MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Gregory Sager]

The committee set a major precedent by putting UWO in the field. There's never been a Pool C team that's had anything less than a .667 winning percentage. Not only did UWO fail to win two-thirds of its games, the Titans broke through to the sub-basement in terms of winning percentage at .630.

In the end, the committee could not say no to UWO's outstanding SOS and vRRO numbers and decided to break new ground by putting the Titans in the bracket.

Amazed that Eau Claire got jumped. 0-1 and losing in 1st round doesn't help. Oshkosh goes 2-1 and gets to the final. Augustana goes 1-2 (1-1 in the tourney) and makes the CCIW final.

Except, of course, that the committee doesn't look at such things. They're not interested in when you won or lost, only in how many you won or lost, and to whom.

[Greek Tragedy]

Wow. RF gets absolutely hosed for winning the conference and tourney and finishing #1 in the region.

The host MIAC conference co-champ and tournwy winner Bethel with Benedictine and Wartburg.

Whitewater hosts UMAC powerhouse Northwestern. Though Augustana and St. Thomas are in their pod.

[Gregory Sager]

I agree, Tom. I'm a little surprised that the committee didn't reverse the destinations of the two MIAC teams.

[Greek Tragedy]

Greg, my point was that EC didn't win any games, lost to a non-regionally ranked team. Oshkosh improved their winning % and played 2 regionally ranked teams. Augustana increased their chances by going 2-1, improving their win total.

[Gregory Sager]

Greg, my point was that EC didn't win any games, lost to a non-regionally ranked team. Oshkosh improved their winning % and played 2 regionally ranked teams. Augustana increased their chances by going 2-1, improving their win total.

Augie finished the season losing two out of three, not winning two out of three. The Rock Islanders lost to IWU last Tuesday, and then split their two CCIW tourney games. Win total doesn't matter, anyway; it's winning percentage that is the criterion in question, and that went down over the past seven days. As it turned out, it didn't hurt Augustana enough to keep it out of the field.

UW-Oshkosh definitely helped its cause in the season's final week, as you said. Without that WIAC tourney run to further boost their SOS and vRRO, the Titans wouldn't have been regionally ranked and thus wouldn't even have been in the conversation.

[Greek Tragedy]

Yeah. Thanks for my typing correction. I knew they lost to IWU and then 1-1 in the tourney. Not sure how my fingers typed 2-1.  Thats what I get for not proofreading.

[Voice of the Titans]

River Falls survives and knocks out Oshkosh to win the WIAC tourney championship and the AQ. WIAC still has a slim chance to get 3 in with Eau Claire on the fence.

Eau Claire will get in.

We need to gamble some time.

[Greek Tragedy]

And yes, Greg, winning total doesn't matter. But winning their semi-final game and finishing 1-2 is better than finishing 0-2. I'm also guessing playing NCC may have helped their SoS. I know NPU's SoS was pretty low, so getting to the champioship game probably helped. Also, I haven't seen the last regional rankings, but NCC may have snuck into the rankings, again, helping Augie's cause. If Augie doesn't get to the CCIW championship game, I don't think they get in.

[Gregory Sager]

Agree on all your points, Tom.

(Actually, as it turned out NCC didn't make the final regional ranking: http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-men/d3)

[Voice of the Titans]

I was working so I couldn't have the volume up. Any explanation as to how/why UWO got the nod? I was not expecting that at all with the 10 L's. But happy they made it!

[Greek Tragedy]

I was working so I couldn't have the volume up. Any explanation as to how/why UWO got the nod? I was not expecting that at all with the 10 L's. But happy they made it!

Final Regional Rankings

http://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2017/02/men-regional-rankings-final
[/quote]

Full bracket

http://www.d3hoops.com/playoffs/men/2017/mbb-bracket-2017.pdf

[Greek Tragedy]

Oshkosh was the 6th ranked team in the Central.

Endicott was the 10th ranked team in the Northeast and they got in too.

