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.
 | |||||
| Teams | 64 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finals site | Quarterfinals and Semifinals: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Fort Wayne, Indiana Championship: State Farm Arena Atlanta, Georgia | ||||
| Champions | Ex aequo when tournament abandoned: Swarthmore Hobart Christopher Newport Washington–St. Louis North Central (IL) Randolph–Macon Yeshiva Mount Union Wittenberg Pomona–Pitzer Elmhurst St. Thomas (MN) St. John's (MN) Whitworth SUNY-Brockport Tufts | ||||
| Abandoned COVID-19 pandemic | |||||
| |||||
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.
The ex aequo list of the 16 teams remaining when the tournament was abandoned were Swarthmore, Hobart, Christopher Newport, Washington–St. Louis, North Central (IL), Randolph–Macon, Yeshiva, Mount Union, Wittenberg, Pomona–Pitzer, Elmhurst. St. Thomas (MN), St. John's (MN), Whitworth, SUNY-Brockport, and Tufts.
Of those 16 teams, Swarthmore College (608 points) was the highest remaining team of the 16 in the final poll, a de facto mythical national championship.[3]
Qualifying teams
editAutomatic bids (43)
editThe 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]
At-large bids (21)
editThe 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
edit* – Denotes overtime period
Top-left
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||
- ^ 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
edit| 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
editThose rounds were cancelled.
| National semifinal March 21[a] Fort Wayne, IN | National championship April 5 Atlanta, GA | ||||||||
Final Poll Results
editThe D3Sports poll results after the tournament was abandoned. [8]
| 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
editReferences
edit- ^ "NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships due to coronavirus concerns". NCAA.com. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "D3 Sports Men's Top 25 Final". D3Sports. D3 Sports. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
- ^ a b "2020 men's conference tournament tracker". D3Sports.com. March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "2018-19 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Pre-Championship Manual" (PDF). NCAA. October 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ "2020 Division III Men's Basketball Official Bracket". NCAA. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "Faith before basketball for Yeshiva University champions". ABC News. March 1, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ [1]