2012 Division III NCAA Tournament

[Bucket]

I'm not sure how many Middlebury students will be able to make it, frankly. It's a 13-hour drive and midterms start this week.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I am surprised by comments that ST Thomas had the toughest bracket.  I believe they had the most impressive win over UW sp (at least the biggest upset) in my mind but I called the Whitworth/Wooster bracket the "bracket of death".  Whitworth path for instance #12 Chapman #11 Marietta and then on the road to face #5 Wooster.  That to me is tougher path than not facing a ranked opponent until UW sp.  I'm a east guy and I do not know as much as most of you but I need to be convinced that the top left bracket wasn't the toughest.   I'd say Middlebury had the easiest path.  Williams and St Thomas about equal and the Upper left bracket deserved my "nickname".

I know I was one of those who said it.  I believe Whitworth-Wooster was the single toughest match-up before Salem.  However I don't think either run was more difficult than St. Thomas.  St. Thomas and Williams are the only schools to have beaten two Final-Four level teams on the way to Salem - Williams was at home the whole time and neither VWC or Amherst are as good as Stevens Point.

[ScotsFan]

Well, I went to purchase tickets at the COW today as they were supposed to be on sale from noon to 2pm today.  Got there at noon and there were probably already over 100 people in line.  By ten after, Wooster's allotment of nearly 400 tickets was sold out and there was still over 100 people in line.    So, in 10 minutes Wooster sold nearly 400 tickets and that didn't even count the 100 or so people waiting in line that will now be buying their tickets directly from the Salem Civic Center as I just did. 

I think it's safe to assume that Wooster will be well represented in Salem!   

[Greek Tragedy]

That only stands to reason, of course, since the vast majority of D3 schools have small student populations.

Which makes it even more amazing that, in general, the student populations at games are nonexistent at WIAC schools.  WIAC schools have somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 students, roughly, and if students do show up, the game is secondary.

I'm actually jealous to see and hear about rabid student sections at vastly smaller schools.  I've heard of the student sections at GAC and St. Thomas.  The student section at Concordia was pretty awesome and even the small student section that Luther had was loud. 

I just wish the students at the big WIAC schools would have half the heart these other schools do.  Even in non-tournament games, I've seen some good student sections at Lawrence and WLC. 

[Greek Tragedy]

Well, I went to purchase tickets at the COW today as they were supposed to be on sale from noon to 2pm today.  Got there at noon and there were probably already over 100 people in line.  By ten after, Wooster's allotment of nearly 400 tickets was sold out and there was still over 100 people in line.    So, in 10 minutes Wooster sold nearly 400 tickets and that didn't even count the 100 or so people waiting in line that will now be buying their tickets directly from the Salem Civic Center as I just did. 

I think it's safe to assume that Wooster will be well represented in Salem!   

Schools only get 400?  I think it's just as easy to call the Salem Civic Center and order tickets yourself.  I believe that's what we did. 

[Pat Coleman]

They start with 400 -- there are many more seats available for them but they take 400 home with them from the sectional to sell on campus.

[ScotsFan]

Schools only get 400?  I think it's just as easy to call the Salem Civic Center and order tickets yourself.  I believe that's what we did. 

That's what I ended up doing.  Woo's AD was hanging signs with the phone number for people to call and he said to specify you wanted in the Wooster section when ordering the tickets.

They start with 400 -- there are many more seats available for them but they take 400 home with them from the sectional to sell on campus.

Why do they only allow schools to sell 400 tickets on their campuses?  I know Kieth Beckett (Woo's A) said he told them 400 wouldn't be nearly enough and they didn't seem to care.  BTW, he was right.   

The reason I went to buy them on campus was because I had heard there was a $7.95 surcharge added to each ticket if you ordered them through ticketmaster.  There was still a $2 charge per ticket, but I didn't mind that. 

[Pat Coleman]

Schools only get 400?  I think it's just as easy to call the Salem Civic Center and order tickets yourself.  I believe that's what we did. 

That's what I ended up doing.  Woo's AD was hanging signs with the phone number for people to call and he said to specify you wanted in the Wooster section when ordering the tickets.

They start with 400 -- there are many more seats available for them but they take 400 home with them from the sectional to sell on campus.

Why do they only allow schools to sell 400 tickets on their campuses?  I know Kieth Beckett (Woo's A) said he told them 400 wouldn't be nearly enough and they didn't seem to care.  BTW, he was right.   

I don't know the details but I am sure that it would have been enough for Whitworth and probably for Cabrini as well.

[Bucket]

A fascinating match-up to look forward to on Friday night is Middlebury's Nolan Thompson on St. Thomas's Tyler Nicolai.

During Midd's tournament run, Thompson has guarded three consecutive conference players of the year: Western Conn's Daquan Brooks, Rochester's John DiBartolomeo, and St. Mary's Alex Franz.

He hounded Brooks into a 5-13 shooting night and 11 points, half his 22 ppg average. DiBartolomeo? 5-13 also and 5 points below his season average. Franz hit his 16 ppg average exactly, but he had to take 18 shots, making 7, to do so.

Yes, Midd's shot-blocking trio of Locke, Sharry, and Davis had an impact in this regard--making drives to the hoop perilous and allowing Thompson to know he had a lot of help inside--but his on-the-ball defending is tenacious. Should be fun to watch this match-up on Friday.

[baller4]

why wasnt  Jonathan Jones and marcel esonwuune chosen for the d3 all star game? and instead lester prosper and marvin billups. marcel and jones  dominated the Atlantic region. both of them put up better number that lester and marvin.   

[ronk]

why wasnt  Jonathan Jones and marcel esonwuune chosen for the d3 all star game? and instead lester prosper and marvin billups. marcel and jones  dominated the Atlantic region. both of them put up better number that lester and marvin.   

Jones' injury? might have been his reason. He had an all-star season.

[Ralph Turner]

I just noticed.

The only home team not to "hold court" with home court advantage on the left side of the bracket was Oswego State in the second round loss to RIC.

[wooscotsfan]

I just noticed.

The only home team not to "hold court" with home court advantage on the left side of the bracket was Oswego State in the second round loss to RIC.

One more team on the left side of the bracket - WPI played at home in the 2nd round and lost to Amherst.

[Ralph Turner]

I just noticed.

The only home team not to "hold court" with home court advantage on the left side of the bracket was Oswego State in the second round loss to RIC.

One more team on the left side of the bracket - WPI played at home in the 2nd round and lost to Amherst.

+1!  Thanks.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Where are the All-Star rosters?  I've been looking for them and missing something.