Looking Ahead To Selection Monday 3-1-20

Well, March Madness is once again upon us and tomorrow (Monday 3-2) when the NCAA Tournament pairings are announced, we'll then know for sure who's in, who's out and where everybody's going.  For the time being, let's take a look at not only the MIAC but also the rest of the West Region and surrounding areas as well:

MIAC:  Bethel gets the automatic bid by virtue of its 72-70 victory over Augsburg yesterday so the Royals will be able to relax with something cold to drink after lunch when the pairings are announced.  Given their 26-1 overall record and number-two ranking in the last Regional Rankings announcement from this last week, it's almost a given that Bethel will host a 1st/2nd round pod at Robertson Center beginning Friday evening.  The real question now is swirling around the other two NCAA Tournament hopefuls in Augsburg and UST.  We remember all too well, of course, how the Auggies were hosed last year given their lackluster out of conference schedule and their 1-5 record against regionally ranked teams that ultimately did them in - even with a 22-5 record.  This time around, Augsburg has the same record but also sports a respectable 3-3 record against regionally-ranked teams (all three wins vs UST and all three losses vs Bethel).  That said, the guess here is that will get them over the top and into the party this time around and will likely wind up at either Wartburg in Waverly, Iowa or over at UW-Whitewater.  I would have said before Saturday afternoon was over that UST would likely get in as well; even with a 2-5 record against regionally-ranked teams.  But with some of the developments that took place the last few days in the WIAC (UW-Whitewater and UW-La Crosse both losing in the semifinals and UW-Oshkosh winning the WIAC yesterday to get the automatic bid) and then last night in the NWC (George Fox upsetting Whitman in Walla Walla), now I'm not so sure.  If I had to hedge a bet right now, my thinking is that they'll get in somehow but they'll likely be one of the last 1-2 teams that get to the table.  We'll see.


ARC:  Things pretty much held to form back home in Iowa with Wartburg downing Loras in the ARC Championship Game to secure the automatic berth but Loras is safely in the Dance and the ARC was going to be a two-bid league anyway.


UMAC:  Predictably, this conference was going to come down to Bethany Lutheran and UW-Superior and Bethany Lutheran secured the automatic bid to be the lone UMAC rep in the dance.


SCIAC:  Redlands downed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in OT last night to secure the automatic bid and the SCIAC was going to be much like the UMAC as being a one-team deal.


NWC:  Here's where things start getting a little tricky.  George Fox stunned heavily favored Whitman to secure the NWC's automatic bid last night but Whitman at 24-2 overall and number-four in the West Regional rankings is a sure bet to get in.  That effectively popped someone's bubble but just WHO'S bubble that is won't be known until tomorrow afternoon. 


WIAC:  And things across the River did not make things any easier for the MIAC (and perhaps others as well) as fourth-seeded UW-Oshkosh stunned everyone by bouncing top-seeded UW-Whitewater and then completing the deal yesterday at UW-Eau Claire by knocking off the BluGolds in the WIAC Championship Game.  That gives the Titans the WIAC's automatic bid but UW-Whitewater; which held a number-one record in the Central Region rankings with a 23-3 record will be a "lock" to get in like Whitman out of the NWC.  The big loser in all of this will more than likely be UW-La Crosse with a 19-7 overall record and a 1-4 mark against regionally-ranked teams.


NACC:  This looks to be a one-bid league with top-seeded Benedictine taking on second-seeded Edgewood later on today in their Championship Game.


MWC:  Monmouth defeated Ripon yesterday in the MWC Championship Game to claim the MWC's automatic bid and this appears to be a one-bid league as well.


So there you have a bit of a glimpse of how things stand; not only in the West Region but in surrounding conferences as well.  And how all of this affects the MIAC will be known tomorrow.  The NCAA Selection Show will be tomorrow (Monday 3-2) afternoon beginning at 1:30 P.M. (Central time) and D3 Hoops should have the link for it. 


Welcome to the Madness!