MBB: USA South Conference

[CNU85]

I did see tonight's game. WOW....where did that CNU team come from? They played great AS A TEAM. I think it was the best effort I've seen all year. They were talkng to each other and helping out and moving to the ball. Davon was fantastic. Blasngame didn't look tired at all. He played a ton of minutes in two days and looked ready for another game. I thought the becnh did a good job of giving the starters some time to rest.

Russell was in street clothes - is he injured??

HEY - I even saw a dunk!!!! Thank you Mr. Green!!

Block count....263 blocks in 71 games for Blasingame! 10 blocked shots this weekend! This year (if I can read and count) he has 68 in 17 games - an average of 4.0.

Tough road weekend coming up.

[CaptJ]

What has happened to this forum? The last post was almost 6 days ago and this is the middle of conference play! Where are the mongoose, pride1fan, cnuone, su97, obnoxioussufan, gcgullett, roundbll, cnufella, pridesportbbguy, and auhoops? Even guys like hasanova, pat coleman, ralph turner, nnasid and others are staying away. I don't get to see the games anymore but I had hoped to keep current on this board. 

[Ralph Turner]

I am waiting for someone to take control of the conference.

I think that CNU will win this thing.

(I have a long post on the GSAC board about some comments that Maryville TN Head Coach Randy Lambert made about re-alignment.

He was thinking the dissolution of the SCAC.  I am intrigued by the recent events in the conference.

I will cut and paste my post from last night.)

Randy Lambert muses in the Daily Times about the economy encouraging conference realignments.  Especially whether SCAC schools can continue their expensive travel habits.

http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20090128/SPORTS/301289989

Pull quote...

Randy Lambert, former Scots athletic director and men's basketball coach, said thinning travel budgets could present a huge opportunity for Maryville. After being denied admission to the mammoth Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in the past, Lambert said he thinks the Scots could become part of a divisional alignment of schools in that conference from Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama. The SCAC currently stretches from Georgia to as far away as Texas and Colorado.

He wishes.

Sewanee, Centre and Rhodes are charter members of the SCAC, founded in 1962. Millsaps and Trinity joined in 1988; Hendrix and Oglethorpe in 1991.

He is hoping for Sewanee, Centre, Rhodes and Oglethorpe to leave the SCAC and join Maryville, BSC, Piedmont, LaGrange and Huntingdon.  Schools in their exploratory year with the NCAA, Covenant and Berry, might even be invited.

That gives 7 football schools, but it abandons four women's colleges.

The SCAC is actually going the other way.  They have expanded towards higher profile colleges, with larger endowments and Phi Beta Kappa chapters.  That includes Austin College, BSC and Colorado College.  Oglethorpe's Phil Ponder was interviewed on Hoopsville on Sunday night.  He gave no indication that the SCAC was doing anything with respect to re-organization and that their (OU) president is trying to strengthen Oglethorpe's position in the SCAC, with all of its travel.

My thought about that article is what happens for travel in the USA South.

Shenandoah has travel demands.  The closest school to Shenandoah is CNU, 211 miles away.  Methodist is 359 miles away.

CNU is 129 miles from NCWC; 234 to Methodist; 218 to Averett; 268 to G'boro and 294 to Ferrum.

If CNU looks up the peninsula, Salisbury is 151; St Mary's MD is 179; Wesley is 212; York PA in 270.  Mary Washington is 121. Gallaudet is 175. Stevenson is 227.  Hood is 213.  Marymount is 176. Hood is 213 miles.

Shenandoah is 118 miles from York PA and 204 to Wesley. Hood is 52.  St Mary's Md is 150. Salisbury is 198.  Almost every school in the Capital is closer than CNU!

The Capital AC could add Shenandoah and CNU.  Football schools already in the CAC include Salisbury, Wesley and Gallaudet.  Stevenson is rumored to be adding football in the near future.  That makes six. You are one shy of the AQ in football.  Frostburg State as an affiliate?  Seven!

I think that we can make the case for the GSAC Men and the USA South to merge  and form divisions, and let the GSAC continue its women's AQ status.

The USA South has Peace, Meredith and Mary Baldwin.

The GSAC has Agnes Scott, Spelman and Wesleyan.  There is some symmetry there.

