Quote from: Bombers798891 on February 11, 2013, 10:32:22 AM

Quote from: Cyclone0205 on February 11, 2013, 09:43:53 AM
Anyone get a chance to see Stevens/Ithaca this weekend?  I know Ithaca is banged up but even hurt I didn't think Ithaca was 20 points worse than Stevens.  Looks like the big difference for the Ducks this year is the Sabbatino (sp?) kid inside, complimenting the Thompson/Jones backcourt.  How's he compare to Smith from last year, who was a 1,000 pt/ 1,000 rebound guy for Stevens?

The team is missing nearly 40% of its scoring and one of its best defenders. Travis Warech was probably playing the best basketball in the conference when he was hurt. In his last 8 games prior to the injury, he was averaging 19.8 PPG and playing great defense. Oztemel is probably the best three-point shooter in school history, and his absence really hurts the Bombers' outside.

Injuries are a part of the game, but this was a Top-25 caliber team that has seen their season essentially sabotaged if they don't at least get Warech back.

Bombers - Thanks for the info.  Haven't really seen too much of the E8, didn't realize how much they were missing.  Did both play in the first game against Stevens this season?

That being said, and I know anything can happen and the Ducks have been known to fold in the post-season, but if Ithaca isn't healthy is the E8 basically the Ducks and then everyone else?  Any other contenders?

Anyone get a chance to see Stevens/Ithaca this weekend?  I know Ithaca is banged up but even hurt I didn't think Ithaca was 20 points worse than Stevens.  Looks like the big difference for the Ducks this year is the Sabbatino (sp?) kid inside, complimenting the Thompson/Jones backcourt.  How's he compare to Smith from last year, who was a 1,000 pt/ 1,000 rebound guy for Stevens? 

I wanted to stay very quiet as to not jinx it.  And I will kick myself if they go out and start laying eggs.

That being said, I saw all the preseason talk about everyone else but have seen this team twice at my alma maters tournament to start season, and a little team in Hoboken now has 2 wins against Top 25 teams after overcoming a 10 point halftime deficit to beat Williams up at Williams.  Shhh

*Goes back to trying to rock everyone else back to sleep*

Statistics just came out and the Ducks' Simon Smith is #1 in the nation in Double-Doubles and #4 in rebounding.  I originally predicted him as co-conference player of the year but if he finishes top 5 in those two categories it's hard to see anyone that would split the award with him, as it probably would coincide with the Ducks winning quite a few games.

Why hello boys, sorry for the long absence, life has caught up to me in the last year ha!  Anyway, been able to catch a couple of the Ducks games this year so I can provide your wonderful analysis of the only team on the other side of the Hudson river.

Stevens is off to a 3-1 start, albeit against Division 5 level competition.  Only loss was to William Paterson in a game they led by as much as 23 in the second half, only to lose in Triple OT (get to that later).  Same cast of characters for the most part with Smith, Jones, Cutri and Thompson leading the way.  Those four are going to be a match up problem for anyone in the league this year because they can all score and they all do it differently.  From Smith to Thompson I see that whole group averaging between 17 - 11 points a game.  Stevens still shoots lights out, especially from Thomspon/Cutri and off the bench, and they have a couple bigs that can stretch the court as well.

Problem, for the first time in a while, is that this Stevens team cannot guard anyone.  They put up 91 last night, but let a BAD Cal Tech team score 78.  The loss to William Paterson was a game in which they gave up triple digits.  They are slow on the perimeter and small inside.  The loss the Sabatino is going to hurt them quite a bit, as he could have been the inside presence.  As it is if a team has either a good post player and/or guards that can beat you off the dribble and finish at the rim then it will be easy to get Smith in foul trouble and once he's out they are a different team.

My predictions: 
19-6

2 seed in E8 tourney

Simon Smith E8 Co-Conference Player of the Year

@Old Duck - The sarcasm refers back to the whole Rossi "assists" discussion.  Not sure if you read the boards for that one but Bombs was just making a little jab about Smith rebounds = Rossi assists, in that some of them are chippies.  Not starting the debate again, just clearing up the joke from Bombs.

@ Bombs - I agree that Ithaca will be in the tournament but needs to be wary.  I am more opposed than you to the "we'll just outscore you" mindset of playing basketball, because it relies too much on something you can't control:  how you shoot.  As seen with Hartwick, even if your inside game is dominant, if you have built a culture, via practice and previous game play, of relying on shooting and out-running the competition, then either one of two things will lead to losses, generally both:  1) you don't shoot well and hence put up less points   and/or  2) the other team goes point for point with you and is used to playing for stops so they get just a few more stops than you.

I know as a player and coach it was always easier to get a team to score than to get a team to defend.  Scoring is a partially a product of what the opponent does:  If they don't defend well, I can get layups because I have competent college players on the court.  Meanwhile, you can't just "turn on" a defensive mindset in a game.

