MBB: USA South Conference

[CaptJ]

damn, capt j, you've been back for 4 posts and you've already lost the karma i gave you...and '97 lost the point i gave him today, too...

Thanks anyway narch, but here is something you can take to the bank... I will NEVER accumulate positive karma.  The diminutive one will make sure of that.

[SU97]

SU are you going to the game tomorrow? I'll be there

As long as the weather holds I'll make the drive in.

Picks for today:

Hornets squeak one out against NCWC. SU needs a big game from Stevie Johns to keep up with Hall and Arrington.

Averett over GC in OT. This one could easily go either way.

Methodist will make it 2-0 in conference play. 

[SU97]

i'm hearing that shuford had to leave the gc game after taking an elbow to the face which required stitches...not sure if he'll miss any time, but if he does, guys like mcbryde and connor really need to step up and play big minutes

Narch - will Shuford make it back for today's game?  Hope he's okay, I wonder if it would have been a different result in Greensboro the other night had he been healthy. 

[SU97]

damn, capt j, you've been back for 4 posts and you've already lost the karma i gave you...and '97 lost the point i gave him today, too...

THEN KARMA FOR EVERYONE!

I'll put it on the Underhill's bill.

[CaptJ]

Home teams all the way this afternoon for me.  Each game should be close, but you have to believe that playing at home should make the difference.  I am really tempted to take NCW over SU, but can't quite push the button on that one.  A couple of guys from SU really impressed me in the Freeman last week, but overall I wasn't too impressed with their game.  I expected them to blow out the Captains, and they should have.  With even a slightly greater effort the Captains could have won that game.

Next up... my appraisal of the 2007-08 CNU Captains.

[CaptJ]

2007-08 CNU Captains (part 1)

This has definitely been a tough year for CNU fans.  With an almost entirely new team, it isn't too surprising that they have struggled.  What I have heard from talking to alumni at the games is that Paul Trible has insisted that athletes satisfy the same academic standards for admission as the other students.  While that seems commendable, my own belief is that students who are gifted in ways other than academics (sports, community service, legacy, etc.) SHOULD be given the opportunity to prove themselves in the classroom.  Over the years, literally thousands of athletes with less than stellar academic credentials have done incredible things with their opportunities and have created some truly inspiring success stories.  The CNU basketball program has seen its share of these stories.  I say... let down your guard some, President Trible.  Give the coaches a little more freedom in their recruiting.  And while we are talking about Mr. Trible, I have noticed that he NEVER goes to the games anymore.

[CaptJ]

2007-08 CNU Captains (part 2)

What a schedule!  Nice job coach!  A couple years ago I was very critical of the patty cake schedule CJ put together.  I recall that his explanation at that time was that he couldn't get better teams to play us.  Well, those days are definitely long gone.  Good teams are no longer afraid to come to Newport News.  It is a bit of a shame that this rebuilding team had to play such a tough schedule, but that's the way it goes.  Overall, I will take this kind of schedule any day.  Our guys SHOULD be better for it.  Whether they are or not has yet to be seen. 

[mybleedinghands]

based on the numbers on collegeboard.com, finishing with a 3.0 gpa, a 1000 SAT, and being in just the top half of your graduating class would make you virtually a shoe-in for getting in to CNU...

[CaptJ]

based on the numbers on collegeboard.com, finishing with a 3.0 gpa, a 1000 SAT, and being in just the top half of your graduating class would make you virtually a shoe-in for getting in to CNU...

I haven't analyzed your interpretation of the data, but here is what your source specifically says -

Test Scores
Middle 50% of First-Year Students     
SAT Critical Reading: 550 - 630             
SAT Math: 540 - 620 

20% in top 10th of graduating class
56% in top quarter of graduating class
94% in top half of graduating class
23% had h.s. GPA of 3.75 and higher
27% had h.s. GPA between 3.5 and 3.74
22% had h.s. GPA between 3.25 and 3.49
24% had h.s. GPA between 3.0 and 3.24
4% had h.s. GPA between 2.5 and 2.99

NOTE - 96% had GPA higher than 3.0. 

I'm not sure that I agree with your assessment that 1000 SAT and 3.0 GPA is a lock to get in.  I think that those with a 3.0 probably had very strong SAT scores and those with 1000 SAT's had very strong GPA.

[SU97]

more info for you to ponder CaptJ.  This was part of a discussion last year...   

Here's an actual b-ball point to ponder 'Mensa.  I'm genuinely interested in your or any other CNU fans take on this...'85 / 'Nova.
As the CNU acceptance criterion gets tougher each year, and the tuition & board rise yearly as well (need to build the president another multi-million dollar house you know), is the run of the CNU b-ball dominance coming to an end?

