MBB: Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference

[upb88]

Hawk Backer, I like your observation about Dan Thomas. He really gives Bradford a spark. He played more tonight in a big win over Mount Aloysius at home, scoring 14 points. Ryan Race had a bit of a subpar performance -- 20 points is nothing to sneeze at, but a lot of those points came when the rout was on. Fortunately, others picked up the slack, including Jon Hannon (26) and Rob Copley (23). Hannon seems to be breaking out after a freshman year in which he looked a little lost at times. He's getting his game together. Copley has been awesome. I'm certainly biased, but I like Pitt-Bradford if they can start to gel as the season goes along.

Mount Aloysius didn't impress, except that I don't think I've seen a team with more energy and enthusiasm -- a very emotional team. Their bench was alive, and they never quit. Watching them, they genuinely looked like they felt that they were going to come back late in the game, even down by 17 or so with four minutes to go. Looks like a good bunch of kids. Like Race, Roman Mims was a little off his game. He got his points, but a lot of them came in garbage time.

[bimbo coles]

The AMCC has always confused my mind.. With a truly up and down conference and not really ONE dominant team I feel like the top 3 are going to be tight..  Here are my thoughts, for what they're worth...

#1. Lake Erie (8-3, 4-0) - Appears to be the strongest team in the conference... Besides their first loss of the season the look to have gotten it together... 2 close losses in the Nunally classic... played st. john fisher REAL close... my only concern with them is their potential.. I feel like they can have a different high scorer, on any given game... do they understand that potential... harris numbers are a bit down,  and 9 players playing 15+ minutes do they all know/accept their roles?? Richardson perhaps the most dynamic PG in the conference, and Williams in the backcourt 54% from the field and 50% from behind the arc I like their chances to take at least the regular season title.. We will see Jan 10th against Behrend.

#2. Behrend (9-2, 3-1) is Behrend always solid... The thing I like about them is they make you play their game... They don't fluctuate according to the schemes of another team... They are gonna grind you out on the offensive end and use the shot clock... Then play in your face defense for 35 seconds... A very well prepared team no matter who they are playing against... As long as Buczynski keeps butting up big numbers 41 against Fredonia, solid guard play from Jennings, who I feel is underrated as a player, and if Ghram (14.5)and Furgeson (15.4) keep doing their job Behrend will contend with LE for the title..

#3. Pitt Greensburg (4-7, 2-2), although their overall record, 4-7, and getting smacked by LE, and Bethany I think the Bobcats will contend for the league title... I feel they have good inside play Duke Cooper obviously a stud, but guard play is lacking... I would like to see more production out of Winfrey, and Street... Scavincky has only played 8 games (injury?) if that is the case if he stays healthy and the guard step it up little the Bobcats should be fine... Losing a player like Conlan doesn't help much either..

#4. Pitt Bradford, (6-5, 3-1)... Losing to Naz twice, Fredonia, and Geneseo I come to question the Panthers.. In conference losing to Greensburg and beating 3 teams below them makes me wonder where the Panthers will fall come seasons end.. 3 everyday starters producing Race, Copely, Austin, with Race being a scoring machine this year.. I wonder about consistency.. I see that Dan Thomas only started 8 out of 11 games and read on here last week that he played limited minutes in one of their previous games.. Disciplinary problems there?? If so I feel UPB will struggle.. If the Panthers can get consistent play and beat who they are supposed to beat the should be in the top 5..

#5. Hilbert Hawks, (4-5, 2-1) that's right, this is the year they crack the AMCC conference tourney.. Hilbert confuses me because I feel they have the capability, maybe their reputation haunts them?? I know they haven't really beaten anyone (medaille, dyouville twice, laroche) But I think the hawks will contend.. Coach Rob has done a good job there increasing his win total every year.. 1 in 03' I think 5 in 04, 10 in 05'.. With the loss to S. Gioia I wondered how guard play would be with running the team, since he did for 4 years.. Rienard has proven he can score, (19.3, 42% from arc) and JUCO transfer Cory Vandersluis in the post, (15.6 8 rebs) The Hawks have go to weapons.. Once again guard play, which I like Reyes but what's happening with him.. Seems to taken a bench role the last couple games. And their starting 5 always jumbled 11 players earning at least 1 start.. Can the Hawks pull it together and find a nucleus.

