MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[WestCoastWhiner]

Fo, we've missed you this year.  I expected you to come here early and woof about this team.  But you were notably silent; makes me wonder if you knew something that the rest of us didn't. 

Sam is right.  It sounds like bottom-tier bitching but it is deserved.  Nothing highlights that like the 20 point schlacking by Amherst this year the night before a less-talented and younger Tiger team handles the east coast prepsters.  Yes, it was at Oxy but it was a winter game and there weren't more than 300 people there. 

Kats has owned the conference and he just hasn't got it done outside of the conference.  As I have always said, he was good enough to be gone to a higher platform long ago.  Too bad for the rest of the conference and lucky for the Hen nation, who all understand that CK has easily been the greatest coach ever at PP.

And the balance of power has shifted.  2 Ls and a conference title prove it.  Maybe it won't be permanent, but they sent to Lloyd to graduate school with a couple of Ls. 

P.S.  What gives with the green light for Knowles?  I love the guy too but he was the first point I've ever Katz give that much of a green light.


 

[David Collinge]

I didn't go to Caltech, but I know a little about statistics, including logistic regression and cluster analysis of multivariate data. Based on my analysis, Caltech has exactly three chances of beating Oxy -- slim, none and fat.

OxyBob

I am sorry OxyBob, but you're wrong.  Tonight is Carlson and Ivy's final chance to get a win.  They will be bringing everything they have.  Oxy, on the other hand, will be playing "Caltech" which means the motivated Oxy team that lost to CMS and Pomona will not be playing tonight.  This game is a lose-lose game for Oxy in the regional rankings so really what motivation does Oxy have besides winning and hoping for the best on Sunday Night.  Oxy has already lost two games at home due to poor defense and I would not be surprised if that poor defense showed up tonight.  Caltech definitely has a chance to beat Oxy tonight and if Oxy believes otherwise, then they might be in store for a miracle which would wrap up one of the greatest late season collapses in recent history. 

Well, I'll give you this much: it wasn't a very motivated Oxy team tonight.  They played like they knew they only needed to show up to win, so that's pretty much all they did.  And they won...easily.  Ridiculously easily.  By 34, and it wasn't really that close. 

I felt bad for Caltech's seniors, but somehow I don't think they feel bad for themselves.  They have big futures to get on with.  In the meantime, good luck to Oxy in their slim hopes for a Pool C bid, and good luck to CMS in representing the SCIAC in the tourney.

PS It was nice to meet Tigersports tonight after the game.

[tigersports]

Thanks for the kind words, David.  Nice to meet you and diehard as well.  This was a far different Caltech team than when we did games in years past as they had three guys who could flat out play (Hires, Ivy, Carlson).  It's a far cry from years past when Bird was the only guy who remotely belonged and the rest, though trying very hard and very earnest (and probably making a kajillion dollars by now), just weren't close to being on this level and would struggle in a good IM league.  This team at least belonged on the floor.

Thanks also to those with kind words for my son.  "His majesty" (as we call him right now) is doing fine.  Thanks.

[OXY Oswald]

Well, I'll give you this much: it wasn't a very motivated Oxy team tonight.  They played like they knew they only needed to show up to win, so that's pretty much all they did.  And they won...easily.  Ridiculously easily.  By 34, and it wasn't really that close. 

I felt bad for Caltech's seniors, but somehow I don't think they feel bad for themselves.  They have big futures to get on with.  In the meantime, good luck to Oxy in their slim hopes for a Pool C bid, and good luck to CMS in representing the SCIAC in the tourney.

PS It was nice to meet Tigersports tonight after the game.

Glad you could make it to the game, it was a fun one to watch... not too seroius though.  I was glad some of the guys that don't get to play that often got some good game time in, and they got the crowd into it.

Hopefully the Tigers have a better shot at a Pool C bid than the board seems to think. 

Here's to the season not being over just yet!

Go Tigers!

[Stags4Life]

For a Stags fan, you sure don't do much for the reputation...If Oxy is so bad, how did CMS lose to them once and have such a narrow victory on their own home floor

Well, if Oxy's is so good then, how did they lose to Redlands and La Verne on their home court.  The fact isn't that Oxy is bad, it is that Oxy is inconsistent, especially defensively.  And, I was only offering my opinion that Oxy fans need to stop blaming the "any given night" scenario and realize that their team is inconsistent and might have been a bit overrated.  No one said Oxy is so bad, so before you question my reputation, figure out what I am trying to say.

--Stags4Life

[TeeDub]

Stags,

Take it easy...you guys are good, really good, despite the early losses to Chapman and the flop at Pacific (NWC)...Miles is by far the most solid, well-rounded player in the league and Parsons (on any given night) can dominate...and I won't even mention Mani...his game speaks for itself.  I'm just saying that you don't need to bash others to make yourself look good, especially when you have a good team to boast about.

[tigersports]

CMS showed to me that though maybe not head and shoulders, they were the best team in the league this year.   That said, I would hope that they change their tactics a bit as they enter the tourney and get the SCIAC a couple of wins.  Specifically, about half the time (or so it seems) their offense reverts to an NBA style in which Parsons holds the ball until single digits remain on the shot clock and then they hope for Parsons to create.   I love Scali and he and Henry (an NBA guy) have forgotten more than I'll ever know, but I would like to see them a bit more fluid and using the skills that Taylor/Mani/Parsons bring to the table more to the fullest.

[Lord Chaos]

when is the mvp award typically announced?

[TeeDub]

when is the mvp award typically announced?

