D3 Datacast

When we returned to producing weekly shows in October, we promised to take you all the way from the preseason through the postseason. Step one of that journey is complete and our first regular season show is here!

Join us as we take a look at some of the big events we can look forward to and a selection of other big non-conference games in the opening weekend and first full week of the 2026-2027 Division III men’s basketball season.

We also take a quick look at Matt’s preseason ballot for the D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll that he unveiled in the debut edition of the D3 Datacast newsletter, make our first picks against the D3 Datacast computer line of the season with a slate of five opening weekend games, and wrap things up with the mailbag.

Related Episodes:

Preseason Computer Ratings 2026-27 - Episode 151: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pULYVPEiPNw

What’s Changing in D3 Basketball for 2026-2027? - Episode 152: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnC7hQpl6TE

Conference Champions Draft 2026-2027 - Episode 153: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdI3O3ewBTI

Related Links:

D3 Datacast Newsletter: https://www.patreon.com/D3Datacast/posts/new-season-new-1-172555719

D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll: https://d3hoops.com/top25/index

Efficiency Ratings: https://d3datacast.com/efficiency-ratings/

NPI Rankings: https://d3datacast.com/npi/

Show Links:

▶ Website:  https://d3datacast.com/

▶ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@d3datacast

▶ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Facebook: https://facebook.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1twRPsVN00cCOxnFMldaw1?si=96c775bee5904b8e

▶ Become our Teammate on Patreon: https://patreon.com/D3Datacast

▶ D3 Datacast Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/d3-datacast/

Show hosts:

Matt Snyder: https://twitter.com/MattSnyderD3

Zac Snyder: https://twitter.com/ZacSnyder

We’re making it a Calvin basketball double feature on the show this week as we welcome in Calvin women’s basketball coach Mark Christner as they gear up for their 2026-2027 season.

The Knights bring back a group of seniors with a lot of playing experience but have a big role to fill following the graduation of Anna Fernandez. That group will be put to the test early and often with another difficult non-conference schedule and an MIAA conference schedule that presents plenty of additional challenges.

Related Episodes:

Calvin Men's Basketball Head Coach Bill Sall - Episode 154: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjA5UDcB_OQ

Related Links:

D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll: https://d3hoops.com/top25/index

Efficiency Ratings: https://d3datacast.com/efficiency-ratings/

NPI Rankings: https://d3datacast.com/npi/

Show Links:

▶ Website:  https://d3datacast.com/

▶ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@d3datacast

▶ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Facebook: https://facebook.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1twRPsVN00cCOxnFMldaw1?si=96c775bee5904b8e

▶ Become our Teammate on Patreon: https://patreon.com/D3Datacast

▶ D3 Datacast Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/d3-datacast/

Show hosts:

Matt Snyder: https://twitter.com/FFTMAG

Zac Snyder: https://twitter.com/ZacSnyder

As the Calvin Knights men’s basketball team prepares for the 2026-2027 season, we get together with head coach Bill Sall for our annual preseason chat.

The Knights bring back a few familiar faces but will look to mix in a number of new contributors after graduating a class that logged a lot of minutes over the past four years.

Join us as we talk about that transition in personnel, the upcoming non-conference schedule, a player-by-player look at this season’s roster and the outlook in the MIAA.

Related Episodes:

Related Links:

D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll: https://d3hoops.com/top25/index

Efficiency Ratings: https://d3datacast.com/efficiency-ratings/

NPI Rankings: https://d3datacast.com/npi/

Show Links:

▶ Website:  https://d3datacast.com/

▶ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@d3datacast

▶ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Facebook: https://facebook.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1twRPsVN00cCOxnFMldaw1?si=96c775bee5904b8e

▶ Become our Teammate on Patreon: https://patreon.com/D3Datacast

▶ D3 Datacast Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/d3-datacast/

Show hosts:

Matt Snyder: https://twitter.com/FFTMAG

Zac Snyder: https://twitter.com/ZacSnyder

The first games of the 2026-2027 Division III basketball season are a few weeks away and some rosters are still yet to be posted online. Sounds like a perfect time to try to pick conference winners!

