cortland played a great game last night and just came up short.  best game i've ever seen them play in recent years.  Simon played like an all-american, and taggart played one of his best ever as well.  came up just short but to a very solid Tuffs team who had to earn everything they got last night.  best team in my eyes won the game, but great year Cortland!

Cstate19.. what do you know about bad venues or athletes   You have never played a min. of competitive basketball in your life!  The sunyac has players that can play with some of the top players in the country at this level.  I was at the Cortland game as well last night and totally disagree about getting the ball to headly more.  He is at his best when he makes something out of nothing, O glass rebs. and put backs, steals and starting the transition game.  Over his carrier at Cortland, when he has high pt total games, Cortland losses!  That is bc the real money players were not on, in return costing them the game.  Cortland did come out flat and nervous though, hopefully this will not continue tonight, if it does it might end the season.  FTs will be very important along with turnovers, just like any sport when the postseason comes.... Whoever has less turnovers needs to play very bad to not win.  One thing they might be able to do against Tuffs is get out and run with the bigs, no substitute for easy buckets and free points for running the floor.  Another key point to look for in the game is the outside shooting of Cortland.  They have yet to have ANY player hit the 3 ball with any kind of consistency when the game is tight.  Even last night it was brick central until it was a double-digit lead and the pressure was off of the snipers.  Jdex I agree... maybe not one of the best Cstate teams of all time, but they do know how to win! Hope it continues tonight.

congrats to C-state on the bid and Pburg to winning the tourney!  represent well in the NCAA's, they can't get to be a lot of fun when you get deep!

one more thing.... whoever it was comparing the sunyac to the big east... i've never heard something so crazy in my life!  the only reason they compare what so ever is that the lower level teams have the ability to knock off a top team within conference play.  however, the big east has many teams in the top 10 or even top 5 in the country at any given time.  if you take ANY team in the sunyac right now and put them against ANY top 5 team in D3 basketball they would loose by 15-20 for sure.

From what I have heard the SUNYIT sqaud was practicing all week long in the aud, which is against the rules of the tourney, conference and or the ncaa, not really sure which of those it was.  the AD at cortland has made a claim/protest about this and is trying to overturn the choice from the time the game hit 0:00 . obviously Pburg would still go to the NCAA but this would put C-state as runner-up in the tourney which looks better to the committee giving up those few at large spots.  No idea if this action will materialize into anything or just be blown off by sunyac officals though.  good luck on selection sunday C-state

Nick i have to agree with you about Taggart, he is a GOOD player on a very good team, nothing more or less.  the leadership on that team comes from Frank and Simon, it has been that way for years.  Eventhough i like the kid, Taggart is not an all SUNYAC player!  how do you put someone in the top 15 in the conference when down at the end of games he doesn't make the top 7 on his own roster.  Cstate19 have you seen them play?  90% of what Taggart does is on his own, nothing drawn up by Span.  All rebs. and put backs off the O glass, far from a focus on offense.  Also, Simon playing as a 6 man should not hurt his chances of a first team bid this year.  Span likes the energy and production he brings as a lift off of the bench when the starters get flat.  he is the best player on the best team in the conference and should be rewarded for it.  if the award was for MVP he would have it, but unlucky for Simon its not, its POY.  Good luck to my C-state boys this weekend though, i was up in the air about them all year waiting to fall off, but now i really think they will take it home.  Cortland 62 Oswego 59 in the title game

Not really sure who started the converstation about the #1 seed hosting all of the game that would have usually been played in the aud.  but i love the idea!  Cortland has the best floor/gym in the conference behind only o-state.  The lack of #'s in the seats i don't believe would be an issue in the playoffs as they can be in the reg. season here at cortland.  i used to play at randolph-macon and even as the #1 team in the country, we would have games with more empty seats than full.  Come playoff time and NCAA tourney.... we had students and adults camping outside of the area waiting for tickets.  The same could hold true here at cortland, and worst case... it would be better than playing in the 60* aud where its too cold to even work up a sweat.

solid win by cortland last night over fred.  don't let the 4-1 record fool you though, they are not THAT good.  i hope this team like many other span coached teams in the past get better as they go, esp. if they think they can contend in the tourney.  Two huge points of the game.... 1) Cortland needs a go to scorer.  not all game long, but when they go dry for mins on end and need a big bucket.  they can get away with it against a team like fred. but late in the year that wont fly against top conference comp.  2) fred. might not win a conference game!  with no size and very little skill, they are going to have to face a bad team on a bad night it looks like.  pt gaurd was the only stand out or even player worth watching on the roster.

I didn't see the game, but from what I've heard it was a good one at the port.  Bports, good call about the depleted 8 man roster of port last night, and I do agree that Rother esp. will make a huge difference.  However, I remember port teams of the past playing hard all game without getting tired, and if u look at the box score... Cortland only played 8 players as well.  Good win for my boys at Cstate regardless.  Bport still my favorite hands down to represent the SUNYAC in the tourney, IF they stay out of trouble and on the court.

Although they are still my pick to win the SUNYAC tourney, Bport MIGHT have to wait for star big man Jon Rother maybe until second half of the season.  This due to rumors that bc of some fuzzy NCAA rule and grimmy actions by the Cortland coaches and AD, he might have to sit.

In response to the Gibbs-Smith player of the year post... it WONT happen.  Not bc he doesn't have the talent or skill, but bc he is not mentally tough enough to do it night in and night out in the league.  My pick might be Barton of Pots. even though not my fav. player.  This is bc he will have the O run around his game and will not have to share the ball, in return putting up big numbers. 

Chad, get a hold of me personally and i'll tell you why.

here is a little pre-season action in my mind...

1. Bport
2. Cortland
3. Plats
4. Oswego
5. New Plts
6. Buff st.
7. Oneonta
8. Fradonia
9. Pots
10. Geneseo
11. SUNYIT

... tell me what you think.

Cortland looked solid in alumni game on sat. night.  only good things to say about new big man in the middle.  many returners will have the chance to shine now this year, and will need to if they want to contend with the fire power of bport and plats.