MBB: USA South Conference

scottiedoug · February 28, 2015, 05:07:33 PM

I am always glad to bail you out but you did not call...I was in Cooper watching Greensboro sneak away with the women's title. A 6'4" player in D3 women's hoops can cause a lot of trouble....At least the Coach T Scots will get to play in the NCAA, so it does matter what you do before the conference tournament!

I knew it would be Nik Mitchell who would come up big for the Panthers. Nobody seems to be able to guard him if he takes a notion. Unlike your man Mark Wagner, who can be defended.

What do the Scots need to make next year better?

Ben Stein Fan · February 28, 2015, 09:59:33 PM

I am so proud of Kendal and David...they have worked so hard to build a program from nothing. This LC is less talented than last year's team but has more heart and determination. I am going to hate to see Nick Mitchell graduate. He is a great player and an amazing man. If Mark and Justyn are both on we could pull out an upset in the first round.

Go Panthers!

mattgrubb · February 28, 2015, 11:30:01 PM

I am excited to see what Kendal and David have done there as well. There game at Centre last year was a tough pill to swallow and that was a better LC team last year. Not to hate on these guys as most of them were there, but they were stronger last year. The one thing these guys have is experience and that is huge in NCAA play. I bet LC goes to Emory for the first round and that is a monster match up for Panthers.
I will say this about Nick Mitchell, if he played every game like it was a USASC tournament game, then the Grubby One would be a Nick Mitchell and not a Mark Wagner fan!!!
The problem is for the Panthers that the #1,10,and 15 teams in the country are in your region and you are basically in a suburb of Atlanta, so yes, LC is probably going to Emory for the first Round.
It could be done, not quite a draw like getting another unranked team at neutral pod site, but if Nick Mitchell shows up anything is possible.

CMR · March 01, 2015, 08:47:12 AM

Is it just me or is there less excitement in the USAS since the new schools have been added over the last several years? As an ODACer, it seems that the USAS has lost its identity, not just the NC and VA schools with local connections and rivalries.

mattgrubb · March 01, 2015, 12:55:17 PM

I would agree with that. Especially with CNU going to the CAC. It is definitely a tale of two divisions. I think it is b/c the rivalries and championships are less centrally located to NC and VA. I want to think more on this but that is a great point

scottiedoug · March 01, 2015, 11:46:17 PM

Does the unbalanced schedule contribute? Is there a solution? Play on Sunday or go away?

narch · March 02, 2015, 01:38:02 PM

Quote from: CMR on March 01, 2015, 08:47:12 AM
Is it just me or is there less excitement in the USAS since the new schools have been added over the last several years? As an ODACer, it seems that the USAS has lost its identity, not just the NC and VA schools with local connections and rivalries.

i personally think it's because usasac basketball has become very average in the last few years - the games are competitive...the #6 seed just won the tournament, and played a semi-final game vs. the #7 seed...but the basketball is not that good - it's hard to get excited about mediocre basketball

mattgrubb · March 02, 2015, 01:40:27 PM

Well my Panthers got lucky. They didn't get the #15 team in the country at their place. They got the #16 team in the country at the #15 team in the country's gym! Aye Dios Mio!

Oh well, the real season starts soon and my panthers are in for the second year in a row. The Wallace streak has started and its at 2. Only 11 more to go to catch the master. Which Wallace will have in 11 years from now.

Ben Stein Fan · March 02, 2015, 04:00:14 PM

Narch,

I get it...your team isn't that good so the conference basketball isn't that good. LaGrange went to Centre in the first round of the tournament last year and barely lost in the final minutes. Take a look at Centre basketball and you will see that is an historical great program that plays a high level of basketball. CNU was getting beat prior to them leaving the conference. This conference plays good not great basketball but not mediocre. Your comment just sounds like sour grapes.

