MBB: Landmark Conference

[Rofrog]

On the mens side!

[ronk]

On the mens side!

2015-17 the Landmark had an at-large bid.

[saratoga]

I guess to Ro's point, if it takes a 5/6 year cycle for the Landmark to land two teams, it's pretty much not happening.

That said, with the number of teams fighting for both a berth & a home game, the Landmark playoffs should certainly be interesting.

The problem for this conference is that's where the excitement both begins & ends.

Hard to believe that under the current regime, the Scranton men, when they do finally make the tournament, have only hosted once.

Considering the talent that's played on the Long Center hardwood in the past 20 years, that's pretty telling & unfortunate.

[Rofrog]

They got lucky to host then that year thanks to some paperwork!Then the year they were number two in the region they gave 3 host sites to the east!!Never have faith in the committee!!Someone doesnt  like Scranton. That year they definetly should have hosted Saratoga!But they got sent all the way to Brockport.

[saratoga]

Correct....and they were then promptly disposed of by Hobart in fairly typical one & done style.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

They got lucky to host then that year thanks to some paperwork!Then the year they were number two in the region they gave 3 host sites to the east!!Never have faith in the committee!!Someone doesnt  like Scranton. That year they definetly should have hosted Saratoga!But they got sent all the way to Brockport.

They didn't give three to the East Region - they got the two we expected. The committee used one more in the South we didn't expect and had to use another in the South due to geography (we felt could have been done a different way). That was also the year three Mid-Atlantic teams went to Virginia Wesleyan.

The hosts where Emory (South), UW-Stevens Point (West), UT-Dallas (South), UW-Whitewater (West), Wooster (Great Lakes), Hope (Great Lakes), WashU (Central), Illinois Wesleyan (Central), Amherst (Northeast), Plattsburgh State (East), Cabrini (Mid-Atlantic), Brockport State (East), SUNY Purchase (Atlantic), Williams (Northeast), Randolph-Macon (South), Virginia Wesleyan (South).

AND that was the start of a new philosophy with the men's national committee that they try and have the top 16 programs host - no matter the region - based on the criteria. They work on that for a week or two prior and all things equal, that's where they want hosting to be the opening weekend. We just didn't realize it at the time because it wasn't really articulated accordingly. There was also some other quirks where hosting had to be placed where many didn't expect it ... so it didn't work in Scranton's favor.

Ever since that year, we know that the top seeds are not "guaranteed" to host in a region. It is something I endorse as I not all regions are equal.

[Rofrog]

Dave when you say we are you part of the committee?

[Rofrog]

Scranton was number 2 in the region so they were top 16 !

[Rofrog]

One other question it was 2013-14 Dave who was the guy on the committee from the Middle Atlantic?I know who it was!

[Rofrog]

I love how we use the term geography! On the womens side Tufts and Scranton had to go to St louis so please with the geography!I drove that ride

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Dave when you say we are you part of the committee?

"We" as in those in Division III who cover it at the very least ... and general fans, coaches, and others to a larger degree. It has been a topic of conversation every year since. We talk about it often on Hoopsville. Tune in sometime.

Scranton was number 2 in the region so they were top 16 !

No ... you are #2 in the Mid-Atlantic Region. That doesn't automatically make a team Top 16 in the country. That's like the soccer coaches association whose Top 25s are based on regional polls. They take the top ones in each poll and put them in the top eight slots. They take the number-twos and put them 9-16. And onward. Do you really think maybe the second, third, or even fourth in another region is better than the number twos in other regions? Absolutely.

Thus my comment at the end. Not all regions are equal. I certainly don't think RPI will measure equal to most of the threes and fours in the other regions this year.

One other question it was 2013-14 Dave who was the guy on the committee from the Middle Atlantic?I know who it was!

The national committee chair was Steve Uhrlich, Centennial Conference commissioner. Thus, Uhrlich was the chair of the Mid-Atlantic Region as well. But usually those decisions are based on the entire committee - not one person.

I love how we use the term geography! On the womens side Tufts and Scranton had to go to St louis so please with the geography!I drove that ride

In the opening rounds of the tournament - thus the opening weekend - geography is a MAJOR sticking point. You are comparing to a second weekend, which is a different kettle of fish. Not worth comparing. The opening weekend, the committees get their hands tied more than later on (though, I can tell you many stories of a committee being told to change their bracket because the potential of too many flights in the second weekend had the NCAA tell them no).

So yeah ... geography for the opening weekend where you have to get teams to a site within 500 miles unless you are in extreme locations ... which this region doesn't have.

[Rofrog]

Yep like shipping Valley Forge out to George Fox .Dave they screwed Scranton bottom line!

[Rofrog]

I think Since the Royals have joined the Landmark they have never hosted even though they won it many times.Moraivian 1,Merchant Marines 1,Catholic 3 times,Susquehanna 2, I couldn't get on 2019,Scranton 0000000 and they have been in it 7 times!

[Pat Coleman]

Yep like shipping Valley Forge out to George Fox .Dave they screwed Scranton bottom line!

There were three teams at George Fox that year and someone had to fly. It was actually pretty forward-thinking of the women's committee to send Penn State-Abington.

Not at all related to whether Scranton has earned home court in any given year that it has applied for it.

[NEPAFAN]

no way Scranton can host...likely on the road against drew?