2015 NCAA Tournament

[John Gleich]

In case you missed Salem, here are some of the time lapse videos we shot: http://www.d3hoops.com/playoffs/men/2015/salem-civic-center-timelapse

That's pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I'm pretty sure that in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments we've had 221 different D3 schools make the tournament.

Only 3 qualified for all 10
St. Thomas
Wooster
Va. Wesleyan

I keep a spreadsheet with teams who've won a game in the tourney each year.  Right now, Whitworth and Wooster are the consecutive years leaders, with seven straight years winning at least one tourney game.  IWU and VWC both have six years running; Amherst has five.  Stevens Point loss game 1 in 2012, or else it would be nine straight.


Oh, and in case you're wondering - 248 schools have won at least one game in the d3 men's tournament since its inception.

Also, with their win this year, IWU finally caught Wittenberg at 20; they are tied for the most total year winning at least one tournament game.

[hopefan]

I'm pretty sure that in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments we've had 221 different D3 schools make the tournament.

Only 3 qualified for all 10
St. Thomas
Wooster
Va. Wesleyan

I keep a spreadsheet with teams who've won a game in the tourney each year.  Right now, Whitworth and Wooster are the consecutive years leaders, with seven straight years winning at least one tourney game.  IWU and VWC both have six years running; Amherst has five.  Stevens Point loss game 1 in 2012, or else it would be nine straight.


Oh, and in case you're wondering - 248 schools have won at least one game in the d3 men's tournament since its inception.

Also, with their win this year, IWU finally caught Wittenberg at 20; they are tied for the most total year winning at least one tournament game.

Does that include wins when they used to play loser's games in the first weekend?





edit--fixed formatting

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I'm pretty sure that in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments we've had 221 different D3 schools make the tournament.

Only 3 qualified for all 10
St. Thomas
Wooster
Va. Wesleyan

I keep a spreadsheet with teams who've won a game in the tourney each year.  Right now, Whitworth and Wooster are the consecutive years leaders, with seven straight years winning at least one tourney game.  IWU and VWC both have six years running; Amherst has five.  Stevens Point loss game 1 in 2012, or else it would be nine straight.


Oh, and in case you're wondering - 248 schools have won at least one game in the d3 men's tournament since its inception.

Also, with their win this year, IWU finally caught Wittenberg at 20; they are tied for the most total year winning at least one tournament game.

Does that include wins when they used to play loser's games in the first weekend?





edit--fixed formatting

I don't think so.  I populated it from the results on d3hoops.com and I don't recall those being listed there.  I don't think I'd include those anyway - once you're out, you're out.

[Pat Coleman]

We do list the regional third-place games, but as a measure of how meaningless they are, we list them in paragraph form instead of one per line.

[hopefan]

We do list the regional third-place games, but as a measure of how meaningless they are, we list them in paragraph form instead of one per line.

Just to regale you with how it was... those consolation games were or weren't meaningful to the actual teams depending on the given situations...

I was the assistant coach at RPI when our teams made the first two D3 tourneys in 1975 and 1976. 
In 1975, we traveled to Brockport the first weekend... I had scouted Brockport the prior weekend and came back feeling they were quicker, bigger, and 'meaner' than us... we frustrated them for about 15 minutes running a very slow, disciplined offense, but once they got going, they ran and boarded us out of the gym and ended up beating us by 13.  So the 2nd night we matched up against Albany State (now D1 Albany), a team we were located very close to, played just about every year, and rarely beat.  Private school that felt looked down on by the state school year after year.... We were pumped, they weren't, we clobbered them, and had a great 5 hour bus ride home that night...
In 1976, the tables turned.. we had 4 starters back, and had high expectation.. we matched up vs Plattsburgh, had them scouted, felt better than them,.... and got beat... 2nd night, we play RIT, whom we had already beaten twice during the regular season.. you know what happened, we were awful, they beat us... THEY had the fun ride home, our kids went back to the frats with their tales between their legs....

[Pat Coleman]

I figured someone would probably say that, but in all honesty, it shouldn't count as an NCAA Tournament game since the teams were already eliminated from the bracket. Your story about Albany is exactly why the game shouldn't count on an NCAA Tournament record. Just like the national third-place game or an ECAC game -- you never know if both teams are actually interested in playing. That's not the case in an NCAA Tournament game.

