WBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association

[ziggy]

Hope gets to host DePauw
Denison faces off with Wash U in the other game of the pod

Wow.

This is nothing less than insane (coming from a Wash U fan).

The prize for surviving? Undefeated Thomas More.

[NW Hope Fan]

And while Calvin may have the "easier" path to the E-8, the lower half of this bracket still has 13 vote getters, and 11 top 25 teams... Ouch!

[jagluski]

Hope gets to host DePauw
Denison faces off with Wash U in the other game of the pod

Wow.

This is nothing less than insane (coming from a Wash U fan).

The prize for surviving? Undefeated Thomas More.

And then probably the winner of a second-round game between Calvin and Chicago.  Whoever makes the Final Four will definitely have earned it.

[wwjjdd]

Gk68 - your expectations are probably the norm for Calvin and Hope fans, but I also suspect were you to talk to one of the seniors at the end of a less than stellar season, you would still offer some positive comments to them.  That's what Ern did - at least that's how I would take it.

As did I!

[NW Hope Fan]

Hope gets to host DePauw
Denison faces off with Wash U in the other game of the pod

Wow.

This is nothing less than insane (coming from a Wash U fan).

The prize for surviving? Undefeated Thomas More.

And then probably the winner of a second-round game between Calvin and Chicago.  Whoever makes the Final Four will definitely have earned it.

Hope could have to beat (if all goes as rankings would have it) 4 top 10 teams to advance to the final 4. Everyone else only max 2. The other three corners of the bracket could have teams not hit a top 10 team till the final 4.

[wwjjdd]

Hope gets to host DePauw
Denison faces off with Wash U in the other game of the pod

Wow.

This is nothing less than insane (coming from a Wash U fan).

The prize for surviving? Undefeated Thomas More.

And then probably the winner of a second-round game between Calvin and Chicago.  Whoever makes the Final Four will definitely have earned it.

Hope could have to beat (if all goes as rankings would have it) 4 top 10 teams to advance to the final 4. Everyone else only max 2. The other three corners of the bracket could have teams not hit a top 10 team till the final 4.

Let's hope that is a good portent.  In 2006 they beat everyone above them to win the championship.

[fannie]

Shocker!!!!!!!!!   Joy - get to see the Dutch gals at home one more time!

[oldknight]

Shocker!!!!!!!!!   Joy - get to see the Dutch gals at home one more time!

I assume you really want to see the Dutch gals at home two more times.

[oldknight]

It's looking pretty far down the road to speculate on this (since I'm not a coach or player I can do that) but if both Calvin and Hope survive the first two games, how likely is it that the sectional would be hosted right here in West Michigan? It certainly would reduce travel for the participating teams, and result in a large and loud D3 hoops environment if both advanced to play one another in a national quarterfinal.

[Dark Knight]

It's looking pretty far down the road to speculate on this (since I'm not a coach or player I can do that) but if both Calvin and Hope survive the first two games, how likely is it that the sectional would be hosted right here in West Michigan? It certainly would reduce travel for the participating teams, and result in a large and loud D3 hoops environment if both advanced to play one another in a national quarterfinal.

Is the final four at Hope?

If so, might the powers that be hesitate to give have sectionals there too? That'd mean Hope would potentially have all home games as far as they go.

[oldknight]

It's looking pretty far down the road to speculate on this (since I'm not a coach or player I can do that) but if both Calvin and Hope survive the first two games, how likely is it that the sectional would be hosted right here in West Michigan? It certainly would reduce travel for the participating teams, and result in a large and loud D3 hoops environment if both advanced to play one another in a national quarterfinal.

Is the final four at Hope?

If so, might the powers that be hesitate to give have sectionals there too? That'd mean Hope would potentially have all home games as far as they go.

No; it's at IWU in Bloomington again. Hope will host the finals next year.

[ChicagoHopeNut]

It's looking pretty far down the road to speculate on this (since I'm not a coach or player I can do that) but if both Calvin and Hope survive the first two games, how likely is it that the sectional would be hosted right here in West Michigan? It certainly would reduce travel for the participating teams, and result in a large and loud D3 hoops environment if both advanced to play one another in a national quarterfinal.

Is the final four at Hope?

If so, might the powers that be hesitate to give have sectionals there too? That'd mean Hope would potentially have all home games as far as they go.

No; it's at IWU in Bloomington again. Hope will host the finals next year.

It's possible IWU will be in a position to play every game at home this year. They are hosting this weekend and depending on how things shake out could host again next weekend. Whether the fact they'd never leave home might play a role in decisions would be interesting to know.

[Mr. Ypsi]

It's looking pretty far down the road to speculate on this (since I'm not a coach or player I can do that) but if both Calvin and Hope survive the first two games, how likely is it that the sectional would be hosted right here in West Michigan? It certainly would reduce travel for the participating teams, and result in a large and loud D3 hoops environment if both advanced to play one another in a national quarterfinal.

Is the final four at Hope?

If so, might the powers that be hesitate to give have sectionals there too? That'd mean Hope would potentially have all home games as far as they go.

No; it's at IWU in Bloomington again. Hope will host the finals next year.

It's possible IWU will be in a position to play every game at home this year. They are hosting this weekend and depending on how things shake out could host again next weekend. Whether the fact they'd never leave home might play a role in decisions would be interesting to know.

Last year they would have played all the games at home had not UWSP beaten them at the Shirk short of the FF.  Two years ago they played all games at home (and fell one game short of coming to Holland).

The NCAA does seems to have a love affair with the Shirk!   (It IS more centrally located for many of the 'power teams' than most.  What really made me say 'wow' is that Hope and Calvin are BOTH hosting up here on the peninsula!  I'm surprised the Hope 'pod of death' 1) exists and 2) if it exists is not at Denison or DePauw.)

[sac]

Kind of a weird footnote to the pod in Holland.

Denison and DePauw both played and lost to Hope in Holland in last years 1st and 2nd rounds.

Washington U played at DeVos as part of the women's final four just 2 years ago.


If that weren't enough WashU and Hope have played twice in the last 12 months, and WashU played DePauw earlier this season.



You might be hard pressed to find a pod of 4 teams that will be so familiar with each other as these 4.

[wiz]

If Calvin and UW La Crosse can both make it to the final four, Calvin's coach, John Ross, will get to go up against his brother, Mark Ross, who is assistant coach at UW La Crosse.