Pomona heading out to Atlanta and playing Centre College in the first round - looking forward to seeing the Sagehens represent the SCIAC well.

It's a tough pod, but it's not crazy to see them coming out into the sweet 16 if they play well

Conference tourney matchups are set

(4) Oxy @ (1) Pomona
(3) CMS @ (2) Redlands

In both matchups during conference play, the teams split. I'll put out a preview later this week

Quote from: OxyBob on February 23, 2020, 07:48:47 PM

Coach Kat's last 20-win season was in 97-98 when the Sagehens were 21-5.

OxyBob

I believe they went 26-3 last year as well. Good run back to back years for Pomona.


With the 4 teams set for the tournament, it's actually one of the more even tournaments the SCIAC has had since going to this format in 2008.

As it stands, Pomona and Redlands were 4-2 vs the other 3 tournament teams while CMS and Oxy were 2-4.

Redlands has come on strong with the introduction of Griffin Baker who is a big time freshman. They have gone on their run since inserting him into the starting lineup and he adds another dimension to an already dynamic team. Between him, Roggin, and Menary they are very dangerous offensively and extremely physical.

I think Pomona has the best player in the west coast in Micah Elan - he's dynamic and a big-time scorer. Combined with Preston in the middle and Kelbert who is a physical 3/4, surrounded with knock down shooters, they are a very complete team.

Oxy plays their style well. They play 6-7 guys and each player knows their role extremely well. Adler is their scorer with Shipp and Yellen-Flaherty being strong contributors. They have gotten some great play from their role players as well.

CMS has been interesting. They have some great pieces and have the ability to compete with any team, but have also struggled to play consistently. As with any other team, I do believe that they can beat any of the other teams and I would never bet against Scali in a game because of his preparation and experience. CMS is the only team that has made the conference tourney each year. 

Any updates on how the NWC is looking this year?

CMS is coming up next week to play Fox and Whitworth - excited for the early season test for the Stags!

Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on March 05, 2019, 12:03:22 PM

If we're going to complain about a less-than-ideal system (and that's cool; I like doing that), it's pretty unhelpful to do so without offering alternatives that make sense given the current realities.  In other words, it's got to be workable.

If you really want to see a ridiculous, messed-up bracket.  Go compare the 2009 men's tournament bracket with the rankings that year.  Things are better than they were and they continue to be so every year.  They can get better, but it won't happen if all we get are complaints without any rational solutions.

Im sure this has been discussed, but if the schools are able to raise an endowment to support an bracket that is more based on rankings and removes the geographic and cost related constraints, is this something the NCAA would be open to?

I'm sure we would need to make sure this held across all sports and that would grow the endowment, but if we were able to have say 10 or 12 flights in the first round if needed, I think that would create a much better bracket and if cost is really the only constraint or hurdle I've got to imagine this is something we can overcome.

I think that most schools in the SCIAC and NWC would be front and center in figuring out how to fund this and I'm not sure what size bill you would be looking at, but I'd imagine something like a $100M-$200M endowment would support this and I think some of these schools could go out and help fundraise it.

I don't know if that causes conflict of interest with the NCAA depending on the proportion of funding from each school, but if there was an agreement that this promotes a bracket that removes cost and geography and nothing else, it could be interesting. I'm not sure what the cost for flying teams around would be, but I think a road trip is something like $50K if you include flights and hotels for a weekend for the teams and staff on a conservative basis. If you did that across all sports to it would add up, but I think it would be feasible

PP heading up to Walla Walla and playing UT Dallas in the first round. Winner plays Whitman/TLU winner.

Should be a good pod and if both PP and Whitman win, the rematch should be great.

Coming into the home stretch it's time to focus in on what the playoff is going to look like.

Pomona is in for sure and almost surely the 1 seed
Oxy is also almost a lock to be in and either going to be a 2 or 3 seed
CMS is likely in as well and a 2 or 3 seed, though they do have 5 games in 11 days to close out the season

La Verne is out and Cal Tech is likely out.

That leaves Redlands, Whittier, Chapman and CLU fighting for the 4th playoff spot with Redlands in the driver's seat right now, but it's wide open.

Pomona is clearly the best team in conference this year, but if they were to lose in the conference tourney it will be very interesting to see how the committee handles the in the at-large pool - right now from all the data it looks like they would likely get in - then, if one the SCIAC teams puts in to host, it will be interesting to see how the potential flight situation plays out - it would be contingent on how Whitworth plays out the rest of their year and if there was 2 NWC and 2 SCIAC teams in how they would handle potential flights.

This is still all very hypothetical though and would require alot of things to happen including a pretty large upset in the SCIAC

Quote from: OxyBob on January 23, 2019, 08:47:52 PM

Quote from: stag44 on January 21, 2019, 10:25:14 PM

Quote from: OxyBob on January 21, 2019, 02:09:41 PM
Game of the Week! Claremont (13-4, 7-1) @ Pomona (16-1, 8-0)
Pomona beat Claremont 73-65 in their first matchup on December 6.

For the Stags - it's been all about the defense. This year's team reminds me of the old-school Scali teams that are physical and defensive minded.

