Wisconsin D3 Basketball Challenge

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I've been to all the d3 gyms in Delaware, which used to be 1 and now is zero.  I guess I've solved a mathematical conundrum.  1 divided by zero equals Wesley College.

[Greek Tragedy]

https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2023/09/18/every-wisconsin-restaurant-on-guy-fieri-diners-drive-ins-and-dives/70819804007/

Apparently I missed a couple of good places to eat while I went up to see Superior and Northland. I'm always up for a good burger and breakfast. I doubt I'll ever make it back up there, unless Point plays in Superior's tournament or if Point plays a back to back at Superior and Northland. If I do, I'll have to try to remember Anchor Bar and Grill in Superior and Delta Dinner in Delta.

To answer the question before it's asked, I'm not planning on doing this again, at least this year. Next year (2024-2025), I am planning on doing the Big 3: Great Lakes Invite, D3 hoops in Vegas and the Final Four in Fort Wayne.

[Gregory Sager]

https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2023/09/18/every-wisconsin-restaurant-on-guy-fieri-diners-drive-ins-and-dives/70819804007/

Apparently I missed a couple of good places to eat while I went up to see Superior and Northland. I'm always up for a good burger and breakfast. I doubt I'll ever make it back up there, unless Point plays in Superior's tournament or if Point plays a back to back at Superior and Northland. If I do, I'll have to try to remember Anchor Bar and Grill in Superior and Delta Dinner in Delta.

To answer the question before it's asked, I'm not planning on doing this again, at least this year. Next year (2024-2025), I am planning on doing the Big 3: Great Lakes Invite, D3 hoops in Vegas and the Final Four in Fort Wayne.

That tripleheader sounds worth a two-year wait. I envy you that experience!

[Pat Coleman]

https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2023/09/18/every-wisconsin-restaurant-on-guy-fieri-diners-drive-ins-and-dives/70819804007/

Apparently I missed a couple of good places to eat while I went up to see Superior and Northland. I'm always up for a good burger and breakfast. I doubt I'll ever make it back up there, unless Point plays in Superior's tournament or if Point plays a back to back at Superior and Northland. If I do, I'll have to try to remember Anchor Bar and Grill in Superior and Delta Dinner in Delta.

To answer the question before it's asked, I'm not planning on doing this again, at least this year. Next year (2024-2025), I am planning on doing the Big 3: Great Lakes Invite, D3 hoops in Vegas and the Final Four in Fort Wayne.

That tripleheader sounds worth a two-year wait. I envy you that experience!

Damn! Very nice.

[Greek Tragedy]

Dang! Seven-plus months away and I already know I won't be heading to Vegas for the D3hoops Classic. Apparently my family likes ocean/water over desert. We'll be heading to Clearwater, Florida for Christmas/New Year's. However, I do know there are tournaments down there, so I'll just have to find them. Hopefully as schedules come out, everyone can point me in the right direction. Maybe Magicman can help me out. I know private companies run small college tournaments that include D3 teams, so hopefully I'll find time.

[Greek Tragedy]

I attended 6 games involving 12 different teams...in four different states over the weekend. Hardly a Wisconsin Challenge, but quite the opposite.

I decided to go to the Jack Skima tournament at IWU in Bloomington, Illinois. Ironic because Stevens Point was down there 2 years ago, but I didn't go. It took us about 4 1/2 hours to get there.  There were four ranked teams participating, so it seemed like a good idea. IWU hosted Cal Lutheran in the early game and Platteville played Calvin in the nightcap.

Here's the end of that game.

https://twitter.com/IWUhoopscom/status/1855088255722545551?t=5IC77hQMtRGVnlQTsljb6A&s=19

I really didn't want to stick around Saturday for 5 and 7 pm games, so I scrolled the schedule. It basically snowballed from there because Trine was hosting their own tournament with 1 pm and 3 pm Saturday games. We stayed overnight in Bloomington and then headed out to Angola, Indiana, a little over 4 hours away. We made the 1 pm game that had UMHB taking on Heidelberg. The 2nd game involved Trine hosting Wabash. The game ran a little late, so we headed out at halftime to... Albion, Michigan, about an hour away, for a 5 pm tip-off. Albion vs Illinois Tech.

After the game, we stopped by the last Hot n Now in existence, about 45 minutes away in Sturgis, MI. We made it home a little before midnight.

Sunday, I actually worked and then came home, took a quick shower and headed out to my Alma Mater, Lakeland University Muskies to watch them take on my hometown team Stevens Point.

So, if you lost track:

Friday: Illinois
IWU vs Cal Lutheran
Platteville vs Calvin

Saturday: Indiana
UMHB vs Heidelberg
Trine vs Wabash

Saturday: Michigan
Albion vs Illinois Tech

Sunday: Wisconsin
Lakeland vs Stevens Point


Check out the below link for lots of pictures.

https://www.facebook.com/share/pimsMN3jbKa2iH5x/

[bulk19]

Good stuff! I'll be along again vicariously for your annual excursions...
Curious to see if you'll head up to the new arena in Eau Claire, and your thoughts about that...

[ronk]

 You could be an NCAA tournament selection consultant if they ever add the "eyetest" to their criteria.

[Greek Tragedy]

No Wisconsin Challenge, but I did return to Michigan this weekend for the Great Lakes Invitational. It's quite the lineup hosted by Calvin College.

The 1st game involved Wisconsin La Crosse, who received votes in the preseason poll, vs Marietta, who was 3-0. Marietta was the only team in this field who wasn't ranked or receiving votes in the preseason poll. La Crosse smoked them 99-75. They shot the lights out.

The 2nd game was #12 St. John's vs #21 Hope. The Flying Dutchmen were no match for the Johnnies' tough defense and lost 64-48.

The 3rd game pitted #3 John Carroll vs Johns Hopkins, another team receiving single digit votes in the preseason poll. John Carroll couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and was behind double digits most of the game. They did cut it to 6, but JHU weathered that storm and won 84-69.

The last game featured two top 10 teams. Host #9 Calvin vs #8 Emory. It was a close game throughout, but Emory was able to hold off everthing Calvin threw at them, eventually winning 83-74.

It's interesting that Calvin is now 0-5. they lost to #2 Platteville at IWU, lost to #24 Cal Lutheran at the same tournament, lost to Oshkosh at the Heidelberg tournament and then lost to the hosts a day later. Today, Calvin plays #16 St. John's.


Today's Great Lakes Invitational schedule:

#21 Hope vs Marietta
Johns Hopkins vs La Crosse
#3 John Carroll vs #8 Emory
#16 St. John's at #9 Calvin


Calvin's Van Noord Arena is huge. It seats 5,000 and is part of a bigger athletics facility. It even has a 3-story rock climbing wall just outside the arena. The restrooms are just outside the arena and the concessions are just outside as well, in a commmons-type area. It's nice and new-ish, but nothing really says, "Wow," I guess. They do have a nice NBA-style scoreboard that hangs from the ceiling, although the "players on the floor" feature never seemed updated. The most interesting aspect of the arena is that the lower level is bleachers and the upper level is folding chairs. In most places, it's the opposite. It was nice sitting in the upper level in a nice comfortable folding chair with a back. They do have a suite area for, I assume, donors, booster club members, coaches families etc. They also have electrical outlets in the arena. That was nice since I was there for 9 hours yesterday. I was able to charge my phone! I know, 1st world problems.

As usual, check my Wisconsin Basketball Challenge Facebook page for pictures.