It makes for interesting conjecture. 

Ralph are you thinking the coed GSAC schools and the women's GSAC schools would/might stay together for women's sports and add the three USA South women's schools, for a ten school women's conference?

I agree that there is too much class/Phi Beta Kappa pride at stake for the SCAC schools voluntarily to split and get involved with, as you might put it, "lower profile" schools.  That is less an issue for the USA South, I'd say. 

Good evening, Doug!

I think that the two conferences can work together on these issues.

It is the men's programs that are "sweating" the limits.

I don't want the GSAC women to lose their bids.

Let's play "what if".

What if Shenandoah and CNU left the USA South?

If Shenandoah and CNU left the USA South, the USA South would still have these women's AQ bids:  Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball!  Every USA South AQ bid would be intact with 8 members.  (Only 5 USA South teams, including Shenandoah and CNU, play Lacrosse.  That is not enough to get a Pool A bid.  The Capital AC already has the AQ in women's lacrosse.  LaGrange and Agnes Scott also play women's lacrosse, so they could affiliate.  That is a wash.)

There would be no change in GSAC women's teams.  If Berry and Covenant women joined the GSAC, there would be the addition of a Pool A bid in women's volleyball when at least one of those two teams became a full member.  That is a plus!  (Summary -- GSAC women would keep all current AQ bids!)


Let's look at what would happen if the USA South took the GSAC men's teams as affiliates (after Shenandoah and CNU left).

The core five USA South teams would keep all AQ's by taking the "GSAC-4" as affiliates in the men's sports:  Soccer, Football, Basketball, Tennis, Baseball and Golf. The four GSAC men's schools sponsor the same sports as the USA South teams except "Piedmont" football.  CNU and Shenandoah football out; Huntingdon and LaGrange football in.

If we end up with Covenant and/or Berry plus the GSAC-4 in the "South", and the USA South teams in the "North", you have a solid conference. Remember, the USA South had two "recruit" Maryville and "add" NCWC football to solidify itself in the AQ, when Chowan was kicked out!  I realize that LaGrange and Huntingdon are far from NCWC and Ferrum (those are ASC distances), but it does solidify the USA South (Men's) Athletic Conference.  (Shenandoah is the one who is on record of trying to find another home!  Shenandoah and CNU are already closer to Capital AC schools than their own USA South schools.)

In summary, we have the Great South (Women's only) Athletic Conference, and the (co-ed) USA South Athletic Conference.

We can watch it.   

For what it's worth, the new USA South could call its men's divisions "east" and "west".

[narch]

big conference weekend...i hope the monarchs can pull out 2 w's

captj - i've been a little less active because work, an mba program and increased kids activities are allowing me less opportunity to see the monarchs in person...it's tougher to analyze a team you're not seeing as often...of course, it probably doesn't bother you that i'm posting less

[CNU85]

Ralph,

A very interesting post. Realistically, would you ever expect CNU to leave the USA South? I'll ponder some of your other points over the weekend. Obviously, you are more informed than I am about many of the little details!

[CNU85]

Captj,

How's the tan? Signed my copy of the book yet?

I too miss some of the lively and often hostile banter. Maybe we're getting older.

Narch is swamped with "Life". Narch - hang in there - I've been there. CaptJ and I both survived the MBA program at the "suicide school"  - W&M. It will be well worth it. Just take time out to remember you have a family. At times you will have to sacrifice study time to go fly a kite with your kids or take your wife out so she gain talk like an adult again. Ha - I remember one time when our kids were little I took my wife out to dinner. She excused herself from the table after dinner to "go potty". 

Good Luck to Methodist on Saturday. I hope you stink up the gym on Sunday!

[CaptJ]

captj - i've been a little less active because work, an mba program and increased kids activities are allowing me less opportunity to see the monarchs in person...it's tougher to analyze a team you're not seeing as often...of course, it probably doesn't bother you that i'm posting less

Nothing could be further from the truth, narch. I wish you were posting more, but I certainly understand your priorities. It's just sad to see this once vital board so quiet. Hmmmm... is it possible that that might reflect the overall vitality of the conference in the entirety of the D3 basketball world? Anyway, you are right about not being able analyze much when you don't see the games. BTW, 85 is right on about maintaining a family life. I suggest Friday night with mom and Saturday morning with the kids. And then... back to the books for the rest of the weekend! Wow, I am so happy to have that behind me.

