Pool C

[Greek Tragedy]

Make or break night for some teams.

ATLANTIC
#6 Sage hosts SUNY-Old Westbury in the SKY semis. Its Pool A or bust for them.

CENTRAL
Oshkosh at #3 Stevens Point
Eau Claire at #2 Whitewater

Both WIAC teams are safe for Pool C bids. But, both want to host and, of course, win the WIAC Tourney.

GREAT LAKES
Baldwin - Wallace at #1 Marietta
#5 Mount Union at #4 John Carroll

Big night in the OAC. I think the winner of Mt. Union/John Carroll is in the Pool C mix with the loser clinging for life. Marietta is safe.

#9 Hope at Trine
Alma at #7 Calvin

Pool A or bust for both semifinal MIAA teams.

Thomas More at #8 St. Vincent (Ditto for the PAC)

MID-ATLANTIC
#6 St. Mary's host Christopher Newport in a CAC semifinal,  but they look dead in the water for a Pool C.

NORTHEAST
#7 Albertus Magnus hosts St. Joseph's in a GNAC semifinal.  They jumped 2 spots in the rankings,  but probably need a Pool A spot with at least 3 teams ahead of them.

SOUTH
Randolph vs  #1 Randolph-Macon
Washington and Lee vs #3 Virginia Wesleyan

Both ODAC quarterfinalist should be safe for Pool C

Texas-Dallas at #6 Hardin-Simmons
#8 MHB at Howard Payne
Univ. of the Ozarks at #4 ETB

All of the ASC teams need wins with only East Texas Baptist having a realistic shot at Pool C, and they need to make the Final.

WEST
Wartburg at #3 Buena Vista
#6 Dubuque at Coe

Buena Vista looks prettt safe if they make the IIAC Final. Fellow IIAC member Dubuque doesn't look as fortunate.

Lewis & Clark at #4 Whitman
Willamette at #5 Whitworth

Best case for the NWC is for Whitworth to beat Whitman in the Final, giving Whitman a shot at a Pool C bid.

[KnightSlappy]

St. Thomas, Washington U., and Amherst (and possibly Randolph-Macon?) look like would-be hosts who will have to concede the home court to the Women (odd-numbered year and all). Are there any contingencies that might allow them to still host a game (alternate campus site, a Thursday game in a pod with a bye, a Saturday only game as a host with a bye)?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I really doubt Randolph-Macon women will be hosting in the first weekend. The women are sitting fourth right now and will probably lose in the conference tournament. Eastern Mennonite will be the only host on that side of things, most likely.

I don't think Amherst men will be in a position to host, either. Mainly because I know the committee is really going to try and give the top two seeds the hosting opportunities. My point is I don't think Amherst loses the opportunity - they are hitting the road anyway.

St. Thomas and Wash U are the two I think will lose the chance (IF Wash U beats Chicago this weekend)... and that opens the door to SNC if they can win the AQ.

As for the bye hosts... don't expect it to happen. There was a lot of those double-host situations in 2013 due to the men's structure and the NCAA doesn't feel it went very well (tough for schools to host essentially two different tournaments while giving both sides the sense it was special, they weren't being overlooked, and giving fair time on the courts for practice... locker rooms, etc.). We saw an example of that when Amherst women were put on the road last year so the men could host just one game at home. The NCAA basically said the discussion of a dual host for that stopped at the liaison level... they just didn't like the idea of the double-host. So... just don't expect it unless it was at a gym/facility that really was big enough (i.e. locker rooms and such) to do it... and honestly, there aren't a lot of them in Division III. (By the alternate campus site could be seen as making one of the genders feel less worthy as the other... something the NCAA doesn't want to have happen.)

[Greek Tragedy]

How many other schools have separate gyms like Stevens Point.  The men play at Quandt and the women play, literally down the hall, at Berg Gym. I do believe when the women hosted, they did move the games to Quandt because of the seating capacity.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

How many other schools have separate gyms like Stevens Point.  The men play at Quandt and the women play, literally down the hall, at Berg Gym. I do believe when the women hosted, they did move the games to Quandt because of the seating capacity.

Not many... Stevenson has two gyms that are about 15 minutes a part... but no one else really comes to mind (my alma mater has two gyms, but the lower gym is not even close to regulation! LOL).

They did move the women's tournament to Quandt for seating considerations.

[Just Bill]

How many other schools have separate gyms like Stevens Point.  The men play at Quandt and the women play, literally down the hall, at Berg Gym. I do believe when the women hosted, they did move the games to Quandt because of the seating capacity.

But even with two gyms, Point wasn't permitted to host men and women at the same time. That was the conflict in 2004 which created this current alternating system. That year the women ended up hosting (and winning) the sectional in Quandt while the men were sent out to Puget Sound to play (and win) a sectional final vs. Lawrence in one of the best games no one saw.

[realist]

Several weeks ago the Calvin men played at 1 p.m., and the women at 3 p.m. in the VNA, and at 3 p.m. the men's jv played in the old fieldhouse which now seats about 1200+.  Included in the complex are the pool seating 500, the VNA seating 4500+. the old fieldhouse as mentioned, and a track tennis facility,
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/huizenga-ttc 
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/vannoord
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/venema-aquatic-center
oops.   almost forgot to add the climbing wall http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/climbing-center
If memory serves correct they have locker facilities for something like 8 teams.
The women's final four will be played at the VNA in a couple weeks.

