City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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The Division III regular season is all but over, with numerous various area teams getting ready for conference championships taking place this week. So here are our final Division III Power Rankings of the season, covering the last three weeks of play:

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Others to Watch: Alvernia (15-10, 11-5 MAC Commonwealth), Arcadia (16-9, 9-7 MAC Commonwealth), Cabrini (15-10, 13-5 CSAC), Delaware Valley (18-7, 9-5 MAC Freedom), Gettysburg (16-8, 11-6 Centennial), Widener (13-12, 8-8 MAC Commonwealth)

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10. Lebanon Valley Dutchmen (OW)
Record: 16-9 (10-6 MAC Commonwealth)
Last Three Weeks: @ Widener (L, 75-73), vs. Alvernia (L, 86-82), @ Stevenson (W, 64-56), vs. Arcadia (W, 93-75), @ Messiah (W, 72-67), vs. Lycoming (W, 76-70)
Star Watch: Andy Orr (Soph./F) -- 21.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg

Update: Two other MAC Commonwealth schools, Alvernia and Arcadia, both had arguments for this final spot, but we’ll give it to the team on a four-game winning streak at the end of the regular season. Orr played a big part in helping his team close out strong, with a 22-point, 12-rebound outing against Lycoming and 26-point, nine-rebound effort against Messiah. In the playoffs, Lebanon Valley gets a talented Arcadia squad that it beat twice, 83-74 back in December and then again last week at home.

Up Next: MAC Commonwealth Semifinal (vs. Arcadia, Feb. 24, 7 PM)

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9. Swarthmore Garnet (9)
Record: 19-6 (13-5 Centennial)
Last Three Weeks: vs. Ursinus (W, 83-64), vs. Franklin @ Marshall (L, 72-66), @ Washington (W, 84-62), @ Dickinson (L, 75-66), vs. Muhlenberg (W, 90-69), vs. Haverford (W, 76-65)
Star Watch: Robbie Walsh (10.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg)

Update: A bit of a rocky finish to the year for the Garnet, losing three of seven heading into the postseason, though that’s nitpicking as they’ve already surpassed the best season in program history. With senior forward Chris Bourne, the team’s leading scorer (14.3 ppg) out for the season due to injury since January, Walsh has stepped up. The 6-8 sophomore from Summit (N.J.) has two 20-point games in his last four outings, setting a new career high with 22 to go along with 10 rebounds in the season finale against Haverford. His presence inside keeps defenses honest so Zack Yonda (12.8 ppg) and Matt Brennan (12.4 ppg) can go to work on the perimeter.

Up Next: Centennial Semifinals (vs. Dickinson, Feb. 26, TBD)

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8. Dickinson Red Devils (OW)
Record: 13-12 (12-6 Centennial)
Last Three Weeks: vs. McDaniel (W, 73-66), @ Washington (W, 69-62), vs. Muhlenberg (W, 79-61), @ Gettysburg (W, 78-61), vs. Swarthmore (W, 75-66), @ Johns Hopkins (W, 74-73), @ Franklin & Marshall (W, 88-86)
Star Watch: Ted Hinnenkamp (Sr./SF) -- 17.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg

Update: The Red Devils have been one of the more remarkable turnaround stories around this season. After starting off the year 2-9 through a Jan. 7 loss at Muhlenberg, Dickinson turned things around by winning four of five. Then after dropping two more to F&M and Ursinus, Alan Seretti’s bunch has won seven straight to grab the No. 3 seed in the Centennial tournament and make an appearance in our area power rankings despite only barely cracking the .500 mark. If they can win two games in the Centennial tournament -- no small feat, given they’ll likely have to go through the Garnet and Diplomats of F&M -- the Red Devils will be headed to the NCAA Tournament, which would certainly be the most surprising of Seretti’s what has already been three March Madness trips in six years.

