Marietta College Pioneers vs. Medaille College Mavericks
Friday – March 4th – 7:15 pm
At Ban Johnson Arena
Pioneers vs. Mavericks Match-Up Breakdown
March 4, 2022 by C. Jay Prescher
Today and tomorrow, Ban Johnson Arena is the host site for three opening round games in the 2022 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship tournament. The Marietta College Pioneers men’s basketball team will tip-off in just a few hours.
Today’s first game starts at 4:15 pm. The University of Rochester YellowJackets play the Eastern University Eagles. The #2 nationally ranked Pioneers will tip-off against the Medaille College Mavericks at 7:15 pm. Tickets can be purchased through the Marietta College Online Ticket Platform. Friday’s winners advance to play on Saturday night at 7:15 pm.
Marietta College is the unofficial #1 seed in their section of the 64-team field. The NCAA doesn’t actually “seed” teams in individual brackets in Division III. Geography plays a big part in the small college version of March Madness. Nevertheless, the Pioneers’ game is essentially a #1 vs. #16 game. Four teams from Marietta’s 16-team bracket will qualify for the Sweet 16 next weekend.
Historically, the higher seeded teams are heavily favored. However, this is March Madness. No team, regardless of their won/loss record or their seed, can be taken lightly. The consequences of looking past an opponent could prove disastrous. The Marietta College Pioneers are prepared not to make that mistake.
If a team is in the field of 64, it’s because they’re a good basketball team. The Medaille College Mavericks are a good basketball team. Make no mistake about it. The Pioneers will need to play up to their capabilities to advance. Let’s look at some match-up keys that could be important in the Pioneers’ quest to advance to the second round.
Opening Round Bracket – Marietta, Ohio
Game #1 Friday @ 4:15 pm – The University of Rochester YellowJackets (17-8) vs. The Eastern University Eagles (21-5)
Game #2 Friday @ 7:15 pm – The Marietta College Pioneers (25-2) vs, The Medaille College Mavericks (15-12)
Game #3 @ 7:15 pm – Saturday, March 4
Game #1 winner vs. Game #2 winner. Winner advances to the “Sweet 16”.
How the Pioneers Advance
Play Their Game
On the surface, this should be obvious. However, in high-pressure games, like every NCAA tournament battle, things can get out of control. Pressure situations have a way of knocking teams off their game. The Marietta College Pioneers have a strategy, and they stick to it. Marietta plays a relentless style of ball-hawking defense.
At the offensive end of the court, Marietta moves the ball as well as any team in the country. The Pioneers are loaded with weapons. There is no single player an opponent can focus on stopping. If they do, another Marietta player will make them pay. It’s been a blueprint for success this year.
Every single member of the Pioneer starting five has led the team in scoring at least once. Sahmi Willoughby added his name to the list with a 25-point, 15-point double-double at Mount Union. Senior Mason Lydic and sophomore Addy Black had high-team scoring honors once each during the season. Lydic’s been nursing an injury, but has the talent to explode at any moment.
Senior Jason Ellis, 11 times, senior Lukas Isaly, 8 times, and senior Tim Kreeger, 4 times, have led Marietta’s scoring attack the most. In 19 games, at least one Pioneer scored over 20 points. Isaly’s 36 points in November against #1 ranked Randolph Macon is the single-game high for the season.
In February, Ellis netted 32 points against John Carroll. The Pioneers consistently have at least three players finishing with double-digit points, sometimes more. Marietta College runs a relentless attack on offense. They play a smothering defense. To advance past the Medaille Mavericks to the second round, all they need to do is “play their game”.
Bench Production
Another huge part of “Marietta’s game” is their depth. The Pioneers will go no less than 10 deep, sometimes more. Marietta just wears their opponents down. It’s methodical. Usually, Medaille College plays about eight to nine players deep. That’s slightly more than some of Marietta’s opponents this season.
However, production after the sixth-man in the Maverick’s primary rotation drops off dramatically. That’s not the case with the Marietta College Pioneers. The Pioneers’ second rotation, a complete unit from # 6 to # 10, often battles toe-to-toe with other teams’ first string. It’s a weapon Marietta uses to wear teams down.
