https://thetournament.com
Apparently this thing is real and aside from the D3 team taking on a UCLA alumni team, I checked out the pod that will be playing an hour away from me in Milwaukee. I really don't know if I'll make it down, but it would be interesting just to see how many people actually show up to watch. It does help that one of the teams is basically made up of Marquette alumni.
I'm in Big 10 country, so I checked out Big X's roster and it included Duncan Robinson and Wesleyan's Harry Rafferty.
Yeah ... it's real ... thus why Pat and I have been tweeting and retweeting the team news and voting stuff. And why Pat was willing to let Mike post updates and fundraising efforts on the boards. LOL
Quote from: Dave 'd-mac' McHugh on June 06, 2018, 03:58:58 PM
Yeah ... it's real ... thus why Pat and I have been tweeting and retweeting the team news and voting stuff. And why Pat was willing to let Mike post updates and fundraising efforts on the boards. LOL
I don't tweet. ;D
We've posted it on Facebook and on the front page of D3hoops.com as well. :)
And again... the boards. LOL
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on June 06, 2018, 03:26:36 PM
https://thetournament.com
Apparently this thing is real and aside from the D3 team taking on a UCLA alumni team, I checked out the pod that will be playing an hour away from me in Milwaukee. I really don't know if I'll make it down, but it would be interesting just to see how many people actually show up to watch. It does help that one of the teams is basically made up of Marquette alumni.
I'm in Big 10 country, so I checked out Big X's roster and it included Duncan Robinson and Wesleyan's Harry Rafferty.
I foresee the Greek conducting a fantasy draw for the tourney. ::)
Umm. No. :P ::) ;D :)
Handful of other D3 guys playing or coaching at TBT according to the rosters posted. I may not have gotten all of them though...
Queens Struggle
John Ballesteros - SUNY Oneonta/Lehman
Scotty McRae - SUNY - Albany
Xavier Thomas - Plattsburgh St
Tampa 20/20
Kristian Clarkson - Widener
Dubois Dream
Abert Varacello - W&J
Reavel Moore - Albright
Ari Stern - Wooster
South Jamaica Kings
Iyolia Agho - NYU
Ike Iwu - CUNY - York
Charles Jones - SUNY-Old Westbury
Talladega Knights
Ray Chang - Union
Big X
Harry Rafferty - Wesleyan
Duncan Robinson - Williams/Michigan
Tell White - Endicott (Assistant Coach)
Peoria All-Stars
Willie Williams - Eureka
Ben Friday - Monmouth
DC on Point
Dele Ojo - Pfeiffer
Reginald Sims - Eastern Mennonite
Eberlein Drive
Jacob Hirehmann - JCU
Mid American Unity
Connor Huth - Valley Forge
Team Fancy
Griffin Taylor - Alfred
D3
Joey Flannery - Babson
Jeff Gibbs - Otterbein
Ted Hinnenkamp - Dickinson
Johnathan Ivey - Brockport
Lucas Johnson - Benedictine
Ty Sabin - Ripon
Ben Strong - Guilford
Aaron Toomey - Amherst
Jaqhawn Walters - Albertus Magnus
Thanks for going through this list -- Albany hasn't been D-III since the mid-1990s, and Ojo played for Pfeiffer as a D-II team, but good list.
Glad to see Iwu is still playing!
Quote from: Pat Coleman on June 16, 2018, 12:57:41 PM
Glad to see Iwu is still playing!
From now on, I'm going to call you "Chuck". ;)
Quote from: Gregory Sager on June 16, 2018, 03:46:40 PM
Quote from: Pat Coleman on June 16, 2018, 12:57:41 PM
Glad to see Iwu is still playing!
From now on, I'm going to call you "Chuck". ;)
Is this where I mention learning about the 1997 national title in the alumni magazine? Or is this where we talk about barely making the CCIW tournament and running the table to win the baseball national championship? I need to know!
Quote from: Pat Coleman on June 16, 2018, 07:34:03 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on June 16, 2018, 03:46:40 PM
Quote from: Pat Coleman on June 16, 2018, 12:57:41 PM
Glad to see Iwu is still playing!
From now on, I'm going to call you "Chuck". ;)
Is this where I mention learning about the 1997 national title in the alumni magazine? Or is this where we talk about barely making the CCIW tournament and running the table to win the baseball national championship? I need to know!
I prefer the story of taking a bike ride with the wife instead of watching one of the best endings to a National Championship game...ever. I mean, why watch the National Championship game if your team loses in the semis. You only drove 15 hours. ;D :P :o
LOL. I have to stop picking on Chuck so much ... but the Ike Iwu reference was too good a setup to let pass.
Quote from: Gregory Sager on June 16, 2018, 10:59:07 PM
LOL. I have to stop picking on Chuck so much ... but the Ike Iwu reference was too good a setup to let pass.
It's OK - I'm a big boy.
And I agree that the Iwu reference was irresistible - I just couldn't come up with a response I liked! ;D
I'll give you this, Chuck: You're a good sport.
Quote from: Gregory Sager on June 17, 2018, 08:59:48 AM
I'll give you this, Chuck: You're a good sport.
Totally true. I've definitely dished a lot out in your direction over the decades. :)
Don't forget the D3 team plays those overrated UCLA alumni tonight, I believe around 9:20 pm Eastern time. ESPN3?
Yes.
http://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2018/07/watch-d3-tbt
So Gibbs is still a beast.
