MBB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Drake Palmer]

Alright something to think about over the weekend...

Here's a little game I'll call Pickem Roundup.  If you want to play, post your selections by the end of day Monday, February 1, 2010. (Before tipoff Monday night)

Here's the game:

List in rank order, 1-11, what you believe will be the final MIAC league standings.  To the right of each team list in parentheses what you anticipate will be their final league record.

There will be two ways to win:

1) Correctly pick final league standings
2) Correctly pick the final W-L record for each team.

Contest scoring:

1)  Participants will receive 11 pts for correctly picking the first place team, 10 pts for 2nd place, 9 pts for 3rd place, so on & so forth until we reach the bottom & everyone will receive 1 point for accurately picking Macalester to finish last.  
Maximum points = 66 pts.

2)  Participants will win 10 points for accurately predicting each team's final conference record. For example, if I pick St. Olaf to finish 8-12 in conference play, & they finish 8-12, I'll earn 10 points. If they finish 10-10 I'll get 0 points.
Maximum pts = 110pts

[Gregory Sager]

VOJ, You are on the right path. The NCAA Handbook lays out the primary and secondary criteria for Pool B & Pool C bids. Specifically the primary criteria is:

The primary criteria emphasize regional competition (all contests leading up to NCAA
championships); all criteria listed will be evaluated (not listed in priority order).
• Win-loss percentage against regional opponents.
• Strength-of-schedule (only contests versus regional competition).
- Opponents' Average Winning Percentage (OWP).
- Opponents' Opponents' Average Winning Percentage (OOWP).
[See Appendix B for explanation of OWP and OOWP calculations.]
• In-region head-to-head competition.
• In-region results versus common regional opponents.
• In-region results versus regionally ranked teams.
Note:
• Ranked opponents are defined as those teams ranked at any time of the rankings/
selection process.
• Conference postseason contests are included.
• Contests versus provisional and reclassifying members in their third and fourth
years shall count in the primary criteria. Provisional and reclassifying members
shall remain ineligible for rankings and selections.
Weighted Scale. For a minimum of two championship seasons (2009-10 and 2010-
11), a weighted scale will apply. Once the OWP and OOWP are calculated, they are
to be combined on a weighted scalre (e.g., 2/3 weight for OWP and 1/3 weight for
OOWP) and this combined number becomes the strength of schedule.

The secondary criteria is:

If the evaluation of the primary criteria does not result in a decision, the
secondary criteria will be reviewed. All the criteria listed will be evaluated (not
listed in priority order). The secondary criteria introduce results against out-of-region
Division III and all other opponents including those contests versus opponents from
other classifications (i.e., provisionals, NAIA, NCAA Divisions I and II).
• Out-of-region head-to-head competition.
• Overall Division III win-loss percentage.
• Results versus common non Division III opponents.
• Results versus all Division III ranked teams.
• Overall win-loss percentage.
• Results versus all common opponents.
• Overall DIII strength of schedule.
• Should a committee find that evaluation of a team's win-loss percentage during 25
percent of the season is applicable, (i.e., end-of-seasn performance), it may adopt such
criteria with approval from the championships committee.

Sum- We're gonna have start calling you Sensei Jr. The 49.00 you paid for his online course titled "Spitting Knowledge- Sensei Style" has really paid off handsomely for you. You've got the long post, accuracy piece, minutia, everything. +k Baby!

Yes, kudos to my man Sum for laying the 411 on this room. Seriously, folks, print out his post or at least bookmark it ... because, come Selection Sunday, some of you will inevitably be wondering about the Pool C chances of the MIAC's at-large teams, and the D3 men's basketball championship handbook -- which Sum quoted at length here -- tells you what you need to know.

[piperinsider]

St. Thomas 17-3
Gustavus 15-5   
Hamline 13-7
Augsburg 12-8
Saint John's 12-8
Carleton 10-10
St. Olaf 9-11
Bethel 8-12
Saint Mary's 7-13
Concordia    7-13
Macalester 0-20

That's actually a lot of work to make sure the records are possible...thanks for wasting 20 minutes of printing the composite schedule, going game-by-game and then totaling up the records.  

