MBB: University Athletic Association

[jaybird44]

Updated road win standings--haven't factored in the late-ending games.  D'OH!!

Case 3
WashU 2
Emory 2
Rochester 2
NYU 2
Carnegie 0
Brandeis 0--but hoping for one today.

[jaybird44]

UAA standings...heading toward a multi-horse photo finish?

Chicago 6-3
WashU 5-4
Case-Western 5-4
Emory 5-4
Rochester 5-4
NYU 5-4
Carnegie Mellon 3-6
Brandeis 2-7

[WUPHF]

And, just like that, we have six teams back in it.  Unbelievable and unprecedented.

I have to apologize to Rochester for counting them out early on.

[Ethelred the Unready]

And, just like that, we have six teams back in it.  Unbelievable and unprecedented.

I have to apologize to Rochester for counting them out early on.

Boy, you and me both.  Never saw this coming

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Per at-large bids, just because the conference is spread out across different regions doesn't necessarily mean it will get extra bids. In fact, it may have to face itself for at-large bids.

Now, in the East NYU may stand out (as long as they don't keep stumbling) and could position themselves to get to the table early - if not first. However, it isn't like teams have been at the table and sat their the entire time and never been selected (i.e. Staten Island last year in the Atlantic).

Case Western might get to the table quickly, but they are in a semi-crowded Great Lakes with Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, Marietta, Mount Union, Hope, Calvin, Trine, etc. that in any combination could be sitting ahead of them in the regional rankings (and not get the AQ).

Emory in the South will probably be high, but it depends if they get stuck behind an extra ODAC team or someone from Texas. Not sure.

Chicago and Wash U... in trouble. If Wash U is looking for an at large bid (assuming Chicago gets the AQ in this example), they are going to probably end up behind two or three CCIWs, one WIAC, maybe even a surprise at-large team (who should have won their conference). The Central Region is deep. If anyone is in trouble of not getting an at-large bid... it's Wash U right now.

[sac]

Per at-large bids, just because the conference is spread out across different regions doesn't necessarily mean it will get extra bids. In fact, it may have to face itself for at-large bids.

Now, in the East NYU may stand out (as long as they don't keep stumbling) and could position themselves to get to the table early - if not first. However, it isn't like teams have been at the table and sat their the entire time and never been selected (i.e. Staten Island last year in the Atlantic).

Case Western might get to the table quickly, but they are in a semi-crowded Great Lakes with Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, Marietta, Mount Union, Hope, Calvin, Trine, etc. that in any combination could be sitting ahead of them in the regional rankings (and not get the AQ).

Emory in the South will probably be high, but it depends if they get stuck behind an extra ODAC team or someone from Texas. Not sure.

Chicago and Wash U... in trouble. If Wash U is looking for an at large bid (assuming Chicago gets the AQ in this example), they are going to probably end up behind two or three CCIWs, one WIAC, maybe even a surprise at-large team (who should have won their conference). The Central Region is deep. If anyone is in trouble of not getting an at-large bid... it's Wash U right now.

While its true the Central is deep, all of its current Pool C candidates are very strong candidates and would be taken pretty early in the process.  WashU's 16-4/.570 OWP is pretty strong nationally, remember they'll get boat loads of RvRRO's.   They have better current criteria than  Elmhurst and are probably at least even with North Central.

Chicago would be in trouble if they don't win the AQ I think, they'd be behind at least 5 other pool c teams in the this region.

Current pecking order is probably.........
Current Pool A's:  Whitewater, IWU, St. Norbert, Chicago, Aurora, Spalding
Current Pool C's:  Stevens Point, Augustana, WashU, North Central, Elmhurst.

Without upsets the Central gets 4 pretty easily I think.  At least two of these are interchangeable(Whitewater-Point, IWU-Augie)

[y_jack_lok]

Per at-large bids, just because the conference is spread out across different regions doesn't necessarily mean it will get extra bids. In fact, it may have to face itself for at-large bids.

Now, in the East NYU may stand out (as long as they don't keep stumbling) and could position themselves to get to the table early - if not first. However, it isn't like teams have been at the table and sat their the entire time and never been selected (i.e. Staten Island last year in the Atlantic).

Case Western might get to the table quickly, but they are in a semi-crowded Great Lakes with Wooster, Ohio Wesleyan, Marietta, Mount Union, Hope, Calvin, Trine, etc. that in any combination could be sitting ahead of them in the regional rankings (and not get the AQ).

Emory in the South will probably be high, but it depends if they get stuck behind an extra ODAC team or someone from Texas. Not sure.

Chicago and Wash U... in trouble. If Wash U is looking for an at large bid (assuming Chicago gets the AQ in this example), they are going to probably end up behind two or three CCIWs, one WIAC, maybe even a surprise at-large team (who should have won their conference). The Central Region is deep. If anyone is in trouble of not getting an at-large bid... it's Wash U right now.