We can announce it right now....MILES TAYLOR

[Stags4Life]

CMS showed to me that though maybe not head and shoulders, they were the best team in the league this year.   That said, I would hope that they change their tactics a bit as they enter the tourney and get the SCIAC a couple of wins.  Specifically, about half the time (or so it seems) their offense reverts to an NBA style in which Parsons holds the ball until single digits remain on the shot clock and then they hope for Parsons to create.   I love Scali and he and Henry (an NBA guy) have forgotten more than I'll ever know, but I would like to see them a bit more fluid and using the skills that Taylor/Mani/Parsons bring to the table more to the fullest.

Well said...I agree.

--Stags4Life

[diehardfan]

Well, based on the QOWI, Oxy is 18th in line for a Pool C... hmm...

1-10
Amherst     12.000     22-1
Lawrence    11.550    20-0
Worcester Polytech    11.091    19-3
Tufts    11.000    19-4
Mississippi College    10.913    22-1
Augustana    10.864    19-3
Trinity (Texas)    10.833    16-2
Lincoln    10.813    12-4 Pool B
St. John Fisher    10.810    20-1
Cortland State    10.667    22-2
               
11-20
Gordon    10.560    22-3
Virginia Wesleyan    10.481    24-3 Already in, Pool A
York (Pa.)    10.400    22-3
Carnegie Mellon    10.389    14-4
William Paterson    10.250    18-6
Bates    10.238    16-5
Wittenberg    10.238    18-3
Wooster    10.227    20-2
Washington U.    10.211    14-5
Baruch    10.174    21-2
               
21-30
UW-Whitewater    10.136    17-5
Carleton    10.136    18-4
Keene State    10.130    17-6
Carroll    10.095    18-3
Transylvania    10.080    21-4
Illinois Wesleyan    10.053    14-5
Calvin    10.000    12-1
UW-Stout    10.000    18-4
Widener    10.000    19-4
Alvernia    9.958    21-3 Already in, Pool A

31-40
Lakeland    9.905    17-4
North Central    9.895    14-5
Trinity (Conn.)    9.895    15-4
UW-La Crosse    9.880    18-7
SUNY-Farmingdale    9.870    18-5
Randolph-Macon    9.840    19-6
Ursinus    9.826    18-5
St. Thomas    9.792    19-5
Hope    9.765    15-2
Occidental    9.750    12-4

That's 18 Italicised Pool C contenders.  Here are the next five.
           
41-50
Baldwin-Wallace    9.750    20-4
Fisk    9.714    10-4 Pool B
Nebraska Wesleyan    9.714    6-1 Pool B
Puget Sound    9.706    15-2
New York University    9.696    17-6
Utica    9.667    19-5
Whitworth    9.652    18-5
MIT    9.652    16-7
Salem State    9.583    18-6

[Sagecock]

too bad for the rest of the conference and lucky for the Hen nation, who all understand that CK has easily been the greatest coach ever at PP.

I think Gregg Popovich might have something to say about that...

So the Hens finish out with a win at Redlands, never dominated the way they did the first game, but won convincingly enough.  Great to send off the seniors with a win. 

[Stags4Life]

Some great shots from the Oxy-CMS game:

Parsons dunks in traffic on Oxy D: http://i.pbase.com/o4/39/17539/1/56261349.IMG_7454.jpg

Parsons second dunk to wrap up the win: http://misheli.image.pbase.com/o4/39/17539/1/56261333.IMG_0281.jpg
http://mishami.image.pbase.com/o4/39/17539/1/56261334.IMG_0282.jpg

The rest of the album includes photos from CMS-Pomona 2, CMS-Oxy 2, and CMS-La Verne 2: http://www.pbase.com/gary/cmsbasketball&page=all

All photos taken by Gary Stephenson.

--Stags4Life

[Stags4Life]

Interesting perspective, but I am going to disagree with you about the CMS offense. The Stags do run a lot of time off the clock, but it's by design as they are constantly looking for a pick or a cutter. I watched CMS play several times this season and what impressed me about them is how they are in no hurry to shoot and will wait and wait until they can post up Taylor or spring Winterbottom and Parsons off screens.

Claremont's offensive style ensures they are in every game. I would not be surprised if CMS caused grief in the playoffs for an unsuspecting foe.

OxyBob

I also agree with you that it is by design to run the offense looking for an easy shot, but it is also true as tigersports said that if the shot clock gets down to 10-12, the offense breaks down and Parsons backs up and tries to create off a ball screeen.  I do not see any problem in this style because Parsons is probably the best playmaker in the conference and it has been successful for the Stags all season.

--Stags4Life

[David Collinge]

Bad news for Oxy fans, desparately clinging to the end of the last leaf on the branch sticking out from the cliff.  I think you can let go now and enjoy the fall.  At least seven teams have sewn up Pool C bids they didn't expect to have in the last day or so.  Like for instance, Baruch of the City University of New York Athletic Conference, which lost to to York (NY) tonight in their conference finals.  Baruch is a lead-pipe cinch for a Pool C, meaning that the lowly CUNYAC will get two teams in.  Ditto the SUNYAC (Cortland St. loses in the semis), CAC (York PA loses in the semis), Commonwealth Coast (Gordon loses in the semis), SCAC (Trinity TX loses in the first round), plus the CCIW and ODAC cemented their two-bid performances when IWU beat Augustana and Va. Wesleyan beat Randolph-Macon.  And the NCAC (Wooster vs. Wittenberg) and MIAA (Hope vs. Calvin) are guaranteed to eat two more Pool C's, while the NESCAC (semis are Amherst vs. Bates and Trinity CT vs. Tufts) will eat at least one more C, and as many as three more. 

Pretty much everything had to go right for Oxy to grab one of the last Pool C bids.  Instead, pretty much everything has gone wrong.  Looks like CMS is left to defend the SCIAC's honor all alone.