MBB: Coast 2 Coast Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Excellent. I have raised a realistic fan base.

I don't see, however, why cugrad is considered "damn spoiled." They certainly seem inconsistent.

[Matt Letourneau]

Context.  In the context of Catholic basketball, sure, maybe they are little inconsistent.  Though even those "legendary" teams had a couple of bad losses along the way. 

But they're a 16-4 team.  They've lost exactly ZERO games by more than 8 points.  They play excellent defense every time out.  They have an 18 ppg scorer and a 9.4 rpg rebounder.  There has not been a single game this season where they haven't been in it in the last 2 minutes.  I'm not sure anybody else can say that.

To an extent, EVERYBODY is inconsistent in the CAC.  But in the overall pantheon of Division 3 basketball--let alone the CAC, Catholic is pretty damn consistent.  I'm quite sure that at least 75% of the other programs out there would like to have such an "inconsistent" team with an .800 winning percentage.  Good thing Grad isn't a Marymount fan, he'd have jumped off the 14th Street Bridge by now. 

[Pat Coleman]

Well, here's hoping they win an actual NCAA Tournament game this year. If not, you might have to back off your mantra of there being hardly any drop-off post-Lonergan.

[ex_mu14]

I think Hood is starting to run out of gas....In the CAC, it's not how you start, but how you finish that counts....I think MU is starting to hit there stride at the right time.....Who next?  Let's end York hopes of winning the regular season this Saturday...

I think MUMU was right about hood falling apart...

[ex_mu14]

MU is 8-4 in their last 12 games... They have a good chance of getting the 3rd seed for the playoffs...

[mwgoonie]

MW wins! It was a tough one with a pair of Pierce FTs that won the game for them. Senior guard Mike Lee became just the third player in school history to surpass 1,500 career points, and senior guard Justin Baker became the 14th player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points. In only 3 years, no less. Congrats to you both!
Pierce led the way with 15 pts, Baker had 14 pts, Lee grabbed 11 rebounds. a few more than Ozi 

We have Gally tomorrow in another battle. Lets keep pace with the "gorilla" that is yooououuuuurrrrr caaaaathoooooliiiiiicccccc caaaaaaaaaaardinaaaallllllssssss!!

He may be tired as heck with a young hoops fan, but it's good to see Matt still has some fire for CAC basketball and has maintained the ability to spin everything in CUA's favor....you dont have any experience writing press releases for politicians do you??

[kitchenrat]

Like I said, St. Mary's can be a tough trip, especially when you go 23-37 from the line. Now Thursday's game becomes huge for York, who will fall to the center of the pack with a loss, but hold solid footing with a win.

I don't think anyone is counting Catholic out, or diminishing their last decade of consistency. Quite the opposite in my mind. When a team does well each and every year you tend to just take them for Granted. I've been watching the CAC for the last 13 years and I have seen it happen a few times. There was a time when you just assumed Goucher was coming for you at the end of the season. We hosted the CAC title game in '95 and we had beaten Goucher twice that year, but no one over looked them when they came up to the kitchen.

It is only natural for every fan who posts here to be biased toward their team. We all know out teams much better than the other 8 in the CAC and so we have a better feeling for their strengths and weaknesses. Add to that the fact that there are two extreme types of fans in the world: Red Sox fans, and Patriots fans. Red Sox fans can be down on the team even in the hours after winning the World Series, but Pat's fans can never be convinced that there is anything wrong with their team and can say that the only reason they lost to Indy was because half the team had the flu. And they come from the same City! I like to think that most of us fall into the middle, but anyone who's ever listened to (or hosted) a sports talk radio show knows: most fans are impossible.

[cugrad]

Matt, I think that it's great that the Cards are 16-4, and are in a very good position to finish high in the league. As well, I don't think anybody would count out Catholic. I'm a big fan of Catholic basketball, but I try to look at things from a realistic point of view. They certainly have been consistent in terms of winning throughout the past ten years or so. It's been a great ride! I simply noted that their play has been quite inconsistent this year. They looked like world beaters during a few games back in January, yet displayed a less than attractive version of the game against Gallaudet, Salisbury, and a few others. The only area of the game where they have been consistent this year is in their inability to put the ball into the basket. I read your posts to say that Catholic need only show up in York to get a win. That certainly is not the case. I hope that they win by 20, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[mwgoonie]

Despite the increasingly vocal outburts from MU fans, I do have to give them a ton of credit. they're really heated up the second half of the year. MW has their work cut out for them.

Also, please Coach Wood, recruit a big man or two, would it kill you to do so?

[bbald eagle]

Matt -

You say you're not counting CUA out and you shouldn't or almost anybody else for that matter. The CAC seems as close to parity and the "any given day" approach that the NFL wants as is possible

goonie -

recruit a big man or two AND keep them playing for four years too

[mwgoonie]

yes, very good point, keep them. i'd kill for even just Josh Wilson at the point!
I believe Ian Summers and Kevin Moore would have graudated last year?

