MBB: MAC Freedom League

[NEPAFAN]

Looking at the Scranton website is IMPOSSIBLE on dial-up.  Someone should tell Toby that bigger is not always better.  Though, before I was able to scroll all the way down to irrelevant information like a schedule or a roster, one can not underscore the importance of links to local restaurants.

Once the page loads, Scranton has large pictures of their four best players at the top of the page.  My question is this: how does "Lumpy" make this Mount Rushmore?

Guy SJ, Scranton's schedule isn't as much of a cupcake as you might think.  Moravian, Catholic, and TCNJ (admittedly all at home) make up a decent season.  Though, I have to wonder, driving directions are given out to almost all of the games.  Why not give driving directions to the games in Las Vegas?  I imagine it'd go something like this: Turn RIGHT onto Cntrl Scr Expwy.  1.3 miles.  Merge LEFT onto I-81 South.  32.8 miles.  Turn RIGHT onto I-80 West.  2,230 miles.  Exit.

Finally, Scranton, you have 2 captains and 2 Seniors.  It should be an easy pick, but no, Scranton's captains are Sr. Darren Cannon and Jr. Randy Arnold.  Why can't both Seniors be captains?  Let Lumpy wear a "C" on his chest!  Make Kreuter a Tri-Captain!

First of all, who still has dial up? Second, why don't you send a nice email to toby or southard? I am sure they might be willing to upgrade their site to be on par with Duke, UNC, etc.


Thanks for the clarification Naismith.

[saratoga]

Looking at the various media Top 25 lists...it's pretty apparent that there is zero National consideration for any of our MAC teams. Often times the current years rankings are directly related to the previous season...so with the UofS getting a total body-slam by Wm. Patterson it makes perfect logic to those doing the polls that if that's the best you can give us...we'll talk to you later. The Royals have a really nice group of kids returning, the starters virtually all intact & if they can avoid anything near that rash of injuries that hampered them all season & really played havoc on developing continuity, then I do expect them to win out once again. However, it also seems like they were not able to recruit any inpact players to compliment the current talent that is needed to move them to the next level. Winning the MAC is nice... but, it would be nice to mix in some deep trips into the NCAA Tourney again. I would expect Kings to be right in the mix as they also have a nice inside/out game & Wilkes will find a way to hang around even without Shovlin. However, as seemingly ok with things as Coach Rickroad appears...it will be difficult replacing 16 points, 5 assists & the court-savvy he brought to the table each game. Sometimes there is addition by subtraction...time will tell. Desales is Desales...tough in their band-box, .500 on the road...ditto Lyco, FDU, & Drew. DelVal...what can you say? One thing of note, it is great to see Scranton have more than 2 home games during the 1st. semester...perhaps the student body will finally realize the men also have a team before they return to school in January. Should be another very good year for the Royals at least on the local level...beyond that, one can only hope. Lastly, our thoughts & prayers should also go out for the young player from Albright as well as his family...as he just passed away from cancer at the ripe old age of 19.

[Leo The Lion]

Naismith-

Haven't heard anything on the younger Gabriel, don't know if he transferred, either way he's not on the roster.  Perhaps he shows up in the second half like Soboleski and Nensteil did the past two years.

The Bloom transfer Bob "Rick" Nensteil should play a significant role on the team if he can stay healthy.  I'm guessing his role will be similar to his brief time last year, coming off the bench for Soboleski.  Though I wouldn't be suprised if JP puts his two bigs on the court at the same time either.

[cold_case]

The Syracuse transfer is Landon Gabriel's younger brother but he never showed up.
NEPA, I still have dial-up.
Scranton joining the Landmark Conference doesn't thrill many alum's, from what I hear.
Naismith........never mind.
Anybody know what the Indy Colts record is? I can't remember!!

[Warren Thompson]

Does anyone know, in detail, why Scranton is bolting the MAC for the Landmark Conference? I've read the boilerplate on their athletic Web-site, but, of course, that is less than fully informative.

[Section J Guy]

Just heard about this ....I second WT's question.......lots of travel etc...

[saratoga]

This move has been given some pretty serious consideration over the past year by the University...it by no means was a quick call. As for the reaction of alums not being thrilled...just the contrary from those I've spoken with...everyone is very excited & many just feel certain schools in the MAC had simply developed a different philosophy regarding the type of student/athlete they were recruting. As a UofS grad...trust me, this is a GREAT day for the school. As far as whether or not Scranton will still play Wilkes or Kings, I guess that's the 64,000 dollar question right now. My hunch is they may play 1 game a year with each with alternating home games...but, they may break away from those schools as fast as they can. The road trips just got a little further within the conference but that's about the only bump. I'm sure they'll do something like the NESCAC where the DC trip will cover both Catholic & Goucher & when they come up they'll do a Scranton/Susquehanna type weekend. Outstanding move!!!

[Gregory Sager]

Wow. Speaking as an outsider, most of the fun of this room has always revolved around the emnity built up over the years by the three-headed monster in Coal Country. Now it'll only be a two-headed monster, and one of the best rivalries among posters in all of Posting Up, Wilkes vs. Scranton, will be no more.