44-38 lead at the half. Keep it up :)
Flannery is looking great. They seem to be saving Ben Strong for the end of the game, which is smart - he's been all over the boards and hitting threes. Toomey's been a bit sloppy, but the shot is falling like always. A few guys seem to be overwhelmed by the moment, but they're settling in. Pat, Dave, and I are live tweeting the game.
Here's the link to watch it (also on the d3hoops front page):
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3399577/d3-vs-sons-of-westwood-ucla-alumni-regional-round-tbt
Missed the 1st 15 mins, but what I saw was interesting. Difference was the physicality(strength, quickness) on the defensive perimeter of the Westwood players. I now see how Gibbs was such a great player in his college days.
A lot like a March Madness game, the underdogs have a great first half while the favorites have a bit of a slow start then the second half is all one sided the other way. 65-90 final. Too many misses inside and too many fast breaks the other way.
Hopefully next year we'll have another D3 team make the tournament and take down the big boys. :)
Quote from: FCGrizzliesGrad on July 14, 2018, 11:14:23 PM
A lot like a March Madness game, the underdogs have a great first half while the favorites have a bit of a slow start then the second half is all one sided the other way. 65-90 final. Too many misses inside and too many fast breaks the other way.
Hopefully next year we'll have another D3 team make the tournament and take down the big boys. :)
Kind of helps when the officials decide to stop calling fouls they were calling... or making up calls. I normally don't care about officiating... but that was a poorly officiated game.
Anyone know if there is an archived video of the game? I wasn't able to watch last night
I am sure you can watch on ESPN3 (WatchESPN). They usually have that stuff archived.
I watched the first half just by clicking the link above. It was definitely worth the time.
https://www.fibalivestats.com/u/TBT/1288290/
The #8 seed We Are D3 battled the top seed Boeheims Army and lost 68-65 tonight. Some rule they can implement in the 4th quarter allows them to change the ending of the game from simply a clock to "First to 68" or something. I think it was 62-56 when it changed to that. No idea about the rule. Anyway...
Yes -- this tournament uses the Elam Ending. At the first dead ball under 4, then the target is set at Leading Team's Score Plus 8. Then the game ends when someone reaches that score.
It kills all the fouling and free-throw shooting down the stretch.
I'd really like to see the Elam Ending experimented with in a college basketball setting. Perhaps in the Division I NIT and WNIT at first.
Rather than dead ball 4 and under, I would change the halves to 18 minutes each (or quarters to 9 each) then go to Elam at the buzzer.
Quote from: Caz Bombers on July 27, 2019, 08:11:18 AM
I'd really like to see the Elam Ending experimented with in a college basketball setting. Perhaps in the Division I NIT and WNIT at first.
Agreed. Among the basketball analytics community, the question is whether such a change would simply move the foul-line parade earlier, before the winning point total is set. This makes me that cutting off the timer midway through the second half might be preferable.
I looked at the Elam Ending in that game as an argument against using it more broadly. We Are D3 cut the deficit from six points to three points. When Boeheim's Army scored the winning basket, the game was even closer.
If the game had been allowed to go the full length, wouldn't that have conceivably allowed at least one more position to tie the game?
I think what you describe, though, is exactly what the proponents of the Elam Ending want -- to give the trailing team a legitimate path to rallying to win the game, rather than the parade of foul shots which is unlikely to do anything but bore the audience.
Jeff Gibbs, former member of the D3 entry in the TBT, was a starter on this year's winner - Carmine's Crew.
Not bad for a guy who's, what, about 38 years old or so by now?
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 09, 2019, 10:27:54 PM
Not bad for a guy who's, what, about 38 years old or so by now?
I believe he's 39.
I am not sure if others are interested in discussing the tournament, but just in case...
The TBT will feature two teams with Division III players as far as I know.
We Are D3 is back as the most notable representative of Division III basketball.
The Nerd Team will be coached by Aaron Toomey, but as far as I can tell, is mostly Ivy League players this season.
New to the field is Da Guys out of St. Louis which will feature an Emory alum and I believe a Fontbonne alum though I have not seen the final roster.
There may be others as well.
Here's a link to some info about DaGuys: https://thetournament.com/teams/daguys-stl/
Aside from TBT, are there any former D3 players on any NBA summer league rosters? Maybe we should open up (or combine) a thread dedicated to players after their D3 careers. That might be cool to see where former stars like Aston Francis, Ty Sabin and the like are doing nowadays. Maybe we can keep track of Ryan Turell's exploits. Maybe, as a group, we can keep track of players playing on local G-League teams.
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on July 09, 2022, 05:49:20 AM
Aside from TBT, are there any former D3 players on any NBA summer league rosters? Maybe we should open up (or combine) a thread dedicated to players after their D3 careers. That might be cool to see where former stars like Aston Francis, Ty Sabin and the like are doing nowadays. Maybe we can keep track of Ryan Turell's exploits. Maybe, as a group, we can keep track of players playing on local G-League teams.
Saw this on Twitter. If I've seen it then I imagine many others have as well. Not sure if this is summer league or not.
https://twitter.com/D3Direct/status/1545083708906131460
It's a shame Demers' Gordon team never got a chance to make any real noise in the NCAA tournament. Their best year, 2018-19 they went 23-5 but lost to Nichols, who would play in the Elite 8, in the conference championship game. Other than Aston Francis there hasn't been another scorer like him in recent history but he never really got his moment and just becomes one of those great D3 players that just kind of gets lost in the shuffle. Glad he is getting some shine now.
As he'll tell you, Demers really developed a lot over his time at Gordon. It was really only in his senior year, when they needed him to pretty much score all the points that he was able to do it. Very few guys can step up like that - nearly all his numbers improved with volume. That team really didn't have much around him, though, which always makes it difficult to properly judge someone at this level. I'm sure if you watched him, you'd know, but it's tough to find time to watch a mediocre Gordon team when there's so much going on.