[Gregory Sager]

2 losses puts Gustavus at a total of 6.  The hawaii losses are hidden deep within the secondary criteria and can largely be forgotten.

For all practical purposes, those two games aren't even applicable in terms of secondary criteria. They only take effect with regard to common opponents, and the only other D3 teams to play either Hawai'i Pacific and Hawai'i-Hilo this season are LaVerne and Chapman -- both of whom are pretty unlikely to join Gustavus Adolphus as Pool C aspirants, since Chapman's probably gonna garner one of the two Pool B berths and LaVerne's currently 5-7 in regional play.

Ultimately, of course, it's all moot anyway, as GAC, Chapman, and LaVerne all came up with "jet legs" against Hawai'i Pacific.

[TommieHoops4Life]

The MIAC is a one team league this year for the NCAAs, although I hope I'm wrong when I say that.

Unless GAC comes back to win the playoff title, their chances are, at best, slim if not already leaving town. The loss to St. Mary's is a killer. You simply can't lose to teams in the bottom half of the conference and expect to get an NCAA bid.

The Tommies have the luxury of being ranked most of the year, so they could slip once and still get in if they don't win the playoff title. I would love to see a UST-GAC match-up for all the marbles. Heck, I'd love to just get out and see a game sometime soon.

[Willy Wonka]

The MIAC is a one team league this year for the NCAAs, although I hope I'm wrong when I say that.

Unless GAC comes back to win the playoff title, their chances are, at best, slim if not already leaving town. The loss to St. Mary's is a killer. You simply can't lose to teams in the bottom half of the conference and expect to get an NCAA bid.

The Tommies have the luxury of being ranked most of the year, so they could slip once and still get in if they don't win the playoff title. I would love to see a UST-GAC match-up for all the marbles. Heck, I'd love to just get out and see a game sometime soon.

The one loss to SMU isn't necessarily a killer in terms of anything other than perception. I mean, didn't UST also drop one down there during the Ike years?

But losses to Carleton, Bethel and SMU isn't going to allow for much argument at the end of the year if the Gusties are left out — unless GAC somehow returns to form and runs the table until the MIAC title game.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

The MIAC is a one team league this year for the NCAAs, although I hope I'm wrong when I say that.

Unless GAC comes back to win the playoff title, their chances are, at best, slim if not already leaving town. The loss to St. Mary's is a killer. You simply can't lose to teams in the bottom half of the conference and expect to get an NCAA bid.

The Tommies have the luxury of being ranked most of the year, so they could slip once and still get in if they don't win the playoff title. I would love to see a UST-GAC match-up for all the marbles. Heck, I'd love to just get out and see a game sometime soon.

The one loss to SMU isn't necessarily a killer in terms of anything other than perception. I mean, didn't UST also drop one down there during the Ike years?

But losses to Carleton, Bethel and SMU isn't going to allow for much argument at the end of the year if the Gusties are left out — unless GAC somehow returns to form and runs the table until the MIAC title game.

UST has lost at SMU since Ike was born, but they have won 44 in a row vs SMU, including 22 down there.  Last loss down there was in Jan of 1988 (before most of this year's seniors were born)

[Willy Wonka]

The MIAC is a one team league this year for the NCAAs, although I hope I'm wrong when I say that.

Unless GAC comes back to win the playoff title, their chances are, at best, slim if not already leaving town. The loss to St. Mary's is a killer. You simply can't lose to teams in the bottom half of the conference and expect to get an NCAA bid.

The Tommies have the luxury of being ranked most of the year, so they could slip once and still get in if they don't win the playoff title. I would love to see a UST-GAC match-up for all the marbles. Heck, I'd love to just get out and see a game sometime soon.

The one loss to SMU isn't necessarily a killer in terms of anything other than perception. I mean, didn't UST also drop one down there during the Ike years?

