Aston Francis named a 2nd team all-american by the NABC. Does anyone else find this to be a complete sham? Unmatched statistical success throughout the regular season followed by leading his team to the final four. NABC loses a lot of credibility IMO. An absolute snub.

Quote from: WUPHF on February 21, 2019, 01:45:01 PM

Quote from: uaaaficionado on February 21, 2019, 01:02:01 PM
Versus my preseason predictions:

1)   Emory (10-4)
2)   Rochester (9-5)
3)   WashU (8-6)
4)   Carnegie Mellon (7-7)
5)   Case Western (7-7)
6)   Chicago (6-8)
7)   NYU (6-8)
8)   Brandeis (3-11)

I thought I would add in how the coaches called it...

Emory (6)
Rochester (2)
Washington University
Chicago
NYU
Case Western
Carnegie Mellon
Brandeis

This is how I called it in April and again in November. 

This season I expected more from Case Western Reserve and NYU and less from Brandeis and got the last four picks mixed up, but I did a better job than the coaches.

1. Emory
2. Rochester
3. Washington University
4. Chicago
5. Case Western Reserve
6. Carnegie Mellon
7. NYU
8. Brandeis

You and the coaches nailed the top four. I think I got a little ambitious with Howarth & Henry to lead Carnegie to 4th place.

But you definitely had the most accurate picks! Well done..

Oh, and I will be tuned into Chicago @ WashU. No matter how both of these teams perform throughout the UAA season, their season finale is always an entertaining one!

Only two days from the UAA season finale, here are my picks for the final day:

Brandeis 65 NYU 58
Case Western 78 Carnegie Mellon 74
Chicago 82 WashU 78
Emory 89 Rochester 85

I like Emory at their home court on senior day to finish the season, as they normally "defend" it well (figuratively speaking, not literally  ). But I do think it will come down to the wire.

This would result in the following year-end league standings:

1) Emory (11-3)
2) Rochester (10-4)
3) WashU (9-5)
3) Chicago (9-5)
5) Brandeis (8-6)
6) Carnegie Mellon (5-9)
7) Case Western (3-11)
8) NYU (1-13)

Versus my preseason predictions:

1)   Emory (10-4)
2)   Rochester (9-5)
3)   WashU (8-6)
4)   Carnegie Mellon (7-7)
5)   Case Western (7-7)
6)   Chicago (6-8)
7)   NYU (6-8)
8)   Brandeis (3-11)

A game or so off on a few of these teams. I far overestimated Case Western and NYU. I had thought there would be more parity between these teams and the likes of the "Top 4" (Emory, Rochester, WashU, and Chicago - where Case/NYU combined for a 1-15 record).

Congrats to the Brandeis team & their new coaching staff who have certainly been a pleasant surprise this season. I wasn't sure what to think going into the season. In one year Coach Bain has helped turn this team around and they have a bright future ahead as a contender in the UAA.

It doesn't seem as if WashU or Chicago have much of a chance for the NCAA tournament, but I think Emory and Rochester are both locks. No matter how unlikely it may be, I am crossing my fingers for an Emory-Rochester rematch in Ft. Wayne!

Quote from: WUPHF on February 19, 2019, 12:41:43 PM
I thought I would take a shot at the UAA all-Association team.

The coaching staff pick will be decided on Saturday, but everything else could be chosen today in my opinion.

_________

Player of the Year: Ryan Clamage, Rochester
Defensive Player of the Year: Jonathan Arenas, Washington University
Rookie of the Year: Justin Hardy, Washington University
Coach Staff of the Year: Emory University staff

First Team

Jordan Baum, Chicago
Ryan Clamage, Rochester
Dom Cristiano, NYU
Matt Davet, Emory
Seth Henry, Carnegie Mellon
Jack Nolan, Washington University
Corey Sherman, Brandeis
Romin Williams, Emory

Second Team

Justin Hardy, Washington University
Zach Howarth, Carnegie Mellon
Chandler Jones, Brandeis
Dominic Laravie, Chicago
Andrew Lundstrom, Rochester
Lawrence Rowley, Emory
Matt Schner, Emory
Jacob Wittig, Rochester

I agree with this list for the most part, but two thoughts of mine for the sake of argument:

1) I agree about 75% with Clamage as Player of the Year. If the situation arises where Emory wins Saturday and Romin Williams has a dominant performance, I'd have a hard time not giving him the award. As the leader of a potentially 11-3 UAA championship team, he should be the one to get it. Should Rochester win Saturday? Yes, Clamage 100%.