#6 Laroche, (4-7, 2-2) I wrote them off early in the year with some losses that I don't think they should have had, and Losing Pringle who has led them for the past 2 years now.. They have surprised me though. The Red hawks with Grady and Davis, Frank proving to be Laroche's 1-2 punch the Red hawks will compete.. I was wondering what happened to last years starting PG Dover.. Did he transfer?? I saw he wasn't and hasn't been on the roster this year...

#7. Mt. Aloysius, (5-4, 1-2) quite possibly the most 'fun' team to watch.. Up-tempo fast passed run and gun trap your face off don't care if we give up 150 pts we'll try and score 151 style.. I think their style permits them from winning quantity, and quality games.. Fundamental prepared teams have learned to combat this style and obviously send MTA more losses than wins.. 5-4 is a respectable start for this team.. Close loss to Behrend makes me believe that this team is on the up.. Mims has not disappointed and although Ohler's numbers are a bit down I still feel he is one of the best inside presences in the league.. Look for Aloysius to knock off a few teams this semester..

Now it begins to get tough...

#8.  I'm going to go with Penn State Altoona here- (3-6, 0-3) this team really disappoints me.. With an All-league backcourt, based on last year and a big front line I would think Altoona would do more damage then presented..  Besides losing to Bradford (by 12) they have been in most of their other 5 looses excluding Heidelberg... Backcourt numbers seem to be down Franklin (14 ppg) around 22 last year and Stewart smith (7.3 ppg, over 13 last year) .. If Dziabo and Minnemyer (sp?) can do a little more on the glass PSA will compete in many of their AMCC contests.. When Franklin is your leading rebounder, at almost 9 a game.. What does that say about your post players..

#9. Medaille- (2-8, 1-3)  yes climbing out of the basement.. It has been a tough stretch for the mavs after winning a NEAC championship in 04' (11 wins) to 0-25 a year a go.. Production has improved for the Mavs who seemingly have done some recruiting.. What I want to know is how did they get so bad? (05' potential starting 4 of Smith, A. Gioia, Perioli, Bryant).. And a coaching switch in 05' seemed to throw off the mavs.. With scoring machine (and shooting machine McNeil 22ppg on 20 shots wowie) 33% from field 30 from arch ouch.. Hack's numbers have seemed to improve and with a lot of Fr. So. The Mavs can build.. They might even get a few more this season, however 2-8 at the break is  something positive to build off of..

#10. Last but NOT least Frostburg St (3-8, 0-4).- Losses to Bradford Lake E Laroche and Behrend State is struggling.. They still have Medaille 2 times this year to come, good news for them..  With 3 in double figures Frostburg can run with some teams..Ryley undoubtly being their best player so far, (13.6 ppg  9.5 rpg) With Green Jr. and Owen, then can put up limited numbers.. With 12 players playing 12+ minutes a game they are not afraid to use their bench.. With a school of their size and being a state u I would think Frostburg would be able to draw some players..


I am sure I am off on a lot of these, just my thoughts on the teams in the AMCC... With heavy conference play on the way I am excited to see how things will turn out in the end..   

[cantbestopped]

