MBB: Little East

[ECSUalum]

You look at WCSU's basketball program sort of like ECSU's baseball program. RIC program with Coach Walsh also something to be proud of!!! Class players, class facilities, class coaches.
Whoever wins the LEC tourney, we will be rooting for to get deep into the NCAA tournament.

RIC did a great job last year and I think even though the NESCAC teams are highly ranked, they will take LEC winner VERY seriously.  Look what happened last year when RIC kicked Williams' butt.

Exciting year in LEC basketball coming to an end with some great prospects for the future. I think in near future an LEC team could be in the National Title game.

Congrats in advance to the LEC winner, it will be a great tournament!!!!

[amh63]

RIC can test its chances in the post season by setting up a home game with Amherst soon.  The weather postponed game with Amherst is still TBD.  Remaining dates are dimmishing.

[ECSUalum]

anh63,

Have always been a big fan of what I call the "little Ivy League".  Also great coaches, players and facilities, but only after they get past the LEC Tourney winner of course!!!.

I wonder if RIC or WCSU would give Amherst the tougher game.  Daquan Brooks would have to play with Western for the match-up to be interesting.  He apparently got into some trouble with the Coach Campbell recently so hopefully that issue has been resolved

Big advantage the top NESCAC team have over the past few years seem to be big athletic forwards.  When playing well, hard to stop!!  Yes, would be nice to see RIC and Amherst go head to head before the end of season, but I think its unlikely now.

[7express]

Here's the schedule for Tuesday, any predictions??
Keene @ Plymouth 7:30
Dartmouth @ RIC 7:30
Boston @ Southern Maine 7:30
Eastern @ Western 7:30

I'll take Plymouth over Keene by a 67-62 score.  Keene's looked unimpressive to me.  Sure, they have beaten Western twice, but then the game after winning @ Western they gave up 106 at home to Dartmouth, and also lost at home later that same month to 4 win WNEC (but they had 2 wins when they played).  Plymouth starts 5 seniors and could still end up in the 4 spot, but they have to win this game to get there.
Dartmouth 66 @ RIC 74.  Even though Dartmouth beat them at home, can't see them winning on the road.  RIC is starting to play well, and thats a bad sign for the conferene.  Think Dartmouth will play them well, but not enough to get the win.
Boston 65 @ Southern Maine 69.  Two teams playing out the string on their season.  USM has lost 9 straight, but their only conference win is against RIC, I think you can add Boston to that as well.
Eastern 73 @ Western 71.  Hopefully I'm wrong, but I have to look at this from a neutral perspective instead of wearing Colonial colored glasses to look at this matchup, and Eastern has been playing better then us lately.  Plus, I think they need to win here to have any chance at hosting the tournament.  Both Eastern and Western finish with relatively easy games (and I say easy compared to what RIC finishes with) and Eastern hosts Southern Maine to end the year, Western travels to Boston to end the year, while RIC has to take that long drive up to Plymouth, NH to end the season against Plymouth state.  Any East Conn fans comming to Danbury for the game??

[7express]

I wonder if RIC or WCSU would give Amherst the tougher game.
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We have the quickness to match them.  Stopped in Amherst on my way to Plymouth state last week, and saw Amherst play Tufts.  Tufts hung with them for the first half before Amherst's speed ruined any chance of a possible upset.  I don't think it'll be as big of a blowout as people think.

[amh63]

Have seen several RIC vs Amherst games in the past....including one live at Amherst in a NCAA game several years past.  It seems that RIC does schedule games with nescac teams quite often.....more so than say WCSU in Danbury.  RIC teams are often tough to beat at home.    Still hoping for a game soon.....Amherst needs to improve its SOS.....and therefore its regional rankings.

[warrior]

7express - My wife and I will definitely be there!  My dad lives nearby, so he'll be there as well. (At 93, the world's oldest Eastern fan I'm guessing!)  It should be an incredible game and I'm guessing the gym will be packed for senior night!  Can't wait!   

[7express]

7express - My wife and I will definitely be there!  My dad lives nearby, so he'll be there as well. (At 93, the world's oldest Eastern fan I'm guessing!)  It should be an incredible game and I'm guessing the gym will be packed for senior night!  Can't wait!   

West Conn is mainly a commuter school, so we don't draw well which is really sad.  For the RIC game I think there were only like 400+ people there, and virtually no students.  Most of the student body consisted of the football team, softball team & baseball team, but not much else.   I'm a commuter student, probably commute the furthest out of commuter students (I come from Trumbull which is about a 45 minute drive....................if I'm lucky) and I make it a point to go to every game, even the games on the road.  I did the Southern Maine & Plymouth state road trips, and I made it a point not to schedule Tuesday night classes because thats when the games are, lol.  It just sucks because these students don't show up during the season at all, then come a time we get to host an NCAA game, the whole student body will come out like they've been there the whole year which couldn't be further from the truth.  Plus I'd lose my seat as well, which would be a guaranteed loss  .   When Keene state came down here during winter break, they brought more students then I've seen at a West Conn game.

