Yep, hearing the news about Medaille, I decided to see if there was any talk on here about it. If the hiring means Medaille is trying to get better, then I think it's great. I'm all for having 10 solid programs in our conference -- no one wants to see any program struggle. I don't know about the precedent of a Division I coach going to Division III, but it might lend some credibility to the AMCC and bring it a bit more attention in the Buffalo media. I'd love to see a rivalry build up between Medaille, Hilbert and Pitt-Bradford -- you could call it the 219 rivalry. Hope everyone is having a great summer. It's finally starting to feel like summer, that's for sure.

Dave Niland mentioned as a possible candidate for the coaching vacancy at D-I Canisius in Buffalo.

"There are plenty of logical candidates, however, who have Canisius ties. They would include:

Penn State-Behrend head coach Dave Niland, a former Griff assistant with MacDonald under John Beilein who has led the Erie, Pa., school to 219 wins and three Division III NCAA Tournament berths in 12 seasons as the head man.

Full article (will expire in 10 days):

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060309/1003756.asp

Is this going to degenerate into "yo mama" jokes? If so, I will stick around. Seriously, I think the time has come for me to go back into basketball hibernation. See you in the fall. I really hope we can get more AMCC fans involved here. And maybe fewer players posing as fans, but without them, I guess it would be pretty boring. Have a great summer everyone! The snow will be spitting and the sneakers will be squeaking again before we know it.

On th bright side, Pitt-Greensburg will play in the ECAC South Region final. And the Medaille women won their first-round NCAA game.

Let me say this on behalf of the thebiggjoker... well, excuuuuuuuuse me. Good Lord, are we going to send the guy to Guantanamo Bay? Hope I spelled that right! (P.S. thejoker did say he was referring to a smaller city in Germany.)

That's fascinating information, Greg, now let's talk about how many folks from Ohio and Michigan have butchered "Behrend" over the past several years. Hopefan always need to buy a vowel. Speaking of Behrend, they won their first-round ECAC game and will face Pitt-Greensburg.

Allow me to answer my own question.

http://www4.wittenberg.edu/news/athletics/broadcast.html

Don't be frightened, I talk to myself all the time. Shut up! No, you shut up!

A big factor in this game is going to be the crowd. Witt's joint seats 3,000, and assuming a sellout, it's going to easily be four times the biggest crowd Lake Erie has played in front of this season. And certainly the rowdiest. That can put pressure on the home team as well.

Lake Erie's enrollment is about 1,000.

Any information on webcasting of the game? LEC's AMCC title game was on the Internet, but I guess I don't have the right software. What about from the Wittenberg side?

Good to see this game getting lots of keystrokes! Speaking of key strokes... go Reggie!

Great post, cantbestopped! David... "little jest"? Saying someone's JV can beat another conference's top team? Honestly, I don't think you have the courage of conviction behind your comment. Maybe that's why you're "signing out." But at least we AMCC peasants can say, for one day at least, we were visited by the high and mighty.

I think you should stay out of the hyperbolic chamber and away from ridiculous computer simulations of basketball games. I love the Wooster Booster's line -- "I see the result as just a fluke, something that's probably more of a possibility when just dealing with numbers than when the actual players get on the court." Isn't that the definition of a simulation? It's kind of scary, actually. Are we going to reach a point where the real games are played as simulations of what the computers will eventually decide? A grim look into the future. Brrrrrrr.

Seriously, I think Lake Erie will represent the AMCC well. Instead of waltzing to the tournament, they stumbled a bit toward the end, but still won two overtime games in the conference tournament. So they are both confident, yet humbled a bit perhaps. This might be the best team the AMCC has sent to the tournament. Going on the road, being the underdog, being the unknown, being taken lightly might all work to their advantage. We shall see. All that matters is what happens on the court. Wooster Booster would certainly love that bit of obviousness.

P.S. I see you're trying to wiggle out of your statement by calling it "hyperbole" and suggesting Witt's style doesn't allow for a rout. But I think it's fair to say that if you thought Witt's JV could beat Lake Erie, then you were indeed predicting a rout. So if it's Witt by 8 or something, you are not off the hook. OK, the six other AMCC posters can step in and back me up anytime now.

Is history always instructive? Whose history? Wittenberg's or Lake Erie's? Hey, no need to haul out the cliché about the games not being played on paper. And the great tradition of college basketball cinderellas in the postseason. I have no problem with the way you've characterized this game in your latest post. Of course it will be an upset if Lake Erie wins, and they know it, I'm sure. I just thought the JV remark was mean-spirited. But you never answered the question: where did you learn so much about Lake Erie?

David, on the NCAC forum you wrote that Wittenberg's JV could probably beat Lake Erie. Are you just assuming that the AMCC champion is necessarily a joke, or have seen Lake Erie in action, or are you comparing scores with common opponents... or what? Certainly anything less than a rout will leave you looking quite foolish. If anyone associated with the Storm is reading this, I hope this comment from a well-respected "guru" of Division 3 basketball goes up on the "bulletin board." Not that you should need any motivation to win an NCAA tournament game, but this BS statement could help. I'm always amazed by the condescending arrogance of some fans on this board. The Witts and the Woos and the Zoos and the Yippie Ki-ay Mofos think they are God's gift to college basketball, yet they forget that Division III is at or very near the bottom of the college basketball food chain. Remember, there's some average Division II program whose fans can say, "Witt? Our JV can beat them!" End of rant. I feel better.

Well said Hawk Backer. It was just Lake Erie's year. Go get 'em Storm in the NCAAs.

And well done Hilbert. I've taken a liking to the Hawks. Let's hope Hilbert and Pitt-Bradford get a good "219 Rivalry" going.

The AMCC is on the rise! Don't mess with them mountain boys. (OK, for the purpose of that slogan, we'll pretend that the Allegheny Mountains extend west to Cleveland.)

Play by play of some of Lake Erie's games this season were available on the Internet at welw.com. However, according to the site, the station is airing other games this Friday and Saturday. I would check the site again later this week, though. Maybe they just haven't updated the schedule.

I had the feeling Frostburg was going to win (see my previous post), but I didn't have the guts to pick them!