MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

larry_u · March 07, 2011, 07:43:59 AM

Quote from: BBGUY on March 07, 2011, 07:00:24 AM
Can someone explain why the SP men, who are ranked 3rd in the nation will not host any home games? Is it because the women are also ranked # 3? Is there some D 3 rule that says that both teams cannot host? I assume there is no neutral site option in D#3, but if there was ever a reason to insert that rule, it would be now. SP should be rewarded not penalized for good play. I recall in the football playoffs that WWhitewater, ranked # 1 all year long, was shipped out to Illinois and then out east for two playoff games while MT Union, who was ranked # 2 all year, hosted every game. Does anyone find this unusual at the very least and wrong? Surely one could argue that the defending champs from the WIAC in both football and basketball, need to suck it up and display that they
deserve" their rankings, but come on, this is not right...

Except you have to go by regional rankings in this case, not the nationall D3 hoops poll. The NCAA does not look at those numbers when it comes time to look at who will host. They look at thier own regional rankings, which have UWSP a # 3 in the West behind Whitworth and UST, and have Augustana a # 1 in the Midwest. Thus, you have Augie hosting and not UWSP> Its not a grand conspiracy as some would love to think this time of year, just the way the NCAA does it in d3

badgerwarhawk · March 07, 2011, 09:39:21 AM

Correct me if I'm mistaken but didn't the Stevens Point men host both the regional and sectional last year. Didn't they play on their home court all the way to the Final Four? Again this year they have the advantage of playing on their home court for the regional. Now you think it's "wrong" that someone else finally gets a chance to host? No offense intended but seriously.

The WARHAWK football team proved they were the best team in the country by winning on the road. If Point is the best team they should be able to do the same. In the meantime I don't think they have much cause to complain.

Just Bill · March 07, 2011, 10:02:28 AM

Quote from: badgerwarhawk on March 07, 2011, 09:39:21 AM
Correct me if I'm mistaken but didn't the Stevens Point men host both the regional and sectional last year. Didn't they play on their home court all the way to the Final Four? Again this year they have the advantage of playing on their home court for the regional. Now you think it's "wrong" that someone else finally gets a chance to host? No offense intended but seriously.

I agree with you BW, but Point was on the road in the regional this year. They were at Concordia Wis.

badgerwarhawk · March 07, 2011, 10:19:13 AM

My bad I should have looked more carefully. Thanks for the correction JB.

Greek Tragedy · March 07, 2011, 12:25:21 PM

I understand BW's tone and attitude considering Whitewater won the conference regular season last year, lost the WIAC final and then got hosed and got shipped to Wooster.

Still, if you earn it, I have no problem getting to host. Unfortunately, D3 always doesn't work that way. For example, Rochester is hosting a sectional this year. Middlebury was ranked higher and possibly St. Mary's. But Rochester was the only place where Middlebury and St. Mary's could drive to.

Whitworth was ranked #1 in the region, but has to go to Wooster because the NCAA isn't flying 3 teams to Whitworth. Crap happens.

badgerwarhawk · March 07, 2011, 01:40:47 PM

I've long since moved past last year, OS. I just think it's silly to complain when Point had home court all the way to the Final Four last year. I hope Point repeats and brings another bronze and walnut home. It increases the prestige of the league and every program in it.

How's the little caterpillar? Doing well I hope.

John Gleich · March 07, 2011, 03:44:35 PM

The men fell "victim" to the so-called "Stevens Poitn rule" that harks back to 2003-04. Both the men and women's teams were selected to host the sectional. Due to SP's unique situation with both Quandt and Berg, Frank O'Brien said they could host both. I think they could have as well... but that's neither here nor there.

The NCAA decided to allow the women to host and shipped the men out west to Puget Sound where we spanked the hosts and then played the greatest game no one ever saw against Lawrence in front of about 250 people. The women took care of business at home and made it to Virginia Beach, where the women's final four was and the men made it to Salem.

It is interesting to me that this never had come up before (that both a men's and women's team had been selected to host) but perhaps it is due to the unique situation that Stevens Point has... that they have the facilities to host both at the same time. But, whatever the case, they now have this rule in place... that in even years, the men have precedence in the first weekend and the women in the second, and in odd years (such as this year) the women have precedence in the first weekend and the men in the second.

