Seawolves Fans

Saint Francis University Shifts to NCAA Division III

Two weeks after winning the Northeast Conference championship and one week after playing in the NCAA Tournament, Saint Francis University has officially announced its reclassification from NCAA Division I to Division III, effective from the 2026-2027 academic year.

This transition reflects broader trends in college athletics where financial considerations are prompting institutions to reassess their competitive levels.

The decision has sparked discussions on the evolving landscape of college sports, with Saint Francis potentially setting a precedent for other universities facing similar financial pressures.

Year after year, I'm just not sure what we're trying to accomplish on offense.

I coach high school basketball. Last year, we had two terrific guards who could get their own shots, two bigs who couldn't do much away from the rim, and other players who couldn't process plays quick enough. So we abandoned any ideas of playing a beautiful, motion-filled offense, kept our bigs down low (or one up for a high screen), ran fake motions to get our role players out of the way, and gave space on the wings and the top of the key for our two players to make plays. We asked them where they liked to operate, they showed us, and we designed around that.

It wasn't beautiful. We had limitations within our roster. And we had two strengths. So we had a clear plan to minimize the weaknesses and accentuate the strengths. And it was obvious to everyone watching us.

I never really know what our offenses, year after year, are trying to do. It all just seems random.

KenPom preseason rankings:

127 Towson
136 CofC
154 UNCW
179 Hofstra
202 Monmouth
210 Northeastern
222 Drexel
224 W&M
244 Delaware
267 Stony Brook
289 North Carolina A&T
298 Elon
306 Campbell
312 Hampton

I never thought this was a winnable game.

But I was surprised by how well we played. We didn't look overwhelmed. We looked physical. We looked like a team that will be much better than our preseason rankings (which I get because they're based off data from last year's injured squad).

I think the big thing is that we're led by a bunch of grad students: TSM, Noll, Clarke, Sabry, Keenan and Maidoh. They're grown men. They're experienced. Adults. And they won't look like the moment is too big for them. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised.

I also feel like if we get beat, it's because the other team is better (like tonight) or because something odd happened (like weird shooting).

I just don't know if this is a sustainable model. I know that's college hoops and the transfer portal, but is that how you build a program?

As always, Checkmate, this is incredible. Thank you.

I think there's something to be learned from the Knicks. Did you know that they were third in Offensive Efficiency last year? All I did last year was watch them miss threes and twos - and I'm right! They were in the bottom third in shooting in both categories. And they barely moved the ball.

So how did they do it?

1. They shot a ton of threes. Top five in the NBA in attempts.
2. They crashed the boards. Top five in the NBA in offensive rebounding.
3. The converted on second chance points. Top five there too.
4. They limited turnovers. Top five.

So they basically limited their turnovers by taking the first open look from three, then crashing the boards and making their opponents pay. All of those things are sustainable. I wouldn't recommend it, but it clearly works when you don't have the personnel to be accurate.

I can see the Seawolves following the same blueprint.

"Your new name is not accurate enough."
- The Big Ten Conference

Pinzon would have been a great get for us - especially now that we've seen he's gone to Bryant.