(That makes it 6 of 18, 33.33%)

I will say this, Roundbll does bring up a good point to ponder.  It's ironic in a way, but I think it's fair to say Tribble has used athletics to build CNU's reputation over the past few years.  Bringing in football was the final piece to the equation, elevating CNU on a number of levels with exposure.  Now, as the school seems to be embracing the "Best Public Liberal Arts College in VA" kind of motto you start to see the admissions standards begin to increase.  That has to affect the recruiting advantage CNU has held in bringing in athletes at some point.  Basically biting the hand that feeds you...  but, Tribble has to be commended on the way he's transformed CNU.  I see them gradually entering the mix with Mary Washington in that strong smaller public school realm, which is a nice place to be.  Regardless how you feel about the Captains, you have to appreciate the strides they've made in a number of areas, but they got there, partially, through sports. Now CNU sports could suffer with the academic standards. See the irony? 

On the flip-side, CNU will always maintain the $ advantage and will not lose too much ground in the conference, I think what it will do is hamper them to a degree with competing on the national level.  Just look at who from the 757 won the national championship last year in basketball...  Five years ago if you asked me if a team from the 757 would win a championship I would have immediately responded with CNU, not VWC.   

Karma to SU97 and Ralph. Very good insightful posts that was based on the situation, without the dreaded, "I hate CNU" emotion.

And I know I only have 1 example...but the one example of a student athlete going to CNU that I am 100% correct on - his dad told me he was also recruited at Hampden Sydney and Randolph Macon and that they offered "aid" that brought the private school tuition down to "nearly" the CNU level.

Roundbll - Tribles house(s) on the Gold Coast are not paid for by the school. Some rich real esate folks got together and formed the CNU Real Estate Foundation. It was through purchasing and selling homes, as well as private donations, that have allowed the situation where the CNU president will soon be in a multi-million home on the James River. In fact, the home they bought a year or two ago and sold a few months ago - they made a few hundred thousand dollars for doing nothing but holding onto it.

[CaptJ]

Yeah... that's good stuff.  Thanks for finding it.  I believe it is consistent with what I just posted.

[CaptJ]

based on the numbers on collegeboard.com, finishing with a 3.0 gpa, a 1000 SAT, and being in just the top half of your graduating class would make you virtually a shoe-in for getting in to CNU...

Other 4-year schools geographically close to CNU (excluding W&M) -
VWC
8% had h.s. GPA of 3.75 and higher
16% had h.s. GPA between 3.5 and 3.74
8% had h.s. GPA between 3.25 and 3.49
19% had h.s. GPA between 3.0 and 3.24
TOTAL - 51% had h.s. GPA 3.0 or higher

ODU
15% had h.s. GPA of 3.75 and higher
16% had h.s. GPA between 3.5 and 3.74
19% had h.s. GPA between 3.25 and 3.49
26% had h.s. GPA between 3.0 and 3.24
TOTAL - 76% had h.s. GPA 3.0 or higher

Mary Washington (I KNOW that MW is not close to CNU geographically, but since they were included in discussion I have included them here)
56% had h.s. GPA of 3.75 and higher
20% had h.s. GPA between 3.5 and 3.74
12% had h.s. GPA between 3.25 and 3.49
7% had h.s. GPA between 3.0 and 3.24
TOTAL - 95% had h.s. GPA 3.0 or higher (1% LESS than CNU)

[CNU85]

Hey guys... I'm back.

When the moon is in the Seventh House
and Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars

This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquarius
Aquarius! Aquarius!

Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation
Aquarius! Aquarius!

[CNU85]

damn, capt j, you've been back for 4 posts and you've already lost the karma i gave you...and '97 lost the point i gave him today, too...

mine has been dinged as well.....there is a smite lurker among us!!

[CNU85]

based on the numbers on collegeboard.com, finishing with a 3.0 gpa, a 1000 SAT, and being in just the top half of your graduating class would make you virtually a shoe-in for getting in to CNU...

send an app in with those credentials today.....and you'll be going to another learning institution. My nephew tried with much higher stats (and male acceptance rates are higher than female)...he's a Kansas Jayhawk now 'cuz CNU said "no".....and I even tried to provide some influence (which isn't much, obviously). I agree with Captj....other attributes in some cases helps the overall University image and college life experience. I believe one day this will all change, but right now Trible is focused on raising the stats!

Also - I personally know a former hoops parent. Known him since his kid was born. He was recruited by HSC and RMC as well as CNU. He absolutely told me that aid was offered to the point where $$ wasn't an issue. Every issue, every kid, every situation is different. I also know a guy who sent 2 kids to college...Averett and RMC. They were NOT athletes....he paid ZERO dollars of his own money. And they were not top 10% of high school class. And for every example I've just given, there thousands more that are each unique. My point being......statistics on web sites such as collegeboards.com are only as good as the interpretation from the reader.

Another example to point to is this. Those stats on the web page will look really bad in a few years for CNU. Why? CNU has just implemented a program whereas a student in the top 10% of high school class and a 3.5 GPA or higher does NOT have to take the SAT to be admitted to CNU. This will hurt the stats because typically those kids score higher on SAT. So, if CNU is not requiring the SAT and will not report the SAT score for those kids, even though these kids will most likely take the SAT, the stats on these websites will drop. Which made me wonder why CNU did that. It goes against the grain of what I thought they were trying to do.

A lot of it has to do with how you work the system. Unfortunately for public schools, the "system" is more closely monitored due to the public funding issue.

Whew...can we just talk hoops and why CNU is not pulling it together this year?