“Reluctantly crouched at the starting line
Engines pumping and thumping in time
The green light flashes, the flags go up
Churning and burning they yearn for the cup”
– Cake, “The Distance.”
Tomorrow begins nine days of conference championship action after which we’ll have 122 teams – 63 women’s teams and 59 men’s teams – who will make up the 2007 NCAA Tournament fields.
Like last year, we’ll use the Daily Dose to highlight big games and shine a spotlight on the lesser known races worth watching.
Day one brings a formerly ranked team on the brink, a full day of action in New York City and a sleeper with one last chance to wake up.
Rocky Road: For those who doubt the NESCAC’s depth, witness the plight of the Bates Bobcats. They spent a good portion of the season ranked after plowing through their non-conference schedule. Then they hit the conference schedule – or the schedule hit them – and now they are the eight seed in their own tournament.
So all they have to do is win three games. On the road. Starting with an angry No. 3 Amherst team. Might as well get the hardest one out of the way first, I suppose.
If the Bobcats have any hope, it resides in the dynamic duo of Zak Ray (12.3 ppg, 140 assists) and Rob Stockwell (15.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg). The Lord Jeffs held Ray to 8 points on 2 for 11 shooting in the first meeting, a 79-64 Amherst victory.
Webcast: 3 PM EST: Bates @ No. 3 Amherst (Men)
NESCAC fans can also watch Little 3 rivals Wesleyan and Williams battle in the women’s quarterfinals at 4 PM EST.
Almost Paradise: Head Coach Machli Joseph and Baruch played an aggressive non-conference schedule this year that included four likely tournament teams (No. 5 Messiah, No. 6 Scranton, Kean and Chapman). That provided very valuable experience, but it also added a few more regional loses.
The Bearcats are the heavy favorites for the CUNYAC tournament and they probably need to win it to make the NCAA tournament. The next loss will be their seventh in region and they were not ranked in this week’s regional rankings.
It’s up to Preseason All-American Chiresse Paradise (12.5 ppg, 13 games) to help the Bearcats complete an undefeated season in the CUNYAC. They start with New York City Tech tomorrow.
Waking Wesley: Last year Wesley nearly upset Alvernia on the road in the PnAC Tournament final. With players like Rashawn Johnson (22.9 ppg) returning, the Wolverines had a chance to contend for this year’s regular season title. Instead they lost seven of their first 10 and needed a win over Misericordia just to grab the sixth seed.
That gives the Wolverines one more chance to live up to the potential they showed late last year, starting in the conference tournament quarterfinals at Immaculata. The Mighty Macs are a good story themselves having taken the third seed in just their second season of men’s basketball.
There are lots of other good stories and big games out there, including a D3hoopsNet broadcast of the de facto NJAC regular season title game between Ramapo and NJCU.
Feel free to talk them up.