[kate]

Pat, I bet that for the Seniors on any D3 team that whether it would be a third place game, an ECAC game or a league All-Star game, that they'd be thrilled to hit the court one last time!

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

kate - believe it or not... that isn't actually the case. I am running into less and less who want to hit the court, especially in a third-place game, to play a meaningless game. I was a big supporter of it, but one team in particular didn't want to play in it so clearly... it was hard to miss and it soured me on the game(s). We have seen senior-laden teams who just go through the paces. The days of competitive third-place games are long, long gone. And to be honest, I am no longer a fan of the ECAC for the very same reason (along with the financial BS that goes with it). I also think the ECAC loses its luster if you keep playing in it. How excited as D1s when they are constantly in the NIT? Not very when schools start pulling their interest.

The NABC did a terrific job in getting the NCAA (Division III) to replace the third-place game with the all-star game and I promise you there hasn't been one complaint from any team or any senior. They aren't given another game at any other round and they really aren't interested in an exhibition game, either. Now for the women to figure it out. There are many complaining, but apparently not many listening on their side of things. Hopefully that changes.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Although, without that third place game for the women, we'd have one less 2k-1k player out there - I'm guessing it mattered to her.



I'm with you on the ECACs - even though an ECAC championship in the mid-90's (a year we lost the conference final) is the highlight of my alma mater's men's basketball program.  It means something to small school without a strong tradition, but those stories come along so infrequently, I don't think the whole thing is worth it.

Even a team like Southern Vermont, which could be in that scenario, brings back a strong core and fully expects to get to the NCAAs next year.  I can't imagine ECAC success is super meaningful to them.

[Greek Tragedy]

Being in Salem and watching consolation games, I can say it's boring. I don't think any of the players care or have that much fun. How can you have fun after spilling your guts in a losing effort the night before.

On the other hand, the players seem to have fun during the all-star game...and even the announcers and refs. The ref actually took the last shot of the all-star game.

[Just Bill]

Pat, I bet that for the Seniors on any D3 team that whether it would be a third place game, an ECAC game or a league All-Star game, that they'd be thrilled to hit the court one last time!

Not always. An ECAC game is still a chance to win a championship (on some level anyway). An All-Star game is just for fun and a nice honor. A third place game? I can't speak for all of them, but in my experience many would rather not.

I used to work at state hockey tournament games where they had a consolation bracket. Many of those turned into chippy, cheap shot contests with seniors who were pissed about losing the night before and knew there was no real consequences to their actions. I've seen that in basketball too.

[Pat Coleman]

Pat, I bet that for the Seniors on any D3 team that whether it would be a third place game, an ECAC game or a league All-Star game, that they'd be thrilled to hit the court one last time!

Yeah, as Dave says, it's just not true. Lots of cases, kids are bumming because they didn't advance and view a consolation game as exactly that.

[Gregory Sager]

I figured someone would probably say that, but in all honesty, it shouldn't count as an NCAA Tournament game since the teams were already eliminated from the bracket. Your story about Albany is exactly why the game shouldn't count on an NCAA Tournament record. Just like the national third-place game or an ECAC game -- you never know if both teams are actually interested in playing. That's not the case in an NCAA Tournament game.

Perhaps they shouldn't count, but they do. If you're citing individual or team records, or all-time W-L marks for various schools, you have to include those consolation games.

I'm not fond of their presence on the historical record, either. Gerald Reece of William Penn went off for 47 points against North Park in a 1981 regional conso, and that stupid scoring record was a millstone around NPU's neck in the NCAA record book until Ben Strong of Guilford (bless him) snapped Reece's record eight years ago. Reece still holds the D3 tourney record for most field goals in a game with the 21 that he made against North Park that night.

(William Penn beat North Park, 85-81, so it wasn't a blowout. It was the final career game of North Park's legendary 2,000-point superstar Michael Thomas, and he scored 38 or something to reasonably counter Reece.)

[Pat Coleman]

Perhaps they shouldn't count, but they do. If you're citing individual or team records, or all-time W-L marks for various schools, you have to include those consolation games.

I'm perfectly happy referring only to games that occur in the championship bracket. Thankfully most of these games were so long ago that it isn't an issue.