He's definitely someone who probably got short shrift in terms of attention, which makes it all the more exciting that he's getting it now on a bigger stage!
The Tournament was the first I had heard of Eric Demers to be honest. The We Are D3 team struggled with shot selection, but Demers played fearlessly and had a phenomenal game. I am glad to see him back.
Another guy who fits into that category with Demers is Ripon's Ty Sabin. Pure scorer on a mediocre Ripon team. They made the NCAA tournament once and went one and done vs Wash U. I thought I read an article in the past where Sabin has lead 3 different leagues in scoring in 3 consecutive years. I also read he played on the We Are D3 team as well, but I didn't see him on that roster this year.
Any word on Aston Francis?
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on July 10, 2022, 07:03:02 AM
Another guy who fits into that category with Demers is Ripon's Ty Sabin. Pure scorer on a mediocre Ripon team. They made the NCAA tournament once and went one and done vs Wash U. I thought I read an article in the past where Sabin has lead 3 different leagues in scoring in 3 consecutive years. I also read he played on the We Are D3 team as well, but I didn't see him on that roster this year.
Any word on Aston Francis?
Sabin was/is a truly extraordinary talent. He had the misfortune to graduate the same year as Joey Flannery. He was one of the most complete players I've seen in d3. A guard with decent size, quickness to get to the rim, and a good shooting touch. No surprise he's succeeding as a pro.
It's at least three leagues he's led in scoring. I'm not sure he'll be able to defend well enough to get to the highest levels in Europe, but he's doing very well for himself.
The latest Q-Cast with Bob Quillman and the Mike Rejniak. Well worth the time even for those who have no plans to watch the game or follow the tournament.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u76vgDSnNw&t=1s
Here's a short preview of tonight's game that also links to Titan's interview.
https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2022/07/we-are-d3-tbt-preview
Gordon College alum Eric Demers won the regional three-point contest so he'll advance to the TBT finals held in Dayton.
https://fibalivestats.dcd.shared.geniussports.com/u/TBT/2103317/bs.html
WeAreD3 gets smoked.
Robinson had 11 on 4-17 shooting.
Demers had 5 on 2-13 shooting.
Rosembaum had 10 on 2-2 with 2 3s and 4-5 from the line.
Fravert led with 7 boards.
Yeah, it was 13-0 before D3 got on the board and never got much closer than that.
Game recap here.
https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2022/07/we-are-d3-falls-in-tbt
As a d3 fan, this was a bit embarrassing. Consecutive in bounds passes stolen. Too much dribbling. No movement on offense. Someone should rethink D3 presence in TBT. The talent is there in D3 to win a few games, but they were woefully unprepared for this slaughter. Something has to change.
I guess my question would be what exactly are they trying to accomplish in terms of roster construction. The team has probably skewed a little bit too young to really have any chance of competing. I understand that winning any games at all would be hard but they would have a much greater chance if they focused on guys who were older and still playing professionally. Brian Cameron, Jarred Houston, and Bobby Hawkinson are terrific players but at 22/23 years old they are going to have a really hard time against guys who are not only better but also older.
I understand that there are obvious hurdles to getting guys to play in this thing and I'm sure they are trying their absolute best to guy the best players, but if they aren't going to be at the Flannery/Ross/Francis/Turell etc level of college accomplishments, they'd probably be better finding more guys like Arik Smith and DaQuan Brooks who were really good college players, but not legendary college players. They are guys that have continued to improve and grow as pros.
Interesting points...
I am not sure how to build a roster. Rucker was probably the third most productive player on the roster last season at 23 with limited play overseas. He had a quiet game on Friday.
I also do not understand a lot of the coaching decisions from this season and last. I could not coach to save my life, but for example, Adam Fravert sat until the second quarter and played 15 minutes or so for the game. Personnel-wise, was that the best decision?
The team clearly needs more than a week to come together and play to their full potential.
Quote from: SpringSt7 on July 25, 2022, 11:11:56 AM
I guess my question would be what exactly are they trying to accomplish in terms of roster construction. The team has probably skewed a little bit too young to really have any chance of competing. I understand that winning any games at all would be hard but they would have a much greater chance if they focused on guys who were older and still playing professionally. Brian Cameron, Jarred Houston, and Bobby Hawkinson are terrific players but at 22/23 years old they are going to have a really hard time against guys who are not only better but also older.
I understand that there are obvious hurdles to getting guys to play in this thing and I'm sure they are trying their absolute best to guy the best players, but if they aren't going to be at the Flannery/Ross/Francis/Turell etc level of college accomplishments, they'd probably be better finding more guys like Arik Smith and DaQuan Brooks who were really good college players, but not legendary college players. They are guys that have continued to improve and grow as pros.
Excellent points. What are they trying to accomplish? And it is indeed difficult to piece together a roster for this tournament.
And talk about ruthless and harsh! I just went to the TBT website. If you lost, you're not listed among the teams. If you go to the bracket and click on a losing team, the page has been removed and the dreaded 404 Not Found comes up!
Yeah, you want to represent well, but it's tough to find the right guys. It's not always finding the best 12 guys for the team. There's got to be a balance. I haven't watched any of it, so I can't really say what went wrong, but I can imagine just a bunch of individuals looking for their own shots...and that's not entirely their fault. You also have to remember who they are going up against. This year's opponents had members of Wichita's Final Four team(?) WeAreD3 was the lowest seed in the region, so obviously their opponents will be really good.
