MBB: NESCAC

[D3BBALL]

Finally went with the second unit and a three big lineup 10 point lead down to a two point lead and the first team finished the game

[lumbercat]

Sure you were sitting with them all day and you like them but let me know the next time you see a call quite like that. Good, marginal and rookie Refs let that go along with most everything else with less than 10 seconds left!!! It's gotta be blatant.
Watch the big tournament coming up and tell when you see a call anything like that in the last 30 seconds of a tied tournament game. 

Again, you can't let it go.

Again, yes you can let it go especially when the contact is very questionable. I'm watching D1 and D3 tourney games all day today and all that stuff is ignored- THEY LET IT GO at all levels.

[lumbercat]

Sure you were sitting with them all day and you like them but let me know the next time you see a call quite like that. Good, marginal and rookie Refs let that go along with most everything else with less than 10 seconds left!!! It's gotta be blatant.
Watch the big tournament coming up and tell when you see a call anything like that in the last 30 seconds of a tied tournament game. 

Again, you can't let it go.  You have to call something.  A guy ended up out of bounds.  You can't no call that.  You're right.  The contact was not something any ref would call on it's own - I doubt even the guy who called it wanted to call it.  You have to say either, the tiny amount of contact led to the guy falling out of bounds or he fell out of bounds all on his own.  Either way one team is upset.

It's a tough call.  It's a frustrating way to end.  It's not a bad call.

You 100 percent can let it go. I've shared the video with two folks who are/have been veteran D1 officials. They both didn't hesitate: Half over.

Thanks Bucket- the Middebury contingent knows Basketball much better than I--appreciate you weighing in.

[jumbomumbo]

What a night.  Where do I start?

1. Josh Bernstein. 24 points on 11-15 from the field. 10 boards. 3 assists. Kid worked his arse off in the off season and finally producing like we all thought he could when it matters most. Just throw the ball to the big guy and let him make a play.

2. Coach Linton. Has to be the NESCAC hire of the decade. In 5 seasons with tufts he's now in his second sweet 16, 4th NCAA tournament appearance. Just missing that NESCAC title, which is clearly on the horizon. The ability to recruit has been above and beyond any team in this league. Has to have above an .800 record and that includes a disaster first year which was not his fault. Every other coach in tufts history is somewhere around  .480 and below. And I'd love if someone could whip up historical records of each coach in the NESCAC with a 5 year history minimum. Has to be at the top.

3. Did anyone catch the Endicott game? Why the frick are we sending teams to butt-frick Indiana for elite 8 games when you can have a mini Cameron indoor on campus? A huge miss that Charlie Baker must fix. Does that guy even know a single result of what has transpired in D3 hoops these past 48 hours? Get with the times and let teams host UNTIL THE FINAL 4. Also, the CNU game ended 4 hours ago and the website still says there's 18 seconds left with a 29 point CNU lead. What's going on there Charlie? It's 2026. Get with it. Hire an intern or something. Claude. Grok. ANYTHING.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Sure you were sitting with them all day and you like them but let me know the next time you see a call quite like that. Good, marginal and rookie Refs let that go along with most everything else with less than 10 seconds left!!! It's gotta be blatant.
Watch the big tournament coming up and tell when you see a call anything like that in the last 30 seconds of a tied tournament game. 

Again, you can't let it go.

Again, yes you can let it go especially when the contact is very questionable. I'm watching D1 and D3 tourney games all day today and all that stuff is ignored- THEY LET IT GO at all levels.

Show me one game where someone goes out of bounds and no whistle is blown.

[D3BBALL]

What a night.  Where do I start?

1. Josh Bernstein. 24 points on 11-15 from the field. 10 boards. 3 assists. Kid worked his arse off in the off season and finally producing like we all thought he could when it matters most. Just throw the ball to the big guy and let him make a play.

2. Coach Linton. Has to be the NESCAC hire of the decade. In 5 seasons with tufts he's now in his second sweet 16, 4th NCAA tournament appearance. Just missing that NESCAC title, which is clearly on the horizon. The ability to recruit has been above and beyond any team in this league. Has to have above an .800 record and that includes a disaster first year which was not his fault. Every other coach in tufts history is somewhere around  .480 and below. And I'd love if someone could whip up historical records of each coach in the NESCAC with a 5 year history minimum. Has to be at the top.

3. Did anyone catch the Endicott game? Why the frick are we sending teams to butt-frick Indiana for elite 8 games when you can have a mini Cameron indoor on campus? A huge miss that Charlie Baker must fix. Does that guy even know a single result of what has transpired in D3 hoops these past 48 hours? Get with the times and let teams host UNTIL THE FINAL 4. Also, the CNU game ended 4 hours ago and the website still says there's 18 seconds left with a 29 point CNU lead. What's going on there Charlie? It's 2026. Get with it. Hire an intern or something. Claude. Grok. ANYTHING.

1) Agree Berstein has been outstanding the last 3-4 games.
2) Let's not put him in the hall of fame yet,😉.
3) Don't hold your breath on NCAA, they don't care about D3 sports!