GO CAPTAINS!  Win two this weekend!

[CaptJ]

Captj,

How's the tan? Signed my copy of the book yet?

The tan is best described as Brandon Jones Brown... LOTS of beach time lately. The book is progressing nicely, thanks... I'm guessing the first draft will be complete by the end of March Madness, and then the rewrites begin.  I'm still not sure if I have any talent for this though... it might all be an exercise in futility.

[CNU85]

Captj,

How's the tan? Signed my copy of the book yet?

The tan is best described as Brandon Jones Brown... LOTS of beach time lately. The book is progressing nicely, thanks... I'm guessing the first draft will be complete by the end of March Madness, and then the rewrites begin.  I'm still not sure if I have any talent for this though... it might all be an exercise in futility.

Feel free to use me as a free proof reader!!

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph,

A very interesting post. Realistically, would you ever expect CNU to leave the USA South? I'll ponder some of your other points over the weekend. Obviously, you are more informed than I am about many of the little details!

CNU85,

Humbly, you have more insight into the USAC/DIAC and what is happening.  You know the mission/vision questions/issues better than I.

I just highlighted the facts that are commonly available for those that look at the question.

When CNU joined the DIAC in 1972, there was a common mindset among those schools.  Look at where those members are now!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Conference

We have seen how Shenandoah has tried to move to the ODAC.  If the ODAC offered them an invitation, these discussions to preserve the AQ in the USA South  would commence very quickly.  The thing that has changed in the area around Atlanta is that Berry and Covenant are looking at the NCAA.

What will travel expenses do to the USA South? That is what the AD and president at Shenandoah are looking at?  Gee the Capital AC is awfully close!

CNU and Shenandoah get access to the AQ in women's lacrosse by joining the Capital.

The ACFC schools need football games in October when everyone else is playing conference.

Salisbury, Wesley, Gallaudet and (maybe soon) Stevenson will play football.  Frostburg gets invited as an affiliate.  Add two more schools (?Shenandoah and CNU?), and you have an AQ conference.  As Apprentice and you fill the open date and give 7 conference games!

The USA South already deals with a "gender-imbalance" in conference membership.  The GSAC is just as "gender-imbalanced".

How soon is Salem going to be permitted to join the USA South?

Thanks for considering these issues.  Please post your thoughts here or off-line to me personally.

[CNU85]

Ralph,

I'm sure there have been conversations about conference affiliations within the CNU athletic dept. Frankly, I would be upset if they didn't. You should always explore options. However, over the years of being a fan of CNU and getting to know several members of the Athletic Dept, not once has anything come to my attention about even the slightest potential to leave the USA South. I don't see it happening as long as CJ Woolum is AD and quite possibly as long as Sen. Trible is President. But then again - I haven't seen Trible at a basketball game in years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't like that at all. That sends me the wrong message from the president.

Anyway, if CNU ever jumped ship it would be a surprise to me. But then again, CNU has been full of surprises the last 10 years! And often, they don't feel the need to pick up the phone and ask my opinion! What's up with that? 

I like the points you make. As usual, there is a great deal of logic in your thought process.

[Ralph Turner]

Thanks CNU85. 

(I also see that CNU is working its way thru the USAC and improving its in-region W/L percentage at the same time.    )

[SU97]

Good luck to the SU team today.  What, with SU grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory last Saturday and AU running SU out of it's own gym the following Sunday, it was a nice surprise to see a win yesterday down at MU.  Apparently, it's a bookend win that spans over a decade against Monarchs.  Hope the Hornets can keep it going today in Greensboro. 

[CaptJ]

Captains down by 2 with 10 seconds left and Baker fouls Lehman before the inbounds pass is even thrown in?!  The best FT shooter on the team?  Stupid.  Way too many squandered opportunities in this one.  Nice game by Methodist though... they played hard.

[CaptJ]

Running through the conference undefeated in the first half would have been a miracle, so CNU fans should be very pleased with a 5-1 record.  I know I am.