2014 D3 Season: National Perspective

[Soccergeek]

Another head-scratcher: Hope is ranked in the Central, and Kalamazoo is unranked.  If one looks purely at the listed criteria (winning %, SOS and results versus ranked opponents), Hope is slightly ahead of Kalamazoo in the first two and tied in the the last one.  However, Kalamazoo defeated Hope twice in head-to-head play, including this past Saturday.  One would think head-to-head play would be the best indication of how two teams stack up, but apparently it is not even considered by the committee.  The rankings appear to be based solely upon an algorithm involving the listed criteria and nothing else.

[blooter442]

Tufts being below Babson is ridiculous.

I know that—a few years back—I always felt that Brandeis got slighted in relation to other NE programs when discussing national rankings/etc., but I feel that in the past two years the Judges have been given their due (and, dare I say, perhaps even been a bit overrated at times.)

FWIW, Brandeis played both teams. While both were 2-0 wins for the Judges, I will say that Tufts could have easily snuck that game (and that was at Brandeis' turf.) The Babson game, meanwhile, could have been 5-0 or 6-0, such was Brandeis' dominance. Granted, Babson has beaten Bowdoin (whom Tufts drew with) and MIT (whom Tufts tied), but they also lost to WPI (at home) and Wheaton. In the end, though, I guess it's results that matter. Still, even then, I think Tufts should be above Babson.

[blooter442]

Also, anyone know what happened to Sean Bingham of MIT? He scored 16 goals in '12 and 21 in '13, but only has 12 this year. Haven't been following them but he is a very good player and always a threat I look out for.

[PaulNewman]

OK, so re-grouping, looks like at large teams (at the moment) are....

2 Centennial teams, Brandeis/Chicago, EMORY, Wheaton/Coast Guard, Oneonta/Cortland, CNU/Salisbury, Kenyon/OWU, Wheaton/North Park, Loras/Wartburg = 10

And then...Babson, Tufts, Rochester, probably still Brockport, Rut-Newark, Covenant (if needed), St Olaf/GAC = 7

With 1 spot left from among UW-W (if needed), WPI, Gordon, RPI/SLU, Haverford, Centre, Montclair, Case Western, Carnegie Mellon, Hope/Calvin, UC Santa Cruz

And the teams currently looking like Dick Vitale will be screaming about getting left out -- Luther, Middlebury, Montclair (if lose to Camden), Rut-Camden, and Roanoke (if lose to Lynchburg)

Thanks for catching that lastguy.....and St Olaf may be on their way OUT...and another spot gone if SLU loses!

[lastguyoffthebench]

And you're forgetting Emory.

SLU heading to OT vs Hobart...

[mjan]

Newark bumping that high to 3 while MSU drops from 2 to 7 vs a regionally ranked opponent.

Wow! Montclair State would appear to be in a must-win NJAC title situation!  Covenant better than MSU?!?!  Centre with their eight blemishes?!?!  Crazy!

Not so Crazy...Who has MSU beaten( camden??) Lost to messiah, wheaton, Newark. Centre lost to Kenyon, Thomas more and tied Emory and beat the same Newark team MSU lost too. The NJAC as a conference was 0 wins against southern teams. Maybe MSU should schedule games with southern teams instead of Hunter, Brooklyn and CCNY as these big wins did nothing for SOS.

[PaulNewman]

Centre also tied OWU.

[lastguyoffthebench]

Newark bumping that high to 3 while MSU drops from 2 to 7 vs a regionally ranked opponent.

Wow! Montclair State would appear to be in a must-win NJAC title situation!  Covenant better than MSU?!?!  Centre with their eight blemishes?!?!  Crazy!

Not so Crazy...Who has MSU beaten( camden??) Lost to messiah, wheaton, Newark. Centre lost to Kenyon, Thomas more and tied Emory and beat the same Newark team MSU lost too. The NJAC as a conference was 0 wins against southern teams. Maybe MSU should schedule games with southern teams instead of Hunter, Brooklyn and CCNY as these big wins did nothing for SOS.

