By Pat Coleman
Executive Editor, D3sports.com

Washington U. nearly got knocked off by Lawrence at Elmhurst in the first round, but survived on Aaron Thompson's 3-pointer with 12.3 seconds left. Washington University athletics file photo

This time last year we were bemoaning the worst bracket to come out of the NCAA Division III men's basketball committee since the Pools system was put in place in 2000. Thankfully, they listened, and three significant, cheap changes that we suggested in this very space last year were implemented in this year's bracket.

So now, the thoughts about the bracket are a little more mundane, such as the placement of Clark, or ... well, not many others come to mind.

What a relief. So let's get down to the nitty-gritty here and move on with the previews. This is where I pick a Cinderella team (a surprise team, ideally someone who wins two games on someone else's floor to advance to the Sweet 16), a disappointment and a champion in each of the four brackets.

In addition, this year I'm adding a few more categories. What's the big question in each bracket? Which would be the best 8-9 game, a toss-up that could go either way and pit someone against a top team? And which game do we not know what to make of?

Let's roll.

The Williams Bracket

Maine-Farmington (14-11) at Bridgewater State (19-7), winner to Williams (26-1)
SUNYIT (24-4) at Plattsburgh State (21-7), Nazareth (18-9) vs. Medaille (23-4)
Gordon (24-4) at Middlebury (24-3), Rhode Island College (20-7) vs. Rutgers-Newark (20-7)
Brooklyn (22-6) at St. John Fisher (22-5), St. Lawrence (16-11) vs. Brandeis (19-6)

The Big Question: How will the New Jersey Athletic Conference fare? The league hasn't had multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament in years and is seven seasons removed from the year Ramapo beat Montclair State at Wooster in the Sweet 16. This conference has three teams in the field, one a clear first-round favorite (William Paterson), one a clear first-round underdog (Richard Stockton) and one playing in a toss-up game. Rutgers-Newark, which plays Rhode Island College on a neutral floor, can help make or break the NJAC's tournament performance.

The best 8-9 game: It's one I've already mentioned, but it's Rutgers-Newark vs. Rhode Island College.

What do we make of this game? SUNYIT plays at Plattsburgh State in the first round. SUNYIT is the champion of the North Eastern Athletic Conference, probably the weakest league in Division III. But the Wildcats are 24-4 and have been competitive in three games against the SUNYAC, although they went 1-2. They lost by two at Wells earlier in the season but came back to win by eight at home and blew them out on a neutral floor in the NEAC tournament final. Plattsburgh is winners of 13 out of 14 games after an 8-6 start and is playing at home but the fan base may be more invested in hockey.

Most likely to disappoint: St. John Fisher. The Cardinals have been a bit of a puzzle this season, but have lost a lot of the tough games on their schedule, at DeSales, at U of Rochester, at home to Stevens. Although they should expect to pack that little gym for tournament games, a team such as Brandeis, which won at Washington University, wouldn't be intimidated, and certainly wouldn't have a problem traveling. And if Richard Jean-Baptiste can show his dominant side in the first-round game, it might end a night sooner.

Surprise: Nazareth. The Golden Flyers are already in the tournament in the first place as a bit of a Cinderella, knocking off St. John Fisher on the road to win the Empire 8. Corey McAdam should be considered the real deal and an All-American candidate, plus, he's a senior guard, and you know what the pundits say about teams led by senior guards.

Champion: Williams. Only Middlebury or Brandeis should be able to challenge them.

The Guilford Bracket

Christopher Newport (15-12) at Guilford (26-2), John Carroll (20-6) vs. Maryville (23-4)
Grove City (19-8) at Wooster (23-5), UW-Whitewater (22-5) vs. Defiance (23-5)
Centre (18-8) at Eastern Mennonite (22-4), Wilmington (21-7) vs. Lycoming (21-6)
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (21-6) at Chapman (23-2), winner to Whitworth (25-2)

The Big Question: Is this the year the West Coast gets somewhere? The Pacific Time Zone has been handed an opportunity to get away from the Midwest/West Region powers for once and show someone outside of Wisconsin and Minnesota what they're made of. Now, unfortunately for the Whitworth/Chapman/Claremont winner, they're headed into a sectional that could potentially include a 2009 Final Four team, a team that spanked said team at their place last month, UW-Whitewater or Wooster ... and would likely be played all the way across the country. But this is a good opportunity for whomever wins out there to make a name for themselves. Chapman hasn't left the West Coast much ans Claremont hasn't left Southern California since December 2007, but Whitworth went to Wash U this year, Baltimore last year and New York City the year before, so at least they might have some idea how to get on a plane and play.

