Pool C

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

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?

If anyone listened to my interview with Jeff Burns last month (hint, hint LOL), you would remember he said two things: they will be "seeding" the top 16 teams to try and determine host sites and they want the top two teams in each region to host if they can. However, there are a lot of scenarios that could change those hopes:
- women have priority in the first weekend
- geography and money play a role (i.e. Emory)
- who gets the byes
- what island teams will be in the tournament to change everything

I don't think that means they will not reward two East schools hosts. However, they certainly could. Remember the frustration when Scranton and the entire Mid-Atlantic was left out of the hosting  decisions last year? They are aware how that looked and I have been told they wish they had considered that better.

    How did they choose to take it from the Mid-Atlantic? were they the least deserving of all the regions' #2 potential hosts?

Not sure I have a good answer here. As I stated, indications are they wish they looked at this differently. I can't remember off the top of my head besides Scranton who probably deserved to host as well... but some region had to lose a host because of the Emory situation. The problem was, Mid-Atlantic lost two because they left a hosting situation in the South (three).

I do remember Wesley could have been in play, but a loss and the fact they couldn't host on campus (and didn't want to find a nearby facility) removed them from consideration. I am not sure if that made things too easy for the committee to avoid the Mid-Atlantic altogether.

Dave,
    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?

That isn't an easy answer. Sure... the next school in line in the region has a good shot at it, but geography is going to start playing a role. If they had three teams headed to St. Thomas, but now moving the game elsewhere keeps those three teams from getting there... they need to not only shuffle the three teams, but maybe find another host. They want to reward the higher-ranked teams, but that doesn't mean that is the best decision.

The problem I had last year was the fact they rewarded Emory a bye and had them host, even though I thought sending a pod of games with Emory to Centre made more geographic sense (and bracketing sense). The answer I kept getting back to me was, that wasn't fair to Emory since Emory was by far the higher ranked team.

What I got from that was this: in the first weekend, they rather reward the higher-ranked teams then have geography play a role which it always does in the second weekend (remember Middlebury and St. Mary's both headed to Rochester?). I don't necessarily agree with that. I understand and respect the sentiment that a higher-ranked team should get the chance to host, but not while sacrificing what is good for the bracket. There are no easy answers, but in last year's Emory case I felt what made more sense for the bracket was to send the games to Centre as a pod and find the bye somewhere else. Especially considering it took TWO hosting chances away from the Mid-Atlantic.

[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.

Scranton could finish 2nd in RRs(and deserve the 2nd Mid-Atlantic hosting) with a 22-5 WL vs Dickinson's 20-6 and a narrowed SOS difference with 2 wins(home and away) vs a neutral court loss for Dickinson. At any rate, the question was what will the committee do in such a scenario, whether or not Scranton(2015) is the protagonist? Remember 2 years ago when Montclair women couldn't host because of NJ gambling.

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.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Yep.. and two men's teams had to host in New York State because of that... it was 2013... single game weekends on the men's side.

I just don't think Scranton gains an advantage on Dickinson who will have them beat in the vRRO category because Scranton has a couple of more wins. Dickinson could also be in the title game making them 21-6 narrowing that to nearly a wash... while still controlling the SOS and vRRO conversation.

If we did it by columns... in your scenario... Scranton gets WL, Dickinson gets SOS and vRRO.
In my scenior, WL is a wash, and Dickinson still gets SOS and vRRO.

Of course... if Dickinson wins the AQ... it is even harder... but I know you were referring to whether Dickinson lost.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Looks like we survived the ODAC quarters without any upsets.  HSC and Guildford still to play tonight, but neither team will really be up for a C if they lose here.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Randolph-Macon AND Virginia Wesleyan had to lose tonight for a bubble to pop.

[Greek Tragedy]

I have the updated table for the schedule and results, but for some reason the site won't let me right click to copy and paste. Weird. I'll try later.

[Greek Tragedy]

St. Mary's lost, as did MHB.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

St. Mary's is likely out with that loss, I have to think.  SOS isn't great, they were already pretty far down in the rankings.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Yeah... I think SMC had to get to the title game to better position themselves. That probably drops them for the second year in a row.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Point goes down.  Not a burst bubble unless Oshkosh wins the WIAC.

[LJ0608]

Wartburg knocked off Buena Vista in OT.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Buena Vista could pop a bubble... depends on some other scenarios... but they were ahead of the NWC teams, so they were reasonably positioned.

[NEPAFAN]

Yep.. and two men's teams had to host in New York State because of that... it was 2013... single game weekends on the men's side.

I just don't think Scranton gains an advantage on Dickinson who will have them beat in the vRRO category because Scranton has a couple of more wins. Dickinson could also be in the title game making them 21-6 narrowing that to nearly a wash... while still controlling the SOS and vRRO conversation.

If we did it by columns... in your scenario... Scranton gets WL, Dickinson gets SOS and vRRO.
In my scenior, WL is a wash, and Dickinson still gets SOS and vRRO.

Of course... if Dickinson wins the AQ... it is even harder... but I know you were referring to whether Dickinson lost.

Still brooding over Scranton being sent on the road last year.

[saratoga]

Just got off the phone with Scott Van Pelt.
He says Joe Lunardi has Scranton leading the pack of the Last Four In even with a loss in Saturday's Landmark Championship.
He goes on to say that should they (Royal's), win...he would not be the least bit surprised to even see them host.
What say ye now d-mac?

[saratoga]

By the way, if you're about to say the Scranton Women get first shot at hosting the first round....not so fast, my friend.
Reliable sources have noted the Scranton AD is already one step ahead of everyone.
He has made a proposal to the NCAA to have the woman's doubleheader at 8:00am & 10:00am that first weekend.
This move, according to a recent release "is to promote inclusion into our athletic family for all those that work the 3rd. shift, those with trouble sleeping and those looking for something to do before brunch".
Could be an action packed weekend of hoops at the Long Center where the "all-synthetic", made in Loyola Science Lab, Royal Dog is still just 1.75.