Great Lakes Region

[Ohigy]

Case gets an impressive road win at Washington U. 
1. Marietta
2. Ohio Wesleyan
3. Case Western
4. Wooster
5. Penn St. Behrend
6. Hope
7. St. Vincent
8. Mount Union
9. John Carroll
10. Calvin

[sac]

Case is now tied with Chicago for the lead in the UAA.  They host Chicago and WashU next weekend and could be in a great position for the UAA's automatic bid.  If that happened it would greatly help the Pool C situation in the Great Lakes.

[sac]

KS' regional rankings updated through Sunday.  http://tomaroonandgold.blogspot.com/p/division-iii-mens-regional-rankings.html

Could be back to a 1 'C' bid region this year.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

*--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

Circling back on this a bit late, so I apologize, but they adjusted this rule so that games against provisional schools will count. I know, for example, schools in the CAC last year ended up being hurt by the fact their two games against Southern Virginia didn't count for anything leaving them two games short essentially when they had to play two games. Now, I can't find this change in writing, but I am looking for it. I also may be confusing this with the 70% rule pointed out above, but I am pretty sure there was a more sweeping change to this rule in all sports.

I think that's the 70% rule. This year's handbook is still saying 3rd and 4th years count.

Contests versus provisional and reclassifying members in their third and fourth years shall count in the primary
criteria. Provisional and reclassifying members shall remain ineligible for rankings and selections.

Yeah... I know what the manual says, but something has changed. I just can't find it... but something has changed so that games against provisional members counts for in-region and thus WL% for example. See Southern Virginia in the CAC as the example. I need to reach out and find this answer because I can't seem to find it in my research.

[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

Circling back on this a bit late, so I apologize, but they adjusted this rule so that games against provisional schools will count. I know, for example, schools in the CAC last year ended up being hurt by the fact their two games against Southern Virginia didn't count for anything leaving them two games short essentially when they had to play two games. Now, I can't find this change in writing, but I am looking for it. I also may be confusing this with the 70% rule pointed out above, but I am pretty sure there was a more sweeping change to this rule in all sports.

I think that's the 70% rule. This year's handbook is still saying 3rd and 4th years count.

Contests versus provisional and reclassifying members in their third and fourth years shall count in the primary
criteria. Provisional and reclassifying members shall remain ineligible for rankings and selections.

Yeah... I know what the manual says, but something has changed. I just can't find it... but something has changed so that games against provisional members counts for in-region and thus WL% for example. See Southern Virginia in the CAC as the example. I need to reach out and find this answer because I can't seem to find it in my research.

Southern Virginia is Year 3. Year 3 and 4 have always counted in the selection criteria.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Yeah... that is definitely where I am getting bogged down. Will continue to research.

[Pat Coleman]

Southern Virginia counted as a D-III/in-region game for football. The only question remaining would be about the 70% and a very small number of first- and second-year schools (Penn College, Bryn Athyn ... there's always one I'm forgetting ...).

[KnightSlappy]

Southern Virginia counted as a D-III/in-region game for football. The only question remaining would be about the 70% and a very small number of first- and second-year schools (Penn College, Bryn Athyn ... there's always one I'm forgetting ...).

The formidable Illinois Tech

[sac]

Southern Virginia counted as a D-III/in-region game for football. The only question remaining would be about the 70% and a very small number of first- and second-year schools (Penn College, Bryn Athyn ... there's always one I'm forgetting ...).

The formidable Illinois Tech

More specifically from the GL Region Trine, Wabash, Rose-Hulman, Anderson and Defiance all had games vs Ill Tech.  Outside the region Rockford, MSOE, Claremont-MS, Blackburn, Chicago, Lakeland, Northland and Aurora.   Northland has a 2nd game next week and Carthage a game with them in 2 weeks.

Whether the Ill Tech games count affects a lot of teams and anyone who played these schools above.

[sac]

Updated thru Wed 2/4
       
Marietta     20-0
Penn State-Behrend   18-2
------------------------.900

Ohio Wesleyan      16-4
Wooster    16-4
Case Western Reserve   12-3
------------------------.800

Mount Union    15-5
John Carroll   14-5
Medaille    14-5
Mount St. Joseph    14-5
Hilbert    14-5
Defiance    14-5
Calvin    13-5
DePauw   14-6
------------------------.700

St. Vincent    13-6
Thomas More    13-6
Baldwin Wallace   13-6
Trine           13-6
Hope    12-6
Bethany    13-8
Denison   12-8
Thiel    9-6
------------------------.600


