Top 25 talk

[Gregory Sager]

I'd hope for a final four of Anna Maria, Lawrence, Alma, and Hiram, but I'm afraid it might turn into a rubber of bridge.   

Once again Mr. Collinge pulls off a quip that earns him my vote for Posting Up POTW. The only thing that would've made me laugh harder at this post is if he had ended it with a, "Get off my lawn, you damned kids!"

As for the CCIW, I think that both Q and PS make good points. I'm not sure yet that the CCIW really has a Final Four contender, although the league as a whole may actually be stronger this year than last (inasmuch as the bottom four from last year appear to be making significant inroads, as Calvin and Hope will attest). It might end up being a year in which the league doesn't get multiple teams as deep into the big dance as last year, but the overall non-conference record might actually improve, because there's no laggards at the bottom dragging the league totals down.

But PS is right about the fact that the CCIW conference schedule is a terrific crucible for creating good teams. The intensity level within league play is very high no matter what the league looks like, but in a year in which there are absolutely no nights off for anybody that grueling two-month slog of fourteen highly-charged contests could very well make a team emerge much stronger, Nietzsche style, at the end of February than it may have looked at the end of December.

[njlincolnlion]

Point Special: 

I'll email the Lincoln coach and ask him to have the player jam the ball instead of pulling up for a three.  I would tend to think a jam is much easier to make than a trey.

I admit the score and/or magin of victory was a bit much, but would you ask your bench not to score when they really don't have many opportunities to play?  If you negate the pull up trey, what other negatives would you have?   Additionally, did you have the same comments when Redlands had their blowout?

[Mr. Ypsi]

Point Special: 

I'll email the Lincoln coach and ask him to have the player jam the ball instaed of pulling up for a three.  I would tend to think a jam is much easier to make than a trey.

I admit the score and/or magin of victory was a bit much, but would you ask your bench not to score when they really don't have many opportunities to play?  If you negate the pull up trey, what other negatives would you have?   Additionally, did you have the same comments when Redlands had their blowout?

I've always enjoyed your posts, and had a soft spot for Lincoln, but this is NOT acceptable.

"I admit the score and/or margin of victory was a bit much" - no, they were not a bit much, they were obscene!  Still doing full court press when up by 100+: obscene!  CONSTANTLY going for the immediate three rather than milking the clock: obscene!

Can't you understand that in d3 we still think of 'sportsmanship' as a VALUE, not an antiquated relic?  What you did to a team that I dare say would lose to the WORST team in d3 by 20 (and probably several hundred [thousand?] high school teams) was just not sportsmanship (or even common decency).

Much as I liked your posts, I'm kind of glad your school will be leaving d3 VERY soon.

[Perhaps they were just practicing d2 ethics, as a transition?]

[ChicagoHopeNut]

In addition to what Mr. Ypsi said above. What Lincoln did was appalling and obscene. And if see some of the stories on the internet about the game is that Lincoln not only embarassed itself but it also embarassed all of DIII sports. I can't seem to sign in on the posts from the main d3hoops.com page but I find the fact that so many people are attempting to "defend" or "rationalize" Lincoln's display rather disappointing.

[njlincolnlion]

To All:

I apologize for Lincoln's actions.

[Mr. Ypsi]

To All:

I apologize for Lincoln's actions.

I hope you understand that none of this was addressed to you personally.  I (we?) think you are great personally, but have some issues with your coach!!

[Pat Coleman]

In addition to what Mr. Ypsi said above. What Lincoln did was appalling and obscene. And if see some of the stories on the internet about the game is that Lincoln not only embarassed itself but it also embarassed all of DIII sports. I can't seem to sign in on the posts from the main d3hoops.com page but I find the fact that so many people are attempting to "defend" or "rationalize" Lincoln's display rather disappointing.

You need to register first.

[Pat Coleman]

I admit the score and/or magin of victory was a bit much, but would you ask your bench not to score when they really don't have many opportunities to play?

By my count, Sami Wylie scored 36 of the final 56 points. If you didn't have a starter in the game it would be a little easier to make that argument with a straight face.

[pg04]

RE Lincoln, look at my comments in the blog section.  I watched SportsCenter tonight and it made #4 (?).  I watched a Lincoln player steal the ball as it was being brought up at half court and pull up for three, with noone in front of him defending the basket.  That's just trying to run up the score, that is playing without class.

The fact that it was on sportscenter makes it even worse... It makes it seem cool to score as many points as possible when routing an opponent.

Well, this isn't a video game and there are people with feelings on the other end of the court....

(Not trying to make this overly sappy, by the way)

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I'm all for having the bench go all out.  Lincoln shoots threes and presses; that's what the bench should be doing.  If they score 200 points doing that, then fine.  However, the fact that Wylie stepped foot on the court after half-time is embrassing.  That Lincoln team is more than capable of destroying this Marion team without the starters in.

Props for not telling the bench guys to back off, but a big slam for letting Wylie back on the court.  If I'm remembering correctly, Myrick got his record without having to blow-out an opponents, Wylie shouldn't have been allowed to break it by doing so.

[sunny]

However, the fact that Wylie stepped foot on the court after half-time is embrassing. 

Not to mention monumentally stupid.  Imagine if he had suffered a season-ending injury jacking up all those shots in the second half?

[Greek Tragedy]

Aside from Hope losing, I'm not sure if anyone else above Stevens Point lost.  If they did, Point could be a Top 5 team, beating yet another ranked opponent on the road (Oshkosh).  They have ranked Whitewater at home this week and then a tough La Crosse game this weekend. 

Re:  Lincoln

I don't know the details of the game and won't bother looking.  If Lincoln was up 50 at the break, no starters should've played the 2nd half.  I'm all for the bench players playing all-out and getting some "reps" in.  They probably don't get to do that much.  If the bench players play all or the majority of the 2nd half, even they can stand around for awhile without jacking up 3's (last 5 minutes?).  Anyone tries to show me up on the soccer field, they'll find themselves with a limp.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

New Top 25 is up.  Not suprisingly Wooster is on top.  ONU is sitting in #3; I'll be interested to see if this is an all-time high for them.


Still wondering how the upstart NE teams aren't getting many votes.  I understand the lack of history, but still, you'd think the NE voters would be giving them a little credit, right?

Brandeis, Keene State and RIC have all looked better than Gordon, but they can't seem to gain much ground.

[Pat Coleman]

You're talking Brandeis, for example? They aren't on many ballots right now -- I wonder if voters are waiting to see if they beat Amherst.

I think Amherst is beatable, though less so at LeFrak.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Yeah, I know everybody's waiting for that game, but even if Brandeis loses, wouldn't they still be in contention for a Top 25 spot?  I mean it's not like they'd be losing to a bad team?  I just feel like they've proved quite a bit already, especially to the NE voters.  I do give the rest of the country the benefit of the doubt because they so sorely stunk it up in conference last season.