MBB: USA South Conference

[cnufan]

NC Wesleyan wins in OT 78-72 at home over Ferrum.
Shenandoah wings 75-72 over MC. Ouch, 0 for the weekend for the Monarchs and the Pride, who were 85-67 losers in Freeman to the Capts.

[captj]

Random thoughts on the CNU (14-5, 5-1) win over Greensboro (7-10, 3-3) –

Inflated defensive statistics?  I think not.

Are these Captains the same team that had such a hard time coming out of the gates in games early in the season?  I guess they worked that out in the non-conference schedule.  This game was as good as won at the 6 minute mark in the first half when CNU was up by 26.  Greensboro didn't get their 10th point until about the 6:30 mark.

Free throws.

I had hoped that Romeo would get his 1000th point in the Freeman Center, but after the weekend he just had it looks like he'll get it in Winchester this week.  Maybe he'll come up one point short against Shenandoah (in a winning cause), and then get it on his first attempt on 2/7 against NCWesleyan.  But don't wait, Jeremy.  Pour it on in Winchester!

Romeo had what was probably his best game this year.  8 of 11 from the floor, 6 of 7 from long, 4 assists, 1 block, 2 steals.  Great game!  I think he was determined to not let Greensboro's D2 hotshot come into his house and show him up. 

Blasingame has to stay out of foul trouble.  Although Matt Coleman gave us some good minutes today, we need Mark in the game.  With the arbitrary nature of the officiating he has to be a little more careful than he was today.

Barton solid, as usual.  I liked the 6 of 6 from the charity stripe.  Without his free throws we're 50% as a team today.

Korey Lewis played a great game also.  18 and 8 with 3 assists and a block.

Donta Selden had an off night statistically, but I'm guessing that he's not too upset about it.  He spent a lot of time dogging Berg, and did a lot of things that didn't show up on the stat sheet. 

Riley and Claxton both contributed to the 54-40 rebounding edge the Captains had by pulling down 8 and 7 boards in 14 and 13 minutes respectively.  Good game guys.

Overall, just a great TEAM effort from the Captains.

Captains win the first half of the conference schedule (with the head-to-head tie-breaker against Averett), but there's still a long way to go before the tournament.  But it certainly looks good for getting at least a home game in the quarterfinals, if not the bye.  And with the tournament in Newport News I really like how the season is developing.

Go Captains, beat Wesleyan!!!! 

[narch]

wow...tough weekend for the monarchs - i never thought 2-4 in the first half of the conference schedule was possible...not in a million years - i just can't put my finger on what is wrong with this team...they lost just 2 players from a VERY good team last year - granted, porter was a beast and booth underrated, but to go from a 20 win team to one that will be LUCKY to win 7 or 8 games?? i just never expected that...they've CLEARLY got some things to figure out, and '85, i'm not as hopeful as you come tourney time - honestly, it seems like the monarchs are playing WORSE right now than they did earlier in the season - i haven't given up hope, but it's getting close

captj - count your team lucky that they got the flagrant call - there was what sounds like a similar play in the mc/ncwc game...grant (i think) was going in for a breakaway layup and a bishop player just ran right under him...he never even put his arms out to ATTEMPT to stop the shot, nothing but body on body (and he didn't try to cushion the landing, either)...the officials didn't call a flagrant or intentional - to me, that play was the very DEFINITION of an intentional, flagrant foul - i wasn't in the gym to see the play on saturday, but i can assure you that eugene grant didn't take a "cheap shot" - it may have been a hard foul, it may have even been intentional, and there are monarch players that are probably capable of a "cheap shot", but eugene grant is a class act

[AUCougars]

To drive from CNU to Shenandoah (OR vice versa) and play a game less than 24 hours later is tough.  It may be worth tracking the results of teams on day two of that trip, since they are so far apart.  So far the record is 0-2 (1-3 if you include the women, as the Methodist women won by a point).

[captj]

A great 2-game weekend for CNU's Jeremy Romeo -

14 of 22 from the floor (64%)
9 of 12 from long (75%)
3 of 4 from charity stripe (75%)
18 and 22 points for a total of 40 in two important CNU wins
Often guarded the opposing team's best player.

His effort was just so cooly effective that when he took shots they were important points in the game's development.  Just a GREAT weekend.

Maybe a little consideration for D3Hoops.com Team of the Week?

The stats aren't as impressive as the team effort, but I've seen less impressive stats make the team.

[captj]

captj - count your team lucky that they got the flagrant call

What a sorry state of affairs when we should feel "lucky" when a zebra gets an obvious call correct!

[captj]

To drive from CNU to Shenandoah (OR vice versa) and play a game less than 24 hours later is tough.  It may be worth tracking the results of teams on day two of that trip, since they are so far apart.  So far the record is 0-2 (1-3 if you include the women, as the Methodist women won by a point).

