MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sciacguru]

Thanks Pat.

After looking at the other records within that conference.....I see what you mean.

[DIIIghetto]

Two SCIAC teams in February getting votes for the top 20.  Yes!!!!

Interestingly, it is two teams from the historic "Next 3" in the conference, as opposed to the "Big 3" as I call them.  Oxy was the first to entered those unchartered waters.  I'm glad we have CLU folks paying attention to it too.  Once you care about things like national respect/credibility/coming out of the D3armpit, then you can start the process.  Oxy gets it.  Or at least someone there does.  Redlands, well, I'll leave that one for others.  But I think that CLU has what they need infrastructure-wise to make some national noise.  With them it is only a matter of time. 

Since I got so much heat here for challenging CMS's non-conference schedule I have to point out that whatever their thought process was about playing NAIA comp to prepare them for conference play, well, that might want to be revisited.   Scheduling aside, the 1st half collapse out at CMS has been shocking to everyone.  I knew losing who they did would hurt, but had no idea the coaching staff was hiding the significance of those losses so well early in the year. 

[RFB]

Two SCIAC teams in February getting votes for the top 20.  Yes!!!!

Interestingly, it is two teams from the historic "Next 3" in the conference, as opposed to the "Big 3" as I call them.  Oxy was the first to entered those unchartered waters.  I'm glad we have CLU folks paying attention to it too.  Once you care about things like national respect/credibility/coming out of the D3armpit, then you can start the process.  Oxy gets it.  Or at least someone there does.  Redlands, well, I'll leave that one for others.  But I think that CLU has what they need infrastructure-wise to make some national noise.  With them it is only a matter of time. 

Since I got so much heat here for challenging CMS's non-conference schedule I have to point out that whatever their thought process was about playing NAIA comp to prepare them for conference play, well, that might want to be revisited.   Scheduling aside, the 1st half collapse out at CMS has been shocking to everyone.  I knew losing who they did would hurt, but had no idea the coaching staff was hiding the significance of those losses so well early in the year. 

As much as it pleases me to see Redlands doing well this year, I really can't wait until a new coach comes in next year. The TFS as it has been called will be gone and it will be back to real basketball. Redlands has the potential to be an elite D3 basketball program. All of the infrastructure and support for it to happen is in place.

[Gray Fox]

For what it's worth, I went to the three Chapman games that were played here in Dallas about ten days ago.  I talked to one of the Chapman dads.  His son is the high scorer on the team.  His feeling, and his son's, is that CMS was the toughest and best, team they faced from the SCIAC.  The team was physically beat from that game more than any they have faced.

Based on that, I am also surprised at the poor showing.  But, the second round is coming!

[Hoopsallthetime]

DIIIghetto:

I don't agree with your criticism of Claremont's non-conference schedule, but I am also confounded by the Stags' 2-4 conference record. I figured there'd be some fall off from last season from losing Taylor and Parsons, but I'm sure the CMS coaches and players are very disappointed with their results so far. I look for CMS to bring some order to the chaos and get a big road win tomorrow night at Cal Lutheran.

As for SCIAC teams improving enough to get Top 25 votes, the picture looks rosy. Pomona, CMS, and CLU all only have one senior on their rosters, and UOR only has two (Thank God that Mazarei is one of them; I've seen quite enough of that guy). The team with the biggest changeover coming is Oxy, which will lose Betty, Zebb, Kostic and Mills.

OxyBob

Thanks for the encouragement BOB, I'm sure that Stags are happy to hear what you have to say. The Truth is the Stags are ready to compete, and show the SCIAC what CHAOS they can bring to the rest of the SCIAC.

