By Tim McCaffrey
Time for a midweek McCaffrey’s Musings, not much to say edition!
Credit where it is due, the committees on both sides have put the teams in the right locations and given the fans and team personnel the match-ups that make the most sense. While some have questioned the seeding in the women’s bracket, I contend that the CACC vs NE 10 affairs that are about to take place are an awesome thing for the region and Division II!
Picks
I am selecting Bentley to advance from the Women’s Regional. C White has the Falcons playing its best at the right time and the powerful SOS has the group ready for all-comers! By the way, I’d like to see more coaches strengthen their schedules, but I digress! The WBB regional is the most even in my recent memory. You can make a case for any team advancing to the Elite 8.
#1 Southern New Hampshire: A team that has suffered two devastating injuries and has not skipped a beat.
#2 Chestnut Hill: Speaking of injuries, this group lost its leading scoring in December and also didn’t miss a beat. Emily Chmiel, the Griffins’ active leading scorer, comes off the bench to the tune of 11+ points and 8+ rebound a contest!
#3 USciences: This isn’t anything close to Jackie Hartzell’s best team, but it is the last dance, literally for the Devils. What a story a banner would be, but where would they hang it?
#4 Jefferson: Quite possibly the most underrated coach in the region, Tom Shirley hasn’t guided his Rams to the second round of an NCAA Tournament since 1998. They may be a year early, but this group is as solid as any in the region. One of these years, the Rams will make a deep run and this year is as good as any!
#5: Bentley: TMAC’s Pick!!
#6 Le Moyne: Dolphins Head Coach Mary Grimes has used duct tape and mirrors and a lot of zone. They have already proven they can beat anyone!
#7 Pace: Speaking of teams that can beat anyone! They are the only group in the regional that sports a win over SNHU.
#8 Daemen: Don’t worry Wildcat faithful you did win the regional last year, no matter what that NCAA person said on the Selection Show!! Never give up on Tiara Filbert! She is the engine of Daemen and has a heart second to none in the ECC!
Men’s Half
I’m going to keep this short and sweet: I like Franklin Pierce. Guards win championships and the best guard playing is the Raven’s Isaiah Moore.
Final Thoughts:
It is that time of year again! Good Luck to all the players, coaches, fans, officials and administrators. After this weekend, it is officially spring sports season! Enjoy it and stay tuned this offseason for breaking news or random thoughts! Have great Tournaments everyone!!
McCaffrey’s Musings is authored by Tim McCaffrey who has covered D2 Hoops since 2003. After this week he’ll be umpiring college baseball. If you would like to reach out he responds to all e-mails tpmccaffrey@gmail.com