Oxy Bob, I apologize stand corrected, I should have mentioned Andrew Johnson and yes over the long haul he performed better than Joyce and Lango both of whom I saw play more.  Lame excuse for the bus ride?  I'm saying that was a PART of it. 

(509)Rat, absolutely agree with your point about NWC.  Some So Cal kids who go away to college cannot deal with inclement weather....too spoiled by the sunshine we get most of the time.  This is why many (I'm not talking about athletes only) of them come back "home" especially from the Midwest because of weather.  You'd think they would have figured it out when they took a visit.....oh but I forgot that some kids these days have no clue where a state is on a map.  Personally I like it when it rains.

All The Kingsmen, agree with dahlby, welcome aboard.  Everyone seems to be focusing on the bus ride, but I think it was only a part of it.  As you said and I agree, they shot their wad vs. CMS.  I'm sure Chapman was better prepared but I don't think anyone outside the team could've predicted that performance.  They play like that this weekend, Chapman has a great chance to be playing in the Sweet 16.

Quote from: (509)Rat on March 01, 2014, 11:18:12 PM
I don't think you are giving 18-22 year old athletes enough credit...who "expended more energy" in the previous game will be the last thing that decides this game.

(509)Rat, gotta challenge you on your quote.
"Expending energy" did have a part to do with the outcome of the game along with Chapman playing their BEST overall game of the season.  Previous posters have said that CMS sets a lot of screens is physical on defense and the offense they run is very tough to defend.  Well this takes a lot of energy to build a lead and hold onto it on both ends of the court.  Following the game, CLU left CMS around 10pm, drive back to Thousand Oaks, eat, and do whatever so most of the guys shut down around 1:00am.  Wake up around 9:00am, possibly have breakfast, did they have a shoot around, did they have to study some and on top of that had at least a two hour bus ride in the pouring rain and don't forget they had a long bus ride in the rain on Friday. 

Chapman probably had a shoot around and then went back home ate and rested....no packing and no bus ride.

(509)Rat, I give all these athletes a lot of credit for keeping up with their studies and playing their sport.  The circumstances that CLU had to face were daunting and if they had beaten Chapman, I would have been the first to congratulate them.  NBA players have difficulty with back to back games.

Chapman is on a roll and as mentioned previously, played their best basketball of the season in front of a LOT of student support.  It was pretty electric in the gym.  Good luck to them in Dallas.

We're all discussing SCIAC awards.  Here's my two cents:  I think Gaffaney is POY but I'm giving some love for McAndrew.  What a good ballplayer he is.  Next year is going to be great for this conference because of some great returning players and perhaps five very solid teams vying for the title and we'll get TWO TEAMS into the NCAA's.
Newcomer of the year I'd have to agree with the latest posts its Arik Smith with Powell a close second.  Give some love for Lango of Cal Tech and a late charge from Joyce of Chapman.
1st team: McAndrew (PP), Hamasaki and Zavrsnick (Chap), Pinson (CMS), See (LV), Powdrill (CLU).
2nd team: Demusis (Whit), Dragovich (Chap), Klewer (PP), Montoya (Oxy), Grodahl (CMS).

Who would've thought this would happen about three weeks ago? Both teams won at each other's gym with the first game having 24 lead changes, Cal Lu winning. The second game went into OT with Chapman holding on. This one is going to be another close one but I think Chapman wins because of home court advantage meaning that they didn't have to travel twice in 24 hours. Also how much energy did Cal Lu expend in beating CMC last night? Chapman had to exert themselves also but Cal Lu more so. I think that too will affect Cal Lu tonight. We kmow the key players and again who else rises to the occasion? Chapman wins by six.

