MBB: Little East

[ECSUalum]

Baptiste and UMD just did not show up tonight. Baptiste with no time outs after RIC runs.  Why don't you hand the game to RIC on a silver platter?  Horrible game!!  70-54 RIC with 5 min left

Maybe he forgot the rules and thinks the timeouts carry over into next year??

Starting to think WCSU should be playing in the finals tonight, as I think they could have beat RIC in Willi yesterday.
7, The Colonials are going to be very good next year. Kendal Marquez is going to be huge for Western by the time he is a senior... a very talented young man!!!
He played inspired last night in front of his home town fans.

[ECSUalum]

Got out hustled and out defensed tonight!!!!!!!!!  Congrats to Coach Walsh and the Anchormen on their LEC Championship, you were the better team tonight.

[pjunito]

Here's hoping for a Pool C bid ECSUalum! I want to see a third CT school in the NCAAs. East Conn has always been a good group and I know they always play hard.

[ECSUalum]

Here's hoping for a Pool C bid ECSUalum! I want to see a third CT school in the NCAAs. East Conn has always been a good group and I know they always play hard.

Thanks pj,
RIC played outstanding defense tonight, (like Coach Walsh teaches all his teams), and completely shut down Brian Salzillo, (3 pts) and caused too many Warrior TOs.  I hope Eastern gets in and plays better that tonight.
Congrats to the Falcons on their GNAC championship.  If the AM plays well they could go deep.   Will be fun to see them covered by WTNH Channel 8, who has also done a nice job covering D-II Southern Connecticut State Univ. as well!!  Go Falcons!!!!

[7express]

I still think Eastern is in pretty good shape to get in, especially with all that happened in the New England today with all the teams around Eastern losing as well.  Babson at #3 got dropped by #7 Springfield and #5 WPI loses at home to unranked MIT by 16 or 18.   I still think Babson will be in front of Eastern, but no way should WPI jump them.  Eastern lost to a better team by less points.  Since Eastern is now officially a bubble team, I'll try to have a bubble breakdown at sometime tomorrow night or Monday morning before the selections when all conferences have officially crowned a champion.  But without going over a lost, I'd say Eastern is probably #12 or #13 selected.  Outside of the first 5 or so locks (Whitewater/Stevens Point loser, Amherst/Williams loser, St. Thomas should they lose to St. Olaf, Illinois Wesleyan (down by double digits at last check), Wesley) there's a whole bunch of extremely flawed teams throughout the country this year, so the final 14 or 15 selections for Pool C's could go in any direction.

[pjunito]

I agree 7, I think East Conn should be no worst than #4 in final rankings. And the number 3 team representing NE in Pool C. I know Turn-overs have concerned you all year long ECSU; they really need to clean that up. Can't give away possessions.

Hopefully, they don't get sent too far away, so you can watch them play live.

Thanks for the well wishes. And yes, SCSU is doing a great job as well! Good year for New Haven basketball.

[Hugenerd]

I still think Eastern is in pretty good shape to get in, especially with all that happened in the New England today with all the teams around Eastern losing as well.  Babson at #3 got dropped by #7 Springfield and #5 WPI loses at home to unranked MIT by 16 or 18.   I still think Babson will be in front of Eastern, but no way should WPI jump them. Eastern lost to a better team by less points.  Since Eastern is now officially a bubble team, I'll try to have a bubble breakdown at sometime tomorrow night or Monday morning before the selections when all conferences have officially crowned a champion.

Going to have to disagree with you there.  MIT beat RIC by 16 earlier in the season.

[7express]

Sat results:

RIC gets in the NCAAs with a 71-60 victory over Eastern.  RIC with a balanced scoring attack: Eric Alleyne lead them with 19, but Victor Smith had 17 and Chris Burton was in double figures with 12.  For the Warriors, Trachone Preston finished with 23, and Mike Garrow had 17 points and 10 rebounds.  Bob Walsh did an excellent job for Brian Salzillo today: 3 points on 1-10 shooting from the floor, and a big deal why Eastern could never get any sort of big, significant run going like they had in Providence, so RIC got in front early like they needed to do, and held the Warriors in check with mini runs, but never gave them a big run to get the crowd into it.  RIC gets the auto bid, but Eastern should get a bid too.

105-40.

RIC and likely Eastern will be hearing their upcoming opponents for the NCAA tournament on Monday.  Eastern did declare for the ECACs as far as I know so if they get left out of the field, they should be the #1 seed in the New England region and would have all games @ Geissler Gymnasium.  Dartmouth & Western didn't declare (don't understand why, both have young teams that could use the extra practice and experience), Plymouth did declare and the other 3 teams aren't eligible with losing records, but none of them declared anyways.  Depending on how many of the NE teams get into the NCAAs (Nichols lost in the CCC title game to put them in the ECACs while Husson, and Mitchell won their conferences to put the in the NCAAs and Springfield plays later today sitting squarely on the bubble), Plymouth may or may not get an invite.  RIC and likely Eastern will get their opponents for the NCAAs Monday afternoon, the ECAC field should be finalized by Monday evening since those games start Wednesday.

