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| Vacation photos by Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com; Ryan Scott, D3hoops.com; Jennifer Snyder; Marty Corcoran, Johns Hopkins athletics |
By Ryan Scott
D3hoops.com
On Monday, Dec. 29, at 6:30am I woke up, showered, dressed, had some coffee and went over the tight schedule for a day of Division III basketball in New York City. I gassed up the car and hit the road just after 7:30.
The Dunkin in the Metropark train station didn’t make their own sandwiches, but heated up a pre-made ham, egg, and cheese for me that was better than any actual Dunkin sandwich I’ve ever had. Jackpot. Hit the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor express train at 10:28.
The scheduled 39 minute ride ended up being 74 - not sure if it was snow or the absolutely packed holiday traffic (standing room only all the way to Penn Station), but after a quick transfer to the NY Metro 2 line and 15 stops, I was deposited just two blocks from Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn.
After a labyrinthine journey through the campus, I walked into the gym with 11:43 to go in the first half of the consolation game of the Dr. Carol V. Da Costa/Go 4 the Goal Tournament between the hosts and Middlebury College, who’d lost a heartbreaker to Wheaton (Mass.) the day before. The Panthers were taking out that frustration on the Cougars and the game was never really close, but it gave me some time to learn about Medgar Evers and its place in NYC basketball.
Carol Da Costa was a 1978 alum and local physician who served as team doctor for all Medgar Evers sports until her death in 2018. She was also a generous donor to the institution and part ofthe medical team for the US olympic and paralympic games.
Da Costa was indicative of the Medgar Evers spirit - the school was founded in the 60s after local outcry from the predominantly black, working class neighborhood for better local higher education opportunities. The community stubbornly rallied for a four-year, undergraduate degree-granting institution when the City Education Board wanted “just a two year college.”
The men’s basketball team has yet to win a game this year (although they were within four points late against Bridgewater the day before my visit), but it was awesome to see the community support and the effort the players put forth, despite limited resources. Every corner of Division III has a unique character and I’m glad to have had a chance to catch some CUNYAC in person.
The second game was closer, but Wheaton kept Bridgewater at bay most of the game, largely due to the playmaking and leadership of junior point guard, Dimetri Iafrate. Head Coach Alex DuBrow told me to watch out for him before the game, but he was impossible to miss. First team All-NEWMAC last year as a sophomore, he’s small, but super quick and super smart - winning MVP of the tournament behind an average of 26 points, four rebounds, five assists, and four steals on the weekend. A player to watch I might not have noticed otherwise.
At 3:48 I was back on the Metro (the 2 to the 1) for a long ride uptown for the main event that precipitated this adventure: Illinois Wesleyan at Yeshiva. It took just over an hour to make the journey to Washington Heights, but part of the way I shared a train car with a fully costumed Spiderman, so it wasn’t all bad.
If you ever make the pilgrimage to Yeshiva, there are two classic eateries a block down the street from the Max Stern Athletic Center. Burgers and Grill is the post-game spot - this time I was treated by Bob Quillman and his wife, Ro - but for pregame, I always do Golan Heights, authentic Mediterranean food. The $8 falafel pita, stuffed with all kinds of kosher goodness is the best bang for your buck I’ve found anywhere in NYC!
The game itself lived up to billing. Intense, physical, back and forth basketball. It was announced prior to the game that 2025 National Rookie of the Year, Josh Fridman, would be out the rest of the season due to injury.
We’ll miss him this year, but he’s currently planning to do three more years at IWU, which means he’ll have three years with this season’s first-year sensation, Noah Cleveland. The 6’8” sophomore didn’t play last year, but with 16 rebounds, was a real difference maker in a very tight game.
YU star Zevi Samet got a crucial steal with seconds to go, but the refs called a kicked ball (could not even find someone in green who agreed with the call). That and an untimely technical foul late dampened the momentum and allowed IWU to eke out a victory.
Fans are always reliving those “what-if” moments, but I’m always amazed at how quickly Division III athletes move on. Yes, it’s disappointing, but it’s also in the past. Players from both teams were all smiles after the game.
I was privileged to attend the previous IWU visit to New York four years ago. At that moment, Yeshiva had two All-Americans on the roster (with NBA scouts checking out Ryan Turell) and a 50 game winning streak. The YU fans all thought it would be a signature win only to see the Titans run them off the floor.
