WBB: Little East

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

It is down to the final week of the regular season. It is now or never. Win the conference tournament, earn the automatic qualifier, and a team will be playing in March. Don't win it and either hold out hope for an at-large selection or the season is over.

The season continues or ends on the bounce of a ball from here on out.

So who may be in jeopardy and who is sitting pretty? On Thursday's edition of Hoopsville, we start to read the tea leaves while also chatting with teams who are hoping to punch their ticket for the Road to Salem or Rochester themselves. Plus, we get a preview of what could be a fascinating weekend of NESCAC tournament action at Amherst.

Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can watch the show LIVE starting at 7:00 p.m. ET here: http://bit.ly/2BIbiUe

If you have questions, be sure to email them to hoopsville@d3hoops.com or interact with the show via the social media avenues located to the right.

Guests include (in order of appearance):
- Steve Schulman, Lehman men's coach
- Matt Ducharme, UMass-Dartmouth women's coach
- Jamie Purdy, Piedmont women's coach
- Grey Giovanine, No. 9 Augustana men's coach
- Michele Durand, No. 24 Ohio Northern women's coach (WBCA Center Court)
- Howard Herman, Berkshire Eagle writer (NESCAC tournaments preview)

If you enjoy the show via the podcasts instead, you can get access to them or subscribe one of the three following ways (click on the images when necessary):
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville



Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville

[SidelineHero]

It is down to the final week of the regular season. It is now or never. Win the conference tournament, earn the automatic qualifier, and a team will be playing in March. Don't win it and either hold out hope for an at-large selection or the season is over.

The season continues or ends on the bounce of a ball from here on out.

So who may be in jeopardy and who is sitting pretty? On Thursday's edition of Hoopsville, we start to read the tea leaves while also chatting with teams who are hoping to punch their ticket for the Road to Salem or Rochester themselves. Plus, we get a preview of what could be a fascinating weekend of NESCAC tournament action at Amherst.

Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can watch the show LIVE starting at 7:00 p.m. ET here: http://bit.ly/2BIbiUe

If you have questions, be sure to email them to hoopsville@d3hoops.com or interact with the show via the social media avenues located to the right.

Guests include (in order of appearance):
- Steve Schulman, Lehman men's coach
- Matt Ducharme, UMass-Dartmouth women's coach
- Jamie Purdy, Piedmont women's coach
- Grey Giovanine, No. 9 Augustana men's coach
- Michele Durand, No. 24 Ohio Northern women's coach (WBCA Center Court)
- Howard Herman, Berkshire Eagle writer (NESCAC tournaments preview)

If you enjoy the show via the podcasts instead, you can get access to them or subscribe one of the three following ways (click on the images when necessary):
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville



Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville

Looking forward to tonight's show!

[deiscanton]

Little East semifinals-- North Dartmouth, MA

Final-- UMass-Dartmouth 76, Eastern Conn St. 63

UMass-Dartmouth is 1 win away from the Little East AQ. 

[AllStar]

[deiscanton]

UMass Boston captures the Little East AQ, and sends UMass-Dartmouth to the Pool C bubble.

UMass-Dartmouth should still be ranked in the final regional rankings.  Does UMass-Boston enter the final regional rankings?  If the Beacons end up ranked, that would give the Corsairs 2 wins v RRO.  The Corsairs started this week 0-3 v RRO-- if UMass Boston gets regionally ranked, the Corsairs would end up at least 2-4 v RRO.

Roger Williams is third from the Northeast to go to the table, with UMass-Dartmouth fourth from that region to go to the table.

I expect Roger Williams to get a Pool C bid (RWU now 3-3 v RRO), along with at least 2 NESCAC teams.

UMass-Dartmouth has an excellent winning pct and SOS-- their results v RRO concern me.  The committee will take a deep dive into UMass-Dartmouth's resume, and hopefully the Corsairs will be on the good side of the bubble on Monday.

St Joe's Maine captured the GNAC AQ today.

