MBB: Landmark Conference

[gordonmann]

Ronk:

I'll be at Cabrini for all three games of that regional.

[NEPAFAN]

Matt,
How r they doing that- the women have a pod this weekend at Leb Val?

The men's ECAC games are at 1 and 3 on Saturday, and the women's NCAA games are at 6 and 8 on Friday, and 7 pm on Saturday.  The ECAC final will be on Sunday.

Busy weekend for the gym, but they've apparently scheduled around it. 

NEPA--Catholic's problem is not lack of depth.  They actually go pretty deep--in fact, it was one of the guys lower on the depth chart--like, way lower (Cody Otto)--that sparked their win last night.

Pat--amend my comments to say "most successful" then--best is subjective.  Either way, this is still their first team to ever play in any kind of postseason tournament.

I think we both know what their weakness is.

[augie]

Up here in nowhere land i mean Williamstown,Mass.I saw the team bus at the hotel just across the street from the college.Good luck Royals tomorrow!

[saratoga]

Augie: The NCAA is allowing you to engage in their "geographic diversity" program. You should be honored.
Hopefully, that criterion that the men's selection committee holds to such a high standard will soon be read by their counterparts on the women's side in the next few years.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

saratoga - the women have been at the forefront of moving teams around... and keeping top teams away from one another. Not the other way around.

[NEPAFAN]

Up here in nowhere land i mean Williamstown,Mass.I saw the team bus at the hotel just across the street from the college.Good luck Royals tomorrow!

Great now the Becker fans are going to pull the fire alarm in that hotel to get the Royals off their game.

[LustyLarryintheToilet]

Augie: The NCAA is allowing you to engage in their "geographic diversity" program. You should be honored.

thats the line of the week!  well done

[Pat Coleman]

Dave and I asked the committee chair about this in our pretaped interview for Hoopsville tonight. You might be interested in the response to the questions about teams traveling outside of their local areas for NCAA Tournament games.

[mailsy]

Ronk:

I'll be at Cabrini for all three games of that regional.

I look forward to meeting you G M. 

[ronk]

Gordo's a very enthusiastic fan of D3 hoops; I spoke with him at last year's Messiah-Scranton game; he's always happy to place a face with a MBer.

[LustyLarryintheToilet]

The answers were at best insincere.  As was said by ronk on the CC board, if "geographical divesity" was so important then that shouldve been announced months ago so as to not confuse or surprise fans.  He brought up the NABC.  I dont know who attends these NABC conferences, but i cannot believe coaches wanted to play teams from other regions simply for the trave experience.  More than likely, coaches would be giddy about playing team from other regions if it meant an easier time of winning in the tournament. 

Second point, there is nothing fun about a 6 hour bus ride, except the end.  I could understand true nationaliztion, ie F&M goes to Milwaukee, or Scranton goes to chicago. In that case players are going to places they might never otherwise see.  Theres nothing "special" about going to a place you can get to by car.  Also, unlike the D1 tournament schools dont make a long weekend out of the trip.  Perhaps trips to cities like Phoenix or Philly in D1, schools use the off day to sight-see and enjoy the experience.  In d3, you showup, practice, play, win or lose, get back on the bus and go home. 

The best experience i've ever had as a sports fan was the F&M/Ursinus game in 03.  Yes, F&M lost.  But the back and forth between fans was like nothing that could be felt in sports.  I've heard friends talk about Fm/Wilkes in 96 and the LVC/FM games in late 90s that provided equally chilling atmospheres.  That gets lost when travel gets excessive. 

[ronk]

Likewise the Ursinus-Scranton 2nd round NCAA game that year(2003). Scranton won by 2 @ Scranton and it was held there because Ursinus didn't put into host. That was a strong Ursinus team and the home court was probably the deciding factor.
  The NCAA has eliminated those clashes now in favor of geographical diversity. I say save it for the sectional weekend; get the best of both worlds.

[Pat Coleman]

The answers were at best insincere.  As was said by ronk on the CC board, if "geographical divesity" was so important then that shouldve been announced months ago so as to not confuse or surprise fans.  He brought up the NABC.  I dont know who attends these NABC conferences, but i cannot believe coaches wanted to play teams from other regions simply for the trave experience. 

I agree some answers dodged the question, but this was not one of them.

Men's basketball head coaches attend the NABC convention. That's who they talk to. I know that you personally were surprised and so were some others but that's not the NCAA's fault. If they had announced it before the season, would you have even seen it? You could have taken your cue from last year's bracket, even.

It's too bad you can't believe it. It's true.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

The more travel and less geographic tournament bracket has been several years in the making. Go back and look at the brackets of the course of the last few years... and you will see this.

Two years ago, Amherst was playing at Richard Stockton... Guilford was at John Carroll with Texas Dallas in the sectional that same year... last year saw even more of this type of travel with MIT coming into the Atlantic or Mid-Atlantic. (There are far more examples, but I am working on 20 hours up with hardly any sleep this week and a long weekend ahead - so I am also not going to look it up - do your own research.)

It has been years in the making... the COACHES are asking for these changes... and requesting that it not be so regional. This isn't a regional tournament like the ECAC that then takes the winners places them in the Final Four... this is as national tournament as the men have seen in all the years I have covered d3 basketball. This is the best bracket by far in spreading teams out and giving us as balanced a series of games as they can.

I understand you don't like the fact you can't go follow your team... but that is what the video stream will be there for you.

However, the comment that this wasn't announced at the beginning of the season is ludicrous. Didn't realize putting a national tournament needed to have a statement at the beginning of the season telling people that it would be a NATIONAL tournament and there was a very good chance teams were going to travel.

It also sounds a lot like what Glen Robinson said on my show a few weeks back about not understanding the multiplier and disagreeing with the regional rankings and how they are determined. Guess what... he has been in the NABC and the NCAA meetings where these things have been discussed. It is not new... and it has been stated to coaches who first actually requested the changes.

It's time to move on... if F&M is that good... they will beat some pretty good teams this weekend and show they deserve it... but how about we let the TEAM prove this on the court... not Lusty Larry and the rest ranting and raving when it isn't just right in their own, personal eyes.

[ronk]

The more travel and less geographic tournament bracket has been several years in the making. Go back and look at the brackets of the course of the last few years... and you will see this.

IHowever, the comment that this wasn't announced at the beginning of the season is ludicrous. Didn't realize putting a national tournament needed to have a statement at the beginning of the season telling people that it would be a NATIONAL tournament and there was a very good chance teams were going to travel.

This gives a considerable benefit of the doubt that it was a conscious effort and not some unintended consequence. It's always been a national championship;if they wanted to change to a NATIONAL one, they would have saved some grief by stating the change in emphasis. None of the fans go to the NABC convention; we depend on you to inform us of these changes.