MBB: American Rivers Conference

[Greek Tragedy]

I'll state it again, in what other situation does a 2nd place team, get home court advantage over a conference champ? POLITICS!!!

Regular season 2nd place John Carroll from the Ohio Athletic Conference hosts President's Athletic Conference regular season champ Westminster (Pa.)

[buf]

I'll state it again, in what other situation does a 2nd place team, get home court advantage over a conference champ? POLITICS!!!

Regular season 2nd place John Carroll from the Ohio Athletic Conference hosts President's Athletic Conference regular season champ Westminster (Pa.)

And John Carroll has a 19-9 record

[Rock Chalk DuHawk]

D3 Hoops is all politics.....until you win big time games you get zero respect!  If you have been there before you get all the love.  Look at the Top 25 every year....for the most part there are never any new teams who crack the list or even get mentioned is a team on the rise. 

If you are perceived as a weak conference you always will be until you get to the Final 4....just like Lawrence a few years back.  You just have to suck it up and prove you belong there.  So far no IIAC team has done that and that is why they placed where they do.  The only teams with respect in the IIAC are Wartburg and BV.   

[Greek Tragedy]

Lawrence didn't make it to the Final Four, they lost in the Elite 8 to Point in 2004, and then lost to Point in the 2nd round in 2005, and then lost in the Sweet 16 at home when they were 25-0 to Illinois Wesleyan.  Carroll made the tourney last year and lost to the same Illinois Wesleyan in the first round at Whitewater.  Aside from Lawrence's "success" for three years, the MWC has hardly done anything...and neither has the IIAC.

D3 Hoops is all politics.....until you win big time games you get zero respect!  If you have been there before you get all the love.  Look at the Top 25 every year....for the most part there are never any new teams who crack the list or even get mentioned is a team on the rise. 

If you are perceived as a weak conference you always will be until you get to the Final 4....just like Lawrence a few years back.  You just have to suck it up and prove you belong there.  So far no IIAC team has done that and that is why they placed where they do.  The only teams with respect in the IIAC are Wartburg and BV.  

You're absolutely right...well, maybe not completely. 

2006:  Buena Vista loses in first round to Augustana

2005:  Buena Vista beats Edgewood (from the LMC, a conference which has never won a game) and loses to "#1 seed" Puget Sound in 2nd round

2004:  Buena Vista "seeded #2" in the bracket, first round bye and loses at home to Lawrence in 2nd round.

2003:  "#5 seed" Buena Vista beats Illinois College in first round, beats "#3 seed" Rockford, hosts sectional and loses to "#2 seed" Occidental in Sweet 16.  Very nice run.

2002:  Buena Vista 1st round bye, #3 seed, loses at home to Gustavus Adolphus in the 2nd round.

2001:  Wartburg, 1st round bye, loses at home to Illinois Wesleyan.  IWU goes to the Final Four

2000:  Buena Vista, 1st round bye, beats St. Thomas, hosts sectional, loses at home to Eau Claire in OT in Sweet 16, UW-EC loses in Final.

[The Show]

I think it's safe to say that Loras doesn't quite have the talent level of any of those past teams, with the exception of last year's BV squad, which was extremely young and inexperienced.

The 2003 post season was a fun one to follow.  Without it, I would've probably never experienced the gas station in Rockford that had the bars on the windows and sold "12 packs", which were really cases, but cut in half and box-taped shut!  The Hooters restaurant wasn't half bad either, but the victory topped it off.

[lorbec47]

I'll help you Minnesota guys that don't think too well.

In what OTHER SITUATION, meaning not d3hoops. Come on now, use those quality educations. Must not have faired too well on the IOWA test of basic skills either!  

[sju56321]

Central the conference champ did host SJU in football this past year-SJU was co-champs of the MIAC, but finished second by virtue of their loss to Bethel.
I agree that the NCAA does look at strength of conference in deciding who hosts, especially in football-look at the MCW-will have undefeated conference champ and then play on the road. (I don't know how the IIAC stacks up for basketball-football they have a good reputation)
Also, look at what Freebird posted-that is because if the NCAA knows your school has not won a playoff game or fared too well in the playoffs-it is true they do not reward that. Remember, the gate revenue is also important.

