2012 Division III NCAA Tournament

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I feel the Sears Tower swaying all the time.... I never even notice it anymore.

Greg... read this again and tell me if you think it makes any sense. 

Sure it does. Most of the stimuli that activate our sensory organs do not register within conscious thought. Think of walking down a busy sidewalk in Chicago or Washington DC. You see hundreds of people, and the vast majority of them will never so much as make a dent in your conscious perception. Or think of the background noise in a crowded room. You continue to hear it while you carry on conversation with someone, but your brain filters it out.

Wow, he got you.

[Knightstalker]

I feel the Sears Tower swaying all the time.... I never even notice it anymore.

Greg... read this again and tell me if you think it makes any sense. 

Sure it does. Most of the stimuli that activate our sensory organs do not register within conscious thought. Think of walking down a busy sidewalk in Chicago or Washington DC. You see hundreds of people, and the vast majority of them will never so much as make a dent in your conscious perception. Or think of the background noise in a crowded room. You continue to hear it while you carry on conversation with someone, but your brain filters it out.

Sort of like drastic depth changes in a submarine.  Eventually you don't hear the hull expanding and contracting or notice the angle that you are walking on or the pressure changes.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Sort of like drastic depth changes in a submarine.  Eventually you don't hear the hull expanding and contracting or notice the angle that you are walking on or the pressure changes.

Are you speaking from experience there?

[Knightstalker]

I might be rabbit, I might be.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Man this place is dead.  You'd think they weren't playing games until Friday or something.

[Ralph Turner]

Man this place is dead.  You'd think they weren't playing games until Friday or something.

One gets the impression that the only teams left in the tournament are those that realize the only talking that is left will be done on the court!

[iwumichigander]

Man this place is dead.  You'd think they weren't playing games until Friday or something.

One gets the impression that the only teams left in the tournament are those that realize the only talking that is left will be done on the court!

You are right Ralph.  The only talking that really counts is on the court at this point!

[smedindy]

That doesn't stop some of us who paralyze with analysis - or somethin' like that!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Ah... the Sweet 16!!!

Just 32 teams remain... for a chance at two titles. But after some upsets in the first weekend, can the favorites still make it to Springfield and Salem?

We'll try and figure it out tonight... on Hoopsville!!!

Upsets and shockers went right along with blow-outs and favorites winning this past weekend. But we still have two more weekends of basketball. So, we will chat with Scranton Coach Mike Strong, Utica Coach Andrew Goodemonte, and Widener Coach David Duda about how their teams are getting ready for the travel, the pressure, and the expectations... oh, and their games this weekend.

And how are the Final Four preparations going? Glad you asked. We will also talk with ODAC Commissioner Brad Bankston about how the ODAC, Salem, and the NCAA are getting ready for the Men's Final Four in 16 or so days.

Oh, and we didn't forget about the games. The regional reporters are jammed into the show like a basketball team on a 15 passenger van. They will give you their thoughts on the opening weekend and who they think will survive to the Final Four.

All that along with the other reports from around D3 and your questions and comments... TONIGHT on Hoopsville!!!

[Gregory Sager]

I've compiled the list of schools that have made the most D3 tourney appearances without ever reaching the Final Four. It's significant, because a couple of these programs are playing this weekend for the chance to remove themselves from the list. Schools that have not even reached the Elite Eight are asterisked:

Christopher Newport (first appearance, 1986), 16
Maryville (TN) (first appearance, 1991), 13
Ripon (first appearance 1978), 12*
Buffalo State (first appearance, 1984), 12
St. John Fisher (first appearance, 1992), 12*
Pomona-Pitzer (first appearance, 1986), 11*
Washington (MO) (first appearance, 1987), 11
Albany State (first appearance, 1975), 10
St. Lawrence (first appearance, 1975), 9
Allegheny (first appearance, 1975), 9*
Staten Island (first appearance, 1981), 9*
Randolph-Macon (first appearance, 1990) 9*
Hamilton (first appearance, 1995), 9*
Beloit (first appearance, 1977), 8*
Central (first appearance, 1977), 8*
Rose-Hulman (first appearance, 1977), 8
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (first appearance, 1984), 8*
Mississippi College (first appearance, 1998), 8*

Albany State, which now styles itself UAlbany, moved out of D3 in 1995 and spared the Great Danes any further D3 tourney futility. They had a very solid program throughout the seventies, eighties, and early nineties under Doc Sauers, as did Buffalo State under Dick Bihr, but neither program was ever able to make any headway in the D3 tournament, mostly because of Jerry Welsh's Potsdam State teams.

What's remarkable about Murvul is that they've won games in the last eight tournaments, including this year's. The Scots just can't seem to make it to the next level.

St. John Fisher and Mississippi College can exorcise a lot of demons this weekend.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Maryville have made the tournament 13 out of the last 15 years?  Wow, that's quite impressive.  They also have that monster winning streak going on.  Great job building a program.  A win next year ties them with Potsdam for the longest streak.  You have to wonder if perhaps that reputation figured into the Pool B considerations this year.

[woosterbooster]

St. John Fisher and Mississippi College can exorcise a lot of demons this weekend.

Not pretending to be an expert on demons and the like, but I'd give Mississippi College the edge in opportunities here, playing Transylvania.  If they can't exorcise some dracula-types, they'll at least be able to exercise them, bouncing them around inside and running them up and down the court.

Alright, I'm pushing it here.  Bring on the games, I'm ready to watch! 

[diehardfan]

Love it... but then I'm one of those people who laugh at everything. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

It would be great if MC handed out wooden stakes to all their fans.  One of the best crowd participations ever.

[Knightstalker]

Mix the Gatorade with Holy Water.