Pool C

[fisheralum03]

they will not keep the #1 ranking in the East, even if Fisher loses to RIT or UTICA/ITHACA. Will Cortland's QOWI drop? Undoubtedly, YES. How much?? don't know. losses in tournament play aren't good, especially now.

[fisheralum03]

The loss by Cortland may help Hamilton or even NYU or even UR if they can win tomorrow. If I had to rank the teams that were helped by Cortland losing today in the east region,
1) HAMILTON
2) UTICA
3) NYU
4) UR

[nwhoops1903]

As a Northwest Conference observer, I certainly hope both teams playing for tourney title get a good look. UPS faces a hot team in Whitworth, that has won 11 straight, haven't lost since in over a month of make or break games.  Whitworth has the conference's Player of the Year and has beaten the 3rd place team Willamette 3 times this year.  They split the home and home with UPS....lost to Occidental by 1 at Occi in Occi's own tourney early season and has played tourney teams like Calvin (at Calvin in Nov.) in non conference.

Should Whitworth win at UPS Sat...they get the bid and UPS will most likely get a pool C but beating UPS at home is very tough and Whitworth lost by 1 when the final shot of the game by Whitworth missed.  

If the Finish strong element played into the bids...Whitworth would be a lock.

2 from Northwest!!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Whitworth actually does seem to have stronger C credentials than Willamette - more in-region wins (though a marginally lower %), 18-5 vs. 16-4, and a much higher QOWI rank, #47 vs. #78.  What may hinder both is not being regionally ranked on the last rankings WE will see - but who knows what the selection committee may see!

[formerbant10]

If Cortland is definitely in, besides the fact that its another Pool C taken, is there anyway that Trinity (CT) would be helped by this because Trinity beat them.  Or does it hurt their chances by taking away a C and then dropping Trinity's QOWI even further with Cortland's loss.

I hope the NCAA looks at head-to-head out of region games.  But I know that's just a dream.

[David Collinge]

You know what might be interesting?  If we posters formed committees and made our own mock-selection of the tournament field.  We have a poster's poll, why not a poster's committee?  It's probably too late to arrange something like this now, but suppose we had one poster who was fairly knowledgeable (and reasonably free of bias) of their region produce a regional ranking, adhering to the NCAA's primary criteria but weighing those criteria as s/he sees fit, then have a group of 4 or 5 posters with good national awareness take those 8 regional polls and do a mock selection, again respecting the rules set forth by the NCAA.  The faux-national committee would have to be comprised of folks who have a good national awareness, such as (obviously) Pat (who doubtless would not have the time for this), Greg Sager, Gordon Mann, Coach C, and maybe smedindy, just off the top of my head.

Any interest in this from anyone?

[Greek Tragedy]

DC,

I'm hurt you didn't include me. 

Just kidding.  Sounds interesting, and yeah, you're probably right that it's a little late to throw something like that together.  I'm probably heading to Whitewater for the conference final and then out of town Sunday, so my input would've been minimal anyway!  After reading the posts about Pool C bids regarding QOWI and in-region winning %, there's VERY SLIGHT chance La Crosse could slip in there! Three from the WIAC, say it ain't so (assuming Stout and Whitewater are both in)...

[Mr. Ypsi]

David,

An intriguing idea, but I think the turn-around time is too little for posters to pull it off (unless they wanted to second-guess the committee AFTER the fact).

Having compiled the Posters' Poll (wish I could have talked you into it - geez, PP or Bar Exam, where's your priorities! ), quick response is NOT necessarily gonna happen.  I was never going to release the PP before the real poll as a sign of respect (Pat sounded like he was only reluctantly permitting it to procede at all), but several weeks I was still appealing for ballots several hours after the d3 poll was already out.

IF you want to tackle this as a 'how good or bad were the NCAA picks?' project (I assume you now have all the time in the world, right ), I'd be happy to do a region or be on the national committee (and, despite what many regulars think, IWU would NOT be seeded #1 in the country)!

[David Collinge]

Hope drops Albion in the MIAA semis, 76-65.  Albion drops to 12-4 in-region (.750) and approx. 9.125 QoWI.  I'm pretty sure that's not going to get it done, Pool C-wise.

[Ralph Turner]

From the first round of the SCAC tourney in Memphis,

#8 seed Rhodes 87, #1 seed Trinity 83

Errata:  not OT!

[augie_superfan]

Why can't these 1-bid conferences just hold up???  They are quickly eating up Pool C bids

[David Collinge]

CCIW semifinal:
North Central 67
Elmhurst 57

Elmhurst drops to 14-8, 9.045, and their season, along with Chris Martin's All-America career, is over.

NCAC semifinal:
Wittenberg 63
Ohio Wesleyan 46

OWU wasn't really alive anyway, but as they were mentioned as a Pool C possibility, I'll note that they fall to 17-7, 8.917.  Stick a fork in the Bishops.

[Ralph Turner]

Why can't these 1-bid conferences just hold up???  They are quickly eating up Pool C bids

Because there is too much parity in D3 and the mathematical analysis is showing it to be true.

I am awaiting the opponents' opponents' winning percentage and an inter-region mathematical analysis.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Since Trinity (TX) was #7 in QOWI prior to tonite (and is still 16-3 in-region), I think we can safely add them to the rapidly growing list of should-have-been AQs who are stealing C spots.  Are there going to be ANY left for legitimate #2s?!

(Yes, I realize some of those spots probably will be taken by legitimate #2s - but some won't.  And some will be taken by teams where the #2 would have no chance - CCC does NOT deserve two spots, but Gordon does, and spots are given to TEAMS, not conferences.) 

[bamm]

RIT - 65
Fisher - 67

OT.  Pool C contenders can now exhale.