MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[David Collinge]

Plus, the OAC schools don't have to worry about missed class time...

[David Collinge]

Witt gets in, with a tough draw starting with LaRoche at Marietta.  Wabash stays home.  Wooster hosts.  Brackets are set up to make a potential Woo/Witt IV a sectional final, with Salem on the line.  If that game were to occur, it would probably be at Wooster.

[ScotsFan]

Wooster and Witt are in.  Wabash is out.

Wooster is hosting this weekend.  They will take on Benedictine (IL) in the first round.  The other game at the Wooster pod features Bethany taking on Manchester.

Witt is going to make the trek to Marietta.  Marietta will also be hosting the first and second round games and will face Centre.  And we will get to see how good LaRoche really is as they will be Witt's oppenent at Marietta.

While I was hoping to see Wooster get a bye, I can't complain with their draw.

Only real surprise team to make the tournament overall was IWU.  I'm really puzzled how the Titans managed to earn a pool C bid?!

[ScotsFan]

Looking at the brackets, it looks like Whitworth is the #1 seed in Wooster's section of the bracket.  Is there a possibility that Whitworth would host the sectionals in the round of 16 and the NCAA shipping 3 teams out to Washington?  I don't see it happening, especially with the close proximity of teams from the Marietta pod to Wooster,  but it would suck for Wooster if they won their pod this weekend to be rewared with a trip to Spokane?! 

[sac]

Looking at the brackets, it looks like Whitworth is the #1 seed in Wooster's section of the bracket.  Is there a possibility that Whitworth would host the sectionals in the round of 16 and the NCAA shipping 3 teams out to Washington?  I don't see it happening, especially with the close proximity of teams from the Marietta pod to Wooster,  but it would suck for Wooster if they won their pod this weekend to be rewared with a trip to Spokane?! 

It looks to me like they left that possibility open, but if two Ohio schools advance the NCAA would be foolish to fly 3 teams out to Washington.

Pretty wide ranging group of 16 teams

[David Collinge]

Everyone in Marietta's pod is within 500 miles of Wooster, and maybe everyone in Cabrini's pod is too (not sure off the top of my head where Hartwick is.)  If Wooster advances to the third round, I'd be quite surprised if they did not host.

Sucks to be Whitworth.

(Quick check of MapQuest:
Cabrini: 427 miles to Wooster
NJCU: 468
Hartwick: 474
SUNY-Purchase: 497)

[imderekpoe]

Everyone in Marietta's pod is within 500 miles of Wooster, and maybe everyone in Cabrini's pod is too (not sure off the top of my head where Hartwick is.)  If Wooster advances to the third round, I'd be quite surprised if they did not host.

Sucks to be Whitworth.

Per google maps (I know - not official)
Cabrini - 449
NJ City - 466
SUNY Purchase - 494
Hartwick (Oneonta, NY) - 470

Looks to me like the NCAA's plan is to have round 3/4 in Wooster.

[WLCALUM83]

Wooster followers:

Here are the stats for Benedictine-IL:

http://northernac.org/web-2010/sports/basketball_men/statistics/2010-11/bu.htm

(Snelling got boatloads of rebounds in the NAthCon tournament--Green and Tribble provide quickness-Licht, Brown, and Genslinger are talls who can shoot.)

[cave2bens]

Well, now that the drama's over and can leave a painful itch behind  , it's back to fly-tying, a week on the Zambezi on 3/7, and Bulls/Stormers (real football, Afrikaaner style) at Loftus Versfeld on the 19th.  Hope the NCAC produces a decent showing for y'all.  

Thanks, Coach Mac - best wishes with your retirement.  It was an entertaining year, LGs. WAF!

[David Collinge]

I see Derek beat me to it.  At least we know that Google Maps and MapQuest substantially agree!  Of course, that doesn't mean the NCAA will agree.  And if Whitworth ends up hosting the sectional, I don't think we can complain, as they are pretty clearly the top seed.  It would be a nice step forward for the NCAA to fly three teams within 500 miles of each other to Spokane because of seeding. 

Of course, they'd have to fly them on Pig's Wings Airlines.

[David Collinge]

Looks like Wabash was at the table when the selection was complete.

[smedindy]

That's all you can ask for, to be considered.

Eastern Mennonite didn't make it - so I can't complain too much about Wabash.

[wally_wabash]

I would be curious to see a résumé comparison of IWU and Wabash.  I'd like to know what IWU has that trumps Wabash's better regional win percentage and 4 wins vs. RR'd teams.  

Selection business aside, this Wabash team deserves a great deal of applause for having put together a very fine season.  They won 20 games and they defeated teams ranked #1 and #2.  This group of players has positioned Wabash well for the future...I believe this is a pretty attractive opening right now and should draw some significant national interest.  

But before I get too far ahead, I would be remiss to not spend a second to say thank you to Mac Petty for his 35 years of service to the program and to the College.  I wish Coach Petty all the best in the next phase of his life and am grateful for the chance to have covered at least a tiny part of his career.  Thanks again, Coach!

[Mr. Ypsi]

I would be curious to see a résumé comparison of IWU and Wabash.  I'd like to know what IWU has that trumps Wabash's better regional win percentage and 4 wins vs. RR'd teams.  

Selection business aside, this Wabash team deserves a great deal of applause for having put together a very fine season.  They won 20 games and they defeated teams ranked #1 and #2.  This group of players has positioned Wabash well for the future...I believe this is a pretty attractive opening right now and should draw some significant national interest.  

But before I get too far ahead, I would be remiss to not spend a second to say thank you to Mac Petty for his 35 years of service to the program and to the College.  I wish Coach Petty all the best in the next phase of his life and am grateful for the chance to have covered at least a tiny part of his career.  Thanks again, Coach!

First, a clarification - I too think Wabash deserved a spot, and was surprised (stunned!) that IWU got in.  But just as I pointed out on the ODAC board (where I think EMU got the shaft), I'm sick of IWU always being singled out as the 'bad guy'. 

(Around the various boards, I swear there is more discussion, always negative, about IWU than any other two teams in the country! )

In EMU's case, the criticism was particularly unfair - EMU never even reached the table, since they were (erroneously, imo) regionally-ranked behind Ferrum, who went unselected.  In the case of Wabash, you've got a logical gripe since they appear to have been at the table at the same time.  BUT, imo ANY of these three (IWU, EMU, and 'bash) would be significant favorites over at least 5-6 of the Pool C teams selected before them.  The selections are what they are and we can't do anything about it, but the constant singling out of IWU is unfair.  (Carleton backers are also doing it - and I think they too have a gripe - so not picking on you specifically, but why always IWU?)

[wally_wabash]

Ypsi, I've got nothing against IWU.  I'd be curious to see the comparison between Wabash and any 8-loss team that received an invitation.  It's just coincidence that in this specific instance, the identity of that team is IWU. 

Ultimately, the system's flaw is the over dependence on regionality and the regional rankings.  In this regard, I think the D-I method of at-large selection is superior, specifically their attention to quality wins which I have always believed should be one of the most, if not the most important way to separate teams in the at-large pool.  Especially for teams toward the end of that at-large pool...if a team is at the end of the at-large pool, we can be sure that they've probably lost a game or two that they shouldn't have.  It should matter that you've shown ability to beat tournament caliber teams.