MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[woosterbooster]

These last two games, Fanelly isn't playing like Fanelly.  He's staying on the court.  He's successfully guarding bigger guys.  He's mostly making shots, and he's rebounding.  All of these are good things.  Might this be the winter of our content?

[David Collinge]

Witt has cut the lead in half (more or less), and trail by just 11 with 4:30 left.

[David Collinge]

This Wooster announcer incessantly complains about the officiating. Wooster Booster, how can you find time to post in here while you are on the air?

[David Collinge]

Up 12 with a minute and change left, the Scots just forced Witt into a 28 second possession which culminated in a missed layup. Like I said, Wooster's defense has been dominant tonight.

[woosterbooster]

This Wooster announcer incessantly complains about the officiating. Wooster Booster, how can you find time to post in here while you are on the air?

Ok, now, that's about more of an insult than any one man can stand.

Yay, Scots!  Two really nice games put together on consecutive nights.  Bring on the Whitworths of yesteryear, we're ready for them!

[kiltedbryan]

Extremely impressive defense tonight for the Scots. I was also very glad to see that Kenny DeBoer took home NCAC tournament MVP honors - he was simply a beast both nights.

Wooster will enter the NCAA Tournament on a ten-game win streak, their longest of the year.

Now we wait and see who comes to Timken next week and whether the NCAC bubble teams get the Pool C bid.

[woosterbooster]

So, NCAA-wise, are we back to the format of two years ago?  Byes aside, will the first round be four-team pods at one school?  Then, down to sixteen teams, four more four-team pods, called sectionals?  With finally the Final Four at Salem, right?

[David Collinge]

As far as I know, yes.

[David Collinge]

From the Wittenberg press release, as posted to D3hoops.com:
"Wooster completed a three-game sweep of the season series with the Tigers for the second straight year and evened the all-time series between the two winningest NCAA Division III men's basketball programs at 54-54."
I knew that the six-game winning streak was the longest (for Wooster, at least) since the Tigers joined the NCAC. I did not know, however, that the Scots and Tigers were now even in the all-time series. Go Scots!

[Urban For Prez]

If Wittenberg and Wooster played 10 times this year, I am not sure that Wooster wouldn't win all 10.  They seem to have an answer for every Wittenberg punch.  Kenny DeBoer was a stud this weekend, certainly deserving of the MVP honors.  That being said, I really admire the fight in this year's Wittenberg team, and there appear to be some promising young players in the program.

Given the strength of the NCAC this year, it would be a shame for the conference to only get one representative. Still not sure I feel great about Witt's chances though.  If the Tigers aren't fortunate enough to move on, congratulations to Masin, Leahy, Newell, Bond, and McDowell on a solid season and careers. Talented players, but better kids.  Made it easy to be a fan this year.

[wooscotsfan]

Back from Wooster where I watched a fine defensive effort by the Scots as they challenged Wittenberg on every possession and held the Tigers to less than 40% shooting from the floor.  Congratulations to Wooster on evening the all time series with Witt!

Balance was the key word for the Scots offensively as I am sure that Wittenberg was concerned about Xavier Brown and Doug Thorpe when the game started.  So to surprise Witt, Evan Pannell dropped 21 points on them (tied his career high) and freshman Dan Fanelly played very well (as Wooster Booster noted) with 12 points and a nice job of defending Witt's top scorer Scott Masin.

If Dan Fanelly and Evan Pannell continue to make these kind of contributions, I do think that Wooster could make some noise in the NCAA tourney.

As kiltedbryan observed, Kenny DeBoer was very deserving of the Tourney MVP award as he had back to back great games vs. OWU and Witt.  DeBoer had 2 points at halftime tonight but then he scored 13 in the 2nd half including 3 three pointers that kept Wooster in complete control of the game.

Wooster is now 25-3.    Next up is a home game in the NCAA tourney vs. ...Wilmington?.... Penn St. Behrend?...St. Vincent?....Hope?....Rose-Hulman?

Better stop guessing and wait for the full bracket on Monday!

GO SCOTS!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

So, NCAA-wise, are we back to the format of two years ago?  Byes aside, will the first round be four-team pods at one school?  Then, down to sixteen teams, four more four-team pods, called sectionals?  With finally the Final Four at Salem, right?

Yes... back to the normal process.

[goscots]

So, NCAA-wise, are we back to the format of two years ago?  Byes aside, will the first round be four-team pods at one school?  Then, down to sixteen teams, four more four-team pods, called sectionals?  With finally the Final Four at Salem, right?

Yes... back to the normal process.

Too bad...I liked last years format.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

LOL no one else did... too many weeks and too much time off. That is the reason the MBB committee is struggling to get Presidents and the like to approve going back to the D1 Final Four.

[Pat Coleman]

I liked having all those games on all those campuses -- that was my favorite part about it. Well, and the student-athlete experience at the D1FF.