MBB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[Ralph Turner]

Berry is accepted as a provisional school.

http://www.berry.edu/pr/news/pressdetail.asp?ID=775

Berry College has been approved for provisional membership in NCAA Division III by the NCAA Management Council. Berry is one of three schools nationally that will begin the provisional membership process in 2009-10. Joining Berry is another Northwest Georgia school, Covenant College.

For now, Berry will hold joint membership in both the NCAA and the NAIA. During the 2009-10 academic year, Berry teams will continue to compete in the NAIA's Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), although they will be ineligible for postseason play. Conference affiliation in Division III is under exploration and will be determined at a later date.

The move to Division III makes it possible for Berry to enhance the visibility and diversity of athletic opportunities available on campus by adding sports such as women's softball and men's and women's swimming and diving (both debuting in 2009-10) and men's and women's lacrosse (to be added in 2010-11). At the same time, the Division III approach to scheduling games and practices will make it easier for athletes to be fully engaged as students and involved in other aspects of campus life.

[pbrooks3]

Interesting happenings with so many of these transitional schools situated in the SCAC backyard. Wonder what the SCAC will look like in 2015?

[ououou]

Good afternoon.  Berry has beautiful facilities and has always fielded solid athletic teams in a variety of sports.  Academically.. they fit the profile of an SCAC member.
If trhere travel budget permits... I see it as a natural fit. I have been hearing that they were interested in joining for a couple of years.  More power to them.  They would be a natural rival for Oglethorpe. 
I would appreciate any insight from posters as to how they think DePauw and Centre shape up for the upcoming season. Thanks.

[pbrooks3]

OUOUOU, don't profess to have a complete answer to your query. Suffice it to say, both DePauw and Centre will have competitive squads for the upcoming season. You have two solid programs with excellent coaching and histories of getting nice recruits. What else would you expect in the states of Indiana and Kentucky!  I can't speak for DePauw but I know Coach Mason and his staff are pleased with their incoming freshmen. What does this mean?  Who can possibly know. Oglethorpe returns an outstanding nucleus of players. You should expect the top 3 in the east to be DePauw, Centre and Oglethorpe. The order of finish in the regular season is anyone's guess in my estimation. 

[Tennessee_papa]

The site of the 2010 SCAC tournament is still being decided but word is that Millsaps is likely to get it.  I don't see why the SCAC would want to have the tourney at a below average gym.  (Old Grove gym was never the site of the tournament!)      I would suggest Rhodes as hosts once again after the two year stint in Conway.

tarheelfan, you are really well-sourced.  Don't know if anyone saw it, but the Millsaps decision was apparently made official last week.

http://www.gomajors.com/news/2009/8/11/MBB_0811093339.aspx

The tournament will be held in Jackson for the next two years.

I've never been to Millsaps gym - is it really that bad?

[Quaddble]

Tennessee__Papa, Millsaps gym is pretty bad.  When you first walk in it seems kind of cool just because it is so much more unique than any other gym you've ever seen.  It used to be an old airplane hangar, so you can just imagine the shape and the way the sound bounces off the wall.  Once you get past the way it looks you realize how difficult it is to play in the gym.

The only way I can describe the lighting in the gym is comparing it to the moment in the movie theaters when they are showing the pre-views.  It isn't all the way black yet, but it is dark.  Not only that, but only one basket is lit up.  The other thing that makes shooting difficult is the fact that one basket is literally 9 1/2 feet.  If you don't believe me, go check out the basket on the left side as you walk in the gym.  It will definitely give a home court advantage to Millsaps if they are in the conference tournament, but it shouldn't be a factor with two away teams.

[pbrooks3]

I don't know about the 9 1/2' goal, but I do agree that the Millsaps gym is unique and presents a challenge for the visitors everytime.  The things that struck me about the place that were quirky are the dark paneling of the roof and the unusual lighting around each basket. This combination seems to create blind spots on certain areas of the floor. The place is so large floor to ceiling that you do in fact expect to see an airplane overhead. The place doesn't lack for seating, and since it would probably take a major event to nearly fill it, you always seem to get  
an echo effect in there. The seating isn't comfortable nor necessarily easy to manuever around.  