Maybe you guys are on to sometime. Just recruit a team full of former D3 players currently playing overseas.
I've read before from the D3 intelligentsia that d3 players are "more skilled" than D1 players, and that D1 players make up for poor skills with better athleticism. While I am obviously a d3 fan, a part of me was completely fine with that TBT result as it hopefully will ground some people and give them a reality check. You don't need to run down D1 and make absolute nonsense claims in order to promote D3.
Quote from: stlawus on July 25, 2022, 01:58:39 PM
I've read before from the D3 intelligentsia that d3 players are "more skilled" than D1 players, and that D1 players make up for poor skills with better athleticism. While I am obviously a d3 fan, a part of me was completely fine with that TBT result as it hopefully will ground some people and give them a reality check. You don't need to run down D1 and make absolute nonsense claims in order to promote D3.
What did I miss? Who made nonsense claims?
From the annual meeting of the D3 intellgentsia...
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.fineartamerica.com%2Fimages-medium-large%2Fparis-salon-1755-granger.jpg&f=1&nofb=1)
Please forgive my ignorance...
I do not recognize the painting or the artist.
Please help me.
The guy in the red at the table has gas!
There are thousands of paintings that can be best described as Parisian salon so I picked one. Paris, of course, is where the notion of an intelligentsia was formulated. Not the best joke, but hey...
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on July 25, 2022, 11:59:49 AM
Yeah, you want to represent well, but it's tough to find the right guys. It's not always finding the best 12 guys for the team. There's got to be a balance. I haven't watched any of it, so I can't really say what went wrong, but I can imagine just a bunch of individuals looking for their own shots...and that's not entirely their fault. You also have to remember who they are going up against.
... and what the score was. The Wichita State alumni ran out to a big lead right out of the gate, and that makes it doubly hard for a team that has barely practiced together at all and which really has no on-court identity to get back into the game through a methodical application of halfcourt sets that will allow them to chip away at that big deficit. Nine times out of ten with an all-star team you're going to get chucking and other seemingly selfish play in that situation, but it's usually out of desperation rather than ego.
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on July 25, 2022, 11:59:49 AM
Maybe you guys are on to sometime. Just recruit a team full of former D3 players currently playing overseas.
Easier said than done. The bottom line isn't simply ability, it's also
availability -- and overseas pros present their own set of problems in that regard.
Quote from: CNU85 on July 25, 2022, 03:23:15 PM
Quote from: stlawus on July 25, 2022, 01:58:39 PM
I've read before from the D3 intelligentsia that d3 players are "more skilled" than D1 players, and that D1 players make up for poor skills with better athleticism. While I am obviously a d3 fan, a part of me was completely fine with that TBT result as it hopefully will ground some people and give them a reality check. You don't need to run down D1 and make absolute nonsense claims in order to promote D3.
What did I miss? Who made nonsense claims?
I second that question. What member or members of the so-called "D3 intelligentsia" (breeches-bedecked Parisians or not) made those claims?
AfterShock is not just a team of former D1 players, it is a team of former D1 players from the same school, Wichita State. There are presumably a lot of guys who previously played together as Shockers teammates among them, and a common familiarity with WSU's offensive and defensive sets. In a limited-practice, single-elimination tournament context, that goes a long way toward providing the sort of instant cohesion that a bunch of D3 all-stars from around the country will obviously lack.
Quote from: CNU85 on July 26, 2022, 09:38:17 AM
The guy in the red at the table has gas!
And the guy in the burgundy on the far left has just become aware of that.
I am not going to name a specific person, but during the division I final 4 last year a comment was made on twitter about how D3 players are more skilled than D1 players, and this was from a regular d3hoops.com contributor.
Running down division I as a way to promote division III is a bad look and makes the community come off as having a persecution complex, which of course does nothing to positively promote division III.
There is a genre of "Division III is also a great option for ___________ reason" Tweets on #d3hoops Twitter that I cannot relate to. If someone wants a Division I or Division II experience, let them go. Division III does not need them.
But I think that Tweet and the opinion behind it is an outlier.
Perhaps it is an outlier, but to your first point I have also seen comments from the same folks about how getting a division I scholarship isn't always better than playing division III. Maybe in very specific situations that is true, but getting a full scholarship based on your athletic prowess is an incredible accomplishment. I simply do not see the reason why one has to deride division I. I follow both pretty closely across many sports and it's easy to compartmentalize and enjoy the best aspects of each. If folks want division III to stand on its own merits I just don't see how that is accomplished by running down division I.
Quote from: stlawus on July 26, 2022, 12:21:41 PM
I am not going to name a specific person, but during the division I final 4 last year a comment was made on twitter about how D3 players are more skilled than D1 players, and this was from a regular d3hoops.com contributor.
Running down division I as a way to promote division III is a bad look and makes the community come off as having a persecution complex, which of course does nothing to positively promote division III.
I don't know the identity of the person of whom you speak (it wasn't me, if anyone's wondering), but in my estimation anyone who would say something like that doesn't deserve to be included in the same sentence as the word "intelligentsia," unless it's done in obvious mockery.
I agree 100% with your observation in your second paragraph.
Quote from: stlawus on July 26, 2022, 01:12:18 PM
Perhaps it is an outlier, but to your first point I have also seen comments from the same folks about how getting a division I scholarship isn't always better than playing division III. Maybe in very specific situations that is true, but getting a full scholarship based on your athletic prowess is an incredible accomplishment. I simply do not see the reason why one has to deride division I. I follow both pretty closely across many sports and it's easy to compartmentalize and enjoy the best aspects of each. If folks want division III to stand on its own merits I just don't see how that is accomplished by running down division I.
