MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OxyBob]

8. Caltech 1-13

Question: Who takes the loss against Caltech?

It also does not look like any great snowbird is coming out for the holidays, which is unfortunate.   No CLU historical upset over Wisc SP on the horizon this year. 

Wheaton will be in California to play in CLU's tournament, though a possible matchup against the Kingsmen depends on the results of a prior game. Wheaton also has a game scheduled against Pomona.

Looks like almost all SCIAC hoops programs have D1 teams on their schedules.  But I have to wonder about what is going on at Oxy this year (San Diego, Fullerton, Azusa Pac) - as if that wasn't crazy enough, am I reading it right that they have SMU from the Conference USA playing AT Oxy?

From the Los Angeles Times, February 14, 2003:

[ O]ne of Occidental's biggest victories came in a Nov. 30 exhibition against Cal State Fullerton. Against the Division I Titans on their court, the Tigers pulled off an 82-74 victory. [Oxy head coach Brian] Newhall said it was a "dream" win for all Division III players.

Oxy loves beating teams called the Titans.

OxyBob

[Gray Fox]

Wheaton will be in California to play in CLU's tournament, though a possible matchup against the Kingsmen depends on the results of a prior game. Wheaton also has a game scheduled against Pomona.

Will April be at the games?

[stag44]

Question: Who takes the loss against Caltech?

OxyBob

I'd say either ULV or Whittier. Remember in 2006, whittier was down 5 with under 2 minutes to go at Braun, and needed overtime to win that game. They lost many of thier top players and with Caltech coming in with some decent talent, by their standards, it should be very interesting.

No chance of me being on SportCenter now though. haha

[stag44]

Also, any other predictions or news for the upcoming season.

Official practice is only a week away!

[Titan Q]

For help with my D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 ballot, can you guys help me sort out the 2010 SCIAC race?  Cal Lu and CMS the favorites?  Who else should be on the Top 25 radar?  

Thanks for your help!

[OxyBob]

For help with my D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 ballot, can you guys help me sort out the 2010 SCIAC race?  Cal Lu and CMS the favorites?  Who else should be on the Top 25 radar?  

CLU is loaded: Seniors Andy Meier, Kyle Knudsen, and Cameron Mitchell; juniors Aaron Fisher and Greg Grimm; and sophomore Aaron Van Klaveren. Going into the season the Kingsmen have to be the favorite to win the conference. CLU has an exhibition game against Cal State Northridge on November 4. Last season CLU led CSUN by 1 at the half and only lost by 11.

OxyBob

[stag44]

CLU is loaded: Seniors Andy Meier, Kyle Knudsen, and Cameron Mitchell; juniors Aaron Fisher and Greg Grimm; and sophomore Aaron Van Klaveren. Going into the season the Kingsmen have to be the favorite to win the conference. CLU has an exhibition game against Cal State Northridge on November 4. Last season CLU led CSUN by 1 at the half and only lost by 11.

OxyBob

I agree that CLU is a contender for the title, but think CMS is right there with them. Can't forget about Pomona, and I know Kats will have his team ready for conference. Oxy will be there as usual; Newhall always gets them to play hard.

CMS opens with a trip to Oregon vs George Fox and Willamette, which should test their leadership and nerves right away.

As for the national scene, I think that both CLU and CMS should be on the national radar. They both return their main guys and I believe that the SCIAC winner has a chance to advance out of the perennial SCIAC NWC tournament game.

[DIIIghetto]

As for the national scene, I think that both CLU and CMS should be on the national radar. They both return their main guys and I believe that the SCIAC winner has a chance to advance out of the perennial SCIAC NWC tournament game.

[/quote]

How I wish that could be true.  Unfortunately, other than CLU's epic Wisconsin SP victory, nothing either of these teams has done outside of conference gives me any reason to think that statement is anything more than wishful thinking.  Let us not forget recent tourney history:

2009: CMS 18 point loss to NW 2nd place team
2008: Oxy 1st round win over PP; 2nd round 8 point lost to NW 1st place team
2007: Oxy 17 pt loss to Mississippi College (just thinking about how the Committee jacked the SCIAC that year by giving us that 1st round game still makes me mad)
2006: Oxy 1st round win over CMS; 2nd round 7 pt loss to NW 1st place team
2005: PP 8 pt loss to Trinity

The only Tourney wins we have gotten lately have been over very familiar SCIAC opponents.  Here is to hoping that whoever has the best SCIAC team this year can win convincingly enough to get a home tourney game.  Either that or maybe the NWC can get bumped to NAIA. 

