Never Made the Tournament Club 2024, 3/7 Update: A Day in the ASun

The NMTC has taken up my total life at this level. Please see an in depth description of the most important occasions in my life during the last three days, which all occur to revolve round NMTC video games.

Monday

9 p.m.

Our very first NMTC convention match recreation wraps up, and although it’s an ineligible group, it feels good to get off on the precise foot. Queens will get the job achieved, 69-63 in opposition to FGCU to construct their model and advance to Tuesday’s matchup in opposition to fellow NMTC’er Stetson.

Tuesday, a wonderful day

7:30 p.m.

We’re off and working. Sure, Military is about to get closed out by Holy Cross at residence however we’d assumed a loss there already.

In the meantime, the true motion is heating up. Purdue Fort Wayne has opened up a 24-point first half lead over Robert Morris. Stetson, the hope of the ASUN, is getting a bit of separation from Queens. And the very best factor brewing may not even be an NMTC matchup: the ASUN’s high seed, Jap Kentucky, is getting all it will possibly deal with from the match’s lowest seed, Tenth-seed Jacksonville, on its residence courtroom within the first quarter-hour. If Stetson can maintain on and Jacksonville can pull off a shocker, Stetson would have residence courtroom for the remainder of the match.

However, that will be an excessive amount of to hope for proper?

8 p.m.

Maintain on a second, possibly not?! We’re simply after halftime and Jacksonville remains to be buying and selling the lead backwards and forwards with EKU! However, we have now to deal with enterprise ourselves first. Queens (sure, an NMTC group, however decrease on the pecking order than longtime member Stetson) has pulled inside some extent, and Robert Morris is slowly chipping away at Fort Wayne’s huge lead.

8:30 p.m.

Nervous time throughout. Stetson is again up by eight, and we’re keeping track of them below 10 minutes to go. Robert Morris has shaved away two-thirds of PFW’s huge lead, and so they’re inside eight now.

However the huge display is watching the non-NMTC shocker in progress. We’re trickling below eight minutes and there’s been hardly any separation between Jacksonville and Jap Kentucky. Jap Kentucky seems to be to be the higher group, however they’re having an off night time, particularly from deep. In the meantime, Jacksonville remains to be excellent from the free-throw line. Hatters, are you able to hear the music?

8:50 p.m.

The Hatters look to be transferring on, lastly pulling away late after the gritty Queens squad was capable of pull it inside six with about two minutes to go. Purdue Fort Wayne has additionally pulled away.

The motion is brewing in the primary occasion. Jacksonville, nonetheless up by some extent below a half minute to play, fights by a double group (with the assistance of possibly a bit of stroll) and swings it round to seek out an open Bryce Workman (who completed with 25 factors) on an uncontested layup with 21 seconds to go. Jap Kentucky goes down and misses a 3, however is fouled on the putback and splits the pair with 11 second. Jacksonville will get the inbound up 66-64, and Gyasi Powell is fouled. Up to now, Jacksonville has made an astonishing 18-of-19 from the charity stripe. If Powell can drain two, it’s curtains for EKU.

8:52 p.m.

He splits a pair. Jacksonville employs the foul technique up 67-64 with simply over 5 seconds to play, and it’s only a one-and-one. Tayshaun Comer steps to the road and bricks the primary – however the Dolphins neglect to field out the shooter! Comer collects, retreats past the arc, throws down an enormous pump pretend and is fouled taking a 3 with three seconds to play. Worst case situation for JU and NMTC followers.

However Comer misses the primary, and after making the second it’s clear he’ll in all probability have to miss deliberately and hope they get the rebound. fHe does…and so they do. It falls to Michael Moreno, in his fifth full season with the EKU program, excessive up the record in so many classes for the Colonels – however he’s obtained solely 4 factors tonight. He’s due.

He goes up with it – and it’s deflected. Brief. Jacksonville holds on. Stetson now has residence courtroom for the remainder of the match.

The homer announcers on ESPN+ lament for Moreno, who noticed his profession come to an finish in brutal vogue, and we really feel for him too. However that is an NMTC world and we’re all residing in it. On to the subsequent.

9:15 p.m.

This has little question been a very good day for the Membership up to now, and at this level you take a look at the scoreboard and notice that sixth-seeded North Alabama (in simply their second yr of NCAA Event eligibility) is holding a nine-point lead on the street at Lipscomb, a well-liked sleeper choose to win the match as they tick below 12 to play. As soon as once more, an excessive amount of to hope for proper?

9:35 p.m.

