In Div. I men's basketball, the Big East is far and away the nation's best conference, threating to have as many as nine teams in the 65-team field of this month's national championship tournament. But when it comes to Div. III women's hoops, the NESCAC is second to none.
In addition to the automatic bid given to conference champion Bowdoin for its win over Bates in Sunday's championship game, the selection committee awarded the conference with three at-large bids. The four league teams in the 63-team field make the NESCAC, along with the four-team delegation from the University Athletic Association (UAA), the best-represented conference in the NCAA Tournament.
Along with Bowdoin, the NESCAC's automatic representative, Bates, Williams, and Wesleyan all received at-large bids and will open tournament play on Friday.
Wesleyan coach Kate Mullen, one of the members of the regional selection committee, was unsure if her Cardinals would make it off the bubble following their loss to Bowdoin in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
"Even though I was on the Northeast committee, I wasn't sure because there were other regions," Mullen said. "I thought it was going to be 40/60, at best. If there are too many upsets, that affects the number of at-larges. New England got 12 schools in, and we were not the last to get in; I think the NCAA recognized the high-quality basketball in this region."
First-rate basketball is a hallmark of the conference. After Bowdoin, Bates, and Wesleyan all reached at least the third round of the tournament in 2005, the nation opened its eyes to the conference and the region.
"Obviously, getting four teams in says the NESCAC is a very strong conference with a national reputation," Mullen said. "I think the success of the three teams from last year that all at least went to the Sweet 16 helps, and when they expanded the brackets this year to 63 schools, I'm glad we were the fourth NESCAC school in."
Bowdoin and Bates join the Cardinals in their 16-team section of the bracket, while Williams is the sole NESCAC representative in its section.
Williams fell to Bates last Saturday in the conference semifinals, but was rewarded for its 21-5 record on the season with a bid. The Ephs open their tournament against NYU (18-7), which received an at-large bid coming out of the UAA. A win would likely earn the Ephs a showdown against Messiah (25-2), the ninth-ranked team in the nation. Williams will not cross paths with a fellow NESCAC team unless it goes all the way to the national championship game.
Bates (19-8) opens its tournament against Bridgewater (Va.) (22-6), who was rewarded for its second-place finish in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. If Bates wins its first two games this weekend, it will likely meet the top-ranked team in the nation, Southern Maine (27-1), in the Sweet 16.
Southern Maine defeated Bates, 66-48, in November, and also has a season-opening win over Williams to its credit. If they can get past the formidable Huskies, the Bobcats could potentially meet either Bowdoin or Wesleyan in the Elite Eight.
Wesleyan (18-7) opens its tournament against Muhlenberg (24-2), champions of the Centennial Conference. The Cardinals face the difficulty in scouting an unknown opponent.
"We played a team in [Muhlenberg's] conference down in Virginia to start the season [a 64-60 loss to Gettysburg], and that's about [all we know]," Mullen said. "We have a tape from them; they look tall with good scorers, but one of the values about playing in such a good conference is you don't fear anyone."
Bowdoin (24-2), ranked fifth in the nation in the latest D3hoops.com poll, likely has the best chance of all the NESCAC schools of making a trip to Springfield, Mass., for the Final Four. With their high national ranking, the Polar Bears earned home-court advantage through the first two rounds, and the team is experienced and conditioned in national tournament play, as this will be their sixth consecutive trip to the tourney.
Bowdoin opens up against the Commonwealth Coast Conference champions, Colby-Sawyer (23-4), on Friday night. With a win, they will meet the winner of Brandeis (19-4) versus Salem State (23-4).
If Bowdoin can get past the opening rounds, it could find itself up against a familiar opponent in the Sweet 16: Wesleyan. Bowdoin defeated the Cardinals twice this season, including a closely contested regular-season victory in overtime (73-65). Wesleyan is taking its tournament run one game at a time, but would savor a rematch against the Polar Bears.
"We've taken a peek [at Bowdoin] - let's put it that way," Mullen said. "We played them twice; they're such a good team, and they're so strong - you just learn each time you play them. If we're fortunate enough to play them again, we'll be ready."