my take:
LE: cream of the crop 1
PSB: every year coach niland puts together a team that can contend, fundamentals are his specialty leads conference in rebs margin but last in TO margin hard to understand. 2
Greensburg: Cooper is a stud (leader in pts, reb and assists), but tough to carry a team on your own. 3
Pitt-Bradford- I really like what they are capable of, good guard play and good inside as well, race has been scoring well but needs to hit the glass a little harder. 4
Hilbert-good coaching, great recruiting Vander sluis, and Dijohn.6 loss of s. gioia and dont forget kenney will hurt.
Laroche-seems to have found something  both Davis' playing well, but where is Taylor?8
the mount- style of play is unique in this league somewhat of a poor mans Grinnell, but they do have some players, ohler seems to be in a bit of a funk this year, always helps your stats when you beat up on a couple church league teams every year.7
PSA- I like this team and if their stiffs get it together I think they can make some noise down the stretch.5
Medaille- 2 beats zero , but with a guy that shoot the ball 100 more times than the next man and hack and mcgunner shoot more (345) than the rest of the roster (298) success wont come easy especially when they both shoot under 35%.
Frostburg- are they really this bad?  I don't think they are and I think they can pull some out in the second half. 9
to answer some ?'s
LE has a first year coach his rotation will start to settle in.
Hawks: Reyes lacks confidence, I think because coach recruited over him to get another PG that's usually not a booster
Medaille was suppose to bring back 5 of top 7 and COY didn't work out, new coach slower offense, no gioia, smith not around long, ive heard some reasons why. Bryant looked timid all year long and old coach now coaching ABA team in buffalo. Ouch, so much for a building block

[Hawk Backer]

Good to see some conversation in the forum.  I think it's safe to say that if there is one thing certain in this conference it is that there is absolutely nothing certain.

Preseason POY Jajcen Harris isn't even starting, Ohler's monster numbers from a year ago have dwindled and LaRoche, after winning the conference tournament a few years ago, has fallen flat on its face.

That being said, here are my thoughts:

1. Lake Erie - As has been said previously, they have faced some tough competition in non-conference and more than held their own.  Bethany and Edinboro are two quality wins and might be the best two wins that the conference has to this point.  Their guard play is great, they have post players, athleticism and depth.  They will be at the top.

2. Penn State Behrend - Do I really need to say anything?  Like clockwork, Behrend will be at or near the top of the conference and will be in the semifinals of the tournament.  They are beatable, however, and have shown some kinks in their defensive armor, which is usually very strong.

3. Hilbert - I'm going out on a limb with this one, but the Hawks have the talent and depth to compete with anyone.  There were questions on Reyes and what is wrong with him... Nothing is wrong.  He's a solid PG and will be back in the lineup.   DiJohn gives the squad another backcourt weapon and is a change of pace from Reyes controlled, run-the-show type game.

4. Pitt-Bradford - I really think it's between Hilbert and Pitt-Bradford for the #3 spot.  Race is playing really well and the new guards are coming around.  I still think the key to the team is Thomas, but I could be wrong.  Also, size is an issue with the Panthers.  Race is the tallest starter they have at 6'3 with Austin gone (what happened here?).  I think this could be a real issue as the season wears on.

5. Pitt-Greensburg - The Bobcats have lost three straight and are really struggling right now.  I would have had them at the #3 spot before this past weekend began but a loss to La Roche, who had yet to win a conference game, and a 21-point whitewashing by Lake Erie really makes me wonder if they are that good.  Cooper is a great, great player.  You don't go into Robert Morris and play as a freshman if you can't play.  I don't care if the NEC is a small D1 school.  Kid is the best player in the conference and I really don't think it is close.  But is there much left around him to keep them atop the division?  Conlon was a glue guy that did a lot of things to help the team win, and it seems like they are missing a lot of that this season.  I could be wrong, but I think we may see UPG slip a little more than people expected previously.

6. Mount Aloysius - Granted, they're 1-2, but they've played 2 of my top 4 teams in the conference and beat Altoona on the road.  They lost to Behrend by only 5, which may be a bit deceiving but it still could be an indication that the Mounties might be able to sneak into the conference tournament.  Mims is an all-conference player and if Ohler finds his game this team could be a dangerous team at the end of the year.

7. Penn State Altoona - At 0-3,  Altoona is behind the 8 ball right now a little bit but they've played 2 of my 4 top teams in the conference and lost to Aloysius in a hard fought game.  Franklin is very talented and Stewart-Smith is a solid all-around player. If Minemyer can do anything inside, or Dziabo, they will challenge Aloyisius for #6.

