MBB: United East Conference

WNYHoops · September 26, 2007, 04:51:05 PM

Tough loss for the NEAC, great for D'Youville. At least they are giving the NEAC some time to replace them. Boy, just when SUNYIT and Cobleskill come in to give some more legitimacy to this league, it takes another hit. D'Youville better be prepared to step it up some moving to the AMCC. They did not compete well last year in the NEAC, and most would agree the AMCC is better overall. As someone who follows college basketball in Western New York, I love the idea of Hilbert, Medaille and DYC all being in the same league again. The rivalry will be even better and the games more meaningful. The AMCC now has 5 schools of its 11 located in WNY and Northwestern PA. The big question is ... will they come courting Keuka and Caz too??

Back to the courts, how is pre-season going with some of the NEAC schools? I read some about Caz and their impressive big guys, and about the coaching change at Keuka. Anything else happening in the pre-season??

bballfan44 · September 26, 2007, 05:22:25 PM

Well I am not surprised that D'Youville is leaving the NEAC because they have the longest to travel when it comes to playing most of the other schools. But good luck to them in the future.

Well i heard that PBU lost their big man for the year, whcih hurts them because he was the bes tplayer on the team. BBC should be good, they only lost two guys, Petrovich and Clarke, Clarke is a big loss for them cause he was one of there top scores but i have a feeling they will fill that up. Keystone only returned only 5 players, edwards is one but they got nothing else. Should be a good year.

And don't worry about the NEAC with their teams, the word is they will be adding two more schools from New York that are in another league that will help the NEAC out.

WNYHoops · September 27, 2007, 09:31:12 AM

You are right about the travel issue. D'Youville was by far the most Western school and had to make long trips to almost everyone.

Big news about PBU. Their big guy was one of the top players in the league last year. They had a little guard that shot lights out against DYC the game I saw last year ... but he was a senior. D'Youville stayed in a zone and the kid lit them up. Hit about 7 3's. Their big guy (can't remember his name) was only a soph I believe and one of the all-league players. Did he transfer??

And how did you hear about Clarke at BBC. He was one of their top players too. On paper they have the best team with most returning from 18 wins last year. I would call them the favorite going into the season with powerhouses like Villa Julie and Chestnut Hill gone now. Keuka lost a lot (including their coach), but Caz sounds like they might be tough. DYC will be better, but how can they be any worse? I also don't think Greg French is at D'Youville this year. He played with them over the summer, but rumor is he is not attending classes. Not sure what the problem is. Maybe he did not get admitted. My source says everyone else I saw this summer is playing in their open gyms including Chuck Walker and Derrick Ware ... 2 possible all-league guys. They also got two guys from Virginia my buddy tells me can really play.

bballfan44 · September 27, 2007, 12:01:24 PM

Well the big guy from PBU hurt his knee, most likely out for the year, word is he might red shirt. I played in the league so i become friends with a bunch of people that played in the league and a couple that still play in the league so I always hear a few things.

Keuka is in a rebuilding year but from what I hear they have two transfers that are going to try and lead the team this year. One is a 6'2" shooter and the other is a 6'5" post player. The shooter is know for his long rang shooting, and the big guy i hear from is JUCO days is a beast on the boards. But they lost alot and will need alot to help them out.

I think this year the league is up in the air, with BBC leading the way since they return, there top 3 big men in O'Keefe, Penley, and workman. Less then three weeks till the first practice. It should be a good year.

bballfan44 · October 08, 2007, 03:58:20 PM

Caz looks to have a tough schedule this year

Non- League games---Home against Medaille, Oswego, Clarkson, Utica, and Hobart
Away against Alfred, St. John Fisher, SUNY IT, Skidmore, Morrisville.

Then they got all there league games.....looks like it could be a tough year.

haterinthehouse · October 10, 2007, 08:08:46 PM

Keuka always has a chance, they dont have any academic standards. It might as well be a four year junior college

bballfan44 · October 11, 2007, 12:36:46 PM

Only a few more days till practice starts. ANybody got any new news before the 2007-2008 year kicks off

WNYHoops · October 11, 2007, 03:16:39 PM

I had posted earlier that Greg French is NOT at D'Youville this semester. That might hurt the Spartans some. But I am told the open gym runs have been good. Some of the Buff State guys have been going down to DYC to play. Derrick Ware could be the best point guard in the NEAC this year. He is electric on the floor, from what I saw this summer. The Spartans are athletic on the wings. There are two frosh from Virginia Coach Miller brought in. One is a long, 6-2 guard and the other is smaller but shoots the lights out! Add in JUCO transfer Charles Walker from NCCC and retuners like Kowalski and Butler, and D'Youville might surprise. They are the only team in Western New York and so I don't have any info on other teams from this league. I do know Medaille has a lot of talent coming in with everyone returning, Hilbert has arguably the area's best DIII player (Dallas Reinard) and Buff State is athletic as anybody with local boy Santo Lamar from Maryvale HS looking to have a breakout year.

Caz schedule does look tough. Being right in the middle of the state, they can probably schedule teams from all over since they will be fairly close to everyone. And ease up on the Keuka academics haterinthehouse. Everyone needs SOMEPLACE to go to school.

hooplafan · October 13, 2007, 11:23:40 PM

Hater,

Don't make reckless generalizations. I don't see ANY Ivy league members in the NEAC. If anything, being a strong academic institute would probably help athletics (and recruiting) with schools in this conference.

bballfan44 · October 17, 2007, 06:29:49 PM

Keystone is the first team to put up there 2007-2008 Roster.

http://www.keystone.edu/athletics/teams/roster.dot?teamId=74054

Lot of new guys

bballfan44 · October 19, 2007, 05:09:53 PM

BBC is leaving the NEAC, looks like they are losing everyone. Teams should look to join other leagues.

haterinthehouse · October 19, 2007, 09:24:16 PM

I agree, however, if we look at the formation and configuration of the NEAC, it is made up of a bunch of small schools that nobody else wanted in a conference, thus they formed a reject conference.

This so-called conference has no niche. No academic standards or praise, and where is the athletic tradition. Most of these schools should form a new NCAA level, maybe Division 4

bballfan44 · October 20, 2007, 09:35:38 AM

Well why don't you calm down haterinthehouse. The reason they didn't have anything like academic standards is because the Bible schools don't have any and don't plan on having any. So with them now gone the league will be changing and will turn into a better league.

WNYHoops · October 24, 2007, 10:00:17 AM

Pretty quiet in here lately. The BBC news is pretty big for the league. At least D'Youville gave the NEAC another year to find a replacement. BBC is bolting next season. From what I understand, the academic standards at all these schools is pretty similar. The each have a specialty ... like DYC with PT and nursing and Keuka with their field experiences. So to say the Bible schools have lower academic standards I think is unfair.

More importantly, has anyone got any news on the teams now that practice has started?? I did see the post on Keystone's roster going up, any other gossip. Scrimmages should be starting soon.

bballfan44 · October 24, 2007, 10:21:44 AM

Actually the NEAC has always wanted to set academic standards for the league but the Two bible schools said if the league tried to enforce the rules on them they would leave. So the league never set any standards. But now with them both leaving the league might set some.

I see caz put there roster up but seems that no one else but them and keystone have