WBB: NESCAC

[sumfun]

Welcome Partisan.  We need more Eph perspective on this board.  Good recap....we didn't need names etc.  I was just concerned as usually when a game is delayed that long it involves back, neck or head concerns as they always error on the side of caution when moving the player.  Glad to hear player will be OK. 

I'm sure you'd agree that the Bates coach has those girls playing very well at just the right time after a disappointing early NESCAC season.

[amh63]

I follow the Div I UConn women's BB team as well as Amherst.  I have told an old friend that as UConn goes, so does Amherst.  Both teams over the years are thin at critical areas due to injuries and have to face tough conference opponents many times during the season and in conference tournaments.  This was pointed out in the broadcast for the Amh/Wes game.  It is tough to play a team three times.  It is fortunate that the upcoming Bates game is at the cooler LeFrak.  Bates is on a roll and have a large team.  Hope Amherst's injured players are not needed this weekend.

[Pat Coleman]

We can expect more than 10 New England teams, perhaps well more than 10, to qualify for the tournament. Some will filter out into the "East" bracket and "Atlantic" bracket.

Captain Obvious, to the rescue!

Hey, the question was asked. Spare me.

[Title9Fan]

I follow the Div I UConn women's BB team as well as Amherst.... Hope Amherst's injured players are not needed this weekend.

I'm a Stanford fan, but if you're right, the Jeffs will have no problem with the rest of this season because UConn looks like a pre-pro team this year. 

Whose on the injured list for Amherst?  Box scores look like they're full force.  Not the case?

[amh63]

Title9fan,
    I also like the Stanford team.  Bridget Crowley, the 6'1" firstyear player has only recently returned to the team after an extended absense.  Kim Fiorentino, a starter has been absent for awhile and is not expected to return this weekend.  The other key front court player is all-american Jaci Daugneault who has missed the pass three games, I believe. The missing two starters  were mentioned by the announcers in the Wes. game as Amherst's front court players were picking up fouls.  To the credit of Leyman, Renner, etc. the front court players played through their fouls, rebounded and scored when needed.  The Amherst team has only 12 players total.

[eph partisan]

I'm sure you'd agree that the Bates coach has those girls playing very well at just the right time after a disappointing early NESCAC season.

Very much agreed.

Any one have any sense on whether or not Williams has a real shot of making the tournament? I know there were comments earlier that said they could hypothetically, but at 18-7, I feel like they are going to need a lot of luck to get in.

[deiscanton]

Williams only has 6 losses that can be counted in the primary criteria for in-region percentage.   Williams's real in-region record is 18-6, for a regional percentage of .750.   That does not make Williams a Pool C lock, but they will be considered for Pool C selection.   However, that depends on where Williams ends up in tomorrow's regional rankings and how Williams ends up in the regional rankings after all the conference tournaments have been played, since that will determne the final order in which Williams gets to the national table from the Northeast.   However, I do expect Williams will end up on the national table for consideration.

The other loss is an out-of-region loss to Baldwin Wallace, which may hurt them on the secondary criteria if they have to go to it.  That gives Williams an out-of-region common opponent with Rochester, who is also vying for Pool C consideration.  Other Great Lakes Pool C candidates may also be helped by the Williams loss to Baldwin Wallace on the secondary criteria.  However, that is only if the primary criteria is not enough to reach a final decision on Williams.

[deiscanton]

Tournament resume for Wiiliams:

In-region record:  18-6  Regional percentage is .750

OWP is .645 as of Sunday, Feb 21 according to D3Hoops.com calculations (4th highest in Division III).

OOWP is .580 as of Sunday, Feb 21 according to D3Hoops.com calculations.

Strength of schedule (2/3 OWP, 1/3 OOWP) is .623

Record vs regionally ranked opponents (thru 2/14) is 3-5.  

Current wins vs regional ranked opponents (primary criteria)-- Skidmore (#2 in East, within 200 miles of Williams), Tufts, Bowdoin

Current losses vs regional ranked opponents (primary criteria)-- W. Connecticut, E. Connecticut, Amherst (2 losses to Amherst), Colby.

Loss this Saturday to Bates was the first in-region loss this season to a non regionally-ranked opponent.

My prediction as to the Wednesday regional rankings:   I could see W. Connecticut jumping ahead of Williams in the regional rankings, but I would be amazed if Eastern Connecticut also jumped ahead.   Eastern Connecticut is 17-8 in region (.680 regional percentage) as of games through Sunday, Feb 21, which would make it very hard for the Warriors to get selected as a Pool C pick.

Note:  Updated for clarification.

[Title9Fan]

Tournament resume for Wiiliams:

Current wins vs regional ranked opponents (primary criteria)-- Skidmore, Tufts, Bowdoin.

Skidmore counts?

Amh63:

Thanks for the update.  Hope every team at the semi's has most - if not all, of the players that brought them there - healthy and able to play!

[Title9Fan]

Skidmore isn't ranked at Top 10 (or is it?) -
How deep does the "regionally ranked" definition go? 

[deiscanton]

Tournament resume for Wiiliams:

Current wins vs regional ranked opponents (primary criteria)-- Skidmore, Tufts, Bowdoin.

Skidmore counts?

Amh63:

Thanks for the update.  Hope every team at the semi's has most - if not all, of the players that brought them there - healthy and able to play!

Yes, Skidmore counts.  Skidmore is within 200 miles of Williams, therefore Skidmore is in-region for Williams and a primary criteria opponent.

Skidmore is out of region for Bowdoin.

[deiscanton]

Skidmore isn't ranked at Top 10 (or is it?) -
How deep does the "regionally ranked" definition go?  

Regional rankings are given by the NCAA regional advisory committees for their respective evaluation regions.

Skidmore is ranked at #2 in the East as of the February 14 regional rankings.

As Skidmore is within 200 miles of Williams, a Skidmore-Williams game is an in-region game and it counts in the primary criteria for both teams for their respective regional rankings.

In-region games are defined as:

(1)  All conference games  (when Hamilton officially becomes part of NESCAC basketball conference play, then conference games vs Hamilton will count for all NESCAC teams as part of the in-region primary criteria.)

(2)  All non-conference games vs teams in your defined evaluation region.  

(3)  All non-conference games vs teams located within 200 miles of your campus.

(4)  All non-conference games vs teams located within your NCAA administrative region, even if the team is otherwise over 200 miles from your campus.

For all New England based teams, their NCAA administrative region also includes all DIII teams from New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington DC-- and is known as NCAA Administrative Region 1.

All New York and Pennsylvania Division III teams are in NCAA Administrative Region 2.

[Title9Fan]

Thanks for explanation deiscanton.  Can the matrix get any more complex?

[amh63]

Selection in Div 1 is less complex, relatively.  In the mistreated Div 3 (by the NCAA) it gets more difficult to win a National Championship due to the lack of MONEY.  Enter the "500 mile" limit which often lead teams meeting a rival for the third or 4th time.  Then there is having sectional finals and the final 4 being played on "host" gyms vice neutral sites.  This year, the final 4 site is at IWU.
The NCAA is a complex org. and therefore generates complex criteria.
With that said, what do you think will happen this weekend at Amherst?

[Title9Fan]

Amherst hosts all the way to the final 4 from here?  Well deserved, but did I hear that correctly (Sunday's Hoopsville interview)?