MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[pennstghs]

wittenberg beat wooster?

[zu1414]

As someone who only really follows the NCAC in D-III, could someone explain to me the rise of Lake Erie as a powerhouse the last few seasons? When I was at Hiram, they played in the community center's gym.

I take it things have grown??

[David Collinge]

As someone who only really follows the NCAC in D-III, could someone explain to me the rise of Lake Erie as a powerhouse the last few seasons? When I was at Hiram, they played in the community center's gym.

I take it things have grown??

You could ask that question in the AMCC room and probably get a sharply different answer than you're likely to get here.  Here I'll just point out that Wittenberg beat LEC in the NCAA first round last year 76-40, and LEC was 21-6.  I saw LEC play earlier this season down at Denison, and they (LEC) managed to win, but I was not impressed.  Considering their schedule, we might have to wait again for the NCAAs to get a good read on how good they are.  They have a better record this year, and they won at Rochester in Nov., so they're probably better this year, but "powerhouse?"  I'll believe that when I see it.

However, with an unbeaten regional record and the top QoWI in the region, there is no doubt that they'll be the #1 team in the regional ranking. 

[billy_pilgrim]

I'll talk gyms, since Earlham hasn't done much worth while of late.

First, I too will be enjoying the Colts (my 2nd favorite football team behind the Nittany Lions), but now to the fun part about my favorite NCAC facilities.

I haven't been to Kenyon, but no matter how spectacular it may be, I doubt it would be my favorite. I'm not fond of brand new, sparkling facilities. And, to be honest, Earlham's gym is very nice, but the overall facility probably isn't in the top half of the conference.

My favorite, and it has been renovated so it might actually be better, is Denison's Livingston Gymnasium. It always reminded me of a mini-Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler University's arena that was used for the final scenes in the movie Hoosiers for you non-natives).

After that, I'd rank the gyms I have been to in the following order:

2. Allegheny's Wise Center (love the scoreboard)
3. EC's Schuckman Court (really clean)
4. Timken (mostly because of the crowd)
5. Chadwick (hate all of the glass at the entrance end, however)
6. Witt HPER Center (love how they dim the lights)
7. OWU (crazy roof)
8. Oberlin (dump)
9. Hiram (bigger dump)
N/A Kenyon's new Tomisch Arena (old gym was somewhat similar to 'gheny's)

[wally_wabash]

billy-

Where does Chadwick fit in your rankings?  I'm almost certain you've been there at some point. 

[billy_pilgrim]

Great catch, Wally.

I realized as soon as I posted that I'd forgotten Chadwick...which, for the record, is the only NCAC gym I've been in this season. I'm not a big fan of the glass at the entry, just as I'm not a big fan of Hanover. However, the rest of the facility is excellent, which is how I wish the rest of Earlham's would be.

[David Collinge]

Great catch, Wally.

I realized as soon as I posted that I'd forgotten Chadwick...which, for the record, is the only NCAC gym I've been in this season. I'm not a big fan of the glass at the entry, just as I'm not a big fan of Hanover. However, the rest of the facility is excellent, which is how I wish the rest of Earlham's would be.

See, I like Hanover's gym immensely.  Kenyon's gym (just the gym, mind you) reminds me more of Hanover than anyplace else.  It's a very nice gym, not overly modern, not too big, and not sterile at all (like Timken and HPER, in my opinion.)  It may not have the old-timey atmosphere of Livingston, but I think it would grow on you.

And the rest of the facility, beyond the competition gym, is just, well, !

[Superfoot Wallace]

Had some discussion about the old Hanover weight room versus the new on the old HCAC board.  Not the old board but the old board.  Not the new board but the old board.

Hanovers facility is really second to none, and every time Ive heard DC talk about Kenyons new facility, thought it might be like Hanovers.  Sounds like a confirmation.

Just fell in love with all those olympic platforms and the indoor track in Madison.  Agree Witts gym is somewhat sterile, though havent been since the HPER renovations.  Lets just say it was always nice to be able to find a court to chuck the ball around.  Remember on my Hanover visit playing a pickup game in an old fieldhouse and have seen a similar old retired fieldhouse at Franklin.

Hopefully Witts old fieldhouse is still part of the HPER, but preferred playing up on the stage in Springfield as opposed to the Fieldhouse planks.  Just memories of Tommy Mygrant doing impressions of the coaches and having them unbeknownst to him walk in and watch the show prior to films.

signed,
Mahoney

[wally_wabash]

I'm a big fan of Hanover's gym as well.   The gyms at Franklin and RHIT are also nice places to see a game (the new RHIT gym...not the old hangar!).  I'm much more familiar with the gyms from the ol' ICAC than I am the NCAC gyms...most of my hoops travel happened when I was a student in the pre-NCAC days.  In the NCAC I've only seen Chadwick (obviously), Branch Rickey, and Timken.  The photos I've seen of the KAC do look very impressive. 

[goscots]

I have not been to Denison so I can't rate it (although I have been told it is a nice gym).

It's also hard to rank Timken and HPER because I associate the exciting games played at those locations. If a game with only 200-300 people in attendance were played there they each would be in the lower half of my list.

Of the remaining seven:
1) Alleghany because the steep angles seating brings everyone close to the game. They also have one of those scoreboards that list all 10 active players in the game (as does Kenyon and Hiram I believe).
2) Earlham - clean, modern looking and the size fits the typical attendence, making it loud
3) Wabash - great student support, the banners give it a strong sense of history and tradition.
4) Kenyon - A palace but I don't like the glass walkway behind the one board.
5) OWU - Showing some age
6) Oberlin - bland, crowd on only one side
7) Hiram - Reminds me of a blimp hanger. Ask Breckenridge where he had to call the game from.