I'm not a fan of D1, and there's a truckload of things that I don't like about that division. But, for the most part, I agree with you -- especially when it concerns what goes on between the lines rather than outside of them.
Quote from: Gregory Sager on July 26, 2022, 04:06:08 PM
Quote from: stlawus on July 26, 2022, 12:21:41 PM
I am not going to name a specific person, but during the division I final 4 last year a comment was made on twitter about how D3 players are more skilled than D1 players, and this was from a regular d3hoops.com contributor.
Running down division I as a way to promote division III is a bad look and makes the community come off as having a persecution complex, which of course does nothing to positively promote division III.
I don't know the identity of the person of whom you speak (it wasn't me, if anyone's wondering), but in my estimation anyone who would say something like that doesn't deserve to be included in the same sentence as the word "intelligentsia," unless it's done in obvious mockery.
It's pretty obvious who the person in question is... fits the descriptors to a "T": posts on Twitter, doesn't deserve to be included in any "intelligentsia" conversation, doesn't participate in mockery - he simply abandons the platform altogether, promotes D3 - in particular IWU and Yeshiva - above all else..... #IWonderWhoThatMightBe
We all (especially we regular contributors) like to consider ourselves intelligent despite the fact that we all sometimes get it wrong. Fortunately, most regular posters recognize our faults which prevents us from classifying ourselves as "intelligencia," the members of which often aren't.
And yes, running down D1 certainly isn't a good way to promote D3.
However, I think one of the above statements regarding D3 players being more skilled than their D1 counterparts is, in rare cases, true. The one particular area where I feel this phenomenon is sometimes true is fundamentals. That's because I think the pure athleticism of many, if not most, D1 players enables them to overcome most of any deficiencies they may have in the fundamentals of the game. The ability to run faster than a speeding bullet, leap tall buildings in a single bound, and regularly hit fall away 30 footers can often overcome deficiencies in things like ball handling, passing, and defensive positioning.
With regard to recruiting, you might be amazed at the number of kids out there who only measure their basketball talent by their ability to secure an athletic scholarship. They equate no scholarship with failure. And the really sad thing is often an athletic scholarship from a school not known as a stellar academic institution means more than an academic scholarship worth the same dollar amount from a school with a much more solid academic standing. Granted, the family financial situation sometimes makes an athletic scholarship a necessity, but often such is not the case. But again, kids have often been trained to think athletic scholarship = success. Much of the time this feeling is drilled into kids by their parents and/or by AAU coaches who are often in serious competition for mommy and daddy's dollars. They promise parents that in exchange for their money, they'll get their kid an athletic scholarship which, again in many cases means success. Blessed to say I've received my first D1 scholarship offer from University of Mars. Not the best bastion of academia, but at least it's not D3. LOL.
Another fun topic is the question of last man on the bench at a low D1 or D2 bench, or top player at a D3
Good conversation. And I'm sure there are other Tweets from unsaid individual which help support the claim that they are beating down D1. I'm not on twitter much (firewalls at work block it). Just from the single comment somewhere below, I didn't take it as a knock on D1. I have a friend who is a coach, trainer, and also a college scout helping families find the right place for their student-athlete child. He constantly mentions that people measure success with Scholarships (D-1 or 2) and he reminds them that if your child is playing any college...D1, D2, D3, NAIA, then they are successful. He quotes stats on how many (%) are blessed to be playing collegiate ball. It puts things in a different perspective. I often look at rosters (like now I am looking at CNU rosters) and seeing high school All-State players on the roster. These are athletes who saw some looks from D1, maybe some offers, and the right fit for them happened to be a D3 school. That's not knocking D1 at all. But, as I said, I only see on these boards and not a collection of Tweets.
Interesting conversation though. Perhaps a slight change in grammar and the tweeter (is that a word?) can convey his/her message in a positive light.
Cheers Y'all!
Nope. Not "Q".
Quote from: augie77 on July 27, 2022, 10:16:10 AM
Nope. Not "Q".
I don't see his Twitter feed (his decision, not mine), and I didn't participate in any Twitter discussions during the D1 Final Four, but I was pretty sure it wasn't him. I've known Bob for 25 years, and I can't imagine him saying something both as sweeping and as preposterous as "D3 players are more skilled than D1 players."
Quote from: Gregory Sager on July 27, 2022, 10:26:53 AM
I don't see his Twitter feed (his decision, not mine), and I didn't participate in any Twitter discussions during the D1 Final Four, but I was pretty sure it wasn't him. I've known Bob for 25 years, and I can't imagine him saying something both as sweeping and as preposterous as "D3 players are more skilled than D1 players."
Agreed.
Quote from: CNU85 on July 27, 2022, 08:26:29 AM
Good conversation. And I'm sure there are other Tweets from unsaid individual which help support the claim that they are beating down D1. I'm not on twitter much (firewalls at work block it). Just from the single comment somewhere below, I didn't take it as a knock on D1. I have a friend who is a coach, trainer, and also a college scout helping families find the right place for their student-athlete child. He constantly mentions that people measure success with Scholarships (D-1 or 2) and he reminds them that if your child is playing any college...D1, D2, D3, NAIA, then they are successful. He quotes stats on how many (%) are blessed to be playing collegiate ball. It puts things in a different perspective. I often look at rosters (like now I am looking at CNU rosters) and seeing high school All-State players on the roster. These are athletes who saw some looks from D1, maybe some offers, and the right fit for them happened to be a D3 school. That's not knocking D1 at all. But, as I said, I only see on these boards and not a collection of Tweets.
