MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[Mike Rejniak]

​Dear D3 Faithful ,
     I have read many of your posts throughout the years and even met some of you in person, but for those who I haven't met, let me introduce myself: my name is Michael Rejniak and I have spent over 14 years coaching Division 3 basketball and love what our division has done and continues to do for  the sport of basketball. One of the greatest things about Division 3 basketball is the brotherhood that we all have with one another (coaches and players alike). My wish is to showcase the talents of D3 on a national stage in The Basketball Tournament (TBT).  You may have heard me speak about this on the Hoopsville Marathon with Dave McHugh of D3hoops.com (at the 6:11 mark). The TBT is a national tournament that is televised in July/August on ESPN after the NBA season is over. My goal is to put forth an all-star D3 team (current players are ineligible) and have them compete in this tournament to take on Former D1 / semi-pro's to prove that D3 deserves the same respect as other NCAA divisions. The team is mostly complete with former student-athletes from all over the country competing. Once the roster is complete we will be sure to release it through d3hoops. Former Babson College National Champion Matthew Droney '17 will also be assisting me on this journey.

How YOU can help our former elite D3 basketball players

While the end prize of this tournament is a monetary prize, being a D3-lifer, the goal is not the money (we all know that's not why we get into coaching), the goal is to bring an end to the stigma of Division 3 basketball, an awareness of how talented our student-athletes are and that we can compete (and win) against the best. We do need to raise funds for an entry fee, travel, meal and housing expenses for the athletes. In order to do this, we are conducting a crowd-funding campaign through GoFundMe to help make this a reality. These athletes need your support! Just think -- if every Division 3 school donated just $10, we will have raised over $4,000!!!! The link to the GoFundMe Page is below and please SPREAD THE WORD and email me with any questions/concerns at WeAreD3TBT@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for your support and Dave and I look forward to this "D3 Dream Team" taking the court this summer.-Mike Rejniak

Support "We Are D3" In The TBT

https://www.gofundme.com/WeAreD3TBT

[Bishopleftiesdad]

Axelrod wins Jostens
https://youtu.be/f03L8R8jAyU
True D3 player...

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Axelrod wins Jostens
https://youtu.be/f03L8R8jAyU
True D3 player...

And D3hoops.com Player of the Year.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Saw a woman today who had a Wooster cell phone case.  I asked, "Did you go to Wooster?" She looked at me incredulous and said, "You know where that is?"

I said, "they've got a very good basketball team," which already elicited another strange look.  I half wish I would've answered my original thought, which was, "Yes, and I also know a whole bunch of schools within 499 miles of Wooster, too."

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Saw a woman today who had a Wooster cell phone case.  I asked, "Did you go to Wooster?" She looked at me incredulous and said, "You know where that is?"

I said, "they've got a very good basketball team," which already elicited another strange look.  I half wish I would've answered my original thought, which was, "Yes, and I also know a whole bunch of schools within 499 miles of Wooster, too."

Done this a few times... stopped myself many more times... never know how it comes across to others, "are you a stalker of some weird kind?" LOL

[sac]

I have to restrain myself in the company of others when I spot a D3 window sticker or license plate on cars.

[Bishopleftiesdad]

I have to restrain myself in the company of others when I spot a D3 window sticker or license plate on cars.

My wife has gotten used to it. She sees me pull out my phone and take a picture of a strange cae, she usually realizes it is probably an obscure D3 for our area.

[Gregory Sager]

Whenever I meet somebody new and find out that he or she attended a D3 school, I typically startle them by blurting out the school's location, sports nickname and colors, and, if it's relevant, the sport or sports in which the school does well. It's always fun to watch their reaction to this.

My favorite incident in this vein happened several years ago, when I happened to be in a bar that was showing an Illinois basketball game. The guy who was sitting next to me attempted to make small talk by asking me if I was an Illini fan. I responded:

"Nah, I don't really have a favorite D1 team. I went to a D3 school."

"Really? I did, too."

"Which one?"

"A school back east you've never heard of."

"Humor me. What's your alma mater?"

"Franklin & Marshall."

"You went to Eff And Em? That's where Glenn Robinson coaches. The man's a legend. He's been there forever, and he's taken the Diplomats to five D3 Final Fours. They've just never been able to win the big one."

I got a big kick out of seeing the guy's jaw drop to the floor. I got an even bigger kick out the fact that he later bought me a beer for knowing his school's nickname and basketball history. 