[AppletonRocks]

Blue Horseshoe loves Endicott Steel. 

[fredfalcon]

Bethel does not stack up  well against RF statistically, or in regional rankings, or in strength of schedule. They are 21-7, including 2 losses to UST, one by 20 pts., a loss to Carleton, and wins over Martin Luther, Macalaster (2), Superior, and St. Mary's. They rank 6h in the West Region, behind UST at 5th.

RF is 4-0 vs. the MIAC with wins over UST, Hamline, St. Olaf, Carleton, all on the road.
Of course, that does not mean BU can't beat RF.

Good to see Oshkosh in the tourney. Despite 10 losses, they are playing their best bb now.

[Greek Tragedy]

Crossed out teams are conference winners and bolded teams are Pool C

ATLANTIC   Team   In-region   Overall
1   Neumann   25-2   25-2
2   Ramapo   25-2   25-2
3   New Jersey City   21-7   21-7
4   Cabrini   19-6   19-7
5   Staten Island   21-5   21-6
6   TCNJ   18-8   18-8
7   Misericordia   20-7   20-7
8   Rowan   17-10   17-10
   NCAA rankings data       
CENTRAL        
1   UW-River Falls   22-3   24-3
2   Washington U.   20-5   20-5
3   UW-Whitewater   20-6   21-6
4   Augustana    19-8   19-8
5   Benedictine   23-3   23-4
6   UW-Oshkosh   17-10   17-10
7   Illinois Wesleyan   17-8   17-8
8   UW-Eau Claire   17-8   18-8
   NCAA rankings data
   
EAST        
1   Rochester   21-4   21-4
2   St. John Fisher   22-5   22-5
3   Oswego State   21-6   21-6
4   Skidmore   19-7   19-7
5   St. Lawrence   20-6   20-6
6   Brockport   19-7   19-7
7   Cortland   17-9   17-9
8   Union   16-9   16-10
   NCAA rankings data
   
GREAT LAKES        
1   Marietta   24-4   24-4
2   Hanover   21-3   23-3
3   Wooster   21-7   21-7
4   Hope   20-5   21-6
5   Mount St. Joseph   20-6   20-7
6   Ohio Wesleyan   21-7   21-7
7   John Carroll   17-8   17-8
8   Denison   22-5   22-5
9   Thomas More   21-6   22-6
   NCAA rankings data
   
MIDDLE ATLANTIC        
1   Christopher Newport   25-2   25-2
2   Scranton   21-6   21-6
3   Susquehanna   20-5   21-5
4   Swarthmore   22-5   22-5
5   Lycoming   22-4   23-4
6   Salisbury   20-7   20-7
7   Moravian   18-7   19-8
8   Catholic   17-9   17-9
   NCAA rankings data
   
NORTHEAST        
1   Middlebury   24-3   24-3
2   Babson   25-2   25-2
3   Tufts   20-6   20-6
4   Williams   19-8   19-8
5   Eastern Connecticut   20-8   20-8
6   Wesleyan   19-6   19-6
7   Amherst   17-7   17-7
8   MIT   21-6   21-6
9   Keene State   19-9   19-9
10   Endicott   22-6   22-6
11   Mass-Dartmouth   17-10   17-10
   NCAA rankings data
   
SOUTH        
1   Hardin-Simmons   21-6   22-6
2   Guilford   23-5   23-5
3   Emory   18-7   18-7
4   LeTourneau   20-5   22-6
5   Emory & Henry   19-8   20-8
6   Virginia Wesleyan   19-9   19-9
7   Concordia (Texas)   17-7   19-8
8   Texas Lutheran   19-9   19-9
   NCAA rankings data
   
WEST           
1   Whitman   27-0   27-0
2   Whitworth   23-4   23-4
3   Claremont-Mudd-Scripps   20-3   22-4
4   Wartburg   17-9   19-9
5   St. Thomas   19-7   19-7
6   Bethel   20-6   21-6
7   Loras   18-8   18-8
8   Cal Lutheran   19-7   20-7