MBB: MAC Freedom League

[Leo The Lion]

So after two bad losses (DeSales and E-Town) and one ugly win (BBC), I'm still maintaing the line "King's is trying to find themselves".

Overall, not impressed by anyone in this league yet.  We'll see how it shakes out in 2007.

[wb1313]

A little off topic here but since i'm a Big 10 alum I thought i'd bring this up.  Wheaton played Northwestern and kept it close...as in 41-39 close with Wheaton getting a last second three opportunity to win.  Two questions on this.  One is anyone else extremely surprised by this score? Also, what does Northwestern gain from a game like this?  One more question...Northwestern is bad at offense but 41-39...cmon! 

[NEPAFAN]

A little off topic here but since i'm a Big 10 alum I thought i'd bring this up.  Wheaton played Northwestern and kept it close...as in 41-39 close with Wheaton getting a last second three opportunity to win.  Two questions on this.  One is anyone else extremely surprised by this score? Also, what does Northwestern gain from a game like this?  One more question...Northwestern is bad at offense but 41-39...cmon! 

Is Wheaton good? Northwestern in no slouch....i am sure everyone is suprised by this score!  Third question can DEL VAL pull off the same feat this weekend vs NAVY? 

[cold_case]

Here's more news. Lincoln was beaten by PSU-Altoona last night, 95-86. Altoona entered the game with a 1-7 record, and it was the second straight loss for Lincoln since their 201 point outburst against OSU-Marion.
Obviously, gaining such negative publicity after rolling up that many points has had some affect on Lincoln, in particular, Sami Wylie, who scored 69 points while attempting 44 three's against OSU-Marion, but tallied just 10 points on 2-of-15 shooting, including 1-of-12 from behind the arc against Altoona.

[Pat Coleman]

Well, a perusal of the box score reveals some notable names missing for Lincoln, FWIW.

[ColonelJohn4Life]

Lincoln is 0-2 since the 201 point game?  Mere evidence of the college basketball gods.  Trifle not with the football gods, lest ye be cursed.

T minus 4 1/2 hours until the "Showdown in Middletown"...

[adam]

Showdown in Middletown John, that's kind of weak.   

Someone brought up the old days of Freedom League Survivor a few weeks back.  I doubt it, but if there's any way any of those posts are out there to be found, I'd love to see them again.  I just remember Stephen Loud getting beat up every week.
I recall Bessoir interfering in the final round.  Other competitors I remember were Greg Sumner (Uncle Fester) from Drew, possibly a Rutherford from Lyco, and the kid from Desales who did the throatslash before the Wilkes game (which got him dq'd from survivor in the first round).

[ColonelJohn4Life]

Whaaat?  Showdown... Middletown.  It rhymes.  What would you have preferred, "Atrocity in Capitol City"?  As a participant in Survivor II, I wish I would have saved some of the messages, but yeah, they're probably long gone.  And Stephen Loud wants no part of a bowling rematch at Green Ridge Lanes.

Wilkes gets up by 20 about halfway through the 1st, PSU-HBG sneaks back to 13 by halftime.  Here's the fun part.  First 10 minutes of the 2nd half, Wilkes goes on a 28-3 run.  One guy (Hitz) had a bucket, and about 7 minutes later hit a free throw.  That's your 3 points.  To answer your questions: 1. Yes, the bench was emptied  2. No, Tyler Jenkins didn't score, and 3. There was no full-court press, and threes were at a minimum late.  Final score: 88-53.

Kresge, Gulla, and the tastefully named John Kelly continue to impress.  I don't have the stats, and won't speculate on anything, but PSU didn't have an answer for Gabriel all day.  I'm guessing he had a big day.

Of note, I've seen 3 digits worth of Wilkes basketball games.  This is the first one I can recall where Coach R kept his sportscoat on the entire time.  In student sections of years past, a popular game was guessing how long until the jacket gets tossed.  Perhaps no more...

My reaction upon entering PSU-HBG's gym, verbatim:  "Hey... where are the banners?"  Not meaning to knock a devloping program, but a quick piece of advice - invest in a scoreboard that lists number of team fouls.  In a close game, knowing who's "in the bonus" is relevant stuff.

[WolfPAC]

Seems like the PAC is becoming a formidable level of competition for the MAC very slowly.

Why did Albright lose?

[saratoga]

On any given night one of the better PAC teams could give a mid to low level MAC team trouble...and conversly, a lower tier MAC team could easily sneak up on one of the PAC's best. Just the nature of the beast in the early season. So far Scranton is 2-0 vs. the PAC, knocking off Miseri by 9 in Dallas & just last evening thumping Cabrini in Radnor by 29. Speaking of Cabrini, it seems their season has gone in the tank big time since blowing a 31 point second half lead to Miseri at home a few weeks back.

[WolfPAC]

On any given night one of the better PAC teams could give a mid to low level MAC team trouble...and conversly, a lower tier MAC team could easily sneak up on one of the PAC's best. Just the nature of the beast in the early season. So far Scranton is 2-0 vs. the PAC, knocking off Miseri by 9 in Dallas & just last evening thumping Cabrini in Radnor by 29. Speaking of Cabrini, it seems their season has gone in the tank big time since blowing a 31 point second half lead to Miseri at home a few weeks back.

Agree with the PAC vs MAC as you say.

Cabrini has a serious coaching problem and many of their top players last year exited due to the new coach screaming at them with a lack of respect.
The program is going to hell there.  Not sure if anyone there cares anymore because of what happened to Dzik.

Winds of change are blowing.  It is rumored the coach is not going to be there much longer.  Time will tell..

February will show how good the MAC/PAC is when Alvernia is in the field again.  However Alvernia is only 7 deep.

Thx for the response.

[chizwiz]

Lincoln is 0-2 since the 201 point game?  Mere evidence of the college basketball gods.  Trifle not with the football gods, lest ye be cursed.

T minus 4 1/2 hours until the "Showdown in Middletown"...

Yeah, college basketball gods would not have approved of what Lincoln did to its opponent (if you can dignify their opposing team as such).  By Lincoln's press statement, it shows what many believed - they exhibited little respect for the opposing team/coach, a lack of sportsmanship, making Lincoln look somewhat classless.  Anyway, the aforementioned "gods" are taking it out on them now.  I don't think Lincoln is as good as it thought after a loss to a 1-7 team.

[NEPAFAN]

Scranton in Las Vegas tonight to play Denison.I guess Krueter's injuries are serious, he is off the team offiically.Too bad he couldn't finish out his four years....

[cold_case]

Cabrini has a serious coaching problem and many of their top players last year exited due to the new coach screaming at them with a lack of respect.

I thought Jim Casciano was coaching New Jersey Tech?

[hoopzwiz]

Seems like the PAC is becoming a formidable level of competition for the MAC very slowly.

Why did Albright lose?

I'd be interested in hearing some thoughts on the MAC vs. PAC from a MAC perspective.  
Is it just perception at this point that keeps the MAC as an "elite" conference?
They have raided the PAC and taken a middle of the road team(Arcadia).  How does that help them?
Rumors about other schools are out there;  Misericordia, Marywood (these two make sense), Alvernia, Eastern (these two make no sense).  

The League as a whole seems to be in a tale spin.  There are more defections to come (Lyco, Etown).
I'd put my money on the PAC as a better overall conference right now.  More stable, improving by the year.  

Lets hear some thoughts.