[The Show]

I too was wondering if maybe Loras' facility was counted against them

[Greek Tragedy]

I think it's safe to say that Loras doesn't quite have the talent level of any of those past teams, with the exception of last year's BV squad, which was extremely young and inexperienced.

Weren't they like 15-14 last year?

Central the conference champ did host SJU in football this past year-SJU was co-champs of the MIAC, but finished second by virtue of their loss to Bethel.
I agree that the NCAA does look at strength of conference in deciding who hosts, especially in football-look at the MCW-will have undefeated conference champ and then play on the road. (I don't know how the IIAC stacks up for basketball-football they have a good reputation)
Also, look at what Freebird posted-that is because if the NCAA knows your school has not won a playoff game or fared too well in the playoffs-it is true they do not reward that. Remember, the gate revenue is also important.

I think this post is totally false.  As for basketball, if I'm correct, they don't look at the "strength of the conference" to figure out who hosts.  It's all in the numbers, VERY objective.  If that was the case, a lot of teams hosting each year wouldn't be hosting.  Those teams have very good QOWIs, in-region winning %s and rate highly in the rest of the primary criteria.  Another thing that's taken into consideration is location, travel costs for visiting teams facility guidelines.  They don't reward hosts on previous playoff game results.  Gate revenue is hardly important.  The D3 tourney costs the NCAA a ton each year and NEVER makes a profit from the tourney.  The NCAA foots the bill for travel and everything.  If Gate revenue truly was as important as you think it is, 1100 seat gym at Lawrence would have NEVER hosted the sectional last year.  It would've been played at the Shirk, home of Illinois Wesleyan.  Revenue potential is considered, but it's the last on the list. Handbook, site selection is on page 7, Allocation of births on page 13.

[Freebird]

Eveything is false? Do you know anything about the MWC and the football context I was using? Probably not. Let's not pretend that the NCAA doesn't have certain likes and dislikes and they can dress them up in the "numbers" all they want. Nice to be an expert, I guess.

This coming from sju56321, an expert in all things SJU related in DIII sports.  Life is so unjust for Johnnies fans 

[sju56321]

That coming from a Bethel fan who thinks it is great to never win a playoff game.  How is Bethel basketball anyway-make the playoffs?
Apologies to IIAC fans-I'll take this back to the MIAC board where it belongs.

[Pat Coleman]

I'll help you Minnesota guys that don't think too well.

In what OTHER SITUATION, meaning not d3hoops. Come on now, use those quality educations. Must not have faired (sic) too well on the IOWA test of basic skills either! 

I bet this happens actually quite often.

Here's the last regional rankings that were published:
1. UW-Stevens Point 22-2 21-1
2. St. Thomas 22-3 22-3
3. St. John's 19-6 19-3
4. UW-Oshkosh 20-5 17-5
5. Occidental 17-5 12-3
6. Whitworth 22-3 19-3
7. Loras 19-6 17-4
8. UW-La Crosse 17-7 15-6

This should NOT have been a surprise.

[diehardfan]

We're collecting previews for each team in the tourney on one of the multiregional boards. If I get them by friday I may even be able to stick them in one document for people to peruse. Could someone here do one for Loras? Thanks!

http://www.d3sports.com/post/index.php?topic=5147.0

[ustbumkneez]

Loras loses in OT, after an off balance 3 goes in with just over two seconds left in the game. The DuHawks fought back after being down double digits throughout much of the first half. Loras had a chance to extend thier 1 point lead at the free throw line, but missed both throws. A reversed call gave the Johnnies the ball on the rebound, and SJU came down the court and hit the off balance 3 to win it. Great effort by the DuHawks.

[miacwatchmen]

The Duhawks will be tough next year. White was solid tonight but riddled with fouls. Kolze is a solid player. Has Centella been the Duhawks go to guy the whole season? They went to him alot tonight. Slater is a very nice post player. I was really impressed with his strength. He gave all but one of the Johnnies trouble all night. Short bench though, only 8 people played tonight and two of them combined for 11 minutes out of the total 225. That has to put alot of pressure on the first 6 players.


Freebird? Do you follow SJU56321 around to start trouble or does he follow you? This is the second board I've seen you two fighting on today!!