2020 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament

The 2020 NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college basketball in the United States. Featuring sixty-four teams, it began on March 6, 2020, following the 2019–20 season, and was to conclude with the championship game on April 5, 2020.

2020 NCAA Division III
men's basketball tournament
Teams64
Finals siteQuarterfinals and Semifinals:
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Championship:
State Farm Arena
Atlanta, Georgia
ChampionsTournament abandoned
Abandoned COVID-19 pandemic
NCAA Division III men's tournaments
«2019 2021»

The national quarterfinal and semifinal rounds were to be held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the site of the 2019 tournament finals, while the championship game was to be played at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, coinciding with the Division I Final Four.

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins University announced that it had chosen not to admit spectators to the first and second-round games hosted there.[1] On March 12, the NCAA announced that the remaining games of the tournament were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[2]

Sixteen teams had advanced to the third round at the time the tournament was called off.

Of the 16 teams that were remaining, the top five were among the teams in the final D3Sports.com polls. No. 1 ranked Swarthmore College (608 points) was the highest remaining team of the 16 in the final poll.[3]

Qualifying teams

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Automatic bids (43)

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The following 43 teams were automatic qualifiers for the 2020 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's automatic bid (except for the UAA, whose regular-season champion received the automatic bid).[4]

Automatic bids
Conference Team Record (Conf.) Appearance Last bid
Allegheny Mountain La Roche 21–6 (19–1) 3rd 2018
American Rivers Nebraska Wesleyan 24–3 (15–1) 17th 2019
American Southwest LeTourneau 23–5 (13–3) 2nd 2018
Capital York (PA) 22–5 (9–1) 7th 2019
Centennial Johns Hopkins 24–3 (16–2) 12th 2018
CUNYAC Brooklyn 13–15 (7–7) 5th 2016
CCIW Elmhurst 23–5 (11–5) 6th 2016
Colonial States Cairn 18–9 (11–3) 1st Never
Commonwealth Coast Nichols 20–8 (12–4) 4th 2019
Empire 8 St. John Fisher 19–8 (12–2) 17th 2017
Great Northeast St. Joseph (CT) 26–2 (11–0) 1st Never
Heartland Transylvania 19–8 (13–5) 10th 2013
Landmark Susquehanna 20–7 (11–3) 8th 2017
Liberty Ithaca 23–5 (15–3) 11th 2013
Little East Western Connecticut 20–7 (12–4) 13th 2012
MAC Commonwealth Lycoming 20–8 (10–6) 8th 2017
MAC Freedom Stevens 23–4 (12–2) 3rd 2013
MASCAC Westfield State 20–7 (10–2) 4th 2015
Michigan Adrian 17–11 (8–6) 1st Never
Midwest Ripon 20–7 (14–4) 14th 2017
Minnesota St. John's (MN) 25–2 (19–1) 11th 2019
NECC New England College 21–6 (10–2) 2nd 2018
NESCAC Tufts 21–6 (8–2) 6th 2017
NEWMAC Coast Guard 14–13 (6–8) 4th 2008
New Jersey TCNJ 19–8 (14–4) 7th 1998
North Atlantic SUNY Canton 16–11 (10–4) 1st Never
North Coast Wooster 21–7 (12–6) 29th 2019
NEAC Penn State Harrisburg 20–7 (14–2) 1st Never
Northern Athletics Concordia (WI) 19–9 (15–5) 4th 2015
Northwest Whitman 20–7 (13–3) 5th 2019
Ohio Mount Union 25–3 (17–1) 3rd 2015
Old Dominion Randolph–Macon 26–2 (15–1) 17th 2019
Presidents' Grove City 20–8 (13–3) 6th 2010
Skyline Yeshiva 27–1 (16–0) 2nd 2018
Southern Centre 24–4 (11–3) 17th 2014
SCIAC Pomona–Pitzer 22–5 (13–3) 13th 2019
SCAC Centenary (LA) 18–9 (13–5) 1st Never
SLIAC Webster 19–8 (16–2) 5th 2014
SUNYAC SUNY Brockport 24–3 (17–1) 12th 2018
UAA Emory 21–4 (11–3) 9th 2019
Upper Midwest Bethany Lutheran 21–6 (14–2) 2nd 2018
USA South Methodist 18–10 (11–6) 6th 2005
Wisconsin UW–Oshkosh 19–8 (11–3) 10th 2019

