MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[FortyFour]

Just wanted to wish the Quakers all the best this afternoon.  Here's hoping you bring another one back for the ODAC!

[pbrooks3]

Guess I was hoping Guilford might have a slight edge at Salem - looks like one team is clicking offensively (WU) and another is not (Guilford).  Also see that Wash U is rebounding the ball nicely so they're doing an effective job of neutralizing Sanborn.  Since I began posting things are heating up I see: 46-39 Wash U.

[pbrooks3]

Good go for Guilford, but it looks like Aaron Thompson is turning the lights out on the Quakers' season: 7-11 on 3's with 27 points and 9 rebounds, and there's still 5 minutes play.  Unfortunately, Guilford is now down 22.

[Brian Hamilton]

Sorry to see that Guilford lost, but they have represented the ODAC well.  They still have one more game to play tomorrow!  It's always nice to go out with a win, so go get'em GC.  Congrats again on a great run.  You just ran into a buzzsaw that is, most likely, going to repeat as NCAA III Champs.

[hasanova]

Sorry to see that Guilford lost, but they have represented the ODAC well.  They still have one more game to play tomorrow!  It's always nice to go out with a win, so go get'em GC.  Congrats again on a great run.  You just ran into a buzzsaw that is, most likely, going to repeat as NCAA III Champs.

Washington U. was the better team.  Thompson was hot.  Guilford had a poor shooting day.  Diplomatically, what else can you say? ... except bring on F&M!  It's been a great season and I hope the Quakers can end it with a win!

Good to see a lot of my Guilford and ODAC friends today in Salem.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Some teams just don't 'show up' for the consolation game.  I can certainly understand the let-down, but personally I'm immensely proud of the fact that the 3 times IWU missed out on the title game, they NEVER finished fourth!

Go Quakers!

[narch]

great season for the quakers...take home 3rd!

[hasanova]

Thanks, narch.  My neighbor was with me yesterday and since he needed to get back to Greensboro, we didn't see F&M and Richard Stockton.   I'm not sure what to expect from the Diplomats today, but I think the Qaukers will play with pride and really want to end the season with a W.

[sludge]

What a game yesterday against Washington U. - St. Louis.  Guilford managed to cut it to 6 in the second half, but could get no closer and WashU responded in a big way.  They've got excellent shooters, and the team is extremely well organized.  They don't have the crush-your-ball-movement defense that VWC had a couple of years ago, but they've got much better shooting than anything I've seen.

WashU did crowd Tyler Sanborn front and back, and they were great at switching off, so even though someone must have been open for Guilford, it was never for very long.

If WashU doesn't win it all, I'll eat my hat!  Or at least, a piece of chocolate.

Congratulations to Guilford Quakers for a great season.

[algernon]

The Top 25 teams that have so far lost to Washington U include:

• #20 Lawrence
• #8 UW-Whitewater
• #3 Wheaton
• #1 St. Thomas
• #23 Guilford

My bet is that Washington U will, within the next couple of hours, also take care of #6 Richard Stockton and thereby become only the 4th team ever to win back-to-back DIII National Championships.

Congratulations to the Quakers for the nice win over Franklin and Marshall this afternoon!  During their season, the Quakers defeated a number of Top 25 teams:

• #24 Transylvania
• #10 John Carroll
• #22 UT-Dallas

What a wonderful season ... and I'm sure that the Quakers will be ranked among the Top 6 teams in the post-tournament d3hoops poll .... possibly as high as #3.

The ODAC has now gone to the Final Four in 5 of the last 11 years and, at the highest level of play in the country, the Tigers, Marlins, and Quakers have done very well, with a Final Four record of 5 wins and 5 losses.

