MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[BBallJunkie81]

OK, kids are back in school.  I know it is early, but how will SCIAC basketball shape up this year?  To get the discussion started, I jotted down some thoughts based on last year's results.  I would be interested in other opinions and updates based on new players.

Stags/CMS
Key Returners: Gaffaney, Pinson, Mivshek, Grodahl, Sullivan (33ppg)
Key Losses: Blees, Maceira, Anderson (33ppg)
The Stags are the defending SCIAC champs but lose their top two players in Blees and Maceira.  Don't feel too sorry for Coach Scalmanini, as his 2012-13 squad is still stacked and will be led by guards Gaffaney and Pinson.  I have no doubt this team has more than enough fire power to repeat, but it will be tougher than last year.  The backcourt will match up against anybody, but will their front court stack up?

Sagehens/PP
Key Returners: Cohen, Klukas, McAndrews, Klewer, Weiss (45ppg)
Key Losses: Zahniser, Wright, Brown, Maki (16ppg)
The Sagehens gave CMS everything they could handle in 3 tough contests last year.  Good news for coach Katsiaficas, his top 5 scorers are back!  You have to like this team's chance to win it all (league), but I am a bit concerned about its lack of size and depth.

Poets/Whittier
Key Returners: Mebane, Porter, Landrum, Ramos, Albritton (25ppg)
Key Losses: Menez, Easterman, Preer, Thomas, Johnson (62ppg)
The Poets were loaded last year, but I am not sure how they will make up the staggering 62ppg Menez, Easterman, Preer, Thomas and Johnson gave them last year.  Either Mebane, Porter, Landrum and Ramos step up big time or they bring in freshmen, like the Sagehens last year, that can put some points on the board.

Bulldogs/Redlands
Key Returners: Kuklok, Kirk, Brensdal, Calhoun, Radford (43ppg)
Key Losses: Colston, Estrada, Call (30ppg)
The Bulldogs will miss Colston's presence in the middle.  In Kirk and Kuklok, they have a competitive backcourt, but they'll need more than that to compete against PP and CMS where they will be outmatched at every position.

Kingsmen/CalLu
Key Returners: Nettles, Harris, Knudsen, Flowers, Palmer (33ppg)
Key Losses: Van Klaveren, Walton (22ppg)
The Kingsmen lose their top player in Van Klaveren and will need to reinvent themselves as more of a perimeter team.  Nettles played great last year, but he'll need plenty of help if they want to challenge for a title.

Tigers/Oxy
Key Returners: McCoy, Liebowitz, Montoya, Chong, Cobb (44ppg)
Key Losses: Hanley, Copithrone (20ppg)
The Tigers were a disappointment last year.  This year, they have the strongest front court in the league.  McCoy is flat out the best athlete in SCIAC basketball and, if he puts his mind to it, will dominate games.  Liebowitz will also find it easier now that Van Klaveren and Colston are gone.  Will the Tigers have guards?  If they find an adequate backcourt, this team is more than capable of winning SCIAC.

Leopards/LaVerne
Key Returners: Lay, Veith, Simmonds (15ppg)
Key Losses: Woodland, Napolitano, Bastos, Hoyt, Leggett (45ppg)
Similar to Whittier, it will be tough for the Leopards to make up the 45ppg Woodland, Napolitano, Bastos, Hoyt and Leggett gave them last year.  They will need a decent influx of talent to stay competitive.

Engineers/CalTech
Key Returners: Edwards, Hogue, Joel, Wang, Murphy/Runkel (42ppg)
Key Losses: none
Dr. Eslinger has everybody returning this year.  Furthermore, without an influx of talent, the Leopards and Poets could be ripe for the taking.  Could this be the year the Engineers win more than a single league game?  Some of us will be rooting them on, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Panthers/Chapman
Key Returners: JoYoung, Dragovich, Chadwick, Hamasaki, JuYoung (27ppg)
Key Losses: Lin, Ricard, Avalos (38ppg)
The Panthers lose top two players (Lin & Ricard) and 3 of their top 4 (Avalos).  They have some young talent they will depend on but probably not enough to contend with the upper echelon teams.

