MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[AppletonRocks]

Is there anyway that Augie jumps ahead of an undefeated Benedictine in the final regional rankings?
Not likely I'm sure but.......
                                   IF Oshkosh wins the WIAC today and moves up to #8 in reg rankings
                                               (as Tom Snyder has them), Augie's regional record goes to 5-1
                                   Aurora will drop out of the top 8 reg rankings in the final poll, so Benedictine
                                               loses 2 wins and falls to 2-0 against regional foes (NC / Elm)
                                 
                                   

This is a great point.  The final Central region ranking between UW-Oshkosh and Aurora is very significant.   Oshkosh replacing Aurora in the rankings would seem to be enough to flip things in Augie's favor.

With a WIAC win, where will that put Oshkosh in the mix  Which CCIW team will they be forced to eliminate in Round 1? 

[Titan Q]

Just FYI, Central Region committee:

George Barber, chair (Greenville)
Chris Bunch (Webster)
Mike McGrath (Chicago)
Grey Giovanine (Augustana)
Chad Murray (Cornell)
Brian Miller (MSOE)
Jeff Gard (UW-Platteville)

http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2015-16_PreChamps_DIII_Men_Basketball_20160212.pdf

[bbfan44]

Good question. I don't know the answer.

The refs were very inconsistent tonight, but they had zero effect upon the outcome.

Yep, didn't mean to imply that they did.

  Really too bad for those in attendance, especially those that made the long drive, that Elmhurst never found a way to make it a game.

[Titan Q]

Final shot at Pool C - http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4232.msg1733989#msg1733989

[markerickson]

Rachal Banham of the Gophers has scored in bunches this year, including a record 60 against the Wildcats.  She led the Big Ten in scoring.  I did not see her in the top four in any other category.  I wonder if she will be a unanimous first-team selection.

[Titan Q]

My deepest and most sincere thanks to Pat Coleman, who announced tonight on Hoopsville that he's stepping aside as the head man at D3hoops.com.  Pat will continue to run D3football.com...Gordon Mann will take over on hoops.

Over the last 19 years, Pat has completely revolutionized the way people across the country follow Division III basketball.  The community we are all part of here is thanks to him.  It's actually hard to even imagine how we followed D3 basketball before Pat.

I feel lucky to have been on this 19-year ride with Pat, getting to work with him in Salem many times, as one of his Top 25 voters, and on Hoopsville.  I know he'll still be around the D3 scene, but he will really be missed by the D3 basketball community.

[iwu70]

Thanks, Pat, we all appreciate what you have done.  D3 basketball now is a nation-wide community of fans and followers, largely due to you. 

IWU'70

[robertgoulet]

My deepest and most sincere thanks to Pat Coleman, who announced tonight on Hoopsville that he's stepping aside as the head man at D3hoops.com.  Pat will continue to run D3football.com...Gordon Mann will take over on hoops.

Over the last 19 years, Pat has completely revolutionized the way people across the country follow Division III basketball.  The community we are all part of here is thanks to him.  It's actually hard to even imagine how we followed D3 basketball before Pat.

I feel lucky to have been on this 19-year ride with Pat, getting to work with him in Salem many times, as one of his Top 25 voters, and on Hoopsville.  I know he'll still be around the D3 scene, but he will really be missed by the D3 basketball community.

Thank you, Pat! Wonderful site!

[kiko]

Bracket is out:

Augie hosts Westminster with Hope and Mount St. Joseph in the same pod.

Elmhurst faces Oshkosh in a pod featuring host St. Thomas and Central (IA).

North Central gets St. Olaf in a pod featuring host St. Norbert and Northwestern (MN.)

Augie and Elmhurst could potentially advance to the same site for weekend #2.  North Central is on the other half of the draw.

[Titan Q]

I have St. Norbert as a top-8 seed...it wouldn't be right for them to go to a mid-Pool C team.

1. St. Thomas  .923/.562/11-0
2. Benedictine  1.000/.525/4-0
3. Christopher Newport  .963/.540/5-1
4. Augustana  .963/.537/4-1
-----
5. Marietta  .893/.555/5-3
6. Amherst .846/.561/5-1
7. St. Norbert  .920/.539/3-1
8. John Carroll  .893/.541/4-2

So the top 8 pairings ended up being...

(I have added my guess on the top 4 seeds...and then by default, how seeds 5-8 shake out.)

