MBB: USA South Conference

[captj]

One thing that often gets overlooked in Romeo's game is his defense.  Because he can light up the scoreboard so well, we (me, at least) tend to overlook it.  Last night he was matched up against their best player for most of the game and did a really good job.

[sushotblocker04]

Hey, I just figured it out... narch is actually ALL of the posters on this board (except me). 

Hate to disappoint you but contrary to popular opinion, no Narch is not everyone on this board. How's everyone doing in non conference play? I'm surprised someone...anyone from CNU hasn't listed game by game stats and scores. Anyone know how NCW looks this year? Anyone care? (Probably not). Since team records have yet to be posted, I'l take it upon myself.

CNU- 5-1 (Impressive, but 2 of those came against Southern Va., 1 in OT, and another is that MD Bible win that your currently talking about) Next game vs. Frostburg State shouldn't give yall problems. Unless yall committ 10 TO's again. Which apparently...is possible.

SU- 5-2 (THERE YOU GO Fellas, keep getting it done. Next stop MWC. I'll be there!! Oh and an interesting fact, this is the 3rd time in 4 weeks an SU player has been named conference player of the week. Hale, Onunaku, and Lawrence...GET EM!!)

AU- 5-3  Next up Newport News then Maryville TN.... This is just a hunch but I'm thinkin 2 straight loses for the cougars.

Now is when it starts to dwindle....

MC- 2-5 (I'm sure yall won't be there for long, but honestly, anyone care to comment on whats going on down there?) Spring Hill's up next... How will yall do indeed??

NCW- 2-5 (5 players who can't play together can't win! enough said) Hampden Sydney is next and we know how the ODAC hates losing to the USA South. OH yea they're 6-0 too. Virginia Weslyan beat NCW by 35, (then beat CNU), and lost to HS by 12. Hmm...Advantage HS.

GC- 2-3 Next up North Carolina- Greensboro...doesn't look good.

FC- 2-6 Next up Davis and Elkins, who they should beat as they already have, but hey, this is Ferrum we're talkin about. Oh and then they have to go play EMU.


So there it is, and after looking at it, I see why no-one has really commented on whats going on. But hey, maybe MY post will attract some attention. They usually do. Good luck to all in you upcoming 'games'. (could've said something along the lines of 'loses', but I'll hold my tounge)


Someone clue me in on pre-season rankings!!

GO HORNETS!!!!!

[cnufan]

captj-
    That was a snafu between the track meets from this weekend and others not checking to make sure the CD was back in the music trunk. They planned on doing the national anthem like every other game, but since there was no CD and no pep band, we know Coach Waters wasnt going to sing it, so they bagged it.  And that was the PA guy from football. He seemed a little hesitant and nervous at times, like saying Korey Lewis was number 5 and not 45, among a couple other instances.

[captj]

And that was the PA guy from football. He seemed a little hesitant and nervous at times, like saying Korey Lewis was number 5 and not 45, among a couple other instances.

I can forgive nervousness his first time in the Freeman, and uncertainty over who's who since he's a newcomer, but I really liked his enthusiasm.

Now... the BIG question.  Does he get "the suit" with the job?

Seriously, is he a permanent replacement or just a fill-in?

[cnufan]

He is just a fill-in. Apparently, the man with the blue suit will working seven days a week for 10 hours a day at the oil refinery in Yorktown the exploded last month. So as you can see, he wont be doin much PA for the rest of the month. Dont know about January and February yet. There will one person I think doing the two women's games and I think Wayne Block will be doing Saturday's game if he's around.

[cnu85]

Hey now!! watch it! Me and the Blue Suit guy go way back....to the early 80's. But I did like the guy last night. I could understand what he was saying.

CNU better get its wins now..cuz once conference games start...ouch! It's gonna be painful. Remember last year we started 5-0 (I think I read that somewhere) and finished 18-8...meaning a 13-8 record...not too many back to back wins with that record. Saturday's game will tell more...but I think the preseason polls will not be too far off the mark.

Captj - I dunno about Lewis....he had too many turnovers early in the game and was tossing up bricks. He recovered, but I just don't see the Senior Leader like I was expecting. Selden seems to run the Tempo of the game, even when playing at the #2 sopt. He has impressed me with his leadership.

Dang - I better watch out my use of terms like leadership, teamwork, etc....some guy on the football board might read this and get excited and wet himself.....ooh rah!! (For you ABNRGR)

[captj]

Captj - I dunno about Lewis....he had too many turnovers early in the game and was tossing up bricks. He recovered, but I just don't see the Senior Leader like I was expecting.