In short, the facility isn't great for viewing a basketball game, but the hanger is certainly a conversation piece and a unique venue in the SCAC.  The other parts of the Millsaps athletic complex are quite impressive from what I've seen.

[oudad]

This is my first time posting,on this or any site,but I've been following the past two years my son has been at Ogelthorpe and decided to chime in with my limited knowledge. I'm planning on going to the conference playoffs in Jackson any advice ie: where to stay , eat , what to see. Can't wait for the season to start my son is pleased with some of the new recruits that may add some depth to their squad.

[frank_ezelle]

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that the lighting in the Millsaps "Hangar Dome" is sub-par, something that has given me fits when trying to photograph volleyball and basketball over the last few years.  The part about the goal being 9'6" on one end is one that I've never heard or observed--if anything, with all the big players Trinity has on their team it would have behooved Millsaps to raise the goals to 10'6" whenever the Tigers came to town.

Also, it was never actually used as an airplane hangar and I doubt that the lowest bidder was an architect who specialized in airport facilities.  As a bit of trivia, my dad was on the building committee when they were coming up with the plans for a new gym in the 1970's.  It came down to a decision between a one court arena like MS College has or the three court facility which obviously won out.  Personally, I think they made the right decision with the multi-court design, but there is a definite need to double the lighting in the facility.

[frank_ezelle]

While admitting that the lighting is poor and the setting is unique at Millsaps (though is a lot of ways the gym isn't that different from the setting at DePauw), I think this comment by a Fontbonne University person is relevent to the discussion.  This was a comment made by board member fcnews on 3/9/08 after Millsaps hosted an NCAA Regional in 2008, and here's a cut and paste of the comment (or you can go directly to the post at http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4409.msg887762#msg887762 ):

Final Comments on the trip:

It is very hard to put into words the atmosphere in the Hangar this weekend. Imagine a quonset hut 4 times the size of Concordia, StL., only the roof (ceiling) is all native knotty pine. The floor runs side ways. The bench side has about 40 rows of bleachers all the way to the ceiling, the other side has a free standing set of bleachers that's probably the size of one side of Maryville's gym. The structure lends it's self to a very loud crowd. The loudest I've heard anywhere.

Millsaps is a beautiful southern campus and just outside The Hangar is the football field. Home of this years 15 latteral play by Trinity, TX. It is also the home of the New Orleans Saints pre season camp. Beautiful field.

Millsaps College was a great host. You knew the event was going on as soon as you drove on campus. Their staff and athletic department did an unbelievable job. The food in the hospitality suite was very nice. Thanks for the support from the Maryville crowd during our second half.

The southern hospitality can not be beat. Thursday nite FU had the last practice session. The employee's of the O'Charley's restaurant kept the place open an hour and half past closing to accomidate us. Friday, after the game, the staff at Logan's Roadhouse did an incredible job of getting our party of about 60 seated together with hardly much wait. What great steaks they serve.

The kids left Jackson very dissapointed. But, this experience showed them that they could play with anybody and did.

Next year can't get here quick enough.

[daBulls]

I played four years at Millsaps and never noticed the lighting, but then again I played four years at Millsaps.  During my four years one of the rims was broken during practice.  After it was replaced that rim did seem a bit on the low side, but not 6 inches low, maybe an inch.

[phillipst]

Cory Smith has inked a professional deal in Luxembourg.  The story is on the Rhodes Website as well as the SCAC pages.

Rhodes Website: http://www.rhodeslynx.com/news/2009/9/14/MBBALL_091409_Cory_Smith_Signs_Pro_Contract.aspx

SCAC Page:
http://www.scacsports.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/releases/smith_signs_luxembourg

[tarheelfan]

He will do well at the professional level because he was a great one-on-one scorer and very athletic.

[pbrooks3]

For Centre Colonels fans and others, here's a link to their 2009-10 basketball schedule -
  http://www.centre.edu/web/athletics/basketball_m/schedule_basketballm.html

No real surprises - playing the unusual suspects on the non-conference portion of the schedule. They make an early trip this season to my viewing venue to play Rhodes in December.

[tarheelfan]

Here is Hendrix's 09-10 schedule.  The exhibition game against Univ. of Central Arkansas should be a good early test as it counts for an official game for UCA.
http://www.hendrix.edu/athletics/schedule.aspx?id=22028