[ItsATuftSituation]

What a night.  Where do I start?

1. Josh Bernstein. 24 points on 11-15 from the field. 10 boards. 3 assists. Kid worked his arse off in the off season and finally producing like we all thought he could when it matters most. Just throw the ball to the big guy and let him make a play.

2. Coach Linton. Has to be the NESCAC hire of the decade. In 5 seasons with tufts he's now in his second sweet 16, 4th NCAA tournament appearance. Just missing that NESCAC title, which is clearly on the horizon. The ability to recruit has been above and beyond any team in this league. Has to have above an .800 record and that includes a disaster first year which was not his fault. Every other coach in tufts history is somewhere around  .480 and below. And I'd love if someone could whip up historical records of each coach in the NESCAC with a 5 year history minimum. Has to be at the top.

3. Did anyone catch the Endicott game? Why the frick are we sending teams to butt-frick Indiana for elite 8 games when you can have a mini Cameron indoor on campus? A huge miss that Charlie Baker must fix. Does that guy even know a single result of what has transpired in D3 hoops these past 48 hours? Get with the times and let teams host UNTIL THE FINAL 4. Also, the CNU game ended 4 hours ago and the website still says there's 18 seconds left with a 29 point CNU lead. What's going on there Charlie? It's 2026. Get with it. Hire an intern or something. Claude. Grok. ANYTHING.

It's official, IWU is hosting Endicott next weekend. They must not have put into host since maybe its Spring Break starting Friday...

I was at the game on Saturday, and the difference was Tufts going to a man-to-man defense late in the first half. The length and size of Tufts made doing anything for Catholic very hard. I will say this though, Catholic's a very good team, they'd be a top-half team in the NESCAC for sure. Aaron Kelly and his group do a really good job, and the CJ Ruoff player was legit.

The only thing I'll say is that while the balance on offense has been solid for the Jumbos, they're really missing a guy that can create and make consistent offense happen from the perimeter. It looks like Nieves could be that guy in time.

I wonder if Gyimesi comes back next weekend at Wesleyan. I guess we'll see, but good to see the Jumbos not have to play him this weekend if he indeed is close.

[NEhoops]

Is there one host in the region for the third round and quarterfinal games?
 
NESCAC and UAA still well represented. Shout out to the C2C for having two teams still in play. Looks like the bracket is holding serve aside from the Montclair State pod. A Bates/Emory rematch would have been exciting.
 
It will be a clash of styles in the Trinity (defense) / Hood (offense) matchup.

Linton has done a great job since taking over at Tufts and has definitely elevated the program. Before him, they only had four NCAA tournament appearances since 2000. Also of note, Tom Penders got his start with the Tufts program. 

[deiscanton]

Is there one host in the region for the third round and quarterfinal games?

This is a unique year, in that all 4 national quarterfinal (Elite 8) games will be played at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana on Thursday, March 19, 2026-- with the winners of those games staying in Fort Wayne for the national semifinal (Final 4) games on Saturday, March 21.   The 2 winners then go on to Indianapolis for the championship game on Sunday, April 5.

The 2020 NCAA D3 Men's Basketball Championship was originally scheduled with this same format as this year's tournament (8 third round sites on the second weekend, national quarterfinals and semifinals in Fort Wayne, Indiana, national championship in Atlanta.)   However, the Covid 19 pandemic struck during the 2020 tournament, forcing its cancellation after the round of 32.

This upcoming weekend, New England hosts 2 of the 8 third round games, with the winners advancing to Fort Wayne.  Another third round game would have been hosted in New England, (Endicott was the higher ranked team in NPI over Illinois Wesleyan), but it got moved to the Shirk Center in Bloomington, IL for various reasons.  I am not sure whether it is because Endicott will be on spring break next weekend, or because the Endicott athletic staff wanted to prioritize next weekend for potentially hosting NCAA DIII Ice Hockey tournament games at the Ray Bourque Arena on the Endicott campus, of which the Gulls just won the CNE conference AQs yesterday in both men's and women's ice hockey.

FYI, 8 third round sites this upcoming Friday and Saturday-- 1 game each site.  Winners move on to Fort Wayne.

New England is hosting 2 third round games on Saturday, March 14--

1.)  Hood at Trinity (CT)-- Hartford, CT-- 4 PM EDT tip.
2.)  Tufts at Wesleyan-- Middletown, CT-- 4:20 PM EDT tip.

Illinois Wesleyan is hosting Endicott in another third round game-- Friday, March 13, 2026 at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, IL-- 6:30 PM CDT/7:30 PM EDT tip. 

[D3BBALL]

Wish Trinity/Hood and Wesleyan/Tufts games started about 2 hours apart. Much easier to watch both.

[lumbercat]

yes, couldn't agree more but these AD's so pre occupied with budgets hotels and busses for teams of 15 people they don't even think about flexing a game by 30 or 60 minutes......after all, why consider the concerns of the Fans, Alums and DONORS.

[SpringSt7]

I just found out that they are playing 4 games Friday and 4 games Saturday. If that is the case then they really didn't do Trinity/Wesleyan any favors.