MBB: Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

[frank_ezelle]

A reply on the Millsaps at Pensacola game.  Pensacola apparently has improved and like Rust College, it appears that they are a much better team at home than on the road.  Belhaven College is a local NAIA team that has as much or more talent than any SCAC team and they only won 78-70 at Pensacola earlier in December.

Another factor is that Coach Wise played everyone that made the trip throughout the game.  Most of the twelve players played close to 10 minutes or more and I think all of them played in the first half.  That certainly was a factor in the outcome of the game and I think it was the right move.  If Millsaps had played well they still could have won the game while giving most of the players ample playing time.

At this point in the season Millsaps needs to improve their shooting if they want to be a threat in the SCAC.  Edrick Montgomery is consistently hitting around 60% every night but I think the rest of the team is shooting 36% for the season.  If memory serves me correctly, that 36% is the same for the 3-pointers and the 2-pointers.  They can shoot better than that and I think they will shoot better than that.  I'm not going to predict that they will win the SCAC this year like the football team did, but I do think that they will improve as the season goes on and they certainly have the capability of winning the SCAC if they can put it all together in the next few weeks.

[MajorAlum80]

If the subs did play the first half, they did a great job because I see in the box score that we led at the half.  The second half is where we were beaten.  It doesn't look like Pensacola played particularly well....5 of 23 from three-point range?  They hit 21 of 22 from the free throw line, however.

Shooting is the main problem but we're getting beat on the boards too.  Dallas had a 6'3 forward come up with 16 rebounds against us earlier.   Pensacola, who isn't exactly a big team, outrebounded us as well. 

[frank_ezelle]

It's not like Millsaps is a big team. We go 6'5" at the post, 6'4" at the power forward and then it starts dropping off.  We do have a few others in the 6'4"--6'5" range who play but they don't play a lot of minutes and we certainly don't have any big bodies like a Thomas Adams.

Millsaps jumped out to a 16-8 lead in the PC game and I think they might have gotten out of sync with the multitude of subs and the combination of guys who rarely play together.  It looks like all 12 players played at least 8 minutes based on the box score I have seen.  That much subbing makes it more difficult to win the game but I think it was the right thing to do.  I also think the coaches and the players would all agree that they could have and should have won that game even with all of the subbing.

As I've said before, I think Millsaps needs to play better and I think they will play better.  I'm not going to worry too much about a game like this where they had a 300 mile bus trip in the afternoon and then they played less than their best while making an attempt to get some playing time for all of the players.

[consultant]

To extend the theme that Frank and Alum have developed, please remember that Millsaps is very young (no seniors on the team), and they really are looking for an identity.  Yes, the Majors do have some experienced juniors but on the whole with 12 players playing every game, Millsaps fields a young team.  Indeed, the shooting will have to improve, and I believe that Millsaps will find a groove when the heart of SCAC play rolls around.  As the guys learn to win, I think you'll see that the future is bright for Millsaps basketball.  The best thing for the guys to do is to remain positive and focus on executing.  There is a long way to go!

[old_lion]

A request for info from an OU fan. What happened against HC? Specifically, how did they shut down Shaheed? Having seen both HC and OU play a couple of times this season, I would have expected OU to win big ...

Quote from: mattgrubb on Today at 11:29:09 am
Gentlemen and Oh Yeah,
we are getting so close to conference games i can smell them and to this point i would have to say the preconference schedule has been very successful for the GSAC except HC, pensacola christian come on.
I would say LC has been the biggest surprise, maryville's 4-3 the second biggest, and in a close 3rd PC's good nonconference showing, which was not really a huge surprise but they do have some nice victories.
I can't wait to see these conference games this year b/c for the first time I would say  Maryville is not the favorite to win it all.  last year they lost their first regular season games so everyone knows they are vulnerable.  I expect to see some heated matchups and some good old fashion thrashings of HC by the other 3 schools.  I can't wait to see Green and Mason go head to head, which in the last game Bo even played good defense.  Also, Baldwin, Hairston, and Golden/Blair battle in the paint.  And maybe even a one on one matchup between Lambert and Haynes.

My predictions on conference records
LC 4-2
MC 4-2
PC 3-3
HC 0-6

I just think it is going to come down to LC/MC this year, even though PC is doing really well, my opinion is that LC and MC will battle for the regular season title, but that is not my tournament prediction.  I will save that til we see some conference games.

With Regards,
The Fighting Matt Grubb

Quote from Old Lion:

A word of caution ... It may be a little premature for us all to be putting 2 in the "W column" against HC. If they can do this against OU, they aren't dead yet. Apparently, even though they are smaller, HC is still pretty good on the glass.
http://www.greatsouth.org/stats/GSAC_MBB/hcm12-11.htm

IMHO, OU is a pretty good team. They have all those tough, gritty, Sr guards that seem to have been there 4 or 5 years ... and their big guy has really emerged and is off to a great start. BTW, I'd like to hear from someone who saw the game ... how in the world did HC hold Shaheed to 0 points and only 4 rebounds? I see he played 29 minutes and didn't foul out ...

[DPU3619]

Good to see DePauw finally break into the d3hoops.com Top 25 poll this week at #24.  Pretty sure there isn't anywhere to go but up for next week.  The only game for DPU is on Sunday at home against a not-so-good Illinois Institute of Technology. DePauw beat IIT 104-79 at home last year.

