Quote from: thomashoops42 on March 05, 2008, 03:23:40 PM
Interesting points FLYZ5, I guess the question is why are those players leaving?  And the other is how do you have so many players and not have much help for Simmons?  And, I guess, if he really didn't have any real help like many other teams in the LL but still did what he did, maybe he should have been POY.

Are there any RPI posters with insight?

I've been watching RPI for 4 years and I live with many of the players, so this is all I can deduce from our season:

Players don't quit in the middle of the season, especially large contributors like Gordon and Rourke, unless they coincidentally both had school or family issues, or they don't believe in the system and are bailing out like rats bailing out of a sinking ship (yeah I'm an engineer but I can use similes with the best of the liberal arts students).

After the Henrik incident, it seemed like most of the team quit caring, at least until they found out that they wouldn't have to forfeit their games after all.

The coaching staff cost them the first Hamilton game, which set the tone for the rest of the season.   The bench was T'd up after a not-so-dubious call, and that changed the momentum of the entire game.  Hamilton was on a run, or went on a run right after that.

Coach Griff's refusal to start Rupp and Brion, when they were absolutely playing better than Bull and Philatre, may have led to animosity.  Rupp only started the last three games because Bull went down with an ankle.

Kris Kowalczyk was suspended for the second Union game, which we lost.  He may have made a difference.  I think it was a league suspension for punching a Hobart player on the road.   Didn't see that one, but heard it was reminiscent of when Simmons sucker punched Haviland-Markowitz back in the day.

Finally, after 4 years, I've seen one LL playoff game, which we were blown out in.  I can promise you that RPI doesn't have a monopoly on bad players.  We've had Paris Moore, John Van Schaick, Tom Schneider, Neal Wesson, Sam Simmons, great LL players, but somehow are always fighting to get in.

There's a reason that Hamilton is consistently good and we're consistently mediocre.  It always comes back to leadership.   

Well Simmons got SCREWED...

Simmons: 16.1 pts
Avitabile: 13.2

Simmons: 8.6 rebs
Avitabile: 8.1

Simmons: 54.7 FG%
Avitabile: 47.4%

Simmons: 5x forward of the week
Avitabile: 4x


Larry had 2 more assists, a lot more blocks, and a lot more help.

Quote from: thomashoops42 on February 25, 2008, 11:17:58 PM
will rpi have any fallout from the ineligible player situation?  Also, didn't they lose some other players this year too?
Who are the underclassmen guards?
Simmons is a good start, but if they couldn't get into the playoffs with 3 senior guards, what do they have coming up?

I think Union will be much better next year too

Oh forgot to answer half the question: they lost Rourke, Gordon, and Korbas this year.  The first two were contributors in the front court, basically the first two forwards off the bench, though each had some injury problems.  Korbas was a PG who played some minutes.

I believe there won't be any fallout from Henrik-gate.  If they didn't have to forfeit the LL games, what else would the NCAA do?  It's not like they can lose scholarships.

Quote from: thomashoops42 on February 25, 2008, 11:17:58 PM
will rpi have any fallout from the ineligible player situation?  Also, didn't they lose some other players this year too?
Who are the underclassmen guards?
Simmons is a good start, but if they couldn't get into the playoffs with 3 senior guards, what do they have coming up?

I think Union will be much better next year too

Underclassmen guards are Anderson, (sophomore), Blakemore, Rashad Simmons, and Rodriguez (all freshman), and whoever they recruit.  Anderson has played 2 years of varsity and is looking to make waves.

I agree that Brion is a stud, let's hope he doesn't hit the sophomore slump.

Also, they do have the freshman Jeremy Bull, who played serious minutes for them as a 3 before going down with an ankle.

Except they are losing all three guards that played any significant minutes: Zullo (transfer from Hamilton), Kowalczyk (transfer from RIT), and Galvin (4 year player).

If the underclassmen guards can't step it up, they'll be in trouble.

Simmons is playing next year, because he didn't play as a freshman and is attending RPI in 2008/2009.  Can anyone say back to back POYs?

First team: Grazioli, Simmons, Avitabile, Sharlow, and Wood

Gordon was a medical redshirt last year, so this is his second year of eligibility.  Ricky Philatre is out for the season with a foot, I don't believe he can redshirt.

Anyone know the playoff scenarios for this weekend?

Quote from: bucketsallday on February 14, 2007, 01:01:24 AM
and about rpi, i was at the game, and neil wesson did not impress me. he is the most overated player in the LL. he had 6 turnovers tonight, and made bad play after bad play. the two games against vassar he has looked terrible, no idea how he gets the stats he does against other teams.

#24, the kid gordon, did lok very good tonight. dont know what year he is, but he was very active and made a lot of plays for rpi. hes gonna be a plyer for a while in the LL. does anyone know what happened to the 6'8 freshman philatre rpi has? he was in street clothes.