Author Archives: Pat Coleman

Revisiting D3 vs. D1

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Earlier this season Coach C sparked a spirited discussion with a well written entry about whether it’s worthwhile for Division III schools to play Division I schools. Given tonight’s top story, I thought it was worth reviving the discussion.

I always wonder how “our guys” stack up against the big guys? Not Duke or Villanova, but if our top teams played their bottom teams, would they win? Tonight’s game between No. 5 Puget Sound and Division I UC Riverside (0-8) was a good case study.

Puget Sound is ranked highly, though some may argue perhaps too highly. We’ll see whether that’s the case when they play top-ranked IWU next week. UPS also plays an unusual, frenetic style of play. I’m not sure whether that makes them more or less likely to succeed against DI. But UPS is certainly a capable standard bearer for D3.

Meanwhile the UCR Highlanders (“who wants…to live…for-ever!”) are near, if not at, the bottom of Division I. For those who like such indices, the Wolfe rankings have UC-Riverside No. 693 overall, behind more than 50 Division III schools including UPS (No. 676). UCR also drubbed Redlands 162-123 in an exhibition back in November.

In the first half it was Puget Sound that was behind, trailing by as many as 18 points and 13 at the break. But the Loggers rolled (get it?) out of the locker room and cut the lead quickly. UPS and UCR battled back and forth over the final 10 minutes before the Loggers put the game away on Josh Walker’s defensive rebound at 113-111.

This isn’t the first time a D3 team has beaten a DI. Defending national champion Williams beat defending Patriot League champion Holy Cross 78-71 in 2003. And D3 tallied two victories over D1 teams last year (HSC over Longwood, Gettysburg over Navy). But more often than not, the results aren’t pretty. See West Virginia 83 W&J 33.

A recent article in the Allentown (Pa.) Morning Call offers one explanation on why these match-ups are more frequent right before Christmas. It also underlines the good and bad of these match-ups.

On the bright side, wins like the UPS victory are special moment. When Swarthmore beat Lafayette, Coach O’Hanlon says the Garnet “celebrated like they had just won the NCAA.” That sounds good.

But the idea that DI teams are trolling for easy wins because their students are busy with exams is patronizing. Plus it’s not like our players don’t have academic concerns of their own. By the way, Lafayette beat Dickinson by 20.

So where do I fall on these match-ups? I still think one size doesn’t fit all. Division III teams should make these decisions for themselves based on the likelihood of being competitive, financial considerations and whatever else factors into it. It’d be tough to tell the kids at Puget Sound that they shouldn’t have played what was a memorable game for them.

But in my inglorious athletic career, the only thing that ticked me off more than getting my butt kicked was getting it kicked by someone who wasn’t even trying their hardest.

So, considering the UPS victory, where do you stand?

Immediate thoughts on Dec. 19 games

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Okay, so I was wrong. Again.

A couple weeks back on Hoopsville, Dave McHugh asked me which teams I had ranked ahead of No. 12 Randolph-Macon, on my men’s ballot. “Ha,” I clucked, “try all of them!” As is frequently the case, hindsight set in about an hour later and I realized that was a stupid thing to say. I’ve quietly made my peace with RMC by putting them on my last ballot and singing their alma mater in a remorseful tone.

That being said, from what I heard of last night’s webcast, Justin Wansley is a beast and this team is solid. They won two games in two nights against Top 25 teams (No. 21 Lincoln and No. 18 St. John Fisher) with different styles. I can only say:

Lift the chorus, speed it onward;
Ne’er let praises fail!
Hail to thee our Alma Mater,
Randolph-Macon hail!

Elsewhere the McMurry men have had a rough three days, losing to Louisiana College (3-6) and ASC favorite Mississippi College by 23. The Christmas break comes at a good time for the Indians (6-3, 5-2) who had won six in a row before this mini-skid.

Both teams at Franklin are now 8-1 after the men beat Earlham in OT last night. The male Grizzlies, whose lone loss comes to Eckerd (9-1 in Division II), play North Central (6-0) on December 28 in Naperville in an interesting clash of teams below the radar.

And nice win for the No. 12 University of Mary Washington women yesterday morning, 68-63 over Concordia (Neb.) who has been to the NAIA Division II semifinals two of the past three seasons. It’s even nicer when you get that win in Honolulu.

Mele Kalikimaka, everyone.

Who can it be now?

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OK, I’m stumped with Southern Maine’s loss to Salem State on Saturday, I’m trying to figure out who I should vote for as my new women’s No. 1 team. Anyone have any suggestions? I see 5 to 6 possibilities out there, but I haven’t fully weighed the pros and cons of each.

Rant: Professionalism

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A few weeks ago… in the first rant of the season… I criticized fans – and even coaches – for going after those working in game management for simple mistakes or not being quick enough on the draw.

I basically said that unless they were doing the job, back off.

This time, I am going to say a few things about some of those game management people. But I am not going to criticized them for the job the do… rather… for how they conduct themselves professionally.

I am in my 11th season as a public address announcer… and from my seat I have not only seen a lot of things… but also heard a lot of things.

I have announced primarily for Goucher College – my alma mater – and those working the table are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner.

