2016-17 Around the Nation columns

February 17, 2017 Overcoming the I-word Injuries strike without warning and throw a wrench into even the best made plans. Some teams are dealing with injuries to key players now and others did so earlierthis season. How do you rally a team forward while respecting the fallen teammate? Ryan Scott explores in our final ATN of the season.

February 10, 2017 ATN: Down the stretch they come We have just ten short days left in the regular season for most teams so this is a good time to check in on the conference championship races. Which races? All 86 of them, of course! Ryan Scott has you off and running. Ready, set...

February 3, 2017 Ten more elite point guards In December Ryan Scott gave you his list of the top 10 point guards in Division III basketball. You suggested some others and so Ryan returns with 10 more elite point guards with several from teams that traditionally get less attention, like UC Santa Cruz.

January 27, 2017 Complexity of the conference shuffle This season Carroll from the Midwest Conference back to the CCIW. Merchant Marine did the same, rejoining the Skyline from the Landmark. Ithaca and Sage will move soon, and others will follow. Why do these moves happen? Why don't they happen when geography suggest they should?

January 19, 2017 True tales of going pro The NCAA touts the majority of student athletes who will go pro in something other than their sport, and rightfully so. But some Division III basketball players, like Andy Panko, are playing professionally. Ryan Scott talks with Panko and others about the path from D3 to pro basketball.

January 12, 2017 Grinnell's System here to stay Some call it an gimmick but Grinnell's system is more than 20 years old and here to stay. In fact, it has spread to Tennessee, Massachusetts and Illinois and even made an appearance in the NBA D-League. Ryan Scott gives you an in depth answer to the frequent question, "They scored what?!"

January 6, 2017 Common ground in a big world The Division III basketball world is a big place. With 400-plus schools, there's a lot of diversity in student enrollment, academic offerings and recruitment. How does that impact the basketball programs? And is there any common ground across the varied landscape? Ryan Scott considers that and more in Around the Nation.

December 8, 2016 Point well taken There are hundreds of point guards in Division III, but true floor generals are very rare. They manage the offense and, often times, they manage the team. Ryan Scott gives his take on the best 10 point guards in Division III, with an invitation to debate, in Around the Nation.

December 1, 2016 Surprise, surprise! The Division III basketball season is only a little over two weeks old, but there have already been a handful of teams that have surpassed expectations. Are they for real? How can we know? Ryan Scott has some answers in Around the Nation.

November 24, 2016 Traveling is the right call When the NCAA changed how it counts games for postseason selections, it spurred some teams to travel farther away early in the season. There are benefits on the court and off of it, as Ryan Scott learned at the 2016 Hoopsville Classic. He has more in Around the Nation.

November 16, 2016 ATN: Passing the baton A new season brings a new voice to our Around the Nation column, and coaching changes to some schools that haven't had one in decades. Ryan Scott spoke with the new coaches at East Texas Baptist, Pomona-Pitzer, Roanoke, Rowan and Stockton about their managing the transition.