The only team the Tigers have lost to, Chicago, also find their way in the poll at #23 this week.

[frank_ezelle]

About this time last year Edrick Montgomery broke a SCAC record by grabbing 26 rebounds in a game.  I think that was the thing that made me think that Millsaps needed an email/newsletter on sports that could be sent to former athletes, parents, etc., as a way of promoting our athletes and hopefully generating more fan support.

While I think that this is getting closer to reality, there still is no newsletter so I'll use the D3 message board to get out the Millsaps radio schedule to at least a few of the Millsaps faithful.  There normally is a coaches show each Wednesday at 8 Central time and I think there will be a show on tonight.  Next Wednesday they will have a broadcast of the Millsaps vs. Southeastern Louisiana game at 7:45.  The link to the radio station is:

http://www.espnradio1240.com/

[Ralph Turner]

UT-D 62 AC 51.

[FlightofthePetrel]

Everytime Shaheed got the ball they had 3 guys on him. so he'd just kick it out to the guards.  Look at the games Dickinson and Tulowitzky had  22 and 21 if I remember correctly.  OU dominated the game and was up by as many as 21 and kind of fell asleep and let HC get back in the game.  Give them credit for not giving up.  From the games I've seen this season only multiple guys can stop Shaheed.  He put up big numbers against Emory and Maryville college (against pre season all american Bobby Golden) but if you shut down Shaheed OU will hurt you in other areas. 

[scottiedoug]

Shaheed had 20 against Maryville but Maryville's two post players, who do not play together much, had 38 between them.  And it was a close game anyway. 

[DPU3619]

Trinity beat Hardin-Simmons 67-60 earlier this evening.

Guess I don't really know what to make of it.  The loss drops HSU to 4-4, while Trinity improves to 4-5. 

I'm not the right guy to start talking about how good of a win that might be against a 4-4 HSU in the ASC.  HSU has lost to some pretty good teams, I think. 

However, perhaps it's a nice win for Trinity to start putting a few pieces in the right place as we turn the calendar over and get ready for conference play.  I'd still be a little nervous, though, at 4-5.

[carlweathers]

Wow.  Glad that DPU3619 is nervous for Trinity at 4-5.  Somebody who didn't realize Sean Devins is one of the best SCAC centers in history is nervous for Trinity at 4-5. 

Solid win for Trinity, especially considering that Pat Coleman had Hardin-Simmons as the best team that he saw during the Tour de Tejas. 

[irion]

Sewanee lost to Maryville last night 64-47.  Sewanee led with about 5 minutes left in the game.  They just ran out of gas.  It seems the better teams in D3 have a deeper bench.

Eddy and Rowland are clear to return to play for the trip to California.

[DPU3619]

Wow.  Glad that DPU3619 is nervous for Trinity at 4-5.  Somebody who didn't realize Sean Devins is one of the best SCAC centers in history is nervous for Trinity at 4-5. 

I would prefer it if you would peruse my statement one more time and look for the section where I knock Devins as an SCAC center.  Somebody asked why Devins didn't play at the next level.  I, as a person who does not wear Trinity University rose-colored glasses, provided my opinion.

He was a darned good center because he was 7'0" and had a height advantage on every single player on the floor every single night he went out there. 

He was a terrific shot blocker, and could get to every shot that bounced off the rim.  What would have happened if there were three or four guys in our league that size?  Big guys at the next level aren't all 6'7" and 6'8" like they are in D3.

Steve Schott is 6'6".  I recall Reggie Magnusson as 6'8" or so.  Wasn't a very tall fellow, if memory serves.  I thought Oglethorpe's Ahmad Kareem Shaheedwas much bigger than his listing at 6'6".  Hendix's big guy Andrew King is 6'6".  Joe Ringger was 6'7".  Devins had five inches on everybody out there.  With a tad bit of research, I find that Rhodes soph Rob Bledsoe is the conference's tallest at 6'10".  Centre's John Patterson and a frosh from Sewanee are both 6'9". 

Sean Devins was a great player in the SCAC because he had two weapons: his height and he had the longest wingspan I've ever seen.  What happens when you neutralize those two weapons and put a player his same size on him night in and night out?  We have no idea.  It never happened in this conference.

Also, don't be a jerk.

[JJFlash]

I saw the Trinity - HSU game last night.  Trinity came out and played very well in the first half.  They built a big lead at halftime by shooting well and neutralizing HSU's inside players.  Like is always true, you could just feel that HSU would make its run in the second half.  They did and had some pretty big momentum and made the game close.

For Trinity fans, the Tigers were able to keep their composure and take care of business to get the win.  Given the youth and inexperience they are working with, this is very encouraging.  One game does not make a trend, but this may very well be a big step in the right direction.

Of note, Brandon York led the team in scoring.  He's been struggling a bit so far, and they are counting on him to be a scoring presence.  Casey Hill did a nice job on the boards especially late in the game.  Mike Gilb played very tough inside.  Both of HSU's inside players (the JEAN brothers?) fouled out before Gilb fouled out as well with under two minutes to play.  Patrick Robinson is emerging as a real threat from 3-poont land.

The Tigers have been and continue to be a work in progress.  This game gives Trinity supporters some reason to believe that progress is being made!