I was unable to travel yesterday for D3football.com. Usually I’d be at one of the national semifinals and I was tentatively planning to be at Rowan/Mount Union, with a chance to see Wittenberg at Wooster last night.
However, I was able to catch the Wooster game broadcast online last night, and I tell you, I feel more pumped up for basketball season than I have in a long time. There’s nothing like an exciting game called b a strong broadcaster and last night fit the bill.
I can only imagine what it would’ve been like if I had been able to attend.
Obviously there’s more to cover, such as the news on the front page from Saturday and today’s upset of No. 1 Millikin by Illinois College. But those are my immediate thoughts on the weekend. Yours?
I hated to miss that game, too, as you can probably imagine. I can even see my usual seat in the front-page picture, behind the Wooster bench and up some number of rows. I would have had a great angle on the final play. Thanks to Mike Breckinridge’s call and Matt Dilyard’s photography, I feel like I can see the play unfold in my memory.
Both Wittenberg and Wooster have some tough games before the Feb. 4 rematch, which is a bit unusual. Normally these teams meet in January, then settle back into the win-twice-a-week NCAC routine before meeting again in late February. The odd December date gives both teams some chances to get in good non-conference opponents before the rematch: Witt has 7-0 Ohio Northern next week, and Wooster sees 6-1 Baldwin-Wallace and 6-2 New Jersey on either side of New Year’s Day.
Here’s my two-cents (plink, plink)…
I’m not sure what to make of the York (Pa.)-Salisbury result. On York’s end I don’t want to get too excited about one loss. The bigger question is what to make of Salisbury – wins over the Spartans and Virginia Wesleyan, but four loses already including to 3-5 Frostburg.
Nice weekend for the Freedom side of the Middle Atlantic Corporation. In addition to DeSales’ upset of Albright, Scranton and Lyco dispatch Moravian and Susquehanna respectively.
We’re starting to get enough games where you take more notice of teams like Maryville (Tenn.), who are still undefeated. Plus the Scots have played well in Tournaments past. In a battle of teams with flying below the radar, Hamilton gave Middlebury their first lost of the season.
Each week on Hoopsville I’ve talked about an NJAC team only to see them lose a couple days later. Ramapo…Rutgers-Newark…Richard Stockton. Be wary, NJCU since I’ll be focusing on you next. 🙂
On the women’s side, I’m intrigued by Messiah who continues to obliterate opponents. Margin of victory so far – 48, 24, 36, 48, 26, 17, 37, 42. I’m anxious to see how they fare against UW-Stout on December 28 and maybe we’ll even be lucky enough to see Messiah-Millikin at the same tournament.
I tip my cap to the Immaculata women’s team who ends the first semester 6-1, 2-0 in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference. I saw the Mighty Macs give a gutty effort against eventual conference champ Alvernia last year. They played tough, but ran out of a gas with a very short bench. It looks like Coach Canterino may be building some depth, though, as she used 10 players against Eastern.
Immaculata + Rosemont = 1 loss so far.
Gordon, leave us alone, we don’t need the hoopsville curse. 🙂
Mike, didn’t you get he memo?? The curse doesn’t apply to Gordon! He is so cool, he is like… the salvation of Hoopsville…. maybe more like… an anti-curse! 😉
Saw the Illinois Wesleyan vs Wash U game. IWU’s coach was quoted as saying “That’s as good a 40 minutes of basketball as we have played all year.” It was easy to see why they are ranked #1. I’m surprised they lost two #1 votes in this week’s top 25.