I LOVE stag44's breakdowns. 
I'm along the lines of Bigcat's predictions.  I agree that CMS will beat CLU but I think a little closer, CMS by seven.  CLU can win this game IF they don't make many ANY MISTAKES which will turn into points for CMS and if they can stay MENTALLY STRONG when things begin to go south for them.  I see Powdrill, Smith and Palmer having big games tonight but will that be enough to beat CMS.  They'll need someone else like Quintana or Wade to step up big.   Pinson, Gaffaney and Grodahl are gamers.
I don't think the Chapman game will be as close as Bigcat predicts.  I see Chapman winning by 7-10 points.  All the close games they've had jelled them together and the play of Joyce has coincided with their win streak.  Must give some props to Davis Dragovich also for maturing as the season went on which equals more PT.  Zavrsnick has been playing really well lately and James has been very steady and comes up with the big defensive plays and shots when needed.  The key tonight falls within the Chapman inside play, as stag44 mentioned, both on offense and defense.  Can they hang with the Pomona-Pitzer bigs?  The other key for Chapman is Hamasaki.  He's been off the past few games probably because he's been the focus of the other teams game plans.  One thing for sure, he comes up big when needed and he's been doing that since high school.  For Pomona-Pitzer, I'm curious about the health of Cohen.  If he's right, the game will be a toss up because that puts Moss back on the bench, which is a good thing for PP. McAndrew, Klewer and company are not going to make it easy for Chapman.       

westcoastwilliam, I loved the article (+k).  Morey thinks outside the box, like Presti (OKC) and Buford (Spurs) and this is why these NBA teams, at least the Spurs (especially) and Thunder have been successful. 
It is something to think about for more DIII basketball teams since there's a lack of skilled big guys.  In the SCIAC, Chapman could certainly run this because they have shooters: Zavrsnick, Hamasaki, James (he was on the Marina HS team that set the NATIONAL record for three's in a season) and Jordan Young; bigs who can run: Dragovich brothers and Justin Young and one of the best in SCIAC getting to the rim in Hamasaki.  Who can a coach develop faster, a big guy or a shooter?
Tonight's games:
I think Oxy/Redlands will be close and i'll give to Oxy by four.  Hamane/Tanioka point guard combo will have a say in the outcome.
CMC over Whittier by 13.  Pinson and Gaffaney will combine for 35+ tonight.

We know the final four for next week's SCIAC Tournament, but the seeds have yet to be determined.  Chapman has no say whether they finish 3rd or 4th.  Tonight's games:
Cal Tech @ Whittier:
Whittier should win handily, but wait, I don't think so.  This team is so up and down, they're hard to predict.  If Cal Tech is going to win a game, it's this one...depending on how the officials call the game.  Logically, Whittier wins by 20-25 points, but I'm going with Cal Tech by three.
Chapman @ La Verne:
Senior (and alumni) night for La Verne.  Because La Verne plays with a lot of emotion, tonight, they'll give Chapman problems.  I don't think the seniors want to go out on a losing note.  Therefore, it's how Chapman comes out and plays.  They need to win and a CLU loss puts them in 3rd vs. PP.  How Chapman comes out mentally will decide this game.  They have a few players who allow calls, physicality and frustration get to them.  Because they're on a good roll, I'm picking Chapman by four, the game being a battle especially in the second half.
Oxy @ Pomona-Pitzer:
Pomona-Pitzer wins by 14.
CMC @ CLU:
CLU wins and their in 3rd, however, CMC needs the win to clinch the regular season title.  I think that this will be an double overtime game with CMC edging CLU by five.  CLU has a good live stream which I'll be following tonight.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL SENIORS.