(1) Benedictine/(8) St. Norbert
(4) Amherst/(5) Plattsburgh St

(2) Christoper Newport/(7) Marietta
(3) Augustana/(6) St. Thomas

* I think this was really well done.  Although, as I suspected, between Benedictine, Augustana, St. Thomas it was impossible to avoid having 2 of the 3 in the same quadrant.

* It seems clear that Benedictine ended up seeded higher than Augustana, because BU got St. Norbert while Augie got St. Thomas.

* The loss by St. Thomas yesterday in the MIAC final is probably the difference between St. Thomas being the higher seed relative to Augie vs the lower. Huge, as it looks like Augie would host that sectional.

[sac]

3 flights for Sectionals if Hope and St. Thomas wins their pods.

[augiefan]

Thanks to Pat for helping many more people appreciate how special DIII BB is. You have been a great advocate through these forums for student athletes at the DIII level who play for the love of the game.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I have St. Norbert as a top-8 seed...it wouldn't be right for them to go to a mid-Pool C team.

1. St. Thomas  .923/.562/11-0
2. Benedictine  1.000/.525/4-0
3. Christopher Newport  .963/.540/5-1
4. Augustana  .963/.537/4-1
-----
5. Marietta  .893/.555/5-3
6. Amherst .846/.561/5-1
7. St. Norbert  .920/.539/3-1
8. John Carroll  .893/.541/4-2

So the top 8 pairings ended up being...

(I have added my guess on the top 4 seeds...and then by default, how seeds 5-8 shake out.)

(1) Benedictine/(8) St. Norbert
(4) Amherst/(5) Plattsburgh St

(2) Christoper Newport/(7) Marietta
(3) Augustana/(6) St. Thomas

* I think this was really well done.  Although, as I suspected, between Benedictine, Augustana, St. Thomas it was impossible to avoid having 2 of the 3 in the same quadrant.

* It seems clear that Benedictine ended up seeded higher than Augustana, because BU got St. Norbert while Augie got St. Thomas.

* The loss by St. Thomas yesterday in the MIAC final is probably the difference between St. Thomas being the higher seed relative to Augie vs the lower. Huge, as it looks like Augie would host that sectional.

Yes.. and no... Benedictine was the #1 team in the Central Region. However, they were the second choice to be the bye.

Brian Van Haaften told me on Hoopsville today that originally, St. Thomas was going to get the bye with the two Texas teams. But when St. Thomas lost, the committee shifted the decision.

There was another twist as well that makes complete sense. The NCAA mandated that first off, the only one of those Texas teams were going to get flown out of the state (mandating the Thursday first-round game). The other thing mandated was that the Texas winner was going to be flown directly to a major airport. That pretty much eliminated Augustana from that conversation.

The reason for the major airport rule seems to make sense. The NCAA doesn't want the Texas winner to be spending all day trying to get to some location that might require a couple of different flights or a bus trip thrown in there as well.

So yes... I think Benedictine was the higher seed because they were regionally ranked ahead of Augustana.

No... I don't know if they were truly the highest seed as the biggest reason they were the bye team was to make sure the Texas team got to a game easier.

[Titan Q]

So yes... I think Benedictine was the higher seed because they were regionally ranked ahead of Augustana.

No... I don't know if they were truly the highest seed as the biggest reason they were the bye team was to make sure the Texas team got to a game easier.

I didn't factor in the bye in deducing that Benedictine is the highest seed in the bracket, Dave.  (I realize the bye is mostly determined by geographical/travel needs in the bracket).  I just looked at the pairings:

1) BU is matched up with St. Norbert in the national quarterfinals, and it seems to me that St. Norbert is the lowest of the top 8 seeds.  The fact BU got St. Norbert and not St. Thomas (also geographically possible) indicates to me BU is a higher seed than Augustana.

2) BU is matched up with Amherst in the national semifinal, and it seems to me Amherst is the lowest of the top 4 seeds.  And Augustana and Christopher Newport are on the other side of the national semifinal bracket...and those two are pretty clear 2/3 seeds (in whatever order).


So it seems to me Benedictine is the #1 seed in the entire tournament.

[79jaybird]

Big congrats to John Baines and the team.   This might not seem like a big achievement to some, but consecutive NCAA appearances has never happened to EC before.  Great to see him continue to build up the team.