At least Saratoga's parting valentine to Wilkes and King's ("many just feel certain schools in the MAC had simply developed a different philosophy regarding the type of student/athlete they were recruiting ... they may break away from those schools [Wilkes and King's] as fast as they can") ought to be good for a few final salvos of ill will.

C'mon, guys, don't let me down. Once more unto the breach ... for old times' sake!

[ColonelJohn4Life]

Scranton's leaving?  Good.  F 'em.

Having talked to many Scranton alumni in the past, I can only assume this is the much-discussed move to the Ivy League.  I've got to admit, I'm skeptical about a move to Division I, but... what was that? Oh, the Ivy League isn't accepting new applicants?  Oh...

Well, if Scranton is abandoning its two longest rivals and two most geographically natural rivals, certainly this must be some conference, The Landmark.  And, wow, looking at the list, I am impressed.  It's an enormous step up, going from the Freedom with Drew University to the Landmark with, ummm, Drew University?  C'mon!!

And really, Scranton, you take yourselves WAY too seriously.  In the press release, mind you, on your own website, to your own students / faculty / staff / minions / subjugates... anyway, the press release starts out, "The University of Scranton, a Catholic and Jesuit university founded in 1888..."  Do you require billing for yourself at every available moment.  Heck, henceforth, I'll introduce myself as "Colonel John, a pharmacist, born in 1980, who earned his first doctorate in 2004."

Another thing... why exactly would Scranton want to leave the Freedom?  If you'll forgive use of the vernacular, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  Are there REALLY scholar athletes out there who say: "Well, I have it down to Scranton and York.  Scranton is in a conference with King's, and York is in a conference with Catholic.  I feel York is more centered on academics looking at the like-minded colleges in their conference, and that is where I must matriculate." 

If academics were really central to this decision, why would Scranton go through the effort to join a conference with school that are bound to have farther road trips.  As we all know, students are less likely to study off-campus than on-campus.  Knowing that, doesn't this move hurt the student-athlete?

So, Scranton, do you really want to be with "seven like-minded colleges", or are you just sick of "Let's play foot-ball! [clap clap clapclapclap]" chanted any time you play?

Fags still wear purple.  Catholic girls are still easy.  And Scranton still sucks.

[Warren Thompson]

Hey, Greg! Was CJ4L's post above the opening "salvo"?

[NEPAFAN]

Athletics director Toby Lovecchio said Landmark Conference officials inquired several months ago whether or not Scranton would be interested in joining. Royals teams have been a member of the MAC since the 1945-46 academic year.

"Once they approached us, we started to think about it," Lovecchio said. "They were looking at us very strongly and it turned into us at them the same way. We felt equally compelled to pursue it.

"I'm very excited. I think it's a wonderful opportunity for our institution and our student-athletes. It takes us into some other markets where we can draw our student population from."


Many of the University's coaches are also excited about the move.

"My first reaction is, change is good," women's soccer coach Joe Bochicchio said. "I think it may open some more doors for me for recruiting. The Maryland-Virginia area is a great soccer area. If I'm playing in that area, maybe I can start getting some players from that area. I'm looking forward to it."

Women's basketball coach Mike Strong echoed Bochicchio's sentiments from a recruiting standpoint.

"It gives us a chance to go farther south," Strong said. "I do have mixed emotions because of our alliances with the people and institutions that we played."

That, perhaps, is the biggest concern with Scranton's move — the potential loss of longtime rivalries.

"Going into a new situation is good," men's basketball coach Carl Danzig said. "The bad part is that we're leaving a

great thing. The MAC conference has been great to the University. We've been fortunate enough to have a lot of success. I'm certainly going to miss the rivalries that we had within the conference with Wilkes and King's. I'm hopeful they'll be willing to keep it up in a non-conference format."

Lovecchio said every attempt will be made to keep many of those rivalries alive.

"We certainly want to maintain relationships with the schools in the MAC," he said.[/color][/b][/color]

[Leo The Lion]

CJ4L-

Finally, an issue that you and I can agree on. 

There really is no need for Scranton to join the Ivy League, most of their alumni already think they belong to it.  The two most annoying phrases in collegiate sports are THE Ohio State University and THE University of Scranton.

So my question for you CJ (and anyone really), what does the MAC Freedom look like in 2008? 


'Toga-
What different type of student athletes does Da U recruit?  Is this a jab at Mr. Shovlin and the 15th North Crew?  I've been down Mulberry Street a few times in my life, and those Jesuits can party just as hard as the Monarchs, maybe harder.

[NEPAFAN]

CJ, LEO,


A little JEALOUS!???





Pat, you want to edit CJ's "FAG" post?

[cold_case]

If I was Pat, I'd leave CJ's "fag" post alone to let people see how immature he is.
CJ sounds bitter about THE University of Scranton (right, Leo?). He actually sounds like someone who didn't get accepted to THE University of Scranton.

[Leo The Lion]

Just for the record CC,

I was accepted to all of the big three, including THE U.  Happy I picked the right one though.