsi]

Is that a joke or does Milwaukee Engineering really have a basketball team

MSOE is indeed a very respectable (not great, but respectable) basketball school.

[pabegg]

Is that a joke or does Milwaukee Engineering really have a basketball team

Yes they do, part of the Northern Athletic Conference, historically pretty mediocre, but having an good year this year; with two more wins they'll be 18-9.

They may be the 90th best team in D3, and there are a few conferences that won't have anyone crack the top 100, so they wouldn't be the last seed in the tournament if they make it.

[LogShow]

I only asked because often those schools have a poor team.  Take for instance MSOE's older, less respectable, easternward, cousin, New Jersey Institute of Technology, who finished finished up the season 0-29.  

[Mr. Ypsi]

Understood.  The various "Pharmacy" schools have been a perennial butt of jokes, figuring if they ever win a game, they must have slipped something into the other team's water!  But MSOE is real and legit.

[David Collinge]

It's a good thing LogShow wasn't around when Savannah College of Art and Design was kicking tail in the Pool B world.  The cognitive dissonance would have caused his head to explode.