This is the 10th season we’ve been doing the site but there are still many schools that don’t seem to have fans on our site and some schools that we’ve never heard from at all.

Today I heard from a fan of Johnson State and I was glad to know that a Johnson State fan has heard of us and is interested. There are a lot of schools that fit this description, especially in the Northeast, but hopefully you folks will continue to come out of the woodwork. We’d love to hear from you.

The other day it was UW-Superior breaking a long silence. We also heard from York (N.Y.) — not surprising with the start the Cardinals are off to.

Keep those letters and e-mails coming. 🙂

Like Pat, I was exposed to something a little different this weekend. I got to listen to Omar Al-Ubaydli and his crew broadcast a basketball game.

Omar is a PhD student studying economics at the University of Chicago and a native of Bahrain, an independent island nation in the Persian Gulf, occupied by the British until 1971, which explains why I thought Omar spoke with a British accent.

This is your typical college basketball broadcast in many ways. The student broadcasters are homers,willingly admit as much, and are still learning their craft. The games air on Teamline. Sprinkled in is occasionally goofy conversation about the likes of NBA Jam and other pop culture relevant to this age group. The one thing that makes it unique, at least in this country, is Omar’s use of language.

Omar’s expertise is soccer commentary and it is evident from the way he announces. A nice play is described as “lovely.” A pass is made “into the left channel.” A made 3-pointer draws the exclamatory call of “In!!!” and on this particular day, the Maroons men’s team set a team record for 3’s so there was plenty of exuberance. Omar also likes to pun, much to the (feigned) dismay of his colleagues. They willingly responded to my e-mails in which I provided a few tidbits on their opposition and I appreciated their receptiveness and interaction. It was a different and interesting way to experience a game. Isn’t that what we’re here for? Different and interesting is what makes Division III fun.

Anyway, a few things that were different and interesting from gazing at the scoreboard from a “lovely” weekend of basketball

* Rhode Island College was the big winner this weekend in my part of the country (New England) with its upset of Tufts. Some may have been skeptical in the preseason but any criticism was quelled after an exhibition win over Iona. The Anchormen were mentioned by some as a super-sleeper candidate but we failed to take their advice. We’re wishing we had. My other super-sleeper regret may be not picking York. I met coach Ron St. John last year at the CUNY title game and was intrigued by his energy. My instinct was that the CUNY isn’t strong enough from which to pick a super-sleeper, but a win over Christopher Newport builds a little bit of credibility.

* Interesting men’s wins that didn’t earn mention on the front: Whitworth over Wheaton (Ill), Lake Erie over Rochester, Brandeis over Springfield by 27 (Brandeis, a former super-sleeper, has Tufts and Amherst upcoming), Franklin & Marshall over Widener by 27 after F&M lost to Delaware Valley (5-20 last season) in its tip-off opener.

* On the women’s side, I saw the opening round of the Salem State tournament, which included Williams, Springfield and the hosts. Williams, tabbed preseason No. 17 after returning four starters from its Sweet 16 team of a year ago, looked not ready for prime time in its opener against Coast Guard. The Ephs may loom as Bowdoin’s top threat in the NESCAC this year with Bates center Meg Coffin out for the year with a knee injury and I’m guessing what I saw from All-America candidate Maggie Miller and company was some early-season rust. Salem State was particularly impressive, and that’s nothing new. They have the talent to match up with the best teams in the region on the right day.

* The surprise of surprises has to be that Washington University is 0-2 for the first time since 1982-83 (Usual MIAC power St. Benedict is also 0-2 after losses to Wesleyan and Salve Regina on a trip east). I don’t know what to say about that other than that they faced some stiff competition at Illinois Wesleyan’s tournament from Top-5 ranked DePauw and apparently underrated Central. Wash U may end up facing Williams next weekend at their own tournament and that should be an interesting game.

* Last word…Scranton has an occasional habit of dropping a game early in the season. Losing at Rochester, which is always tough at home, isn’t that big of a surprise to me.

As you may know, I’ve recently relocated from Sterling, Va., to Norwalk, Conn., and I am using my new geography to get to see some new areas of Division III.

Until last night, the furthest Northeast I’d ever seen a Division III game was in the 2004 playoffs, when Ray Martel and I called a Lasell/Trinity (Conn.) game in Hartford. Last night I saw two new teams play in a gym that was new to me as well, when WPI and Nichols played at Becker.

I had been warned that Becker’s gym wasn’t very impressive — for those who are familiar with the area I came from, it’s basically a clone of Mary Washington’s gym, with the court moved about 15 feet away from the doors, making room for another three rows of bleachers.

The colors are even the same!

The lighting is better.

WPI lost a fair amount of talent from last season, but Antoine Coleman was by far the best player on the floor last night. Coleman (no relation) is a 6-3 swingman and had 29 points and 11 rebounds. Picture a more disciplined and muscular Rashaan Barner from William Paterson’s 2001 runner-up team or … shoot, I’m having a hard time pulling names out of my brain at the moment.