It’s tightened up. Lipscomb truly took a quick lead, however UNA snatched it proper again. 68-65, below 5 to go. Dallas Howell is having a stable recreation for the Lions, however KJ Johnson – who performed three years for Lipscomb earlier than transferring to UNA – has been quiet since an early first half burst.

9:45 p.m.

Owen McCormack once more makes a shot to offer Lipscomb a quick lead at 69-68, however two KJ Johnson free throws on the subsequent possession give it proper again to UNA. Then after a miss on the different finish, Tim Smith Jr. drills a large triple with simply over a minute to go to offer UNA the lead.

This might be a day.

9:50 p.m.

Again comes Lipscomb’s Will Pruitt with an enormous do-or-die three at 51 seconds. KJ Johnson although goes sturdy to the ring in a two-for-one scenario, giving UNA a three-point lead with 36 seconds to play. Pruitt misses a triple on the opposite finish, and Lipscomb has to foul thrice to get UNA to the bonus. Make a pair free throws and it seems to be actually, actually good.

9:52 p.m.

However KJ Johnson misses the entrance finish of the one-and-one. Down they go to the opposite finish. McCormack units up for a deep triple – and he nails it. The house crowd goes wild. Catastrophe has struck.

However there’s nonetheless simply over 4 seconds to play. You possibly can see KJ Johnson put his arms over his head after the shot goes by, however notice there’s nonetheless time left. He flashes his arms to the inbounder with urgency, then begins up the courtroom. 4, 3, 2…

He makes it previous half courtroom and rises up, possibly in the course of an ungainly stride. He’s nicely past the three level line along with his momentum carrying him ahead. He’s nicely contested, and it’s going to be type of a floater greater than a conventional three pointer. It comes out of his left hand. The buzzer sounds as he crashes to the ground and the ball stays within the air.

He nailed it. Recreation over. North Alabama snatches it away on the loss of life, from the sword of KJ Johnson, who made so many photographs on this constructing as a member of the opposite group. He’s in tears as his teammates hoist him up in celebration. (His recreation successful three level basket was by some means dominated a two, which is annoying me nonetheless, however the win is secured.)

The great NMTC vibes are simply flowing out of the ASUN. A Stetson-UNA remaining maybe? We’ll see.

Wednesday, a blended bag

8:45 p.m.

Garrett’s choir apply is in full bang. We have been in between units of Maurice Durufle’s Requiem, singing about libera eas de pœnis inferni, which may solely imply one thing about releasing a sure phallic object.

I rapidly catch a glimpse of the scores whereas the altos and sopranos are engaged on their very own half. Merrimack is in a more in-depth than anticipated recreation with a foul Lengthy Island group, however in a multi-possession recreation with below 15 seconds to go I’m hoping they will maintain on. I’ll learn up on it later.

But it surely seems to be like Sacred Coronary heart wants my assist. They’re down some extent with 40 seconds to go. I race to the quickest stream I can get my arms on (not saying if it was authorized or unlawful) and by this level, Wagner has stretched the result in three with below 20 seconds to go. I tune in simply in time to see a Sacred Coronary heart missed three, Wagner rebound and foul with about 5 seconds to play. They go to the road for 2 photographs.

I’m doing my greatest to maintain my ears on the music so I could be ready in relation to me. We’re transferring by an all-girls half after I see the primary free throw missed. Just a few seconds later, the second. Rebound Sacred Coronary heart. The basses have a bit arising. My eyes try to observe two issues directly.

SHU dribbles up. The ball handler will get a vicious display, clearing out two defenders and has an excellent look to tie. No good. Moments later, “Dies illa! Dies irae! Calamitatis et miseriae…”

10:20 p.m.

Again residence now, I’m watching USC Upstate in a detailed recreation in opposition to Radford. Simply in the mean time that Radford hits a backbreaking three (in a reversal of final yr’s occasions) one thing falls in the lounge and breaks. Sorry, folks downstairs.

11:45 p.m.

Since final yr’s OVC match I had possibly watched 10 minutes of SIUE basketball. That is an improved outfit from only a few years in the past, however man, watching 40 minutes straight of them is a bit irritating. Each shot they take is a tricky contested shot. When it’s going unhealthy, there’s airballs and shot clock violations. Fortunately, they’ve some guys that may actually make these robust contested photographs sometimes. They hold Jap Illinois at bay with robust capturing and a few sturdy protection – time will inform if it is a sustainable assault.

