Flying Dutchmen Game Notes
NCAA Regional at Wheaton College
Friday and Saturday, March 6-7, 2009

The Flying Dutchmen (21-7) are playing in the NCAA Division III tournament for the fourth year in-a-row and for the 20th time in school history.   Hope has an all-time record of 26-21 (.553) in NCAA games.  A year ago Hope finished third in the nation. The Dutchmen were the national runnersup in both 1996 and 1998.

Hope is one of only five schools to appear in the NCAA tournament 20 or more times.  The leader is Wittenberg, Ohio with 24 appearances, but none since 2006.  The others are Scranton, Pa. (22 times including 2009), Salem State, Mass. (22 times including 2009), and Franklin & Marshall, Pa. (20 times including 2009).

The Flying Dutchmen put two regular season losses to their rival behind them by defeating Calvin on the Knight's  home court 69-59 to claim the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) tournament title and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

Hope is enjoying its fourth straight 20-win season and the 17th in 32 seasons under coach Glenn Van Wieren.  The Flying Dutchmen over the past four seasons have a 103-19 cumulative record.

The tradition-rich Hope program came into the 2008-09 season as one of the most successful in all of Division III -- #5 by winning percentage (1,408-704, .667) and #6 by victories (now 1,429 entering this weekend).

Hope versus Regional Field

° UW-Platteville defeated Hope in the 1998 Division III national championship game, 69-56.

° The Flying Dutchmen and Thunder have been basketball rivals for half-a-century.  The teams first met in 1958, a 104-93 Wheaton victory in the former NCAA College Division tournament.  Earlier this season Hope lost at Wheaton, 91-79. A year ago Hope defeated Wheaton 83-70 in the NCAA Sectionals played in Holland. Hope leads the all-time series 18-15.

° Hope has no basketball history with Fontbonne although the colleges have been softball opponents in recent years.

Both Hope College basketball teams are playing in the NCAA Division III championships for the fourth consecutive year and for the sixth time this decade.  The Flying Dutch are hosting a women's regional this weekend.  HopeCollege will be hosting the women's Final Four at its DeVos Fieldhouse on March 20-21.