The best 8-9 game: There's a couple good possibilities, but I like the John Carroll-Maryville game. Here's a game between tournament-experienced teams and coaches who have combined for more than 800 collegiate wins, and it's played on a neutral floor. I like.

What do we make of this game? In this case, I'm thinking of Wilmington and Lycoming, two teams that have had ups and downs this season en route to very similar records. The drumbeat from Lycoming faithful midseason suggested they should have been in the Top 25, except that was followed nearly immediately by back-to-back losses as the Warriors went 5-4 in their last nine games. Wilmington lost to Thomas More, a fringe NCAA Tournament contender, at the end of December and went lost three road games the second time through in the OAC, but has won six in a row at the right time.

Most likely to disappoint: Chapman. Because I must pick someone at home who would lose to a lower-seeded team to satisfy the disappointment label. I see Wooster losing at home but falling to UW-Whitewater wouldn't qualify, either.

Surprise: UW-Whitewater. Even though they would be the highest-seeded team here, at least in our estimation, they still have to win two games, one in front of a traditionally supportive crowd. Then again, for a team that won at UW-Stevens Point, hostile crowds should not be a surprise.

Champion: I would like to pick Whitewater here as well, but I have my doubts about a team that has seemed to underachieve in the tournament. When I look at my projected pod winners, I expect the sectional to be held at Guilford and that to put them over the top. I know that this flies in the face of Eastern Mennonite's success at Guilford on Feb. 10.

The Washington U. bracket

Wheaton, Ill. (18-8) at Mary Hardin-Baylor (22-6), winner to Texas-Dallas (23-5)
Carleton (19-9) at UW-Stevens Point (23-4), Hope (21-7) vs. St. Norbert (22-3)
Westminster, Mo. (20-7) at Washington U. (23-2), Illinois Wesleyan (20-7) vs. Central (23-4)
Aurora (18-10) at Carthage (22-5), Anderson (22-5) vs. St. Thomas (23-3)

The Big Question: Will they do it again? That's Washington University, of course, which has made a habit out of coming out of tight regionals and sectionals en route to the past three Final Fours and two national championships. The Bears weathered a bout of sickness midseason and appear to have their key contributors firing on all cylinders. Since their midseason home loss to Brandeis, the Bears have had to travel to two of their toughest places to play in the UAA -- at the University of Rochester on a Friday night and to Brandeis for another Friday game -- and came away with wins in both. After struggling midseason, guard Aaron Thompson shook off his slump in a big way. He exploded for 29 points on 11-for-15 shooting at home against Rochester on Feb. 5 and went on to average 20 points per game over the Bears' final seven. While Thompson was struggling (he shot 5-for-29 and 1-for-16 from three-point range in consecutive games), guard Sean Wallis, playing out his medical redshirt season from the lost 2007-08 season, took over the scoring brunt with games of 22 and 27 points, showing a different facet of his game. Spencer Gay has had big games down the stretch and Cam Smith remains a defensive force.

The best 8-9 game: Wheaton (Ill.) at Mary Hardin-Baylor. These are teams from two different spectrums in Division III. There's not much in the way of common opponents, but more than one would normally see between teams from Illinois and Texas. Wheaton beat McMurry in Illinois in the second game of the season, while Mary Hardin-Baylor split two games with McMurry in a one-week span in midseason. Plus, this is a battle of two teams formerly known as the Crusaders. Wheaton dropped the nickname in favor of Thunder several years ago, while Mary Hardin-Baylor has been edging toward the shortened Cru. Although the winner doesn't go face a No. 1 seed, it's still a toss-up game that should be entertaining.