[Matt Letourneau]

Matt, I think that it's great that the Cards are 16-4, and are in a very good position to finish high in the league. As well, I don't think anybody would count out Catholic. I'm a big fan of Catholic basketball, but I try to look at things from a realistic point of view. They certainly have been consistent in terms of winning throughout the past ten years or so. It's been a great ride! I simply noted that their play has been quite inconsistent this year. They looked like world beaters during a few games back in January, yet displayed a less than attractive version of the game against Gallaudet, Salisbury, and a few others. The only area of the game where they have been consistent this year is in their inability to put the ball into the basket. I read your posts to say that Catholic need only show up in York to get a win. That certainly is not the case. I hope that they win by 20, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Well, that's not what I was saying.  I was just responding to the York fans that seemed almost to be taking that game for granted--as if York was looking at an easy W.  I don't see it that way--its going to be a tough game for both of them.

To an extent, I know what you mean, but I just don't think you are looking at the big picture of what Division 3 basketball is--and what this conference is.   Yes, Catholic has had a couple of bad nights.  But when you've got a team that has won 16 of 20 games and has not lost a game by more than 8 points all season, I think you've actually got a remarkably consistent team.  You know what is consistent? DEFENSE.  Defense wins games for them.  They've played good defense almost every single game of the season, even when the offense is not clicking.  The effort is always there.  That keeps them in every single game.

Rat--good points.  But you know what? Red Sox fans and Patriots fans are the SAME fans!  I'm one of them! Just different levels of passion and attitudes toward the team.

[Matt Letourneau]

Just in case you missed the big bold letters above:

Middle Atlantic Region
1 Johns Hopkins 19-2 18-1
2 Catholic 16-4 15-4
3 Hood 16-5 15-4
4 Messiah 15-5 12-3
5 Alvernia 16-4 15-2
6 Scranton 16-5 14-5
7 Lincoln 13-7 9-3
8 King's 14-7 13-6

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Hood certainly seems to be struggling right now. But when they lose Junghans and thus have to rely just Gutekunst for most of their offense... that makes it very difficult.

CUA certainly is playing good basketball, but I agree with the inconsistent comment. With a loss to Goucher and Gallaudet and times where the team didn't look like it showed up or knows how to hit free throws (even in wins), I can't say I am confident about CUA's chances going into any game.

YCP... can't get a read on either. They are certainly a good team... but not great. Can they win the conference, sure... but I think they are going to need some help or when they face a good team - hope they have an off night.

SMC - certainly playing very well right now, but may not have the maturity or the experience (besides a few players) to withstand the pressure come tournament time.

MU - while playing good basketball and winning games, I think many of us are waiting for the wheels to fall off. Here's hoping they can keep things together... but we have seen it before.

UMW - head scratcher. Early on they looked like a dominate team this year. But they have not had any games where they have walked away or ended the game early. Too many teams have too many chances to win late in games. Until UMW dominates a game or easily wins a game or two (even against Gallaudet)... I am not sure they can win this conference.

Salisbury... ok... which team is going to show up? I have said it ALL season... they play to the same competition level as their opponent. This has cost them several games this season along with the games they lost do to team turmoil (for lack of a better word). Salisbury needs to come ready to play every game and no how to beat a team that is not nearly as better as them.

Not going to get into detail on Goucher or  Gallaudet... they are certainly on the outside right now.

As for the COY comments. Just my two cents on a few of the possible candidates:
- While we certainly didn't think YCP was going to be great this season, I doubt anyone thought they would be at the bottom of the pile. They are playing just about at where I (and many, I suspect) thought they would be. So with all due respect, I don't think Coach Gamber gets the award this season.
- CUA is certainly having a good season and Coach Howe is doing very well... but did anyone think they would be worse than this? I certainly thought they would be #2 or #3... so they aren't playing better than expected or at any outstanding level. Again all due respect, I don't see Coach Howe getting the award.
- Salisbury certainly had the chance to have a very successful season... but as we have known... they haven't. Sorry, but Coach Holmes probably doesn't get the award this year.
- I am not sure what anyone thought going into this season about UMW. I thought they would be good... but they surprised me by how well they started. Coach Wood maybe get the award.
- I am willing to put money on the fact no one thought Hood would be in first place in the conference - even this late in the season. I certainly didn't think they would be better than #7 or #8 this season. It's their first year in the conference, fourth year of existance, and have won some big games (despite the losing season). I personally think Coach Dickman is the COY front runner.

[Matt Letourneau]

Mary Washington was easily the favorite going into this year.  They were my preseason #1, no question.  They returned virtually everybody and they played well during the second half of last year.  They should win the CAC.

I didn't think Hood would be THAT bad this year.  Sure, I agree that its a stretch to think of them as the top team in the conference, but they were actually pretty decent LAST year also, and they didn't graduate anybody.  I thought they'd be somewhere in the 3-6 range.  They may still end up there.  I remember they played York very tough at the end of the year.  They beat a few CAC teams, if memory serves--I think they even beat Salisbury.  So I never would have thought they'd be at the bottom of the league.   I think York has done a little better than I thought they would--I'm watching them very closely at this point.

Lets see how things finish with Hood.  I'm basically at a point as far as COY where I wouldn't argue if  whoever wins the conference wins the award.