[ECSUalum]

Last night in Willi I saw Chris Robitaille at the game and this morning it reminded me of the lack of an Warrior inside game last night.  Hugh Lindo played his heart out yesterday, but Eastern had no real post player and conversely nobody could stop Victor Smith, who is a big strong center/forward. The freshman Brandon Kuczenski was guarding him most of the game together with Lindo. but both had real difficulty with his strength and quickness. David Canny never entered the game last night, which surprised me as I think he might have had the muscle to prevent him from scoring some of his points.
Again, Coach Walsh had the RIC swarming defense of old in operation last night and caused havoc with ECSU's play structure. To me it was a completely different Anchorman team than what I watched in the regular season.
Unfortunately, Eastern again needed Salzillo to compliment points from Preston and Garrow, but Brian was well contained.  Turnovers and lack of focus on defense at times was Eastern's ultimate downfall.
As I mentioned on this thread a month or so ago, I was worried about having to beat Walsh's RIC squad a third time in the LEC tournament, hence, my concerns were proven last night. 

Coach Walsh ALWAYS has his team ready for the LEC's especially against the Warriors!!!!!  Good Luck to the Anchormen in the NCAA's

BTW, 7express, another great year leading the LEC discussion on this and the women's LEC thread, Looking forward to Western back on top of the LEC next year fighting for a top spot!!

[warriorcat]

The following teams are still listed as declared for the ECAC's as of 2/28

Eastern Conn              22-6
Springfield                   20-6
Nichols                        22-6
Elms                            15-12
Salve Regina               17-10
Johnson and Wales     20-7
Endicott                       17-9
Castleton                     19-8
Lasell                           16-11
Plymouth St                 13-13
Colby Sawyer              14-11

Springfield and Eastern CT are both still under consideration for the NCAA but would be locks for the ECAC if they do not make the tournament.

RIC and likely Eastern will be hearing their upcoming opponents for the NCAA tournament on Monday.  Eastern did declare for the ECACs as far as I know so if they get left out of the field, they should be the #1 seed in the New England region and would have all games @ Geissler Gymnasium.  Dartmouth & Western didn't declare (don't understand why, both have young teams that could use the extra practice and experience), Plymouth did declare and the other 3 teams aren't eligible with losing records, but none of them declared anyways.  Depending on how many of the NE teams get into the NCAAs (Nichols lost in the CCC title game to put them in the ECACs while Husson, and Mitchell won their conferences to put the in the NCAAs and Springfield plays later today sitting squarely on the bubble), Plymouth may or may not get an invite.  RIC and likely Eastern will get their opponents for the NCAAs Monday afternoon, the ECAC field should be finalized by Monday evening since those games start Wednesday.

[Bengalsrule]

Here's hoping for a Pool C bid ECSUalum! I want to see a third CT school in the NCAAs. East Conn has always been a good group and I know they always play hard.

+1!!

[AllStar]

Rhode Island College gets to host York (NY) in their opening round NCAA game, with the winner drawing Amherst at Amherst.  I can see RIC beating York but I think they will be eliminated by Amherst.  The two teams have seen each other earlier this year (Amherst won by 20).

Eastern Connecticut draws Husson from the NAC, with the game being held at Plattsburgh State.  I like the Warriors to potentially win the first game, but the second game (particularly if it is a true road game against Plattsburgh) I think may be the end.  Although I guess the Cardinals were playing without a few starters in the SUNYAC championship game vs. Brockport (worth keeping an eye on) and they draw MIT in the first round.  This is the second straight year Husson (located in Bangor, Maine) has to make the trip over to Plattsburgh for the NCAAs.

[7express]

Rhode Island College gets to host York (NY) in their opening round NCAA game, with the winner drawing Amherst at Amherst.  I can see RIC beating York but I think they will be eliminated by Amherst.  The two teams have seen each other earlier this year (Amherst won by 20).

Eastern Connecticut draws Husson from the NAC, with the game being held at Plattsburgh State.  I like the Warriors to potentially win the first game, but the second game (particularly if it is a true road game against Plattsburgh) I think may be the end.  Although I guess the Cardinals were playing without a few starters in the SUNYAC championship game vs. Brockport (worth keeping an eye on) and they draw MIT in the first round.  This is the second straight year Husson (located in Bangor, Maine) has to make the trip over to Plattsburgh for the NCAAs.

Yup.   I think RIC gets York at home in the Murray Center, but no chance they beat Amherst @ Amherst.  Plattsburgh/Eastern could go either way, but I'm guessing Plattsburgh's slightly better AND their at home, so they'll probably get the edge.  Haven't even looked at a bracket yet though, so tough to say.

[warriorcat]

It could be a similar scenario as it was two years ago for Eastern CT.  They played Medaille in the first round, a team with a gaudy record from a weak conference, and then played the host school, Oswego, who had been unbeatable on their home court for two years.  ECSU won in double OT on a desperation 3 point shot at the buzzer by Brian Salzillo.

Warrior fans can only hope that history repeats itself.

[7express]

Plymouth state with the #8 seed in the ECAC New England tournament.

http://www.ecacsports.com/sports/winter/mbkb/Championships/DivisionIII/2014/MBB_NERegionSeedings

Beating Nichols at Nichols will be a pretty tough task.  Ryan Sheehan is a GREAT player for Nichols.