Junior Sahmi Willoughby comes off the Marietta bench. He’s part of a second unit that’s just as relentless as the first wave. Pioneers’ fans know exactly the level of impact this second rotation can have in games. Willoughby has become a rebounding force. He can also put points on the board as well. When sophomore Cooper Parrott hasn’t stepped into the starting five, he’s been another valuable contributor.
Sophomore guard Jac Alexander, spells any of Marietta’s trio of senior guards, usually Lukas Isaly. Recently, Coach Jon VanderWal has been running a unit with both Isaly and Alexander. Invariably, the Pioneers run multiple combinations with these four perimeter players. Most teams do not have even two players talented enough to counter the quickness and penetrating style of Marietta’s backcourt. Junior Brennen Crawford, along with Willoughby, can be a dominating post-presence off the Pioneer bench.
Crawford also has a knack for backing opponents down and drawing fouls. He could be a big problem for Medaille, especially the Mavericks’ second unit. All the Marietta post players could give the Mavericks difficulty, as they do not have a prototype big man. Senior Ryan Reidy is the final member of Marietta’s second five-man unit. Reidy is not a prolific scorer, but more than once this season Ryan has nailed a timely shot. His defense is smothering.
When Alexander and Reidy sub into the game and takeover the perimeter, there is little difference in the defensive tenacity. There have also been games when Marietta has been able to get productive minutes beyond the 10th man. At times, junior Brett Martin and sophomore Torin Lochow have provided excellent minutes.
From here on out, everything is a back-to-back scenario with a week off in between. The Pioneers are physically prepared to play back-to-back games. However, a few minutes of rest on night one will prove a tremendous asset. Marietta already pounds away at teams. The Pioneers go 10 deep.
Plus, any contributions from deeper down the Pioneers’ bench is a bonus. Marietta needs solid production from their bench. Marietta’s second rotation has been outstanding. The Pioneers’ bench production could be virtually impossible for the Mavericks to match.
Ignite “The BanJo”
Players on the Medaille College Mavericks have certainly played in front of big crowds. However, many of their 2021-2022 games were played with few to no spectators. The Mavericks’ biggest crowd was at the first game of the season. Medaille challenged a Division I team at the Alumni Arena in Buffalo, New York. It was not pretty.
The University of Buffalo overwhelmed the Mavericks, 105-54. There were roughly 2,000 fans, but we can’t imagine a 50-pont game provided much excitement. A week later, Medaille played at the Mike Daley Memorial Tournament at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. Less than 400 fans watched RPI dismantle the Mavericks by 35 points.
There were 85 spectators at the John Carroll Blue Streaks’ win over Medaille. That game was played at the Sports Arena in Buffalo, 3 miles from the Medaille College campus. A paltry 55 fans watched Ohio Northern beat the Mavericks the following night. After having the first three January games on their schedule canceled, Medaille had a no spectator policy.
When the Mavericks went on the road this season, the largest crowd they faced was in the AMCC tournament. Medaille managed to upset the #1 seed, Penn State-Behrend Lions. However, there were 408 fans in the stands. Certainly, playing in the state of New York, teams experienced more restrictions. Regardless, the Mavericks are not accustomed to loud crowds.
Ban Johnson Arena is going to be packed. The noise is going to be deafening. The Medaille Mavericks have experienced nothing even close to Ban Johnson Arena. It will be very difficult to overcome the second-best team in the country if the Pioneers can “Ignite The BanJo”.
Ban Johnson Arena is set to host three basketball games this weekend. The Marietta College Pioneers men’s basketball team hopes to play in two of them. But they want even more. This team is on a mission. The Pioneers are embarking on a journey. It is a journey with a series of obstacles that must be overcome one at a time. The first obstacle is the Medaille College Mavericks.
Friday night, at 7:15 pm on Fenton Court, the Pioneers will begin chiseling away at that first obstacle. It’s “Game Day” Pioneer fans. March Madness is ready to kick into high gear at Ban Johnson Arena. “The BanJo” should be packed. “The BanJo” should be loud. This Pioneer team is loaded with weapons. One of them is their home court fans. Pioneer fans need to show up ready. We need to be loud!
The Word Jester is not employed by Marietta College, and is not affiliated with the Ohio Athletic Conference or D3 Hoops.com
The opinions expressed in this article are the exclusive viewpoints of the author.
They do not reflect the points of view, policies, or principles of any outside agency or organization.
