MBB: NESCAC

[D3BBALL]

Congrats to the 5 teams who made the NCAA Tournament, with a special shoutout to Bates who hasn't been in since I believe 2015!

Agree with D3BBALL, how does that happen? I do believe all three get to the Sweet 16 if Gyimesi is healthy. I think Amherst has a tough matchup right out of the gate. I don't think they make it out of this weekend. I can certainly see Bates either bowing out in the 1st round or advancing to the Sweet 16.

Can't wait!

Agree with everything and I think Bates has a great shot as you say.

[toad22]

This late in the season, injuries play a huge part.

[D3BBALL]

Agreed, absolutely brutal draw for sure in that that NESCAC-heavy bracket.  Trinity/Redlands/Tufts/Wesleyan is a stacked potential sectional.  Redlands is not easy to play and even if Trinity survives that (and I think they would because they have so many good ball-handlers and can get it up the floor in a hurry) it's an exhausting game to play before a brutal rivalry game the next day.  Plus Hood, NYU, and Babson as tough programs with a lot of tourney experience in that bracket too.  I do think all three NESCAC teams have a very good chance of advancing to a near-repeat of the NESCAC conference tourney. But a shame that Wesleyan wasn't sent to the other side of the bracket. 

Surprised they didn't swing one of those teams to the Emory bracket where there are plenty of New England teams.  Emory could have a glide path to the Final Four - IWU is very banged up and unclear if their star will be available, not totally sold on Montclair, NJAC hasn't been loaded in awhile, and Endicott isn't going to compete with Emory if they get that far, although Roanoke is definitely a tough second round match-up to get past. 

I think Bates has a solid chance of making the Sweet 16.  Amherst-WPI should be a good game, Mary Washington in the second round is tough for Amherst is they can survive that one. 

I'll go with Trinity over Wesleyan, Chicago over Mary Washington, Emory over ?, RMC over Wash U, with Emory beating Trinity for the national title.  I'm sure I'll be wildly wrong as usual! 

Agree it is an embarrassment to the League. I posted on another thread that UAA could get 3 teams to the final 4, they can actually can their top 4 teams all into the final 4, WT.....

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Agreed, absolutely brutal draw for sure in that that NESCAC-heavy bracket.  Trinity/Redlands/Tufts/Wesleyan is a stacked potential sectional.  Redlands is not easy to play and even if Trinity survives that (and I think they would because they have so many good ball-handlers and can get it up the floor in a hurry) it's an exhausting game to play before a brutal rivalry game the next day.  Plus Hood, NYU, and Babson as tough programs with a lot of tourney experience in that bracket too.  I do think all three NESCAC teams have a very good chance of advancing to a near-repeat of the NESCAC conference tourney. But a shame that Wesleyan wasn't sent to the other side of the bracket. 

Surprised they didn't swing one of those teams to the Emory bracket where there are plenty of New England teams.  Emory could have a glide path to the Final Four - IWU is very banged up and unclear if their star will be available, not totally sold on Montclair, NJAC hasn't been loaded in awhile, and Endicott isn't going to compete with Emory if they get that far, although Roanoke is definitely a tough second round match-up to get past. 

I think Bates has a solid chance of making the Sweet 16.  Amherst-WPI should be a good game, Mary Washington in the second round is tough for Amherst is they can survive that one. 

I'll go with Trinity over Wesleyan, Chicago over Mary Washington, Emory over ?, RMC over Wash U, with Emory beating Trinity for the national title.  I'm sure I'll be wildly wrong as usual! 

You're aware there's no sectional this year, right?  Only one game the second weekend and the final eight go out to Fort Wayne the next week to play Thursday-Saturday.  Championship in Indy two weeks after that.

The committee got an extra flight to keep the Top 16 seeds seeded perfectly.  I have some quibbles (Trinity should have a much easier second round opponent), but overall it's one of the better brackets we've ever seen.

