2019-20 Around the Nation columns

February 20, 2020
It's a wide-open race for women's player of the year
The women's player of the year race doesn't have any Sydney Mosses or Madison Temples in it. And while we've highlighted a handful of players here, there could be even more in the discussion once all the games are played. Ryan Scott has more.

February 17, 2020
Two thousand points as a junior? That's Dempsey
Muskingum standout Marcus Dempsey has the most interesting backstory, but there are a bunch of Division III men's basketball players climbing the all-time scoring charts right now, and Ryan Scott has more.

February 9, 2020
Pfeiffer waiting for a chance
Schools trying to enter NCAA Division III don't just get to waltz right in and participate in the NCAA Tournament. They have to go through a multiple-year process. Pfeiffer is one of the schools doing that right now, and talks through the steps with Ryan Scott in Around the Nation.

February 3, 2020
Inside the NESCAC's big three
Tufts, Amherst and Bowdoin have been atop the NESCAC and practically untouchable for several seasons. Ryan Scott takes us inside each of the three programs to find out why in Around the Nation.

January 26, 2020
D-III: A home for life
The Division III coaching profession has many members who have spent multiple decades at one institution, and Ryan Scott talks with current and former longtime coaches, plus one who could be both.

January 19, 2020
Wildfires hit close to home
The Australian wildfires might seem like a long way from here, but for some in the Division III basketball community, it’s a lot closer. Ryan Scott has more about the Australian Battlers in Around the Nation.

January 12, 2020
Coaches who can be counted on to turn things around
Candice Signor-Brown is bringing her third Division III basketball program back to respectability, while Marcus Kahn and Mitch Cole have done the same at multiple schools as well. What is the attraction of these challenges for these coaches? Ryan Scott has more.

December 26, 2019
Competing with expectations
Texas-Dallas, UW-Oshkosh and St. Thomas all came into the season with expectations but have struggled to meet them, Ryan Scott writes. When the bar is set high and early-season losses happen, then what?

December 5, 2019
Tournaments give D-III a national feel
When schools from Wisconsin, Texas and Ohio descend on the Tidewater region of Virginia for a weekend, it's no accident. The tournament at Christopher Newport is just part of a growing trend of showcase tournaments featuring top-notch D-III competition from across the country. Ryan Scott has more.

November 29, 2019
Even at D-III, student-athletes draw scrutiny on campus
When student-athletes at one D-III school wore Halloween costumes perpetuating offensive racial stereotypes, the campus community responded, engaging in a sit-in protest and forcing postponement of a game. The action and reaction show how D-III athletes are held to a higher standard of behavior, says Ryan Scott in Around the Nation.

November 8, 2019
Welcome to the season: Here's what you missed
Ryan Scott returns for another season of Around the Nation, with news of a conference which could ban a team from the conference tournament if it gets too many technicals, plus a recruiting trend extended and a big offseason win for an assistant coach.
