I am working in Ashland, OH this week and would like to see some tournament action. I live in Georgia, so I am not familiar with many of the colleges and universities in NE Ohio. Is any school within an hour drive hosting first round games? If so, could you please let me know. If there is more than one site, who would you recommend that I go see?
Thanks!
Quote from: Ben Stein Fan on March 02, 2016, 04:44:02 PM
I am working in Ashland, OH this week and would like to see some tournament action. I live in Georgia, so I am not familiar with many of the colleges and universities in NE Ohio. Is any school within an hour drive hosting first round games? If so, could you please let me know. If there is more than one site, who would you recommend that I go see?
Thanks!
John Carroll, in the Cleveland suburbs, is by far your closest option. Marietta is a little further (and will sell out).
According to Google Maps, it's an hour and 17 minutes from Ashland to University Heights (the Cleveland suburb where John Carroll is located) via I-71 and I-271.
Good Grief... I'm normally the last person in the world to steer someone away from D3... BUT.. Gulp, I hate to suggest...
Ashland University is hosting the GLIAC men's and women's semis on Saturday and Sunday... the GLIAC is one of the top D2 conferences in the country... this could be an opportunity to be within minutes of seeing some very good college hoops.. and it's NOT D1....
Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 02, 2016, 06:15:05 PM
According to Google Maps, it's an hour and 17 minutes from Ashland to University Heights (the Cleveland suburb where John Carroll is located) via I-71 and I-271.
According to Mapquest, it's 1:13 hours(66 mi) from Ashland, Oh to Delaware,Oh(Ohio Wesleyan) to see All-American Brendan Boken(he's worth it) and Scranton vs Lynchburg and Pitt-Greensburg and Ohio Wesleyan.
Quote from: hopefan on March 02, 2016, 06:27:20 PM
Good Grief... I'm normally the last person in the world to steer someone away from D3... BUT.. Gulp, I hate to suggest...
Ashland University is hosting the GLIAC men's and women's semis on Saturday and Sunday... the GLIAC is one of the top D2 conferences in the country... this could be an opportunity to be within minutes of seeing some very good college hoops.. and it's NOT D1....
Can someone PLEASE ban hopefan from these boards... permanently! ROFL ;) /sarcasm
Quote from: Dave 'd-mac' McHugh on March 02, 2016, 06:55:01 PM
Quote from: hopefan on March 02, 2016, 06:27:20 PM
Good Grief... I'm normally the last person in the world to steer someone away from D3... BUT.. Gulp, I hate to suggest...
Ashland University is hosting the GLIAC men's and women's semis on Saturday and Sunday... the GLIAC is one of the top D2 conferences in the country... this could be an opportunity to be within minutes of seeing some very good college hoops.. and it's NOT D1....
BRING BACK COLEMAN!!!! ;D ;D ;D
Can someone PLEASE ban hopefan from these boards... permanently! ROFL ;) /sarcasm
Both JCU and OWU play in bandboxes, both funky in their own ways. I'd guess both gyms will be close to empty for the first game Friday, and sold out for the second, although there might be some wiggle room at OWU.
Quote from: hopefan on March 02, 2016, 06:27:20 PM
Good Grief... I'm normally the last person in the world to steer someone away from D3... BUT.. Gulp, I hate to suggest...
Ashland University is hosting the GLIAC men's and women's semis on Saturday and Sunday... the GLIAC is one of the top D2 conferences in the country... this could be an opportunity to be within minutes of seeing some very good college hoops.. and it's NOT D1....
There have been some major upsets in the GLIAC Tournament with the #1 seeded Saginaw Valley St, #3 seeded Findley, and 4th seeded Lake Superior State going down to defeat.
The remaining semi-finals are #2 Ashland vs #6 Ferris State #8 Walsh vs #5 Hillsdale
If you want a D3 connection the Hillsdale coach John Tharpe was the coach at Lawrence.
What is this - the D2 Board? I was looking for the D1 Board! McHuge(h)!
Oh Mann, Coleman has been gone what 3-4 days? What other boards will be created?
Quote from: sac on March 02, 2016, 07:30:09 PM
Quote from: hopefan on March 02, 2016, 06:27:20 PM
Good Grief... I'm normally the last person in the world to steer someone away from D3... BUT.. Gulp, I hate to suggest...
Ashland University is hosting the GLIAC men's and women's semis on Saturday and Sunday... the GLIAC is one of the top D2 conferences in the country... this could be an opportunity to be within minutes of seeing some very good college hoops.. and it's NOT D1....
