Great Lakes Region

[kiltedbryan]

So Hope, Wittenberg and Ohio Wesleyan get Pool C bids from the Great Lakes. DePauw must have been at the table.

OWU coach Mike DeWitt must be surprised. In his post-game interview after the NCAC semifinal loss to Wooster he said he told his players that they had had a great season and shouldn't be disappointed in a 20-win year that ended with a road loss to a top-10 team. In his tone, he clearly wasn't expecting to get a Pool C bid. Now to get ready for St. Norbert!

[sac]

If the top seeds (ie hosts) advance to the Sweet 16, hosting would come down to IWU/Hope since WashU to Wooster is 500 miles.  I have to think IWU has the inside track to host then.

If anyone but Washington wins that Regional its probably going to be at Wooster.

Geneseo winning could really make sectional hosting interesting.

[KnightSlappy]

If the top seeds (ie hosts) advance to the Sweet 16, hosting would come down to IWU/Hope since WashU to Wooster is 500 miles.  I have to think IWU has the inside track to host then.

If anyone but Washington wins that Regional its probably going to be at Wooster.

Geneseo winning could really make sectional hosting interesting.

Also, Hope women could get the priority second weekend host. That's why I'm rooting for Calvin-St. Norbert-Hope-Wooster to all advance! You'd have to host that one at Calvin.

[sac]

If the top seeds (ie hosts) advance to the Sweet 16, hosting would come down to IWU/Hope since WashU to Wooster is 500 miles.  I have to think IWU has the inside track to host then.

If anyone but Washington wins that Regional its probably going to be at Wooster.

Geneseo winning could really make sectional hosting interesting.

Also, Hope women could get the priority second weekend host. That's why I'm rooting for Calvin-St. Norbert-Hope-Wooster to all advance! You'd have to host that one at Calvin.

Very good point!

[fantastic50]

St Norbert to Wooster is over 500 miles, so if both advance, then Calvin or Wheaton would likely host (assuming Hope's women advance.) 

[sac]

If PSU-Behrend, St. Norbert, Washington and Geneseo win..........someone at the NCAA is losing their job for allowing so many flights.

[monsoon]

Also, Hope women could get the priority second weekend host. That's why I'm rooting for Calvin-St. Norbert-Hope-Wooster to all advance! You'd have to host that one at Calvin.

The Hope women are in a mess of a bracket.  Geography may take them away from home again on the second weekend (assuming they get through this weekend).

[sac]

Regional rankings aren't for a couple weeks yet but here are the teams with regional records .500 or above.  Looks like a pretty difficult region to get a ranking this year.


Marietta          13-0
Ohio Wes.       11-2
Wooster          11-2
PSU-Behrend   11-2
Hilbert             10-2
----------------------------------.800
DePauw          10-3
Defiance           9-3* 
Mt. St. Joseph   9-3
John Carroll       9-3
Bald-Wall          9-3
Calvin               8-3
Albion               7-3
-----------------------------------.700
Mt. Union         9-4
St. Vincent       9-4
Thomas More  9-4
Thiel                6-3
Denison           8-5
Hiram               8-5
Hanover           8-5
Medaille           7-4
Wabash           6-4*
-------------------------------.600
Rose-Hul.         7-5*
Trine                7-5*
Hope                6-5
Waynesburg    7-7
Oberlin             6-6
*--all have wins over Ill. Tech I did not count due to Ill. Tech's 1st year provisional status. (unless someone can tell me they should count)

Games between the above teams this week.

Today:
Albion @ Hope
Ohio Wesleyan @ Wabash
Wooster  @ Hiram
Mt. St. Joseph @ Hanover

Saturday:
Oberlin @  Hiram
DePauw @ Ohio Wesleyan
Rose-Hulman @ Mt. St. Joseph
John Carroll  @  Mt. Union
St. Vincent @  Thomas More
PSU-Behrend  @  Hilbert

KS--has his RPI rankings on his blog   http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/p/division-iii-mens-regional-rankings.html

[KnightSlappy]

*--all have wins over Ill. Tech I did not count due to Ill. Tech's 1st year provisional status. (unless someone can tell me they should count)

Games vs. Year 1 and Year 2 Provisionals do not count in the primary criteria (Year 3 and Year 4 opponents count). They do count in the secondary criteria, however.

I believe these games can count toward the 70% in-region rule, but I'm not 100% sure if that's been officially adopted yet.

