MBB: MAC Freedom League

[mid-range j]

In all honesty, I think that Trevoy has a better chance, but I guess we will just have to wait and see..I don't think you really got the chance to see him play, the kid is special.

Both Tucker and TP's league numbers are similiar just like their overall numbers, and NO the argument doesnt lose strength because TP's numbers would have been even better if he didnt play tough teams like Middlebury, RIC, William patterson, and the list goes on..unlike eastern, mville loaded their schedule and i think that is the main reason why they beat eastern in the playoffs, not because of some lame excuse like the rims or refs..

SOOO heres an interesting question for you..is eastern going to schedule another cupcake non-conference schedule for next year or are they going to grow some MARBLES and take on some real teams? or is it not the "time and place"?

Congrats to Tucker on a great season..
and congrats to TP on the well deserved Rookie of the Year..

[chairman]

Apples to Apples 14.1 in vs. 12.8 for the 16 league games. Even with the rim of doom factored in It is still at best an even exchange or a slight edge to Tucker.

We will see. I think they will both be all-league fixtures for the next three years, but I would go the other way; 6'5 vs 6'2... Pointer will get stronger, but I predict Tucker's increase in strength will mean more as he will likely become a much better inside player.

Eastern's schedule wound up weaker than it was supposed to be, but I know that they are adding a couple top games for next year, but scheduling is typically done in multi-year cycles, so they won't turn the whole thing over.

[chizwiz]

Hoopz, thanks for the compliment.  I did take great pleasure and pride in doing a good job as a scorekeeper.  About the karma, as you have seen, I make some inflammatory statements, so some people will -karma me.  Pretty understandable.

Midrange, you have an interesting argument on the ROY.  I give props to TP.  But I don't think TP is going to outplay Tucker or Soaries next year.

Also, just as it is difficult for a coach to accurately estimate how good his team will be 2 years from now when he is scheduling a 2-year contract with another team, it is almost impossible for a coach to estimate the strength of its opponents 2 years down the road.  Sure, M'ville had a tough schedule.  EU's will not be easy next year.  I hope M'ville, DeSales, King's, EU, and everyone else in the conference have respectable schedules and win all the non-con games as it will make people pay more attention to the MAC-Freedom, like they do to the WIAC, NESCAC, and CCIW.

[chairman]

Congrats to DeSales on a first round win. Best of Luck at Ithaca.

[BJ - DSU SID]

Thanks Chairman.  You guys should have saved your energy, stopped the arguing over Pointer/Tucker and made your way down to Billera Hall tonight for the first-ever Men's NCAA game there.

Great atmosphere, packed house, terrific game.

Bulldogs continue to play well.  Survive and advance.  On to Ithaca we go.  This time of year, you don't get a game off, so we are gonna have to come to play once again on Saturday vs. a well rested Bombers squad.  Should be fun.

For the record.  Pointer vs. Tucker.  They are both really, really good players.  Can we just leave it that.  In three years when they are both seniors, no one is gonna care who won ROY.

[chizwiz]

Congrats to DeSales on last night's win.  Looking forward to seeing a win posted on Saturday and wish I could go.  Couldn't go last night even though I wanted to go and scream for my conference.  Keep it up, you have at least one more rooting for you this NCAA championship.

BJ, I know, I should leave the ROY argument alone, but it hurts to see a guy I know real well not get something I think he deserved.  No matter now.  I'm not arguing it anymore.  Looking forward to seeing both Tucker and Pointer develop.  They are both going to be very fun to watch for another three seasons I hope.

[chairman]

Another good win for DeSales. Congrats.

[BJ - DSU SID]

Good win doesn't do it justice.  Amazing Win.

Darnell Braswell was the best player on the court tonight and that included All-American Sean Burton, whom Braswell guarded all night.

I have thought this all season, but I think Braswell's name now needs to be mentioned with the other top guards in the country.

We, in Center Valley, are all looking forward to some more basketball next weekend.  The fun continues.

[ronk]

  Congrats on the road victory. You've got an interesting argument for who's hosting the sectional with 2 Mass and 2 Pa schools with UM-D and F&M nearly equal seeding-wise. I've seen some recent video of UM-D and they're pretty solid.

[saratoga]

Congrats to Desales...its been a long time coming but, worth every minute of the wait. Unfortunately, there is not a snow balls chance in hell they'll host. That gym just won't cut it when F&M is in the mix.

[Coach K]

Made the trek up from Allentown to watch the DeSales game. Once DeSales took their first lead, it felt like a home game for the Bulldogs. They had about a third of the fans there that Ithaca had, and definitely took over the gym with chants of Defense and Let's go Bulldogs. A lot of fun to be at as a fan with two good teams battling. I am biased, but Braswell was better than the kid from Ithaca tonight, and to me it wasn't even a contest. Pat Coleman, do you think Braswell can get a little recognition on the national level this year??