Up Next: Centennial Semifinals (@ Swarthmore, Feb. 26, TBD)

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7. DeSales Bulldogs (7)
Record: 19-6 (11-3 MAC Freedom)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Misericordia (L, 77-72), vs. Delaware Valley (W, 73-58), @ Wilkes (W, 76-67), vs. FDU-Florham (W, 85-76), @ Manhattanville (W, 77-75), @ Eastern (W, 96-86)
Star Watch: Cody Deal (Sr./F) -- 14.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Update: The MAC Freedom champions are on a five-game winning streak entering the playoffs, with No. 2 Misericordia and No. 4 Del-Val the only team two teams to beat them since the main portion of the conference slate started on Jan. 13. That’s the ninth regular-season championship for head coach Scott Coval in his 14 years at the school, and they’ll be looking for their fourth conference tournament championship (2009, ‘10, ‘14). Deal, the Bulldogs’ leading scorer, scored in double figures in each of those five wins, and that’s crucial for them: when he gets 10-or-more points his team is 15-2, but just 2-4 when he doesn’t.

Up Next: MAC Freedom Semifinals (vs. Wilkes, Feb. 24, 8 PM)

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6. Neumann Knights (OW)
Record: 18-7 (14-4 CSAC)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Keystone (W, 93-71), @ Gwynedd Mercy (W, 88-77), @ Summit (W, 94-66), vs. Centenary (W, 80-62), @ Keystone (W, 114-83), vs. Cabrini (L, 106-85), vs. Immaculata (W, 86-52)
Star Watch: DeShawn Lowman (Jr./G) -- 17.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg

Update: After a rough start to the season, the Knights have found their footing in the second half of the year. The loss to Cabrini snapped a nine-game winning streak, and they’re 14-2 since Dec. 30, after losing five of their first nine games of the season. Lowman, a First Team All-CSAC selection, is one of three players to average more than 3.0 apg for head coach Jim Rullo, whose team nabbed the No. 2 seed in the CSAC playoffs and a likely matchup with Cabrini in the semifinals on Wednesday, depending on what happens in Monday night’s first-round matchups. And though Gwynedd-Mercy is the No. 1 seed, Neumann has to feel good about its chances after an 11-point win over the Griffins just a few weeks back.

Up Next: CSAC Semifinals (TBD, Feb. 24)

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5. Stockton Ospreys (6)
Record: 19-6 (14-4 NJAC)
Last Two Weeks: @ Rutgers-Newark (W, 66-63), @ Rutgers-Camden (W, 71-50), vs. Ramapo (W, 105-66), @ New Jersey City (L, 68-61), vs. Kean (W, 76-56)
Star Watch: Armin Cane (Sr./G) -- 16.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg

Update: The Ospreys seem to have recovered well from a three-game losing skid in January, winning 10 of their last 11 games heading into the postseason. Their loss to NJCU last week gave the Gothic Knights the NJAC regular-season title and top spot in the league’s playoffs, but Stockton’s second-place finish was good enough to earn the other first-round bye. Stockton will host a Rutgers-Newark squad that it beat twice during the regular season, 70-50 in December but by a just three on the road on Jan. 23. Cane, a 6-2 guard from Pleasantville (N.J.), has hit double figures in a dozen straight games.

Up Next: NJAC Semifinals (Rutgers-Newark, Feb. 24, 7 PM)

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4. Franklin & Marshall Diplomats (2)
Record: 20-5 (15-3 Centennial)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Muhlenberg (W, 72-43), @ Swarthmore (W, 72-66), @ Ursinus (ppd.), @ Johns Hopkins (L, 74-69), @ Ursinus (W, 74-61), vs. Gettysburg (W, 71-60), vs. Dickinson (L, 88-86 OT)
Star Watch: Cedric Moune (Sr./F) -- 15.6 ppg, 9.4 rpg

Update: Despite losing to upstart Dickinson in overtime in the regular-season finale, Franklin & Marshall won the 2015-16 Centennial Conference regular-season championship by two games over Swarthmore, locking up Glenn Robinson’s 27th 20-win season the game before. The Diplomats will get the winner of Wednesday’s first-round matchup between No. 4 Gettysburg and No. 5 McDaniel; F&M has two wins over McDaniel but split with Gettysburg, losing 73-57 on the road (Jan. 20) before last week’s revenge win at home. They’ll be going for Robinson’s seventh Centennial championship since joining the league in 1993-94, and first since an Elite 8 run in 2011-12.