What do we make of this game? Illinois Wesleyan vs. Central. Runner-up in a strong conference with good NCAA history vs. champion in a conference that has struggled in the NCAA Tournament. Combine that with Central being in the dance for the first time since 1995 and it's a whole set of real unknowns.

Most likely to disappoint: Texas-Dallas. Without a tournament warmup game, the Comets will have been sitting around a while waiting for some team to continue its crusade in their direction. While they didn't have to worry too much about making the bracket, sometimes the first-round bye is not a blessing. (Ask Middlebury.)

Surprise: I look forward to seeing what Anderson can do now that it has gotten in the field. I'm not sold on how St. Thomas finished the regular season, with a “home” loss against Carleton in the MIAC semifinals. And Anderson gets new life. If teams are indeed unwilling to schedule Anderson, well, here, the NCAA has done it for you, with St. Thomas and potentially Carthage if the Ravens advance.

Champion: Wash U. I just think the Bears are clicking on too many cylinders now.

The William Paterson Bracket

SUNY-Purchase (20-8) at St. Mary's, Md. (24-3), Richard Stockton (20-7) vs. Virginia Wesleyan (22-5)
Wesley (19-8) at Merchant Marine (23-4), Oneonta State (22-6) vs. Franklin and Marshall (23-4)
Clark (16-12) at Albright (21-5), Cabrini (25-2) vs. Randolph-Macon (22-6)
Albertus Magnus (22-6) at William Paterson (25-2), DeSales (22-5) vs. MIT (22-4)

The Big Question: Who will be able to stop Darnell Braswell? That's the guy who put himself on the Division III map this time last year by averaging 20.3 points and 10.5 rebounds en route to carrying DeSales to the Elite Eight. For MIT, that player will be Billy Bender, if he can go. He's missed the past three games, and perhaps not coincidentally, the Engineers have lost two of them. And if the Bulldogs advance and face William Paterson, well, the Pioneers have a team of lockdown defenders, to the point of allowing 53.4 points per game and just 37 percent shooting from the floor.

The best 8-9 game: Oneonta State vs. Franklin and Marshall. One went to the Final Four last year, while the other hasn't even been in the tournament since 1977.

What do we make of this game? Cabrini and Randolph-Macon. Both teams won early-season games at Lebanon Valley. One has played 11 games against NCAA Tournament teams, while the other has played one.

Most likely to disappoint: Merchant Marine. Even if Wesley can't take down the Mariners, and that's not impossible, either team in the other half of the pod could get the job done. Actually, no host in this pod is particularly safe.

Surprise: Cabrini. Heck, we have no idea what this team is capable of. If Kevin Miscevicius, who's scored 1,000 points at Cabrini after scoring 1,000 in junior college. If he plays like a senior and freshman point guard Cory Lemons (15.4 points, 5.5 assists per game) plays more like a sophomore or junior, the Cavaliers could advance out of the pod.

Champion: William Paterson. But I thought long and hard about Virginia Wesleyan. And Albright. And Randolph-Macon. And St. Mary's. Some cliché about defense kept echoing in my ears.

The Salem Bracket

William Paterson vs. Washington U.: The Pioneers won't be quite like the last team that Wash U faced out of the NJAC, but I still think the Bears have the talent to overcome the Pioneers defense.

Williams vs. Guilford: I'm not sure if it's because I think Guilford has played a stronger schedule, faced a tougher tournament road, has recent NCAA Tournament and Final Four experience, will have more than 100 fans in the building or knows the Salem Civic Center, but basically, I see Guilford advancing.

I almost ended up with No. 1 vs. No. 2. That never happens, right? Oh, right … they've always been in the same bracket. No. 1 vs. No. 3 is still pretty good.

Recently, I spoke with Dan McCarrell, who was head coach at North Park for the Vikings' three consecutive titles in 1978, 1979 and 1980. He's since retired after coaching at Division II Minnesota State-Mankato. It's his record that's on the line. Guilford would be the last team standing between Wash U and history.

I always go for history.