The margin of victory was not indicative of the actual talent disparity, but it was evidence that Yeshiva had some learning to do about consistent performance at the highest level. Coach Elliot Steinmetz has been scheduling a murderer’s row ever since and on this night, nobody in blue and white lacked high level experience.
Yes, Yeshiva lost again, but they proved how much they’d learned in the intervening years. It was a high-level team effort that showed depth and resilience. They belonged on the court with a true Division III blueblood and probably should have come away with a win.
The IWU players were, once again, gracious in victory, posing for photos and signing autographs for kids long after the game ended. It’s a really special example of what’s great about Division III athletics and a unique story and experience for anyone who has a chance to see it.
I ran into YU players Dothan Bardichev and Tom Beza at 10:32 as I caught the 1 train back to Penn Station. We talked hoops around the country and they told me they’d pray for me as they got off; I had two stops left to go and just 10 minutes to make my NJ Transit connection..
After just a little running, I did manage to make the train and avoid a 68 minute wait, finally getting back to Metropark and my hotel at 12:24 - just short of 18 hours awake, four of which were spent on trains, across two boroughs and crossing nearly the entirety of Manhattan from south to north. An epic D3hoops experience!
It was only the middle of the adventure, though. The week before, while in Colorado to celebrate Christmas and my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, I got to see three games at Reid Arena on the campus of Colorado College - a men’s game against Nebraska Wesleyan, and two Wartburg women’s games, against Hardin-Simmons and host Colorado College.
My brother is a local and a regular at CC games (where the wall reads “Welcome to 6,035 feet! Breathe Deeply), so he gave me a thorough scouting report and mused about why the Tigers never seem to take advantage of the altitude and speed up the pace of play.
The revelation of the weekend, though, was the Wartburg team we got to see twice.
Having graduated nine seniors from last year’s roster, this year’s young squad did not have the experience to win much early, as coach Bob Amsberry scheduled a typically difficult non-conference slate. They’ve learned a lot, though, and will be a typically difficult Wartburg squad in no time.
The Knights came from behind to beat Hardin-Simmons in an epic game and gave up a lead to Colorado College the next day - the ups and downs of a growing squad. Freshman Katie Boulanger is a future star and we got to see the first live minutes for junior post Corrie Harrison, who transferred in with a cold call to the Wartburg staff after her California college dropped athletics! A very Division III story if there ever was one.
All three squads would be tough tournament opponents in March, but they have to get through difficult conference slates to even have the opportunity.
To bookend everything, I finished off my holiday break with a double-header in Baltimore. Johns Hopkins hosted the Babson men and Trinity (Conn.) women on New Year’s Eve and both games were phenomenal!
The Beavers are another young team with room to grow, but a chance to make waves this year. Their early defense was phenomenal and pairing freshman Thomas Ferdinando (an absolute cold-blooded shooter) with last year’s NEWMAC top rookie, Timmy Mulvey is one heck of a backcourt combo.
The hosts pulled off some impressive discipline and focus to get the game into overtime and pull out the win. Coach Ryan Cain really has to rely on the starters - there was a noticeable drop off between the second units on the floor - but the Bluejays are rounding into shape for a tough Centennial run to come.
Maybe the most anticipated matchup of the break was No. 5 Johns Hopkins women hosting No. 18 Trinity. The home pace was certainly going to bother the Bantams and JHU had yet to play against the kind of size and skill Trinity brings to the floor. Each was the best opponent the other had faced to date.
Johns Hopkins kept a six to ten point lead most of the game, but Trinity would not go away. It was clear that the Bluejays were accustomed to getting a lot of offensive boards and shot selection was getting dicey late. Coach Rodney Rogan slowed the pace way down to prevent too many lost possessions, but that played right into the strength of Trinity. His gamble paid off, however, as they barely held on. Both teams look to make long runs in March!
It was a whirlwind two weeks across two (really three) time zones. I saw eight games in three states and traveled through (or over) quite a few more. I got to add a new gym to the list and nine teams I’d never before seen in person. It didn’t make Top 25 voting any easier, but it’s always helpful to see teams in person for those details that don’t come across on a screen.
I’d encourage you all to get out to a Division III gym whenever you can. Every athlete works their tail off, regardless of talent or record, and most of the time you get a great game. One thing you’re guaranteed is a unique experience and an opportunity to build more relationships across this diverse tapestry we call D3hoops.