I never said that he was playing at all-conf level, just that he was getting better.  And if you remember his first couple of games...

[captj]

Captj - I dunno about Lewis....he had too many turnovers early in the game and was tossing up bricks. He recovered, but I just don't see the Senior Leader like I was expecting. Selden seems to run the Tempo of the game, even when playing at the #2 sopt. He has impressed me with his leadership.

85 –

It's funny that you mention Lewis and Selden in the same paragraph.  I commented to my cousin during the game last night that Lewis is 6-7 and Selden is 5-11, but each plays like he thinks he's the opposite.  But I do think that Lewis went to the glass stronger than he had in previous games.  He had a (near)dunk that was nice to see.  Speaking of which, McShephard seemed way too eager to get to the glass on that pass he took near the end of the game.  I wish he'd just collected the pass and then gone up and jammed it instead of trying to make it look like an alley oop (the pass was way too low for that). 

[ballgame]

Well gents it WAS MdB, but again the team did have a pretty long layoff.   I definitely agree with Js assessment of Romeo's defense....dare I say the word "physical" here...again.   Jeremy and Adam both bellied up and got into Curry's wheel house!  He really lost his cool.  It will be an interesting couple of month's....there is, in my assessment, a lot of potential.  And I do have it on good account the players get along very well—and I believe the chemistry on the court will continue to improve.  It'll be interesting to see how the team reacts when the screws get put to them—that's coming pretty soon

[captj]

Selden seems to run the Tempo of the game, even when playing at the #2 sopt. He has impressed me with his leadership.

For sure.  Selden is playing great, and his intensity is something that the entire team can learn from.  He's definitely the apparent leader (at least on the court) at this point in the season.   I've always been a huge fan of his game at the two guard position.  I just wish that he didn't have to play the point as Barton's backup.  But the great thing about him playing backup point guard is just that... he's the BACKUP.  I am so glad that Barton has proven capable of running the team so that Selden doesn't have to play the point on the first team and can concentrate on doing what he does best. 

[captj]

It will be an interesting couple of month's....there is, in my assessment, a lot of potential.  And I do have it on good account the players get along very well—and I believe the chemistry on the court will continue to improve.  It'll be interesting to see how the team reacts when the screws get put to them—that's coming pretty soon

I'm really glad to hear of harmony in the locker room.  I've suspected over the last decade or so that we've had some teams with real stars that have not fostered that type of concord.  If Romeo and Selden and the other seniors have been selfless in their positions on the team and have tried to develop the youngsters, they should be commended.  If anyone wants to read about how great programs accomplish this year in and year out, read the article "The Duke Way" in the College Basketball Preview issue of Sports Illustrated.  All World super-shooter J.J. Redick chauffeurs a freshman around campus in his 2001 Toyota Corolla, just part of Coach K's system of building team unity and developing relationships between veterans and newcomers. 

[narch]

I'm really not ballgame or am I?  

I don't know... does narch have a 6-8 bouncing baby boy?

my bouncing baby boy is about 22" and around the 80% mark for a 10 week old....doubt he'll hit 6'8" though...maybe 6'1"...hope he doesn't have my athleticism, though or he'll be in serious trouble

MC- 2-5 (I'm sure yall won't be there for long, but honestly, anyone care to comment on whats going on down there?) Spring Hill's up next... How will yall do indeed??

losses to wooster, m'ville and app state are not bad losses...sure, i would have liked to see at least one win from those 3 games, but i can live with losses to 2 top 25 d3 teams and a d1 - the losses to sewanee and voorhees were not good losses, although voorhees is a scholarship program, and you can never discount the ability of an naia scholarship program to get good athletes - i thought the monarchs could legitimately be 5-2 at this point, but thought they would probably be 4-3 - mc needs to split this weekend in alabama...a 2-0 weekend would be HUGE and show the monarchs are legit (mobile is 8-2 and ranked in the naia div 1 top 20 and spring hill is a scholarship program)...0-2 would NOT be a good sign for monarch fans

here is my assesment of what is going poorly for the monarchs - thomas, grant and lee are not playing to their potential and this is a team in need of some veteran leadership, especially leadership by example

seth is rebounding well (7.4 rpg) and KILLING it from beyond the arc (46%), but he's only scoring 12.1 ppg...the monarchs need him to be scoring 15-17 ppg, in my opinion

