2012 Division III NCAA Tournament

[augie_superfan]

I don't know too much about RMC but I have seen Transy play about 5 or 6 times this year and I think they are a pretty good team.  If they match-up with Wooster in the second round, I think Transy will give them a good game.  Although, I don't know much about Wooster except that they score a lot of points and are a very good team.

[smedindy]

Wooster is probably the better team, especially if they are shooting well. But Transy's not going to be easy for them.

[woosterbooster]

I'm concerned with Wooster's first-round opponent, too, maybe even moreso. Randolph-Macon is no doubt tough.

But I have a feeling that Wooster has an advantage when playing a team for the first time.  Teams that have not played against them can be surprised by their quickness and shooting ability, and how hard they push the ball up the floor.  On the other hand, by the time a conference team is on the court with them for a third game, there are no more surprises.

[Gregory Sager]

WLC is pretty bad.  Yeah, they beat Lakeland in Milwaukee and then beat them in the tourney, but Lakeland basically choked. 

Lakeland and Wisconsin Lutheran didn't play in the LMC tourney. Lakeland was knocked out by Edgewood in the semis while Wisconsin Lutheran was busy beating Marian, and Edgewood then went on to fall to Wisconsin Lutheran in the finals.

Lakeland and Wisconsin Lutheran split their home-and-home, each team winning in its own gym. The loss to WLC was the only regular-season conference defeat that the Muskies suffered this year -- and it came on December 6 in one of those anomalous early-in-the-season conference games that you usually don't see in an eight-team circuit. Lakeland went 13-1 and won the league by three full games. Wisconsin Lutheran finished in a tie for third at 8-6.

[Greek Tragedy]

Oops, not sure what I was thinking considering some guy posted a complaint about the reffing at the Lakeland/Edgewood game and specifically said, "first your Pointers, now the Muskies" or something like that, referring to Point's loss to Edgewood.  Oh well.    Regardless, Lakeland CHOKED. 

[Greek Tragedy]

Wisconsin get SIX teams in the big dance from three different conferences.  Carroll and Lawrence from the MWC, WLC from the LMC and Whitewater, Stout and La Crosse from the WIAC.  Pretty impressive.  Just curious how the other states did...I remember having a discussion last year regarding the best basketball state and we even listed the Top 10 teams for each state.  Now, only if Carthage can get their act together in the CCIW!!! 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

WLC is pretty bad

Being all relative, of course.

Mind you, WLC could probably wipe the floor up with most teams in the Northeast regions.

Wipe the floor could be strong, but yeah, they are probably better than some of the +.500 teams.

We should get a debate going about the worst teams in the tournament.  I think York (NY), Bridgewater State and Maryville (MO) would be the front runners.

What does everyone think of the Transylvania vs Bethany; Randolph-Macon vs Wooster, first and second round games?

I think Transy is actually prime for a first round upset.  Bethany might not be as good as last year, but they are decent.  So long as they haven't had their skills dulled by their awful conference, I could see them catching Transy napping.  This seems like a classic speedbump game for Transy--look past the Poo B team to a match-up with a regional contender.  That being said, I like the RMC-Woo winner to come out of this regional.

Just curious how the other states did...

Massachusetts has eight teams in the tournament.  New York state has eight as well.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Okay, I decided to make a list by state:

Massachusetts: 8
New York: 8
Pennsylvania: 8
Wisconsin: 6
Ohio: 4
Illinois: 3
Virginia: 3
California: 2
Michigan: 2
Minnesota: 2
Indiana: 1
Iowa: 1
Kentucky: 1
Maryland: 1
Mississippi: 1
Missouri: 1
New Jersey: 1
Tennessee: 1
Texas: 1
Vermont: 1
Washington: 1
Washington DC: 1
West Virginia: 1

[bamm]

We should get a debate going about the worst teams in the tournament. I think York (NY), Bridgewater State and Maryville (MO) would be the front runners.

York (NY) certainly belongs on your short list.  They are average (and I'm being generous here).  I've seen them play both RIT and Oswego and in neither game did they threaten the Upstate teams -- neither of whom were NCAA tourney contenders.  

[Knightstalker]

Just thought I'd post this here.  I was listening to Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN radio today and they replayed the audio call of the game winning shot in the Depauw game.  They explained that the call was the game winning shot for the right to go to the D3 tournament.  They played the Depauw clip and a clip from an Austin Peay game where they were denied a trip to the NCAA tournament last year because of a loss on a defensive goaltending call at the buzzer.  They were using them as examples of why athletes play the game and why we love the games.

[Greek Tragedy]

That's really cool.

For me, the difference between D3 and D1...there is no way in, well, you know, that I would spend this much time on the D1 tourney...  

[Greek Tragedy]

Okay, I decided to make a list by state:

Massachusetts: 8
New York: 8
Pennsylvania: 8
Wisconsin: 6

Nice list Hoops Fan, apparently, Wisconsin isn't nearly as cool as I thought they were!

Re:  bad teams

I "bet" WLC loses to Hope by more than what York (N.Y.) loses to York (Pa.) 

[Knightstalker]

They were talking about the conference tournaments coming up and both said they would rather watch a MAAC tournament or Patriot league tournament because you know that these teams are fighting for a chance to play in the NCAA's as the only team from their respective conferences.  They commented that while you see great games in the ACC, SEC, Big East etc tournaments you know most of the teams will make the NCAA tournament so the excitement level isn't there.  It was a really good segment, they even asked for people to send exciting game winning clips to them.

[hopefan]

them's fitin' words  Hoops!!

Seriously, Maryville Mo is not too bad-

Quite honestly, I think that there is a shot for the SLIAC to get its first tourney win.  Though they have a long trip, they have an opportunity to be much more competitive this weekend than if they had to face the CCIW, MWC, WIAC,or Great Lakes powerhouses.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

The America East is the best tournament final in D1.