Huntington Hoops


Huntington Hoops Tournament Time

Go Foresters!

MCC Logo


Huntington
MCC Tournament
Record Over Last
Fifteen Years: 26-11

Huntington
MCC Tournament
Championships Last
Fifteen Years: 5

All MCC Teams
Tournament Records
Last 5, 10, 15 Years


NAIA Logo


Huntington
NAIA Tournament
Appearances: 7
Record: 11-7


MCC Teams at the
2011 NAIA Tournament
Grace
Ind Wesleyan
St Francis

MCC Teams at the
2010 NAIA Tournament
Bethel
Ind Wesleyan
Spring Arbor
St Francis

MCC Teams at the
2009 NAIA Tournament
Bethel
Grace
Ind Wesleyan

Tournament Information . . .
   
•   If you're new to the MCC Conference and the NAIA, you may wonder how things happen around tournament time.  For instance, how are the teams selected, how are they seeded, when and where do they play?  It's easy to be confused by this.  Both tournament formats are unlike high school and all NAIA conferences don't conduct their tournaments the same way.  Further, the NAIA doesn't conduct its national tournament like the better-known NCAA.  So, here's answers (learned by experience) to some frequently asked questions:
MCC Tournament Q & A
•   When is the MCC Tournament held?

Dates vary by year, but the MCC Tournament begins Wednesday evening in February the week following the end of the MCC Regular Season.  The Semifinal game is played Saturday afternoon of that same week, and the Championship game played the next Tuesday evening.  The dates and times are listed on the Schedule & Results page of Huntington Hoops.
•   Where does the MCC hold its tournament?

Unlike some tournaments, the games of the MCC Tournament are not held on one floor, and they're not held at a neutral site.  Rather, simultaneous games are played in each round of the Tournament on the courts of the higher seeded teams (rewarding teams with better MCC Conference records).

In the first round of the MCC Tournament, four games are played Wednesday evening on the home courts of the four highest seeded teams.  In the second round, two games are played Saturday afternoon on the home courts of the highest seeded teams remaining in each bracket.  The Championship Game is then played on the home court of the highest seed remaining.
•   How are the MCC Tournament seedings determined?

The teams are paired with a standard bracket shown by the Tournament Brackets (link appears on the MCC Conference page).  Seedings are determined by the Final MCC Conference Standings with the first place team being the #1 seed, the second place team the #2 seed, etc.  The team finishing last in the MCC Conference is not included the MCC Tournament.

If teams are tied in the Final Standings with identical MCC Regular Season records, a tie-breaker system is used.  First, the head-to-head records of the two teams are compared.  If one team has 2 Wins over the other, it is given the higher seed and the tie is broken.  If the head-to-head records against each other are 1-1, their head-to-head records versus all other teams in the Conference are compared in the order of the MCC Standings until the tie is broken.

Head-to-head record information can be found via Head-to-Head Records links available on the MCC Conference page.  This site determines seedings based on these rules and fills the MCC Tournament Brackets accordingly.
•   Other than being MCC Tournament Champions, is there any other benefit?

Yes, the MCC Tournament Champion receives the automatic MCC Conference berth at the NAIA National Tournament.  As unlikely as the scenario may be, a team could finish 8th in the MCC Standings, win the MCC Tournament, and represent the MCC at the NAIA National Tournament.
NAIA Tournament Q & A
•   When is the NAIA tournament held?

The National Tournament for NAIA D2 Men's Basketball is held the first full week in March.  The dates are published on the NAIA web site.  For direct access from this site, click the Division II Championship Info link near top of the NAIA Information page.
•   Where does the NAIA hold its tournament?

Unlike the MCC Tournament or the NCAA tournament, all NAIA Tournament games are all played on the same floor.  While the location may vary, the current agreement is with College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, MO.  People call it "Branson" because of its proximity to Branson, MO, where all the hotels and entertainment venues are located.  As tournament time approaches, information about the area will appear on the NAIA web site.
•   How many teams go to the NAIA tournament?

The NAIA National Tournament includes 32 teams selected from about 150 member schools who participate in NAIA D2 men's basketball.  A school listing (by conference) can be seen by clicking the 'Division II Qualification Plan' link near the top of the Huntington Hoops NAIA Information page.
•   How are the teams selected for the NAIA Tournament?

The NAIA Tournament qualification process is explained on the Tournament Qualification page of Huntington Hoops (link appears as 'Qualification Process' on the NAIA Information page).  It can also be accessed from the dynamic menu (above left) by moving your mouse over 'NAIA Info' then 'National Tournament' and clicking on the 'Qualification Process' link.

This site tracks the tournaments of all NAIA conferences (starts late February) in order to see how the field of 32 is shaping up each year.  This information appears in a table accessed by a link near the bottom of the NAIA Information page (called 'Conference Tournaments').  As the results are known, the 'NAIA Tournament Qualifiers' table is filled in.
•   How are the NAIA Tournament seedings determined?

Good question.  The only answer is: by committee.  It's a process somewhat similar to the NCAA process, but without any official use of statistical ratings.  The committee uses the NAIA Coaches Final Ratings (opinion poll) as an initial guide, but imposes other factors, such as not having a team play another team in its own conference in first two rounds.  The results are somewhat unpredictable, particularly as it affects teams rated below the top eight.

A link to the NAIA Tournament bracket appears on the NAIA Division II Championship page (linked from the NAIA Information page).  The bracket will be posted about about a week before the Tournament begins.


Paul Harrington, Fort Wayne, IN