Ryan Cain didn’t have the type of game you’d expect from a preseason first team All-American.; he went 5-for-14 from the floor and 0-for-6 from downtown. But there’s plenty of season left for him to bounce back.

WPI rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Nichols 83-64 and win the Worcester County Tip-Off Tournament, which features four schools from the area. The pieces are there enough that this WPI team might do something as the season progresses.

And thanks to Rusty and Carey Williams Eggen for their hospitality, as always.

One of the most exciting weekends of the Division III Basketball Season is almost upon us. On Friday night (or afternoon in some cases) the 2006-2007 basketball season begins.

Which team has the most interesting opening weekend is up for debate. But which team is the busiest is not.

That honor goes to TBA.

TBA starts off with a handful of games on Friday night. They play Messiah and then Pitt-Greensburg at Dickinson’s Tip off Tournament. It’s so much fun, let’s play two! In fact, let’s play ourselves. That’s what will happen at the Keene State Tournament Tip Off on Friday night where TBA plays TBA.

Then Saturday is really an interesting day for the TB of A. It plays Morrisville State, Montclair State, McMurry, Muhlenberg, Mt. St. Joseph, Medaille, Maine Presque-Isle and Manhattanville. And those are just some of the Ms! TBA is equal opportunity, so it’ll play King’s men and women.

Of course, TBA isn’t a real team. It’s “to be announced” the three dreaded words that will plague us this weekend as we try to enter scores, update schedules and, oh yeah, cover that playoff thing that starts in Division III football.

So please bear with us as we do our best to keep both sites running without running ourselves down. Will we be able to do so? Well, that’s TBD.

Wish you were here: If I could pick any Division III basketball game on the landscape to attend this weekend, it would be Waukesha, Wisconsin where No. 17 Carroll and Nathan Drury (pictured) hosts No. 25 UW-Stevens Point on Saturday night.

This isn’t the only match-up between ranked teams (more on that later), but I’m intrigued by the Pointers debut in the Top 25. With three starters and 78.1 percent of their scoring for a year ago returning, perhaps second year Coach Bob Semling and his crew are ready to return to the national stage.

If so, that’s a heck of a rebuilding job – from two-time champs to a “down year” of 17-10 to the Top 25 again. And if the Pointers are going to stick in the rankings, they are going to earn it. After Carroll, Stevens Point heads to No. 13 Lawrence

This is only a test: 2005 women’s tournament participant Oglethorpe isn’t just playing two ranked teams to start the season. They are doing it 2,691 miles from home when the Stormy Petrels play No. 25 Puget Sound in Tacoma and then No. 16 Pacific Lutheran. And if you think I’m highlighting Oglethorpe just so I can write “Stormy Petrels,” you’re only half right.

Starting five: Here are five games that grabbed my eye on this week’s slate.

Saturday – Men: No. 25 UW-Stevens Point @ No. 17 Carroll
UW-Stevens Point Broadcast
Carrol Broadcast
Live Stats

Friday – Women: No. 3 DePauw vs. No. 12 Washington U. (at Illinois Wesleyan)
Both teams were knocked off by national champ Hope last year. Both teams are good – again – this year.
DePauw Broadcast

Friday – Men: No. 9 St. Thomas vs. No. 20 Occidental (at La Verne)
If the team match-up isn’t enough fun, you’ve got First Team All American Isaac Rosefelt (UST) vs. Fourth Team All American Sam Betty (Oxy)

Friday – Men: No. 16 Lincoln vs. Widener (at Franklin & Marshall)
Last Saturday I spotted Pride Forward Malcolm Thomas at Widener’s football game. He said the team looked young and good. You could say the same about Lincoln.

Saturday – Women: Cal Lutheran @ No. 25 Puget Sound
How about four tournament teams from a year ago in one place? Along with Oglethorpe, UPS and PLU, the defending SCIAC champs join the fun in Tacoma.
UPS Broadcast

Reader’s Digest The (Lewiston, Maine) Sun Journal shines the preseason spotlight on Senior Guard Zak Ray of Bates. According to Bobcats Coach Joe Reilly “if he wanted to, [Zak] could score 25 points a game. But he chooses to score 12 and distribute the ball.” Ray and his teammates open with Western New England and Southern Vermont at Williams this weekend.

Staying in New England, the Barre Montpelier (Vermont) Times Argus checks in with the Norwich Cadets women’s team as they get ready to defend their GNAC crown with a new head coach. Mark Miller replaces Steve Lanpher who stayed in state to take an Assistant Coach position at University of Vermont.

Meanwhile two other 2005 tournament teams tip off their season against one another when Villa Julie travels to York (Pa.). The York Dispatch previews the Spartans who will open the stunning New Charles Wolf Gymnasium on Saturday against the Mustangs.

And finally…

Sort of gives new meaning to ‘coast to coast’:State University of New York-Maritime (SUNY-Maritime for short) opens against California Maritime in men’s action on Friday night. And where do they play? Maine Maritime, of course.