MBB: USA South Conference

[PrideSportBBallGuy]

I knew that there were alot of colleges in NC, but wasn't sure of the numbers. Thanks for clearing that up.

As for the ODAC/USASAC (As it should be called because ODAC would surely win it)  I have talked to the the ODAC President and said what you told me hasanova.  Scheduling conflicts.  I don't know where that fits in because some USAS teams already play ODAC teams once/twice already in most instances.  Greensboro women this past year played them twice (Guilford and E&H).  So I think holding my breath might not be the case.  Just DISTANCE.  I would have it set up in the same way too.  Top school from each conference plays each other so on and so forth

[hasanova]

I knew that there were alot of colleges in NC, but wasn't sure of the numbers. Thanks for clearing that up.

As for the ODAC/USASAC (As it should be called because ODAC would surely win it)  I have talked to the the ODAC President and said what you told me hasanova.  Scheduling conflicts.  I don't know where that fits in because some USAS teams already play ODAC teams once/twice already in most instances.  Greensboro women this past year played them twice (Guilford and E&H).  So I think holding my breath might not be the case.  Just DISTANCE.  I would have it set up in the same way too.  Top school from each conference plays each other so on and so forth

Check this link:

http://secure.ncmentor.org/CompareView/default.asp

It's a bunch.  Here are the 4-year schools.  The schools with football (or about to start football) are noted with an asterisk:   Appalachian*, Barber-Scotia, Barton, Belmont Abbey, Bennett, Brevard*, Campbell*, Catawba*, Chowan*, Davidson*, Duke*, East Carolina*, Elizabeth City State*, Elon*, Fayetteville State*, Gardner-Webb*, Guilford*, Greensboro*, High Point, Johnson C. Smith*, Lees-McRae, Lenoir-Rhyne*, Livingstone*, Mars Hill*, Meredith, Methodist*, Montreat, Mount Olive, NC A&T*, NC Central*, NC School of the Arts, NCSU*, NC Wesleyan*, Peace, Pfeiffer, Queens, Saint Andrew's, Saint Augustine's*, Salem, Shaw*, UNC-A, UNC-C, UNC-CH*, UNC-G, UNC-P*, UNC-W, Wake Forest*, Warren Wilson, Western Carolina*, Wingate*, Winston-Salem State*

[narch]

Wow, talk about jumping off the deep end. A little overreaction, no? Why would Methodist even THINK it was the USAC stepchild anyway? Give me a break. 

Although I am not doing the USAC preview personally for Kickoff, I think Maryville will beat Greensboro, Shenandoah and N.C. Wesleyan.

pat - i think you're reading a bit too much into my comments...i wasn't attacking you, simply using the monarchs being picked to finish 4th as a case in point on the other end of the spectrum - i think the usasac is very competetive this year and any team could win the championship (except gc, of course...that was for you mosh )

[narch]

nova - you left an asterisk off meredith, which is why the usasac so hotly pursued them to join the conference

on a serious note, with what the high point president is doing from a fund raising standpoint, i'd be willing to bet that football at hpu (maybe 1-aa non-scholarship...if they're smart) won't be far off...that guy wants to keep up with elon

[hasanova]

nova - you left an asterisk off meredith, which is why the usasac so hotly pursued them to join the conference

on a serious note, with what the high point president is doing from a fund raising standpoint, i'd be willing to bet that football at hpu (maybe 1-aa non-scholarship...if they're smart) won't be far off...that guy wants to keep up with elon

If the Meredith Angels are picked to win the USASAC football title next year, now that's a story!  lol

Yeah, HPU once had football and I, like you, won't be a bit surprised if they don't restart it.  They have no competition in the city of High Point for fans and local talent and you're right, their President is on a mission.  He is on the news all the time in this area and his personality and spirit are contagious.  He's straight out of a 19th century Horatio Alger novel.

[PrideSportBBallGuy]

I sat down and really thought about this.  Thanks, for the numbers nova.  Alot of schools in NC.

The ODAC is better then the USASAC or:

NC is supposed be a huge hs basketball state.  Competition to get players really weens down the talent with all the billion schools competing for it.  The ODAC primarily a VA conference. (USASAC primarly NC southern VA conference) VA has the same talent to choose from, but the number of schools per captia is less.  Correct me If i am wrong. haha

In general the ODAC can take a larger risk on talented players that don't meet the academic requirements as much.  Is it cheating hard to say.  Since those schools are bigger they will have a lower percentage of athletes at the school.  It will hardly bring the numbers they report down.  The two largest schools in the USASAC women's basketball teams had the fewest number of that made the conference academic team.  Whereas some of the smallest like greensboro had the highest percetage.  Greensboro actually had the most of any school in the USASAC.  So i think admission personal have to take a closer look at smaller schools then the bigger schools.  They want those numbers to stay high.

Moral of the story: ODAC can take a bigger risk on players because of their size.  They may have more talent to choose from in VA.  If the USASAC makes there schools bigger and tries to find talent outside of NC.  They have a shot of competing at the level of the ODAC . But neither conference is the best at all sports at the D-III level

[hasanova]

PrideSportBBallGuy -  You're welcome for the numbers.

I think the ODAC and the USASAC actually match up so well on the playing field that it's hard to separate the two in that regard.  In some sports (and some years), the ODAC is better.  In other sports and other years, I give the edge to the USASAC.  At any rate, they are probably forever intertwined with recruiting and scheduling.  If a kid lives in the Triad or Danville, he's going to get feelers from both conferences.  It's hard for an ODAC or USASAC school to ignore the cost savings of playing a school so geographically close as opposed to traveling 3 states away.  Interconference scheduling, I believe, is here to stay.

