Clearing the Bases
Apr
2007
It is playoff time. This weekend there are six automatic bids (Pool A) up for grabs as teams look to join Ferrum in the 2007 Regional Playoffs. I have looked at the conferences with no tournament and those tournaments that are ongoing and ending this weekend.
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Northwest Conference, and Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference are the only conferences with an automatic bid with no end of the season tournament and the regular season champion gets the automatic bid.
This is the final weekend for the SCIAC where Pomona-Pitzer is tied with La Verne at 13-5. Pomona-Pitzer plays Cal Tech (0-18) three times and La Verne has three games against Whittier (10-8). If La Verne wins out, they hold the tiebreaker (2-3 against Pomona-Pitzer) and get the automatic bid. Cal Lutheran (12-6 ) has an outside chance if Cal tech and Whittier can kock off the top teams in the conference. Pomona-Pitzer has an outside chance at a pool C bid but it looks like only one team in the SCIAC will get a playoff bid.
The MIAA has games as late as May 8th but the conference champions should be determined before that. Conference leaders Adrian (15-5) and Hope (15-5) have a three game advantage over the third place teams with four games left to play.
In the NWC, Pacific Lutheran (18-3) is in control and with one win at Puget Sound this weekend will get the automatic bid over George Fox who finished the season with a 19-5 conference record. Both Pacific Lutheran and George Fox are ranked near the top in the west region and it is expected that whoever finishes in second place to recieve a pool C bid.
Two conferences Championships have been held. Ferrum won the USA South Athletic Conference and Salisbury won the Capital Athletic Conference. Only the USA South has an automatic bid so Salisbury has to wait for the selection committee. It is expected that Salisbury will get a Pool B bid with the regular season conference champion York (Pa.) in the running for a pool C bid.
This weekend will see five conference tournaments. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference, New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference, Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, and Great South Athletic Conference
The GNAC tournament has started with Western New England posting a win againd Rivier and Johnson & Wales upsetting Suffolk in the double elimination tournament. The double elimination NEWMAC championship begins on Saturday morning with top-seeded Wheaton squaring off with Babson in the first game and MIT and Coast Guard meeting in the second game. The ODAC tournament features the top six teams in the conference. Virginia Wesleyan, Hampden-Sydney and Bridgewater both started the tournament off with wins. The SCAC tournament started last weekend with Rhodes, Millsaps, Austin and Southwestern (Texas) all advancing to the second round. The GSAC tournament does not get an automatic bid but the four team conference starts today at Maryville College.
Of all the teams playing only Wheaton and maybe Rhodes is expected to get a Pool C bid if they do not win their conference tournament. I wish all teams luck as it is essential if one wants to move on to win this weekend.
The rest of the tournament to be played (grouped by ending date) are:
May 5, 2007: CCC, NEAC, MACC, ASC.
May 6, 2007: NAC, MASCAC, SUNTAC, SKY, MAFC, CC, PnAC.
May 7, 2007: NJAC.
May 11, 2007: NCAC.
May 12, 2007: LEC, CUNYAC, OAC, HCAC, PrAC, IIAC, CCIW, WIAC, SLIAC, MWC, UMAC.
May 13, 2007: AMCC, NorAC, MIAC, NESCAC.
April 29th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Austin College (22-23) won the SCAC tournament today by upsetting Millsaps 9-7. Austin upset the ranked Millsaps team Friday night and then surprised Rhodes on Saturday 10-8. Austin came into the tournament as the #3 seed and a record of 19-23.
May 1st, 2007 at 12:21 pm
where do you guys think the MIAC and WIAC teams will fall? Do non-conference champs have a chance for a pool C bid? and how will other Midwest region teams such as St. Scholastica play into the mix?
May 1st, 2007 at 12:37 pm
The regional rankings give you an idea.
Assuming St Olaf or St Thomas wins the MIAC, the other has a good chance at a pool C bid. UW-Oshkosh is probably in with a Pool A or Pool C bid but any other team in the WIAC probably has to win the conference to advance. St Scholastica probably will make it in as things stand but if there are a lot of upsets in the conferences, they might be looking out. Their best chance is to hope as many favorites win their conference. I hate to see what happens if Cortland, Wooster, Kean, New Jersey all stumble in their conference and push out a some of the schools living on the bubble.
Midwest
1. St. Olaf 20-2, 25-2
2. UW-Oshkosh 23-5, 23-5
3. Ripon 11-1, 14-9
4. St. Thomas 15-7, 21-8
5. St. Scholastica 13-3, 23-4
6. UW-Stevens Point 13-6, 16-11
May 1st, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I would agree with that consensus. Do you have an idea of how the committee determines by the pool B bids, because a record of 15-5 in one region is hard to compare to a 15-5 record in another region?? I understand that quality index for within region, but how do they compare regions?