I'm glad someone finally realized that CMS was going to have a rough time without the likes of Taylor and Parson's on the floor. You just dont replace players like that. OXY will find that it isnt as easy to win without the likes of Betty, Zebb, Kostic, and Mills next year. You will see a significant drop next year in the conference. Don't get me wrong, CMS should have taken care of business with the likes of Redlands and Pomona at home, as well as Whittier on the road. I dont want to point fingers on what should have been done here and there, but obviously CMS has a way to go with all of the young players on the team. If you look back at the team last year, only Winterbottom, Borengasser, and Maceira played significant minutes last year, with Coury Clemens, Austin Soldner and Tejas Gala playing limited roles last year as backups. Maceira is playing like the SCIAC Player of the Year. Nobody in the conference has been able to stop him as his numbers have shown. The problem CMS is showing is the ability to score outside of Maceira. Turnovers have also been a problem. I beleive Coach Scalmanini will turn things around, and show the team they are in the second half of the coference. Everyone in the conference should be ready for the fury of "pride" that will come from the defending SCIAC champions in the second half. I believe the Stags will play well against CLU tomorrow night, and I hope they are not overlooking the Stags. The Stags still pack a very dangerous punch and can easily turn there season around in a hurry. Don't count them out, because I promise you they are not happy with how things have gone. Good luck to everyone tomorrow, and this ought to be a interesting race for the SCIAC Championship.

[Hoopsallthetime]

Since I got so much heat here for challenging CMS's non-conference schedule I have to point out that whatever their thought process was about playing NAIA comp to prepare them for conference play, well, that might want to be revisited.   Scheduling aside, the 1st half collapse out at CMS has been shocking to everyone.  I knew losing who they did would hurt, but had no idea the coaching staff was hiding the significance of those losses so well early in the year. 

So I have a question for you Ghetto:
Did CMS make a mistake last year by playing a tough preseason schedule, and then winning the SCIAC impressively with a 13-1 record. I dont know, maybe they should play the likes of La Sierra a lot more.
I am having a hard time understanding what you are saying  when it comes to CMS preseason schedule. The victories in the beginning of the season were hard fought, and nice victories for CMS. The problem that started in conference is the ability of coaches across the SCIAC being able to scout and prepare for the Stags. In the preseason, coaches dont have that opportunity to really watch a team 3 or more times. I'm sure, coaches across the SCIAC had plenty of opportunities to scout CMS just like Scalmanini did with the rest of the SCIAC. I guess what I am saying is...I would rather see CMS play the likes of GSAC, then play some crappy D3 team like La Sierra 3 times. Just remember this, CMS lost 2 1st team players in Parsons and Taylor, and then you come talk to me. That's what I thought!


EDITED to add appropriate quote formatting

[Gregory Sager]

Two SCIAC teams in February getting votes for the top 20.  Yes!!!!

Interestingly, it is two teams from the historic "Next 3" in the conference, as opposed to the "Big 3" as I call them.

Yes, and I keep wondering how long the warranty lasts on that particular label. Occidental has finished in the league's top three over three of the past four years (that's as far back as either D3hoops.com or the SCIAC site go with regard to standings, so I don't know if Oxy starting this win-place-or-show streak earlier than that), and the Tigers finished a game out of second and two games out of first in the one season (2003-04) that they finished out of the money. Four years ago Occidental became the first SCIAC team in a generation to make it as far as the Elite Eight. And over those four years, Oxy's posted the best record in the league:

Occidental	42-14
CMS	41-15
PP	39-17
Cal Lutheran	33-23

Add in this year's results to date, and the margin for the Tigers grows even wider:

Occidental	47-15
CMS	43-19
PP	42-20
Cal Lutheran	38-24

Seems to me that at some point you ought to think about retiring that "Big 3" shtick. Just my outsider's opinion, of course.

Did CMS make a mistake last year by playing a tough preseason schedule,

Non-conference, not preseason.

[DIIIghetto]

PC, very good point.  Maybe Oxy has flipped this thing on its head.  But to me the Big 3 earned that distinction over longer periods of time.  Walking into the Rains Center is like walking into the SCIAC's Pauley Pavillion with all of their banners.  Now granted, I would argue that without national success, those banners don't mean as much and I think other teams in the conference are starting to understand that.  Everyone needs to think Salem. 