Guilford, for example, may have the best golf team, but I think USASAC has the stronger golf conference.  Bridgewater may have the best football team, but I think the USASAC has the stronger football conference.  VWC may have the best basketball team, but I think there are some other fine teams in the USASAC (and the ODAC, for that matter!).  I think there is some head-to-head evidence that the USASAC is the stronger baseball conference right now.  Granted, the USASAC only has a few lacrosse programs, but the ODAC is clearly stronger in this sport.

For now, and this is mostly anecdotal in its perspective, the ODAC and the USASAC are a little different.  I haven't researched it fully, but I bet the ODAC student body is more geographically diverse.  Currently, the ODAC schools appear to have an edge in academic reputation, size of enrolment and endowments, but the USASAC is a hot conference that's on the move. They're getting better all the time.   Peace

[wilburt]

Interesting discussion.

Perhaps the ODAC and USA South should merge     

Talk about a super conference!!!

The new name could be the North Dominion Athletic Conference.  I know  .  Just a thought...

[PrideSportBBallGuy]

haha I don't know about that super conference.  We better be well represented come NCAA Tourney time

-Nova they may be even historically..even greensboro college mens team is 27-27 lifetime against UNC-G haha.

But a little research shows this Massey Ratings gives the advantage to the ODAC in these sports M Lacrosse, W Lacrosse, M Soccer, W Soccer, M Basketball, W Basketball.  Records Back up the Ratings.  The only thing USASAC gets is Softball and Volleyball. But the records show the ODAC is better.  When it comes to football (d3football I can't seem to get a hold of past years records. I will take your word for it) Baseball I am not going to everyone baseball website so I will take your word for that too. I would have to agree that USASAC is on the rise or maybe ODAC is on the decline (Look at basketball.)

[hasanova]

Interesting discussion.

Perhaps the ODAC and USA South should merge     

Talk about a super conference!!!

The new name could be the North Dominion Athletic Conference.  I know  .  Just a thought...

I've got a C-note that says this "ain't happening"!  lol  The ODAC already has 14 members, but ...  I think CUA is vulnerable due to geography and their football only membership and W&L is always threatening to take their ball and run to the Centennial (if they were farther north I think they would have already).   If these two defect, then the ODAC has to take some action, but otherwise I think they're willing to stand pat.

[hasanova]

-Nova they may be even historically..even greensboro college mens team is 27-27 lifetime against UNC-G haha.

.... I would have to agree that USASAC is on the rise or maybe ODAC is on the decline (Look at basketball.)

There are a lot of surprises if you go back far enough in intercollegiate sports, but in the modern era UNC-G would plaster Greensboro (I assume you're talking basketball).  I've heard that the University of the South (Sewanee) is 2-0 all-time in football versus the Tennessee Vols.  If that's true, they'll probably hold that edge forever! lol

Thanks for the Massey ratings.  Interesting.

I don't think you can say the ODAC is in decline in men's basketball, especially when VWC is the current National Champion and RMC made the tournament.  In fact, I think league play this year will be very competitive.  Also Bridgewater and RMC had fine women's teams last season - both made some noise in their tournament.  Peace

[wilburt]

Hasanova, here's a link to the storied history of collegiate football in Tennessee.  It mentions that Sewanee was a charter member of the SEC among other things.

FASCINATING... 

http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=F026

[PrideSportBBallGuy]

-nova
maybe so with the mens side.  Yeah I know about VW and Randolph Macon and the tournament. Look up and down the confrence.  2004-05 season USASAC was 5-11 vs ODAC.  The following year 6-12 not much improvement.  I guess you are right on the men's side. Women's side big improvement 2004-05 season 3-18 to this past year of 7-14.  Maybe neither is happening who knows.  I don't want to start a debate about womens basketball and greensboro.  The last time that happened, well my current karma should show what happened.

Note I am sure you know that UNC-G was part of the Dixie Conference, hence the reason for that record of 27-27.

With this post I am now a second-stringer haha

[hasanova]

-nova
maybe so with the mens side.  Yeah I know about VW and Randolph Macon and the tournament. Look up and down the confrence.  2004-05 season USASAC was 5-11 vs ODAC.  The following year 6-12 not much improvement.  I guess you are right on the men's side. Women's side big improvement 2004-05 season 3-18 to this past year of 7-14.  Maybe neither is happening who knows.  I don't want to start a debate about womens basketball and greensboro.  The last time that happened, well my current karma should show what happened.

Note I am sure you know that UNC-G was part of the Dixie Conference, hence the reason for that record of 27-27.

With this post I am now a second-stringer haha

Congratulations on second string status!  Longevity has its rewards.  lol

Yeah, I knew UNC-G was in the Dixie.  They've gone through several transformations on their road to DI.  I guess you know UNC-G was all women until the early to mid-60's.  In fact, if you talk to some "oldtimers," they'll still call it "WC" for Women's College.

I think the head-to-head USASAC versus ODAC play is good for several reasons.  I didn't know the exact records, so thanks for looking those up.  I think as well as the VWC men and RMC women did last year, it's hard to say the ODAC is down in basketball.  I still rue the fact that the Quaker men had VWC by 9 at the half in the ODAC semifinals and lost by 3.  I think it bodes well for the conference that, generally, there were several other ODAC teams who could play competitively with the eventual national champion.  Peace     

[hasanova]

Hasanova, here's a link to the storied history of collegiate football in Tennessee.  It mentions that Sewanee was a charter member of the SEC among other things.

FASCINATING... 

http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=F026

Sewanee as a charter member of the SEC reminds me that the University of Chicago (UAA) was a charter member of the Big Ten.  My, how things have changed!

Thanks.  Some of this stuff I had heard before, but some was new to me.  I had already heard about Sewanee's famous 5-games-in-6-days road trip (all wins) and Cumberland's 222-0 whitewashing by Georgia Tech.  That's the stuff of legends!