8. La Roche - Unless they get Taylor back, I really don't see them making the tournament.  I was very surprised by the win against Greensburg, and I'm really not sure what to make of it.  It was a home game and I think Greensburg might have been taking them lightly, but I really don't think they have the talent to make a run. 

9. Medaille - Much improved from a year ago.  Last season they struggled to compete with themselves, let alone another team.  This season they have a legitimate threat in McNeil who will give teams fits all season.  There aren't too many people in the conference, Lake Erie included, that can stop this kid one-on-one.  Milford is an effort player who can do a few things in the post, but it is still a work in progress for the Mavs as they will continue to struggle for victories.

10. Frostburg State - Complete and utter disarray.  Jason Peterson and Victor Arana were both kicked off the team and at 0-4 it doesn't look good.  They kept it close against Lake Erie, which they deserve credit for, and Ryley is a good player, but with the loss of so many players it's going to be tough to climb out of the cellar.

It is VERY early in the conference season so I will preface my predictions by saying that things can change quickly in this conference and a player can leave any of these teams in an instant, further muddling the picture.  After the top 2, it really is a crapshoot.  I think UPB, Hilbert and UPG are a step above the rest, but it isn't a big step and Aloyisius, Altoona or even La Roche could potentially climb 2 or three spots.  Parity is great and should make for some competitive and interesting games this winter.

[cantbestopped]

Hawk backer,
your my man, but to say Hilbert is one of the top 3 teams in the conference is a stretch, I know your a hilberthawkbacker, but give em a year they will be good next year.  And i believe you did play some ball so, you know and i know that when a coach that you give your trust to, to guide your career recruits a player that plays "your" position, over the top of you, that's not saying much of what he thinks of your game.  Plus if no one can stop the maverick mcchucker one on one, who cares because no one else on the team even gets involved in the game offensively, so the longer his teammates don't feel part of the game on one end of the court, becomes just a matter of time before frustration allows them to stop competing on the other end. Oh yeah good call on Milford, I bet his 14 and 11 against the hawks must have gave you that idea, if he works hard in the off season he could be a nice undersized postman, he definitely plays hard, is 50 shots enough for your best post player in 10 games while someone else gets 21 shots a game? just my opinion i could be wrong.

[upb88]

Good posts. Great reading for the not so serious fans of the conference. These preseason and early season rankings are interesting, but I take them with a grain of salt -- coarse sea salt. As someone said, the AMCC is confounding. There might be consensus right now as to who is the best team and who is the worst, all the rest are practically interchangeable. I read on here how so and so is the cream of the crop, then they inevitably lose at home to a "bottom feeder." Crazy.

I always like to drag out this bit of trivia: In the eight conference tournaments in AMCC history, only one top seed has ever won it. Pitt-Bradford did it 2001 and only by a whisker when they hit a three-pointer in the dying seconds of regulation to force overtime. What we have here is a bunch of fairly even teams and anything can happen on any given night. Want one more cliché? That's why they play the games!

[Hawk Backer]

In a twisted sort of way, I agree with most of what you're saying.  

Not saying Medaille will be all that much better but "McChucker" gives them a chance and a threat.  I know what you're saying about involvement, but compared to last year there really isn't a comparison.

As for Milford, he will play his ass off no matter who he plays against.  IMO, and this is sheerly my opinion, he's their second best player right now, hence the mention.  Not saying he's all world, but he gives effort which is more than you could say about Bryant for much of last season.

Lake Erie is a great example of how you need three guards to win in this conference.  The combination of Washington, Richardson and Williams is lethal, they each get 20-25 minutes a game and they all contribute greatly to the team.  Dijohn is a combo guard and can play a little bit of the 2, which his .390 3-pt. percentage will show you.  They both start together, and they're different players.  They both bring different elements to the game and they will both be integral parts to the team for the next 2 and 3 years, IMO.