[KnightSlappy]

Several weeks ago the Calvin men played at 1 p.m., and the women at 3 p.m. in the VNA, and at 3 p.m. the men's jv played in the old fieldhouse which now seats about 1200+.  Included in the complex are the pool seating 500, the VNA seating 4500+. the old fieldhouse as mentioned, and a track tennis facility,
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/huizenga-ttc 
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/vannoord
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/venema-aquatic-center
oops.   almost forgot to add the climbing wall http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/climbing-center
If memory serves correct they have locker facilities for something like 8 teams.
The women's final four will be played at the VNA in a couple weeks.

They play JV games in the old Calvin Fieldhouse, but you wouldn't want to host an NCAA Tournament game there. The new brick wall is too close to the end line for regulation play, I would think. And I doubt you could really get 1,200 in there.

The locker room facilities would make it easy to host men and women simultaneously and there would be plenty of access to practice courts. Not that the men are in position for this, however.

[realist]

Several weeks ago the Calvin men played at 1 p.m., and the women at 3 p.m. in the VNA, and at 3 p.m. the men's jv played in the old fieldhouse which now seats about 1200+.  Included in the complex are the pool seating 500, the VNA seating 4500+. the old fieldhouse as mentioned, and a track tennis facility,
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/huizenga-ttc 
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/vannoord
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/venema-aquatic-center
oops.   almost forgot to add the climbing wall http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/climbing-center
If memory serves correct they have locker facilities for something like 8 teams.
The women's final four will be played at the VNA in a couple weeks.

They play JV games in the old Calvin Fieldhouse, but you wouldn't want to host an NCAA Tournament game there. The new brick wall is too close to the end line for regulation play, I would think. And I doubt you could really get 1,200 in there.

The locker room facilities would make it easy to host men and women simultaneously and there would be plenty of access to practice courts. Not that the men are in position for this, however.

Thanks KS the 1200 was a SWAG, and I forgot about the brick wall.

[ronk]

St. Thomas, Washington U., and Amherst (and possibly Randolph-Macon?) look like would-be hosts who will have to concede the home court to the Women (odd-numbered year and all). Are there any contingencies that might allow them to still host a game (alternate campus site, a Thursday game in a pod with a bye, a Saturday only game as a host with a bye)?

  And possibly Scranton if it wins the AQ.

[KnightSlappy]

Several weeks ago the Calvin men played at 1 p.m., and the women at 3 p.m. in the VNA, and at 3 p.m. the men's jv played in the old fieldhouse which now seats about 1200+.  Included in the complex are the pool seating 500, the VNA seating 4500+. the old fieldhouse as mentioned, and a track tennis facility,
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/huizenga-ttc 
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/vannoord
http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/venema-aquatic-center
oops.   almost forgot to add the climbing wall http://www.calvinknights.com/facilities/climbing-center
If memory serves correct they have locker facilities for something like 8 teams.
The women's final four will be played at the VNA in a couple weeks.

They play JV games in the old Calvin Fieldhouse, but you wouldn't want to host an NCAA Tournament game there. The new brick wall is too close to the end line for regulation play, I would think. And I doubt you could really get 1,200 in there.

The locker room facilities would make it easy to host men and women simultaneously and there would be plenty of access to practice courts. Not that the men are in position for this, however.

Thanks KS the 1200 was a SWAG, and I forgot about the brick wall.

I think 1200 or 1250 was the capacity in 2008 when the upper sections were closed for construction. But that configuration still had the whole end line bleachers and the "Dutch Royalty" seating area on the concourse end.

[KnightSlappy]

Mainly because I know the committee is really going to try and give the top two seeds the hosting opportunities.

I mean, do we really need to see the East hosting any pods?

[ronk]

Dave,
   Hosting questions:
    Does the committee award 2 hosts to each region unless there's a compelling reason to do otherwise like the assignment to Emory last year for geographical reasons?
    How did they choose to take it from the Mid-Atlantic? were they the least deserving of all the regions' #2 potential hosts?
    What happens if one is precluded from hosting whether because the women will or the school doesn't put in to host? Does it go to the next highest candidate in the same region?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Dave,
   Hosting questions:
    Does the committee award 2 hosts to each region unless there's a compelling reason to do otherwise like the assignment to Emory last year for geographical reasons?
    How did they choose to take it from the Mid-Atlantic? were they the least deserving of all the regions' #2 potential hosts?
    What happens if one is precluded from hosting whether because the women will or the school doesn't put in to host? Does it go to the next highest candidate in the same region?

I can't imagine they'll be that strict this year.  There's just no one in the East, really at all - maybe St. John Fisher.  Outside the NJAC champ, there's no one else in the Atlantic either.

Mid-Atlantic you're not going to have any more than the Centennial and Landmark tourney winners.  Maybe St. Mary's, if they win, but their SOS isn't superb.

I imagine, with all the losses this year, they're going to be working the geography angle way more than trying to award hosting to deserving teams.

Babson, St. Thomas, the WIAC champ, Randolph-Macon - those are really the only teams who you'd complain if they didn't host.  There's a second tier that would deserve to host if they win the conference, but it's sure not guaranteed - Hopkins, Augie, WashU, etc.

Maybe this will give them license to be creative and really mix the brackets up as much as possible?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

St. Thomas, Washington U., and Amherst (and possibly Randolph-Macon?) look like would-be hosts who will have to concede the home court to the Women (odd-numbered year and all). Are there any contingencies that might allow them to still host a game (alternate campus site, a Thursday game in a pod with a bye, a Saturday only game as a host with a bye)?

  And possibly Scranton if it wins the AQ.

Sorry ronk... but the men are not in a position to host even if they won the AQ... they were going to hit the road no matter what.