2) Cristiano has had a strong individual season, I'm not taking anything away from that. But can a player from what may end up as a 1-13 team earn a First-Team spot over guys like Wittig, Hardy, or Rowley? Wittig in particular (a 4-year starter). Whether Rochester finishes 1st or 2nd place in the league, they should have two First-Team guys. I think Second-Team for Cristiano. I'm on the fence about Seth Henry as well. He's had a great year and is certainly deserving of the all-league recognition - but they've only won 5 games. Wittig, Hardy, and Rowley were all go-to guys on teams that finished in the top 3 (pending WashU vs. Chicago).

Quote from: WUPHF on February 17, 2019, 09:01:32 AM
Emory and Rochester are indeed 9-3.  Thanks.

As for the final Sunday in UAA league play...

Brandeis at Washington University
NYU at Chicago
Emory at Carnegie Mellon
Rochester at Case Western Reserve

I am very excited to see Brandeis though a little nervous.  Washington University trailed by 5 at the half in Waltham and needed late game heroics from Nolan to close out the game.

The final Sunday of UAA indeed! You never know what can happen.

I'm most excited to see Rochester and Emory fight to maintain the top spot that would re-create 2015-16's UAA Championship. For those that recall, Rochester and Emory were tied at 10-2 going into the final Sunday. On this same road trip, Emory lost @ Case Western by 10 and Rochester lost @ Carnegie Mellon by 5 in double OT. Both Case and Carnegie had losing records in league play as they also do now.

That led to the championship game, Emory @ Rochester, to finish league play and determine who would take the tournament bid. Emory ended up winning 84-75 to claim their second straight UAA championship (Box score:https://d3hoops.com/seasons/men/2015-16/boxscores/20160227_sk0f.xml?view=boxscore).

The seniors for both Emory and Rochester were freshman for that game, so I'm sure they all remember it well. Cool to see Bommarito and Baitey got some minutes in that game as freshman. For Rochester, Wittig and Mangan combined for 31 points in the loss. After looking back at what an amazing career Ryan Clamage has had, it's hard to believe he only clocked 3 minutes that game.

Whatever the case may be, today's slate will be exciting to watch and next Saturday will be an awesome finish!

Quote from: WUPHF on February 12, 2019, 02:51:07 PM
I was seriously about to post on this and I am working on my first and second all-Association team.  It will be interesting to see with three new coaches, but I am thinking the front runners for Player of the Year are (in that order):

Clamage
Henry
Williams

I have Henry above Williams because he is a senior, but that may not matter.  Williams is so uniquely talented that I would expect him to lock up the honor for the next two seasons.

Hardy locked up Rookie of the Year a long time ago.

I have been thinking about the Defensive Player of the Year award and I have no idea, but I have a few players in mind from Chicago, Brandeis and Rochester.

Certainly agree with Hardy as ROY.

I just can't imagine Henry winning. If Carnegie can somehow beat Rochester and Emory this weekend followed up by a win vs. Case, they'd finish 8-6. But to your point, we have three new coaches in the league voting and have no idea what they may value as it pertains to the award.

With three games left to play, any thoughts on the UAA POY discussion? Pre-season I suggested Clamage, Williams, Nolan, and Howarth. Here's who I find to be the front runners now.

Most Likely
Ryan Clamage (Rochester)
Romin Williams (Emory)

Possibility
Matt Davet (Emory)
Jordan Baum (Chicago)
Justin Hardy (WashU)

Unlikely
Dom Cristiano (NYU)
Jack Nolan (WashU)
Zach Howarth (Carnegie Mellon)
Dominic Laravie (Chicago)
Corey Sherman (Brandeis)
Seth Henry (Carnegie Mellon)

In the past, UAA POY has been some combination of (1) elite scorer (2) all around stat stuffer (3) on a top 3 team and (4) a senior (there are exceptions). Certainly not an exact science to it as it's voted on by the opinions of coaches. Just my observation.

If Rochester wins the league it should be Clamage. If Emory wins the league, Williams should win it. Should there be a tie or Chicago/WashU find a way to win it, I'm not entirely sure. But I do like the idea of UAA POY coming from the championship team.