[jumbomumbo]

The Tufts Natty Chip revenge tour will go though:
Wesleyan
Winner of Trinity / Redlands
Endicott (national title)

[D3BBALL]

Agreed, absolutely brutal draw for sure in that that NESCAC-heavy bracket.  Trinity/Redlands/Tufts/Wesleyan is a stacked potential sectional.  Redlands is not easy to play and even if Trinity survives that (and I think they would because they have so many good ball-handlers and can get it up the floor in a hurry) it's an exhausting game to play before a brutal rivalry game the next day.  Plus Hood, NYU, and Babson as tough programs with a lot of tourney experience in that bracket too.  I do think all three NESCAC teams have a very good chance of advancing to a near-repeat of the NESCAC conference tourney. But a shame that Wesleyan wasn't sent to the other side of the bracket. 

Surprised they didn't swing one of those teams to the Emory bracket where there are plenty of New England teams.  Emory could have a glide path to the Final Four - IWU is very banged up and unclear if their star will be available, not totally sold on Montclair, NJAC hasn't been loaded in awhile, and Endicott isn't going to compete with Emory if they get that far, although Roanoke is definitely a tough second round match-up to get past. 

I think Bates has a solid chance of making the Sweet 16.  Amherst-WPI should be a good game, Mary Washington in the second round is tough for Amherst is they can survive that one. 

I'll go with Trinity over Wesleyan, Chicago over Mary Washington, Emory over ?, RMC over Wash U, with Emory beating Trinity for the national title.  I'm sure I'll be wildly wrong as usual! 

You're aware there's no sectional this year, right?  Only one game the second weekend and the final eight go out to Fort Wayne the next week to play Thursday-Saturday.  Championship in Indy two weeks after that.

The committee got an extra flight to keep the Top 16 seeds seeded perfectly.  I have some quibbles (Trinity should have a much easier second round opponent), but overall it's one of the better brackets we've ever seen.

Ryan, agree on the second round, but it hard to do 1-62, 2-63 all the way down, so those types of games will happen and it happens at all 3 levels, D1, D2 and D3, But you just don't do this to a conference, they didn't do it last year (with just about the same NPI rankings), no need to do it this year. The NCAA has so much money, and they make so many bad decisions for the sports and the kids. This is just another in a long line. It is totally unfair to the NESCAC conference.  Someone in that room should have had some common sense to say, this has to change. And someone just told me, that if Wesleyan had beaten Trinity yesterday and had moved up in rankings the same 3 teams still would have been in the same bracket with the same teams even if it didn't line up actually 1-16, 2-15 etc.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Agreed, absolutely brutal draw for sure in that that NESCAC-heavy bracket.  Trinity/Redlands/Tufts/Wesleyan is a stacked potential sectional.  Redlands is not easy to play and even if Trinity survives that (and I think they would because they have so many good ball-handlers and can get it up the floor in a hurry) it's an exhausting game to play before a brutal rivalry game the next day.  Plus Hood, NYU, and Babson as tough programs with a lot of tourney experience in that bracket too.  I do think all three NESCAC teams have a very good chance of advancing to a near-repeat of the NESCAC conference tourney. But a shame that Wesleyan wasn't sent to the other side of the bracket. 

Surprised they didn't swing one of those teams to the Emory bracket where there are plenty of New England teams.  Emory could have a glide path to the Final Four - IWU is very banged up and unclear if their star will be available, not totally sold on Montclair, NJAC hasn't been loaded in awhile, and Endicott isn't going to compete with Emory if they get that far, although Roanoke is definitely a tough second round match-up to get past. 

I think Bates has a solid chance of making the Sweet 16.  Amherst-WPI should be a good game, Mary Washington in the second round is tough for Amherst is they can survive that one. 

I'll go with Trinity over Wesleyan, Chicago over Mary Washington, Emory over ?, RMC over Wash U, with Emory beating Trinity for the national title.  I'm sure I'll be wildly wrong as usual! 

You're aware there's no sectional this year, right?  Only one game the second weekend and the final eight go out to Fort Wayne the next week to play Thursday-Saturday.  Championship in Indy two weeks after that.

The committee got an extra flight to keep the Top 16 seeds seeded perfectly.  I have some quibbles (Trinity should have a much easier second round opponent), but overall it's one of the better brackets we've ever seen.

Ryan, agree on the second round, but it hard to do 1-62, 2-63 all the way down, so those types of games will happen and it happens at all 3 levels, D1, D2 and D3, But you just don't do this to a conference, they didn't do it last year (with just about the same NPI rankings), no need to do it this year. The NCAA has so much money, and they make so many bad decisions for the sports and the kids. This is just another in a long line. It is totally unfair to the NESCAC conference.  Someone in that room should have had some common sense to say, this has to change. And someone just told me, that if Wesleyan had beaten Trinity yesterday and had moved up in rankings the same 3 teams still would have been in the same bracket with the same teams even if it didn't line up actually 1-16, 2-15 etc.