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:46 am
Okay everyone, I hope you are ready for some good water cooler talk. I am going to play D3 Bracketologist for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. All records and information is updated as of April 30, 2007 regarding records and conference standings. Also, any teams that have not completed 30 games to this point have been left off any potential Independent or At-Large Qualifiers. First, I will rundown the list of qualifiers. Then, I will give you my thoughts on placement and seeding. Here we go!
Automatic Qualifiers-I hope I have the right conferences
CCIW = Illinois Wesleyan (25-9)
Iowa = Wartburg (24-8)
SLIAC = Webster (25-10)
Centennial = Johns Hopkins (29-7)
MA Commonwealth = Lebanon Valley (20-16)
MA Freedom = King’s (26-9)
NJAC = Kean (30-6)
PennAC = Arcadia (24-9)
Heartland = Mt. St. Joseph (28-7)
Michigan = Hope (25-10)
North Coast = Wooster (35-3)
Ohio = Otterbein (24-7)
President’s = Washington & Jefferson (26-7)^
Midwest = St. Norbert’s (21-7)^
Minnesota = St. Olaf (25-4)
Wisconsin = UW-Oshkosh (26-8)
*NEWMAC = Wheaton (27-10)
*GNAC = Western New England (25-8)
Commonwealth Coast = Curry (23-7)
Little East = Eastern Connecticut (26-8)
NESCAC = Tufts (22-9)
MaSCAC = Westfield State (16-13)
City UNYAC = Mitchell College (15-7)^
State UNYAC = SUNY-Cortland (32-4)
Liberty = Rensselaer (23-8)
Skyline = Manhattanville (20-15)
Allegheny Mountain = La Roche (23-15)
*Old Dominion = Bridgewater (17-20)
* SCAC = Austin College (22-23)
*USA South = Ferrum (23-16)
American Southwest = TX Lutheran (32-8-1)
*Northwest = Pacific Lutheran (32-7)
*SCalIAC = Pomona Pitzer (26-10)
Independent Qualifiers
Univ of Washington (28-9)
St. Scholastica (29-5)
Salisbury (30-7)
Emory (35-7)
Chapman (32-5)
At-Large Qualifiers
Luther (24-7)
Edgewood (23-9)
College of New Jersey (28-8)
Gwynedd-Mercy (24-9)
Thomas More (23-7)
Univ of St. Thomas (24-9)
Salve Regina (23-9)
Keene State College (25-9)
Trinity (26-6)
York (28-9)
Rhodes College (36-10)
Millsaps (35-11)
Averett (31-12)
TX-Dallas (31-9)
George Fox (29-6)
*Conference Season Completed, team has secured automatic qualifier
^Tie in conference, best overall record taken
Groupings and Rankings for Tournament
Central
(1) Wartburg
(2) IL Wesleyan
(3) Rhodes
(4) Millsaps
(5) Luther
(6) U of Washington
(7) Webster
Mid-Atlantic
(1) Kean
(2) Johns Hopkins
(3) College of NJ
(4) Kings
(5) Arcadia
(6) Gwynedd-Mercy
(7) Lebanon Valley
Mideast
(1) Wooster
(2) Mt. St. Joseph
(3) Otterbein
(4) Washington & Jefferson
(5) Thomas More
(6) Hope
Midwest
(1) St. Olaf
(2) UW-Oshkosh
(3) St. Thomas
(4) St. Scholastica
(5) Edgewood
(6) St. Norbert
New England
(1) Eastern Connecticut
(2) Western New England
(3) Curry
(4) Trinity
(5) Wheaton
(6) Tufts
(7) Westfield State
New York
(1) Cortland State
(2) Rensselaer
(3) Keene State
(4) Salve Regina
(5) LaRoche College
(6) Manhattanville
(7) Mitchell College
South
(1) Emory
(2) Salisbury
(3) York
(4) Averett
(5) Ferrum
(6) Bridgewater
West
(1) Chapman
(2) TX Lutheran
(3) George Fox
(4) Pacific Lutheran
(5) TX Dallas
(6) Pomona Pitzer
(7) Austin College
Last Four In
Salve Regina
Edgewood College
Averett
Gwynedd Mercy
Last Five Out
SUNY Oneonta
Methodist
Ramapo
Augustana
Penn State Behrend
NOTES
I am an assistant coach in the Midwest, so much of the selections were based on winning percentages than looking at each schedule. I know the ratings index will factor in a lot. Only teams with winning percentages above .700 were considered for Independent and At-Large Qualifiers. I left out Keystone because I am not sure if they are still provisional. Williams College, St. Joseph’s (ME) could move in once they have played enough games. Austin College winning the SCAC created the opportunity for 3 SCAC teams to get in. Loses by Illinois Wesleyan, Johns Hopkins, Kean, Mt. St. Joseph, Wooster, St. Olaf, UW-Oshkosh, and SUNY Cortland would bump some of the last four in from the tournament. I will be back next Tuesday with the updated projection. Have fun with this!