At-large bids (21)

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The following 21 teams were awarded qualification for the tournament field by the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Committee.[4] The committee evaluated teams on the basis of their win–loss percentage, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, results against common opponents, and results against teams included in the NCAA's final regional rankings.[5] By rule, one bid is reserved for teams in Pool B if there are enough teams that qualify for it. Pool B is for teams that are either independents or whose conference does not yet qualify for an automatic bid.

At-large bids
Conference Team Record (Conf.) Appearance Last bid Pool
NEWMAC Babson 20–6 (10–4) 10th 2017 C
Northern Athletics Benedictine (IL) 20–6 (16–4) 9th 2017 C
Capital Christopher Newport 21–6 (9–1) 24th 2019 C
NESCAC Colby 24–3 (8–2) 4th 1997 C
Liberty Hobart 21–5 (15–3) 5th 2014 C
Ohio Marietta 21–6 (14–4) 9th 2019 C
NESCAC Middlebury 20–5 (6–4) 11th 2019 C
CCIW North Central (IL) 21–5 (14–2) 12th 2019 C
Liberty RPI 23–4 (17–1) 6th 2009 C
NEWMAC Springfield 22–4 (11–1) 10th 2018 C
Midwest St. Norbert 23–4 (17–1) 9th 2016 C
Minnesota St. Thomas (MN) 24–3 (19–1) 20th 2019 C
Centennial Swarthmore 26–1 (18–0) 4th 2019 C
American Southwest Texas–Dallas 21–6 (14–2) 7th 2019 C
Wisconsin UW–Eau Claire 19–9 (8–6) 3rd 2001 C
Wisconsin UW–Platteville 22–4 (12–2) 13th 2019 C
UAA Washington–St. Louis 20–5 (11–3) 22nd 2018 C
Atlantic East Wesley 18–9 (10–2) 5th 2014 B
Northwest Whitworth 21–6 (14–2) 14th 2018 C
North Coast Wittenberg 26–2 (17–1) 30th 2019 C
NEWMAC WPI 20–7 (10–3) 13th 2016 C

Tournament bracket

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[6]

* – Denotes overtime period

Top-left

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First round
March 6
Campus Sites
Second round
March 7
Campus Sites
Third Round
March 14
Campus Sites
Quarterfinals
March 20
Fort Wayne, IN
            
Swarthmore 85
Brooklyn 51
Swarthmore 86
Swarthmore, PA
Ithaca 78
Babson 88
Ithaca 94*
Swarthmore
Whitworth
Texas–Dallas 83
Centenary (LA) 81
Texas–Dallas 66
Richardson, TX
Whitworth 73
LeTourneau 86
Whitworth 88
 
 
SUNY Brockport 92
Coast Guard 86
SUNY Brockport 84
Brockport, NY
Middlebury 81
Middlebury 78
Westfield State 69
SUNY Brockport
Tufts
Tufts 74
Western Connecticut 72
Tufts 75
Medford, MA
RPI 66
RPI 58
New England College 57

Bottom-left

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First round
March 6
Campus Sites
Second round
March 7
Campus Sites
Third round
March 14
Campus Sites
Quarterfinals
March 20
Fort Wayne, IN
            
UW–Platteville 86
Concordia (WI) 74
UW–Platteville 70
Platteville, WI
St. Thomas (MN) 73
St. Thomas (MN) 67
St. Norbert 60
St. Thomas (MN)
St. John's (MN)
St. John's (MN) 87
Ripon 75
St. John's (MN) 78
Collegeville, MN
UW–Eau Claire 69
Whitman 61
UW–Eau Claire 78
 
 
Emory 78
Methodist 74
Emory 70
Atlanta, GA
Pomona–Pitzer 71
Centre 64
Pomona–Pitzer 84
Pomona–Pitzer
Elmhurst
Wooster 62
Grove City 67
Grove City 66
Wooster, OH
Elmhurst 84
Elmhurst 97
Lycoming 73