[David Collinge]

I didn't see anything of Hanover's building except the gym and the lobby.  I had to drive many hours just to get there; I watched the game; then drove many hours (in snow) to get home.  Not much time for anything else. 

Kenyon has a fabulous indoor track, a number of indoor tennis courts (complete with stadium seating), at least three basketball/volleyball floors (but there's no markings on the floor in Tomsich for volleyball, so they must play varsity volleyball on one of the other floors), a theatre, two multipurpose (aerobics/dance class) rooms, more recquetball and squash courts than I could count, a gift and coffee shop, offices for all coaches, littel seating nooks, and a study room and a student weight/exercise facility, both of which overlook the pool.  Oh, the pool!  Who would have thought that Kenyon of all places would have a nice pool! 

4) Kenyon - A palace but I don't like the glass walkway behind the one board.

That may be a problem for the players, but it is a great place to watch part of the game from.  It's one flight up from the floor, so you're looking down (and into) one of the baskets.  And yes, Kenyon has the 10-player scoreboard.

I agree that Timken and HPER are different when they're full, especially since the Woo/Witt games are so exciting.  But empty, they are pretty characterless; like the Riverfront and Three Rivers Stadiums of D3.

[kiltedbryan]

geez with how quiet this board has been you would think somebody beat wooster or something

I think you and Witt4Ever are using the same jokewriter. 

If you really want to, we can start talking about the Wooster/Hiram game tomorrow, but that doesn't seem like a very interesting subject.  Let's see...what teams have really big, important games Wednesday that we could be talking about?  Hmmm....

I'm guessing that you're referencing the OWU-Witt rematch?  I'm trying to decide if I'm going to drive out to see it...it looks like the weather will clear up before then.  Without Chojnacki, I feel like it might lose some of its drama.

[pennstghs]

yes i would agree with scotsbrod that this game has lost some edge, BUT however this doesn't make this matchup easier at all. Chojnacki was handled by Witt in the first matchup, it was the rest of the Bishops that killed us. One may argue that we did focus on stoppping Ben, but the Bishops should not be taken lightly.......

[Titan Q]

Had some discussion about the old Hanover weight room versus the new on the old HCAC board.  Not the old board but the old board.  Not the new board but the old board.

Hanovers facility is really second to none, and every time Ive heard DC talk about Kenyons new facility, thought it might be like Hanovers.  Sounds like a confirmation.

I love Hanover's facility, but in terms of the entire facility, I think IWU's Shirk Center is a couple notches better.  A photo of the arena from this past Saturday's IWU/Elmhurst game and a few from IWU.edu of the other parts of the building:

http://www.iwuhoops.com/shirk9.jpg

http://www2.iwu.edu/sports/ActivityCenter.shtml

http://www2.iwu.edu/sports/Natatorium.shtml

http://www2.iwu.edu/sports/FitnessCenter.shtml



I really like the Wabash complex as well -- very similar to Hanover's.  I can't wait to see Kenyon's place -- sounds like it blows everything away.

In terms of the basketball arenas, Hope's place looks like #1 for now...of course, Calvin is building.

[kiltedbryan]

How about this...

The first set of regional rankings will be released tomorrow.  They of course mean nothing in and of themselves, but they do give something of a clue into the Regional Committee's thinking, and they play a role in Pool C selection and tournament seeding.

The rankings estimate updated for games through Sunday

Reg Conf Rank    School                    Natl Status       QOWI Reg Overall
GL  61   01 01  Lake Erie                 003  A w C        10.75 16-0 20-1
GL  62   02 03  Hope                      017  A w C        10.1818 10-1 17-2
GL  63   03 02  Wooster                   022  A w C        10.1333 13-2 18-3
GL  63   04 04  Wittenberg                036  C 10         10 13-3 18-3
GL  64   05 07  John Carroll              050  C 19         9.9444 13-5 14-7
GL  64   06 06  Ohio Northern             059  A second     9.8125 11-5 16-5
GL  90   07 05  Carnegie Mellon           064  C third      9.5625 11-5 12-7
GL  65   08 08  Westminster (Pa.)         066  B 4          8.9333 12-3 14-7
GL  61   09 00  Penn State-Behrend        077               8.7895 14-5 15-5
Reg        Region
Conf       Conference number
Rank      Regional ranking
Prior       Prior regional ranking
School
Natl     National ranking based on regional results
Status
    B + number: Pool B ranking (top 3 in tournament)
    C + number: Pool C ranking of 19 teams in tournament
    C second: second tier Pool C (spots 20-29)
    C third: third tier Pool C (spots 30-39)
    A w C: Pool A, in likely Pool C range (1 to 13)
    A bubble: Pool A, in Pool C bubble range (14 to 19)
    A second: Pool A, in second tier Pool C
    A third: Pool A, in third tier Pool C
    blank: lower level Pool C

What does anyone think of this?  How do you see the rankings coming out?  Lake Erie is clearly the #1 team, but after that arguments could be made. 

Lake Erie and Hope are huge Pool A favorites.  Witt or Woo should claim another.  Someone (Lord knows who) will win an A out of the OAC.  If I'm ONU or JCU and I didn't win that AQ, I'm praying against the likes of a Tri-State, a Calvin, a PSU-Behrend, or any NCAC team not named Wooster or Wittenberg in their conference tournaments.  It looks like any loss by a Pool C lock in the tourneys could crush those Big Dance dreams.