Yes, this is different than last year, but different in a direction towards a national bracket, not away from it.  It stinks the NESCAC lined up this way, but this year is a step closer to holding seeds than we've ever been before.  It's something to celebrate nationally, even if it didn't work out great for you all.

[D3BBALL]

The Tufts Natty Chip revenge tour will go though:
Wesleyan
Winner of Trinity / Redlands
Endicott (national title)

I like by no wayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!

Hoping Scott Gyimesi, gets healthy and quickly!

[D3BBALL]

Agreed, absolutely brutal draw for sure in that that NESCAC-heavy bracket.  Trinity/Redlands/Tufts/Wesleyan is a stacked potential sectional.  Redlands is not easy to play and even if Trinity survives that (and I think they would because they have so many good ball-handlers and can get it up the floor in a hurry) it's an exhausting game to play before a brutal rivalry game the next day.  Plus Hood, NYU, and Babson as tough programs with a lot of tourney experience in that bracket too.  I do think all three NESCAC teams have a very good chance of advancing to a near-repeat of the NESCAC conference tourney. But a shame that Wesleyan wasn't sent to the other side of the bracket. 

Surprised they didn't swing one of those teams to the Emory bracket where there are plenty of New England teams.  Emory could have a glide path to the Final Four - IWU is very banged up and unclear if their star will be available, not totally sold on Montclair, NJAC hasn't been loaded in awhile, and Endicott isn't going to compete with Emory if they get that far, although Roanoke is definitely a tough second round match-up to get past. 

I think Bates has a solid chance of making the Sweet 16.  Amherst-WPI should be a good game, Mary Washington in the second round is tough for Amherst is they can survive that one. 

I'll go with Trinity over Wesleyan, Chicago over Mary Washington, Emory over ?, RMC over Wash U, with Emory beating Trinity for the national title.  I'm sure I'll be wildly wrong as usual! 

You're aware there's no sectional this year, right?  Only one game the second weekend and the final eight go out to Fort Wayne the next week to play Thursday-Saturday.  Championship in Indy two weeks after that.

The committee got an extra flight to keep the Top 16 seeds seeded perfectly.  I have some quibbles (Trinity should have a much easier second round opponent), but overall it's one of the better brackets we've ever seen.

Ryan, agree on the second round, but it hard to do 1-62, 2-63 all the way down, so those types of games will happen and it happens at all 3 levels, D1, D2 and D3, But you just don't do this to a conference, they didn't do it last year (with just about the same NPI rankings), no need to do it this year. The NCAA has so much money, and they make so many bad decisions for the sports and the kids. This is just another in a long line. It is totally unfair to the NESCAC conference.  Someone in that room should have had some common sense to say, this has to change. And someone just told me, that if Wesleyan had beaten Trinity yesterday and had moved up in rankings the same 3 teams still would have been in the same bracket with the same teams even if it didn't line up actually 1-16, 2-15 etc.

Yes, this is different than last year, but different in a direction towards a national bracket, not away from it.  It stinks the NESCAC lined up this way, but this year is a step closer to holding seeds than we've ever been before.  It's something to celebrate nationally, even if it didn't work out great for you all.

Ryan, we are going to disagree on this, but I don't believe the majority nationally would think this is the right way to do it. Putting 3 top 10 teams from the same conference in the same bracket, makes no sense and is not done in D1, for the same reasons as I have shared. And I would be saying the same thing if it was teams from the UAA as well. I think the WIAC is overrated this year, those words could come back to bite me, but I think it is better for them to have 3 teams in the same bracket, gives them a better chance to get A team to the final four, still wouldn't do it. But their 2nd and 3rd teams are 20 and 31 NPI, which I have no problem with as 20 and above are not really contenders and yes anything can happen. If the committee put Bates, Amherst, Tufts and Trinity in the same bracket, would have understood that, as long as Trinity/Tufts couldn't meet to elite 8. What the committee has done is the easy way out, not the right way. And IMO, it comes down to money, and again the NCAA makes enough money it could do this the right way. What it continues to say is that they don't value D3 the same as D1, it's just not that important to them.