While its true the Central is deep, all of its current Pool C candidates are very strong candidates and would be taken pretty early in the process.  WashU's 16-4/.570 OWP is pretty strong nationally, remember they'll get boat loads of RvRRO's.   They have better current criteria than  Elmhurst and are probably at least even with North Central.

Chicago would be in trouble if they don't win the AQ I think, they'd be behind at least 5 other pool c teams in the this region.

Current pecking order is probably.........
Current Pool A's:  Whitewater, IWU, St. Norbert, Chicago, Aurora, Spalding
Current Pool C's:  Stevens Point, Augustana, WashU, North Central, Elmhurst.

Without upsets the Central gets 4 pretty easily I think.  At least two of these are interchangeable(Whitewater-Point, IWU-Augie)

See bold above. After yesterday's game MacMurray leads the SLIAC, but the SLIAC has a four team tournament, so anything can happen.

[jaybird44]

Next weekend will be very important.  WashU still has games against teams that it is tied with or behind--except for Case, with whom the Bears split their games.  They visit Emory Friday, and Rochester Sunday; then three games at home to finish the season vs. NYU, Brandeis, and Chicago. 

I guess I am somewhere in-between Dave's and sac's assessments.  It is good that the Bears played with more verve and urgency today--they will need to do so in every game the rest of the way to finish their run through the gauntlet.  It could be far worse than their current status of being a game off the lead with five to play.

We'll begin to see exactly who is an endangered playoff species on Wednesday, when the first regional rankings are released, eh?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Probably goes without saying, but at this point, no UAA team can stand to lose another game.  Some teams might still get in with another loss, but none should be expecting it.

[WUPHF]

For those who have not yet seen it, the wildest play of the day in an otherwise wild UAA Sunday was courtesy of Patrick Burns, Costa Gontikas, and Evan Kupferberg.

Emory had the ball tied 70-70 with a chance to win it, but NYU defended the play and got the ball back with 1.5 seconds left.  And, then this happened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJN3DqQInZ4

Kupferberg finished with 24 points while Harris had 18 in the win.  NYU was +11 on rebounds, but struggled with 23 turnovers.  Emory had their own struggles, however, going 2-28 (7 percent) from three point range.

[WUPHF]

Boy, you and me both.  Never saw this coming

Rochester started the season 3-0 before going 1-8 to finish out non-conference play.  They then go 1-3 to start conference play with a win over Carnegie Mellon before rattling off four straight wins against NYU and Brandeis.  Here they are right in the mix.

[DagarmanSpartan]

Ugh!

My Spartans may now be in MELTDOWN mode!

Let's hope that this doesn't continue.

[Pat Coleman]

Ugh!

My Spartans may now be in MELTDOWN mode!

Let's hope that this doesn't continue.

This is just the way the UAA is, man ... it's a tough slog. Case is making progress, though. Update of a chart we ran in Around the Nation a couple of weeks ago:

Life in the UAA

Case Western Reserve has had a varying amount of success in the past decade in non-conference games, but has had a losing record in conference each season.

Season   Non-conf.    Conf.
2006-07   4-7 (.364)   1-13 (.071)
2007-08   7-4 (.636)   1-13 (.071)
2008-09   7-4 (.636)   5-9 (.357)
2009-10   8-3 (.727)   6-8 (.429)
2010-11   4-7 (.364)   5-9 (.357)
2011-12   8-3 (.727)   2-12 (.143)
2012-13   7-4 (.636)   5-9 (.357)
2013-14   8-3 (.727)   6-8 (.429)
2014-15   9-2 (.818)   5-4 (Feb. 9)

[ADL70]

You live by the three you die by the three.  CWRU shot threes 20% below it season average vs Chicago and nearly 10% below vs WashU.  Wash shot 54% from the field 50% on threes.  If they make three of the eleven misses vs Chicago they likely win (would have been 6-14 right at their season average).  They also missed fifteen layups, making only ten!

Let's look on the bright side, if the Spartans can win four of the last five (it has wins over four of those last opponents, although Brandeis and NYU were at home), it will be the best season in program history!

[WUPHF]

You live by the three you die by the three.  CWRU shot threes 20% below it season average vs Chicago and nearly 10% below vs WashU.  Wash shot 54% from the field 50% on threes.  If they make three of the eleven misses vs Chicago they likely win (would have been 6-14 right at their season average).  They also missed fifteen layups, making only ten!

Let's look on the bright side, if the Spartans can win four of the last five (it has wins over four of those last opponents, although Brandeis and NYU were at home), it will be the best season in program history!

The bright side is that winning four of the last five could be enough to win the conference.  And, clearly CWRU could win five of the next five. 

The only dark side, as I see it, is that the Spartans will lose McLoughlin, Klements, Edel, Person and maybe Dean to graduation.  But, definitely not the time to think about that now.