Up Next: Centennial Conference Semifinal (TBD, Feb. 26)

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3. Susquehanna Crusaders (4)
Record: 22-3 (13-3 Landmark)
Last Two Weeks: @ Juniata (W, 74-71), @ Moravian (W, 88-66), vs. Scranton (L, 67-58), vs. Drew (W, 86-60), @ Goucher (W, 67-53), vs. Elizabethtown (W, 86-70), @ Elizabethtown (W, 83-69)
Star Watch: Josh Miller (Sr./SF) -- 16.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg, .440 3PT%

Update: Susquehanna tied the program mark for wins in a season with its final regular-season game, equaling the 1985-86 Crusaders who went all the way to the NCAA Tournament Elite 8. This group, ranked No. 18 in the country by D3Hoops.com, got the No. 2 seed in the Landmark Tournament as Catholic U (20-5, 13-3) snagged the top seed, giving Susquehanna a game against Scranton (19-6, 11-5) in the semifinals. The teams split their meetings this season, with each winning on the road: Susquehanna 78-63 at Scranton on Jan. 7 before the Royals stole the return game on Feb. 10. The Crusaders will need a strong game from Miller, who had 24 in the winning meeting but was held to four points in the rematch.

Up Next: Landmark Semifinals (vs. Scranton, Feb. 24, 7 PM)

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2. Gwynedd Mercy Griffins (3)
Record: 19-6 (17-1 CSAC)
Last Two Weeks: @ Immaculata (W, 75-73), vs. Neumann (L, 88-77), vs. Rosemont (W, 98-80), @ Summit (W, 95-80), vs. Immaculata (W, 88-79), @ Cairn (W, 85-79), @ Cabrini (W, 80-87)
Star Watch: Darnell Artis (Sr./G) -- 13.0 ppg, 4.3 apg

Update: With only one loss since the calendar hit January, John Baron’s Griffins are chugging along into the postseason with the top seed in the CSAC tournament. Artis, a La Salle College HS product, and fellow senior Julian Hyden (Bensalem) were both named First Team All-CSAC on Monday, while junior forward Cedric Elleby (Delsea) made the conference’s Second Team. While Artis is the engine that drives the team, Hyden (18.4 ppg) was on a tear of late with three consecutive 30-point games against Summit (30), Immaculata (32) and Cairn (31). Baron was named CSAC Coach of the Year for the second time, though it had been a dozen years since he last received the honor.

Up Next: CSAC Semifinal (TBD, Feb. 24)

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1. Lancaster Bible Chargers (1)
Record: 24-0 (17-0 NEAC)
Last Two Weeks: @ PSU-Abington (W, 76-54), vs. PSU-Berks (W, 107-90), @ Bryn Athyn (W, 89-69), vs. SUNY-Polytechnic (W, 86-64), vs. SUNY-Cobleskill (W, 95-71), @ Gallaudet (W, 74-64), @ Wilson (W, 91-64)
Star Watch: Bryce Williams (Jr./G) -- 20.3 ppg, .445 3PT%

Update: The Chargers are one win away from a perfect regular season, playing Penn College tonight in a game that was rescheduled from Feb. 16. Considering the last time the Charges played the Wildcats was a 109-52 romp, so we’re going to take a shot in the dark here and say that Lancaster Bible will be 23-0 headed into the NEAC playoffs. Lancaster Bible has risen into the top 15 in D3Hoops.com’s national poll, the highest-ranked team in the region, thanks to a tremendous year that has them as one of two undefeated teams in the entire NCAA this season. Williams, a 6-0 guard from Spring Lake Park (Minn.), leads five players in double figures for the Chargers, who have outscored opponents by 23.6 ppg this year thanks to a run-and-gun offense that averages 9.6 3-pointers per outing.

Up Next: Penn College (Feb. 22); NEAC Playoffs

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Dropped out: Delaware Valley (5), Arcadia (8)