MBB: Coast 2 Coast Athletic Conference

[ycp]

A really strong performance in York from Chad McGowan. The Spartans were tied with the Gulls at 64 with around four minutes left. York goes on a 14-2 run and McGowan scores 11 of his game-high 30 points during the run. He did it with mid-range jumpers, a three, and a few post moves. He has been playing very well all year but he has continued, throughout the year, to elevate his game when the Spartans need him most. Also, some of the young guys are starting to make great contributions. Nick Brady and Jeremy Keefer teamed up on a few plays today and Nate Lankford is playing great for York right now. This York team is starting to really jell at the right time of the year.

And by the way D-Mac, I am not sure I agree with your assesment that we are "struggling". We aren't as good as the last two years but we have 12 wins and have more than competitive all year. We aren't going to win 20 but could be a big pain in the rear come CAC tournament time.

Salisbury will be extremely dangerous the rest of the season with Menakaya and Gerald back in the fold. Devin Jones was very impressive today as he was knocking down the open three all day. He had 16 in the first half and the Spartan defense did a better job of finding him in the second half. He got just one triple in the second half (off a loose ball). Menakaya is a man on the glass. He is physical and gets great position. Brad Zerfing did a good job on Ray Williams as Williams had eight in the game.

It was a great college basketball game with a really good crowd. It was the best second semester crowd of the year the Grumbacher Center. York takes to the road for three big games, @ Gally Wednesday, @ UMW Saturday and @ SMC next Tuesday. Should be an interesting 10 day stretch for the green and white.

[ex_mu14]

Gray is making a strong case for all cac.....I would be surprise if he doesnt get player of week. Who's next for MU?

[MuMu]

Exmu14,
CUA babyy. I want a close game or a W! I think if they keep it close they might have a chance in the 2nd half. CUA MU macth ups you must throw the records away. Anything can happen.

I think Mike Grey will be CAC player of the week, but in his mind he can't gt to much confidence. He is the oil in the engine.

[ex_mu14]

Yeah, I cant wait to read the post after that game. MU played CUA close the first game.  I'll take MU especially the way they're playing as of late.

Side note,

Coach Wood was at my high school game last night scouting three of my players. CUA and UMW are looking at them but MU is not. I dont understand that.

[MuMu]

EXMU14,
They dont really need post next season, this Noah kid is a stud plus with mike. Whats these kids names. you going to the game?

CAU fans whats your thoughts on your head coach?I have nott heard much, coach Wood seems to be the CAC fav.haha

[Matt Letourneau]

Really nice "team" win for Catholic tonight, as they pounded Goucher 80-49.  The Cardinals were cranking on all cylinders, and it was very nice to see the freshman on the bench really contribute.  There was no real let-up during sub periods.

Freshman Matt Fazzini ("who?" says everybody else) had 16 for Catholic tonight.  Congratulations to Pat Dwyer, who scored his 1,000 point.  He had a nice night with 15 points and 13 rebounds.  Wheeler also had a double double with 14-10.  In addition to Fazzini, Sparrow and Hager played good minutes.

Catholic played a great game defensively.  They've gotten burned by Russo enough to just absolutely smother him tonight, and he was 1-9 (0-6 from 3).  He had no space all night, just nothing to work with.  Jones had some nice moves and some good points early, but he's still not controlled enough to really have a huge night against a team like Catholic that plays interior defense.  Defensively, Goucher had a lot of breakdowns--their guards are active, but their post players can't guard one on one and have to double, which leads to easy baskets.

Catholic show 56%, and made 75% of its free throws.

MuMu, well, Coach Wood will grab the headlines around here---fine with Coach Howes, I'm sure.  Steve has done a good job.  I think its remarkable that CUA had very little let down after Mike Lonergan moved on, despite losing an entire recruiting class (there are ZERO juniors on this team).  Its quite a feat to keep them right at the 20 win level.  I know the Catholic coaching staff works hard in the recruiting department, and they have a very deep freshman class that will pay dividends down the road.  Its actually a little tough to see exactly what they have right now because there's not enough minutes for everybody.  That will change next year.

Obviously, Coach Dickman is also off to a great start in the league and has a very good reputation.  As for the others--personal opinions here, I don't mean to offend, but Coach Trevino seems a little burnt out to me, Coach Gamber is a class act all the way and a good coach, and that's really as much as I probably should say...

[MuMu]

Jones is smooth, but the way Garret controlled the middle, is he playing overseas? wow. I hated playing at Goucher, it's a boring place to play.