As for the #3 seed, like I said, going out on a limb.  But with the way UPG has been playing I really think it's between UPB and Hilbert for the #3-#4 slot.  And then it's a matter of preference.  Like I said, it's very early and it's fun to talk about the conference.  I think once the first round of conference play is over we will know a lot more about what the playoff picture will look like.

[cantbestopped]

upb,
I have always said that any team can win any game on any given day, this is basketball, sometimes your hot and sometimes your not.  As far as the discussion (not for the not so serious fan) their wouldn't be a post board unless people got to express their opinions for fun and thats all it is, fun, who knows whos going win and honestly unless you play or played for one of these teams, is it really all that important? probaly not.

[berlychick]

This is what I like
to come on here and get to read these posts since
I dont get to go to any of the games...
I have really no idea what to think besides
that I think that Bradford is always tough come the end of the
season...just as was said about the 2001 AMCC title game..ahhh
memories....great game and great shot....
But the best game for me was 2004 on Behrend floor...
Beacom head in the garbage everytime out..(flu) and the last 2 minutes Rowles on the bench..(Fouled out)...and we beat them on their floor
loved cutting down that net!

I will have to live the AMCC season through you guys eyes, so thanks for keeping in the know

[bimbo coles]

'Hawk'although I think Hilbert is good, I wouldn't put them with the cream of the crop, just yet.. They are still looking for an identity in the AMCC and are surely on their way. With a solid core of Rienard, Vandersluis, Reyes, and Djuhon they will make some noise, how much is yet to be determined. Mcchucker does give the Mavs 'a chance' to shoot the ball more than anyone else. Last I checked you couldn't win 1 on 5 and shooting a mere 30% unless your Kobe. More people need to get involved if they want to have any kind of chance. I was blown away by the shooting stat of Hack and McNeil shooting more than the ENTIRE Maverick team, that is crazy. I will agree on the Milford comment.. He will play his tail off every game and in essence is a team player, limited shots, undersized only a So. As well.. So the consensus seems to be that L.E will take the AMCC this year. Maybe we will be proven wrong, however I do think that spots 3-8 are all up in the air. I still like Greensberg, I probably will eat my words on this one. We'll see. 

[upb88]

Berlychick, did your son tell you about that shot Louis Benton hit against Altoona? I could swear I heard the Harlem Globetrotters theme music playing. Unbelievable!

As for Behrend, they kind of remind me of hockey's Ottawa Senators. Always have a great regular season but do little in the postseason. Behrend has won the AMCC only twice over the years. In keeping with theme of parity in the AMCC, no one has won it more than twice.

[berlychick]

Yeah heard all about it
My hubby made it to that game too!

sounded like a great one for the books...

He is a great kid Louis....
I guess that weekend was a weekend for old players to return to the campus
alot of them there...Big Will....Matt.....Matt Barnes....not sure who else
wish I could have been

hopefully heading to the game against UPG to watch an old UPB player!

Timmy............

[upb88]

Big Will, really? Bill Clinton? I wondered what all the Secret Service was about. Actually I'm embarassed to say I don't know who Big Will is. I will probably kick myself when I hear the name.

[ricemmitt]

upb,
Ottawa Senators?  is this the best you can do.  You used to be much more negative about Behrend before UPB last two seasons.  Lets put it this way there resume on a whole is impressive over the last ten years and by the time a different team in this league sniffs the final eight we will all be in the ground.

[upb88]

Yes, Mrs. Niland, it's the best I can do. Because it's a great analogy. Year after year after year, the Senators are disciplined, play their system to a T and win a ton of games in the regular season but don't do squat in the playoffs. Some hungry, less talented team always beats them. This has nothing to do with UPB, as far as I can figure out. But, yeah, UPB has not won squat either. Take away Behrend's nice run in the tournament a few years ago, and the two program's resumes are very, very similar. I think we went through this last year. I posted all the comparative stats for Moore and Niland.

Please fill the rest of us lowly programs in on exactly why Behrend is the only AMCC team that will EVER have a chance to make it to the final eight? What's so special about Behrend? Good program, but I think you've gone a bit overboard.