MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[West Coast Bias]

Good work by Oxy vs. USD.  I think most people (other than Oxy Bob) thought that this may be a rebuilding year for the Tigers after losing 4 senior starters.  But maybe Coach Newhall deosn't rebuild, he just reloads. 

We are now less than 2 weeks away from the season opener.  A few teams have had scrimmages, exhibitions, and games against Afghan National teams.  So lets get serious.  What are the preseason predictions?  Order of finish?  1st team all conference?  POY?  COY?  So many questions, I am interested to hear everyone's thoughts.

Initially CLU was my preseason favorite.  But with no Miller, and no Meier, they dont have anyone over 6'4 on their roster.  So here are my picks.

1. CMS
2. Whittier
3. Oxy
4. PP
5. CLU
6. LaVerne
7. Redlands
8 Cal Tech

Player of the year : Dan Winterbottom - CMS
Coach of they year: Rock Carter - Whittier

1st Team All SCIAC:

Phil Kastle - CMS
Jeff McLean - Whittier
Jabarri Reynolds - PP
Connor Whitman - Oxy
Deshon Innis - CLU

[Gray Fox]

Bias,
Welcome aboard.  We will look forward to your input.

[Gray Fox]

http://www.thesciac.org/general_news/2007-08/quantum_hoops

[NWCer]

Good Day to you SCIAC faithful, dead over on the NWC board, saw Grinnell on the front page and then went to their site to peak around and noticed that Redlands old coach is on their staff...........  Is that news to anyone, or was that known?

Volunteeer Assistant Coach Gary Smith
Alt Text 2007-Present

Smith begins his first year as an assistant coach at Grinnell. Smith graduated from University of Redlands (Calif.) 1964, where he led the nation in free throw shooting while earning honorable mention All-America recognition in NAIA. He was also a three-time all-conference and all-district performer.

Smith began his college coaching career at the University of Redlands in the 1971-1972 season and was there 37 years. In 2006-2007, Smith was named D-III Hoops West Region Coach of the Year and received the NABC Guardians of the Game Award. Smith's teams led the nation in scoring five times, including a 132.4 per game average in 2004-2005. Smith and his wife, Carol, have two daughters, Karen of Davis, Calif., and Christina of Athens, Ga. They also have a grandson, Karen's son, Max.

[Gray Fox]

NWCer,

Nobody has posted that.  Thanks for the information.

He must like his job a lot to live to Grinnell in the winter.

[Mr. Ypsi]

There was some joking on the MWC board about the effect of combining Redlands and Grinnell coaches.  The debate had to do with whether that would double the scoring (to 200+ per game) or whether the effect was actually exponential (thus 10,000+ per game)!

There was also the minority view that the effects may cancel one another, and Grinnell would now become Princeton.

[Gray Fox]

After a successful week in Pasadena, Quantum Hoops was
just extended until next week Thursday!  Thanks to all
of those who have come out to support the film!

I don't expect the turnout we had last weekend, but
every person in a seat helps.

Daily showtimes are:  1:10, 3:15, 5:20, 7:40, 9:55
until November 15. Student tickets are only $4.

Theater website:
http://laemmle.com/viewtheatre.php?thid=9
(validated parking is located on the Northeast corner
of Fair Oaks and Colorado)

The reviews are in:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/search/full_search.php?search=quantum+hoops

[SnowLeopard]

La Verne lost to UC Davis in an exhibition game today..

The score was 33-32 with 2 minutes left in the first half.
Then the aggies got down to business... and evetually won 97-55

Im exited to see Coach Reed lead the Leos into Tacoma this weekend and hopefully come away with a few wins!

[Browneagle64]

Congratulations to Oxy on their win against the Afghani N.T..
I had the opportunity to briefly see the game after working out in the Gym and am happy to report that this years team is going to be mighty special.
Look for Oxy 6-10 forward (hahha) to be a good addition to the team.

[Sabretooth Tiger]

From the Oxy Website:

Tigers Give Crowd a Taste of What is to Come in Exhibition

Los Angeles, Calif. (November 12, 2007)




Opening night at Rush Gymnasium was just an exhibition but Tiger fans filled the bleachers and got a good showing from the men's basketball team.