Interestingly, it hasn't always worked exactly like it seems like it should... (i.e. that women should host one weekend and men should host the other... and so each would travel one weekend of the two, prior to the final four). Last year, you had the men hosting the first pod weekend and the women were at St. Norbert and the second weekend, the men hosted again, and the women were at Illinois Wesleyan.

Point got helped out by a pretty big upset...That Texas-Dallas, Illinois Wesleyan, and Carthage were the three other teams in their bracket, instead of UTD, Carthage and 23-2, #1 ranked and 2-time defending National Champion Wash U, meant that Point was the best remaining team and could host.

Interestingly, this year, Point's resume is better in every respect except one (head to head with St. Thomas) but they were placed in the bracket in such a way that they're the effectively the third-highest seed this time.

Now, if Hope had made another free throw in the last minute of their game against Augustana, geography might have pushed the sectional hosting to Point (because the men would have precedence in the second round). Hope to St. Thomas (via Google Maps) is 554 miles.

I found a way to force it under 500... but it uses the Muskegon/Milwaukee Ferry (which is closed until April 29th) and uses the"walking" directions... and takes 5 days. I'm sort of skeptical that they could make that in 5 days, but they missed a couple of free throws, Augie hit some big shots, and now the point is moot.

hoops2 · March 07, 2011, 04:30:30 PM

The regional should be a great one in Rock Island this weekend. Point isn't complaining about not hosting. They were somewhat expecting this senario in talking after Saturday's game. Augustana has a great facility and I'm sure will be great hosts. Looking forward to the game on Friday and if successful, a second on Saturday.

badgerwarhawk · March 07, 2011, 05:49:38 PM

I'd really like to see a Point/Augustana matchup.

Mr. Ypsi · March 07, 2011, 06:06:30 PM

Quote from: badgerwarhawk on March 07, 2011, 05:49:38 PM
I'd really like to see a Point/Augustana matchup.

Me too, since that's what I have on my bracket!

Of course, then I get torn. I'm a CCIW partisan, but my bracket has UWSP winning 'the big doorstop'.

Since my bracket also had Randy Mac not losing until the national semis, I'm probably dead anyway (though only 1 point currently out of being listed in the 'top 25', and Randy Mac is the only team I've already lost for this weekend), so I guess I'll lightly cheer for my conference, but won't be too upset either way.

BBGUY · March 07, 2011, 06:36:15 PM

yes, WW proved it was the best football team despite being placed on the road but the logic of the comment doesn't hold because of a little factor called home court advantage in basketball. That is why D1 ( I know more $...) is a much more equitable plan..

John Gleich · March 07, 2011, 06:47:30 PM

Quote from: hoops2 on March 07, 2011, 04:30:30 PM
The regional should be a great one in Rock Island this weekend. Point isn't complaining about not hosting. They were somewhat expecting this senario in talking after Saturday's game. Augustana has a great facility and I'm sure will be great hosts. Looking forward to the game on Friday and if successful, a second on Saturday.

Right. And the women have had a great year as well and deserve to host just as much, if not more.

Point has a great shot to win two ballgames this weekend and if they get to Salem, I like their chances there as well. They just don't have quite the following of the men, so when the men don't host, more people are talking about it.

John Gleich · March 07, 2011, 06:54:42 PM

By the way, per the game notes on the UST website, Friday's games will be a split session... so there shouldn't be any problem with tickets.

For your enjoyment and edification, links to the teams' stats:

UWSP

UST

Augie

MHB

John Gleich · March 07, 2011, 07:38:19 PM

UWSP Ticket Info

Tickets go on sale Tuesday at noon.

The game versus St Thomas is on Friday at 5:00.

Augustana and Mary Hardin-Baylor play at 8:00 and it is a separate ticket (no automatic admission for both games).

Greek Tragedy · March 08, 2011, 01:58:40 AM

Quote from: badgerwarhawk on March 07, 2011, 01:40:47 PM
I've long since moved past last year, OS. I just think it's silly to complain when Point had home court all the way to the Final Four last year. I hope Point repeats and brings another bronze and walnut home. It increases the prestige of the league and every program in it.

How's the little caterpillar? Doing well I hope.

What does last year have anything to do with this year though, BW? Anyway, I, for one, was surprised that we hosted anything last year, but also grateful! But, I also wasn't expecting to host this year at all and wasn't disappointed in anyway when we didn't. On with life.

Philip is great! Mom is great. Dad is great!