MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[ScotsFan]

Guess I should have known better than to say there wouldnt be an upset in the OAC Tourny. Down goes the Blue Streaks at home to the Princes.

Hate to say it, but I told ya so.             

[David Collinge]

Looks like the Student Prince Express kinda ran out of gas today after the two upsets:

Wilmington 82, Heidelberg 69

Congratulations to the Quakers, and good luck in the NCAAs!

[Gregory Sager]

Wilma!

[ziggy]

Looks like the Student Prince Express kinda ran out of gas today after the two upsets:

Wilmington 82, Heidelberg 69

Congratulations to the Quakers, and good luck in the NCAAs!

Not a bad way to take yourself off the bubble!

[hasanova]

Congratulations to the OAC teams in the NCAA's.  If any JCU fans are traveling to North Carolina and need help navigating the area, let me know!  Guilford's looking forward to hosting CNU, JCU and Maryville!  Welcome!

[albertjackson]

I know I've been saying the OAC & NCAC are down in comparison to couple yrs ago, but for the Great Lakes region to only get 4 teams while another got 7, a couple others received 6 seems unjust. Has the Great Lakes region fallen that bad? What use to be agruable the toughest region - now only gets 4 teams. DIII powerhouses Calvin & Wittenberg left out? I know they may not be the Tigers & Knights of the past but are they below some of these other regional teams getting in? Really? DIII tournament selection is screwie! And all b/c of presidents agreeing to Pool B scenarios! Why not just mandate conference affiliation. Even out the conferences so there is at least 8 in a conference - and require some conferences to take in these independents. DI has been realigning for yrs now. Im not proposing super conferences like the Big East w/ 16 teams, but it seems to me we could get conferences with 8-12 teams across the board. Then use the DII model of regional rankings for NCAA selection. But of course this would require too much team work from across to many constituents. Guess we just have to accept life isnt fair and neither is DIII NCAA selection process.

[Pat Coleman]

The Great Lakes isn't overly large, either. With just 40 tournament-eligible teams, it's the third-smallest of the eight regions.

Pool B is just two bids out of 61 -- that's not the problem. And regional rankings isn't the solution -- why should each region be guaranteed a certain number of selections each year? That's exactly what Division III moved away from.

[scottiedoug]

"Why not just mandate conference affiliation."  While you are at it, you may as well mandate world peace.  I do not know any Pool B team who wants to be there but it is not so simple as to be fixed by a mandate.

[hasanova]

So, if an independent has miserable academic requirements, a weak endowment and/or is hundreds of miles (or more) from the nearest DIII conference, that conference should be forced to accept it as a member - even if that conference already has an optimum number of schools for scheduling purposes?  It's not going to happen!

[David Collinge]

I know I've been saying the OAC & NCAC are down in comparison to couple yrs ago, but for the Great Lakes region to only get 4 teams while another got 7, a couple others received 6 seems unjust.

I count five: Hope, Wilmington, Wooster, and Grove City from Pool A, and John Carroll from Pool C.

[David Collinge]

All-OAC team and individual awards are announced (pdf):

MOP: Kyle Meyer, ONU
FOY: Dane Givner, Heidelberg
COY: (tie) Damon Goodwin, Capital and Mike Moran, JCU

[sac]

I know I've been saying the OAC & NCAC are down in comparison to couple yrs ago, but for the Great Lakes region to only get 4 teams while another got 7, a couple others received 6 seems unjust.

I count five: Hope, Wilmington, Wooster, and Grove City from Pool A, and John Carroll from Pool C.

2009 -- 5 Hope, John Carroll, Capital, Thomas More, Wooster
2008 --6  Hope, Ohio Wesleyan, Bethany, Capital, Heidelberg and Wooster
2007 -- 7  Calvin, Hope, Westminster, John Carroll, Lake Erie, Capital and Wooster
2006 -- 8   Calvin, Hope, Baldwin-Wallace, Carnegie Mellon,  Wittenberg, Lake Erie, Wooster, Bethany
2005 --7   Calvin, Albion, Wittenberg, John Carroll, Bethany, Baldwin-Wallace, Wooster
2004 --5   Calvin, John Carroll, Wittenberg, Wooster, PSU-Behrend
(I just stopped here for no particular reason)

Breakdown by conf

NCAC
Wooster--6
Wittenberg--3
Ohio Wesleyan--1

OAC
John Carroll--5
Baldwin-Wallace--2
Capital--2
Heidelberg--1
Wilmington--1

MIAA
Hope--5
Calvin--4
Albion--1

Presidents
Bethany--3
Westminster--1
Grove City--1
Thomas More--1

[ScotsFan]

sac pointed out what I had been thinking.  Really, when you think about it, the max number of bids coming out fo the GL Region is going to be 8.  That would be A and C bids from the MIAA, NCAC and OAC as well as the A's from the PAC and the AMCC.  That is of course unless those two later conferences surprisingly have a team that warrants a C bid.  And as sac pointed out, 8 bids has only happened once in the last 7 years.  Furthermore, this year is now the 3rd time the GL Region has only gotten 5 teams in the dance which also makes 5 the most common number of bids coming out of the GL region in the last 7 years.  So, really, there's nothing out of the ordinary here.

[David Collinge]

sac pointed out what I had been thinking.  Really, when you think about it, the max number of bids coming out fo the GL Region is going to be 8. 

These days, the max is 7 in years when Wooster wins the NCAC (like this year).  Nobody in the NCAC has been a threat to earn a C (besides Wooster) since the Wittenberg program went south. 

Just think; if JCU had won the OAC tournament, we'd probably just have the minimum--4 A-bids.

[albertjackson]

OK... I get it. You all love the DIII model of NCAA selection. Well, I dont! I do however like how they have tried to move some teams out of particular regions to balance the brackets a bit. I know my "mandate" comment was out there, I was trying to be a bit facicious. (Sp?) Perhaps the DIII model is the best we can do. I must also apologize for my lack of knowledge.... I didnt realize the PAC was a part of the Great Lakes Region, and Grove City makes 5 GL teams. I always cheer for these teams, but I know Grove City will be lucky to win a single game. Sorry Wolverine fans!

On another note... I like to pass out my end of yr grades for the OAC. The conference I most pay attention to.
JCU A  High expectations were too high for a young squad. Benefit from weak overall OAC
Wilmington A What u expected is what u got
Capital A+  Over achieved, great turnaround
ONU C- under achieved
Berg B+  late collapse to reg. season prevents A+
BW C  I expected more, very jeckel & hyde
Mt. C Some good wins & bad losses, much like BW - INCONSISTENT
Marietta D Expected way more. Nxt yr should be in top 4
OTT. D- 2 yrs in a row no post season
Muskie  F - Since Burson departure this program has gone steadily south

Good Luck Quakers & Blue Streaks ....represent!!