MBB: MAC Freedom League

[BJ - DSU SID]

I will second that Coach K.

I thought Burton was a terrific player but Braswell clearly out played him in their match-up in the NCAA second round.

I am not sure what else a player can do other than outplay a fellow All-American to prove his worth.

I know Burton's offensive numbers are better for the season, but on that night Braswell had 27 (11 above his average) and Burton had 15 (7 below his average).

Darnell is the best one-on-one defender I have seen play Division III basketball in my 12 years watching basketball at this level.  That can't be ignored...but sad to say I think it was.

[Pat Coleman]

Since Burton is a 1 and Braswell is a 2, this debate you're having was one that was never part of our decision-making process.

[Pat Coleman]

Darnell is the best one-on-one defender I have seen play Division III basketball in my 12 years watching basketball at this level.  That can't be ignored...but sad to say I think it was.

Show me the stat that quantifies one-on-one defense and I will be glad to use it, by the way. Short of you or I seeing all 400 teams every year I don't know how you expect that to be evaluated.

[BJ - DSU SID]

Show me the stat that quantifies one-on-one defense and I will be glad to use it, by the way. Short of you or I seeing all 400 teams every year I don't know how you expect that to be evaluated.

From what I understand this team is basically chosen by 4-5 guys from D3hoops.com sitting around a hotel room or on a speaker phone listing names based solely on a stat sheet of everyone's yearly stats.

I would expect you to in certain cases call someone.  That's how I'd evaluate defense.  Call a Mid-Atlantic coach who's seen Darnell play.  Someone you trust, someone you have a relationship with, etc...someone without a bias towards his game.

It's your web site and you can do what you want with it.  You and your staff do a great job, I want to make that very clear...but in my opinion, I don't understand how an All-American team can de-value defense as much as you are suggesting.

Thanks again for another season of terrific coverage.

[Pat Coleman]

Your understanding of the process is incomplete. I am not afraid to ask a coach what he's seen, and in fact, a couple of coaches are regular contributors to this process. In almost every case, someone named to the team has been seen either in person or on DVD/tape by someone in the process.

I would hope that if you want to continue this conversation, you would do it behind the scenes, rather than in public. I think that's the appropriate role for an SID to take, don't you?

[Pat Coleman]

Ahh, in fact, of course, the night before we announce the team is the annual NABC reception at Roanoke, following the national semifinal games. This year there were coaches in attendance from Massachusetts to Texas, from Indiana to Oregon, etc. Plenty of brains to be picked.

[BJ - DSU SID]

I would hope that if you want to continue this conversation, you would do it behind the scenes, rather than in public. I think that's the appropriate role for an SID to take, don't you?

#1 - I don't think I was inappropriate with anything I said...I praised your staff and their efforts this and every season at the end of my last post.  I didn't think voicing my simple opinion was illegal.

#2 - I emailed you privately before I made one post today...you emailed back...then I emailed you back...still waiting for your response to my second email.  I'd be glad to continue you this privately, but I need you to respond..you could have just as easily as I emailed me rather than responding here.  My second email to you is still awaiting a response.

I wish you didn't make me out to be a inappropriate person when you have an email in your inbox waiting for your response.  You are the one that chose to take this o the MAC Freedom room.  Not me.  I started via email.

[Pat Coleman]

BJ -- you posted on this board before I did, clearly.

I will second that Coach K.

I thought Burton was a terrific player but Braswell clearly out played him in their match-up in the NCAA second round.

I am not sure what else a player can do other than outplay a fellow All-American to prove his worth.

I know Burton's offensive numbers are better for the season, but on that night Braswell had 27 (11 above his average) and Burton had 15 (7 below his average).

Darnell is the best one-on-one defender I have seen play Division III basketball in my 12 years watching basketball at this level.  That can't be ignored...but sad to say I think it was.

I also think questioning the methodology of the team in public when you don't even know what it is, is unfair.

I am not having this discussion with you on two fronts, and I am certainly not having it with an SID in public.

[BJ - DSU SID]

 

Still no email response.

[Pat Coleman]

Sent at 6:46 ET.

Done with this conversation.

[Coach K]

I will admit my disappointment that Braswell wasn't selected, but I also understand there are a ton of D3 schools with talented players on them. I am as a fan just making a case for an awesome kid who was conference player of the year as a Junior, and beat two ranked teams on his way to an elite 8 appearance. Your jobs are not easy narrowing it down to 25 players, and I am sure that there were probably at least 25 other players you and your commitee considered.

So in good fun, I am starting the campaign here now. Braswell for All-American in 09-10!

[BJ - DSU SID]

Thanks Coach K...Let me know how I can help you with your campaign.

08-09 was definitely a fun year...Like Kate in the primarily women's Freedom room, I am looking forward to November of '09 to see what new faces we have in uniform and see how we'll respond to the greatest season in the history DeSales men's basketball.

Hopefully the encore is even better.

Back to the spring sports.  Got my first '09 golf invite today (sadly had to turn it down)...looking forward to hitting the links regurlarly in a few weeks.

[chairman]

Not many kids make All-American without being All-Region the year before. I am sure there are exceptions, but the enormous number of good players means that a player will have to put up Nintendo style numbers to leap frog past good players who have really good years.

This is bad news for Braswell this year, but is good news for him for next year. Even with the two Wash U guards and the kid from Carthage returning, I'm pretty sure he will get some kind of preseason nod.

[Pat Coleman]

After Thompson, all of our 2 guards were seniors. There would be four spots open for shooting guards on the preseason team.

[chairman]

And I would expect that Braswell's performance this year and in the NCAA Tournament would put him on that list. My contention all along was that if he took DeSales to the Elite 8, and he did, that he would deserve the recognition for this year.

Is the process outlined in FAQ's?