Interesting conversation though. Perhaps a slight change in grammar and the tweeter (is that a word?) can convey his/her message in a positive light.
Cheers Y'all!
I've been advised, and have seen stats indicating that roughly 1.2% of high school seniors go on to play at a D1 school, 1% at D2, 1.3% at D3 schools, and .5–.6% play NAIA.
Quote from: itsnotmeitsyou on July 26, 2022, 10:14:56 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on July 26, 2022, 04:06:08 PM
Quote from: stlawus on July 26, 2022, 12:21:41 PM
I am not going to name a specific person, but during the division I final 4 last year a comment was made on twitter about how D3 players are more skilled than D1 players, and this was from a regular d3hoops.com contributor.
Running down division I as a way to promote division III is a bad look and makes the community come off as having a persecution complex, which of course does nothing to positively promote division III.
I don't know the identity of the person of whom you speak (it wasn't me, if anyone's wondering), but in my estimation anyone who would say something like that doesn't deserve to be included in the same sentence as the word "intelligentsia," unless it's done in obvious mockery.
It's pretty obvious who the person in question is... fits the descriptors to a "T": posts on Twitter, doesn't deserve to be included in any "intelligentsia" conversation, doesn't participate in mockery - he simply abandons the platform altogether, promotes D3 - in particular IWU and Yeshiva - above all else..... #IWonderWhoThatMightBe
It was not that individual.
I said d3 players have to be more precise and disciplined in their movements, because they often lack the size and athleticism of d1 players and pay more dearly for mistakes. I maintain this is true and don't mind claiming the observation. The d1 tournament was, largely, sloppier than the d3 version, especially in the latter rounds.
Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on July 29, 2022, 05:05:02 PM
I said d3 players have to be more precise and disciplined in their movements, because they often lack the size and athleticism of d1 players and pay more dearly for mistakes. I maintain this is true and don't mind claiming the observation. The d1 tournament was, largely, sloppier than the d3 version, especially in the latter rounds.
I am reminded of the old baseball aphorism that the best managers were the guys who got their "cup-of-coffee" in the majors, but knew the game so well, that they managed winners, e.g. Sparky Anderson (for whom the Cal Lu baseball field is named) versus Ted Williams.
Joe Torre is the only manager to record 2,000 hits as a player, and 2,000 wins as a manager.
G League draft today, as posted on Twitter, a few D3 guys. Turell and Azor are on the list. Philip Flory played one year at Point and Jack Nolan.
https://gleague.nba.com/news/players-eligible-for-2022-nba-g-league-draft
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on October 22, 2022, 09:15:40 AM
G League draft today, as posted on Twitter, a few D3 guys. Turell and Azor are on the list. Philip Flory played one year at Point and Jack Nolan.
https://gleague.nba.com/news/players-eligible-for-2022-nba-g-league-draft
Round 1 #27. Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Ryan Turell - Yeshiva
Round 2 #13. Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Philip Flory - UW-Stevens Point
Round 2 #28. Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Jack Nolan - WashU
Strange that Azor wasn't taken. Size?
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on October 29, 2022, 01:35:55 PM
Strange that Azor wasn't taken. Size?
He's not a shooter. NBA wants 3 and D guys.
We are D3 goes against Kanas round 1 in Wichita 0n July 19 at 9ET on ESPN+.
Quote from: PauldingLightUP on June 21, 2023, 12:48:52 PM
We are D3 goes against Kanas round 1 in Wichita 0n July 19 at 9ET on ESPN+.
You can hear from We Are D3 head coach/GM Mike Rejniak in our conversation with him published this morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trC_zvl9c5Y
Up by 9 at half. Anyone watching?
Quote from: SpringSt7 on July 19, 2023, 09:54:26 PM
Up by 9 at half. Anyone watching?
Nope because don't have ESPN+
Good luck in the 2nd half and let's get that first win.
W: https://www.d3hoops.com/notables/2024/07/we-are-d3-advances-in-tbt
They've started what seems like a very reasonable GoFundme for expenses.
https://gofund.me/dc51ee34
Quote from: FCGrizzliesGrad on July 19, 2023, 09:56:32 PMQuote from: SpringSt7 on July 19, 2023, 09:54:26 PMUp by 9 at half. Anyone watching?
Nope because don't have ESPN+
Good luck in the 2nd half and let's get that first win.
You can watch games free online here: https://tbtlive.thetournament.com/
You have to create an account with an email address and password and provide a name -- I think that's it. It was easy.
Quote from: y_jack_lok on July 21, 2024, 10:22:13 AMQuote from: FCGrizzliesGrad on July 19, 2023, 09:56:32 PMQuote from: SpringSt7 on July 19, 2023, 09:54:26 PMUp by 9 at half. Anyone watching?
Nope because don't have ESPN+
Good luck in the 2nd half and let's get that first win.
You can watch games free online here: https://tbtlive.thetournament.com/
You have to create an account with an email address and password and provide a name -- I think that's it. It was easy.
It seems the broadcast rights switched from ESPN in years past to Fox Sports. The games have been on a combination of streaming through the TBT site and spread across a number of Fox properties. According to the schedule, the We Are D3 second round game against HeartFire will air on FS2 on Monday at 6 PM ET.
We had a pre-TBT conversation with Mike Rejniak about this year's squad (and more) that is probably still relevant with the team advancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBGfL-ow6Dw
^^^ Just to be clear, it will also still be streaming here https://tbtlive.thetournament.com/. The site says "Watch all games for FREE here".
