2012 Division III NCAA Tournament

[Gregory Sager]

Not pretending to be an expert on demons and the like, but I'd give Mississippi College the edge in opportunities here, playing Transylvania.

I have to disagree with that, WooBoo. St. John Fisher is playing Utica tonight, a team that they've already beaten three times this season:

1/6 @ UC: St. John Fisher 66, Utica 58
2/4 @ SJF: St. John Fisher 82, Utica 70
2/25 @ SJF: St. John Fisher 74, Utica 61

I see the Fishies making it 4-for-4 tonight and reaching their first-ever Elite Eight. Even though they'd then probably have to beat Amherst on the Jeffs' home floor in order to get to Salem, I think that their chances of doing so are at least as good as Mississippi College's would be for beating either Hope or Wittenberg if the Chocs make it past Nosferatu U. tonight.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Nosferatu U

We have a winner: Most clever school nickname in d3hoops.com history.


I am hereby abandoning my attempt to have them called Tranny and casting my lot with the Nosferatu U Crew.

[Dark Knight]

How they did last weekend.  Computing an average Massey power rating for the two games played in the last two days gives a measure of how well teams did:

IL Wesleyan    21.8
Wittenberg     21.2
Amherst        20.9
VA Wesleyan    11.2

Looks like there are three teams that played about equally well last weekend. VA Wesleyan would be a 10 point underdog to any of them.

[Coach C]

Dark Knight -

I think that 2 games is not nealy enough to use the Massey system on.  That being said, I pretty sure the bottom 2 teams are rigth.  I think the top 2 might be interchangeable.

C

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

It seems like Witt and IWU are on a collision course.  I think Witt's depth will be too much for Amherst and I can't see IWU getting slowed down all that much by VA Wesleyan, especially as all the pressure will be on Virginia to keep up with the "All-Americas."  The IWU guys will feel pressure, but probably no more than they've been dealing with for the last month; I don't see it having the same effect.  There is also the little matter of the size difference.

[iwumichigander]

Hoops Fan - I believe the real pressure came off IWU when their dance card got punched.  The outside pressure during the CCIW season and its tournament was nothing compared to the pressure this IWU team put on themselves.

Going into the regional contest, you could see and feel a difference, a good difference, in IWU. Coming into the sectional, the Titans had confidence, poise and determination which one could see in their eyes.  In NCAA Tournament play, this IWU team has demonstrated its consistantly capable to bring the mental toughness along with the physical skills and athleticism to play 40 minutes that is required to get to the Final Four.

If the Titans are well prepared its a credit to the entire CCIW where no team backed down from IWU (or, Augustana, North Central or Elmhurst for that matter).  Game after game, CCIW opponents would have unlikely players step up with career games to challenge IWU.  I can't think of another conference in recent years that so well prepared in a single season the three CCIW teams that made the tournament for post season play. 

[mactitan]

I just wanted as many DIII fans as I could know that two DIII stars, Adam Dauksas of IWU, and Kyle Witucky of Wooster are finalists for the Bob Cousy Award.  The Cousy Award is given to college basketball's best point guard.  Among the other finalists are Dee Brown and Gerry McNamara, so this is quite an honor.  There is fan voting available at http://www.cousyaward.com.  You can vote everyday.

[John Gleich]

Ok, this PROBABLY isn't appropriate for this board... but... it DOES deal with the 05-06 Tourney.  It's just the D-I tourney.  At least it deals with a (former, I'm almost sure) D-3 player...

John Bunch, formerly of Lincoln (PA), is now playing for Monmouth (NJ).  He played on Tuesday in the (play-in) first round game in Dayton.  Read me.

That's gotta be the same John Bunch who set the D-3 record (twice) two years ago with 12 blocks.  I mean, how many 7-2 320 lb. guys are there running around the East Coast, named John Bunch...

The thing is, it says that the coach's wife found him working at a movie theater... and it doesn't say anything about his time at Lincoln in his career stats.  His eligibility says he's a Junior (so he obviously DID play (somewhere... we all know it was Lincoln)... but ESPN won't give D-3 the props.  I wonder if this note will make it into the OTL tonight... T-minus 2 hours until the D-3 show is on!

[smedindy]

They did mention it a lot on the broadcast, though.

[John Gleich]

Really?  I didn't watch the (play-in) game.  I had more important (meaningful, entertaining...) things to do.  Like... anything else.

Surprizingly, this game wasn't close... I think most of the (play-in) opening game rounds have been very close... in other words, grit one out to be destroyed by 40. 

[hugenerd]

I was just watching ESPN and tonight's Outside the Lines documented the DIII national tournament.  Lincoln and Illinois Wesleyen were the main teams followed in the piece.  If anyone is up early, the piece is rebroadcast at 6:40 and 7:40 am EST tomorrow.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

He's 7-2, 320?  Maybe Monmouth can take down the five guard offense of Villanova?

In all honesty though, its ORU, who will be the first 16 to win.  They got screwed; I thought they'd be at least a 14.  Tutt and Green all the way, baby.

[smedindy]

Nah, Oral Roberts got a fair seed. They were #107 on my rankings. Sagarin and Pomeroy's in the 120s.

That is very high for a 16, but they are just below Davidson, who is the lowest 15 on my rankings.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I don't care about your computers.  Have you seen them play?  They're better than S Alabama and Murray State, although they aren't better than the other two 14s.

[njlincolnlion]

PointSpecial:

Monmouth's John Bunch is the same guy that played at Lincoln his freshmen year and set the d3 record.  If you go to Monmouth's website, they mention he played for Coach Byars at Lincoln.  I was also puzzled as to why Bunch didn't play last year.

I saw Bunch play as a freshman when Lincoln lost to Montclair State, and I saw him play at Fairleigh Dickenson University last week when the Hawks won the NEC tourney.  Bunch has gotten better, and he's big enough to clog up the middle.  Can you imagine what Lincoln would have looked like with Bunch in the post?