Top 25 talk

[Titan Q]

St. Thomas had a 20-5 in-region winning region, however, which is actually better ... go figure ... than a 16-5 regional record.

Remember that these first-round single games are essentially 8-9 games -- the difference between the two teams is going to be minor. But the differences are usually visible if you get the facts right.

Pat, wouldn't you agree an 8-9 game should be played on a neutral site?  Not have one team travel over 300 miles to play a road game in the 1st round.

In the Division III tournament, you have to be prepared to face good teams on the road.  I've watched IWU get sent to #1 Wash U in 2003 Round 2, #1 Hanover in 2004 Round 2, and 25-0 Lawrence in 2006 Round 3.  You can complain about your draw, or you can go out and win the game...as IWU did in all 3 above.  (If you can't get by St. Thomas on the road, you're probably not going to win at Lawrence.)

[Ralph Turner]

St. Thomas had a 20-5 in-region winning region, however, which is actually better ... go figure ... than a 16-5 regional record.

Remember that these first-round single games are essentially 8-9 games -- the difference between the two teams is going to be minor. But the differences are usually visible if you get the facts right.

Pat, wouldn't you agree an 8-9 game should be played on a neutral site?  Not have one team travel over 300 miles to play a road game in the 1st round.

In the Division III tournament, you have to be prepared to face good teams on the road.  I've watched IWU get sent to #1 Wash U in 2003 Round 2, #1 Hanover in 2004 Round 2, and 25-0 Lawrence in 2006 Round 3.  You can complain about your draw, or you can go out and win the game...as IWU did in all 3 above.  (If you can't get by St. Thomas on the road, you're probably not going to win at Lawrence.)

+1 Q,  one other thing that NCC didn't do is to uphold the CCIW banner!

NCC got sent "out of region".  Their next CCIW game could have been IWU in round 3.  They could have given the CCIW 2 more victories, out of conference.

NCC should be grateful that the CCIW had gone to the post-season format and that the NCAA gave D3 the extra Pool C bids.  In 2005, there is a good chance that they would have been sitting at home!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Aye

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ralph,

And IWU, with a 15-6 in-region record and a QOWI under 10, most certainly would not have had a shot at the Final Four!

Thank God (and the NCAA) for expansion!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Q,

Watch out, you may be suffering from the 'Mr. Ypsi Exaggeration Syndrome'! 

Wash U and Hanover were each only #2 when we went to their places and beat them (though you left out U Chicago in 2001, who WERE #1 when we beat them in Chicago).  I may be misremembering, but I think all three of those teams had won at the Shirk during the regular season.

[Pat Coleman]

St. Thomas had a 20-5 in-region winning region, however, which is actually better ... go figure ... than a 16-5 regional record.

Remember that these first-round single games are essentially 8-9 games -- the difference between the two teams is going to be minor. But the differences are usually visible if you get the facts right.

Pat, wouldn't you agree an 8-9 game should be played on a neutral site?  Not have one team travel over 300 miles to play a road game in the 1st round.

That's not the way the tournament it set up. None of the 8-9 games are currently played on neutral floors.

[David Collinge]

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[Pat Coleman]

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[AndOne]

St. Thomas had a 20-5 in-region winning region, however, which is actually better ... go figure ... than a 16-5 regional record.

Remember that these first-round single games are essentially 8-9 games -- the difference between the two teams is going to be minor. But the differences are usually visible if you get the facts right.

Pat, wouldn't you agree an 8-9 game should be played on a neutral site?  Not have one team travel over 300 miles to play a road game in the 1st round.

That's not the way the tournament it set up. None of the 8-9 games are currently played on neutral floors.

Maybe thats something that should be looked at. After all the season long hard work involved in qualifying for the tournament, I'm sure you wouldn't your team to be sent over 400 miles away (404 to be exact) for its first round game. Its pretty hard to get many fans/supporters to a location 7 hours away, especially on a weeknight when people would have to miss at least 2 days of work to be reasonably able to attend the game. Its one thing to have to be able to win on the road. Its quite another to have to be able to do it during the 1st round when it sure seems many much more convenient scheduling options are available. 

