MBB: MAC Freedom League

[naismith]

And speaking of Bess & Big games...who will ever forget when Scranton  knocked off an Army team coached by noneother than Duke's very own Coach K!!! On the upside...we now have the opportunity to see other classic programs such as Chesnut Hill, Marywood & Cabrini enter the hallowed halls of the Long Center.

That is the nature of the beast. Those schools have caught up to Scranton in enrollement and facilities. Hell Marywood probably has equal to better facilities than Scranton (across the athletic spectrum). Dare I say the only thing that would now seperate all the schools in NEPA is for a school to go D-1. Otherwise, you are going to see teams keep beating up on each other.

Probably so, but keep in mind that Coach JR has the 2nd best winning % of all current D3 coaches and also the 2nd best all time among non-active coaches.........makes one go hmmmmm .

I do agree that these teams beat each other up. Maybe the talent level is pretty even at this point and that is why everyone constantly says it is another "down year".

Am not sure how long the Freedom has been around in its current form but can someone enlighten me as to how the Freedom champ has done NCAA wise the past ten years??

Naismith

[NEPAFAN]

Enrollment means nothing when half the schools you now are forced to play have essentially "open admission". Other than a baseball field on campus...Marywood has nothing on the UofS facilities wise...and academically...don't even get me started.

Heard Marywood was bulding a new Recreation Facility..

[Leo The Lion]

Wow, lot to respond to, where do I start.

Saratoga,
I'm gonna keep my mouth shut on the Danzig/ "Chosen One" debate for now, considering Danzig could still make a run this year.  All I'm gonna say is I'm really glad things worked out the way they did and the Chosen One is on our sidelines (Not to mention Bess sitting in our rafters). 

Naismith,
As for the King's/Wilkes postgame shananigans, let me be your source.  A rather large Wilkes student ran towards the King's student section and started pounding his chest and tauntin the fans.  I'm pretty sure this incident was broken up by King's security.  Leaving Scandlon, I did notice a crowd gathering near Rodano's, so I assumed there was some fracas taking place.  There were both King's and Wilkes students standing around the exit of the gym a good 10-15 minutes after the end of the game, people were looking for trouble.

As for the refs,
Last year I'm pretty sure we had MAC regulars reffing the playoffs.  This year it was three strangers at King's and I'm assuming the same at Scranton.  By the way, Mr. Stroble did the King's at DeSales game this year, and suprisingly, King's won quite easily.

-Leo

[naismith]

Wow, lot to respond to, where do I start.

Saratoga,
I'm gonna keep my mouth shut on the Danzig/ "Chosen One" debate for now, considering Danzig could still make a run this year. All I'm gonna say is I'm really glad things worked out the way they did and the Chosen One is on our sidelines (Not to mention Bess sitting in our rafters).

Naismith,
As for the King's/Wilkes postgame shananigans, let me be your source. A rather large Wilkes student ran towards the King's student section and started pounding his chest and tauntin the fans. I'm pretty sure this incident was broken up by King's security. Leaving Scandlon, I did notice a crowd gathering near Rodano's, so I assumed there was some fracas taking place. There were both King's and Wilkes students standing around the exit of the gym a good 10-15 minutes after the end of the game, people were looking for trouble.

As for the refs,
Last year I'm pretty sure we had MAC regulars reffing the playoffs. This year it was three strangers at King's and I'm assuming the same at Scranton. By the way, Mr. Stroble did the King's at DeSales game this year, and suprisingly, King's won quite easily.

-Leo

Leo,

What about Wilkes van that had the windows smashed?
Collateral damage??? 

Naismith

[naismith]

Leo,

Should have stopped by Senunas before or after game.
Would have liked to meet you.

A lot of war stories told.
We all have a lot of friends at Kings. I generally sponsor a hole at the Paul Farber Memorial Golf tourney, went to the NCAA's last year at Ramapo....(with a bunch of Kings alum .....and a former Coach) ...

Introduce yourself next time. It's always great to meet D3 b-ball fans of all persuasions.

Naismith

[ronk]

Naismith,
   In the 60s there were only 2 bball divisions(university and college) and Scranton, while in the college division, played 8 D1 schools(Canisius,Niagara,Bucknell,Lafayette,Temple,Seton Hall,Providence, and Villanova) and two now div1(Hofstra,Wagner). I saw Bill Witaconis average 27 ppg against this opposition.
   I think Kings got Notre Dame to open their new gym since they were run by the same order, got some publicity, and 3 Irish starters(Austin Carr,Colis Jones,Sid Catlett) were from DC,(practically a home game).

[naismith]

Thanks Ronk.

Sounds like you are a 'real' fan. Must have been great getting to see all those teams on a regular basis.

