Once upon a time, there was a mystical land called Division III basketball. It was a land of wonder and whimsy where heroes and heroines showed great valor, courage and mad ups. Throughout the land roamed mystical creatures – Gorloks, Red Dragons, Griffins and even a little-known Phoenix. The basketball court was full of Knights – Blue ones, Golden ones, Scarlet ones, Green ones and Gothic ones. There were Lancers and Lords, Monarchs and Student Princes, Kingsmen and King’s men (and women).

One fair day a skinny, balding bard (as opposed to Bard) told the tale of legends three. “Hear the story, dear Dose reader, of the second day of championships, a day of legendary struggles in places near and far!”

Magic men: Last year the Williams Ephs entered the NESCAC tournament with little fanfare, a 13-11 record and few expectations of a national playoff bid. They won three games, two on the road and captured the AQ. This year there is again little fanfare around Williams’ conference tournament appearance but for different reasons. The Ephs rose as high as No. 4 in the country but finished tied for sixth in their own conference. They will try to rekindle last season’s magic, starting with a road game at regionally ranked Middlebury.

Damsels in distress: The Bowdoin Polar Bears are far from being helpless maidens, but they are in danger of having their long streak of NCAA tournament appearances end. They will likely have to beat three teams with winning records, starting with the Bobcats against whom the Polar Bears lost by 10 last Saturday. Unlike recent years, Bowdoin won’t host the NESCAC semifinals, even if they do advance. Their difficult quest for the NCAA starts tomorrow.

A Knight’s Tale: It’s not a conference tournament, but Arcadia has quietly put together a run that is too impressive not to mention. On January 30, the Scarlet Knights were 7-11, 2-4 in the MAC-Freedom Conference. Since then, they have won five of six including conference wins against Wilkes and first place DeSales. If Arcadia can win tomorrow, they will clinch the fourth and final seed in the conference playoffs, completing a very memorable inaugural regular season there. Fittingly enough for this cheesy motif, the team that stands in their way is the Valiants.

All times listed are EST

2:00 pm: Women – Bates @ Bowdoin (NESCAC Quarterfinals) (Video // Live Stats)

2:00 pm: Women – Colby @ No. 14 Amherst (NESCAC Quarterfinals) (Audio // Live Stats)

2:00 pm: Men – Williams @ Middlebury (NESCAC Quarterfinals) (Audio // Live Stats)

2:00 pm: Men – Neumann @ Misericordia (PnAC 1st Round) (Audio // Live Stats)

3:00 pm: Women – Middlebury @ No. 15 Tufts (NESCAC Quarterfinals) (Video // Live Stats)

3:00 pm: Men – Arcadia @ Manhattanville (Video // Live Stats)

4:00 pm: Men – Colby @ No. 1 Amherst (NESCAC Quarterfinals) (Audio // Live Stats)

4:00 pm: Men – Bates @ Bowdoin (NESCAC Quarterfinals) (Video // Live Stats)

7:00 pm: Men – Cabrini @ Gwynedd-Mercy (PnAC 1st Round) (Video)