Ben Stein Fan · March 02, 2015, 04:03:50 PM

Matt,

I look for LaGrange to pull an upset in the first round. We will have the advantage of being able to have a nice group of fans attending with the addition of playing at Emory at least once a year. We don't have a long bus ride this year and the team we are playing is traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast which is typically an issue even for NFL teams. We may not have the best team on the floor, but we will have the best all around player in Nick Mitchell. If Mark and Justyn are on we can give this team a run for their money.

mattgrubb · March 02, 2015, 09:14:33 PM

Ben Stein Fan,
I appreciate your optimism but NO. Nick Mitchell will be an average at best player on the floor against Whitworth. They will dominate at every position. Wallace knows what he did this year. He made the run when it counted and got the bid. Thats his job and he is freakin good at it. I don't want to hate on my guys at LC, but this is a 24-3 basketball team who is on the national scene in D3. They are traveling a long way but when you are a west coast D3 team, you travel a long way for all of your games. The intensity level will be much higher. Wallace is slowly building a winner at LC b/c he is a winner, but he is still building. He and Nick Mitchell won the USASC tournament together again this year, but look at the records of the 2 teams that were in the championship. And this aint Murvul of 2004. I wish I shared your optimism and I will be glued to my TV watching the game as I will have it on my apple TV, but I aint gonna bet any money on LC to win. I personally thought the USASC was the worst basketball conference in the country this year. Nick Mitchell and the Panthers were the only ones who did not get lulled to sleep by the mediocrity of the rest of the teams. The league was a lot stronger last year even. This year was terrible. One signature win for the conference and that was Piedmont over Emory. Nick didn't even have that great of a season b/c if he had the Panthers would have had a much better record. Nick had another phenomenal tournament and will forever be known as Mr. USASC Basketball Tournament and they should probably go ahead and make it the The Nick Mitchell USASC Men's Basketball Tournament cause he owns it.
Whitworth has lost one game since Nov 22. They go 6'5, 6'7, and 6'8 across their front line. I am sure Nick will have a penetration advantage against the 6'7 guy but Braxton Ford is going to have his hands full against Love. And then, they go 6'4 and 6'5 at the wings, Justin and Mark don't match up with that size.

With all that said, i say LC 67 Whitworth 64. Go Panthers!!!! My guy Mark Wagner with a 3 three at the buzzer to win it.

narch · March 02, 2015, 10:57:07 PM

Quote from: Ben Stein Fan on March 02, 2015, 04:00:14 PM
Narch,

I get it...your team isn't that good so the conference basketball isn't that good. LaGrange went to Centre in the first round of the tournament last year and barely lost in the final minutes. Take a look at Centre basketball and you will see that is an historical great program that plays a high level of basketball. CNU was getting beat prior to them leaving the conference. This conference plays good not great basketball but not mediocre. Your comment just sounds like sour grapes.

oh, there is no question that mu has fallen into mediocrity for the better part of the last 8 to 10 years, but as a whole, the conference isn't as good as it was 5 to 10 years ago...not sour grapes, just facts - i've been watching usasac basketball for 15+ years, and it's just ok right now

the regular season conference champion is coming off 5 straight sub .500 seasons, the 2nd place team didn't exist 2 years ago (in fact, the school had exactly ZERO undergraduate men enrolled), the team tied for 3rd cancelled it's season after 7 games just 2 years ago, only 5 teams in the league had a winning record, and one of them (ncwc) only got to 1 game over .500 because they schedule at least 2 to 3 wins every year (maryland bible and 2X mid atlantic christian), the #7 seed won the conference tournament...none of this speaks to high quality basketball

as much as i hated that cnu had a cost/facilities advantage as a public in a private conference, they lifted the conference - i imagine most of the coaches in the conference have one goal at the start of each season...win the conference - without cnu, it's easier to do and doesn't take as much talent - that erosion of talent has led to largely average basketball across the board - every person i've talked to who has watched usasac hoops over the last decade plus agrees that the conference, as a whole, is down - you can call that sour grapes if you'd like, but i call it bad basketball

scottiedoug · March 03, 2015, 09:35:31 AM

I am sorry to have to agree with Narch and The Grubby One. While the league is competitive within itself, the quality of the game is down a good bit from several years ago. I do not know if the players are not as good or if there are other factors. The departure of CNU is certainly a factor. But the ODAC is private schools and they have some good teams that do well outside the conference.

Go Panthers!

mattgrubb · March 06, 2015, 12:08:00 AM

Well since I can't sleep tonight, i know Wallace is in Atlanta not sleeping

Go Panthers Its game day

Swish3 · March 06, 2015, 03:12:57 PM

Quote from: Ben Stein Fan on March 02, 2015, 04:00:14 PM
Narch,

I get it...your team isn't that good so the conference basketball isn't that good. LaGrange went to Centre in the first round of the tournament last year and barely lost in the final minutes. Take a look at Centre basketball and you will see that is an historical great program that plays a high level of basketball. CNU was getting beat prior to them leaving the conference. This conference plays good not great basketball but not mediocre. Your comment just sounds like sour grapes.

By who?