+K for (509)Rat for which I agree is the correct tie breaker scenario.  On paper, Chapman has the easiest schedule, but I'm concerned about tonight's game.  Chapman should win by 15-18 points, but I'm not sure how the team will come out tonight.  The game is mental and knowing that you have La Verne Saturday, some on the team could look past CIT tonight and they better not.  Congratulations go out to Nick Dragovich and Brendon Rider on their senior night.  Also congrats to Taylor Hamasaki for setting the team record for most free throws made for the season.  Previous record was 114 in 29 games and Hamasaki has at least tonight and Saturday to add to his numbers.
Tonight's games:
Whittier @ CLU:
IMO game of the night!  Both teams are suffering through losing streaks....Whittier dropped their last four games.  CLU had a solid hold on 3rd and now they may not even get into the playoffs.  Must win for CLU with CMC on the horizon.  I'm going with Whittier by one in a very close game.  I've said that you learn to win by losing close ones and Whittier has had three close ones in a row.
Redlands @ CMC:
CMC will win this one by 9.
Pomona-Pitzer @ La Verne:
Is Cohen playing?  If not PP bench loses some punch.  Both teams need to win, LV more so.  I'm sure there will be some scoreboard watching via live stream.  I can't see LV beating PP, but this game will be close throughout.  I think McAndrew will have a monster game which means PP wins by 6.
 

Thanks dahlby for the k.  How about my call on CMS winning by 12......spot on.  No k for Cal Tech game; missed that one BUT they were up much of the game and tied with 4 minutes to go and down a possession with 8 seconds left.  Also missed on Whittier, but it was a 3 OT game.  I also said benches would make the difference in the PP/Chapman game because Moss had to play more because Cohen was out injured and did a good job guarding Hamasaki, shadowing him on Chapman's offensive end.  stag44 nailed it when he said "huge contributions from Moss, Klewer and Farone-Collins.  He deserves a K for that. 
Bigcat, yes Hamasaki was abysmal because of the defensive effort by Moss/Mc Andrew and the team.  They were focused on him which allowed Zavrsnick and Nick Dragovich more open shots.  Dragovich's shots were falling this time.  Side note: Hamasaki was fouled a few times but did not get the calls.  On the flip side, Hamasaki guarded Mc Andrew most of the second half and he got only got six shots attempts (2-6) because of Hamasaki's defense, not allowing him to receive the pass.  Mc Andrew scored only 9 points for the game; he dropped 32 in the other game.  Both coaches had good game plans, but for Chapman, it was a solid defensive effort for the entire game.....1st time this season.  I'm done!

stag44 absolutely correct, GREAT GAMES today.

Whittier @ Oxy:
Tough loss Wednesday for Whittier.  I think Whittier wins by seven over Oxy.  Too much athleticism for Oxy as Chapman proved with their guards last Wednesday night.

Redlands @ Cal Tech:
Okay so Cal Tech got pulverized by the odds on favorite to win the conference (who was coming off a loss) BUT that doesn't mean they revert to the past Cal Tech history.  I still think the Beavers are going to get a win and this could be the game.  IMO, Redlands is to up and down.  Tight game with Cal Tech winning in OT.

La Verne @ CMS:
Big wins for La Verne over Whittier and CLU , but the win streak ends here.  I think it will be a battle, but CMS will win by 12.  Senior night congratulations to Pinson and Van Wart.  I thought Gaffaney is a senior too and if he is, congratulations to him also.  I've met Pinson and Gaffaney and they're both class acts (I'm sure Van Wart is too).

Pomona-Pitzer @ Chapman:
The game of the day.  PP will be hosting a 1st round game but against whom (CLU, Chapman or La Verne).  Chapman, with some help, can grab the 3rd spot IF they win out.  If Chapman had made their free throws in their first meeting, they would have won in regulation or the first OT.  We know Mc Andrews, Klewer, Cohen and Weiss will bring their "A" games.  Joyce has really stepped up his play for Chapman and Hamasaki, James and Zavrsnick have been outstanding especially lately.  I see it being the battle of the benches....not so much scoring, but how much of a drop off or uplift occurs when they give each team's starters a breather.  I think Chapman will prevail by five points.   

Good luck to all.