Here's this year's handbook, if anyone's interested: http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/PreChamps_DIII_MBasketball_2015_Revised3.pdf

Here's the Great Lakes Committee for the 2015 season:

Kevin Vande Streek, chair, Calvin, Michigan Intercol.
Britt Moore, Pittsburgh-Bradford, AMCC
Brian Lane, Transylvania, Heartland
Sam Hargraves Alma, Michigan Intercol.
Isaiah Cavaco, Oberlin, North Coast
K.C. Hunt, Wilmington, OAC
Jeff Santarsiero Geneva, Presidents' AC

[sac]

Wabash 75  OWU  70  so I guess Wabash is at least kind of good, apologies for doubting them.
Mt. St. Joseph 64  Hanover 48
Hope 80  Albion 55
Wooster currently blowing out Hiram

[KnightSlappy]

Update through Wednesday. Bolded are teams with SOS >.500

Marietta   14-0
------------------------.900
Case Western Reserve   8-1
Wooster   12-2
Penn State-Behrend   12-2
Hilbert   10-2
Ohio Wesleyan   11-3
------------------------.800
Mount St. Joseph   10-3
Baldwin Wallace   10-3
John Carroll   10-3
Calvin   9-3
St. Vincent   10-4
Thomas More   10-4
Mount Union   10-4
DePauw   10-4
Carnegie Mellon   7-3
------------------------.700
Defiance   9-4
Albion   7-4
Trine   8-5
Rose-Hulman   8-5
Thiel   6-4
Wabash   6-4
------------------------.600
Hope   7-5
Medaille   7-5
Hanover   8-6
Denison   8-6
Hiram   8-6
Waynesburg   9-7
Ohio Northern   7-7
Pitt-Bradford   6-6

[sac]

Updated through Sunday.  I'm kind of assuming SOS hasn't changed much for anyone so I left the bolded teams the same and added Allegheny.

Marietta   15-0
Case Western Reserve   10-1
------------------------.900
Wooster   13-2
Penn State-Behrend   13-2
Ohio Wesleyan   12-3
------------------------.800
Mount St. Joseph   11-3
Baldwin Wallace   11-3
Calvin   10-3
Hilbert   10-3
St. Vincent   11-4
Mount Union   11-4
John Carroll   10-4
Defiance   10-4

------------------------.700
Thomas More   10-5
DePauw   10-5
Carnegie Mellon   8-4
Trine   9-5
Thiel   7-4
Wabash   7-4
Hope   8-5
Medaille   8-5
------------------------.600
Waynesburg   10-7
Albion   7-5
Rose-Hulman   8-6
Hanover   8-7
Denison   8-7
Hiram   9-6
Pitt-Bradford   7-6
Allegheny  7-7
-----------------------------------.500
Ohio Northern   7-8


We're too the point where Marietta would need a losing record the rest of the way to miss out on a Pool C.  Certainly something worse than what they've shown to this point in the season.

Case Reserve plays 6 of its next 8 against Emory, Chicago and Washington home and away.  Including 4 straight with Chicago and WashU.  These 4 weeks will tell a lot about them.


Games between the above teams next week:

Monday:
PSU-Behrend @ Hilbert
Medaille @ Pitt-Bradford

Wednesday:
Baldwin Wallace @ John Carroll
Mt. Union @ Marietta
Calvin @ Trine
Wabash @ DePauw
Wooster @ Allegheny
Hiram @ Denison
Hanover @ Rose-Hulman
St. Vincent @ Thiel

Thurday:
Hilbert @ Medaille

Friday:
Case Reserve @ Emory

Saturday:
Albion @ Trine
DePauw @ Wooster
Ohio Wesleyan @ Denison
Defiance @ Hanover


Big Wednesday night in the OAC with the top 4 playing each other.  Lots of meaningful games this week in the region, should get a better picture after next weekend.

[KnightSlappy]

Updated through Sunday.  I'm kind of assuming SOS hasn't changed much for anyone so I left the bolded teams the same and added Allegheny.

Marietta   15-0
Case Western Reserve   10-1
------------------------.900
Wooster   13-2
Penn State-Behrend   13-2
Ohio Wesleyan   12-3
------------------------.800
Mount St. Joseph   11-3
Baldwin Wallace   11-3
Calvin   10-3
Hilbert   10-3
St. Vincent   11-4
Mount Union   11-4
John Carroll   10-4
Defiance   10-4

------------------------.700
Thomas More   10-5
DePauw   10-5
Carnegie Mellon   8-4
Trine   9-5
Thiel   7-4
Wabash   7-4
Hope   8-5
Medaille   8-5
------------------------.600
Waynesburg   10-7
Albion   7-5
Rose-Hulman   8-6
Hanover   8-7
Denison   8-7
Hiram   9-6
Pitt-Bradford   7-6
Bethany 8-8
Allegheny  7-7
-----------------------------------.500
Ohio Northern   7-8

Adding Bethany at 8-8. Bolding Allegheny.

Mount St. Joseph, Defiance, and Trine sink below .500 on the SOS.

[sac]

Here's the winners in these key games

Monday:
PSU-Behrend @ Hilbert
Medaille @ Pitt-Bradford

Wednesday:
Baldwin Wallace @ John Carroll
Mt. Union @ Marietta
Calvin @ Trine
Wabash @ DePauw
Wooster @ Allegheny
Hiram @ Denison
Hanover @ Rose-Hulman
St. Vincent @ Thiel


Comparative scores lead me to believe this region is really tight this year, not really a standout team despite Marietta's unbeaten record.  Rankings and seedings will be interesting to watch.

[sac]

Big upset in the HCAC

Franklin 76  Mt. St. Joseph 71  ---Franklin was 3-12 coming into that one, should be really hard for MSJ to get a decent ranking with that loss and weak SOS.