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An in-depth look at Division III

Posted March 1, 2001

By Mark Simon

Tournament sleepers Savannah A&D men Emmanuel women Fontbonne women

D3hoops.com

Let's be honest. This goes beyond the scope of miracles and Hail Marys. The 85-foot buzzer-beater shot that Cabrini forward Kareem Brunson hit to beat Alvernia and win the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference championship was a stroke of luck beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

"It is luck that we got in,'' said Cabrini men's basketball coach John Dzik "It's a shame that it came down to luck. If we had been eliminated, we would have been eliminated by bad luck (Dzik was unhappy with a questionable foul call against his team that enabled Alvernia to take a one-point lead with one second remaining). I don't think anyone there will ever forget what they witnessed."

 

Junior swingman Tim Gordon

So it's luck that makes Cabrini the perfect sleeper, but it is skill and savvy that make them a formidable foe. The Cavaliers are among the nation's leaders in a number of defensive categories and are winners of 16 of their past 17 games.

"We're not a powerhourse team from a powerhouse conference'' said Dzik, whose squad won its ninth PAC title in the past 11 seasons with a 21-6 overall mark and has an opening-round home clash with Kings Point. "But heck, anything can happen. We could fall on our face and lose the first game, or we could play great and beat Wilkes."

Dzik, speaking from 21 years of experience and 400-plus wins with the program can cite plenty of examples to back up his claims.

"In the 1996 NCAA Tournament, we went to Wilkes and had them dead in the water,'' Dzik said. "We were up nine points with 45 seconds left, and some little red-headed kid (point guard Jay Williams) came off their bench, hit four 3-pointers in the last 45 seconds to tie it and then they won in overtime. I asked that kid after that game if it was the best game he had played this year. He said 'No coach. That's the best game I've ever played in my life.''

The next season Cabrini won the PAC title, but it was Alvernia that went to the Final Four.

"I look at that team and I can say that the Cinderella story is possible for anyone,'' Dzik said.

If his team, which happens to have the best overall winning percentage of any NCAA Division III team historically is going to play that role this season, it will need big performances from a young squad. The Cavaliers' three top players — Brunson, center Bryan Wood and point guard Kris Pittman, are all sophomores.

"That's the core of the team,'' Dzik said. "It's what leads me to believe we're not just a flash in the pan."

It's also what leads him to believe that they are an ideal sleeper. "I just hope,'' Dzik said with a laugh, "that we can stay awake long enough."

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