Transylvania 11-8
Pitt-Greensburg 11-9
Anderson 10-9
Rose-Hulman   10-9
Wabash     8-7
Albion     9-8
Carnegie Mellon   8-8
-----------------------------------.500
Pitt-Bradford    8-10

This Week's Key Games  --Winners in bold

Wednesday 1/28
Pitt-Bradford (8-9) @ Hilbert (13-5)
Thomas More (13-5) @ Bethany (10-8)
St. Vincent (13-5) @  Waynesburg (11-9)
Anderson (10-8) @ Defiance (13-5)
Mt. St. Joseph (14-4) @ Transylvania (10-8)
Hope (12-5) @ Calvin (12-5)




Friday 1/30
Washington @ Carnegie-Mellon (8-7)
Chicago @ Case Western (11-3)

Saturday 1/31
Pitt-Greensburg (11-9) @ Medaille (14-5)
Thomas More (13-6) @ Thiel (9-6)
Defiance (14-5) @ Mt. St. Joseph (14-5)
Anderson (10-9) @ Transylvania (11-8)
Hope (12-6) @ Albion (9-8)
Denison (12-8) @ Wooster (16-4)

Sunday 2/1
Chicago @ Carnegie-Mellon (8-7)
Washington @ Case Western (11-3)

[Ohigy]

My new top 10 with some changes in the bottom half after Calvin beats Hope and St. V goes down.
1. Marietta
2. Ohio Wesleyan
3. Case Western
4. Wooster
5. Penn St. Behrend
6. Mount Union
7. John Carroll
8. Calvin
9. Hope
10. St. Vincent

[KnightSlappy]

I think the top four teams are set, but I don't think the order is. Right now there's a ~.060 SOS gap between Marietta and OWU/Case. (Marietta's SOS will be below .500 when the vote comes).

If the vote was today, Ohio Wesleyan would look good with results versus regionally ranked opponents. Right now it looks like they'll get credit for 3-1 (Wooster x2, Calvin, loss to Hope). Not a forgone conclusion that Calvin/Hope get ranked, but I think they will, barring a losses on Saturday.

Marietta will have 2-0 (John Carroll, St. Vincent), neither looking like in the top half of the region.

Case has games against Chicago and Wash U this weekend. 2-0 there would have them fighting for a possible top vote. Depending on how the weekend plays out, you could see almost any order (except Wooster over OWU in any capacity).

5-11 (only 9 will be ranked), draw names out of a hat. You could convince me of just about any order. Except Calvin probably has to be above Hope now given 2-0 head-to-head.

How do you compare Penn State-Behrend (good WP, bad SOS) with Calvin (eh WP, eh SOS) with St. Vincent (bad WP, good SOS)? I don't get how the RACs continue to do this without a firm WP/SOS weight.

[smedindy]

Ouija boards...

[sac]

I think the top four teams are set, but I don't think the order is. Right now there's a ~.060 SOS gap between Marietta and OWU/Case. (Marietta's SOS will be below .500 when the vote comes).

If the vote was today, Ohio Wesleyan would look good with results versus regionally ranked opponents. Right now it looks like they'll get credit for 3-1 (Wooster x2, Calvin, loss to Hope). Not a forgone conclusion that Calvin/Hope get ranked, but I think they will, barring a losses on Saturday.

Marietta will have 2-0 (John Carroll, St. Vincent), neither looking like in the top half of the region.

Case has games against Chicago and Wash U this weekend. 2-0 there would have them fighting for a possible top vote. Depending on how the weekend plays out, you could see almost any order (except Wooster over OWU in any capacity).

5-11 (only 9 will be ranked), draw names out of a hat. You could convince me of just about any order. Except Calvin probably has to be above Hope now given 2-0 head-to-head.

How do you compare Penn State-Behrend (good WP, bad SOS) with Calvin (eh WP, eh SOS) with St. Vincent (bad WP, good SOS)? I don't get how the RACs continue to do this without a firm WP/SOS weight.

I've been thinking about Marietta and that they might not get the #1 ranking in this region.  A good precedent is Albertus Magnus in the Northeast Region last year.  27-1 overall record ranked 8th in the final regular season regional poll with an SOS around .475.   Granted tougher region but I wouldn't be too surprised to see Marietta not in the the #1 slot next week.

Marietta will need Mt. Union and maybe even John Carroll to be ranked for their RRO's.


PSU-Behrend was also 22-4 at the final regular season poll with an SOS of .455 and didn't get ranked in this region.

[ettaexpress]

Dunno how an undefeated team in a league like the OAC wouldn't be top in the region. That's just ridiculous.

Massey ratings have the OAC the #8 conference in the country. GNAC right now is 41st. I know you're not talking about this year with Albertus Magnus, but still...huge difference in those conferences.