MBB: Liberty League

[labart96]

rough start for St. Lawrence - won't get much easier with a decent Ithaca team coming up and they get Brockport right out of the break

Noticed that as well.  1-4?  Haven't kept up on hoops as much as football, but I always remember the Larries having one of the best hoop programs in the LL for some time.

Also, what's up with a 7-1 Vassar?  Are they that good or are they playing a soft schedule? 

[with age comes?]

Haven't seen Vassar play but they were pretty good last year (ECAC champs with a victory over a pretty decent Ithaca team) and they pretty much returned their key players intact to this team.  So far this year they may be the favorite over SLU and Hamilton, but the season is young.  Saw Clarkson play a very athletic Plattsburg team pretty well on Tues.  Ended up losing by about 10 or eleven but were up 10 points early before Plattsburg went into a nasty full court zone trap press.  Plattsburg was ranked 11th here last I looked and they do have 2 former "upper division" transfers from Morgan State and Post.  They may have taken Clarkson a little lightly and truly they were never in any danger of losing but Clarkson did improve their play dramatically over recent efforts.  I can't understand SLU except to say that I'm surprised by their poor start.  There is no way I would have predicted a loss to Potsdam State!!

[thebear]

Potsdam SLU game was what D-III basketball is all about.  Neither team led by more than 6, everytime one team got an edge, the other team staged a mini-run & came back.  SLU was hampered by the athleticism of Potsdam's guards, and the press.

End Game was primarily a matter of SLU missing 4 of 6 FT's in the last minute. 

Don't understand why SLU isn't playing better.  They have 9 of their top 10 from last year's NCAA team back.  They have a solid PG in Sharlow, good shooters in Wopperer, Shaver & Hoercher, and both athletes (Williams & Wright) and Wide Bodies (Vonnak & Kurtz) in the post.  Ben Augliano, a 6-6 athletic wing who can also play the post was injured and played sparingly, last year he was a key for SLU vs. Potsdam.

With next two games upcoming vs. Ithaca and Brockport, SLU could be looking at 1-6 out of the gate.  That said, they still have the talent to win the LL.

Statistical oddity - both teams had six players in double figures, in 37 years around D-III hoops, that's the first time I remember seeing 12 players in doubles in a game.

Win for Potsdam was HUGE (to quote Billy Fucillo), they were facing a four game losing streak of their own, heading into conference play, but regrouped and got solid contributions all around to pull out the victory.

[with age comes?]

Was hoping to get a comment from the bear!  Very incitful as always.  Did the guards go to the offensive glass well?(that I thought was their key to victory over Ithaca early in the season) of course every Ithaca fan knows that Bostic did not play and could have affected that outcome, but other than Plattsburgh I don't think I've seen more athletic guards this season.

[thebear]

Age - you are correct.

Potsdam had 17 O rebs to 22 D Rebs for SLU as they outrebounded the Saints 40-34. Bear guards had 10 of those O rebounds.  6'0 soph Anthony Williams Jr. lead all rebounders with 8 total.  He was All Tournament in the opening NCI at Clarkson, and continues to be a solid contributor for Potsdam. 

That may be SLU's weakness.  Other than Sharlow, they don't have a lot of backcourt athleticism.  They do have big strong guards who are excellent perimeter shooters.  Wopperer is a huge D-III 2 guard at 6-4/210, but quickness is the key in O rebounding.  Williams and Wright are solid athletic post players, but the Saints can't put out a lineup of very quick athletic folks at 1-3.  In the LL they may be OK, but they will struggle against the likes of 'port and Plattsburgh.

Ithaca game will be interesting, as Saints have the size & depth to match up well with Bombers up front.  Key will be kepping Burton in check.

[buck1053]

It will be interesting to see how the Conts fair against Middlebury, that may be the game that sets the tone for the Conts this year, actually Utica should be a good game as well.

Just saw the score for the Hamilton-Middlebury game, 73-62 Middlebury. Shooters better hope that game doesn't set the tone for the year, though it is Hamilton's first loss of the season. Looks like poor shooting in the first half did the the Conts in.

Overall, the day seemed to be a weird one for the LL. RPI evened its record at 3-3 with a win over now 4-3 Wentworth Tech; while Skidmore evens its recrd at 4-4 with a loss to 5-3 Westfield State. Meanwhile, Clarkson is now 2-5 with a win over 4-4 Potsdam, and Union (now 3-3) actually beat a now 1-8 So. Vermont. The last score was reversed on the D3Hoops scoreboard, the others apear to check out correctly.

[shooters]

Buck1053:

I thought Hamilton played them pretty close, a lot closer than SLU did!

[buck1053]

Buck1053:

I thought Hamilton played them pretty close, a lot closer than SLU did!

Hamilton did play them closer than St. Lawrence, which lost by 19, and also than Union, which got whacked by 27 points. RPI lost by less than Hamilton, though, only 9 points.

[labart96]

So much for Hobart's hot start after last weekend.  Looks like Izzi and Co need to go back to the drawing board.

[with age comes?]

Clarkson has been playing better as of late.  Game against Potsdam was the best they've played this season, even though Potsdam couldn't seem to make FT's when they needed them.  Ship for Clarkson seemed to straighten out somewhat in the lost to Plattsburgh.  Plattsburgh was definitely the superior team but Clarkson played them tough for a good portion of the game and led by 10 points early until Platt put on a nasty zone trap press. Haven't seen any other LL teams but I'm anxiously awaiting a Vassar sighting.  Have yet to see them and from all reports they seem to be the team to beat now that SLU is struggling a little.  SLU gets a tough Ithaca team, but Ithaca's excellent point guard Sean Burton may not be available after getting knocked out (as in concussion) in the Stevens game. Hamilton will be tough and RPI has probably been playing the toughest schedule so they could have talent too.  Hobart after big wins early seems to be playing inconsistently as of late and Skidmore has already won more games than they did last season.  Looking forward to a entertaining league schedule with potentially a little more parity than in previous seasons.  Union too always proves to come on late. Don't think any team will be a total "walkover" this year.

[labart96]

Hobart heading south for the winter?

Daytona Beach?!?!
Nice!

[d3bballfollower]

Hamilton goes 0-2 at Randolph-Macon...3 L's in a row drops the Conts to 4-3 on the year...trouble brewing in Clinton??

[labart96]

Hobart gets handled easily down in Daytona Beach putting them at 4-6 (5 game losing streak).  Need to start picking up some wins starting with IC on 1/8!

Go Bart!

[buck1053]

Hobart gets handled easily down in Daytona Beach putting them at 4-6 (5 game losing streak).  Need to start picking up some wins starting with IC on 1/8!

Go Bart!

Somehow, I don't think Ithaca is the medicine for what ails Hobart. The Bombers are just 5-4 overall, but losses include 11-point one at Potsdam at start of season, an 11-point one at Stevens, which is going to win the E8 this year, and a 6-point loss to Ripon at a holiday tourney. Ithaca also lost to St. Lawrence, which is awful this year, but it was only by 4 points in OT and IC was missing their starting point guard and best player in Burton.

[shooters]

Not only did Hamilton go 0-2 at the tourney they have Brockport this Friday, that is going to be an extremely tough game! I kind of think this tough non-league schedule will help Hamilton during league play, I know I'm biased but I'm trying to be positive, plus STL is 2-6, so that should really be the conversation.