MBB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[frank_ezelle]

Here's a question for all of you NCAA experts.  Birmingham Southern is coming into the SCAC next year after having a Division 1 program.  Is it correct that for the next 4 years they will not be eligible for the SCAC Tournament or for the NCAA Tournament because of a 5 year probation period for teams dropping down?

If that's correct, then it must be a tough sell to recruit kids when those kids will not be allowed a chance at winning a league championship or going to the NCAA Tournament during their career.  I assume the football team is eligible right away since it will be the first year for football.

[Mark Hengel]

I do not qualify as a NCAA expert, and cannot answer Frank's question with any certainty. However, I did catch Frank DeFord's column on NPR's Morning Edition this Wednesday. It discussed Birmingham-Southern's switch to D3. Here is the link if you want to listen:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6777819

It's titled Scholars and Athletes without Scholarships.

[Ralph Turner]

Here's a question for all of you NCAA experts.  Birmingham Southern is coming into the SCAC next year after having a Division 1 program.  Is it correct that for the next 4 years they will not be eligible for the SCAC Tournament or for the NCAA Tournament because of a 5 year probation period for teams dropping down?

If that's correct, then it must be a tough sell to recruit kids when those kids will not be allowed a chance at winning a league championship or going to the NCAA Tournament during their career.  I assume the football team is eligible right away since it will be the first year for football.

Frank, I am not sure that the "new" football team is eligible, but that is an interesting question.  I hope that they are.  Maybe the SCAC-SID can chime in on that.

Otherwise, the school must go thru the full 4 year cycle to become a full member.  There have been attempts to accomplish the process in 3 years, but I do not recall any team achieving that.  UT-Tyler tried but had to finish their 4th year (2006-07).  In the third and fourth years of provisional status, the NCAA permits their games to count in "in-region" calculations.

[JJFlash]

Thanks, Mark for the link to the Frank DeFord piece. 

[Mark Hengel]

I just wrote an e-mail to the SCAC SID about Frank's original question. Hopefully the man in charge in Atlanta will inform us about Birmingham-Southern's membership in the SCAC. It is an interesting question, and I look forward to some clarification.

[Pat Coleman]

I just wrote an e-mail to the SCAC SID about Frank's original question. Hopefully the man in charge in Atlanta will inform us about Birmingham-Southern's membership in the SCAC. It is an interesting question, and I look forward to some clarification.

Football will not be eligible. They are still a Division I member in the eyes of the NCAA until the provisional period is complete.

[DPU3619]

From Friday night:

Austin 60
Centre 84

Hendrix 62
DePauw 75

Oglethorpe 76
Millsaps 78

Sewanee 76
Rhodes 56

It seems Chris Sanders of Millsaps tipped in an Allen Odum miss at the horn to give the Majors the 2 point win.  Ahmad Kareem Shaheed went nuts for OU, scoring 24 pts with 18 boards on 9-11 shooting.

[frank_ezelle]

Last night's results leave 5 of the 10 teams tied for 1st with a 3-1 record.  As has been mentioned many times already, there will be very few if any easy nights in the SCAC this year and just about any team that gets to the SCAC Tournament will be capable of winning the NCAA Tournament bid.

OU shot 61.7% from the field last night, 40% behind the arc, 85.7% on their free throws, won the rebounding battle by 8 but they could not get their first SCAC win of the season.  Go figure.  Millsaps had more offensive rebounds (13) than defensive rebounds (11) since OU only missed 18 shots all night. 

Millsaps did win the turnover battle 21 to 12 and they hit 13 3-pointers compared to only 6 for OU which were their keys to victory.  Chad Songy came off the bench to hit 5 of 10 from behind the arc and reserve Blake Martinez added 2 of 4.  There were 5 Majors in double figures led by Rodney Rogan with 17, Songy with 15, Lorenzo Bailey with 13, Allen Odum at 12, and Edrick Montgomery had 11 to go along with a team leading 7 rebounds.  Chris Sanders only had 4 points but it was his putback with less than a second to play that gave Millsaps their winning margin in the 78-76 game.