[smedindy]

Saw a woman today who had a Wooster cell phone case.  I asked, "Did you go to Wooster?" She looked at me incredulous and said, "You know where that is?"

I said, "they've got a very good basketball team," which already elicited another strange look.  I half wish I would've answered my original thought, which was, "Yes, and I also know a whole bunch of schools within 499 miles of Wooster, too."

I would have asked about the marching band's show at football games, too!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Whenever I meet somebody new and find out that he or she attended a D3 school, I typically startle them by blurting out the school's location, sports nickname and colors, and, if it's relevant, the sport or sports in which the school does well. It's always fun to watch their reaction to this.

My favorite incident in this vein happened several years ago, when I happened to be in a bar that was showing an Illinois basketball game. The guy who was sitting next to me attempted to make small talk by asking me if I was an Illini fan. I responded:

"Nah, I don't really have a favorite D1 team. I went to a D3 school."

"Really? I did, too."

"Which one?"

"A school back east you've never heard of."

"Humor me. What's your alma mater?"

"Franklin & Marshall."

"You went to Eff And Em? That's where Glenn Robinson coaches. The man's a legend. He's been there forever, and he's taken the Diplomats to five D3 Final Fours. They've just never been able to win the big one."

I got a big kick out of seeing the guy's jaw drop to the floor. I got an even bigger kick out the fact that he later bought me a beer for knowing his school's nickname and basketball history. 

Done something similar... just unfortunate when I happened to run into someone who ... doesn't know about the athletics at their school.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Saw a woman today who had a Wooster cell phone case.  I asked, "Did you go to Wooster?" She looked at me incredulous and said, "You know where that is?"

I said, "they've got a very good basketball team," which already elicited another strange look.  I half wish I would've answered my original thought, which was, "Yes, and I also know a whole bunch of schools within 499 miles of Wooster, too."

I would have asked about the marching band's show at football games, too!

The problem is, I don't know which schools have football and which ones don't.

[Smitty Oom]

I have to restrain myself in the company of others when I spot a D3 window sticker or license plate on cars.

My wife has gotten used to it. She sees me pull out my phone and take a picture of a strange cae, she usually realizes it is probably an obscure D3 for our area.

Yup I do the very same! In fact this weekend I was in Colorado this past weekend with my girlfriend and on our way from Denver to Colorado Springs we saw a Dension and WashU window sticker, which I was very giddy about. We walked around Colorado College for about 45 minutes. What a beautiful campus at the foot of the rocky mountains, and it seems to be a wonderful school as well. We then went to Rocky Mountain National Park the next day where we saw a Wheaton window sticker and a Tufts Swimming and Diving sweatshirt. I should have asked her about the Jumbo swim team looking back on it.

Luckily my girlfriend is a fellow d3 basketball alumnus and has some interest in seeing the different D3 memorabilia. She knows the big hitters, like Tufts and WashU so that was fun she is able to recognize those, instead of me just geeking out by myself!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Luckily my girlfriend is a fellow d3 basketball alumnus and has some interest in seeing the different D3 memorabilia. She knows the big hitters, like Tufts and WashU so that was fun she is able to recognize those, instead of me just geeking out by myself!

My wife isn't a D3 alumnus (really, the only draw back LOL)... but she has no choice. This year was the first year she ever experienced me being home the second weekend of March! LOL

She does help with the memorabilia, though. More stuff to add to the mix/wall in the off season!

[smedindy]

Saw a woman today who had a Wooster cell phone case.  I asked, "Did you go to Wooster?" She looked at me incredulous and said, "You know where that is?"

I said, "they've got a very good basketball team," which already elicited another strange look.  I half wish I would've answered my original thought, which was, "Yes, and I also know a whole bunch of schools within 499 miles of Wooster, too."

I would have asked about the marching band's show at football games, too!

The problem is, I don't know which schools have football and which ones don't.

Psst...another part of the Pat Coleman empire deals with football   

[smedindy]

Luckily my girlfriend is a fellow d3 basketball alumnus and has some interest in seeing the different D3 memorabilia. She knows the big hitters, like Tufts and WashU so that was fun she is able to recognize those, instead of me just geeking out by myself!

My wife isn't a D3 alumnus (really, the only draw back LOL)... but she has no choice. This year was the first year she ever experienced me being home the second weekend of March! LOL

She does help with the memorabilia, though. More stuff to add to the mix/wall in the off season!

My wife did undergrad at Northern Michigan and grad at Michigan State - anytime I use some upscale vocabulary she rolls her eyes and says "Those are Wabash words..."