We don’t have all the schedules in yet, so we’ll probably end up leaving some games off, but with 95% of the games in the system hopefully anything will be minor.
Here’s some of the games to keep an eye on this weekend, as games tip off Friday:
Tourney twosome: To call it a battle would be overstating it, but should be interesting to see the Texas-Dallas men, which pulled off three upsets to make the NCAA Tournament at 15-13 last year, go up against No. 1 Illinois Wesleyan on Friday night. Probably more like a rude awakening.
Plenty of 20: Baldwin-Wallace’s men open Friday with St. John Fisher on a neutral floor at Westminster (Pa.). B-W went 20-9, St. John Fisher 28-1.
Recipie for confusion: Aurora, from the same state as MacMurray, plays McMurry, from Texas, at Wheaton of Illinois’ tournament. Guarantee you at least one newspaper story or press release puts an A in McMurry.
Who are these guys? That’s the theme of the season for Christopher Newport, which opens the season with Southern Virginia. They also play St. Joseph of Vermont, Maryland Bible, Fisher College (not St. John Fisher, of course), Maine-Presque Isle and Keystone, plus they will play either Maryland Bible or Southern Virginia a second time since both are in their Thanksgiving tournament. Sorry. Only one turkey at that tournament, and it’s CNU’s schedule, with a whopping one in-region non-conference game, five games against non-Division III members and two more against provisional D-III members.
Opposite end of the spectrum: Couple of interesting games Friday at F&M’s tournament with Trinity (Conn.) facing Cortland State and F&M hosting what’s left of Gwynedd-Mercy after the end of Badou Gaye’s collegiate career.
Sleeper pick: St. Thomas against UW-Stout, which are less than two hours apart but meet at Wooster on Friday night..
Can you go home again? We’ll find out Sunday, as Randolph-Macon’s men’s coach Michael Rhoades gets set to perhaps face his alma mater. The All-American guard helped lead LVC to a national title and brings his team north to face either Arcadia or LVC.
In women’s action, those who felt Williams should have gotten preseason poll consideration will get to find out right away, as the Ephs play Southern Maine at Maine-Farmington’s tipoff tournament. Elsewhere in first-weekend women’s games:
Big bracket: Not the NCAA one, the tournament at Marymount, which has Gettysburg taking on Wesleyan, Trinity (Texas) against Gwynedd-Mercy, Elizabethtown at Marymount, and King’s at North Park. Whoever comes out 3-0 will have deserved it.
Getting defensive: No. 1 Millikin starts its quest for another Walnut and Bronze on Friday by opening with Webster. They also host UW-Eau Claire on Sunday.
Saturday’s no walk in the park: How about scheduling for Randolph-Macon’s women as the No. 2 Yellow Jackets host No. 12 Springfield on the second day of their tipoff classic?
Northeast notable: No. 8 Brandeis could end up with Bates on the second day of its tournament. Wonder what Bates will be like without Olivia Zurek and last year’s seniors.
Into the fire: Southwestern coach Pam Ruder, who came in from UW-Oshkosh this offseason, gets an early baptism Saturday with a game at No. 24 Hardin-Simmons.
Sunday on the air: If Eastern Connecticut and No. 3 Bowdoin meet Sunday afternoon in the finals of Eastern Connecticut’s tournament, we’ll be there and will broadcast it for you. There will be details out front.
Feel free to chime in with neat storylines, interesting games from the upcoming week, through next Sunday.
I think the game of Week 1 is #15 Elmhurst @ probably-should-be-ranked Hope on Saturday night, in the first game ever at Devos Fieldhouse. 2nd team preseason All-American Chris Martin vs 1st teamer Andy Phillips. I’d love to see that game.
Trinity (TX) vs Virginia Wesleyan.
Last years best team in the South Region vs. this years potentially best team in South Region.
The Mid-Atlantic/Atlantic region has two games where a 2005 tournament participant faces a team that was on the verge of making the NCAAs.
NJCU (Pool B last year) plays a solid Scranton team on Friday at Susquehanna’s tip-off tournament.
King’s, who reached the Elite 8, plays an interesting Lincoln team in Elizabethtown.
ETBU vs. Northwestern State
Why would we care about a game against a non-D3 team?
Call me when … no, IF ETBU plays a non-conference Division III team.
John Carroll/Emory & Henry men’s game should be an interesting one from a subbing/scorekeeping perspective.
The possibility that Tufts could face both Wittenberg and Rochester is intriguing. Definitely good measuring stick games.
Southwestern/Mary Washington is another one that fits that bill, as is Potsdam/Wilkes
On women’s side, DePauw/IWU is a good matchup whose final score will be worth noting.
Baruch has a couple of very tough non-region matchups this season, starting with McDaniel.
As for geographic oddities, how about Lewis&Clark vs Smith and Scranton Willamette, both up in Oregon. The one other neat one pits Montclair against St. Thomas on neutral turf at Salem State
Hopefan’s games to watch
1)likely Wooster vs St Thomas / UW Stout winner
2)St John Fisher – Baldwin Wallace
3)likely Albion vs Ohio northern/DePauw winner
4)likely Wittenburg – Rochester
5)Va Wesleyan – plays both Trinity Tx and NC Wesleyan
6) Elmhurst – Hope
7)UW Platteville vs Wash U/Robert Morris Chicago winner
8) Aurora plays both McMurry (tx) and Wheaton Ill
9) Springfield plays both Roanoke and Hampden Sydney
10) Southwestern vs Mary Washington
11) best 4 team tourney King’s, Lincoln, Elizabethtown, Richard Stockton
Two of your supersleepers go head to head. UW-Stout, a team that will contend with Oshkosh for the WIAC title, faces St. Thomas, who finished 2nd in the MIAC last year. They play in the Wooster tourney this weekend. Stout is really fun to watch, an uptempo shoot ’em team with even two 7-footers.
…and I’ll be there, OS!
dcollinge,
Good to hear that someone will be there. You’ll have to tell me what you think about Stout, among other teams. They are young, athletic and full of energy!
I’ll be in Point for the curtain raiser and the banner unveiling. Tuesday I plan to go to Appleton to see Oshkosh and Lawrence and then next weekend it’s Ripon/Point, Lakeland/Point on back to back nights. Busy week. Thanksgiving? What’s that? 🙂