MBB: Little East

Argylebballer · February 26, 2011, 10:47:37 PM

Ya from RIC thanks to all that made it a great season, now we hope to defend the LEC all NCAA Tourny. RIC has been looking better and better all years, peaking at the right time

UMDCorsairKatz · February 26, 2011, 11:12:33 PM

Another GREAT LEC season! Props to RIC, wish them well in the tourny, hope they show the nation how tough the LEC is!

Even if it was a disappointing season for my Corsairs we gave it all we had until the final buzzer sounded. A special hats off to #32 Brandon Stephens who gave everything he had for 4 years at UMASSD, his intensity and passion will be missed.

Great season guys! Can't wait until next year!

7express · February 27, 2011, 12:19:17 AM

RIC 62-49?? over Eastern. Didn't see it as I was in Danbury, but RIC has peaked at the right time. They could cause teams some trouble. I wouldn't put it past them to be playing next Friday/Saturday night. I wish them luck, hopefully they can take the flag for the conference and run with it. Hopefully both Western women/RIC men can be playing on the second weekend or longer.

LECFAN32 · February 27, 2011, 01:31:13 AM

was very surprised to see how uninspired western came out.. even thought it was close throughout the first half they were relying totally on brooks, and eastern was very crisp and discipline on offense leading to a large amount of easy layups... coach campbell prides his teams on pressure defense and at times this year that has been evident.. however tonight it looked like a bad matchup zone not even hinting at hedging on most occasions.

I had heard as early as january that this team was having major internal problems. however regardless of how they finished the tournament which from all indications the last couple of years doesnt reflect much.. 21-5 and some big wins against regionally and nationally ranked teams would leave me to believe that they should get in as opposed to some teams with very similar records in lesser leagues (aka becker as an example). I hope they cget to put another banner up in feldman arena .. coach campbell deserves it.

wcsu91 · February 27, 2011, 01:39:29 AM

@lecfan32 do you know what kind of major internal problems western was having? Just curious to know what happened to this team that looked like they were going to be unstoppable.

7express · February 27, 2011, 02:06:32 AM

@WCSU

Heard from one of the players at the game tonight that he got into a fight on the bus ride to Boston, not sure what the other problems were, but they've been there for a while. The win against WPI back in December gets this team into the tournament more then likely whether they players like it or not (from all indications they don't). They have the talent to compete with the best teams in the county, but right now it looks like they could lose to Cal Tech if they played tomorrow.

WcsuAlum · February 27, 2011, 03:41:40 PM

Haven't been on here in a while and I've been watching the games online wondering what's been going on with these guys and now I'm seeing it was internal issues? I still think were counting Westconn out too early. Remember that teams in the Little East see eachother night in and night out. They beat up on eachother, recognize the plays, know the tendencies of almost all the players. You throw Western into the NCAAs versus teams that haven't played them at all and they are bound to make noise. Let's just pray that they get the oppurtunity.

7express · February 27, 2011, 04:03:16 PM

With MIT blowing out WPI in the NEWMAC final that leaves West Conn in a precarious posistion, basically their taking the spot I had RIC going into the LEC tournament which was they'll be one of the last few in or one of the first few out whichever way the committee goes. Here's my rundown of pool C bids (locks, should be in, squarely on the bubble, wrong side of the bubble):

Locks (no matter what happens in the remaining conference tournament games, these teams will be in the tournament:
Williams
Amherst
Virginia Wesleyan
~~St. Thomas (if they lose to Gustavus Adolphus in the MIAC final)~~
~~Randolph-Macon (if they lose to Randolph in the ODAC final)~~
Oswego state
WPI

Should be in, probably will be:
Wisconsin-River Falls
Ramapo
Becker
Wittenberg
Concordia (WI)

Squarely on the bubble:
West Conn
Wabash
Carleton
Eastern Mennonnite
~~Franklin & Marshall (if they lose in Centennial final)~~
Ithaca
Kean
Theil
~~Centre (if they lose to DePauw in the SCAC final)~~
Texas-Dallas
~~Manchester (if they lose in HCAC final)~~
Ferrum
Whitman
Rust
Gwynedd-Mercy
Keystone
Penn state-Behrend

Wrong side of the bubble (need a miracle to get a NCAA bid):
Eastern Connecticut
Hobart
Stevens
Emory
Brandeis
Plattsburgh state
Webster
St. Joseph's (LI)
Mount St. Mary (could move both of those Skyline teams to the bubble if you want)
John Carroll
Salem state
RPI
Catholic
Coe
Hanover (with loss to Manchester in HCAC final)
Maryville
DeSales
Illinois Wesleyan
Wheaton
Wesley
loser of ASC final (McMurry vs. Mary Hardin Baylor)

Note- Chapman is all but guaranteed to snag the lone pool B bid, and the order of teams squarely on the bubble is in random order but I'd have to say Wabash, Eastern Mennonnite & Carleton are the 3 teams that have the most to lose (if the 2 favorites in the MIAC & ODAC go down, I think you can take Wabash and Carleton off the list and place them on the wrong side of the bubble list)

Ferrum lost in OT to NC Wesleyan so we can add them to a growing bubble list, their probably not good enough to make it. Neither was Manchester, but they won their tournament so they don't have to worry.