Top-right

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First round
March 6
Campus Sites
Second round
March 7
Campus Sites
Third round
March 13
Campus Sites
Quarterfinals
March 20
Fort Wayne, IN
            
Mount Union 107
Cairn 76
Mount Union 90
Alliance, OH
York (PA) 77
York (PA) 88
St. John Fisher 67
Mount Union
Wittenberg
Wittenberg 83
La Roche 55
Wittenberg 77
Springfield, OH
Susquehanna 73
Benedictine (IL) 59
Susquehanna 64
 
 
Randolph–Macon 81
Wesley 69
Randolph–Macon 85
Ashland, VA
TCNJ 71
Marietta 73
TCNJ 89
Randolph–Macon
Yeshiva
Johns Hopkins 96
Penn State Harrisburg 104**
Penn State Harrisburg 83
Baltimore, MD[a]
Yeshiva 102
WPI 78
Yeshiva 102
  1. ^ Due to precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials announced that spectators will not be admitted to first and second round games to be played in Baltimore.[1]

Bottom-right

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First round
March 6
Campus Sites
Second round
March 7
Campus Sites
Third round
March 13
Campus Sites
Quarterfinals
March 20
Fort Wayne, IN
            
Springfield 74
SUNY Canton 49
Springfield 61
Springfield, MA
Hobart 62
Hobart 78
St. Joseph (CT) 74
Hobart
Christopher Newport
Stevens 72
Nichols 74
Nichols 82
Hoboken, NJ
Christopher Newport 91
Colby 64
Christopher Newport 74
 
 
Nebraska Wesleyan 77
Webster 73
Nebraska Wesleyan 58
Lincoln, NE
Washington–St. Louis 79
Washington–St. Louis 102
Bethany Lutheran 68
Washington–St. Louis
North Central (IL)
North Central (IL) 74
Adrian 58
North Central (IL) 84
Naperville, IL
UW–Oshkosh 82
UW–Oshkosh 74
Transylvania 58

Final Four

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Those rounds were cancelled.

National semifinal
March 21[a]
Fort Wayne, IN
National championship
April 5
Atlanta, GA
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
  1. ^ Subject to rescheduling to accommodate Yeshiva University policy concerning athletic competition and Shabbat.[7]

Final Poll Results

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The D3Sports poll results after the tournament was abandoned. [8]

D3 Sports Poll Results - Final Poll
Pos Team W-L Pts
1 Swarthmore (18) 28-1 608
2 St. John's (1) 27-2 589
3 Randolph-Macon (2) 28-2 567
4 St. Thomas (1) 26-3 546
5 Mount Union (3) 27-3 545
6 North Central (Ill.) 23-5 455
7 Wittenberg 28-2 452
8 Yeshiva 29-1 415
9 Washington U. 22-5 409
10 Elmhurst 25-5 365
11 Brockport 26-3 331
12 UW-Platteville 23-5 325
13 Johns Hopkins 24-4 277
14 Nebraska Wesleyan 25-4 261
15 Tufts 23-6 247
16 Pomona-Pitzer 24-5 230
17 Christopher Newport 23-6 223
18 Emory 22-5 209
19 Whitworth 23-6 175
20 Hobart 23-5 172
21 Colby 24-4 142
22 Springfield 23-5 121
23 UW-Oshkosh 20-9 87
24 St. Joseph (Conn.) 26-3 79
25 Middlebury 21-6 77

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Update on NCAA Men's Basketball Games at Johns Hopkins". Johns Hopkins Athletics. March 5, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  2. ^ "NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships due to coronavirus concerns". NCAA.com. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  3. ^ "D3 Sports Men's Top 25 Final". D3Sports. D3 Sports. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "2020 men's conference tournament tracker". D3Sports.com. March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  5. ^ "2018-19 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Pre-Championship Manual" (PDF). NCAA. October 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  6. ^ "2020 Division III Men's Basketball Official Bracket". NCAA. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  7. ^ "Faith before basketball for Yeshiva University champions". ABC News. March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  8. ^ [1]