There have been some major upsets in the GLIAC Tournament with the #1 seeded Saginaw Valley St, #3 seeded Findley, and 4th seeded Lake Superior State going down to defeat.
The remaining semi-finals are #2 Ashland vs #6 Ferris State #8 Walsh vs #5 Hillsdale
If you want a D3 connection the Hillsdale coach John Tharpe was the coach at Lawrence.
Oh no, now you will get Appleton Rocks posting here :)
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. Looks like I will be heading up to John Carroll. I will have my iphone fully charged so I can watch LaGrange College play online while watching the first game at JC.
Be sure to bring your sunglasses and lead-lined blast suit, as the D3 Championship BeltTM will be in the house.
Quote from: iwumichigander on March 02, 2016, 07:44:03 PM
What is this - the D2 Board? I was looking for the D1 Board! McHuge(h)!
Oh Mann, Coleman has been gone what 3-4 days? What other boards will be created?
I'm not going away yet. :)
Quote from: Pat Coleman on March 03, 2016, 12:21:41 AM
Quote from: iwumichigander on March 02, 2016, 07:44:03 PM
What is this - the D2 Board? I was looking for the D1 Board! McHuge(h)!
Oh Mann, Coleman has been gone what 3-4 days? What other boards will be created?
I'm not going away yet. :)
+1!
Quote from: David Collinge on March 02, 2016, 07:07:26 PM
Both JCU and OWU play in bandboxes, both funky in their own ways. I'd guess both gyms will be close to empty for the first game Friday, and sold out for the second, although there might be some wiggle room at OWU.
I've always thought our gym was very ordinary. Interested to hear what you think makes it funky. Stands on both sides, second levels on each side and a dog pound for the students. It has always seemed very typical to me. We did lose a lot of capacity when they put the chair backs in the lower level - went from 2200 to 1600 - but most D3 schools aren't packing it in night after night. Just curious.
As you said, plenty of seats available for the first game but the second game should be packed -- only thing that might stop that is that the students are on spring break.
Quote from: Onward on, John Carroll on March 03, 2016, 04:09:45 PM
Quote from: David Collinge on March 02, 2016, 07:07:26 PM
Both JCU and OWU play in bandboxes, both funky in their own ways. I'd guess both gyms will be close to empty for the first game Friday, and sold out for the second, although there might be some wiggle room at OWU.
I've always thought our gym was very ordinary. Interested to hear what you think makes it funky. Stands on both sides, second levels on each side and a dog pound for the students. It has always seemed very typical to me. We did lose a lot of capacity when they put the chair backs in the lower level - went from 2200 to 1600 - but most D3 schools aren't packing it in night after night. Just curious.
As you said, plenty of seats available for the first game but the second game should be packed -- only thing that might stop that is that the students are on spring break.
sounds slightly funky. any good pictures? couldn't find much with a quick search.
Quote from: David Collinge on March 02, 2016, 07:07:26 PM
Both JCU and OWU play in bandboxes, both funky in their own ways. I'd guess both gyms will be close to empty for the first game Friday, and sold out for the second, although there might be some wiggle room at OWU.
Don't be surprised in the first game at JCU - Scranton tends to travel very well and I would be pretty surprised if people don't figure out how to get to the game from Lynchburg since it is their first since 1979.
Lynchburg-Scranton is at OWU. Game 1 at JCU is Denison-Alma.
What I find funky about the DeCarlo is the upstairs/downstairs atmosphere, with relatively little downstairs. I got the sense of watching the game being played down in a pit, like gladiators or Christians and lions. It's reminiscent of St. John Fisher in Rochester in this regard. My perception of JCU's gym is colored by being at the friends-and-relatives sectional final a few years ago between UT-Dallas and someone I've forgotten but wasn't JCU.
Quote from: David Collinge on March 03, 2016, 07:48:51 PM
Lynchburg-Scranton is at OWU. Game 1 at JCU is Denison-Alma.
What I find funky about the DeCarlo is the upstairs/downstairs atmosphere, with relatively little downstairs. I got the sense of watching the game being played down in a pit, like gladiators or Christians and lions. It's reminiscent of St. John Fisher in Rochester in this regard. My perception of JCU's gym is colored by being at the friends-and-relatives sectional final a few years ago between UT-Dallas and someone I've forgotten but wasn't JCU.
Or the Palestra in Rochester which, from the camera angle, was like playing in a dry swimming pool.
Quote from: David Collinge on March 03, 2016, 07:48:51 PM
Lynchburg-Scranton is at OWU. Game 1 at JCU is Denison-Alma.