Early Prediction for 2012-13 Season
1) PP - have the talent to win league and SCIAC tournament
2) CMS - will give PP as much trouble as PP gave them last year.  Front line will determine success.
3) Oxy - front court will dominate.  If they find capable guards, watch out.
4) Redlands - giving them a slight edge over CalLu. 
5) CalLu - backcourt should be competitive, but front court is a question mark.
6) Chapman - strong young talent...could surprise, but don't think will challenge top two teams.
7) LaVerne - slight edge over Whittier.
8) Whittier - needs plenty of fire power.
9) CalTech - could possibly catch Whittier and/or LaVerne in a game.

[Gray Fox]

CalTech had better do something this year because the effect of the death penalty will soon devastate their chance of success.

[madzillagd]

OxyBob,

Depends on your perspective I guess.  Better than average isn't the ultimate goal in my book.  In his 3 years in the SCIAC Dunlap squads finished first 3 times.  In the 18 years since then, Rider squads have only finished 1st twice.  Dunlap made the NCAAs 3 times, Rider has only made it once and that was 11 years ago.  Going back to the football conversation, I would have expected an improved team over the past few years with the new facilities to lure recruits and we just haven't seen it so far. While you're admiring the .635 winning %, I'm seeing the .056 % of NCAA appearances.

Rider has been a good coach and I'm sure if he sticks around he'll continue to win more than he loses, I just expect more. 

[Gray Fox]

Dunlap is now a head coach in the NBA, as is Gregg Popovich from Pomona.
These are unusual jumps.

[OxyBob]

In his 3 years in the SCIAC Dunlap squads finished first 3 times.

You sound like my brother-in-law the UCLA basketball wonk who thinks John Wooden is still the coach. Mike Dunlap left CLU in 1994. Seriously, come into the 21st century.

OxyBob

[madzillagd]

Oh, in that case I'll be content with mediocracy because it's the 21st century. That makes sense.  I don't know what I was thinking.  Yeah 3rd place!

[OxyBob]

I'll be content with mediocracy

Rider's won two-thirds of the games he's coached at CLU. If that's mediocrity then I'll take it.

OxyBob

[madzillagd]

Does anybody happen know for the CLU Thrivent Tourney that happens at the end of December, do they do any other events with the teams and/or fans besides the games?  Dinner? Golf tournament? Anything?

[dahlby]

Madzillagd:
Go to the CLU home page and enter a search for the Thrivent Financial Golf Tourney. The info page will also list other tourneys.

[madzillagd]

http://www.clusports.com/pages/tournaments/2011-12TFFL.php

I tried that already.  No mention of anything other than the games so I'm assuming they don't have anything else.  I'll be going this year so I was just trying to figure out if I should plan for anything else in the travel schedule.

[dahlby]

There is also a dinner and auction.
Have fun!

[madzillagd]

Thanks dahlby.


Found this interesting when looking at coaching records...

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2012/coaches.pdf

Winningest Coaches at D1, D2, D3 listed by % and total wins - Active and Retired. 

Active SCIAC coaches on the list...

18. Mike Bokosky, Chapman .................................................... 19 years 339 Wins 144 Losses .702

51. Ken Scalmanini, Claremont-M-S ...................................... 13 years  215 wins 117 losses .648

List only goes up to 70 (.617) so Rider didn't make it because it's for total record, not current school. 

On a sidenote that nobody on this thread cares about but me (and anybody that will be at the CLU Thrivent tourney this year...hint, hint), Mike Maker should enter the list next year at #2.  In his 4th year at Williams College he's got a .809 winning %. 

[dahlby]

This is Coach Bolosky's first collegiate head coaching position. Prior to Chapman, he was an assistant at both UCI and CSF here in Orange County.

[OxyBob]

18. Mike Bokosky, Chapman .................................................... 19 years 339 Wins 144 Losses .702

With 300 of those wins against La Sierra.

OxyBob

[dahlby]

Hmmmmmmmm...
Yesterday OxyBob had a typo...today he had a problem with counting*....is it old age or is that Oxy education wearing off?

* 300, only if you count Life Bible, La Sierra, Cal Baptist, Southwestern Christian and all the unclassifieds.

Note to Hemminway in the down under country. OxyBob isn't happy that Chapman is now part of the SCIAC. Don't look for
OxyBob to write anything about Chapman unless it is negative.