2012 Division III NCAA Tournament

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

What's the ASC's history in the tournament? My gut feeling is that highly regarded teams flop more often than the reverse. Granted, they usually travel a lot, but that wasn't the case here.

[EDIT] Realized that info was probably in Gordon Mann's guidebook.

Looks like they're now 13-17, .433 (since 2002).

I wish that the ASC could be flown to the F&M bracket every year.  That would give us 2-3 wins until we hit the "meat" of the tournament.

Gotta win a home game against the team that went 12-4 in the SCAC at some point. Might as well be in the first round.

One thing is for sure about next season...
as a D-3 fan at large, I won't have to defend the ASC for all of its foibles.

When are you due to become a free agent, Ralph? The CCIW needs to know when to put in its bid for your fan contract.

Right now, it looks like August 1, 2012.

You should join the CCC bandwagon.  We're small and not that talented, but we play hard and i came within a hair's breath of convincing ENC to go mascotless partly by appealing to McMurry's shot at it.  We're already connected.

Plus, when following the CCC, you can still choose a national favorite to root for come tournament time.

[Gregory Sager]

Like the CCIW needs any more fans interacting?

We've got the quantity; now we need to beef up the quality. And Ralph's a highly-valued poster. He didn't simply make the Hall of Fame by being a beneficiary of the Abilene Paradox among the other members.

[(509)Rat]

Why not jump from one DIII island to another? Come share in our travel miseries. The Linfield guys would love to have someone else to talk to during football season too 

[Pat Coleman]

Hey, for the record, I have split the 2012 NCAA Tournament conversation off from the rest three times now. I'd like it to stay this way, please. HOFers, please don't re-merge this page, thanks.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Hey, for the record, I have split the 2012 NCAA Tournament conversation off from the rest three times now. I'd like it to stay this way, please. HOFers, please don't re-merge this page, thanks.

I haven't merged this thread, but I do have the ability to do so.  Does that make me a HOFer?

[Greek Tragedy]

Sorry, I did just once.  I merged last year's tourney talk with a new thread I created and renamed it 2012.  My apologies!  Maybe you can go through some "clutter" (as my wife likes to call it) and delete some of those topics from 4 years ago that no one has looked at! LOL

[Ralph Turner]

Sorry, I did just once.  I merged last year's tourney talk with a new thread I created and renamed it 2012.  My apologies!  Maybe you can go through some "clutter" (as my wife likes to call it) and delete some of those topics from 4 years ago that no one has looked at! LOL

I actually prefer to have the entire thread saved for achival purposes.

There have been numerous times that I have found an old post that had key information to a current discussion.

I don't think that I merged a new discussion into the old one.     The memory fades.

[martin]

Massey predictions for the final 16 - 1-2 in the games completed already

MIT 71 Staten Island 67 (actual MIT 83-67)
Amherst 69 F&M 67
Amherst 71 MIT 69

Eastern CT 73 Cabrini 71  (Actual Cabrini 72-65)
Middlebury 73 Scranton 61
Middlebury 68  Eastern CT 61

North Central 64  Wittenberg 61 (actual Witt 58-55)
Wooster 73 IWU 71
Wooster 69 Wittenberg 66

Whitworth 73 VWU 71
UWW 66 Wheaton 60
UWW 71 Whitworth 65

Final Four
Middlebury 71  Wooster 68
UWW 72 Amherst 68
UWW 67 Middlebury 63

[smedindy]

What were the percentages, which I think are more revealing.

[mailsy]

The two hosts team on the left side of the bracket have lost.  Does Wittenberg have the biggest home court advantage since they are the closest to home?  Hopefully the Cabrini/Scranton contingents make a lot of noise!!!

[smedindy]

If Wooster fans show up, they'll root for IWU.

[Mr. Ypsi]

If Wooster fans show up, they'll root for IWU.

That works for me!  Though the Titans haven't done too badly as the 'hated' enemy at Hope and Wooster!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Went to the games at Lancaster tonight.  MIT was impressive with their defense, discipline, and intelligence.  They played through foul trouble, stuck to the game plan (banging inside unless Karraker is open) and seemed to easily wear down CSI.

