WBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association

[jspiii]

Hope travels to IWU for the next round this Friday.

[cmlundy]

IWU appears to be the host site for next weekend.

Bunch of BS by the NCAA.

[NW Hope Fan]

Officially? That sucks!

[jspiii]

Go to the NCAA site and click on their bracket, highlight Hope's game, shows the Shirk Center.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

What a pile of bovine scat!

[dothedew]

Sadly, this was expected. Still, it is a shame to think that the flying dutch weren't given the same opportunity the two years the finals were in Holland.
Oh well, let's go Dutch!

[Flying Dutch Fan]

I guess to put it in perspective, we won a National championship without a single tournament game at home.  We've done it before, and we can do it again.  It's jsut disappointing.

[sac]

I agree with Mr. Y. Hope didn't get to host the sectional the last two years, for what seems to be precisely that reason. I expect it to be in Holland also.

I don't think 2008 or 2009 was because Hope was hosting the final four........Howard Payne was the top team in the bracket the whole way in 2008.......it was a sectional that required flights one way or another, so Howard Payne hosted.  Remember Hope wore their road blues, which suggest HP was the higher seeded team.

Last year the top team in the bracket was George Fox, them hosting would require 3 flights.........Hope hosting last year would have required 2 flights...........Thomas More 1, so Thomas More hosted.

This year IWU is the top team in the bracket, only Marymount Va would be a flight (I think) for any of the other hosts.  If the NCAA is going to make a statement about not having homecourt all the way through, having Hope host would be their statement.


But Hope certainly hasn't caught many breaks in the hosting and pairings department during this run of tournament years.


*  by top team in the bracket I mean literally the team at the top of the bracket, which signifies the highest seed in each 16 team sectional.

Where and how Hope has been seeded in the tournament has been the issue.  Not how the hosting has worked out.

[ultrabayer]

Sorry, but seeding didn't have anything to do with it last year when they were seeded higher.  Last year it was geographical issues...always seems to be something working against the Flying Dutch

[almcguirejr]

Sorry, but seeding didn't have anything to do with it last year when they were seeded higher.  Last year it was geographical issues...always seems to be something working against the Flying Dutch

A possible theme song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwGqLaHtmbU

[iwumichigander]

Sorry, but seeding didn't have anything to do with it last year when they were seeded higher.  Last year it was geographical issues...always seems to be something working against the Flying Dutch

You are correct (above).  And, the first year the "even/odd" rule contributed.  However, this season seeding did have an impact with IWU women seeded higher than Hope women.

Could it be that Hope, and its fans, take a different perspective?  If Hope women prevails in this sectional, Hope will have two games on the Final Four court.  An advantage three other teams will likely take except to!  (And, yes, three teams will likely take more exception if IWU prevails.)

Both Hope and IWU have to win a round before a potential Elite 8 match-up.  On paper, a Hope and IWU contest seems to be a match-up of equals.  It would certainly be an interesting contest.

[AndersDY]

No home games in 2006. No home games (other than the potential Final Four) as an undefeated in 2008. To put it lightly, let's just say the NCAA owes us one.

Brought to you by the people who believe the best way to crown a champion is to throw 100 sports writers and a couple computers in a blender and see what 2 teams it spits out each January.

A tribute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92miS5edOao&feature=related

[AndersDY]

Could it be that Hope, and its fans, take a different perspective?  If Hope women prevails in this sectional, Hope will have two games on the Final Four court.  An advantage three other teams will likely take except to!  (And, yes, three teams will likely take more exception if IWU prevails.)

... but we've got some lovely parting gifts for you. That's a pretty thin silver lining to reach for.

[ultrabayer]

The only perspective I take is that no matter the circumstance in this day and age, no team should have the overwhelming advantage of playing all games at home on the way to a national championship.

[Mr. Ypsi]

It will probably surprise some, but even as a Titan fan I was hoping for the Sectional to be in Holland - for the selfish reason that I would have been there!  No way can I justify going to Bloomington on consecutive weekends.

Since I won't be at the Sectional, I'll cross my fingers that I have a Titan FF in my future.

Good luck to Hope - but not too much of it, please!