[Mr. Downtown]

Watch out for UW-Oshkosh to climb the polls. Right now they are behind Stevens Point as the best basketball team in Wisconsin.

In my opinion, looking at the polls I don't see a clear cut #1. All three teams are so close to each other in points, I don't think I've ever seen three teams so close to each other fighting for the number 1 spot.

To all the Amherst fans, remember that Stevens Point has to get through the WIAC. Even though so far its been an easy ride, everyone knows that its almost impossible for a team to finish undefeated in conference play.

Point has earned the #1 ranking with how well they've been playing this season, and especially the competition. I don't know how anyone can argue the point against why the Pointers are number 1.

[Pat Coleman]

St. Thomas had a 20-5 in-region winning region, however, which is actually better ... go figure ... than a 16-5 regional record.

Remember that these first-round single games are essentially 8-9 games -- the difference between the two teams is going to be minor. But the differences are usually visible if you get the facts right.

Pat, wouldn't you agree an 8-9 game should be played on a neutral site?  Not have one team travel over 300 miles to play a road game in the 1st round.

That's not the way the tournament it set up. None of the 8-9 games are currently played on neutral floors.

Maybe thats something that should be looked at. After all the season long hard work involved in qualifying for the tournament, I'm sure you wouldn't your team to be sent over 400 miles away (404 to be exact) for its first round game. Its pretty hard to get many fans/supporters to a location 7 hours away, especially on a weeknight when people would have to miss at least 2 days of work to be reasonably able to attend the game. Its one thing to have to be able to win on the road. Its quite another to have to be able to do it during the 1st round when it sure seems many much more convenient scheduling options are available. 

Why? That would be the way the game has been played for more than a decade. This is Division III, you know, not Division I. As we get fewer and fewer byes we are moving away from that setup but it has been the status quo in Division III for many years.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

To all the Amherst fans, remember that Stevens Point has to get through the WIAC. Even though so far its been an easy ride, everyone knows that its almost impossible for a team to finish undefeated in conference play.

You also have to remember that as easy as the rest of Amherst's schedule is in comparison, they do have to travel to Maine for a game with as yet undefeated Bates later this year.  Bates has amassed some nice wins thus far and has every remaining meaningful game at home the rest of the year (save a trip to Gordon, but it's yet to be determined if that falls into the meaningful category).

[Greek Tragedy]

If they can get consistent by February, they could do it again.

Where's the inconsistency in a 10-1 record (wins at Lawrence, vs. Augustana, an overrated Carroll and an underrated Ripon) and a 4-0 conference record thus far, with wins vs. Whitewater, La Crosse and Oshkosh? lol  (it's tongue in cheek, no need to respond!) 

[AndOne]

St. Thomas had a 20-5 in-region winning region, however, which is actually better ... go figure ... than a 16-5 regional record.

Remember that these first-round single games are essentially 8-9 games -- the difference between the two teams is going to be minor. But the differences are usually visible if you get the facts right.

Pat, wouldn't you agree an 8-9 game should be played on a neutral site?  Not have one team travel over 300 miles to play a road game in the 1st round.

That's not the way the tournament it set up. None of the 8-9 games are currently played on neutral floors.

Maybe thats something that should be looked at. After all the season long hard work involved in qualifying for the tournament, I'm sure you wouldn't your team to be sent over 400 miles away (404 to be exact) for its first round game. Its pretty hard to get many fans/supporters to a location 7 hours away, especially on a weeknight when people would have to miss at least 2 days of work to be reasonably able to attend the game. Its one thing to have to be able to win on the road. Its quite another to have to be able to do it during the 1st round when it sure seems many much more convenient scheduling options are available. 

Why? That would be the way the game has been played for more than a decade. This is Division III, you know, not Division I. As we get fewer and fewer byes we are moving away from that setup but it has been the status quo in Division III for many years.

Sometimes the "status quo" is exactly what should be looked at as far as making any possible improvements.
I'm not talking about wholesale changes, but how often have you seen the NCAA do something that seems to make little or no sense?
Maybe the product can't be improved, but Division III or not, don't we all want it to be the best it can be. I just don't think with some of the tournament scheduling seen last year that such was the case. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Hey its still inconsistent if they play like the #1 team some days and only the #10 on others, right?