Staten Island was impressive - lots of athletes, but they didn't have much of a game plan (other than run and run some more) and they made lots of bad passes and turnovers.  They really clicked at the end when they just gave the ball to Magliore and cleared out.  That kid can score!

MIT had serious trouble breaking the press.  Kates is their only ball handler.  If F&M presses tomorrow, they could win by 40.  Seriously, it was that bad.

I really thought MIT was a contender, but my frame of reference changed when the two teams came out for warmups for the second game.  Both Amherst and F&M are serious teams.  Big, strong, physical, athletic, and really deep.  It was a true heavyweight matchup.

Toomey struggled in the first half and sat quite a bit of it.  Amherst needed to pound the inside on offense, but he wasn't making the right passes.  Also Amherst could not keep F&M from scoring - they had a terrible, terrible defense.  I can't remember the last time I saw such a magnificent team offensive performance as F&M put on in the first half.  That being said, they were only up one at the half.  I could have sworn Amherst had it in the bag.

Milligan came out in the second half and took over.  Best guard I've seen all year.  He was making everything with that ugly, awkward shot of his, even with a hand in his face.  F&M's perimeter defense was incredible and they have plenty of big bodies to throw around down low.

In both games the refs did fine in the first half, but came out completely inconsistent in the second half.  Teams didn't know what would be called or when.  The NE teams had a tougher time adjusting to it.

For the Amherst game, they really seemed to get the worst of it.  Getting touch fouls called on them on defense and then getting crushed with no calls on offense.  They probably got the better of things with guard play, but so much of the game was played inside, it hurt them quite a bit.  Toomey was getting clobbered and rarely got a call.

I don't mind refs letting things go, but they were completely inconsistent.  I was steaming mad most of the second half and I didn't even care who won.  I feel like we were robbed of an epic battle due to poor officiating.  I said it on another board, but I expected better from the NCAA for sectionals.  The refs weren't bad, but they weren't tournament quality.

In the end, the refs did not decide the game.  Amherst had the ball, down 4 with two minutes remaining and F&M missed five consecutive FTs.  The Jeffs still couldn't make the plays when they needed to.  Milligan willed F&M to a win and got a lot of support from his interior guys.

It was still a great game, but it could have been better.

I met a few of the Amherst posters, sat next to Walzy for the second half.  I also shoot Dave McHugh's hand, but he was a bit busy with all the cameras and duties he had on the night.

The gym and the atmosphere were nice (not a fan of no food in the bleachers, but whatever).  I did find the F&M faithful less than welcoming.  A lot of them showed up for the first game to save seats.  When I didn't leave my seat after the first game, I got lots of nasty stares and comments spoken just loud enough for me to overhear.

I eventually moved over to the Amherst section.  The F&M fans weren't exactly mean, but I doubt I'll go back there in any situation other than the NCAA tournament.

[fritzdis]

For the Amherst game, they really seemed to get the worst of it.  Getting touch fouls called on them on defense and then getting crushed with no calls on offense.  They probably got the better of things with guard play, but so much of the game was played inside, it hurt them quite a bit.  Toomey was getting clobbered and rarely got a call.

I know I'm biased, but I can't agree with the bolded statement after rewatching the game (along with what I saw live last night).  On 2 occasions, Toomey clearly kicked his leg out after taking a three, drawing contact and going down awkwardly.  It would have been terrible if he had gotten those calls.  Another attempt from three was probably a foul, but Toomey definitely leaned into Milligan after getting him in the air.  On drives, he created a lot of contact by dipping his shoulder a bit.  Perhaps he should have gotten an additional call or two, but to say he was getting clobbered is a huge overstatement.

That said, the touch fouls on Amherst early in the second half were not consistent with the rest of the game.  Getting the third fouls on Workman and Barrise in the first 3 minutes had an impact on the game.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

As someone who was at the game and don't have any bias towards either team... I would agree that Toomey was the one initiating contact. The refs weren't buying it. It reminded me of Reggie Miller.

Toomey took a lot of ill advised shots and his constant effort to draw fouls just wasn't working.

And yes, there was plenty of contact be allowed by both teams... but here is the deal, this time of year you have to adjust... there is no tomorrow. You have to make quick adjustments to how a team is playing you, how you are playing (poorly or well), and how the refs are calling the game. If you can't make those adjustments... season over.