[AllStar]

[7express]

So, usually the cut off for New England is about 5 or 6.  IF Boston can get into the New England rankings I think Dartmouth gets in, if Boston still fails to make the RR's I think Dartmouth will be out.  Also, depends on how far/if Dartmouth drops.  #2 (Bowdoin) and whoever loses the NESCAC finals between #1 (Amherst) and #3 (Tufts) is a lock for the tournament.  Roger Williams (#4) last week will be the 3rd team at the table for New England after those first 2, and will likely get off the table.  I doubt anyone jumps Dartmouth which means they should be the 4th team to the table.  I think they'll get in. 

[deiscanton]

So, usually the cut off for New England is about 5 or 6.  IF Boston can get into the New England rankings I think Dartmouth gets in, if Boston still fails to make the RR's I think Dartmouth will be out.  Also, depends on how far/if Dartmouth drops.  #2 (Bowdoin) and whoever loses the NESCAC finals between #1 (Amherst) and #3 (Tufts) is a lock for the tournament.  Roger Williams (#4) last week will be the 3rd team at the table for New England after those first 2, and will likely get off the table.  I doubt anyone jumps Dartmouth which means they should be the 4th team to the table.  I think they'll get in.

UMass Boston also now has a case to make to jump to #12 in the Northeast in the final regional rankings:

1.). Exceptionally high winning pct at 23-3 (.885)
2.). UMass- Boston's SOS has now improved to .507, according to unofficial d3hoops.com/PrestoSports calculations-- up from .494 in the Feb. 21 regional rankings.
3.). UMass-Boston now has 1 win vs a RRO, which would be UMass-Dartmouth.

[amh63]

FYI, Amherst wins the Nescac title and probably get positioned to host deep into the post season.  60 straight wins to date.  Let's hope the LEC TEAMS DO NOT get to play in LeFrak...just saying.

[7express]

Boston will play St. Joseph's of Maine who ran roughshod through the GNAC and has won 26 straight games.

Dartmouth looked like they got left at the alter.  Too bad for a team that went unbeaten in conference play (and really, none of the games were that close.  I think their closest win was 15 points), and who made the regional finals last year.

[SidelineHero]

Absolute bull spit that MassD does not make the tourney!?  This reeks of favoritism.  How does a team that made the elite eight last year, which bettered themselves this year get left out?!!!!!!!! Shameful and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Absolute bull spit that MassD does not make the tourney!?  This reeks of favoritism.  How does a team that made the elite eight last year, which bettered themselves this year get left out?!!!!!!!! Shameful and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Nothing you mentioned is in the criteria... and how do you see favoritism in any way shape or form?

[SidelineHero]

.


Absolute bull spit that MassD does not make the tourney!?  This reeks of favoritism.  How does a team that made the elite eight last year, which bettered themselves this year get left out?!!!!!!!! Shameful and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Nothing you mentioned is in the criteria... and how do you see favoritism in any way shape or form?

Start with Haverford getting in and work back from there.  Also Roger Williams getting in ahead of MassD when MassD had one more win, a stronger SOS and if MassB got regionally ranked, then also two wins against a RRO.  RWU loses to Endicott and Curry and still gets in ahead of MassD.....favoritism.  MassD gets votes for top 25 three weeks in a row And RWU never sniffed the 25.  MassD has a 24-4 record and is ousted by teams with far less impressive resumes.  MassD was better than they were last year by a decent margin and is somehow outside looking in after an elite eight run last year. Add to that, D3hoops also projecting MaasD into the tournament so let's not act like you are not picking up what I am putting down.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

.


Absolute bull spit that MassD does not make the tourney!?  This reeks of favoritism.  How does a team that made the elite eight last year, which bettered themselves this year get left out?!!!!!!!! Shameful and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Nothing you mentioned is in the criteria... and how do you see favoritism in any way shape or form?

Start with Haverford getting in and work back from there.  Also Roger Williams getting in ahead of MassD when MassD had one more win, a stronger SOS and if MassB got regionally ranked, then also two wins against a RRO.  RWU loses to Endicott and Curry and still gets in ahead of MassD.....favoritism.  MassD gets votes for top 25 three weeks in a row And RWU never sniffed the 25.  MassD has a 24-4 record and is ousted by teams with far less impressive resumes.  MassD was better than they were last year by a decent margin and is somehow outside looking in after an elite eight run last year. Add to that, D3hoops also projecting MaasD into the tournament so let's not act like you are not picking up what I am putting down.