 

Reply to WoostAr:
I stated in a post a few pages ago that I will follow CIT because they have some good freshmen and sophomores.  Perhaps I should have stated it better.  "Thoughts influence actions and actions influence thoughts" meaning that players might look at CIT past history and figure "easy win".  Any coach worth his salt will not have have his team look past their opponent but players might.  I didn't see the La Verne game but did see the Chapman, CLU games and it appeared that SOME of the players might not have taken CIT too seriously.  I saw this last year when I watched Fla Gulf Coast beat Georgetown and when Harvard beat New Mexico in the NCAA tournament.  The Georgetown and New Mexico players were making bad plays because they were losing to a team that they thought they shouldn't be losing to.  If you recall the Gonzaga/UCLA game in 2006, Gonzaga was up by 17, then fell apart. 
West Coast Bias is dead on with his comments.  The CIT players were "nervous" not because of the past history of CIT basketball, but more likely because they're freshmen and sophomores and they lack experience in playing close games.  You learn how to win close games by playing in them.  Can't learn a darn thing by getting pounded all the time.  CIT is going to be dangerous these last five games.
Also want to comment on Smith/Hamasaki for 1st team All-SCIAC.  Stats don't tell the whole story, the other part is who you game plan for.  I learned his from a well renowned coach several years ago.  We were talking about All-Conference selections and I brought up a name who was having a really good season.  He told me that YES he was having a good season because we game plan for his teammate, who was not doing as well statistically, but is a BIG impact for his team and for that player in particular.  It'll be interesting who is chosen.  I think Pinson should be 1st team.
Today's games:
CMC @ PP:
For home court advantage and possibly SCIAC POY.  I think it's CMC by 4.
Redlands @ Oxy:
For playoff survival.  I'm not sure if Oxy can compete with Redlands size.  If Montoya and Cobb have huge games, Oxy wins in OT.  If not Redlands gets them by 10.
CLU @ La Verne:
La Verne wins by 3.  They compete and La Verne still has a shot for 3rd.  I think teams may have figured out Powdrill.
Chapman @ Whittier:
Both fighting for playoff survival.  Chapman and Whittier, like La Verne, have a shot for 3rd IF CLU loses to LV.  Landrum did not play against Chapman in the first game.  The question for this game is which Whittier and Chapman teams show up today?  I'm going with Chapman by 7.
Good luck to all.

Watched the La Verne/Redlands and CLU/Cal Tech games on live stream.  Hats off to the La Verne folks for the clarity and camera placement while watching the stream.  the student play by play was not bad either.  When I saw La Verne go up by 14, I knew that Redlands still had another run or two left in them.  Redlands was down by that much because their 3's weren't falling.  But when they did, they made up ground rapidly.  Should have NOT gone into overtime as See attacked the bucket in the closing seconds but missed and La Verne missed an fairly uncontested put back.
Have to disagree with Evolution.  True nobody wants to lose to Cal Tech, but as I witnessed last night and against Chapman, and Oxy, opponents play "not to lose" which causes them to play tight.  Yeah, Chapman won by 19, but the 1st half and beginning of the 2nd half, they played tight.  Very apparent last night vs. CLU and heard it was the same vs. Oxy.
If Cal Tech had won, 3rd place would have open for the taking.  I think it still is because CLU has to play at La Verne and at Redlands, then finish up with Whittier and CMC.
Can anybody please tell me what the tiebreakers are?  Is it who beats who, then a coin flip?