Goodbye

The one NMTC casualty from Tuesday: Founding Father Military went down with out a lot of a battle, being soundly defeated on residence soil by the visiting Crusaders of Holy Cross. So goes the primary in what figures to be a particularly quiet yr for the Authentic Three.

Just a few groups didn’t qualify for his or her convention tournaments and have been eradicated earlier than the enjoyable even actually started: Central Arkansas, UT Rio Grande Valley, NJIT, Incarnate Phrase, and the already ineligible Stonehill, Bellarmine, and Lindenwood. Bellarmine presents a very irritating actuality of getting had two glorious seasons, together with a match title, throughout its ineligible interval. That 2022 ASUN tourney title run (that included a street win at favored L*b*r*y) ought to have triumphantly certified it for the NCAA Event have been it not for the Dumbest Rule in Sports activities. As an alternative, the Knights seem to have regressed simply in time for his or her first official season of eligibility. Yay, NCAA.

A fast be aware on NJIT as nicely: Certain, their 6-21 document in opposition to D-I groups (3-13 convention) might not appear to be a lot, however after shedding seven of their first convention video games, in a single wonderful 48-hour stretch they knocked off eventual convention champions Vermont (for what can be their solely convention lack of the season) after which second-seeded UMass-Lowell. After which proceeded to lose their final six video games by a mean of 15 factors every to be the one America East group excluded from the eight-team tourney discipline. Books have been written about much less.

https://x.com/Meanteenbirder/standing/1763387061837373822?s=20

Salute to you, New Jersey Tech.

Arising

The ASUN is again in motion tonight, within the semifinal spherical. If all goes nicely, we are able to clinch a graduate this night. Or the other can happen. Our hopes and desires relaxation with you. Good luck, Hatters and Lions.

The quarterfinal rounds are commencing within the OVC and Horizon League conferences as nicely. Youngstown State, the second seed within the Horizon will get its match underway with a house matchup in opposition to Cleveland State whereas Purdue Fort Wayne tries to tug off a giant upset at Oakland. Within the OVC, Western Illinois takes on Tennessee State for the precise to play high seed Little Rock, whereas SIUE tries to tug off a shock in opposition to OVC powerhouse Morehead State to create an all-NMTC semifinal in opposition to UT Martin.

NMTC Upcoming Schedule

(all instances ET, NMTC groups in italics, * – ineligible for the NCAA Event)

Thursday, March 7

Horizon League Quarterfinals

(Each video games at 7 p.m. on ESPN+)

(8) Purdue Fort Wayne at (1) Oakland

(7) Cleveland State at (2) Youngstown State

Atlantic Solar Convention Semifinals

(Each video games at 7 p.m. on ESPN+)

(10) Jacksonville at (2) Stetson

(6) North Alabama at (4) Austin Peay

Ohio Valley Convention Quarterfinals

(Video games on ESPN+)

(5) Tennessee St./(8) S. Indiana vs. (4) Western Illinois, 7:30 p.m.

(6) SIUE/(7) Jap Unwell. vs. (3) Morehead State, 10 p.m.

Common Season

Marist at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m., ESPN+ (QU with 1-game lead in MAAC with two to play)

Utah Valley at Tarleton* AND Cal Baptist at UT Arlington, 8 p.m., ESPN+ (groups jockeying for place in WAC)

UC Davis at UC San Diego* AND CS Fullerton at UC Riverside, 10 p.m., ESPN+ (UCSD goes for share of Massive West title with two video games left, UC Riverside tries to sneak up standings)

Friday, March 8

Massive South Quarterfinals

(Video games on ESPN+)

(9) Radford vs. (1) Excessive Level, 12 p.m.

(6) Presbyterian vs. (3) Gardner-Webb, 8:30 p.m.

CAA First Spherical

(Video games on FloHoops, good luck)

(13) William & Mary vs. (12) NC A&T, 2 p.m.

(14) Hampton vs. (11) Elon, 4:30 p.m.

SoCon First Spherical

(9) The Citadel vs. (8) Mercer, 5 p.m., ESPN+

OVC Semifinals

(Video games on ESPNU/ESPN+)

(4) W. Illinois/(5) Tenn St. vs. (1) Little Rock, 8 p.m.

(6) SIUE/(3) Morehead St. vs. (2) UT Martin, 10:30 p.m.

Summit League First Spherical

(9) South Dakota vs. (8) Oral Roberts, 8 p.m., Summit League Community

Hold tabs on all of your favourite NMTC groups on our Twitter web page and utilizing our famed NMTC Spreadsheet!