And to your point, who has Centre beaten?  What's their quality WIN, DePauw?

Who has Covenant beaten other than Rutgers-Newark?  They lost to Methodist but did beat NC Wesleyan.

Emory will fall in the 2nd round of the NCAAs, much like the UAA always does.   Eat up bids and rarely reach the Elite 8.

MSU might schedule cupcakes, but they still have been to two elite 8s and a final four in the last 3 years.    Using Newark's stumble early on is a minute sample size.  You can argue for the Camden losses to CNU and Lynchburg, but I think you are referring more to the deep south here.

[mjan]

Newark bumping that high to 3 while MSU drops from 2 to 7 vs a regionally ranked opponent.

Wow! Montclair State would appear to be in a must-win NJAC title situation!  Covenant better than MSU?!?!  Centre with their eight blemishes?!?!  Crazy!

Not so Crazy...Who has MSU beaten( camden??) Lost to messiah, wheaton, Newark. Centre lost to Kenyon, Thomas more and tied Emory and beat the same Newark team MSU lost too. The NJAC as a conference was 0 wins against southern teams. Maybe MSU should schedule games with southern teams instead of Hunter, Brooklyn and CCNY as these big wins did nothing for SOS.

And to your point, who has Centre beaten?  What's their quality WIN, DePauw?

Who has Covenant beaten other than Rutgers-Newark?  They lost to Methodist but did beat NC Wesleyan.

Emory will fall in the 2nd round of the NCAAs, much like the UAA always does.   Eat up bids and rarely reach the Elite 8.

MSU might schedule cupcakes, but they still have been to two elite 8s and a final four in the last 3 years.    Using Newark's stumble early on is a minute sample size.  You can argue for the Camden losses to CNU and Lynchburg, but I think you are referring more to the deep south here.

Centre at least scheduled and tied teams that are currently ranked regional which is more than MSU/NJAC did.

Schedule cupcakes and pay the price, especially in a weak conference. Live with the history all you want. Next year maybe your MSU/NJAC teams grow a set and come south to play so you don't have to live in the past so much.
If the UAA has to play Messiah again it may just lose again same can be said if MSU plays them again. Alot of the final eight is luck of where you are placed. If you make it past the first round tough to argue you don't belong.  And if you can't beat Emory you might as well keep taking shots at them on this board.

[PaulNewman]

I think the argument above is a little off-base.  The argument (and this is why Luther still makes no sense) doesn't seem tied so much to who MSU played or who Centre played because in the previous two weeks MSU was #3 and #2 regionally, way ahead of Centre (and a bunch of other teams).  It's bizarre to be #2 one week and then #7 when the only blemish is to a team that got moved up to #3. 

I assume each region has its own committee.  Are there big variations between how committees reach their decisions?

And does anyone know how it is decided whether the 1st and 2nd rounds are played Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun?

[GarbageGoals33]

If I am not mistaken I believe the religious schools (Messiah, Wheaton, etc.) play Fri/Sat avoiding Sunday games.  Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

[PaulNewman]

Potential at-large teams can breathe a small bit of relief as John Carroll advances over Capital and I don't think the other two semifinalists are capable of beating the Blue Streaks.

[PaulNewman]

GG33, does that apply to all of the religious schools?  And does that apply even when they aren't hosting?  And so is the preference Sat/Sun UNLESS there is a religious school in the group?

[Puerco Espin]

When Loras hosted Calvin in '11 and Wheaton in '12, the games were Friday/Saturday instead of Saturday/Sunday, which to my understanding is the preference.

Off the top of my head, I don't know how many schools in DIII follow this that would be in the NCAA Tournament.

[PaulNewman]

Interesting.  I know last year Wheaton hosted the first two rounds and it was definitely a Fri/Sat and then Messiah hosted the sectional and it was Sat/Sun.  I assume the candidates are Wheaton, Hope, Calvin, Messiah, Gordon.  Other other big names I'm missing?