You can always tell when Claremont is playing its game. It's a thing of beauty. Opponents can't get the ball into the block, they can't get an open shot from the wing or the short corners, they can't drive the baseline, and they can't get to the elbows. They end up passing the ball around the perimeter and finally fling something at the basket.

OxyBob

Pomona played it's game tonight winning going away. It was tight at 16-14 Pomona early, but Pomona went on a quick 12-2 run that stretched the lead to 12 and they maintained that through the first half, going into the break up 14, 41-27. The Stags didnt go quietly though, and after an and 1 they had cut the lead down to 4. From there Pomona made some plays from an unexpected source James Kelbert and got some breathing room. After that Pomona was up double digits for most of the game.

The Stags weren't able to hit anything, shooting 33% from the field and 26% from 3. Credit the Pomona defense for forcing the stags into some tougher shots. The stags were also impatient, took some bad shots and played a little antsy when they started getting down.

Pomona is really tough this year - they have alot of weapons and I think could make some noise this year if they end up getting the SCIAC bid. I do think they will have to win the tournament though, and you never know what could happen during that weekend in Feb, you just need a team to get hot and that could change it all.

Quote from: OxyBob on January 21, 2019, 02:09:41 PM
Game of the Week! Claremont (13-4, 7-1) @ Pomona (16-1, 8-0)
Pomona beat Claremont 73-65 in their first matchup on December 6.

I'm so excited for the game on Wednesday! Pomona is playing at an extremely high level now on both sides of the ball, particularly on offense where they have so many weapons. I think that is what makes them really special this year - on any given night Rosenbaum, Elan, Preston or Koch could go for 20, not to mention their high level role players. Defensively they play to their scouts well and their length causes issues. They create

For the Stags - it's been all about the defense. This year's team reminds me of the old-school Scali teams that are physical and defensive minded. Personally, I thought it was going to be a down year and it's clear in the games they have lost, it was the offensive side of the equation that let them down. In the prior meeting vs PP they had a 4-5 minute drought that allowed Pomona to create a healthy distance that they held for the rest of the game. The same happened vs Chicago, Whitman and PLU in their other losses. They are fueled by their depth where it seems like Scali is comfortable going 10 deep and not have much of a drop off in overall production of the team.

Pomona hasn't lost since early December and the Stags haven't lost in 2019 and both teams have won in a variety of ways. It's also the first week of class back for the students, so I expect the gym to be electric on Wednesday night as students will be amped and ready. It should be a spectacular game and I think that the Rosenbaum / Segura matchup showcases 2 of the most talented players in the league. Katz and Scali have been going at it for 20 years and this might be one of the better regular season matchups in terms of how hot each team is going into the game!

Great set of games last night in the SCIAC

CMS 63 Oxy 60
CMS knocked off Oxy on the road, handing Oxy their first loss of the year. The first half had about a 13-14 minute stretch with no dead balls and stoppages which was something I'm not sure I've ever seen. It was during that stretch that CMS took control of the game as Oxy's defensive intensity slowed and the Stags were able to dictate things on the offensive end with their motion. CMS went up by 11 going into the half on a 3 pointer by Miles President. In the 2nd half the teams went back and forth for the first few minutes and then the Oxy offense started to find its rhythm. They were able to put pressure on the CMS defense and were getting to the rim as Baines, Dewitz, Adler, and Kaneshiro all got going. The game was tied and JD Levine hit a 3 for the Stags that gave them the breathing room they needed. Segura and Sui both hit a pair of free throws at the end of the game as Oxy hit 2 3s with time running down to keep it interesting. In a well designed play Oxy had a look to send the game to OT, but came up short and took the loss. Both teams played well and it was a high quality defensive game. The coaches are obviously so familiar with each other and even closer with Mike Wells who basically grew up at Ducey Gym being the assistant at Oxy.

PP defeats Whittier in a great game. Whittier seems to always play Pomona tough and this was no different. Elan's finish at the end of the game sealed it and kept PP undefeated in conference.

Caltech hit 2 3s in the last minute of the game to come back from 5 down and beat ULV.

Should be a good slate on Saturday as well!

I was in Walla Walla last weekend and saw Whitman play both games. While they are extremely explosive on offense and aggressive on defense, I personally think they are a very beatable team. My takeaways from the games:

- Howell is masterful going right and Bridgeland is really good at setting him up with his right hand to get into the key and create. Towards the end of each half, they essentially run him off screen rolls or isos and he is not really looking to pass, particularly if the game is good or if he is matched up against the other teams star player. He practices the crazy floaters and tough shots and wants to take them. Its hard, but if you can force him into jump shots and find a way to double him selectively, it will cause some issues.