[stlawus]

NPI is not the NESCAC Protection Index. This is part of the deal if you're getting a lot of teams in under the current system.

[D3BBALL]

NPI is not the NESCAC Protection Index. This is part of the deal if you're getting a lot of teams in under the current system.

That's funny, like that.

When you say current system are you talking the new NPI sytems?

Either way as I said in another post, if it was the top 3 UAA teams all in the same bracket, I would say the same thing. I not complaining because it is NESCAC, it just a bad way to feature all the best teams in the country. UAA could have 4 teams in the final 4, all top 25 teams. NESCAC with 3 top 10 teams in NPI can only get 1 of those 3 to the final 4.

[stlawus]

NPI is not the NESCAC Protection Index. This is part of the deal if you're getting a lot of teams in under the current system.

That's funny, like that.

When you say current system are you talking the new NPI sytems?

Either way as I said in another post, if it was the top 3 UAA teams all in the same bracket, I would say the same thing. I not complaining because it is NESCAC, it just a bad way to feature all the best teams in the country. UAA could have 4 teams in the final 4, all top 25 teams. NESCAC with 3 top 10 teams in NPI can only get 1 of those 3 to the final 4.

New system, yes.  I get the argument, but the UAA is so geographically spread out as is. I don't really have an issue with the new system, at least for basketball.  It is way worse in soccer, no conference should be getting 8 teams in hence the NESCAC Protection Index.  I just think that this kind of bracket is a bit of an equalizer.  If you're going to benefit from NPI in getting at large selections I don't think you can quibble about where you get placed in the bracket.

[nescac1]

Stlawus makes a good point.  I'd rather a system that lets more teams in (fairly I think, these are clearly five of the best 64 teams nationally) vs one that ensures geographic dispersion. 

[midranger]

Congratulations to Trinity on an utterly dominant NESCAC championship win. It was mentioned that the asterisk in Trinity's 3-year resume is that they never won a regular season title, but winning back-to-back-to-back NESCAC titles on the road is more impressive than any possible regular season feat. It's a shame for Vetter that dagger shots in high-stakes games isn't a measured statistic, because he truly always steps up when they need him most. As a team, they just have that championship DNA that allows them to rise to a different level on the biggest stage and that obviously bodes well for them going forward.

Looking towards the tournament, ironically, I think Trinity has the toughest first weekend pod. Both Babson and St. Joseph's (ME) have tournament pedigree and are peaking at the right time (both won their conference championship by 25+ points), and Redlands is a scary matchup for anyone. That being said, I am not worried about Trinity -- they rise to the occasion. The level of experience their top guys have in big games is remarkable and maybe unprecedented? Vetter, Okorougo, Lazarre, Berry, McDonald, and even Davis all played significant minutes in both the '24 Final Four run and last year's title run. Some older D3Hoops historians can correct me on this, but I can't imagine there have been many teams heading into any NCAA tournament with this level of experience playing in March.

I am relatively confident that we will see the Wesleyan vs. Tufts matchup in the sweet sixteen, especially if Gyimesi is healthy. If he is, I could see that game going either way. If not, Wesleyan's path to Fort Wayne looks promising. I am going to attribute their abysmal second half performance in the NESCAC championship to Trinity's smothering defense; I remain optimistic about their chances. If Wolinski can put up 18 in a half on Trinity's defense, he can do it against anyone. In March, it's not the X's and O's, but the Jimmy's and Joes.

I think Yeshiva beats Bates in the first round. For one, Pouye has been largely underwhelming in big games (possibly injury-induced). Yeshiva is on a 14-game win streak, were undefeated in conference, and are battle tested with one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country (including the top 3 NESCAC teams). Zevi Samet is an elite scorer and I don't see Bates containing him. Not to mention that the game in New Jersey will essentially be a home game for one of the most dedicated fandoms in the country.

All in all, I think Trinity is the only team with a real chance at cutting down the nets (and a strong one at that). Tufts' fate is largely decided by Gyimesi's status, but I'd put my money on Wesleyan making it to the Elite 8. Best of luck to all!

[Stickthe3]

Colby's Dan Civello is also in the transfer portal. Would be a huge blow to the Mules if he left.