Good luck to DeSales wherever they get to play next weekend!

[Pat Coleman]

We only have 10 All-American guards but clearly Braswell is gaining stature by the day.

[chairman]

I think defensively he is an outstanding candidate. He is a tremendous rebounder, and by all reports he has shut down some really top kids. He is playing very well in the most important part of the season. I would think the thing that would keep him off the list would be his overall shooting percentage.

For grins, I'll do the following comparison with Wheaton's Kent Raymond-- a for sure 1st team player, who as a returning All-American in the CCIW bettled everyone's best defensive effort every night.

Braswell has five more field goal attempts and 35 fewer makes. Raymond has taken one more three pointer 151-150 and made eight more. Raymond has attempted 13 more foul shots 181-168 and made a lot more 161-107.

Braswell has played in 29 games and averages 16.9 points per game and Raymond has played in 26 games and averages 24.0.

Braswell should definitely get some consideration, but at the end of the day, I think DeSales may need to win at least one more to get him on the list for this year.

[BJ - DSU SID]

I think its funny how you (the chairman) like to do comparisons with two players (IE - Tucker/Pointer over the past month) and you only pick out the stats that support your argument.

I am not here to debate Darnell Braswell vs. Kent Raymond.  Or for that matter Darnell Braswell with any other player in the country.  I'll take everyone's word for it that Kent Raymond is one of the if not the best player in the country.  But I will follow that by saying, I'd absolutely LOVE to see Braswell get a chance to play against him, cause that means we are in the Final Four.

But since you did compare the two and only picked out the stats you wanted, allow me to take it further.

Braswell - EIGHT DOUBLE-DOUBLES...averages 7.7 rebounds per game (45 total steals)...72 assists
Raymond - 3.2 rebounds per game (24 total steals)...86 assists...unable to find double-double stats (likely none with that RPG)

Looking at the numbers only (and I stress the word looking cause its tough to compare two players via a stat sheet only), Raymond seems to be a better shooter.  Darnell clearly is a better rebounder and has almost double the steals.  Slight edge to Raymond in assists.  In my opinion to be considered for All-American status, I feel as though you need to be a complete player, which I am sure Raymond is.  Braswell definitely is.

Also in my opinion, and having followed the Division III basketball scene very closely over the last 12 years...Braswell is the best guard defender I have ever seen.  He works harder on the defensive side of the ball than anyone I have ever watched play.  And that is not even close to an exaggeration.

[CCIWchamps]

I think its funny how you (the chairman) like to do comparisons with two players (IE - Tucker/Pointer over the past month) and you only pick out the stats that support your argument.

I am not here to debate Darnell Braswell vs. Kent Raymond.  Or for that matter Darnell Braswell with any other player in the country.  I'll take everyone's word for it that Kent Raymond is one of the if not the best player in the country.  But I will follow that by saying, I'd absolutely LOVE to see Braswell get a chance to play against him, cause that means we are in the Final Four.

But since you did compare the two and only picked out the stats you wanted, allow me to take it further.

Braswell - EIGHT DOUBLE-DOUBLES...averages 7.7 rebounds per game (45 total steals)...72 assists
Raymond - 3.2 rebounds per game (24 total steals)...86 assists...unable to find double-double stats (likely none with that RPG)

Looking at the numbers only (and I stress the word looking cause its tough to compare two players via a stat sheet only), Raymond seems to be a better shooter.  Darnell clearly is a better rebounder and has almost double the steals.  Slight edge to Raymond in assists.  In my opinion to be considered for All-American status, I feel as though you need to be a complete player, which I am sure Raymond is.  Braswell definitely is.

Also in my opinion, and having followed the Division III basketball scene very closely over the last 12 years...Braswell is the best guard defender I have ever seen.  He works harder on the defensive side of the ball than anyone I have ever watched play.  And that is not even close to an exaggeration.

I've never seen Braswell, so I only know of his stats and your argument.  But my question is, how is Braswell the definition of a complete player?  He averages 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists.  Those are pluses no doubt.

But here are some negatives:  his assist to turnover ratio is under 1 (turnovers=2.72); he hits under a third of his 3's; he commits 2.6 fouls a game as a "lockdown defender"; and he only makes 64% of his freethrows.  I'd expect to see better numbers in all of these categories for him to be the definition of a "complete player." 

He's good, and rebounds very well for his size.  But if you want to make a comparison to someone like Raymond, you have to see that aside from 3.5 rebounds and 1 steal a game, he is lower in every other category to Wheaton's guard.  Raymond's scoring outbursts counter your double-double argument, and his assist to turnover ratio is almost 2:1.  Braswell isn't a bad player by any means of looking at his stats.  He's just not as complete as other people out there.