Looking Ahead To Selection Monday

Being that I have to go back to work tomorrow (oh joy :( ), I wanted to put something out here this afternoon to provide something of a synopsis of what's going on not only with the MIAC and the rest of the immediate area but with some of the other conferences in the West that could have implications as to who winds up getting in and who's bubble gets sadly burst.


MIAC:  UST, of course, gets the automatic bid from the MIAC with their win in the MIAC Championship Game yesterday and they'll almost certainly host a first- and second-round pod at Schoenecker Arena beginning on Friday evening.  Augsburg is virtually a "lock" to get a bid and my best guess is that they'll likely get sent down to Waverly, IA for the pod likely to be hosted by ARC Champion Wartburg.


WIAC:  UW-Whitewater is slated to battle UW-Oshkosh (by-gosh) for the WIAC's automatic bid into the Dance at 3:00 P.M. this afternoon and you have to figure that both the Warhawks and the Titans are virtual "locks" to get in no matter what happens there.  The bigger question in the WIAC right now is swirling around UW-La Crosse currently sitting at 22-5 after their seminfinal loss Friday night to said UW-Whitewater team 53-51.  I have to think that the Eagles are in and it would be a complete travesty if they were kept out. 


ARC:  Wartburg claimed the ARC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of their win over Loras in the ARC Championship Game yesterday.  But Loras appears to be a "lock" to get a bid as well.


UMAC:  Bethany Lutheran pulled off the unthinkable yesterday afternoon up in the Twin Ports by upsetting heavily-favored and #1 seed UW-Superior 55-54 to claim the UMAC's automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.  We all know that the Yellowjackets are more than deserving of a bid to the Dance but, unfortunately, it's almost a sure thing that they're going to be checking into Heartbreak Hotel tomorrow afternoon as they're going to be on the outside looking in. 


NACC:  Wisconsin Lutheran picked up the NACC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of their win over Concordia (Wisconsin) yesterday in the NACC Championship Game. 


MWC:  Ripon got the MWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of their win over Monmouth in the MWC Championship Game yesterday. 


NWC:  George Fox wrapped up yet another automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament last night by virtue of their win over Whitman in the NWC Championship Game.  Both Whitman and Puget Sound are going to have uncomfortable waits to Monday to see if they can get in and my guess is that one of them will be too far out on the bubble.  If I had to venture a guess right now, I'd put my money on Whitman getting in by virtue of them making it to the NWC Championship Game but not both of them.  But, then again, I've been wrong before. 


SCIAC:  Pomona-Pitzer pulled off a shocker yesterday by downing heavily-favored Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in the SCIAC Championship Game so while the Sagehens get the SCIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, one can only be left guessing about the Athenas' fortunes going into Selection Monday.  If it comes down to a question of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps vs Puget Sound out of the NWC for one of those very last spots, I myself would be tempted to give it to the Athenas but that may be only because of my devotional ties to both the Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins. 


So there's something of a synopsis to look at going into Selection Monday of what we have around here and in the West Region as well.  Feel free to fire away with thoughts.