But losses to Carleton, Bethel and SMU isn't going to allow for much argument at the end of the year if the Gusties are left out — unless GAC somehow returns to form and runs the table until the MIAC title game.

UST has lost at SMU since Ike was born, but they have won 44 in a row vs SMU, including 22 down there.  Last loss down there was in Jan of 1988 (before most of this year's seniors were born)

Was it Bethel that lost down there recently then? I thought another contender did in the recent past...

[piperinsider]

The MIAC is a one team league this year for the NCAAs, although I hope I'm wrong when I say that.

Unless GAC comes back to win the playoff title, their chances are, at best, slim if not already leaving town. The loss to St. Mary's is a killer. You simply can't lose to teams in the bottom half of the conference and expect to get an NCAA bid.

The Tommies have the luxury of being ranked most of the year, so they could slip once and still get in if they don't win the playoff title. I would love to see a UST-GAC match-up for all the marbles. Heck, I'd love to just get out and see a game sometime soon.

The one loss to SMU isn't necessarily a killer in terms of anything other than perception. I mean, didn't UST also drop one down there during the Ike years?

But losses to Carleton, Bethel and SMU isn't going to allow for much argument at the end of the year if the Gusties are left out — unless GAC somehow returns to form and runs the table until the MIAC title game.

UST has lost at SMU since Ike was born, but they have won 44 in a row vs SMU, including 22 down there.  Last loss down there was in Jan of 1988 (before most of this year's seniors were born)

Was it Bethel that lost down there recently then? I thought another contender did in the recent past...

That was Hamline last year I believe....oh, you said contender

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Augsburg lost their reguar seaosn final at SMU last year...could that be the one you mean Willy?

The birds SWEPT Hamline last year. OUCH

[Willy Wonka]

Lots of silence from the Piper crowd today. Can't imagine why...

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Lots of silence from the Piper crowd today. Can't imagine why...

I dunno.....could 17 turnovers hve anything to do with it?

[Willy Wonka]

SJU tops SMU 66-55...but where was this St. Mary's team on Wednesday night? How do you go from 22 assists in a huge win to just FOUR assists in a loss? And the role players go from 38 points to just 17. Yuck.

All in all, a good day for the Gusties to have a bye and regroup. Hamline is on the verge of missing the MIAC tournament with Carleton and Bethel both streaking — can we stop the national tournament talk now, please? — while Concordia might be listening to a little too much Tom Petty on its long roadies.

Huge Auggie Tech@GAC game on Monday. A win by the Gusties could go a long way toward locking up the other postseason bye.

[carletonsid]

Lots of silence from the Piper crowd today. Can't imagine why...

Huge win for the streaking Knights. Sets up a huge match-up on Monday over at St. Olaf. A win really puts the Knights in great position to return to the MIAC Playoffs.

Great photo of Rosett denying Brown at the rim, taken by Tom Dahlin, scroll to end of story:

[miacsuperfan]

pipes are pipes and vipes are vipes and . . . . . , oh never mind.  wouldn't want to be playing the knights, right now!   

it appears now that 11 wins will clearly get you into to the playoffs and 10 could work as well.  if you do the math on the middle group, all of the teams curently with 7 or more wins SHOULD be able to get their number up to 10. 

a HUGE game that is coming soon, though, is the bu at hu game on wednesday.  that game could be a pivot point for both programs in their efforts to make it to the small dance.  assuming vipes top cobs on monday, a win vs. bethel would give them ten---and basically assure them of making the top six.  the rest of vipe's schedule (gac, @smu, @sju, and ust) appears to be a bit on the rugged side----though the way the league is going this year, only the ust game is likely out of reach.

bethel, on the other hand, has two games that look way tough (ust, @gac), but the rest are certainly attainable with four of their last five games at home.  so beating hu on wednesday is almost essential for them to have a chance to get to the 10 win number. 

st. olaf, though having quite a schizo year, looks to be odd guy out with their remaining schedule.  smu will play spoiler at home, but they along with cobs and scots---put a fork in 'em.