Join us for year four of our way too early conference champions draft contest as we’re back to make our picks for the upcoming season. Ryan Whitnable returns as a two-time champion while Matt Snyder tries to reclaim the title Ryan won back last year. Bob Quillman, Karl Barkley and Zac Snyder are searching for that elusive first championship.

Each contestant will pick a team to win a conference regular season championship and once a conference has been claimed, it can’t be picked again. Our five contestants will progress through eight rounds of a snake draft for a total of 40 picks. That will leave two conferences on the board, plus the Coast-to-Coast because they do not award a regular season championship.

Related Links:

D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll: https://d3hoops.com/top25/index

Efficiency Ratings: https://d3datacast.com/efficiency-ratings/

NPI Rankings: https://d3datacast.com/npi/

Show Links:

▶ Website:  https://d3datacast.com/

▶ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@d3datacast

▶ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Facebook: https://facebook.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1twRPsVN00cCOxnFMldaw1?si=96c775bee5904b8e

▶ Become our Teammate on Patreon: https://patreon.com/D3Datacast

▶ D3 Datacast Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/d3-datacast/

Show hosts:

Matt Snyder: https://twitter.com/FFTMAG

Zac Snyder: https://twitter.com/ZacSnyder

When the new Division III basketball season begins, a lot will feel familiar but some things will have changed. Join us for this week’s show as we talk through the changes that will have their make on the upcoming season, everything from changes with schools, conferences and the NCAA Tournament. We also hit on a few things that aren’t changing and wrap up this episode with two items in the mailbag.

Related Episodes:

If We Were Czars Over Division 3 Basketball... - Episode 150: https://youtu.be/TrVpYuwnzNU

Related Links:

D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll: https://d3hoops.com/top25/index

Efficiency Ratings: https://d3datacast.com/efficiency-ratings/

NPI Rankings: https://d3datacast.com/npi/

Show Links:

▶ Website:  https://d3datacast.com/

▶ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@d3datacast

▶ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Facebook: https://facebook.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1twRPsVN00cCOxnFMldaw1?si=96c775bee5904b8e

▶ Become our Teammate on Patreon: https://patreon.com/D3Datacast

▶ D3 Datacast Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/d3-datacast/

Show hosts:

Matt Snyder: https://twitter.com/FFTMAG

Zac Snyder: https://twitter.com/ZacSnyder

The D3 Datacast kicks off the 2026-2027 Division III basketball season with the return of weekly shows to take you all the way from the preseason through the postseason. What better way to begin that with a look at the new preseason efficiency ratings?A combination of previous season's results plus some regression to the mean gives the D3 Datacast computer a starting point to give some stability to early season results. Each game played will wean the computer away from these preseason ratings until a team has played eight games against Division III opponents, at which point a team's efficiency rating is entirely based upon current-season results.Join us for this episode as we take a look at the preseason efficiency ratings that will serve as the basis for the season while the computer adjusts to the new season over each team’s first eight games. We review the preseason Top 40 picture, focus in on some big movers from last season’s final ratings, and make our picks of some teams we think might outperform or underperform their preseason numbers.Related Links:Efficiency Ratings: https://d3datacast.com/efficiency-ratings/NPI Rankings: https://d3datacast.com/npi/Show Links:▶ Website: https://d3datacast.com/▶ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@d3datacast▶ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/d3datacast▶ Follow on Facebook: https://facebook.com/d3datacast▶ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1twRPsVN00cCOxnFMldaw1?si=96c775bee5904b8e▶ Become our Teammate on Patreon: https://patreon.com/D3Datacast▶ D3 Datacast Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/d3-datacast/Show hosts:Matt Snyder: https://twitter.com/MattSnyderD3Zac Snyder: https://twitter.com/ZacSnyder