What I find funky about the DeCarlo is the upstairs/downstairs atmosphere, with relatively little downstairs. I got the sense of watching the game being played down in a pit, like gladiators or Christians and lions. It's reminiscent of St. John Fisher in Rochester in this regard. My perception of JCU's gym is colored by being at the friends-and-relatives sectional final a few years ago between UT-Dallas and someone I've forgotten but wasn't JCU.
Yeah - my brain had that backwards... it is so fried these days for obvious reasons.
I was at that JCU sectional that year... it was more than a few years ago ;)
Quote from: ronk on March 03, 2016, 07:54:34 PM
Quote from: David Collinge on March 03, 2016, 07:48:51 PM
Lynchburg-Scranton is at OWU. Game 1 at JCU is Denison-Alma.
What I find funky about the DeCarlo is the upstairs/downstairs atmosphere, with relatively little downstairs. I got the sense of watching the game being played down in a pit, like gladiators or Christians and lions. It's reminiscent of St. John Fisher in Rochester in this regard. My perception of JCU's gym is colored by being at the friends-and-relatives sectional final a few years ago between UT-Dallas and someone I've forgotten but wasn't JCU.
Or the Palestra in Rochester which, from the camera angle, was like playing in a dry swimming pool.
The Palestra in Rochester is one of the iconic gyms in Division III. It is awesome. Yes, feels a little like being in a hockey rink that has been sunk into the ground... but it is awesome.
Quote from: David Collinge on March 03, 2016, 07:48:51 PM
Lynchburg-Scranton is at OWU. Game 1 at JCU is Denison-Alma.
What I find funky about the DeCarlo is the upstairs/downstairs atmosphere, with relatively little downstairs. I got the sense of watching the game being played down in a pit, like gladiators or Christians and lions. It's reminiscent of St. John Fisher in Rochester in this regard. My perception of JCU's gym is colored by being at the friends-and-relatives sectional final a few years ago between UT-Dallas and someone I've forgotten but wasn't JCU.
2009. Guilford played UT-D after they beat JCU and Capital, respectively, in the semifinals.
The downstairs used to be as big as the upstairs but was remodeled in 2002 and that's when the capacity was reduced. I think it helps create a better atmosphere for the typical regular season game by giving the appearance of a fuller gym by almost always having a filled lower level.
Either way, fair critique.
Quote from: Onward on, John Carroll on March 03, 2016, 10:10:34 PM
Quote from: David Collinge on March 03, 2016, 07:48:51 PM
Lynchburg-Scranton is at OWU. Game 1 at JCU is Denison-Alma.
What I find funky about the DeCarlo is the upstairs/downstairs atmosphere, with relatively little downstairs. I got the sense of watching the game being played down in a pit, like gladiators or Christians and lions. It's reminiscent of St. John Fisher in Rochester in this regard. My perception of JCU's gym is colored by being at the friends-and-relatives sectional final a few years ago between UT-Dallas and someone I've forgotten but wasn't JCU.
2009. Guilford played UT-D after they beat JCU and Capital, respectively, in the semifinals.
The downstairs used to be as big as the upstairs but was remodeled in 2002 and that's when the capacity was reduced. I think it helps create a better atmosphere for the typical regular season game by giving the appearance of a fuller gym by almost always having a filled lower level.
Either way, fair critique.
The Guilford- UTDallas game was a classic. UTD led the first 39:58. Guilford's Clay Henson tied it with a 3FG with 0:01 left and then won in OT.
Yeah, it was a great game, but my lasting memory of that weekend is the fabulous, frenetic atmosphere for the Capital and JCU games on Friday, followed by the tomblike ambiance for the sectional final on Saturday. I don't think I've ever experienced a better environment than those Friday games, except maybe the 3OT Wooster/Wittenberg sellout classic about 10 years ago.
I called those games for D3sports - I think I was the only one calling the games period that weekend. It as a great atmosphere on Friday which promised an insane atmosphere for Saturday... until both upsets and we had almost no one there on Saturday.
Guilford/UT-Dallas game was also very good.
I was back at JCU last night for two great games... but instead of staying for Alma/JCU tonight... I am headed down the road to Marietta for what should be a fascinating game between two friends.
I was a stringer for D3hoops.com that weekend. I had to sit courtside with Dave on Friday, because of the crowd. Anyone who knows me knows that courtside is not my thing. Then Saturday I was able to wander around and sit anywhere I wanted, literally. It was great.