AUC -

I'm assuming you are commenting on GC's weekend since your guys haven't made that journey yet this season.  You're right; it is a brutal weekend.  But what is the alternative?  Making two trips?  The question got me thinking again on the entire schedule issue so I compiled a table of mileages from each school to the other schools. 

              AU           FC         CNU       SHEN       GC           METH       NCW
   miles   dvll, va   frrm, va   nn, va   wnch, va   gbro, nc   favll, nc   rkmt, nc
AU            X             60         232         263         44           135          140
FC           60             X          257         213         74           169          210
CNU       232           257          X           223       274           228          144
SHEN     263           213         223           X        277           360          276
GC           44             74         274        277         X               96          132
METH     135           169         228         360        96              X             95
NCW       140           210        144          276      132             95             X
TOTALS   874           983      1358        1612       897         1083          997

Obviously, Shenandoah and CNU need to do something since they don't have a single opponent less than 144 miles away.  All of the other schools have at least one opponent less than 100 miles away.  I guess that is why Shenandoah and CNU are the only schools to have TWO back-to-back, Saturday/Sunday away trips.  Additionally, both Shenandoah and CNU HOST two back-to-back weekend series.  We all know that back-to-back games are tough, so I believe that those two schools, with FOUR back-to-back weekends in the conference schedule, have it especially tough.

Weekend Road Trips -                 
         Averett               
Sat.    from   AU    to      CNU   232         
Sun.   from   CNU   to   SHEN   223         
                                              455         
         Ferrum               
Sat.   from   FC    to    SHEN    213         
Sun.   from   SHEN   to   CNU   223         
                                              436         
         CNU               
Sat.   from   CNU     to     FC    257         
Sun.   from   FC     to     AU       60         
                                             317         
                     (and)               
Sat.   from     CNU     to     GC   274         
Sun.   from     GC     to    METH   96         
                                               370         
         SHEN               
Sat.   from   SHEN    to    AU    213         
Sun.   from   AU     to     FC        60         
                                              273         
                      (and)               
Sat.   from   SHEN   to   METH   360         
Sun.   from   METH    to    GC      96         
                                               456         
         GC               
Sat.   from    GC    to    SHEN    277         
Sun.   from    SHEN   to    CNU   223         
                                                500         
         METH               
Sat.   from    METH    to   CNU    228         
Sun.   from   CNU    to    SHEN   223         
                                                451         
         NCW               
Sat.   from    NCW    to    FC       210         
Sun.   from   FC     to     AU          60         
                                                270

Comments, anyone?

[captj]

To drive from CNU to Shenandoah (OR vice versa) and play a game less than 24 hours later is tough.  It may be worth tracking the results of teams on day two of that trip, since they are so far apart.  So far the record is 0-2 (1-3 if you include the women, as the Methodist women won by a point).

Don't just track the Winchester / Newport News road trip.  Four teams have taken back-to-back weekend road trips this season.

On the Sunday games –

CNU (1-0) – Win at Averett after a win at Ferrum
GC (0-1) – Loss at CNU after a win at Shenandoah
Meth (0-1) – Loss at Shenandoah after a loss at CNU
Shen (0-1) – Loss at Ferrum after a loss at Averett

Total (1-3)

[cnufan]

Arent you supposed to be out selling what ever it is you sell?!?! You have waaaaaaay too much time on your hands young man!!

[captj]

You worry about Goose... I'll worry about CaptJ!  I'm doing just fine. 

Actually, I put the tables together last night after I read AUC's comment.  It seems like a pretty good topic for discussion.

Gotta get something going on this board.

[cnu85]

The housing market is down again, I see.

Captj...on your road trip mileage info...shouldn't you include the mileage for the return trip home?

I've looked at the info, and tried to draw some conclusions. There are too many variables. You would have to take your info, plus the stuff that Narch did earlier and figure it all out. How good is the team that is travelling, how far do they travel,  who are the opponents and how good are they and even -  how good are they at home, etc.

I prefer to sit in my nosebleed seat and watch the game and drink a pepsi. Captj taught me a valuable lesson....leave with 4 minutes before the half and be the first one in line for the President's room...then you'll be able to get the food. By the time I climb down from my seat and head over there, some of the food is gone. Also, Captj - it's h'ors d'euvres (did I spell that right?)...not shrimp and steak night at the Golden Coral - small portions, man. your plate was overflowing!! 

[Monarch96]

The CNU/ SU trip is very tough and it takes a really good team to sweep the trip. All back to back games are tough in college basketball.  The only good thing about these trips is that it should help the coaches and players get ready for the conference tournament.  I believe every team in the conference with the exception of NCW get to host back to back games.  I will love to see how the different coaches in the league prepare for these contest.

Let's go Monarchs, don't go down without a fight

[cnufan]

Captj must be a bigger donor than you!! Thats why his plate was overflowing!!

[cnu85]

Plus, he's prettier than me!   

[cnufan]

Well thats true!!