MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Titan Q]

From today's Los Angeles Times:

Spurs attained their elite status the old-fashioned way: They earned it

Their style hasn't been spectacular, far from it, but the results have been — four titles in 11 years for Coach Gregg Popovich, star Tim Duncan and a changing supporting cast. And they're not done yet.

...

"I don't think my owner's going to fire me tomorrow, but I feel failure, just like everybody else," he says. "I feel a responsibility to getting these guys back to what they were. That's my concern or fear, of whatever you want to call it. . . .

"I think the overriding common denominator with me, I still think I'm a Division III coach. Because that's what I am.

"I'm really a Division III coach who had a lot of good fortune and ended up in a situation, as I've said before, where I didn't screw it up.

"Beyond that, I sometimes wonder what the hell I'm doing here. Do we really have those championships? Did we really do that?

"I just shake my head because, at heart, I'm a Division III coach."

Popovich really was an NCAA Division III coach at Pomona-Pitzer, but if he wanted to coach in college again, I'm sure he could land a Division I job.
...

OxyBob

Thanks for posting.  It's nice to know there are coaches like Popovich and Bo Ryan who are proud of their D3 roots.

[sciac_is_fun]

Anyone got an all-decade team for Pomona?  Redlands?  Whittier? Caltech? 

I can get something started for Pomona, though I'm sure I'm missing some...

F Alex Lloyd
F Wexlor-Beron or Jabarri Reynolds?
C Justin Sexton
G David Knowles
G Liss/Chaimowitz?

And for Redlands, you have

F Billy Shivers
F Patrick Coffey
G Amir Mazerei
?
?

[OxyBob]

Oxy recruiting news from the Ventura County Star:

Faulwell commits to Occidental

Simi Valley High senior C.J. Faulwell has made a commitment to the Occidental College men's basketball program.

Faulwell, a two-year team captain, was a Marmonte League third team selection the last two seasons.

"There isn't a guy in our program, and I'm thinking back many years, who every single day brings it to the table," said Simi Valley coach Christian Aurand.

OxyBob

[CalCat]

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reporting today that Pomona Pitzer Men's coach  Charles Katsiaficas has been interviewed and is a finalist for the vacant Dartmouth head coaching position.

[David Collinge]

I hope Gregg Popovich is aware of the coaching vacancy at Kenyon College...

[OxyBob]

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reporting today that Pomona Pitzer Men's coach  Charles Katsiaficas has been interviewed and is a finalist for the vacant Dartmouth head coaching position.

Coach Kat's dad was a legendary basketball coach and referee whose parents were Greek immigrants from Nashua, New Hampshire, so if Kat gets the Dartmouth job the circle will be complete. Plus, Dartmouth's in Hanover, NH, which is only a half-hour from Claremont, NH, so Kat will feel right at home.

EDIT: According to this item in the Albany Times Union from April 16, Coach Kat is out of the running:

UAlbany coach Will Brown is among the final three candidates for the Dartmouth head-coaching opening, a source familiar with the search said today.

The source said it's down to Brown, Saint Anselm's Keith Dickson or Golden State Warriors scout Paul Cormier after the school ruled out the two Division III coaches who interviewed – Middlebury's Jeff Brown and Pomona-Pitzer's Charles Katsiaficas.

OxyBob

[Gray Fox]

La Sierra fails to make the cut and will go to the NAIA.

http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2010/04/18/the-final-word-on-la-sierra

That is too bad.  Chapman will not have them to kick around anymore. 

[dahlby]

Gray Fox


Chapman plays whoever is willing to schedule them. I think your comment was out of line and not within the context of the ongoing discussion. In other words, a real cheap shot!

In some sports, including baseball and softball, some of La Sierra's contests were cancelled because they could not field the minimum number of players. I watched a softball game this year where they ony had nine players at the game, with two of them basketball players that were recruited to join the team with no former playing experience at any level. One of the La Sierra staff of a different team told me that they will now be able to give scholarships which will help recruiting and increase school enrollment. Too bad it did not work out for them, as their players and coaches, mostly walk-ons  or non-college full time emplyees, were sincere in their efforts, and generally all around nice folks to have a conversation with. I am sure that Chapman will continue to play them, and I do look forward to further conversations with the good folks out at La Sierra. The going will be tough, if they schedule the other NAIA teams in the area.

[OxyBob]

La Sierra fails to make the cut and will go to the NAIA.