That doesn’t just mean how they dress…but how they act… or should I say, don’t act.

But more and more I am seeing students and other game management personal either come to the sports and recreation center – or attends their own home games at other gyms – without the first thought of professionalism.

Now maybe I am old-fashioned (though I am certainly not old), but since when is the table the same as the bench?

The steadfast rule at Goucher has been that no matter what happens on the court, what calls are being made or not made, or how the fans, coaches, players, or referees react… we don’t!

Plain and simple.

We are there to do a job and we are to express no particular bias either way.

(Yes, for those of you wondering, there is an argument about public address announcers – we will cover that some other time.)

But in the last few years, from my seat next to the visiting book or others representing the visiting team, the conduct is more of a fan or a member of the bench than one of a professional.

Applauding the team or a player after each basket or great play…
Cheering on the team when they need to come up with a big play…
Vocally disagreeing with a referees call…
Clapping when a good thing happens for them… pounding the table and cursing when something goes badly.
I could go on… and on… and on… but I think you get my point.

I believe in what the first sports information director I ever worked with believed in. Kevin Fillman used to preach (and even had written on paper for everyone to read at each seat) that at no time would non-professional behavior – similar to what I gave as examples – be tolerated.

And that also went for how we dressed.

I wear a button-down shirt… dress pants… and a tie to each and every game I am at – whether it is a game no one is at… or the n-c-a-a playoffs.

The reason is simple… I am representing the athletic department… and in turn the school.

And that includes on the road. When I was a student traveling with teams for the sports information office… my attire was the same.

However, now-a-days it isn’t that surprising to see the person in charge of visiting team’s official book… wearing warm-ups and a t-shirt.

I am not saying everyone needs to dress up in a tie – even for their own home games – but, how about dressing at least in a way that represents your school appropriately.

This also goes for your behavior.

Don’t cheer your team on…
Don’t swear when something doesn’t go your way…
Don’t even clap or pound the table when the urge is there to do so.

You are working for the program… representing your school and athletic department… at what is supposed to be a working environment.
This means you are representing your school not only to fans who might be visiting your institution… but to those you are traveling to compete against.

This might be the reason people have trouble with some schools game management either at their facility or when they travel.

If they aren’t presenting themselves seriously or in a professional manner… why should anyone expect them to conduct themselves the same way.

Next time anyone reading this comes to Goucher and doesn’t present themselves in the same way the rest of the table does… don’t be surprised if the public address announcer turns to them and says something about it.

Where will the pieces fall?

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Today’s announcement of a new league being formed is just the first of what is likely to be many changes in conferences over the next year or so. Legislation is on the table at the upcoming NCAA convention to allow conferences to change membership without resulting in the loss of an automatic bid. (Currently, even if the members remain at seven each year, there’s a danger of losing the automatic bid if the number of consistent members from year to year falls below a certain level.)

The three MAC football expatriates, who will be playing football in the Liberty League or Centennial Conference and everything else in the “Interstate Eight” — we can call it that for now — got it started by leaving the MAC back in October, ending a period of speculation that had teams moving to the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, to the Centennial, from the Capital and the like.

Villa Julie to the CAC is a lock, just waiting to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. Hood is a natural, although the MAC is pursuing them as well. Wesley is going to be a strong CAC candidate as well, after getting turned down some years back. Frostburg State is locked into position in the AMCC until the summer, when the school will be looking for a new president, but could be a candidate, if the private schools in the league are willing to consent to take on another state school.

The MAC has to be worried. It sent out feelers to six schools and two of them must have football. Even Gallaudet, whose football program is club status, is getting looks because of that, and Misericordia has expressed an interest in adding the sport as well. Some say three schools from the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference are on the six-school list, though sources disagree on which ones aside from Misericordia.

Even the Atlantic Women’s Colleges Conference, which I had given up for dead about six months ago, seems to be breathing. The conference watched Hood and Chestnut Hill add men and saw Mary Baldwin latch up with the USA South and did nothing with its membership for more than a year, putting it in danger of losing its automatic bid (and it still could, for a year or more). But salvation might come in the form of St. Elizabeth, an all-women’s school in New Jersey, and New Rochelle, in New York. That’s a mission worth saving, and with a little more action a year ago the conference would be in better shape now.

There’s already shuffling in the Northeast, with Western New England talking about moving out of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. The Commonwealth Coast Conference, North Atlantic Conference and GNAC could all see changes in membership since they are large enough to spawn other leagues and gobble up more automatic bids.

Beware.

In the Southeast there is talk of a new league forming involving Maryville (Tenn.), LaGrange, Piedmont, Huntingdon, Mississippi College, Louisiana College, and Oglethorpe. (Someone also told us Trinity (Texas) was looking at this league as well, but we took that with a grain of salt, as did our source.)

While we haven’t heard much rumbling from other parts of the country, the SCAC still has a stated mission of expansion on the table, after Rose-Hulman announced its pending departure for the HCAC this offseason and Austin College came in. Much of that movement could be football-related.

We’re in for an interesting few months. This “Interstate Eight” deal came together in a month or so. More will follow.