[algernon]

Well, if I had a vote, this would be my final ranking of the Division III Top Ten:

#1 - Washington University (29-2) -- National Champion

#2 - Richard Stockton (30-3), previously #6, national finalist, with this record against ranked teams:

• November: Lost to #9 Middlebury
• NCAA: Lost to National Champion, Washington U in National Championship Game

#3 - Guilford (26-6), previously #23.  Finished #3 in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Washington U in the national semifinal, and had this record against ranked teams:

• in November, lost to #22 UT-Dallas
• NCAA: beat #24 Transylvania
• NCAA: beat #10 John Carroll
• NCAA: beat #22 UT-Dallas
• NCAA: lost to National Champion, Washington U in National Semifinal

#4 - St. Thomas (30-1), previously #1, with this record against ranked teams:

• NCAA: beat #4 UW - Stevens Point
• NCAA: beat #7 Puget Sound
• NCAA: lost to National Champion, Washington U in Elite Eight

#5 - Wheaton (26-3), previously #3, with this record against ranked teams:

• January: lost to #19 Elmhurst
• February 11: beat #19 Elmhurst
• February 28: beat #19 Elmhurst
• NCAA: beat #5 UW - Platteville
• NCAA: lost to National Champion, Washington U in Sweet Sixteen

#6 - UW-Stevens Point (24-5), previously #4, with this record against ranked teams:

• November: Beat #17 Trinity (TX)
• December: Lost to #20 Lawrence
• December: Beat #19 Elmhurst
• 1-1 against #5 UW - Platteville during regular season
• 1-1 against #8 UW-Whitewater during regular season
• WIAC tournament: Beat #5 UW - Platteville
• NCAA: lost to #1 St. Thomas in 2nd Round

#7 - UW-Platteville (23-6), previously #5, with this record against ranked teams:

• 1-1 against #4 UW - Stevens Point during regular season
• 1-1 against #8 UW-Whitewater during regular season
• WIAC tournament: Beat #8 UW - Whitewater
• WIAC tournament: Lost to #4 UW - Stevens Point
• NCAA: Lost to #3 Wheaton in 2nd Round

#8 - UW-Whitewater (23-6), previously #8, with this record against ranked teams:

• 1-1 against #4 UW - Stevens Point during regular season
• 1-1 against #5 UW-Platteville during regular season
• WIAC tournament: Lost to #5 UW - Platteville
• NCAA: Beat #19 Elmhurst
• NCAA: Lost to National Champion, Washington U in 2nd Round

#9 - Franklin and Marshall (26-7), previously unranked.  Finished 4th in the NCAA Tournament, with this record against ranked teams:

• NCAA: lost to #6 Richard Stockton in National Semifinal
• NCAA: lost to #23 Guilford in Consolation Game

#10 - Puget Sound (25-4), previously #7, with this record against ranked teams:

• NCAA: lost to #1 St. Thomas in Sweet Sixteen

[hasanova]

What a game yesterday against Washington U. - St. Louis.  Guilford managed to cut it to 6 in the second half, but could get no closer and WashU responded in a big way.  They've got excellent shooters, and the team is extremely well organized.  They don't have the crush-your-ball-movement defense that VWC had a couple of years ago, but they've got much better shooting than anything I've seen.

WashU did crowd Tyler Sanborn front and back, and they were great at switching off, so even though someone must have been open for Guilford, it was never for very long.

If WashU doesn't win it all, I'll eat my hat!  Or at least, a piece of chocolate.

Congratulations to Guilford Quakers for a great season.

sludge, good to see you yesterday.  The Quakers actually got it down to 5 at 46-41 and had the ball ... that's when Wash U's 16-0 run began.  Wash U did win it all ... and congratulations to Guilford for a convincing 3rd place win today!

[hasanova]

Well, if I had a vote, this would be my final ranking of the Division III Top Ten:

#1 - Washington University (29-2) -- National Champion

#2 - Richard Stockton (30-3), previously #6, national finalist, with this record against ranked teams:

• November: Lost to #9 Middlebury
• NCAA: Lost to National Champion, Washington U in National Championship Game

#3 - Guilford (26-6), previously #23.  Finished #3 in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Washington U in the national semifinal, and had this record against ranked teams:

• in November, lost to #22 UT-Dallas
• NCAA: beat #24 Transylvania
• NCAA: beat #10 John Carroll
• NCAA: beat #22 UT-Dallas
• NCAA: lost to National Champion, Washington U in National Semifinal