CMS STAG

I would go easy on LSU, the same LSU that beat Paficic and LV this year and beat CLU, PP and OXY over past 4 years.  I would also try to schedule Chapman and UC Santa Cruz and make one road trip playing three D3's somewhere.  Add in a So Cal tourney with good snowbirds and you are almost up to 25 D3 games. 

More D3, less NAIA.  I know the trip to play Lowery at Pacific and the two losses to Chapman last year were tough, but don't be discouraged.  I have no idea how you CMS lost to Oxy twice last year with the talent of Parson-Taylor-Maceira.  But losing to Kats, Knowles and their 7 freshmen?  Must be some deep soul searching going on out there. 

That being said, CMS definitely has the talent to turn this around and beat just about everybody in the 2nd half.  Against the Tigers, try to sneak Mazzerei into a Stag uniform.  He is averaging 45 against Oxy's non-existent backcourt D.

I know times are tough out in Claremont, but try to keep your composure.

[Pat Coleman]

PC, very good point.

You're probably referring to Sager's point, no?

[DIIIghetto]

I always thought you and Sager were the same person...

[Ralph Turner]

Oxy 82, Whittier 60. Final!

[sciac_is_fun]

CLU 51 CMS 49

CLU wins on a Deshion Iniss runner with 2 seconds left.  CMS had the ball with the game tied at 49 with 17 seconds left, and turned it over on a terrible backcourt violation right after an inbounds pass.  Don't know what the guy was thinking.  I got to listen to the end of it on CLU's radio broadcast, which was decent for a student doing it.  Happened to be a female broadcaster. 

Maceira was held to 11, Clemens had 16 for CMS, Meier led CLU with 16, Inniss had 13. 

Sounds like we've still got a three-way tie for first.

[diehardfan]

tigersports, got to listen to my first oxy broadcast tonight.... great stuff, minus the part where my WMP kept cutting out.... Thanks for doing that despite what sounded like a very busy day for you!

I personally especially liked the part where you guys discussed the Valentine's Day game and whether or not you'd be able to broadcast. Sports and Valentines Day, the battle for the ages for most men, huh? Sounds like the wife is a reasonable sort though. All I know is that I really hope I don't marry a guy who dislikes sports!!!

I personally will be catching a great CLU - Oxy game that night live from The Beautiful NOT Ghettoized Eagle Rock ... but that's just cause I'm single and can't think of any way to spend any night than being at a DIII basketball game... at least while I'm unmarried.  

[diehardfan]

And for a long shot...if Lewis and Clark wins the NWC...how does that improve CLU's chances?  I know, I know....a lot of what if's...but what the heck.

Sometime when I am bored I promise to do some QOWI (the new name for SOSI) calculations. I've been hoping that d3hoops.com would post them like usual, and I'm sure they will... but am getting impatient!

And yeah, I tend to think that the MACC is a little better than most people, since they saved my eyes from hurting compared to a much weaker CAC when I was stuck in the Northern Virginia East Coast version of basketball Siberia.... but, yeah, the Messiah win doesn't mean as much as it could if it was another league's frontrunner as you have aptly discerned using the schedules.

The CLU ranking is going to be hurt by their preseason (just checking to see if Greg is paying attention) losses... I don't care how much they beat Redlands by in the first outing... the voters simply can't ignore that many games and take that one game into account in a vacuum. I just don't see them getting ranked unless they slaughter both Oxy and Redlands... and show how obviously they've improved since the non-conference season... if that makes sense?

The Greg-Pat comment was funny incidentally... K+ for that one for the humor, even though it couldn't be further from the truth.  

[Gregory Sager]

The Greg-Pat comment was funny incidentally... K+ for that one for the humor, even though it couldn't be further from the truth.  

My shoulders slump in exhaustion at the mere thought of living Pat's lifestyle.