MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[(509)Rat]

Anybody who thinks a bus ride had anything to do with a loss didn't play sports in college.

I don't know how many bus rides I made in multiple sports only to get off the bus and beat the living tar out of somebody or win my event/conference championship. And those were 5-7 hour trips...not 1 and a half down I-5.

[Hemingway13]

Oxy Bob,
As usual, you are right on the money with your comment.

What will Redlands be like next year?
Not likely to show great improvement on our 7-9 SCIAC record with most of best players graduating ------will especially miss the leadership Alex Rudd who was 1st Team All-SCIAC last season.

[Hoya86]

First, congrats to all of the teams on an excellent season.  Lots to be proud of and much to look forward to next year with the very strong group of returning players.

CMS, the Conference Champion (the team with the highest percentage of wins following the regular season) returns 4 starters but loses Pinson and their home court Ducey.  Nonetheless with Gaffaney returning for a fourth year and an experienced supporting crew, and more size on the way, I think they will be in the mix again next year.

Regarding CMS's shot at an at-large bid, in my opinion strength of schedule was a deciding factor at just under .500 (for D3 games).  Among the last 10 regionally ranked teams looking for Pool C slots CMS had the highest win ratio but the lowest SOS.  Lots of different ways to look at the at-large process: I liked this analysis from Sac on the Pool C board.

"Presumed last available teams in their respective regions

Middlebury (NESCAC) - .640/.562/3-6   Northeast #11---not at the final table
NYU (UAA) - .640/.546/0-6   East #6
William Paterson (NJAC) - .778/.528/4-3   Atlantic #4
Stevenson (MACC) - .704/.531/4-3   Mid-Atlantic #5
Birmingham-Southern (SAA) - .630/.553/4-3   South #6
DePauw (NCAC) - .692/.545/4-5   Great Lakes #5
Carthage (CCIW) - .625/.599/4-7   Midwest #6
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (SCIAC) - .818/.496/1-1  West #7

Last 3 in?

Ohio Wesleyan (NCAC) - .741/.541/3-5   Great Lakes #7
Springfield (NEWMAC) - .731/.567/2-4   Northeast #6   
Dickinson (CC) - .778/.529/2-1   Mid-Atlantic #4

I think Springfield might have been the last team in.  It looks to me like the last few selections came down to SOS for those with a winning % over .700"

By this logic, there were 2 teams (Stevenson, Wm Paterson) in front of CMS with winning % over .700 but CMS' SOS was far behind. Calvin, Hopkins, Pacific helped CMS's SOS but CIT (2x), UCSC, and Willamette killed it (7 D3 wins between them.) CMS real SOS is better; they played some very good GSAC teams – Concordia was the best defensive team I saw this year.

Massey Ratings has CMS ranked 45; ahead of Bowdoin (6-4 in NESCAC) and Springfield.  Bennett Rankings have them 49 (fell 27 places, ouch) but still ahead of Bowdoin and Dickinson. 

Lastly, I thought the SCIAC did well against teams in the NCAA tourney.  LaVerne beat OWU, CMS beat Calvin, and but lost to Hopkins by 2.  PP beat St. Thomas and Trinity.  Whitworth did not play any SCIAC teams this year.

Speaking of Strength of Schedule, Texas-Dallas' SOS is not strong (#318).  I look forward to watching Chapman (Conference Tournament Champion) take them on.

[Bigcat]

Those are the only three teams that I believe have a shot to win the conference next year.

Is Gaffney back next year?  I've heard rumors he's playing as a grad student next year.

Either way CMS will be in the hunt.

Did not know about that...that would certainly shake things up.

[madzillagd]

Feel good story of the day

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/open-gym?division=d3

[Hemingway13]

All-SCIAC Awards announced today were mostly what I'd anticipated, except for the lack of an Oxy player given that comparable below .500 teams Whittier and Redlands have two each. Also, if Arik Smith was a Newcomer, can anyone explain why this First-Teamer would miss out on the NOY Award to a Second-Teamer, Coltrane Powdrill?


Anyway, hearty congrats to Powdrill, Tyler Gaffaney for the AOY Award and Remy Pinson for the Ted Ducey honor.

[Bigcat]

Saw the SCIAC awards today. Not sure I agree with See being above Hamasaki and Landrum being above Powdrill. Hamasaki is without a doubt one of the top 5 players in the conference.

[Hemingway13]

Feel good story of the day

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/open-gym?division=d3

Thanks heaps for the link, madzilla. It reflects positively on the type of athletes who choose to play in the SCIAC.

[Hoya86]

Lastly, I thought the SCIAC did well against teams in the NCAA tourney.  LaVerne beat OWU, CMS beat Calvin, and but lost to Hopkins by 2.  PP beat St. Thomas and Trinity. 

I forgot that PP also beat Hopkins.  3 wins for Sagehens v. non conference teams in the bracket.