grant is NOT shooting well (30% overall) and is turning the ball over too much (24 to's in 7 games)...does anyone REALLY believe that will continue though??...he's too good a player to be bad all season, and i'm confident he'll pull through a tough start

lee is in and out of the starting lineup and getting inconsistent minutes, thus playing inconsistently....i'm not sure if coach smith is trying to see what he has in young guys like mcdonald or what, but when robert lee plays well, the monarchs typically are that much more effective

here is what is going well - as a team the monarchs are very balanced

brandon williams is stepping up offensively, averaging 8.7 ppg and shooting a sublime 47% from 3 (not bad for a 6'4" post)...he's got to step up and help on the boards, though (3.6 rpg)

radmanovic is playing consistently - dragan has been the most consistent producer on the offensive end for the monarchs (10.7 ppg, 44% from the field and from 3) and he's rebounding (6.1 rpg)...i haven't seen the monarchs play yet, but dragan needs to step up defensively, as well - if he can provide some defensive intensity and continue to produce offensively and on the boards he could be huge for the monarchs

the frosh have shown promise - mcbryde and mcdonald have shown the ability to score (5.4 and 6.6 ppg in 10 and 17 mpg, respectively) and mcbryde has had some nice games on the boards, but they've got to develop fast...the monarchs will need them to contribute big minutes once conference season starts

overall, i'm not that concerned - i know what thomas and grant are capable of, and i know they will step into a leadership role - i know what i THINK radmanovic is capable of and i think he'll continue to grow into his potential this year - i really like the defensive intensity that lee brings, and i think when he gets consistent minutes, he'll reward the coaches by producing - i like the upside of williams, although he needs to get more intense rebounding the ball and i REALLY like the potential of mcbryde and mcdonald...those two could be special...that has the makings of a really good rotation, and when you add mcevoy and his shot blocking/altering ability along with moore who has shown flashes, the monarchs should be alright - right now i think the record is an indication of a difficult schedule and coach smith tinkering around a bit trying to find the right combination along with some inconsistent play from the vets

[captj]

bspears - If we get some activity on this board we'll get everyone to their appropriate team.

OK, I'm going to bump one of my own guys.  Since the Panthers are unrepresented on this board, I just went to the Ferrum website.  Everett Foxx averaged 27.0 per game the same year that my guy Ted Berry averaged 27.3, PLUS; he did it over a 4-year career for 2112 points.  The 1st team is now –

Phil Dixon (SU) - 2297 pts (22.3/gm), 216 steals (2.1/gm) & 103 assists (8.6/gm)

Lamont Strothers (CNU) -   2709 pts (23.4/gm), 717 reb (6.2/gm), 286 stls (2.5/gm), 225 assts (1.9/gm)

Al White (SU) - 2001 pts (19.6/gm), 898 rebounds (8.8/gm), 190 steals (1.9/gm) & 108 blocks (1.1/gm)

James Boykins (CNU) – 1847 pts (16.5/gm), 1193 reb (10.7/gm), 247 blk (2.2/gm), 197 stls (1.8/gm)

Everett Foxx (Ferrum) – 2112 career pts, 128 career blcks, 183 career stls



Ted Berry (CNU) to 2nd team

So, is this our final team?  Anyone wnt to complete the 2nd team?

[captj]

i think the record is an indication of a difficult schedule

Holy crud... that's an understatement.  I hear that Michigan State has an opening on their schedule next year.  Maybe the Monarchs want to play them?

[hoopshops]

Hey, I just figured it out... narch is actually ALL of the posters on this board (except me).

...

MC- 2-5 (I'm sure yall won't be there for long, but honestly, anyone care to comment on whats going on down there?) Spring Hill's up next... How will yall do indeed??

I haven't seen MC as much as I wanted to this year but, I have a feeling the problem might be inconsistency especially in the post. MC has went with several different lineups this year so I figure the coaching staff is trying to see who has the best chemistry together. I also, think the reason why Thomas, Grant, and Lee aren't shooting at a higher percentage is because there is no consistent post threat. Dragan is playing well but, I'm sure he isn't scoring on the block and causing double teams. Williams and Moore have played well but it hasn't been consistent. McByrde has also played well but he isn't physically strong enough yet. Therefore teams keep a lot of pressure on Grant, Lee, and Thomas because no one has been consistent in the post. They got open looks in the past because guys like Standley, Porter, Brown, and Hatch were a presence in the post. Without that presence on the block it is hard for them to score since they are not the best off the dribble scorers.