2018 Pool C Update #2 – Got Milk?

Welcome, one and all, to the recurring article from hell that you all will always have to read and might not necessarily want to, but just have to. It is time for another Pool C Update given some happenings in the DIII Tennis World, and ASouth is here to bring you the goods once again. There’s been a lot of good things going on throughout the Blog, and some fireworks in the group chat as well. To answer some questions that may or may not have arisen in the comments, I will answer some common (but not really) misconceptions below.

• The last time a SCIAC team made the tournament was Pomona about 3 years ago.
• The last time a Pool C team won the national championship was 2 years ago with Bowdoin

So for those of you (it’s really just one person) that tell me Pool C doesn’t really matter, or that the SCIAC doesn’t matter, you’re basically 100% wrong. Also, to totally discount the SCIAC is absolutely ridiculous and I won’t have it. Anyways, that’s enough breath for that person. I think all of you who read these articles knows how this goes, so let’s get to the down and dirty already. If you’re looking for the last Pool C article, that can be found here.

http://www.division3tennis.com/2018-pool-c-update-1-first-look/

If you’re looking for NCAA Rules, but slightly outdated, please click the link in BLOGROLL to the top left of the site. While your arrow is hovering around there, feel free to press the Paypal Donation box too. I hear it brings good luck to all those who click on it.

Reminder: There are 6 Pool C Spots this year, with only one Pool B spot. I hear this sentence in my nightmares. Yet somehow, I find myself always wanting to repeat it. Below, see my famous table of who’s played who. Note that I have included Bowdoin, but they are currently the favorite to win the NESCAC and enter the tournament via Pool A.

Recent Updates

Chicago def. Williams

This was a match that everyone was watching, and watching closely. I think a lot of people were all aboard the WIlliams hype train, which we will revisit later. Chicago proved all us bandwagoners wrong by taking out Williams out West. This was a huge win for Chicago, and one that probably cements their Pool C spot at this point. With wins over CMU, Wash U, and PP to go along with it, Chicago is cruising along in the Pool C picture.

Williams def. CMS

Just a couple days after the hype train derailed, it got back on track in a really big way. Williams has been ridiculed by yours truly for not winning that many big matches recently, and they certainly shut me up. Playing against CMS on the road is very hard, and Williams did it and won. This means a LOT for the Pool C conversation, as Williams now cements themselves as a clear front runner for the 2nd Pool C spot behind Chicago. Got milk, anyone? Which leads me to my next note…

CMS def. Middlebury

Middlebury came into this season with a lot of hope that this would be the season where they broke through and won the national championship after a few years of heartbreak. They have all the pieces in place, but the season has started out a bit rocky. Injuries have hurt them early in the season and this was evident in a 8-1 shellacking by CMS. Given that CMS just lost to Williams, this is a surprising result and puts Middlebury in a position where they no longer are a lock for NCAAs. Now, this is obviously a very good team, but they are one loss to Wesleyan away from being on the outside looking in. Think about how crazy that is.

Redlands Ineligible for Playoffs

Obviously there has been a lot of press about this, but Redlands is no longer in the Pool C conversation. They forfeited a match to UC Santa Cruz that I am unsure if it shows up in the rankings, but whatever.

GAC def. Wash U

Wash U could have really put an important stamp on their resume here by beating GAC, who has already beaten CMU this year, but ultimately fell short. Wash U is sitting right behind CMU for the 6th and final spot in Pool C. They need to be careful – if Wesleyan has a good NESCAC season, the Cardinals will potentially overtake the last UAA team. This means Wash U’s matches against Chicago and UAA Tournament are extremely important, as we all know. You don’t ever want to be in that 6th and final spot in Pool C entering the final NESCAC weekend.

My Thoughts

I will be unleashing another Bracketology on you guys later this week that will reflect the above table. It will be much different than the last, as WIlliams now will earn a 1 seed and push everyone else down. Should be interesting but I won’t talk on that too much until I get the time to sit down and do it.

Regarding Pool C, we’re starting to see things shaping up for all the teams now. The key things to look for for most of the Pool C teams is which matches they have won or lost outside of their conference. Chicago and Williams are looking great because they’ve beaten top 6 opponents that don’t reside in their conference (Williams, CMS, respectively). Those wins will continue or already have racked up indirect wins for those teams. Both of these teams can suffer one or maybe even two “slip ups” in their conference play before being knocked out of the tournament totally. They’ve given themselves plenty of margin for error. Amherst kind of stands on its own, but they are looking very good as well as they’ve beaten both Wash U and CMU. They almost might be a lock at this point unless they lose to a team such as Tufts. Middlebury is a wild card that really isn’t much of a wild card. I don’t think anyone has much doubt that Midd will make the tournament, but given the results that we have now they are a team that still needs to do some things to make it in. They can’t suffer a loss to Wesleyan until they get bigger wins. The UAA duo, CMU and Wash U, both really have to do the same stuff. They have to try to finish as high as possible in the UAA Tournament while also rooting for Wesleyan to not notch two big wins over teams that have beaten them or have indirects over them. That means Williams, Amherst, and Bowdoin. Wesleyan has a few paths to the tournament – which I just mentioned. They need to probably beat two of the higher NESCACs (Bowdoin, Amherst, Williams) or just beat Middlebury straight up while hoping that Midd doesn’t really beat that many on their NESCAC schedule. It’s a precarious position to be in for a team that has lost to two direct Pool C competitors out of conference. For Pomona and Tufts, these teams need to make magic happen. I won’t waste too much wording on them until they put themselves in positions where they are considered serious contenders. Pomona has already lost many out of conference matches, and Tufts will need to have a stellar NESCAC year to make it in.

I like to keep these things very informative and straight to the point. If you’re looking for more of personality, we have some hot takes articles and other things going out within the next day or so, so make sure you check back on the site. So, until Bracketology on Thursday, or maybe even earlier… ASouth, OUT.