Projecting the NCAA Tournament Teams
by Jeffrey Hetzel on February 24, 2013
Posted in: Sports
Tomorrow at 12:30 PM, the NCAA Selection Committee will announce the 62-team field for this year’s 2013 D3 Championship Tournament. There are 42 teams automatically-qualified based on conference championships (Pool A), 1 non-automatic-qualifying conference championship (Pool B), and 19 at-large bids. The first 42 teams will be known to everyone by tonight as conference tournaments wind down, but the final 20 will be decided upon based on a variety of factors (for more details on this process, see here). Middlebury, of course, is hoping to grab a Pool C bid. Below, we have listed the 42 Automatic Qualifiers, and made our projections for the final 20 spots. The predictions are based on who we expect to make the tournament, not who we think ought to make the tournament. Pool C is listed in the order we expect them to be placed.
POOL A
Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference: Penn State-Behrend (20-8)
American Southwest Conference: Texas-Dallas (23-5)
Capital Athletic Conference: St. Mary’s (24-3)
Centennial Conference: Dickinson (20-7)
City University of New York Athletic Conference: Staten Island (22-5)
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin: North Central (Ill.) (24-3)
Colonial States Athletic Conference: Cabrini (22-5)
Commonwealth Coast Conference: Curry (21-7)
Empire 8: Ithaca (19-8)
Great Northeast Athletic Conference: Albertus Magnus (24-4)
Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference: Rose-Hulman (24-3)
Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Dubuque (21-7)
Landmark Conference: Catholic (24-3)
Liberty League: Hobart (21-6)
Little East Conference: Rhode Island College (25-3)
Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference: Fitchburg St. (16-10)
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association: Calvin (24-3)
Middle Atlantic Commonwealth: Alvernia (23-4)
Middle Atlantic Freedom: Delaware Valley (19-8)
Midwest Conference: St. Norbert (20-5)
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: St. Thomas (26-1)
New England Collegiate Conference: Elms (17-9)
New England Small College Athletic Conference: Amherst (25-2)
New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference: WPI (25-2)
New Jersey Athletic Conference: Ramapo (23-4)
North Atlantic Conference: Husson (20-8)
North Coast Athletic Conference: Ohio Wesleyan (22-5)
North Eastern Athletic Conference: Morrisville State (21-5)
Northern Athletics Conference: Aurora (22-6)
Northwest Conference: Whitworth (24-3)
Ohio Athletic Conference: Marietta (20-7)
Old Dominion Athletic Conference: Randolph-Macon (19-9)
Presidents Athletic Conference: St. Vincent (23-5)
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Spalding (20-7)
Skyline Conference: SUNY-Purchase (22-5)
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Redlands (22-5)
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference: Trinity (Tex.) (20-7)
State University of New York Athletic Conference: Cortland (23-4)
University Athletic Association: Wash U (20-5)
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Northwestern (Minn.) (21-6)
USA South Athletic Conference: Christopher Newport (21-5)
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: UW Whitewater (23-4)
POOL B
Centre (21-5)*
*We have a limited understanding of Pool B; thanks to Pat Coleman for the help.
POOL C* (Conference, Region)
- UW-Stevens Point (WIAC, West) (21-5)
- Williams (NESCAC, Northeast) (23-4)
- Illinois Wesleyan (CCIW, Midwest) (21-5)
- Rochester (UAA, East) (21-4)
- Middlebury (NESCAC, Northeast) (22-2)
- Virginia Wesleyan (ODAC, South) (19-6)
- MIT (NEWMAC, Northeast) (20-5)
- Wooster (NCAC, Great Lakes) (23-5)
- Mary Hardin-Baylor (ASC, South) (23-5)
- Wheaton (CCIW, Midwest) (20-6)
- Emory (UAA, South) (19-6)
- SUNY-Old Westbury (Sky, Atlantic) (22-4)
- Springfield (NEWMAC, Northeast) (19-8)
- Hampden-Sydney (ODAC, South) (23-4)
- Plattsburgh State (SUNYAC, East) (19-8)
- Wesley (CAC, Mid-Atlantic) (20-7)
- Transylvania (HCAC, Midwest) (20-7)
- Albright (MAC, Mid-Atlantic) (20-6)
- Stevens (E8, East) (22-5)
*Thanks to the indispensably valuable contributions of “Titan Q” of d3boards.com (see here) and the Forever Faithful Blog’s regional rankings page.
