Regional Rankings 2019

[bkingbroker]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

Agreed....I thought Drury would get hosed but justice was served there.

Looks like a fair draw

[Lawson]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

Grand Valley and Walsh taking the auto-bids throws a bit of a wrench in for anyone that wasn't ranked at least 6th already. I'd lay money on these 8, with the biggest question being the order of #6-8

1. Lewis
2. Bellarmine
3. USI
4. Findlay
5. Ashland
6. Indy
7. Walsh
8. Grand Valley

With Indy being 6th in the last ranking, the committee isn't going to drop them out in favor of Drury or N Mich. I think if Drury or N Mich had won their tourney they probably would have jumped ahead of Indy, but since they were 6th, and 2 unranked teams are adding in, Indy will end up staying 6th.

I guess they can drop them.

[Knightmoves]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

I'm not sure Walsh can be considered a bid thief. After beating Findlay and winning the GMAC, they may have deserved the 7th seed even without the auto bid

[WalkerEaglefan83]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/basketball-men/d2/2019

[kdubnation]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

Wow, I'm really surprised that they did put Drury in instead of Indy. I think it's definitely fair that they did, I just didn't expect it.

[ftballfan]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

Women:
1. Drury
2. Lewis
3. GVSU
4. Ashland
5. Northern Michigan
6. Truman State
7. Walsh
8. Kentucky Wesleyan

[chapmaja]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

Wow, I'm really surprised that they did put Drury in instead of Indy. I think it's definitely fair that they did, I just didn't expect it.

I don't know why you would be surprised to see DU over Indy. Drury had a better GLVC record, but was seeded below Indy due to the ratings system that the GLVC uses. Drury and Indy split two meetings this season, with Drury winning the GLVC tourney game that allowed them to play and upset Lewis.

Based on regional rankings, Drury had the better win (they beat Lewis, Indy beat Bellarmine, but also had a 30 point loss to Bellarmine). I think it really came down to which team looked better. Both had nice wins, but Drury looked better on the losing side of games. Drury's worst loss was by 22 to Bellarmine. Only one other loss, the GLVC title game loss to Bellarmine was by double digits. Indy could beat anyone, as evidenced by the win over Bellarmine, but they also lost two weeks later to Bellarmine by 30 and lost to Lewis at home by 29.

I think the strength of schedule also played a part. Drury played several games outside the region against quality opponents. They lost in OT to WTAMU, the #1 seed in their region. They lost a close game to Concordia-Irvine, a #6 seed in their regional, and they lost by 1 to Azuza Pacific, a team that went 20-11 but did not make the tourney. Later in the season they suffered a 1 point defeat to Barry University, who finished with 18 wins. Indy only played 2 non-conference games against teams in the tourney. They beat GVSU and they lost to Washburn. Indy's other big non-conference games were a win over LSSU (in OT by 1), a 3 point win at SVSU (didn't make GLIAC tourney), and a 12 point win over Northwood (8th in GLIAC regular season). Strength of schedule made the difference and the fact is playing teams like Elmhurst, Wilberforce, Grace College, and Olivet Nazarene doesn't help the SOS.

[chapmaja]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

I'm not sure Walsh can be considered a bid thief. After beating Findlay and winning the GMAC, they may have deserved the 7th seed even without the auto bid

I think they would have been left out had they not beaten Findlay. Yes they had a decent record, but they would have had three bad in region losses. They lost at Northwood, the #8 seed in the GLIAC, plus had losses to UMSL and Maryville. The UMSL isn't a bad loss, but losing to Maryville was. Had Walsh not beaten Findlay it would be hard to find a "best win" for this team. Drury has a best win against #1 seed Lewis, plus a win over Southern Indiana. Indy has a best win over #2 seed Bellarmine. Southern Indiana has wins over Maryville and UMSL (as well as a loss to UMSL), plus wins over Bellarmine and twice over Lewis (and a loss to Hillsdale, who Walsh beat twice). I think with a loss to Findlay Walsh would likely have been 9th or 10th in the regional rankings, battling with Indy and NMU for the position as the best team left out of the tourney.

[UFOILERFAN]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

Saturday, March 16

12:00 p.m. Drury vs. Findlay
2:30 p.m. Walsh vs. Bellarmine
5:00 p.m. Grand Valley vs. Lewis
7:30 p.m. Ashland vs. Southern Indiana

All times CDT

[kdubnation]

Re: Regional Rankings 2019

I don't know why you would be surprised to see DU over Indy. Drury had a better GLVC record, but was seeded below Indy due to the ratings system that the GLVC uses. Drury and Indy split two meetings this season, with Drury winning the GLVC tourney game that allowed them to play and upset Lewis.

Based on regional rankings, Drury had the better win (they beat Lewis, Indy beat Bellarmine, but also had a 30 point loss to Bellarmine). I think it really came down to which team looked better. Both had nice wins, but Drury looked better on the losing side of games. Drury's worst loss was by 22 to Bellarmine. Only one other loss, the GLVC title game loss to Bellarmine was by double digits. Indy could beat anyone, as evidenced by the win over Bellarmine, but they also lost two weeks later to Bellarmine by 30 and lost to Lewis at home by 29.

I think the strength of schedule also played a part. Drury played several games outside the region against quality opponents. They lost in OT to WTAMU, the #1 seed in their region. They lost a close game to Concordia-Irvine, a #6 seed in their regional, and they lost by 1 to Azuza Pacific, a team that went 20-11 but did not make the tourney. Later in the season they suffered a 1 point defeat to Barry University, who finished with 18 wins. Indy only played 2 non-conference games against teams in the tourney. They beat GVSU and they lost to Washburn. Indy's other big non-conference games were a win over LSSU (in OT by 1), a 3 point win at SVSU (didn't make GLIAC tourney), and a 12 point win over Northwood (8th in GLIAC regular season). Strength of schedule made the difference and the fact is playing teams like Elmhurst, Wilberforce, Grace College, and Olivet Nazarene doesn't help the SOS.

My surprise didn't have anything to do with the relative performances of the two teams but rather the fact that the committee has historically almost never made that kind of jump from the final rankings to the bracket selection. Don't get me wrong - I agree that Drury was the better team to have 'in' I just didn't expect the committee to do it.