Bumblin' B's

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Yeah, but I'd pin this on the committee.

True, but can you honestly say you would have expected Moravian to be that bad?

[Greek Tragedy]

- in the Sweet 16.)The Killer B's are out.

Aurora:  LOST to Augustana 72-61 in 1st Rd.
Scranton:  LOST to Elms 71-53 in 1st Rd.
Moravian: LOST to John Jay 80-74 in 1st Rd.
Maryville (TN):   LOST to Millsaps 80-72 in 1st Rd.


EDIT: For follow-up results...

Augustana lost to Champion Washington StLouis in OT (70-67) in the 2nd round.
Elms lost to Gettysburg 66-65 in the 2nd round.  (Gettysburg lost to Ursinus in the Sweet 16, 79-55).
John Jay lost at (finalist) Amherst 96-74 in the 2nd round.
Maryville lost at (Elite 8 ) Millsaps 80-72 in the first round.   Millsaps lost at WashU in the Elite 8.

[Ralph Turner]

Yeah, but I'd pin this on the committee.

True, but can you honestly say you would have expected Moravian to be that bad?

Exactly that bad? I am not for sure!

However, having followed the B's for the decade that the Pools have been around,  I judged that Chapman was a better choice for the #3 Pool B bid.  I was willing to concede the 4th Pool B bid to a Landmark team as being the best Pool B out of all of the East Coast Pool B contenders, i.e.., Green Mountain, Landmark Conference, etc.

I thought that Maryville versus the "hosting #2 seed Millsaps" and Aurora against the "hosting #1 seed Augie" gave representative challenges.

IMHO, Chapman was definitely "disserviced" by the committee this year.

(The 1999- 2000 McMurry team that finished #6 in the polls and went to Calvin and the Elite 8 was a Pool B selection.)

[smedindy]

50% B's did bumble, though. Would Chapman have done better? No one knows.

But frankly, there were a lot of 'bumbles', though.

[scottiedoug]

Maryville did get a tough draw w/ Millsaps at Millsaps, and the Scots were 2 for 22 from beyond the arch until the last minute, when they finally hit a couple.  That is not the norm.  This was supposed to be an off year for Maryville and really was not, except for not holding to its normal habit of winning at least one for the B's.   See y'all next year!

[Pat Coleman]

Yeah, but I'd pin this on the committee.

True, but can you honestly say you would have expected Moravian to be that bad?

"Cinderella story: Nazareth looks like the only possible lower-seeded team with a Sweet 16 shot, though John Jay has more than a chance to win its first-round game."

http://www.d3hoops.com/salem/08/preview.htm

[elfinley]

Wow!!!!

All the B's are out, and Oxy just lost to Whitworth, a team Chapman beat. While it is hard to say if Chapman would have beaten Whitworth again, or done better than the other B's, it easy to say that the selection committee has done a bad job this year.

I know some of these games are decided on geographic location and all, but how about selecting teams on merit rather than rates on plane fare for a change huh?

Just sad to know there are probably some other teams like Chapman that deserved to make it at home watching this... Sad.

[kiltedbryan]

Wow!!!!

All the B's are out, and Oxy just lost to Whitworth, a team Chapman beat. While it is hard to say if Chapman would have beaten Whitworth again, or done better than the other B's, it easy to say that the selection committee has done a bad job this year.

I know some of these games are decided on geographic location and all, but how about selecting teams on merit rather than rates on plane fare for a change huh?

Just sad to know there are probably some other teams like Chapman that deserved to make it at home watching this... Sad.

Teams are selected on merit.  Travel is only a consideration in who plays whom, after teams are selected.  Chapman wasn't left out to make travel better or worse for anyone; apparently the committee felt that Moravian and the other Bs were better on the selection criteria, a decision that was probably bogus, but I don't know how all the Bs stacked up.

[Pat Coleman]

In fact, the travel would have been BETTER if they'd chosen Chapman. The fact that they didn't underscores the point that geography is not a factor in selection, only in bracketing.

[the_real_gnac]

Yea it seems alot of the teams selected lost in the first round almost seems as if other teams also worthy should have got the bid instead

[Ralph Turner]

Association of D-III Independents participate in Pool B for NCAA sports.  Here is the 2007-08 membership.  (There will be some changes in 2008-09.)

Cal State-East Bay participates in NAIA for basketball.  They have announced that they are moving to D-II and taking a very formidable baseball program with them.

UC Santa Cruz -- The Banana Slugs are known as a soccer power as well as for their mascot.

Chapman -- staying in D-III.

University of Dallas -- ditto.

Finlandia -- ditto, but needs the NCAA to move them into more appropriate regions for the sake of in-region games.

Fisk -- has announced that they will compete in the NAIA.

Green Mountain College VT -- is joining the North Atlantic Conference in 2008-09.

La Sierra University CA-- Moving thru the provisional process.  We find out if they are promoted to Year-3 in  August.

Lancaster Bible College -- Should be promoted to Year 3 Provisional in August 2008.  (IMHO, they would make an excellent addition to the member-depleted NEAC.)

University of Maine, Presque Isle -- has applied for joint membership in the NAIA. (Unless they can sign on with one of the New England conferences, this may give this geographically isolated program more options.)  UMPI should be a full member in 2008.

Menlo College -- competes in the NAIA in basketball.

Mills College CA -- women's school that does not compete in basketball.

Mitchell College -- joining the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC).  Should be provisional year #4 next year.

Mount Mary WI -- women's school that finds out if they are awarded full membership in the NCAA in August.

Nebraska Wesleyan University -- staying in D-III. (Joint membership in the NAIA Great Plains AC.)

College of New Rochelle NJ -- Women's school in New Rochelle, NY

Newbury College -- joining the NECC.

College of St Elizabeth --  Women's school in Morristown, NJ

St Joseph's College Brooklyn NY -- Should be going to Provisional Year #2 in August.

Salem College -- Women's school in Winston-Salem NC.  Should become a full member in August.

Southern Vermont College -- joining the NECC in Fall 2008.

One can see the interesting dynamics in this group of 21 schools.

One is moving to D-II.
One is moving to the NAIA.
Two of the three full women's members compete in basketball.
Four are joining conferences.
Five of the independents are in the provisional process.
Five of these members compete in men's basketball in D-III as independents next season.  (Let's see if UMPI competes in the NCAA in basketball in Pool B or in the NAIA.)

We shall see if any of the new provisional members join over the summer.

(For the first two years, the NECC will be a Pool B conference.  Its seven male teams will count towards Pool B numbers.)

Edit -- There is no confirmation of the move by Fisk to NAIA.  See NCAA Press Release.  Thanks to pabegg and Pat Coleman.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ralph,

I'd love to see UMPI compete in d3, but it is pretty academic until they can compete, period!

Same for Finlandia - their region has just gotta be changed, but it doesn't matter much for now.   (If they are actually good in some sport I don't follow, my apologies!)

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph,

I'd love to see UMPI compete in d3, but it is pretty academic until they can compete, period!

Same for Finlandia - their region has just gotta be changed, but it doesn't matter much for now.   (If they are actually good in some sport I don't follow, my apologies!)

Guess which sport those Finns are good at?

Men's Hockey!   

[BoBo]

They must be good a XC skiing and ski jumping, too!!

[Pat Coleman]

Mount Mary won't be a full member next year. They have to repeat a year.

Re: Fisk, I know that has been claimed but does anyone have evidence? There was no mention of the NAIA on Fisk's site and no mention of Fisk on the NAIA's site that I could find.