I found Sanders, Borst-Smith, Foster, Klimek, and DiBartolomeo to all be great picks for POY in years past. Despite his incredible season, I'm not so sure I agreed with Kupferberg winning POY in 2016 coming from a third place NYU team.

I hope Clamage and/or Williams can somehow squeeze into the All-American discussion as well.

Quote from: WUPHF on January 18, 2019, 05:49:15 PM
But you must be intrigued by the potential of a Carnegie Mellon upset.

It is a road game in a tough gym, but one of the shorter road trips in the UAA.

In regards to player of the year prospects, Seth Henry is currently fourth in scoring at 16.8 points per game and third in rebounds at 8.8.

Zach Howarth is fifth in points per game with 16.6 points per game and is leading the way in three-point field goal percentage.

Absolutely! I will be tuned in and hoping for a close one. This Carnegie team is tough.

My thought is after a 2 game road losing streak, Rochester will be ready to defend their home court. After giving up 93 points to WashU, I'm certain defense was the focus in practice this week. And remember they held Emory (around 94 ppg) to only 76 points two weeks ago in Rochester. I'd be surprised if Carnegie Mellon scores over 70.

But who knows. With the way Henry and Howarth are playing, they may prove me wrong 

Quote from: WUPHF on January 13, 2019, 03:47:47 PM
but they will have to take their show on the road against the top 4 teams beginning next weekend...yes, I am sticking to the top 4, bottom 4 binary for now.

In the words of WUPHF, I am taking all "top 4" teams to win tonight. My predictions:

Rochester 85 - Carnegie Mellon 68
WashU 80 - NYU 64
Emory 94 - Case Western 85
Chicago 74 - Brandeis 69

Hopefully I do better than last Friday's 2-2.

I have regrettably not been as active following so far this season, but with the turn of the new year and UAA play upon us, I'll stage a come back.

It was an exciting first week of UAA action and I'm looking forward to the games tonight. This league is always full of great match ups and there's a lot at stake for a number of teams this weekend. I'd say I'm most excited for this Rochester @ Chicago match up, but here are some of my thoughts on the games tonight.

Brandeis @ Carnegie Mellon
It's awesome seeing the turn around this Brandeis team has made under first year head coach Jean Bain. Though a bit inconsistent thus far, I think Corey Sherman is among the best in the league at scoring the ball. Brandeis dropped a Monday game to Amherst but started off their UAA season on the right foot with a win over NYU.

After a slow start, Carnegie has polished off 4 straight wins including their UAA opener against a tough Case rival. Seth Henry has been in and out of the lineup (anyone know the cause?) but put up a big stat line last week. I'm sure they're looking for a big game out of Zach Howarth tonight as well.

Both of these teams have got to be hungry for a 2-0 start - something I'm not sure we've seen much of out of either of these programs in a while. I think it will be a close one to the finish. Assuming Seth Henry is playing tonight, I think Carnegie Mellon protects their home court.

Prediction: Carnegie Mellon 75 Brandeis 70

NYU @ Case Western
A much improved defensive team since last season, NYU had a tough time scoring the ball in their UAA opening loss. With Ethan Feldman having only played one game this season, I think the team is still searching for a consistent perimeter threat on the offensive end. Dom Christiano has been fairly consistent this season inside.

Case dropped their opener at Carnegie after giving up 85 points. It doesn't seem like anyone has emerged as a consistent 20-point threat, but they do have a number of guys that can put the ball in the hole.

Case has dropped three games in a row, two of which have been at home. Against a team like NYU at home, this is a game they do not want to drop. Both teams are seeking to avoid an 0-2 UAA start. I'm not entirely sure what to make of this game, but I'm going to take NYU and a big game out of Christiano.

Prediction: NYU 83 Case Western 77

Emory @ WashU
Emory has really wow'd in their ability to score the ball. Romin Williams, Matt Davet, and a few other sophomores have really stepped up for them and are  far and away the most powerful offensive team in the UAA. As seen through their first game at Rochester, this young team still has some experience to gain playing on the road in the UAA.

Considering all that this team lost coming into the season, they've really been battle tested through their schedule. Nolan, Hardy, and Hunter are all gaining experience in a similar way to Emory's young team. Recent match ups @ Augie and @ Chicago are only helping with this.