I do think that Ithaca will represent the E8 in the NCAA tournament so I think this style of play won't necessarily ruin them in conference, but certainly in the early tournament rounds if they get the wrong matchup.

So right now it looks like my E8 Rookie of the Year prediction is starting to play like it.  The kid Sabbatino from Stevens is going to be a player in this league.  He looked very good against Fisher, including a momentum changing drive/dunk, and put up his first double double against Alfred.  I know Hurley likes to stick with his seniors so Franklin is still starting, but in crunch time he is using a lot more of the Thompson, Cutri, Jones, Smith, Sabbatino lineup.

My assessment from the games this weekend:

vs. St John Fisher
   These teams are basically even.  The difference between these teams is simple:  Stevens has one athlete (Jones) , Fisher doesn't have a single athlete.  Because of that Jones is the only guy on the court who can take his man to the basket and "make the play", and in a tight game that is often what it comes down to.  High School, College, Pro...it's all the same.  If you do not have a wing player that can create his own shot you will be in trouble in tough games.

vs. Alfred
    AU is getting better, but not quite there yet.  Not a lot learned about Stevens from this one, but you have to beat these teams to advance so a good win for the Ducks. 

I think Stevens will end up in the E8 tourney as the 3 seed, Ithaca garnering the 1.  Not sold on the Ducks on the road, but they are looking good early.  Game versus Ithaca will be telling.

Not to be too crude, but this game the Fisher/Farmingdale game will come to what type of kids Fisher has.  If they are the type of kids who are afraid to walk through Brooklyn by themselves at midnight, they'll lose the game by 10.  Farmingdale is going to be significantly more athletic than Fisher, and a lot more willing to throw an elbow or talk trash.  I know two ex-Farmingdale players very well and their motto for playing non-city, non-NJAC teams was simple:  We are going pull your punk card from the time we hit the gym.  If you back down and start complaining to the refs about being fouled or held, you won't survive a game with them.


That being said, this Farmingdale team tries to play that style, but doesn't have the kids to do it.  I would be surprised if they beat Fisher to be honest. 

Quote from: FROMAFAR on December 13, 2010, 12:56:16 PM
Bomber 798xxx your right.. Basically RIT's only shot at the E-8 tourney is 3rd or 4th place.... for that to happen.......everyone other than IC and Nazareth have to be as bad... Which they could be..... won't know how good the others are until they start playing each other. I know Cyclone-- Stevens won on the road at a SEEMINGLY improved UC team...But they both have to be able to beat Fisher and RIT......which IF THEY ARE GOOD they should and will.. If they don't then 5 are fighting for 2 positions..... Sorry Elmira and Alfred not yet......  

Didn't talk about it much, had to head down to North Carolina for a couple days, but I really wasn't impressed with the Stevens win over Utica.  Maybe I'm just a very harsh critic, but I don't think Utica is a very good team.  I think there is some talent but overall I didn't come away thinking "oh Stevens beat them, they have to be good."  

To be fair though, I've seen 6 Top 25 teams (Amherst, Ramapo, MIT, Franklin & Marshall, Williams, Brandeis) and I would say Williams is the only "good" team I've seen.  I know the others teams are probably good teams relative to how early it is in the year. It's just that early in the season I see too many early season mistakes (coaching errors, team chemistry errors, etc) in a lot of teams to consider them good just yet.  They'll all be there by the end of the year though I'd imagine.

Quote from: bomber3 on December 10, 2010, 10:59:56 AM
As I stated in previous posts, Elmira is an easy out.  They lost by 17, 46, 39, 19, 11, 3, 21, and 11.  They still aren't good.

Also, this team doesn't look very good either:

Lost by 21
Lost by 4
Won by 5 over a 2-5 team
Lost by 14
Lost by 4
Lost by 14

Any guesses who that team is?

Just a hunch but I think you're referring to the Cards of St. John Fisher.

Quote from: FROMAFAR on December 08, 2010, 12:43:34 PM
No it's not, but that's not my point... I am going under the assumption that 65% will continue, the 75% from the line will come with additional shots.   If that makes sense   Look, he is obviously doing the right thing.... I am just wondering if he has other opportunities to take shots. This player Passalaqua form Stevens, had a good shooting % from 3's, and I think he was a good foul shooter (CYCLONE ) but rarely got to the line. If the 3 wasn't there he would just get rid of the ball.  Maybe Barera does something similar.... I am not talking about just being a stand around shooter like Passalaqua, I realize he works for open shots, but maybe he is just not selfish and forcing shots ( that could drawer a foul) as  well......   There are other offensive weapons on his team, so maybe I'm over analyzing.............

Passalacqua had the dribbling ability of a Eric Montross.  He didn't get to the line because if he didn't catch and shoot there was a 95% chance he was going to trip over his feet.  However, when it came to shooting, he was deadly off of the drive and kick game that stevens used with their 4 guard set under Loeffler.