Division III basketball is pretty great, but there are some things we would change if we were given the power to do so. In this final episode of the offseason, we give ourselves the power of czars over Division III basketball!Join us as we talk through our list of things that would be different as we wave our fake magical wands as we shape and reshape the landscape of Division III basketball as it might be if it were under our authority.Show Links:▶ Website: https://d3datacast.com/▶ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@d3datacast▶ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/d3datacast▶ Follow on Facebook: https://facebook.com/d3datacast▶ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1twRPsVN00cCOxnFMldaw1?si=96c775bee5904b8e▶ Become our Teammate on Patreon: https://patreon.com/D3Datacast▶ D3 Datacast Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/d3-datacast/Show hosts:Matt Snyder: https://twitter.com/MattSnyderD3Zac Snyder: https://twitter.com/ZacSnyder

Calvin football head coach Trent Figg stops by to talk about the Calvin Knights as they head into their third season on the football field in 2026.

We hope you're having a great summer and while we can't help you kill all the time between now and the start of the next Division III basketball season, we can help you fill about an hour with a new offseason show!Join us as we look back and maybe a little forward, use some data along with vibes and some good old fashioned internet "yeah, but I think...", and have some fun with ranking all the conferences in Division III men's basketball by alternating picks draft-style.Related Links:Efficiency Ratings: https://d3datacast.com/efficiency-ratings/Show Links:▶ Website: https://d3datacast.com/▶ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@d3datacast▶ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/d3datacast▶ Follow on Facebook: https://facebook.com/d3datacast▶ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1twRPsVN00cCOxnFMldaw1?si=96c775bee5904b8e▶ Become our Teammate on Patreon: https://patreon.com/D3Datacast▶ D3 Datacast Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/d3-datacast/Show hosts:Matt Snyder: https://twitter.com/MattSnyderD3Zac Snyder: https://twitter.com/ZacSnyder

Over 400 Division III men’s basketball teams have been in their offseasons for over two weeks but Mary Washington and Emory still had one game to play. The combined championship weekend at the Division I Final Four in Indianapolis meant those two teams had a 15-day wait until, win or lose, their seasons came to an end.

Join us in this final edition of The D3 Datacast for the 2025-2026 season as we look back at the National Championship Game in Indianapolis, wrap up our season picks contest, take a look at Matt’s final Top 25 ballot, check in on the final D3 Datacast team efficiency ratings, and recap and review a season’s worth of super serious contests and takes.

Related Episodes:

Elite Eight/Final Four Review, Championship Preview & Picks - Episode 146: https://youtu.be/urigVZ4NdmQ

NCAA Tournament Elite 8 Preview/Fort Wayne! - Episode 145: https://youtu.be/88iFMcTEFes

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 - D3 Datacast - Episode 144: https://youtu.be/vsS8M3O72BU

NCAA Tournament Bracket Odds - D3 Datacast - Episode 143: https://youtu.be/QwsiCT98fzE

NCAA Tournament First Round Picks and Preview - Episode 142: https://youtu.be/Mbwg3WwkBs0

2026 Tournament Bracket Reactions! - Episode 141: https://youtu.be/75z8PFjGYk4

Related Links:

D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll: https://d3hoops.com/top25/index

Efficiency Ratings: https://d3datacast.com/efficiency-ratings/

NPI Rankings: https://d3datacast.com/npi/

Show Links:

▶ Website:  https://d3datacast.com/

▶ Subscribe to the channel: https://www.youtube.com/@d3datacast

▶ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Facebook: https://facebook.com/d3datacast

▶ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1twRPsVN00cCOxnFMldaw1?si=96c775bee5904b8e

▶ Become our Teammate on Patreon: https://patreon.com/D3Datacast

▶ D3 Datacast Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/store/d3-datacast/

Show hosts:

Matt Snyder: https://twitter.com/FFTMAG

Zac Snyder: https://twitter.com/ZacSnyder