Another year, another heartbreak. We Are D3 lose to the defending champs Heartfire 70-68. D3 got an easy layup to tie it at 68 with the ending score 69, Heartfire missed a 3 but got a putback to win it.
We Are D3 is back in action today at 1pm eastern against Layne's Hope in the first round of the 2025 tournament.
Game can be seen on the TBT youtube (https://www.youtube.com/live/LWiY_vR36Q0?si=NRU9bW4rSt1SUiHE)
We Are D3 have a 38-27 lead at halftime. Marcus Azor leads the way with 12 points and 4 rebounds.
D3 are outrebounding Layne's Hope 26-17 and have held them to 29% shooting from the field.
Almost gave it away. Entered Elam with a 67-53 lead, but hung to win 75-71. Ty Nichols was clutch on the final two possessions -- a hoop and two FTs to win it.
Can never make it easy. Had a 67-53 lead headed to the Elam ending. First to 75 wins, and they started playing like they were trying to run out a clock that didn't exist. Laynes Hope went on an 18-4 run to tie it at 71 before D3 finally got some points to win it 75-71. Ty Nichols scored 20 to lead all scorers.
Their next opponent will be decided later today, likely Boeheim's Army who are the 1 seed in the pod. Game is at 8pm eastern on Monday.
I wonder how seeding is determined. They actually had the 4 seed in their pod.
If they played the 5 seed in the 1st game(as the 4 seed), then the next opponent should be the 1 seed.
Quote from: ronk on July 20, 2025, 12:31:31 PMIf they played the 5 seed in the 1st game(as the 4 seed), then the next opponent should be the 1 seed.
I meant how they got a 4-seed. Seems pretty high for a team that has had little success in previous tournaments.
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on July 21, 2025, 04:46:10 PMQuote from: ronk on July 20, 2025, 12:31:31 PMIf they played the 5 seed in the 1st game(as the 4 seed), then the next opponent should be the 1 seed.
I meant how they got a 4-seed. Seems pretty high for a team that has had little success in previous tournaments.
The tournament does it, presumably based on who's at which site. If you look at the teams and rosters for Syracuse, I think it's pretty fair. I'd argue they have a case for No. 3 there, but the fact that they have a consistent coach and line-up rather than a thrown together group of guys vaults them up pretty high. Those teams with structure tend to do better - plus, even when they lost to 1 seeds, for the most part, they've played competitive games.
The offense has mostly been Ty Nichols so far, accounting for 16 of the team's 35 at halftime. Considering Boeheim's Army scored the first 8 points and had an early 13-3 lead, to only be down 6 at halftime isn't bad. They're finishing quarters strong, just struggling at the start.
It was very much a road game for D3. They took their first lead of the game in the 3rd and it was tied up at 57 headed to the 4th. D3 took a 72-68 lead into the elam ending. First to 80 wins. It was tied at 78, a FT and a basket and We Are D3 win it 81-78.
Ty Nichols with the most points in a game this year with 36
They'll play the 2 seed Stars of Storrs which is the UConn team Wednesday at 7pm.
Free throw percentages: Boeheim 16-33/69.6%; D3 12-14/85.7%
Quote from: y_jack_lok on July 21, 2025, 10:10:34 PMFree throw percentages: Boeheim 16-33/69.6%; D3 12-14/85.7%
Syracuse lost a national championship because of missed free throws, and it's been the hallmark of the program ever since with how poor they shoot. Very fitting. I was conflicted since I'm a Cuse fan and like to see the D3 guys win. But seeing the actual team's associate head coach get dog walked by Rejniak pretty much sums up this current era of Cuse basketball. Also, fellow d3 folks on social media, you don't have to run down d1 players to lift d3 players up. I've seen too much of that in recent years especially from the d3 media types.
Quote from: y_jack_lok on July 21, 2025, 10:10:34 PMFree throw percentages: Boeheim 16-33/69.6%; D3 12-14/85.7%
The other stat that stands out - rebounds: Boeheim 10/20 (T30) ; D3 18/27 (T45).
Quote from: Greek Tragedy on July 21, 2025, 04:46:10 PMQuote from: ronk on July 20, 2025, 12:31:31 PMIf they played the 5 seed in the 1st game(as the 4 seed), then the next opponent should be the 1 seed.
I meant how they got a 4-seed. Seems pretty high for a team that has had little success in previous tournaments.
They overachieved their seed most years based on how competitive they were in games against almost exclusively top seeds. It took TBT a few years to give We Are D3 an appropriate seed.
Quote from: stlawus on July 21, 2025, 10:17:34 PMAlso, fellow d3 folks on social media, you don't have to run down d1 players to lift d3 players up. I've seen too much of that in recent years especially from the d3 media types.
Generally seeing people lift D-III guys up by referencing them beating a team of D-I guys. Would love to see you cite some posts that do what you say.
Article from The Daily Orange -- the independent student newspaper in Syracuse, NY -- on yesterday's game:
https://dailyorange.com/2025/07/tbt-boeheims-army-we-are-d3-eliminated-second-round/
"Boeheim's Army had the squad to make a run in the tournament. Full of former NBA players and March Madness stars, it had both star power and depth."
Another article: https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2025/07/we-are-d3-stuns-boeheims-army-in-tbt-donna-ditotas-quick-hits.html
"WAD3 (so many long TBT names) is a connected group that I'm guessing teams overlook every year because, well, they played D3 basketball and nobody who plays D1 basketball knows much about those guys. They prepare like no other TBT team. They do not miss free throws. They don't take bad shots. They guard you. And they have a killer in Nichols."