Stevens heads into E8 play with a 85-61 victory over Rutgers-Camden.  To put it in perspective, Camden is now 0-5 and easily could finish the season with only 2 or 3 wins all year, so not much to get excited about in the Ducks moving to 5-1, except that winning is always better than losing.

The Smith-Cutri-Jones trio had their best performance of the year, putting up 18, 15, and 17 respectively.  Those three, if playing well, present an interesting variety on offense.  You have your natural post in Smith, who looked MUCH better in demanding the ball and being aggressive when he got it.  Cutri is your typical shooter (3-5 from "3").  Jones is the wild card, and has continued his impressive start to the season.  When he is getting to the basket and out in transition he gives them a much needed element of athleticism.

9 points and 8 assists out of Thompson.  Other than that, just a lot of easy layups for everyone else.  Looked like the kid Max is injured, as he was in dress clothes.

Next up for the Ducks is their E8 opener on the road at Utica on Friday.  Probably their first real "test" of the year, in conference, on the road, last game of the semester.  We'll see how they stack up.

Ok, now that we've all finished our Andre Johnson-Cortland Finnegan impersonation, back to the basketball court.

Ducks picked up a nice 80-77 win tonight at Kean.  For young teams it is good to pick up road victories and this Kean team, while not a power, is well coached and talented.  The big kid Jones is an absolute house!  Dropped 28 and 11 boards on Stevens tonight, averaging 26 and 16 for the season (only 5 games but still damn impressive.)  Not sure who in the E8 has a big that can exploit Stevens like that again, as Jones is more an NJAC/CUNY type of athlete.

For Stevens the night belong to Cutri.  FROMAFAR and I have both been mentioning his absence, but he showed up tonight.  22 points and 4-5 from 3.  Sheldon Jones also contributed 20 points.  The Ducks are going to go as those two go.

Worth noting, Hurley has quickly shown how "deep" the Ducks are...Cutri plays 36 of 40, Jones 35, Thompson 32.  Not sure they can get away with that.  And, as has been discussed, Smith is slowly fading out of the picture.  Only 6 shots tonight, but I must say for the knocks on Hurley's offense, Smith needs to be a MUCH better job of sealing his man after his UCLA cut, and of demanding the basketball.  It is the weird cycle..you stop getting the ball, so you stop demanding it..and because you aren't demanding it, you don't get it.  There has to be an effort made from both the guards and the bigs to work the inside game more.

Solid contributions from Franklin and Sabbatino, who I still think is going to be a key player for this team.  11 points and 7 rebounds, including 3 critical offensive rebounds, in 14 minutes of action.  That's quality production from the freshman.


Overall game came down to Cutri shooting well and Kean going 5-26 from 3.  Better shooting night for KU, different result, but there is no such thing as ugly W's. 

I figured we would learn a lot about the Ducks tonight and I think we did.  Impressive 63-52 win over a very athletic, but not very well coached William Paterson team.  I have to amend my earlier comment, after getting a second look at Paterson they are easily the most physically imposing and athletic team Stevens will play, but I think Ithaca and Fisher would both beat W.P. also.

Key to the game was defense for Stevens.  They still rely heavily on help responsibility but held WP under 40% shooting from field and 3-15 or something like that from 3.  Offensively the Ducks were bothered by William Paterson's full court pressure but were solid in the half court.  Sheldon Jones, tournament MVP, is emerging as Stevens go to player.  He is learning how to create his own shot and is a train in the open court. 

Hurley seems to have set the rotation.  Thompson, Cutri, Jones, Smith, and Franklin start, with Sabbatino, McManamy, and Skrelja off the bench.  That means the team is relying on 1 senior, 2 juniors, 2 sophomores, and 3 freshmen off the bench to lead the way.  Very young.

Might just be coincidence but I noticed a good number of alum from the '07 Sweet 16 team on/behind the bench to start the year.  Waleed Farid, Mike Collins, and Floyd Morris were all on the bench or right behind it for the tournament, with Collins being the only one listed as a coach.  Could just be guys making early appearance in the season, but, given the youth of the team, it wouldn't be the worst thing to have some of the alumni guys around to help out, particularly at their positions (Farid for Cutri/Jones, Morris for Thompson/Skrelja). 

Still think the Ducks will surprise some people, really will depend on how the freshman grow up and the continued emergence of Jones as a go to guy for them.

Hunter is a miserably bad team so there isn't too much to write about the Ducks that is really credible.  Game against William Paterson tonight will be a much more telling game about how the Ducks stack up at this point.  I expect the NJAC power to get a win tonight because, even at home, Stevens is a little too young at the guard spots and not athletic enough to match up with them.  However, I will be very interested to see how Stevens matches up, as I think William Paterson is easily the most athletic and probably the best team the Ducks will play this season, close second going to Ithaca/Fisher.

I should be live at the game tonight so I'll have a detailed recap once I make the trek back home from Hoboken.