2012 Division III NCAA Tournament

[smedindy]

The ECAC tavern, where fun goes to die!

[sac]

try to be a smartass and a conversation breaks out.

All I was saying was that the 18 Pool C Bids will be filled out regardless of who the 18 best qualified teams really are.

But at least it will be much more likely that Final Four caliber teams aren't left at home.

[Pat Coleman]

Well just for that I am going to update FAQ #33.

Thought I had gotten them all updated.

[Greek Tragedy]

Pat,

Once the NCAA regional rankings are revealed, where are you going to post those?  Certainly we aren't going to get 8 new boards for each regional ranking, are we?  I got enough boards to look at!  Would you (or someone) post them on the Pool C board, or possibly this board since it is Men's Basketball Tourney related!

[Pat Coleman]

I'll post them in Notables as we did last year.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

It's highly improbable, but technically all 18 bids could come from the same region... ok its downright impossible, but under the current rules its allowable.


We started a regional rankings board in the NE region to discuss such obtuse matters as who's the best, even before the real rankings come out.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Stalker, I'm not sure if you'll pick up on this, but what are your thoughts on the potential of the NJAC winner getting sent North?  With NYU and Rochester taking dives, there will probably be only one in the tournament, at most.  There may be a vacuum of good squads that has to get filled from somewhere.  Thoughts?

[Sam Johnson]

Haven't spent much time away from the MWC board this season, but tourney time has me poking my head out of my foxhole.

As a Lawrence fan, I am preparing to watch the Vikings be royally jobbed by the NCAA selection folks.  Even though they are currently #2 in QOWI, #1 in their region, AND undefeated I can't help but think that should they reach the sectional level it won't be held at LU.  I'm even so paranoid as to think they could miss out on a bye (though their smaller gym could actually help there...no losing money on a 4 team regional if they get the bye).  Lawrence has improved the seating capacity to roughly 1,600, but that still isn't a huge facility.  Assuming LU can win the MWC tourney this weekend (which a Vegas odds-maker would likely give them at least a 60-40 shot of doing) to keep their QOWI and Regional Rankings high, does anyone here think that LU fans should even bother dreaming of a bye and/or hosting a sectional?

[Mr. Ypsi]

I would think that a bye (or a sectional) is a strong probability.  At least a couple of the 5 byes will no doubt be geographical (to save plane fare for isolated teams, or their opponents), but that still leaves two or three (and Larry would certainly be among the top teams by the criteria).  On the other hand, they could certainly be the home team for a 4-team (regional, not yet sectional) set-up that would involve no airfare.  Ticket prices are sufficiently low that venues bigger than Alex would not amass SIGNIFICANTLY higher revenue, so I doubt that is a major consideration.

I think you still have one or more home games in your future!  (For the rest of us, just make sure that no one OTHER than you or Carroll wins the AQ - that would almost certainly mean one less C for everyone else!   Or else Carroll getting the shaft.)

[Sam Johnson]

Yea, I'm already working on how I can continually duck out of work early on the next few Friday's to get up to Appleton.  And I'm booking plane tickets to DC so I can get down to Salem for the Final Four (i think...my team lead could still quash that...I already have the game tickets so I suppose I could be out 40 bucks  ).  Even if LU doesn't make it that far, I have friends in VA and MD that I haven't seen in a while who could meet me in Salem. 

[Gregory Sager]

Chuck makes a good point. One thing that Lawrence has working in its favor is the possibility that one or two of the teams in the westernmost sectional could be geographic orphans, a la Puget Sound or Trinity (TX). The anomaly of two years ago notwithstanding, I strongly doubt that a geographic orphan would be called upon to host such a sectional this year, raising the NCAA's travel costs -- and it could mean that one or two potential rivals to Lawrence's chances of hosting that sectional would be out of the picture.

[Ralph Turner]

Chuck makes a good point. One thing that Lawrence has working in its favor is the possibility that one or two of the teams in the westernmost sectional could be geographic orphans, a la Puget Sound or Trinity (TX). The anomaly of two years ago notwithstanding, I strongly doubt that a geographic orphan would be called upon to host such a sectional this year, raising the NCAA's travel costs -- and it could mean that one or two potential rivals to Lawrence's chances of hosting that sectional would be out of the picture.

That neutral site, UPS, was the scene of 2 OT games, Larry U versus Sul Ross State (from the ASC-West) and then the Larry U-Stevens Point Elite 8 game.

The crowds were abysmal, but the basketball was outstanding!

[Greek Tragedy]

I'll beg to differ, just for fun. 

If Stout loses on Saturday, there is a good chance that Stout could get a Pool C bid, with Whitewater obviously getting the AQ.  There are plenty of teams within reach of Appleton with bigger facilities that could host before Lawrence does.  For some odd reason LU doesn't get a bye in the first round, they'll most likely stomp on either WLC or Edgewood in the first round. 

I would have to think that capacity is a little issue in terms of getting fans from the other three teams to come and watch.  If it is an issue, a West team like Stout (Johnson Fieldhouse 2200), Carleton (West Gym 1850), St. Thomas (Schoenecker Arena 2250), among others holds more.  Plus, with the geographical locations of the MIAC schools and Stout, it'd be more convenient to have St. Thomas (in St. Paul) or Carleton (Northfield) drive two hours to Menomonie and have Lawrence drive 5 hours or so than to have two teams drive at least five hours to Appleton.  Not sure if the NCAA takes that into account. 

This, of course, is also assuming Lu is thrown into the "south/west" sectional and not the midwest/great lakes" sectional.  Then you have to worry about the multiple CCIW teams and the multiple MIAA teams, among others.

In a perfect world, I hope Whitewater wins, Stout gets a Pool C bid and Whitewater is put in the midwest/great lakes sectional and Stout is put in the south/west sectional! lol. 

Of course, I could be talking like a sausage and none of this could happen and my "sectionals" may not even exist...but, it's fun to pretend like I know what I'm talking about! 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I would hope the NCAA can recognize Larry's ability and talent level after three years and give them a home gig.  I doubt they get a sectional though.

[Ralph Turner]

With Pat's QOWI numbers, MissColl is #6 and the highest ranked team not in the East or Northeast Region.  If they win tomorrow, and then win the first weekend's playoff games,

will MissCollege get to host a Sectional?