The former UAA champion and runner-up are both coming off UAA opener losses. Starting league play 0-2 is far from the start either Zimmerman or Juckem would have forseen. This match up was the best in the league last season, and I'm certain it will be entertaining this year as well. In a close hard fought game, Emory's offense will just be too much for WashU.

Prediction: Emory 86 WashU 78

Rochester @ Chicago
The two unbeaten's I am most looking forward to watching.

Rochester opened UAA play with a gutsy win against Emory. The senior duo of Clamage and Wittig showed their senior experience and how they're two of the most efficient players in the league.

Chicago opened the UAA season with a hot shooting start - seven guys hit a total of 12 team 3's (Karras only accounted for one of these). Dominic Laravie has been on fire over the past two games of which he's averaged 22 points.

*To note, UAA teams with home court advantage went 4-0 in the first weekend. Chicago has home court this weekend and if they can find a way to continue the shooting ride, they may pull it out tonight. But I do think after beating the stat sheet stuffing Emory, Flockerzi will have Rochester well-equipped to guard this Chicago team for 40 minutes.

Prediction: Rochester 73 Chicago 65

Any thoughts before tip off in a few hours?

Quote from: WUPHF on December 07, 2018, 11:31:19 AM
OK, I guess I have to say something about the Washington University-Principia game.

Arenas had only attempted 4 field goals in the last 4 games.  Platteville was ready for him to pass every time he got the ball in the paint.  He needs to be an offensive threat.  Only 3-9 last night, but keep shooting.

Hardy has had a highlight reel pass in every game and had more last night en route to 10 assists.  Hardy is ranked third in the league in assists and is only getting started.

Haven't gotten a chance to watch much of Hardy yet. Right now he's averaging 15.3ppg, 4.6rpg, and 3.6apg as a freshman - this kid must be the real deal! Did he have any Division I interest coming out of high school?

Comparing and contrasting in my head a little bit to some other UAA guys that had some success as freshman over the years..

2017-18
Romin Williams (Emory) - 15.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.6 apg
Jack Nolan (WashU) - 11.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.2 apg

2016-17
Jimmy Martinelli (NYU) - 8.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.5 apg

2014-15
Ross Udine (NYU) - 9.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 5.5 apg

2012-13
Jordan Smith (Chicago) - 7.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.7 apg

2010-11
Jake Davis (Emory) - 13.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.9 apg

2009-10 (really jumping in the time machine here..)
John DiBartolomeo - 11.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, and 4.6 apg

Speaking purely from a statistics perspective Hardy is on pace to have one of the best rookie season's in recent memory. However, we all know - the season is long.

We've got a fun first weekend of non-conference games coming up to start the season. Here are each of the UAA team's first game:

Fri. 11/9
NYU @ Purchase State (7:00pm)
Case Western vs. Albion (7:00pm)

Sat. 11/10
Brandeis vs. Mass. Dartmouth (1:00pm)
WashU vs. Illinois Col. (8:00pm)

Sun. 11/11
Chicago @ Illinois Wesleyan (5:00pm)
Emory @ Piedmont (7:00pm)

Tue. 11/13
Rochester @ RIT (7:00pm)
Carnegie Mellon @ Chatham (8:00pm)

I'm certainly excited to check all of these games out. Most notably I think Chicago's road match up at Illinois Wesleyan, a traditionally strong program out of the CCIW, will be great challenge for them off the bat. I'm also looking forward to seeing Juckem's brand new version of WashU basketball.

Any thoughts on weekend#1? Match ups catching anyone's eye?

Quote from: AmherstRules on November 06, 2018, 05:37:27 PM
Didn't Coach Juckem (albeit with UW-Oshkosh) just drill Emory in the NCAA tournament in the Round of 16?  Seems he might have a pretty good idea on how to attack them.

Yes. OshKosh defeated Emory in the sweet sixteen by a final score of 93-72. After a year where Emory was swept in both games against WashU by scores of 84-67 and 82-69.

Now pair Juckem with WashU? I imagine this Emory team & Coach Zimmerman have their return to St. Louis in January marked on the calendar..

Pretty impressive stat line out of that Emory sophomore class..

Also worth noting Brandeis took an exhibition loss to St. Joseph's (CT) (who is coached by former UCONN legend Jim Calhoun) by a final score of 76-63. Sophomore Chandler Jones scored 17 points on 6-9 shooting (2-2 from three). Cory Sherman scored 15 on 5-17 shooting.