[irion]

I attended the Rhodes/Sewanee game last night and what impressed me most was the scoring mix.  4 of 5 starters were in double figures ( the other starter had 8 pts).  For the first time on the road Sewanee had a good game and executed it well.

The downside to the scoring is there is no help from the bench in the last several games, as we get deeper into the season Sewanee must get some help from the backups to make a run.

[frank_ezelle]

I noticed this morning that the SCAC website (http://www.scac-online.org/) now has a feature on the main page that lists the basketball webcasts and livestats for the week.  That's a very convenient feature to have as more and more schools add some sort of live information for their ball games.

And while I'm at it, let me give a word of thanks to Dwayne Hanberry of the SCAC office for the work he does on the league website.  The timeliness of the information and the amount of information is incredible and I doubt that many if any leagues can match up to the SCAC website.  I don't know them personally, but the SCAC seems to be really lucky that they have had the stability of Steve Argo as the Commissioner for 16 years and Dwayne as the SID and Assistant Commissioner for the past 12 years.

[consultant]

Ditto on Frank's remarks concerning Dwayne Hanberry, Steve Argo, and the SCAC office.  Dwayne does an amazing job with very few resources.  He also makes all the schools look really good considering that most SCAC schools continue to be slow in updating their scoreboards and news pages.  I've known Dwayne and Steve for several years now, and I know them to represent the interests of the SCAC with style and class. 

[frank_ezelle]

Millsaps, Centre and DePauw all won yesterday to remained tied at the top of the SCAC with a 4-1 record.  Millsaps goes on the road to Austin and Hendirx next weekend and then has 5 out of 7 games at home to finish the season.

The Sewanee verses Millsaps game was tight throughout with neither team ever making a big run to build a comfortable lead.  Rodney Rogan lead the scoring with 21 points, Lorenzo Bailey added 14 and Edrick Montgomery had 12 points to go along with his game leading 9 rebounds.  Allen Odum had a balanced afternoon with 7 assists and 8 points. 

The box score shows very little difference between the two teams except in the rebounding margin in favor of Millsaps at 37-23 and in the three point shooting.  Sewanee was a decent 6 of 20 while Millsaps found their margin of victory by hitting 9 of 17 from behind the arc.

[yodcw2003]

Can someone who has seen Rhodes play this year please let me know what's going on? I know Rhodes has not been at the top of the conference the last 7 or 8 years but they've always been around .500 in SCAC play or at least competitive. It really seems like they are struggling big time this year. Can someone add some thoughts to how their team looks and what seems to be the problem(s)?

[Mark Hengel]

As some of you might remember, I said I would write the SCAC about Birmingham-Southern's eligability status. The school will join the SCAC next year, but it is competing in the D1's Great South Conference this year. Pat Coleman posted on the issue and clarified that Southern will not be eligable until its provisional period is complete, and Mr. Coleman is right.

But here is what D. Dwayne Hanberry wrote me:

"Mark,
Yes, Birmingham-Southern will not be eligible for NCAA championships for the next four seasons as they go thru the provisional process. The first year they will be eligible for NCAA championships will be 2011-12.

As for SCAC championships (in any sport), that matter will be decided definitively at our next President's meeting (next month).

thanks,"

That means no NCAA for Southern until the Chinese celebrate their next year of the rabbit, but I am anxious to know what the SCAC will do. It is interesting that the SCAC is thinking about allowing Southern to compete although the NCAA is not. And I would love to hear the Presidents' arguments for and against the proposition.

Myself, I believe the SCAC should allow Southern to compete asap. But that is just my gut reaction, and a good arguement could easily alter my stance. I look forward to hearing what happens during the President's meeting, though.

[JJFlash]

Mark,

It is an interesting question about BSC.  For what it's worth (and this is a very simplistic view admittedly) I believe they should let the kids play for championships right away since they are stepping "down" in class provided that no one reamins on athletic scholarship.  If they choose to stay at school and compete without the finanicial aid, more power to them.