During that era, I was patrolling the asphalt in northern NJ just learning the game. Was a big Knicks fan and would take in games at the Garden. Once in a while, I'd catch an ABA game as well.

Also saw a few guys like Walt Frazier and Donnie May in the NIT.

Ronk, that was 40 years ago and it seems like yesterday.....ouch!

Some of these youngsters will remember the Horgans and Jannuzzi's the way we rmember the Calvin Murhy's, Austin Carr's and Willis Reed's etc.

Think we have the better team...lol

Naismith 

[ColonelJohn4Life]

Think we have the better team...lol

Naismith

If the refs aren't calling it, give me Jason Fisher and that flying left elbow.  All of a sudden, our team's not so bad. )

[naismith]

Think we have the better team...lol

Naismith

If the refs aren't calling it, give me Jason Fisher and that flying left elbow. All of a sudden, our team's not so bad. )

Colonel,

Jason Fisher elbows??? Is that some type of macaroni? What kind of sauce do you recommend?  Is that really the best you can do? You must be a contestant on one of those budget menu reality shows....lol.

If you want to see a 'Real' b-ball highlight Reel, get a hold of some Earl the Pearl Monroe tapes from his days with the Baltimore Bullets.....the guy had more moves than United Van Lines and more fakes than all those $30 Chinese Rolex watches.  A product of Winston Salem State, I think more baby boomers imitated him on the court than any other.....
He was also called Earl 'the Magic' Monroe.

I remember when the Knicks traded for him.....most predicted he couldn't play the team concept. Knicks won their last championship with he and Frazier at the guard spots. Jerry Lucas was the center...............those were the days......at least for Knick fans.

Later

Niasmith

[cold_case]

Nais,
I think the Knicks would have easily won two NBA titles with "The Pearl" had we not lost Willis Reed midway through the 1971-72 season. Had to use Lucas at center and those long range missles he'd fire up from 30 feet just weren't enough against the Lakers.
Do you realize the Knicks had six players on that team that are now in the Hall of Fame?
No need to discuss their current state of affairs.

[ColonelJohn4Life]

Good to see you guys couldn't sleep in either...

CC - Sure they have six guys who are players, but I'll go out on a limb and say Philip is in because of his 9 coaching rings, not his 2 playing rings.  And Dollar Bill taking Princeton to a Final Four, well, it didn't hurt his cause.

Naismith, perhaps during pre-game warm-ups, while Scranton's speakers blare Jay-Z and the Rolling Stones (Holy Anachronism, Batman!!), I'll enlighten you on that old Italian dish, Jason Fisher Elbows.  He's the only master chef I've seen do it right.

[ronk]

Naismith,
    You forced me to dig out the program from the only NIT I attended(1968 with Donnie May that you mentioned). It was the 1st round Saturday day-night double headers (Army with coach K at the point and Bobby Knight as coach vs. Notre Dame, Bradley-LIU, Duquesne-Fordham, and West Va.-Dayton)
    Great weekend with the Irish playing in New York City on St.Patrick's Day weekend. It was spring break for those who didn't drive to Florida.
     Even ran across a writeup in a bball preview magazine on Carl Danzig's father Hal, whose jersey they're retiring tonite at Bucknell after the Scranton-Wilkes game.

[cold_case]

ronk,
Here's something you may remember. Did you know Donnie May was in a Vitalis commercial?

[mattie]

For those who are unfamiliar with the Jason Fisher reference, Jason Fisher is the greatest concealed elbow thrower in the history of the MAC.  He would have you rnerves unraveled right from the beginning because you knew he was great at it and he was never going to get a call against him.  As much as the Colonel contingent hated him for being a Royal, you had to respect him not only for what he got away with, but for being a hell of a player as well.
As far as the officiating answer, I will assume that it will be a crew you have never seen before, or one personally hand picked by Warren Thompson as the cream of the Commonwealth crop. 
If that isn't the case, the one official you do not want to have within 100 miles of the Long Center is Red.  I don't know his name, but he goes about 5'5", a moustache and always finds a way to jam it up both team's asses at inopportune times.  He is the worst of the worst, and should not be officiating biddy ball at the YMCA, let alone the biggest game of the season.
That being said, I am off to Five Guys Burgers and Fries in luxurious Dickson City before heading to the Long Center.  Should be a lot of fun, and a tight game from start to finish.

[Leo The Lion]

Naismith,

I did not hear about the smashed Wilkes van, but a friend of mine told me before the game that Wilkes had parked their van in a dark alley behind Rodano's.  We both thought that that was not a good move.  That's not condoning what happened, its just acknowledging that there may have been better parking spots.

I'll also be sure to stop in next season when you are having history class at Senuna's, I'm sure someonle like me could use a good Northeast PA Basketball history lesson. 

As for today, not going to the Long Center, may listen to the game on my radio thought.

-Leo