St. Thomas wins to save a pool C for someone, R-MC is up 37-20 just starting the second half they look to be doing the same. Franklin & Marshall wins the Centennial to get in.

Final from Salem, VA as Randolph-Macon clinches the AQ from the ODAC and saves a bid for someone as they were an NCAA lock regardless. Only 1 final remains and thats the E-8 final St. John Fisher @ Hartwick. Neither makes it via pool C, Ithaca only team in the conference with pool C chances.

Centre beats DePauw for the SCAC auto bid. They were a bubble team with a loss.

nescac1 · February 28, 2011, 10:16:27 AM

A few random thoughts while waiting for the brackets:

N. Thompson is indeed a tremendous perimeter defender, I think he does the best job on Wang of anyone ... certainly, it is night and day what Wang can do vs. him than vs. Amherst. Of course, having the big guys behind him (especially Locke) helps as well, but Thompson I do imagine is among the best one-on-one perimeter defenders in the country. The only guy I've seen who can compete with him is Krull on Stevens Points, not as quick but much bigger, can guard pretty much anyone on the floor, reminded me a lot of former Eph John Botti when I saw him. I imagine there are others as well that we in the northeast just haven't seen.

Davis did an excellent job on Troy as well -- I imagine they are VERY familiar with each other's games, since they were in the same league in high school so have been going head to head for 7-8 years. But Locke also guarded Troy effectively a lot, and really the combo of Locke/Sharry/Davis together makes Midd very tough to score on inside. Midd paid a LOT of attention to him, packing the lane leading to open looks that the Ephs' just didn't hit. Williams hasn't really been shooting tremendously from three for a few weeks now, and in order to go far in the tourney they need to turn that around, because with so much attention on Wang and Troy, they will continue to get good looks from deep.

Troy's dunk was indeed insane. I hope someone can post a video eventually.

Like Toad I was very impressed that Williams went toe-to-toe with Midd on the boards, especially the offensive boards. Williams is a better defensive and rebounding team than last year, although not nearly the same in terms of shooting. Other than Troy and Nate none of the Ephs jump out individually as defenders, but they play tremendous team defense. If Klemm, Rooke-Ley, Epley, Emerson and Dodson (or at least 3/5 from that group in any given game) can consistently hit open shots, Williams will be very tough to beat.

wcsu91 · February 28, 2011, 11:25:31 AM

Happy to see the projected bracket on D3Hoops has Western hosting a first round game. Hope it comes true. Still think they can be a very dangerous team in the NCAA Tourney if they can pull it together and play as a team. Lets see what happens at 1:00 pm today when the real bracket comes out.

ECSUalum · February 28, 2011, 11:32:26 AM

Yes WCSU, I agree, Coach Campbell is a great coach, and hopefully can get the boys together, to play well, and make all our LEC fans proud. Come on WCSU, go out and do some NCAA Tourney damage!!!!

7express · February 28, 2011, 01:39:40 PM

Brackets out, here's what the LEC gets.

RIC goes out to Oswego state to play pool C invite Penn state-Behrend. They finished 23-4 (2 losses to La Roche) finished second in the AMCC behind La Roche and lost the AMCC title game to La Roche by 2. Winner of that gets the Oswego state Wells (NEAC winner in overtime over PS-Harrisburg) winner on Saturday. Word to the wise going up to Oswego, bring a boot and a shovel in the car with you, weather is nasty there in upstate New York and Oswego is right on the lake. If there's a snowstorm you could get stuck there.

West Conn gets in, they will host Salve Regina on Thursday. Salve finished 17-10, 5th in the The Commonwealth Coast conference but upset #1 seed Anna maria in the TCCC semi's and #2 seedn Wentworth in the finals in overtime. Don't know much about them, but someone I went to school with played there but he graduated a couple years ago. Winner of that goes on to Middlebury on Saturday who received a bye. At least we got in the tournament and we got a home game, so I'm psyched. Too bad they announced us last though, lots of anxious moments here, especially when they put Illinois Wesleyan on the screen.

wcsu91 · February 28, 2011, 01:45:54 PM

YES!!! Western gets in and gets a home game!!! Now is the time to get hot and roll. Physched for the Home game on Thursday. Lets pack the ONeil Center and make some noise and see Western go deep in the dance. Turn the season around right now. GO WESTERN BABY!!!!!!!!

7express · February 28, 2011, 01:54:18 PM

Quote from: wcsu91 on February 28, 2011, 01:45:54 PM
YES!!! Western gets in and gets a home game!!! Now is the time to get hot and roll. Physched for the Home game on Thursday. Lets pack the ONeil Center and make some noise and see Western go deep in the dance. Turn the season around right now. GO WESTERN BABY!!!!!!!!

I honestly believe this team is more then capable of winning @ Mid if their playing as a team. They just have to start playing team ball again. Hopefully this bid gives them second life and they start to play as a team again.

wcsu91 · February 28, 2011, 02:18:36 PM

@ 7Express
I agree with you. If they are on their game and play D they can beat anybody in the Country. Hopefully this will give them new life, they can wipe the slate clean, forget about what has gone on the last month and play the way they played the first 20 games. Do you know if they beat Middlebury, Do they have a chance of coming back to the ONeil center to host a sectional? SInce you are still a student there do what you can to spread the word the get every student to come to the game on Thursday night,please. Thanks!!!!