[westcoastwilliam]

For the lazy:
http://www.thesciac.org/sports/mbkb/2013-14/releases/20140304gyv8sk


Athlete of the Year          Tyler Gaffaney, Sr., Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Newcomer of the Year     Coltrane Powdrill, Jr., California Lutheran
Ted Ducey Award             Remy Pinson, Sr., Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

All-SCIAC First Team
Colin Zavrsnick, Jr.          Chapman
Tyree Landrum, Sr.         Whittier
Arik Smith, Jr.                  California Lutheran
Remy Pinson, Sr.             Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Ronn See, Sr.                  La Verne
Kyle McAndrews, Jr.         Pomona-Pitzer

All-SCIAC Second Team
Taylor Hamasaki, Jr.        Chapman
Aljosa Bjekovic, So.         Redlands
Nick Demusis, Jr.             Whittier
Coltrane Powdrill, Jr.       California Lutheran
Eric Radford, Sr.              Redlands
Jake Klewer, Sr.              Pomona-Pitzer

Congrats to all those who were honored. Specifically, it was great to see Gaffaney come back from his injury and lead a young CMS team to the league title. Should be even more fun to watch him next year.

[westcoastwilliam]

Also, if Arik Smith was a Newcomer, can anyone explain why this First-Teamer would miss out on the NOY Award to a Second-Teamer, Coltrane Powdrill?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Saw Arik play live in the semi's against CMS, which was one of the most impressive performances I have seen at the DIII level. Dictated the entire game, and had an answer for everything CMS threw at him defensively. Can't recall the last time anyone went for over 30 against CMS. Should be a great matchup next year with Gaffaney.

As far as next year goes, barring injuries or a stud transfer, Chapman should roll through the SCIAC. 

Cal Lu and PP lose some solid role players but return their big guns (minus Klewer) and should be second and third. Those are the only three teams that I believe have a shot to win the conference next year.

Settle down there Cat...maybe sit the next couple of plays out. Chapman ended the year on a solid run, but could barely beat freakin' La Verne this year, and lost to both Oxy and Redlands. Not exactly the '96 Bulls.

CMS loses one true contributor, albeit a big one in Pinson, but returns everyone else including the POY. Whittier returns 3 of it's top five, and will surely reload with talent as they always do. I expect the bottom half of the league to be horrendous next year, but the top 5 teams should be more competitive than ever.

[Bigcat]

Settle down there Cat...maybe sit the next couple of plays out. Chapman ended the year on a solid run, but could barely beat freakin' La Verne this year, and lost to both Oxy and Redlands. Not exactly the '96 Bulls.

CMS loses one true contributor, albeit a big one in Pinson, but returns everyone else including the POY. Whittier returns 3 of it's top five, and will surely reload with talent as they always do. I expect the bottom half of the league to be horrendous next year, but the top 5 teams should be more competitive than ever.
[/quote]

This was before I knew Gaffaney was returning. As long as he is playing, CMS will be competitive. But how can you not say Chapman isn't the favorite? They lose one starter and return the 1st and 3rd leading scorer in the conference. They ended the year winning 7 SCIAC games in a row including the tournament, beating PP twice and absolutely demolishing Cal Lu in the championship. This team has always had the talent, it just took them awhile  (and a few coaching adjustments that probably should have happened a little sooner) to learn how to win in this league. I'm not saying they will blow everybody our or even go undefeated, but I just don't see how anyone else can be the favorite at this point.

[WoostAr]

Also, if Arik Smith was a Newcomer, can anyone explain why this First-Teamer would miss out on the NOY Award to a Second-Teamer, Coltrane Powdrill?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Saw Arik play live in the semi's against CMS, which was one of the most impressive performances I have seen at the DIII level. Dictated the entire game, and had an answer for everything CMS threw at him defensively. Can't recall the last time anyone went for over 30 against CMS. Should be a great matchup next year with Gaffaney.

From what I understand of the SCIAC voting, each player is put up for each award by their coach...best guess, Rider was convinced Arik Smith would get First team, wasn't sure Powdrill would get second team, so to make sure he got some recognition put him up for newcomer of the year instead of Arik Smith.

I agree with your assessment of Smith's play...it's not often a player comes along that makes the game look so simple.

[Gray Fox]

Will any of you be in Dallas tomorrow?

[Evolution]

I think the Conference nailed their selections for honors.

All of those honored players, and their teammates who pushed them at every practice, and their worthy opponents, deserve a shout out.

Remy was the heart and soul of the conference and has been a joy to watch for four years.

I love the passion Arik Smith has brought to the league.   His performance against CMS may be the best play I have witnessed in the SCIAC.  Love the way he plays the game, total commitment to his team.

I respectfully disagree with others.  I think the 26 hours turn around on games was quite taxing on Cal Lu.  After almost owning CMS on their own court the night before, Arik was a dismal 2 for 10 in the first half against Chapman and only 1 for 5 from threes for the entire game.  It was obvious to me, sitting behind the bench, his legs were exhausted.  Yet he continued to play with abandon.

Arik  is a junior, and a very young junior, having just turned 20 in December.  This is unusual given a common practice now is for parents to hold a player back a year or two in middle school to "game the system".  Of course, I will take the opportunity to point out that the exception is Caltech where a majority of the players have actually skipped grades and enroll at 16 and 17!

It would be grand if Chapman's success surfaces once again in Dallas.  Best wishes in another victory and in representing all of us.

individual work in the offseason could bring some surprises next year.  Still 'Embracing the Evolution' at Caltech.  The evolution, by mere definition, is simply taking more time than the biblical seven days. Patience is a virtue.

Best of luck to all the SCIAC, especially the graduating seniors.

Basketball is a grand game.