Occidental jumped out to a 36-23 half time lead en route to a 75-51 victory over the visiting Afghanistan National Team.

On the first of this month the Afghanistan National Team played on U.S. soil for the first time when they took the court against Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif. Since then the team has travelled throughout California taking on six other college teams.

The Tigers shot 46% from the field and had three double digit scorers. Senior guard Connor Whitman led the way with a game high 21 points. He was 7-for-16 shooting, including four from three point range. Whitman was solid at the line, going 3-for-4. Joining Whitman was junior Huston Conti and sophomore transfer Sean Anderson with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Whitman and Conti finished with three steals apiece as well.

Anderson made his presence felt as he pulled down a team high eight rebounds, including two offensive boards. Senior Chris Pitcher contributed with six rebounds, while adding six points (2-2 from the line). Oxy outrebounded the Afghan team 41-32.

Jordan Schultz added nine points and senior Chris Hunt and freshman Doug Jordan each finished with seven. Anderson, Pitcher and Clark Gordon each had a block in the game for the Tigers.

Gemayal McBride and Anderson each had three assists while Whitman, Pitcher, Conti and Gordon were credited with two assists apiece.

For the Afghan team, Nafi Mashriqi tallied 12 points and a game high nine rebounds. Yousof Etemadi had 11 points. The team was 19-30 from the line and shot 29.1% from the field overall.

Basketball was brought to Afghanistan by Americans in the 1960s and the first national team was formed during that decade. Though the team did not make a trip to the United States in the 1960s or 70s, it did play several American teams that traveled to

Afghanistan including a team sponsored by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.
The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and subsequent rule by the Taliban brought an end to the national team. In 2006, the team was reformed under the direction of the Afghan National Olympic Committee. Players were selected by then coach Zabi Subat and team manager Esmael Hussieni from a pool of Afghan-Americans, all of whom lived in the United States.

Last year, Coach Subat led the team in its return to international competition when it competed in the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. The Afghan team celebrated its return to the world stage with a 66-57 victory over Hong Kong before losing a subsequent game to Syria 84-66.

The Afghan team is now coached by Mohammad "Mamo" Rafiq who has served as an assistant women's basketball coach at Idaho State. The team played its seventh game of their trip tonight after meeting Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, California Lutheran University, Holy Names College, Humboldt State and CSU East Bay.

Before the start of Monday night's game, the two teams exchanged handshakes, gifts and took a group photo as an expression of friendship.

Occidental will open their regular season schedule Friday, Nov. 16 on the road against West Coast Baptist with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Afghans will travel to Orange, Calif. where they will conclude their international schedule against Chapman University.

[Sabretooth Tiger]

Team overview from the Oxy website.  Go Tigers!

Tigers Take the Court for New Season

Los Angeles, Calif. (November 16, 2007)

Occidental men's basketball is coming off a 2006-07 season in which they finished 19-6 overall and won the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship with a 12-2 record. The Tigers will field a team of seven seniors, a pair of juniors, three sophomores and a freshman for the 2007-08 campaign.

Oxy welcomes back All-SCIAC senior guard Connor Whitman and six fellow seniors, including point guard Gemayal McBride and five forwards in Chris Hunt, John Impelman, Henry Meier, Chris Pitcher and Joe Sasich.

The backcourt combo of Whitman and McBride possesses a plethora of talent.

Whitman played an average of 31.5 minutes per game a year ago. In 2006-07 he scored 16.6 points per game after shooting 46.8% from the field, 48.9% from three-point range and 79.1% from the line (34-43). Whitman tallied a team high in both assists and steals with 65 and 20, respectively, while adding eight blocks and 3.4 rebounds per game.

McBride finished his junior season with 52 assists, 17 steals, 4.2 points per game, 2.6 rebounds per game and a 63.8 field-goal percentage.

When asked about the impact that the senior duo will have on this team, Coach Brian Newhall said: "Whitman has worked hard to become a complete player. McBride is the team's defensive stopper and top ball handler." He went on: "Connor has developed into one of the top guards on the West Coast, while Gemayal can dominate a game without scoring a point."

New additions who will make immediate impacts on the Oxy hoops program are 6-foot-10 sophomore transfer from UC Riverside, Sean Anderson, and 6-foot-5 freshman Doug Jordan.