[eaglemaniac]

By the way... I am hearing word the CAC is not down shifting things around... could be more changes in the near future.

Any idea what those changes would involve?

[mwgoonie]

Mike Lee's 19 points and 10 rebounds and Jon Pierce's 19 points. Kiernan Whitworth had 17 points for the Eagles, while Matt Hale added 14 points, and Justin Baker just missed out on a triple-double, with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists.

As we head into the last week of Jan, the CAC seems to be locked down by Hood.

School W L PCT GB
HOOD 9 1 .900 ---
UMW 6 4 .600 3.0
YCP 6 4 .600 3.0
CUA 6 4 .600 3.0
MMU 5 5 .500 4.0
SAL 4 5 .444 4.5
SMC 4 6 .400 5.0
GOU 3 7 .300 6.0
GAL 1 8 .111 7.5

But there is still about a month left in the regular season, we'll see how well they hold it together. MW split the season with Hood, barely losing in OT. When the better teams are firing on all cylinders, anyone can win. I Believe that the players are getting into a nice roll and we'll see some really good performances.

When are all-CAC teams going to be picked? You have to put the two Hood boys in the first team, McGowan, Gray's making a huge case for it, gotta look at Dwyer, Justin Baker, Lesesne?, Williams?, and then there are a number of other guys battling for second team. Wheeler, Lee, etc...

[MuMu]

Fred Stanback   15.7 7.4 
Mike Gray   16.6  6.3

Dmac,
If MU makes a big run and grab 2nd or 3rd place can both of these guys find a spot on the all CAC team?

[Matt Letourneau]

Goonie--you forgot Catholic's leading scorer, Scott Fumai...he's cooled down some lately, but he's carried the team completely on multiple occassions.  He's the guy you want with the ball if the clock is running down and you need to score.  He's still averaging over 18 ppg.

Frankly, Catholic's best player LATELY has been Stephen Wheeler.  Going into the Goucher game, he was shooting 63% and it only went up.  In fairness to Dwyer, some of Wheeler's success is a direct result of Dwyer drawing tight coverage--with both of them in the paint, one of them tends to get free, and teams have been keying in on Dwyer because throughout his career he's been a good scorer.  But Wheels has been very opportunistic, and that 28-17 performance against Salisbury was staggering--especially because most of it was in the second half. 

[muchacho]

Matt...Scott Fumai will have to pick his scoring back up to keep himself in the race for POY. Granted Catholic didn't need him as much as usual with their blowout of Goucher over the weekend, but 6 points isn't getting him noticed every game. If his slow stretch occurred at the beginning of the year, it might be forgotten. However, he has had a string of mediocre games right in the middle of the CAC schedule, and isn't it the CAC coaches who choose the POY award? When you put the love for CUA aside, I don't think Fumai is there right now. Maybe some big games down the stretch will put him on that level.

[Matt Letourneau]

Muchacho--

Goonie's post was about the All CAC Team.  Despite a few "off games" lately, I presume you'd agree that Scott should certainly be in the running for first team All CAC, right?

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Here's the problem I see with the All-CAC this year... there are a lot of guys who deserve to be there.

Junghans, Gutekunst, Fumai, Dwyer, Wheeler, McGowan, Zerfing, Lesense, Smelkinson, Irmer, Williams, Menakaya (maybe), P. Jones, Russo, Stanback, and Gray to mention three teams worth and not covering every team in the conference.

Some deserving players are going to be left out (as some do every year). Maybe the CAC should consider making it three teams all-conference selections... since there are now nine teams and soon ten to consider players from.

As far as Fumai for all conference... I realize that I only saw the game against Goucher recently, but he isn't my first choice for the MOP/MVP/whatever it is called award. He is certainly good and an all-conference player... but McGowan, Jughans, and Gutekunst are my front runners right now.

[mwgoonie]

Matt, true, I forgot him. I was really just throwing out names. As far as POY and All-CAC teams, I bleieve with the sheer number of players putting in great persformances, stretches, etc., voters would HAVE  to vote for both honors based on consistency. Sure, Mike Gray has stepped up lately, but will it keep up? Wheeler has had a couple good games, but hasn't shown up in some, same for any number of players in any league. That being said, Justin Baker is a very consistent guy, grabbing rebounds, scoring, assists, and hitting from a FT. A reliable guy who leads his team.
And certainly there are guys on other teams being very consistent - the 2 Hood boys, McGowan, etc. That's the criteria, this year, that I'd use in voting.

I think all players should make their case on the hardwood, late in the regular season, into the later rounds of the toruney. When is voting again?