Um, I never requested a Fed Ex from Plattsburgh.  I asked about the game because I was curious about the tempo.  Hamilton has won plenty of low scoring games, too, so I don't think tempo is the key to their success.  I was just wondering if it was a P-burgh game plan or a Hamilton game plan.  As for the defense, I was assuming it was man to man considering Hamilton hit the three ball with impunity against Union's zone.

I have never heard bleachers cheer.

I couldn't catch the Hamilton-Plattsburgh game.  Can someone answer the following questions for me?

1.  Hamilton usually plays an up-tempo game and more often than not scores 80+ per game (and 6 times this year 90+).  Did Hamilton slow this one down, or was that Plattsburgh's doing?

2.  Did Plattsburgh go predominantly for zone or man-to-man?

I don't think people should be pointing to Hamilton's narrow escape against Plattsburgh as evidence that the Conts will struggle against Amherst.  If they had won by 18, would people be saying, "Watch out Amherst, here come the Continentals"?  I think that Hamilton will have a tough time with Amherst as well, but not because of the result of that one game vs Plattsburgh.  Predicting results based on one game, we would read too much into the following:

Amherst losing to Trinity (18-6)
Trinity losing to Elizabethtown (15-10)
Elizabethtown losing to Susquehanna (10-15)

My money would still be on Amherst if they took on Susquehanna.  Incidentally, Susquehanna lost to Messiah and Messiah lost to Hamilton.  What does it mean?  Nothing at all.

I was at the game when Georgetown beat Duke this year.  Before the game someone asked me if the Hoyas were going to win.  I said, "No, but that's why they play the game".  The Jeffs have a lot of tools, but it would be costly to look past anyone when so much is on the line.  The Conts are underdogs playing a great team on the road - they don't have anything to lose.  I hope it's a great game!

Bed,

I think you make some good points, and I also realize that this isn't a football forum, but there really is no comparison between the firing of Frank and the firing of Murphy.  You said of Frank that "they got rid of him despite his success."  Here are Frank's records for his last three years at the helm:

1997: 2-6
1998: 1-7
1999: 0-8

Steve Frank is a great guy and I like him a lot.  While he has certainly had his successes over the years, to put him in the same league as one of the winningest coaches in D3 Basketball history seems to be a bit of a stretch.  Murphy was let go DURING his (long uninterrupted) run of success, not during a dismal downturn.  Coaches aren't hired to be friendly, even at the D3 level.  Alvanos just didn't have the success for which the school was looking.  Oh, and he was brought in from Swarthmore after Swarthmore CANCELLED their football program.  I think it's clear that the administration did want to see Murphy go and worked at it for a few years; the firing of struggling football coaches can hardly be attributed to the same sort of 'politics of personal destruction'.

I do agree with you that Hamilton's coaches can't just get in anyone they want.  It has been my opinion that until a few years ago, it was actually a bit more difficult for Hamilton's coaches to get their athletes in than it was for some of their colleagues in the NESCAC.  Now the NESCAC has a more formalized way of monitoring athletic admits so the playing field is a bit more consistently level, and I believe Hamilton has to abide by NESCAC guidelines in all sports even though it is now primarily a LL participant.  Does anyone have any info on this?

Welcome to the LL board, JeffRookie.

Hamilton played a full NESCAC schedule until a few years ago when they became an inaugural member of the UCAA (now the Liberty League).  There were a number of factors for this, but in my opinion the primary one was the fact that Hamilton lacked a travel partner in the NESCAC.  This meant that the Continentals used to travel up to Maine, let's say, and play Colby on Friday night while the Bowdoin coach rested his players and attended the game to scout out the team.  Then the rested Bowdoin team would play Hamilton the next day.  This scenario happened week in and week out for the basketball team and to a lesser extent some of the other teams as well.  I don't think Hamilton wanted to lose its affiliation with the NESCAC because 1- it was a founding member of that league, and 2- it is stronger both athletically and academically than the LL.  If I had my druthers, I'd find a way to keep Hamilton an all-sport NESCAC school, but I'm neither fully informed nor have the power to influence any decision.

In terms of scouting Hamilton, here are a few pointers.  The Continentals start two freshmen, Henry Ciocca and Ryan Cafferty.  Ciocca has excellent hands (strong turnover/assist ratio).  He can't shoot the three, but for a little guy he will surprise you by taking it right to the hoop.  Cafferty is strong on defense in the paint and at 6-7 can consistently put it in if he gets the ball near the paint and doesn't have to dribble.  Keep him boxed out and you'll negate his offensive power.  Jeff Bernardi and Rob Toste are their main shooting guards...Bernardi is deadly from the corners.  Giorgi Chavleishvili plays a lot of minutes as the big man on the floor.  Fairly athletic, nice touch, but can't go left.  Fast for a big guy, he gets a lot of easy buckets via backdoor cuts when Hamilton spreads the defense.  They also have a fairly deep bench, and Welchons, Peck, and Ngobeni will see a bunch of minutes as they rest the starters or if someone gets into foul trouble.

I hope all this info is helpful as you prepare to (hopefully) host the Continentals.  Hamilton has to get by Plattsburgh (not Cortland) first.

Noone wants to look ahead to see Amherst waiting for them in the second round, but allow me to make a few points.

1- The purpose of the tournament is to determine a national champion.  In short, to be the best you have to beat the best.  As such, one should expect to play tough teams along the way.  If the Conts are better than the Jeffs, then it shouldn't matter when they meet.  The same holds true if the Jeffs are the better team.

2- Hamilton has had a good run this year and their few losses have often come either on the road or without their full roster.  BUT, Hamilton hasn't beaten any quality teams and I can understand why the committee wouldn't give the Continentals a cakewalk to the sweet sixteen. 

3- One shouldn't look past any team when it comes time to dance.  People have been griping about Amherst in round 2, but Hamilton still has to get the job done at home vs. Plattsburgh.  Conts should win, but I bet Anderson isn't talking to his team about Amherst.

4- Lastly, a question.  Does anyone know anything about how Plattsburgh and Hamilton match up?