Worst (1st, 2nd...etc.) Round Pairing(s)

[mark_reichert]

And what the women's teams for the two schools did six years ago may be the most irrelevant factoid posted in a D3 men's basketball room that I've seen all month.

Do you know of fans of giant killers who don't bring up the killing whenever possible? 

[ScotsFan]

smedindy - Sorry that this spread to the Tournament Pages. I will refrain and keep to the point.

If John Carroll get's by Westminster (PA). What are their chances against Lake Erie. Fontbonne played John Carroll in STL several years ago. I was very impressed with that club and have kind a followed them since.

Well, seeing as how Lake Erie was throttled by Witt in last year's NCAA Tournament by a margin of 36 points, no one is expecting much out of the Storm this year either, despite their record.  I voted for them getting the bye as the worst 1st round pairing as they play in a weak conference and have not really proven themselves outside of beating Rochester, which, IMO was before Rochester hit their stride this season. 

JCU seems to always play well come tournament time, which is why I was really surprised to see them go down to Cap in the OAC finals.  I would look for them to get past Westminster and LEC with relative ease in the 1st two rounds.

[fcnews]

Sorry Mark! 81 games is correct. The shame that year was if FU would of beat Wartburg up Minn. (they lost by 5) they would of faced Wash U. for the right to go to the Final Four. Then again who knows how big a let down it would of been to lose big to the National Champs.

[chocsrock34]

I don't see how Salem State and Lake erie get byes where as neither MC or VWC did. Then two brackets have two byes and the MC-VWC didn't get one.

[tigerphil]

I think VWC and MC didn't get byes because there were three ODAC teams to make the tournie when really only two should have (and I am an HSC alumn saying HSC went on a great run to win the ODAC and get the A bid). When they decided to add Guilford with a pool c, that cost VWC or MC the bye. If you want to complain about them not getting byes, complain about the travel rule that forces conferences to paired in the same conference (which I am confused about having read Pat's article about the Women's bracket where there are teams from Maine in two different sectionals, a little clarity would be nice  )

[chocsrock34]

Oh, I'm not complaining. I think that it's better not to have a bye because MC can get passed Oxy and then we would have one game under our belt. I just don't understand how it happened. I really don't understand why the selection committee doesn't undergo some changes. I'm with you on the unfairness of the traveling rule. MC last year had a shot at getting the sectional hosting bid but lost it because the three other teams were closer to each other.

[tigerphil]

I want changes for the travel rule, but I also understand why they won't make changes. D3 doesn't give scholarships, so the student athletes, really are students first, then athletes. It is nice that the NCAA recognizes this (plus cost effectiveness), but it doesn't allow the best teams to make it to the Final Four, but then again who says the best teams make it without a travel rule.

[ILive4This]

I agree with you, in division 3 the student aspect of student athlete comes first, and it does for the many weeks of the regular season, however this is a very short period of time, for a small percentage of the teams. If they miss a class or two to ensure that the correct teams face one another, I think it is something that the governing body, the schools and the professors should understand. While athletes should not receive special treatment, giving an extension on a paper to a player is no different or even more deserved than to a student who is overwhelmed with multiple papers (something that happens alot to students). The athlete is representing the school, and although their battles do not appear on espn and bring in much money in apparel sales, they still are representing something greater than themselves and they deserve the opportunity to do so.

[Gregory Sager]

Yikes....neutral corners, gents. If that's possible.

I'm already in a neutral corner. I have no dog in this fight. All I'm doing is posting the facts. FCnews is just a little too close to the situation to be objective, and that's perfectly understandable. It's an entirely human reaction. We all know what it's like to be a zealous fan of one team or another, and sometimes when you're that zealous a little nudge of reality from a disinterested outsider can be even more irritating than baseless smack from a fan of your team's rival. I don't begrudge FCnews' anger towards me at all. All I'm saying is ... don't shoot the messenger.

[Greek Tragedy]

I would have to say Washington U. v Wooster is up there, as is Lawrence v Wheaton.

Stevens Point v Chicago is tough.

I think the Augie regional is the Group of Death.

On the other end, Moravian gets a Pool B bid and takes on John Jay (13-15).

Augie
Aurora
Washington U.
Wooster

That group goes on to play:

St. Thomas
Buena Vista
Chicago
Stevens Point

[sac]

There's never going to be getting away from a tough bracket in that part of the country.

It doesn't seem quite as tough as last years Sectional which had #7 Augustana, #10 Hope, #1 Stevens Point and #8 Washington U paired up against each other.  Augie  was upset and Carroll moved on to the Sectional.

That bracket also had #5 St. Thomas, #12 Chicago and #14 Aurora

This years version, using last week rankings, these will change for this weeks poll
Augustana #10
Aurora
Washington #4
Wooster #12

St. Thomas #16
Buena Vista
Chicago
Stevens Point #5

[ILive4This]

Last Week Wash U was ranked 7,

I also agree Moravian/John Jay may be the worst, not because its two tough teams bu the exact opposite, these should be the equivalent of 14-16 seeds and yet one of these teams will get out of the first round. I am surprised that UMD is getting a bye, the hosting is not a surprise, but the bye is having lost to RIC twice in the last 2.5 weeks, and RIC has to basically travel out of region, although they should be able to get a win over Nazareth, although I very much like that match up there.

This year's version of fontbone/wash u, is Lasell traveling to Brandeis. if you use the extremes of the campuses, we are talking about 1.5 miles apart, however they are in two different towns, Waltham and Newton. and the Newton/Boston Marriott serves as a nice hotel option in the middle of the two schools. It is actually the closest hotel to Brandeis mileage wise, although it would mean Lasell would be housed still in their town, not Waltham. Either way, Red Auerbach Arena should be filled to capacity.

[sac]

Last Week Wash U was ranked 7,

They were #4

http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/08/week12.htm

[ILive4This]

My apologies I consider that two weeks ago, poll 13 http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/ is what I considered last week's poll as a new poll comes out tonight/tomorrow morning being this week's poll.

Also, I just happen to like using as recent data as possible, in addition having wash u as the 7th ranked team and they will probably be lower this week at 9/10 after the loss to Chicago, makes that pod seem a bit more reasonable.

[sac]

that would be my bad then, as I was considering week 12 last weeks poll