#4 - St. Thomas (30-1), previously #1, with this record against ranked teams:

• NCAA: beat #4 UW - Stevens Point
• NCAA: beat #7 Puget Sound
• NCAA: lost to National Champion, Washington U in Elite Eight

#5 - Wheaton (26-3), previously #3, with this record against ranked teams:

• January: lost to #19 Elmhurst
• February 11: beat #19 Elmhurst
• February 28: beat #19 Elmhurst
• NCAA: beat #5 UW - Platteville
• NCAA: lost to National Champion, Washington U in Sweet Sixteen

#6 - UW-Stevens Point (24-5), previously #4, with this record against ranked teams:

• November: Beat #17 Trinity (TX)
• December: Lost to #20 Lawrence
• December: Beat #19 Elmhurst
• 1-1 against #5 UW - Platteville during regular season
• 1-1 against #8 UW-Whitewater during regular season
• WIAC tournament: Beat #5 UW - Platteville
• NCAA: lost to #1 St. Thomas in 2nd Round

#7 - UW-Platteville (23-6), previously #5, with this record against ranked teams:

• 1-1 against #4 UW - Stevens Point during regular season
• 1-1 against #8 UW-Whitewater during regular season
• WIAC tournament: Beat #8 UW - Whitewater
• WIAC tournament: Lost to #4 UW - Stevens Point
• NCAA: Lost to #3 Wheaton in 2nd Round

#8 - UW-Whitewater (23-6), previously #8, with this record against ranked teams:

• 1-1 against #4 UW - Stevens Point during regular season
• 1-1 against #5 UW-Platteville during regular season
• WIAC tournament: Lost to #5 UW - Platteville
• NCAA: Beat #19 Elmhurst
• NCAA: Lost to National Champion, Washington U in 2nd Round

#9 - Franklin and Marshall (26-7), previously unranked.  Finished 4th in the NCAA Tournament, with this record against ranked teams:

• NCAA: lost to #6 Richard Stockton in National Semifinal
• NCAA: lost to #23 Guilford in Consolation Game

#10 - Puget Sound (25-4), previously #7, with this record against ranked teams:

• NCAA: lost to #1 St. Thomas in Sweet Sixteen

I saw Richard Stockton play this weekend ... it might be close, but I think Guilford would beat the Ospreys.

[Brian Hamilton]

Congrats to Tyler Sanborn for being a 4th team D3Hoops All-American.  I was surprised when I first read the article on the front page.  It mentioned that Henson was named to the All Final Four team and then went on to say that Henson joined a few other players who were in the Final Four as a D3Hoops All-American.  I was surpised because it didn't mention Sanborn, who was South Region Player of the Year and, therefore, should have been up for consideration as an All-American before Henson.  It was an error though.  It was Sanborn who was the All-American.  An understandable mistake given how busy the staff has been.  Congrats to all of the Quakers on a great season! 

[hasanova]

Congrats to Tyler Sanborn for being a 4th team D3Hoops All-American.  I was surprised when I first read the article on the front page.  It mentioned that Henson was named to the All Final Four team and then went on to say that Henson joined a few other players who were in the Final Four as a D3Hoops All-American.  I was surpised because it didn't mention Sanborn, who was South Region Player of the Year and, therefore, should have been up for consideration as an All-American before Henson.  It was an error though.  It was Sanborn who was the All-American.  An understandable mistake given how busy the staff has been.  Congrats to all of the Quakers on a great season! 

I noticed it as well ... I was expecting to see Henson, but discovered it was Sanborn ... both deserved the recognition they received.  As you noted, it is an understandable mistake.

You never know what's going to happen from year to year ... and you never want to "count your chickens before they hatch," but things certainly look promising for Guilford next season.  The Quakers lose two seniors ... Neville and Stanley ... but Sanborn, Henson and Bonner are juniors.  Everyone else on the team is a sophomore or a freshman ... plus whoever's recruited for 2009-2010.  I would think three straight years in the NCAA tournament (8-3 record) plus this year's 3rd place finish would help there.

Unless something drastically changes, you'd have to think Guilford would be the preseason favorite in the ODAC next fall.