You can start with Haverford, but considering the committee chair was off the call from the moment her team got to the table... you are reaching. I can show you plenty of examples when committee member teams have been parked and never made the tournament despite being at the table.

We have talked about the RWU and UMD comparison until we have beaten a dead horse... RWU had better criteria overall than UMD even with Boston in the rankings (possibly). That didn't change this week. RWU remained ahead of UMD as it should be... remember, RWU beat UMD which is equal criteria to the difference in WL.

Being better than last year only counts for talking about it on post up boards and at the bar. It means nothing to this year. No where in the criteria is there a line that reads "how did they do this year compared to last year?" Nor is there a line, "how far did they get last year?"

We did predict UMD into the tournament ... as one of our very last picks. If you are thinking you should be in the tournament based on our very last picks, then you are way over confident. As much as we try and get the picks right, we have done that for one gender in four years. We usually miss two or three because we a) don't have the final regional rankings, b) don't have all the data accurate, c) aren't privy to the conversations that determine rankings and selections. We do our best, but we always say when we get to the very last picks... we easily could be wrong.

I am not surprised UMD didn't make it. Said that to an official in the Northeast Region on Saturday night. I said the bubble was a little too fragile for UMD considering their criteria. Win the AQ and this is a moot point..

... and considering what I wrote, no I do not get what you are throwing down.

[SidelineHero]

.


Absolute bull spit that MassD does not make the tourney!?  This reeks of favoritism.  How does a team that made the elite eight last year, which bettered themselves this year get left out?!!!!!!!! Shameful and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Nothing you mentioned is in the criteria... and how do you see favoritism in any way shape or form?

Start with Haverford getting in and work back from there.  Also Roger Williams getting in ahead of MassD when MassD had one more win, a stronger SOS and if MassB got regionally ranked, then also two wins against a RRO.  RWU loses to Endicott and Curry and still gets in ahead of MassD.....favoritism.  MassD gets votes for top 25 three weeks in a row And RWU never sniffed the 25.  MassD has a 24-4 record and is ousted by teams with far less impressive resumes.  MassD was better than they were last year by a decent margin and is somehow outside looking in after an elite eight run last year. Add to that, D3hoops also projecting MaasD into the tournament so let's not act like you are not picking up what I am putting down.

You can start with Haverford, but considering the committee chair was off the call from the moment her team got to the table... you are reaching. I can show you plenty of examples when committee member teams have been parked and never made the tournament despite being at the table.

We have talked about the RWU and UMD comparison until we have beaten a dead horse... RWU had better criteria overall than UMD even with Boston in the rankings (possibly). That didn't change this week. RWU remained ahead of UMD as it should be... remember, RWU beat UMD which is equal criteria to the difference in WL.

Being better than last year only counts for talking about it on post up boards and at the bar. It means nothing to this year. No where in the criteria is there a line that reads "how did they do this year compared to last year?" Nor is there a line, "how far did they get last year?"

We did predict UMD into the tournament ... as one of our very last picks. If you are thinking you should be in the tournament based on our very last picks, then you are way over confident. As much as we try and get the picks right, we have done that for one gender in four years. We usually miss two or three because we a) don't have the final regional rankings, b) don't have all the data accurate, c) aren't privy to the conversations that determine rankings and selections. We do our best, but we always say when we get to the very last picks... we easily could be wrong.

I am not surprised UMD didn't make it. Said that to an official in the Northeast Region on Saturday night. I said the bubble was a little too fragile for UMD considering their criteria. Win the AQ and this is a moot point..

... and considering what I wrote, no I do not get what you are throwing down.

Apparently you are just as stubborn as I am.  I can respect that and I love your shows and overall coverage of D3hoops.  I am not changing my mind though.  The committee got this one wrong in my opinion.  Of course it matters not now that the picks are in but I am not moving off RWU being overrated and UmassD and UMassB being underrated since the RR's came out. Had MassB been regionally ranked in the first place as they should have been, this conversation never takes place. (Sigh)  We have reached an impasse, I believe.  Please keep up your quality coverage of Division 3 basketball.  I'm glad we even have a place to discuss these topics.