[etule]

Those NW conference teams were very good. 07/08 Oxy played without the big man(anderson) who was injured in the first round game. I attended that game and it was a very close game . Whitworth made 20 straight free throws to seal the win.
At Mississippi Oxy played without Bettie sp? Regional player of the year.(injury)

I agree they have got to get by second round game to get some respect.

[Hugenerd]

For any of you that are interested, the Caltech site is updated with season preview, schedule, roster, etc.  Looks like they have some size coming in with this freshman class: 6'5", 6'7", and 6'9".  Add that to a couple other returning bigs and they should have some depth on the back line.  They also have 20 guys on their roster, so numbers shouldnt be an issue, and there are 5 coaches listed, so Coach Eslinger looks like he has a full staff.  Looking forward to them breaking that conference losing streak this year.

http://gocaltech.com/sports/mbkb/index

[Gray Fox]

I looked at the bios.  Some of those guys look like they can play.

[Hugenerd]

I agree with you, looks like a lot of these guys actually played in high school (which is not always the case on the Caltech team) and some were actually stars on those teams.  For example (all freshman):

Colin Murphy (6'0")- 3 year varsity players, led team to state tourney, all-state quarterback and defensive end, all-region in soccer --- this guy looks like an athlete

Mike Edwards (6'7") - All league for 2 years in basketball

Aloex Runkel (6'5") - from Germany, played basketball for KGJ Schwenningen (appears to be some regional team where a lot of national junior level players play, not sure though), also a state champion in tennis

Jesse Shevin (6'9") - played on varsity team

Looks like things may be going in the right direction, when you add those guys to some returning players who know what they are doing, such as Ryan Elmquist (13.4 ppg last year), they could surprise some people.

[stag44]

For any of you that are interested, the Caltech site is updated with season preview, schedule, roster, etc.  Looks like they have some size coming in with this freshman class: 6'5", 6'7", and 6'9".  Add that to a couple other returning bigs and they should have some depth on the back line.  They also have 20 guys on their roster, so numbers shouldnt be an issue, and there are 5 coaches listed, so Coach Eslinger looks like he has a full staff.  Looking forward to them breaking that conference losing streak this year.

http://gocaltech.com/sports/mbkb/index

I agree fully and called it early in the summer. After meeting Coach Eslinger last year while scouting and then playing agains his teams, I knew they were going to have some firepower in the upcoming years.

I didnt realize the strength of their recruiting class, and they actually may take 2 wins away. Good to see that there will be more parity in the SCIAC and it should help the OWP and OOWP.

[Gosox]

Should be interesting this year.  Mike Edwards was looked at by WSU, Metro State, Masters College and APU that I know of.  Loves the game and goes hard....actually got some interest from Long Beach State for Volleyball, and only played the game his senior year....

[Hugenerd]

Colin Murphy, who is from Sarah Palin's home town, is apparently blogging for Caltech:

http://caltech.typepad.com/caltech_as_it_happens/the-bloggers-20092010.html


Mike Edwards is on this list of top 32 combo forwards in SoCaol (although I am not sure of the reputation of the site):

http://www.fullctpress.net/09socalplayerrankingspart2.html


I think the key is for these guys to start playing as a team and to get used to their roles.  You have to remember that most of the guys on the team either didnt play in high school or are not used to playing a lot of minutes (looks like they have a few guys who were the stars at their high school, but that seems to be the exception, most of them look like they were role players in high school, if that).  Caltech is still not to the point yet in talent where all of their rotation will be filled with high school starters.  There is no doubt that most of these guys are upgrades on past players' skill levels, but it will take time for some of the guys to get used to playing more minutes and get used to the system in general.  Hopefully Coach Eslinger scheduled some good scrimmages (I believe the first was tonight) and some resonable games early in the season, so they will be ready come league play to pick up a few Ws.