- Butler is the heart and soul of the team - he is unselfish, a defensive animal and makes big plays. I would almost take the approach of forcing him to score instead of distribute. When he is defending, he has quick hands and feet, but can sometimes get lazy looking for a steal. He's a ballhawk and has a nose for the ball, so the guards will be dribbling around him need to be weary

- They are a VERY good offensive rebounding team - this is a byproduct of their pressing nature so they dont mind sending 5 guys to the offensive glass to pick up misses. Also because of the pressure they put on you with dribble drive the help side rotations screw you up and people unmatched to box out. They get alot of easy ones because of this

- #5, #10 are dead eye 3pt shooters with the ultimate green light. This is why they are on the court. #0 does not shoot 3s and quite frankly doesnt really shoot at all outside the key for layups. #23 is capable shooter, but loves to drive. Their 5 men (#12, #32, #34) are focused on offensive rebounding and running rim to rim and protecting the rim when the guards get broken down.

- My personal view on how to beat Whitman is to play at your tempo to break the press, but then be aggressive to score in the half court. Ball fakes hurt them as do slip screens. They give up alot of open shots if you are patient, strong with the ball and play with an aggressive mentality to score. The screener is often open agains them. On defense, the key is to know your personnel, all 5 defenders rebound, and make Howell go left / double him opportunistically.

Good luck to both teams - should be a great game! 

The teams are very different from last year and this year and I think they are both really competitive. Riley Hall was a HUGE component to the teams success last year as a leader, defender and glue guy on offense. With both Lynds and Riley last year, the team was 13-1 and playing at a very high level. This year having Lynds back was huge and since they have been healthy they are playing really well.

Whitworth also looks good this year - they just reloaded even after losing Love and Jurlina and look more explosive this year.

The CMS / WW game is going to be awesome. Both teams are playing at a very high level and are familiar with each other after their game last year. I'm sure that Roach and Logie are excited to get another chance at CMS. Scali / Lynds / Scarlett / Morris / Ely / President and the rest of the crew will be ready for the Stags!

Congrats to the Stags! I was in complete shock watching the game - the CMS - PP games almost always close, particularly in the SCIAC tournament. It was a great win for Scali and the team - Lynds and Scarlett played a phenomenal game and President and Ely stepped up again on defense. Great team win from them.

Any thoughts on where they get sent based on where the Pool A bids are lining up? Are Texax and Minnesota / Wisconsin real options? I guess if there are 3 flights needed, then it opens CMS to end up somewhere besides Walla Walla. If there are only 2 flights needed, then my assumption is both will be sent to Walla Walla.

Quote from: OxyBob on February 21, 2018, 02:40:24 PM

Quote from: stag44 on February 21, 2018, 02:19:19 PM
This is very similar to 4 years ago when CMS played CLU one week apart and in the semis CLU completely changed their offensive scheme for the game against CMS and upset the Stags. I highly doubt that Chapman will go to that level given the coach is very principled in his stuff (some of their sets have been the same since for 15 years).

The same sets for the last 15 years. Hmmm, sounds like another SCIAC coach I know.

OxyBob

Haha sounds like a bunch of the SCIAC to be honest.. Interestingly enough, Scali actually runs few if any sets, but yet he's been running the same motion-style offense for the Stags during his 20 years, but that has been the way for CMS for even longer since David Wells and even at times with Ducey.

The differentiator is that sets are much easier to scout and plan against vs the motion which morphs as the defense adjusts.

Will be a great slate of games on Friday. It's interesting and coincidence that semi-finals are a rematch of the games from this past Saturday.

Oxy v Pomona will be really interesting - Pomona has been playing really well in 2018, with their only loss coming at CMS and at Oxy. Oxy winning yesterday gives them the 2 seed and home court which is important the SCIAC tournament. Oxy must keep the game low scoring and use their physicality to dominate the Pomona guards. Both teams are playing with confidence right now, but it does seem like Pomona is playing with momentum and is fresh off beating Oxy handily last weekend. They dominated Oxy in their own game, getting 18 offensive rebounds and holding them to 15pts in the 1st half.

CMS v Chapman will also be a good game. Chapman has played CMS tight in both games and in the 1st game had CMS down by double digits at one point (I'm not sure but that might be the only time in conference the Stags have trailed by double digits). In fact, it looks like Chapman has put CMS in its largest deficits in both games (down 12 @ Chapman and down 8 at home this past weekend). Chapman has the pieces on their team to be very dangerous and they are well coached and disciplined when running their stuff. They were effective this past weekend in getting to the rim on the Stags and Nelson has a career high 28 points. I'm sure both teams will look at the film and see plenty of areas where they could have improved. Chapman's back-up was more effective than their freshman starter, though neither really did much to stop the CMS 5s who scored a combined 28. The Stags will look at the box score and gladly take a win when Scarlett shots 6-17, President doesn't score from the field and they only shoot 6 FTs. I'd expect Scali to make some smart adjustments based on the film on both sides of the ball. Chapman will likely do they same - they had a full week to prepare with no games so there might be some wrinkles. This is very similar to 4 years ago when CMS played CLU one week apart and in the semis CLU completely changed their offensive scheme for the game against CMS and upset the Stags. I highly doubt that Chapman will go to that level given the coach is very principled in his stuff (some of their sets have been the same since for 15 years). I'd anticipate Chapman to be VERY aggressive trying to drive the lane, pick up foul count, and put the pressure on the Stag guards to defend the penetration.

Should be a fun Friday night!