Oh, cruel fate! Many promising high school recruits have now had their lifelong dreams of going to Chapman and playing La Sierra five times a season dashed on the rocks of the NAIA.

OxyBob

[dahlby]

Oh, here we go again. It is only April and Oxy Bob is beating on Chapman again. I wonder if the old saying of the best defense is a good offense applies here, as OXY BOB is trying to defer from OXY's
scheduling against weaker teams and very obvious "running away" from scheduling Chapman University. I look forward to seeing OXY'S basketball schedule next year. Will we see another avoidance, or will we see ......no, that is too much to hope for. I can't wait to see La Sierra on OXY's schedule and not Chapman. When will the OXY schedule be up on the web? I am drooling in anticipation.

PS, we love you Bob, but can tell that you have not warmed your keyboard up yet!

[Mr. Ypsi]

OB,

I wonder about your obsession with Chapman.   Once the SCIAC goes into conference play, who the heck do you think Chapman can play?  Any suggestions?

Or just snark?

[dahlby]

Mr. Yysi:

Of course, he  complains  about Chapman's schedule, which we know is hard to put together, given the SCIAC's conference scheduling. The SCIAC desires a Pool C bid, and it appears that there is concern about a possible loss in the pre-season, that would hurt that goal. It is easier to throw jabs, than to offer concrete suggestions. The SCIAC schedules CU in football every year as if they were a member of the conference, but when it comes to basketball, only a few do the same. I don't know for sure why....any suggestions?

Maybe down deep he would rather be a Prowling Pather than a Tiger.

[Ralph Turner]

Mr. Yysi:

Of course, he  complains  about Chapman's schedule, which we know is hard to put together, given the SCIAC's conference scheduling. The SCIAC desires a Pool C bid, and it appears that there is concern about a possible loss in the pre-season, that would hurt that goal. It is easier to throw jabs, than to offer concrete suggestions. The SCIAC schedules CU in football every year as if they were a member of the conference, but when it comes to basketball, only a few do the same. I don't know for sure why....any suggestions?

Maybe down deep he would rather be a Prowling Pather than a Tiger.

Chapman would be out-of-luck if Cal Tech had football.  Chapman fills the open date in a 7-member football conference.  

IMHO, there is no logical reason why an 8-member conference should mess up its conference basketball schedule with an non-conference opponent, once conference play has begun.

[Gray Fox]

Gray Fox


Chapman plays whoever is willing to schedule them. I think your comment was out of line and not within the context of the ongoing discussion. In other words, a real cheap shot!

In some sports, including baseball and softball, some of La Sierra's contests were cancelled because they could not field the minimum number of players. I watched a softball game this year where they ony had nine players at the game, with two of them basketball players that were recruited to join the team with no former playing experience at any level. One of the La Sierra staff of a different team told me that they will now be able to give scholarships which will help recruiting and increase school enrollment. Too bad it did not work out for them, as their players and coaches, mostly walk-ons  or non-college full time emplyees, were sincere in their efforts, and generally all around nice folks to have a conversation with. I am sure that Chapman will continue to play them, and I do look forward to further conversations with the good folks out at La Sierra. The going will be tough, if they schedule the other NAIA teams in the area.

I respect what La Sierra is trying to do.

I posted this because this board was getting slow and I thought maybe I could bring out the Chapman whiners.  It looks like I was quite successful in my efforts.  

[Mr. Ypsi]

Mr. Yysi:

Of course, he  complains  about Chapman's schedule, which we know is hard to put together, given the SCIAC's conference scheduling. The SCIAC desires a Pool C bid, and it appears that there is concern about a possible loss in the pre-season, that would hurt that goal. It is easier to throw jabs, than to offer concrete suggestions. The SCIAC schedules CU in football every year as if they were a member of the conference, but when it comes to basketball, only a few do the same. I don't know for sure why....any suggestions?

Maybe down deep he would rather be a Prowling Pather than a Tiger.

Chapman would be out-of-luck if Cal Tech had football.  Chapman fills the open date in a 7-member football conference.  

IMHO, there is no logical reason why an 8-member conference should mess up its conference basketball schedule with an non-conference opponent, once conference play has begun.

Oh, I agree.  For SCIAC teams to schedule Chapman during the conference basketball season would be above-and-beyond the call of duty.  But with La Sierra leaving d3, Chapman is really in an impossible situation come January and February.  They may have to front-load their schedule like crazy to have adequate d3 regional games - anyone for 18 games before New Years?

(Actually, that might be a plan - solicit in-region snowbirds like crazy for the latter part of December.)