Anderson will make his presence felt as the Tigers' center. "Sean gives us an interior defensive presence and is an excellent passer from the high post," Newhall said. "His low post game continues to improve every day."

Jordan had an impressive pre-season and will aid in the offensive attack while pulling down rebounds as well.

Huston Conti will take over the small forward position after 17.1 minutes played per game, scoring 6.2 points per game with 2.5 rebounds per game and 12 steals a year ago. The 6-foot-2 junior is much improved. Newhall expressed his expectations for Huston, saying, "He has the potential to be a consistent double-figure scorer for Oxy over the next two seasons."

Jordan Schultz saw action in all 23 games in 2006-07. He was a threat from three-point range (42.1%), while dishing out 17 assists last season. Newhall defined the junior guard as "a tremendous three-point shooter who is extremely effective against zone defenses." He will see increased playing time this season.

Pitcher played 11.6 minutes per game and accounted for six blocks and a 56.3 field-goal percentage. The 6-foot-6 senior will step into the power forward spot after adding 15 pounds of muscle to his frame. "He is the most improved player in the Oxy program and is focused on leading the SCIAC in rebounding," Newhall said.

Also stepping on the court in 2007-08 will be 6-foot-8 sophomore Clark Gordon, who spent last season improving his skills on the JV team. Gordon will add rebounding prowess in the coming year.

Rejoining the Tigers is Gyan Alexander, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard, who sat out last season with a broken foot. He looks to regain his form as one of the top defenders in the SCIAC.

After battling knee injuries in the last two seasons, two 6-foot-6 forwards, Sasich and Hunt, are healthy and ready to go for their senior campaign. Sasich averaged 12 points per game and 6 rebounds per game in 2005, while Hunt is an active rebounder and explosive perimeter shooter.

A deep, talented bench will help the Tigers prepare for the first annual SCIAC Post-Season Tournament. The senior leadership stems from Meier and Impelman. The pair of forwards add depth on the front line. In limited action, Impelman was perfect from the field (5-5), while Meier grabbed 14 rebounds last season.

Absorbing the loss of four starters (much of the offensive production) to graduation is never easy. However, the seven Oxy seniors are determined to defend their 2007 SCIAC title and return to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in six years, continuing the Oxy winning tradition.

The Tigers finished last season ranked No. 26 in the nation. Newhall enters his 20th season and is cautiously optimistic.

Pre-season is history--now it is on to the show. Oxy played three intra-squad scrimmages and three exhibition games in preparation for the upcoming season. Monday night Oxy wrapped things up with a 75-51 victory over the Afghanistan National Team in Rush Gymnasium. On Nov. 4, Occidental lost a close 71-62 game to Division I University of San Diego. The team also played well against Glendale College. Whitman led the charge, posting 29, 24 and 21 points in the three pre-season games.

With their leadership on and off the court, the Tigers will be exciting to watch in 2007-08. The season tips off at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Nov. 16,  at West Coast Baptist.

[LogShow]

La Verne has the Loggers tonight.  Should be an interesting matchup.  Talked to some people that watched the Leos play yesterday...said they play pretty hard.  We'll see how it all plays out tonight

[Browneagle64]

Sounds like Coach Reed has his young Leo team playing physical B-ball this year. Which is good. However, i think your Loggers will take this game away from the Leo's tonight L.S. by a long shot.

[SnowLeopard]

Sounds like Coach Reed has his young Leo team playing physical B-ball this year. Which is good. However, i think your Loggers will take this game away from the Leo's tonight L.S. by a long shot.

i think your Loggers will take this game away from the Leo's tonight L.S. by a long shot.

UPS is one of the top three NWC teams. La Verne is going to get worked.

OxyBob

Cool. Thanks for the SCIAC love! 

[Browneagle64]

Just got back from APU. Unfortunately the men in orange and black had costly turnovers and a lot of fouls through out the game. Both oxy and 8th ranked (N.A.I.A) APU battled well in the first 30 mins, but eventually, mental mistakes got in the way for the tigers. Even though the score was 79 to 57, i still feel that the tigers will learn from their mistakes,improve and be solid once SCIAC games start.

btw, APU has a real nice Gym.