I forgot which section it is (I'll check during my gym class and post it on here when I'm down at Feldman arean tomorrow), but its opposite the benches, first section closest to the concession stand with a full row of seats.  In that section I'm usually in the first row and the first seat on the aise, come say hello if you want.  Depending on traffic and what not (because its horrendus the way I come from, ALL back roads right at rush hour), I usually get there 20 to 30 minutes before the start of the womens game.

[KSCfan]

It was good to see Keene knock off Western and tighten the pack a little bit at the top of the conference.  I was away this weekend and didnt get a chance to see the game between Western and Keene.  That is a tough break about Western losing Brooks for the game.  I have said all year that Keene is a dangerous team to play.  They are very streaky right now.  I think that reflects their young age.  I have seen times in the year when they are as good as Western and RIC and Eastern, and i have seen times when they have looked just terrible.  I dont know how they will look in the tournament, it depends really on which Keene team shows up.  Keene tends to rise their game during the conference tournament, and I really think you could see Keene make a run to the finals of the conference, espically if they can control the tempo of the game.  Anyway you cut it, its going to be a great conference tournament. 

7express- thats tough that Western doesnt really draw for games.  I would think that a good team like that would really pull fans in.  Espically cause their is not a lot to do in Danbury, i guess being a commuter school hurts.  If you ever get the chance road trip up to Keene State for a game.  I was a student( played baseball) from 2004-2007 and the gym used to be PACKED every time for games.  Keene really suppourts athletics, as most of the student body will show up for games.  Now that I am living in CT i only get to go to a couple of games a year, and watch most of them or listen to them on the webcast.   But, the couple i went to this year had the bleachers opposite the benches filled with keene students that get pretty rowdy.  Espcially if its a conference tournament of NCAA game.  Since Keene cant hold the tournament i was kinda hoping for Eastern to host as I live ten minutes away for the evil empire

Also keene had three teams in the regional rankings, what are the chances of the LEC getting two or three teams into the NCAA.  You would think that if Western or RIC wins the other one would have a good shot at an at-large. Possibly Eastern as well.  I know that the NESCAC will get 2 or 3 teams prob.  The more LEC teams in the better!

[KSCfan]

I meant LEC had three teams in the regional rankings, sorry

[7express]

KSC fan, Spaulding is a great gym Keene really packs the fans in, its a great atmosphere there.  Went up as a neutral observer for the Eastern Keene game in January, and I was up there this past weekend for the West Conn game as well.   Should be good next year with 0 seniors on the roster, Spaulding would be crazy I bet if the Owls ever hosted the LEC semi's and finals.

As for 2 teams in the NCAA tournament, that will be kind of tough, considering there's only 18 pool C spots availible and the NESCAC will more then likely take 2 of those 18, so your looking at only 16 spots availible.  NCAC will probably send at least 2 along with the WIAC, so know its done to 14 availible spots.  Just root for the favorites in other conferences; the more the favorites win in conferences where the conference winner is in regardless, the more likely the LEC has at sending multiple bids.  As it is, I'd say the winner of the East Conn vs. West Conn game has the best chance for a pool C bid, but I think they'd have to make it to the finals, where they'd more then likely have to go through the same team again.  RIC has too many road losses, and that loss to Southern Maine really hurts them.  RIC needs to get that game rescheduled with Amherst to help their causes, as it is, I think its winning the LEC tournament the only way RIC gets in.

[7express]

Eastern West Conn gameday.  Did some number crunching last night and the loser of this game can start making reservations for a game next Tuesday night.  Even though East Conn and West Conn  fans will be rooting against each other tonight, we can root in unison for a Dartmouth upset of RIC; an RIC win in that game and they can do no worse then the 2 seed.  An RIC win and an Eastern loss, Eastern is locked in at #3 no matter what happens on Saturday.  Loser of this game tonight, no matter what happens in the RIC/Dartmouth game is officially eliminated from hosting the LEC semi's and finals, so a lot riding tonight in Danbury.

For anyone's that interested, West Conn women clinch the #1 seed in the LEC tournament with a win over Eastern tonight.

[wcsu91]

Huge came tonight between Westeren and Eastern.  Looking for Western to bounce back after a 2 game skid. Will have Brooks back tonight to light up the scoreboard. The team as a whole has to come out ready to play and be aggresive. If Western can win these last 2, I like our chances of hosting the LEC Tournament. Hoping Dartmoutn knocks of RIC tonight or they have to travel to Plymouth on Saturday for a tough game. SHould be exciting.

[wcsu91]

@ 7 Express:

Do you know who wins the tiebreaker if Western and RIC finish tied for first?

[ECSUalum]

See below article:

http://nutmeg.easternct.edu/mt-static/athletics/2011/02/little-east-littleeast-mobi-debuts-tonight.html

Little East Conference TV will now provide access to broadcasts on smartphones etc!!!