MBB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[Gregory Sager]

I have never had a problem understanding your enthusiasm and pride, Crusaders. I have that same enthusiasm and pride for my own alma mater's team, although the pride is somewhat dented by the fact that my alma mater's team isn't very good this year. What I have had a problem with is your stubborn refusal to acknowledge how the tourney selection process works, and that Clarke was at best a longshot to get in. You seem to be coming around now on both of those points, so I don't really have an issue with you anymore.

(The only issues with which you still don't seem to be up to speed are end-of-season performance and point differential. As I said in my last post, end-of-season performance is not a criterion used by the selection committee. A team with an 18-4 regional record that lost its last four games gets treated just the same as a team that started out 0-4 in region and then ran off 18 straight wins. Also, you've brought up the magical number of winning by 20 points in two different posts now. Margin of victory and/or point differential doesn't matter to the committee, either. You can win all of your games by twenty points, or all of them by one point, and it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference on Selection Monday.)

There will be 59 teams in this year's D3 men's tourney: 37 teams from Pool A (automatic qualifiers from conferences that qualify for such bids), 4 from Pool B (at-large teams from the ranks of independents and conferences that don't qualify for automatic bids, a la the NIIC), and 18 from Pool C (general at-large bids for teams that didn't get either a Pool A or Pool B bid).

The reason why D3 doesn't have a larger tournament is because all D3 sports, men and women, have national tournaments whose number of berths are determined by the number of participating schools, to a 6:1 ratio. In other words, for every six schools that have D3 men's basketball teams, there's supposedly one tournament spot. The D3 women's tournament has 63 teams this year, as opposed to the men's 59, because more schools have women's teams than men's teams (there are a number of women-only schools in D3). Money is a big factor as well (the D3 tournament is not a money-maker, and the D1 tourney basically funds ours), which is reflected in the way that the tourney bracket is set up with cutting costs as much in mind as is proper seeding by team strength. But the 6:1 formula explains why the tournament is the size that it is.

I'm rooting for Clarke to pull off the improbable and make it to the tourney. It would be good for the region to have one more team in it. And if they can't do it, I hope that Aurora (which is an even bigger longshot now than Clarke) makes it. But based upon the evidence at hand, I really don't see it happening for either NIIC team.

[Pat Coleman]

6.5:1 actually, but yeah.

[from downtown]

I would think the easiest way to run the tourney this year with the weather delays would be Saturday/Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday final.  I didn't care for the quarterfinals to be played on a Wednesday, the semis on a Saturday and then waiting a full week to play the final on the following Saturday.  Possibly a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday schedule in the future.  I realize the conference schedule wrapped up last weekend, but I'd rather have a week off to prepare for the conference tourney than to start up right away and then have a week off between the semis and final.  Maybe having a whole week off between those games explains why the LMC has had so many upsets in the conference tourney final (losing their "groove" with a week layoff).

MSOE may protest that schdule as they are in the middle of exams this week and probably do not wasnt to play on Wednesday (trimesters)

[crusaders]

Nothin more amazing than seeing clarke cut down the nets tonight!  a great season, and they deserved it.  Very special to see coach davison cut down the net, then hang from the rim, and fall down...great to see him finally bring a championship to clarke.

proud of all the guys, the parents, the coaching staff, the players, and the fans...a great season, even if clarke doesn't get selected, this season was something special.

[Ralph Turner]

Crusader, have you heard about any plans for Clarke to join another conference next year?

I understand that Clarke did not elect to enter the talks with the LMC schools.

I also know that the IIAC requires participation in all sports including football and wrestling.

Thanks.

[crusaders]

clarke will be independent next year...there was a some talks of joining the LMC, and then talks of joining whatever conference grinnel and knox, and beliot college are in, and schools like that...but next year, independent....then the year after i think they are planning on joining the grinnell conference

[diego]

Crusader--Do you understand that Clarke did not officially win the conference?  The NIIC has a point system in which the conference winner is decided by a combination of the regular season and the conference tournament.   Just thought I would let you know.  I think it is weird too.

[Ralph Turner]

Crusaders, that is interesting that you mention the Midwest (Grinnell) Conference.  Clarke would also be the only non-football school in the Midwest.

Is there any talk of adding football at Clarke?

[Gregory Sager]

clarke will be independent next year...there was a some talks of joining the LMC, and then talks of joining whatever conference grinnel and knox, and beliot college are in, and schools like that...but next year, independent....then the year after i think they are planning on joining the grinnell conference

Clarke may be "planning on joining" the Midwest Conference, but it's not up to Clarke. It's up to the current members of the Midwest Conference whether or not to accept their application.

[diego]

Crusader--Do you understand that Clarke did not officially win the conference?  The NIIC has a point system in which the conference winner is decided by a combination of the regular season and the conference tournament.   

Just thought I would let you know. 

I think it is weird too.

[crusaders]

I finally directed myself to the Bumblin B's room, at to my delight I saw Ralph mentioning Clarke.  Lets hope the right things happen to move them in.  

And I didn't say it was up to them, I said they are planning on joining it, which is what they are doing.  It seems like a good conference, lets hope they accept our application.  

The football thing has always been an issue at Clarke, and with all of the nuns and woman presidents, including the new president, who is coming from an all girls school that had like 4 sports, I don't see Clarke looking at football anytime in the next 5 years.  The only reason I say 5 is because Clarke has a valuable asset in their athletic director.  He has done a lot for the school, and he will fight for what he feels would improve the athletics at clarke.

i didn't know about the point system, but they won the regular season...i really dont think they will have reason to worry about points because i know they'll win out.

anyone think the crusaders will be stopped in the tourny?

[diego]

Crusader--I know you don't think they will be stopped but what if they are.  The ceremony and t-shirts would have been a waste.  The NIIC Conference Champion is declared on next Saturday.  Clarke has not won the NIIC yet, so a little premature celebration.

[crusaders]

diego, what are the stipulations of the point system?  i think that is weird too.  if you saw the ceremony and the tshirts, that means you were at the game.  where are you from?

[from downtown]

Marian 66 MSOE 63
MSOE trailed for most of the second half by around 5. They trailed by 1 at half. They were down 7 with a minute to go, before they were able to cut it to two with 16 seconds left. Jake Harmsen stepped up and hit two big free throws for Marian to put them up four. Mikos went coast to coast and drew a foul. He hit 1 of 2. Mikos then stole the inbound and had his layup bounce out when he was fouled. Mikos hit them both cutting it to a one point game. Jake Harmsen hit two more big free throws for Marian before Mikos air balled a three at the buzzer.

[diego]

I'm just a basketball fan and I thought I'd catch a game.  I rarely make it all the way to Dubuque but I decided to check it out.  Glad I decided not to go to the North Central vs Augie game.