One of the players on the Stars of Storrs, tonight's We Are D3 opponent, is D3 alum Tyree Mitchell from the University of St. Joseph.
Game started like on Monday. Stars of Storrs was up 13-4 midway through the first quarter, D3 has gotten it back within 3 at 19-16. Teams are a combined 1 of 11 from behind the arc.
Someone will need to step up because they're not going to let Ty Nichols go off tonight. Marcus Azor is the early candidate with 6 points.
2nd quarter another slow start, down as many as 13 but they claw it back at the end. Only down 40-36 at halftime. Threes aren't dropping, just 1 of 10. Elijah Thomas has been hard to defend. Might need to do a little hack-a-shaq on him if he gets the ball in the post cause he's only 3 of 6 at the line so far.
D3 went on a 26-5 run spanning halftime and led by as many as 10 in the 3rd. They lead 60-53 headed to the 4th. They've forced 17 turnovers while only committing 8. Surprisingly they've outscored Storrs 40-26 in the paint.
Nichols and Azor have 16 each while David Murray has added 10 off the bench.
D3 lead 68-66 headed to the elam ending. First to 76 wins. I expect Storrs to really turn up the pressure and try to force turnovers. D3 needs to not get passive like they've tended to do in the past.
6 FT and a layup later and We Are D3 are headed to Wichita for the quarterfinals after a 76-68.
Four finished in double digits: Azor with 22, Nichols 18, Samuel Peek 11, and David Murray had 14 and the winning basket. The Connecticut College guy took down the University of Connecticut.
They'll face 7 seed Fail Harder at 7pm eastern on Sunday. There's only a single 1 seeds left, three 2 seeds, one 3 seed, 4th seed D3, a 7 seed, and one more team yet to be decided (either a 4 or 7 seed)
We already knew D3 is fantastic, now everyone is learning.
I posted this on social media as well, but here are the games We Are D3 has played in the last 3 TBT:
2025: Beat #2 Stars of Storrs (UConn) by 8
2025: Beat #1 Boeheim's Army (Syracuse) by 3
2025: Beat #5 Layne's Hope by 4
2024: Lost to #1 Heartfire by 2
2024: Beat #5 Sweet Home Alabama by 16
2023: Lost to #1 Mass Street (Kansas) by 3
After the blowout loss to Wichita the year before, Rejniak kinda blew things up and has been running the team more as a program than a collection of guys. It has really worked out and they've played like a top seed based on these results and scoring margins.
Quote from: KnightSlappy on July 24, 2025, 09:54:12 AMAfter the blowout loss to Wichita the year before, Rejniak kinda blew things up and has been running the team more as a program than a collection of guys. It has really worked out and they've played like a top seed based on these results and scoring margins.
I have watched every game since 2018 or whenever and the difference is night and day. The boys have really put on a show so far, let's hope they can keep it rolling.
If you look at the results over time they really should have been given a second seed each of the past three years. Going forward, I would assume they will be.
Very cool that the last four NESCAC POTYs are all playing on the squad together, and that three of the four were involved in last night's game-winning play. I suspect one of the Trinity guys may be joining them next year!
Could not ask for a better start. We Are D3 lead 23-11 after the 1st quarter. They held Fail Harder to 4 of 18 shooting while going 10 of 15 themselves.
It's 44-36 at halftime. Marcus Azor leads the way with 13 points. Dimitrius Underwood has 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. They're dominating points in the paint is 26-12
D3 went on a 10-0 run to finish the 3rd quarter including a buzzer beating 30 footer and pushed the lead out to 74-51. Four players in double figures. Still shooting over 56% from the field and over 50% from three. Underwood is 2 rebounds from a double double.
86-66 headed to the Elam Ending. First to 94 wins.
Seems like every game they get to the elam ending and take their foot off the gas. They still had a 92-77 lead. Then they gave up a 16-0 run to fall behind 93-92. They got a FT to tie it at 93. And after causing all D3 fans to suffer several heart attacks in the past half hour, they survive after Christian Parker got a putback.
They advance to the semifinal against either Aftershocks (Wichita St) or Heartfire (the last 1 seed remaining) on Thursday at 6pm eastern.
Five finish in double figures: Ty Nichols 19 (8 assists), Dimitrius Underwood 19 (10 rebounds), Samuel Peek 16, Marcus Azor 15, and Alex Sobel 10 (8 rebounds).
I don't drink, but I might need to after that.
I can't believe that WeAreD3 almost lost the game on the Elam Ending after coming into it up by 20 points, leading 86-66. Fail Harder proved today why they were going to be WeAreD3's toughest TBT opponent to date. WeAreD3 was up by as much as 29 points in the 4th quarter, but Fail Harder rallied in the Elam Ending to take a 93-92 lead with a target score of 94 points for the victory. A free throw by WeAreD3 tied the game at 93-93, but I was expecting that Fail Harder was going to score the winning bucket. Instead, WeAreD3 is heading to the semifinals on Thursday, and I am breathing again.
They'll be taking on Aftershocks who beat Heartfire 74-68. It's going to be a massive road game for D3. Far bigger crowd rooting for Wichita St tonight than Syracuse had a couple rounds ago.
Quote from: FCGrizzliesGrad on July 27, 2025, 09:09:12 PMI don't drink, but I might need to after that.
I gotcha covered!
We Are D3 will be back in action in the TBT semifinals Thursday at 8 pm ET on FS1.
You are invited to come hang out with The D3 Datacast as we host a pregame livestream starting at 7 pm ET. The link for that stream is already active here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-kNiELx7V0