stag44 and Bigcat your SPOT ON with your assessments.  Agree that Chapman's 1st half offensively was BAD.  Nice adjustment by Chapman in the second half to "liven up" offensively.  James and especially Hamasaki are very good ballhandlers, unselfish and make good decisions.  Why not within the structure of the offense let them freelance, meaning run your play but have an option, which I'll comment on shortly.  I think they were able to comeback because they did not go into the post as much.  It seemed that Joyce was upset he wasn't getting the ball.  He's a BIG upgrade from the post player they had last year, but it's a TEAM GAME and Joyce WILL have his opportunities just not in this game.  Justin Young and Nick Dragovich understand their roles as Lund and Lane do for CMS.  I thought Chapman did a good job defensively on Gaffaney and he had the task to guard Hamasaki.  He's should be a lock for SCIAC POY.  Lund, Pinson and Grodahl played really well for CMC and I felt Davis Dragovich helped sparked the comeback for Chapman in the second half.
Hamasaki clanking a breakaway lay-up after stealing a pass and CMC poor free throw shooting kept this game close. stag44 talked about the play with 16 seconds left and Chapman having the ball.  After seeing them play several times, I had a feeling that Hamasaki was going to handle the ball, but the play was going to go to someone else, likely Zavrsnick, to drain the shot.  I'm good with that EXCEPT when you have a very good ball handler in Hamasaki, why not give him a second option to shoot OR have James bring it up, which could spread the court out more for Hamasaki, Zavrsnick or someone else.  This takes Gaffaney's size advantage away guarding Hamasaki and when Hamasaki gets the ball, he's crafty enough to get penetration and dish.  Bigcat commented on the out of bounds play.  You're right, it took to long to set-up with the amount of time left.  Also when I saw that Dragovich was taking it out, we were in trouble because decision making to inbound the ball is not his forte.  Again I've seen this team play several times and I've seen him make bad choices when inbounding the ball against a press.  With less than 5 seconds left in the game and a chance to win, why not let James or Rider throw the ball in???  I will say this, Coach Bokosky and his staff has done a very good job in making adjustments/changes.  The team's defensive effort against CMC was much better.       
I should quit prognosticating basketball games. I was 1 for 4, with La Verne winning.  Chapman did all four things I said they needed to do to win by 6-10 points, but the lost.  I like the Seahawks in a shootout to win the Super Bowl.  i'll comment later about tomorrow's games.

Great posts today!  Agree with stag44 and Bigcat, Chapman's defensive effort will be the key to upset CMC.  I have to agree with Bigcat that Zavrsnick might be guarding Gaffaney, but I think give Jordan Young a shot.  He's long and I think could give Gaffaney some problems and a bonus, he is better offensively (from the outside) than Kubly.  Whether it's Young or Kubly, if they're guarding Gaffaney, they'll have to commit 100% of their energy to guard him.  Regardless, the TEAM is going to have to step up huge defensively (no easy lay-ups).     

A similarly huge game for Chapman tonight vs. CMC.  Will Chapman have made the adjustments to counter CMC screening?  Will they be able to stand up against the physicality of CMC?  Will Hamasaki get into the paint and do some damage?  Will the Chapman bigs be able help stop the penetration of the CMC guards and will they BOX OUT and out rebound CMC?  If they do all four of these, Panthers win by 6-10 points; 3 of 4, the game is close; two or less, CMC wins.  I think Chapman wins by four in OT; Oxy upsets CLU in a very close game; Redlands knocks off Pomona Pitzer by six and La Verne edges Cal Tech by 5.  Stag44, OxyBob, Bigcat, elfinley, WoostAR, Evolution what's your opinion about tonight's games.

Saw most of the Chapman/Cal Tech game.  Darn impressed with Cal Tech and how they hung around for much of the game.  The FRESHMAN guard Lango, did not play like a freshman.  I was impressed with Lee, the 6' 6 FRESHMAN who played with poise and Al-Reyes, a FRESHMAN, who needs some muscle and some work, but he played fairly well.  Emezie is a good player but needs to play a little more relaxed meaning's too anxious to create a score or a play at times.  I will now follow CIT more closely because they're going to win a conference game this season....maybe two.
Very surprised that Bokosky got a technical.  He had to have been pretty pissed to get "teed" up, but who can blame him.  His guards were getting fouled as they drove to the hoop, much much harder than Powdrill was getting fouled at Cal Lu last Weds vs. Chapman.  I think after Hamasaki got nailed on his second lay-up, Bokosky got the "T".