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Women's Final Four

Holland, Mich., 2008 and 2009

2008 tournament preview

By Pat Coleman
Publisher, D3hoops.com

Multiple strong teams all over the bracket, not clustered into one part of the country. A bracket delivered on time and without any changes to first-round opponents.

Yep, must be the women’s tournament.

With three unbeaten teams, a defending national champ with just two real Division III losses … oh, and three WIAC schools and four UAA schools, this should be one heck of a tournament.

Can DePauw do it again? Hey, there have been years where the defending champion didn't get back into the NCAA Tournament the following year -- years as in more than one. So we know DePauw can. More importantly, will DePauw do it again?

In this preview, we pick a Cinderella story (a road team likely to make the Sweet 16) and a team most likely to disappoint, along with a champion for each bracket.

Messiah Bracket

Cabrini (21-6) at Messiah (25-2), William Paterson (20-6) vs. St. Lawrence (23-4)
Medaille (25-2) at Scranton (20-5), Eastern Connecticut (24-4) vs. Rochester (20-5)
Albright (20-6) at Mount St. Mary (25-2), Wheaton, Mass. (22-6) vs. Tufts (23-3)
Baruch (22-6) at Mary Washington (26-2), Bridgewater, Va. (15-13) vs. New Jersey (21-6)

There are four relatively recent Final Four teams in this bracket, five if you go back to Messiah’s trip to Danbury in 2001.

Cinderella story: Medaille is the road team with the best chance of pulling off the two wins needed to reach the Sweet 16 and is our pick for this spot for the second year in a row. The Mavericks have won one NCAA Tournament game in their time with forward Amanda Baker and guard Marisa Clark on campus, and this is their last chance to make a run with them. Scranton isn’t the highest seed in this bracket – the Lady Royals are hosting because Rochester’s gym is occupied by the Yellowjacket men. This is a prime opportunity for the Mavericks to strike a blow for the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. In fact, it’s their last chance.

Most likely to disappoint: Mary Washington. Baruch is not a proper first-round opponent for a No. 2 seed in the bracket. The Eagles should have been matched up against Bridgewater, but apparently they were kept apart because they played in a non-conference game a month ago. Since they are not in the same conference, this distinction shouldn’t have been made. (It wasn’t made elsewhere, for example where DeSales is rematched against Muhlenberg, etc.) Machli Joseph’s team isn’t your typical CUNYAC champ, with games against Chicago, DeSales, Kean and Scranton as well as a win against Messiah. TCNJ isn’t the typical No. 7 seed, either.

Champion: Messiah over Tufts.

Thomas More Bracket

Utica (17-10) at Kean (25-3), Brandeis (18-7) vs. Southern Maine (25-3)
St. Norbert (21-4) at UW-Stevens Point (24-4), St. Thomas (20-7) vs. Chicago (20-5)
Colby-Sawyer (21-7) at William Smith (23-3), Emmanuel (22-6) vs. Brockport State (24-4)
Greensboro (21-7) at Thomas More (28-0), Piedmont (24-3) vs. Oglethorpe (23-5)

A little bit of Northeast, some Central, some East, South, a little Great Lakes and a little Atlantic. Four home teams with brackets they’re expected to win.

Cinderella story: Oglethorpe is underrated and one of the best teams in this bracket. However, they’re pushed into an early game against the No. 1 seed, if they make the second round, because of geography. I’d like St. Norbert’s chances against some teams, but not UW-Stevens Point. Instead, I’ll take Chicago. The UAA schedule prepares teams just as well as the WIAC schedule can.

Most likely to disappoint: Kean. Even though neither Southern Maine nor Brandeis is as good as it was last year, Kean will face a battle in the second round. If the Cougars don’t take care of the ball a more disciplined team could make them pay.

Champion: Thomas More’s bracket to lose, and they do not lose it.

Howard Payne Bracket

Trinity, Texas (20-6) at McMurry (24-4), winner to Howard Payne (28-0)
DeSales (24-3) at Muhlenberg (21-6), Salem State (21-6) vs. Marymount (23-5)
La Verne (20-7) at Puget Sound (22-4), Chapman (24-3) vs. George Fox (23-4)
D’Youville (22-5) at Baldwin-Wallace (26-2), Juniata (18-9) vs. Hope (27-0)

Howard Payne certainly could host a sectional in this bracket, the way it’s set up. Why is Muhlenberg hosting and not DeSales? Oh, the thinks you can think …

Cinderella story: The definition is road team that can win twice to make the Sweet 16, but not exactly fair to describe Hope that way. Trinity is in position to shock the world but isn’t likely to do so. It’d be interesting to see if Chapman can put together that kind of run. There isn’t much of a track record to make that pick, but it seems like the best one here.

Most likely to disappoint: Nobody. Hard to pick on DeSales, since it was denied the home court. Baldwin-Wallace wouldn’t be considered a disappointment if it can’t beat Hope. Howard Payne isn’t likely to have trouble with its Saturday game.

Champion: Howard Payne in an epic battle against Hope. Of course, this was my pick for the title game last year, and I’m still waiting to see it.

DePauw Bracket

Gustavus Adolphus (18-9) at Simpson (25-2); Carleton (19-9) vs. UW-Eau Claire (22-6)
Maryville, Mo. (24-3) at Illinois Wesleyan (25-2); Manchester (19-8) vs. UW-Whitewater (24-3)
Bowdoin (18-8) at Bridgewater State (22-4); Becker (18-10) vs. Amherst (25-2)
Denison (18-10) at DePauw (25-3); Washington U. (18-7) vs. Wilmington (21-7)

New England and West and Central in the same bracket. If only everyone could manage this. Unfortunately, there are a couple of teams here that could have hosted but were not able to because their men were hosting and have priority in the first round in even-numbered years.

Cinderella story: Denison played the defending champion in the opening round each of the past two years and is no doubt hoping it can pull the upset for a second year in a row, but it’s not in the cards. Hard to call either regular-season co-champion of one of the nation’s strongest conferences (the WIAC) a Cinderella. Instead, I’m going to go with Maryville (Mo.), which will try to knock off host Illinois Wesleyan in the first round.

Most likely to disappoint: At least one WIAC team loses to a non-WIAC team. Tempting to think that Wilmington can reprise its 2004 title run, but how often do we get repeats four years apart?

Champion: DePauw over Simpson.  

This is a Final Four where three teams have seen at least one of the others and nobody has seen Howard Payne. Thomas More and Messiah each beat DePauw before Jan. 1. I’d expect DePauw to do better against either team the second time around, but I don’t expect them to get that far.

I’m taking Howard Payne over Thomas More in the final. I’m not going to keep taking Howard Payne until their win a title, though, honest.

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