MBB: Coast 2 Coast Athletic Conference

[TheGrove]

Congrats to former Marymount head coach Chuck Driesell for being named head coach at The Citadel!

[lizalan07]

I see that the coach from Hood college has signed 3 new players, all within the last 4 weeks. It's a wonder that he can find available players so close to the start  of the next academic school year.

[Pat Coleman]

Division III rules prohibit schools from publicizing incoming student-athletes until they have paid their deposit. Depending on the timeline each school has for registration and payments, you may well not see announcements until June.

[ronk]

Pat,
  Thanks for the info; it seems like I've seen these announcements anywhere from May to September over the years. Is there a website where we can see any other D3 rules/procedures regarding recruiting/admissions/aid/etc.?

[CACsportsnut]

Word is that 2 seniors from this past year in the CAC will be continueing their basketball careers.

Greg Palmer from Salisbury will be playing in Seattle for the Mountaineers of the American Basketball Association (ABA)

Nick Brady from York College will be traveling to Iceland to continue his career.

I wish both the best of luck.

Has anyone heard of any other players continueing their careers, I.e. Brandon Altmann or Camonte Griffen?

[Wolfpac]

What about the dude from Wesley heading into the ABA?

[huskiect]

Season;s first days of practice will soon be upon us. Any report on teams?

[Captain Dad]

Heard some rumors that CNU may find itself in the CAC; if that happens, the ct huskie and family might be seeing some familiar faces when CNU visits York

[Pat Coleman]

http://d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2010/09/29/conference-shuffle-drifts-south/

[purpleheart22]

ok so this board has been dead for some time now.  with the pride of md tourney starting up this week. Lets make some predictions.  I heard st marys just beat Bowie St in an exhibition game last week so i think they are probably the favorite to take the pride title for a 3rd straight year.  I also hear Salisbury has added a transfer from College Park but they lose alot with the graduation of devin jones and greg palmer who is playing professionally in the ABA down in Louisianna however u spell it.  Stevenson gets Greg Woody back still not seeing alot out of them this year.  Havent heard anything as of yet with Frostburg, but with the unfortunate death of one of their players last year I dont think they landed any recruits.  Goucher, Washington College, Johns Hopkins and Mcdaniel I dont know anything about their programs but Hopkinds is probably the only legitimate contender out of that pack considering the past years records. I know they arent in the CAC but has anybody heard anything about any of those guys?

[purpleheart22]

Hood beats Goucher, Frostburg beats Mcdaniel, St. Mary's beats Johns Hopkins in tonights Pride of Maryland matchups.  Not surprising at all.  Washington College plays Stevenson tomorrow.  Centennial Conference is 0-2 against the CAC good start for these guys.  Stevenson needs to keep it going for the CAC tomorrow but i wouldnt be shocked if they got aired out they are not very good and i dont think they brought it in much to build on their 2 win season from last year which those 2 wins were against Galluadet.

[CACsportsnut]

I do one every year, and am a little late on this one, so I kind of have a cheating edge I guess since the season is one, even two games old for some teams. Ill give a preview of the teams (not like I am an expert or anything, or that anyone truly ejoys what I say), and I'll also give some predictions. Usually it atleast livens up the board a little bit.

Frostburg State - The newcombers to the CAC, I really do not know too much about them. They were 17-9 last year, which on paper looks great, but when you look at the teams played, the strength of schedule is not as impressive as the record. They stand at 2-0 right now with wins over teams that had rough years last year in Stevenson and McDaniel. The real test will be today against St. Marys. However, they return 3 of their 4 leading scorers last year in Brian Anderson, Steven Ogg, and Mhabhushah Koffa. Their leading scorer so far this year however is Jamal bracken, coming in at nearly 15 points an outing. They seem to be able to score accross the board. Howver, with Anderson, Ogg and Koffa all being seniors, if they are to make some noise in this heavily stacked CAC, 10-11 may be the best year to make some for Frosturg.

Hood - This is a sleeper team of mine. They had a very good season last year, and i believe they are really ready to make a run at this thing. Tyler Snoots has blossomed into a bigman that on any night can get you 20 and 10. Tory Wilson is an offensive rebounding machine, and sophomore Justin Stone is ready to breakout. However, I feel their key is heir guard play. Brendan Straughn is a seasoned player now, and Reco Siler is one of the best perimeter defenders in the conference. Cameron Cook is a freshman who can shoot it, and so faris making an impact on this team. Their defense is smothering, as always with a Tom Dickman Team, and Fort Deitrich is not an easy place to play. If they can put points on the board easier then last season, this could be a team that suprises ALOT of people.

Marymount - This is a team that has a much different look then last year. First thing you notice when they take the floor is Tarek Ammoury (4th in the CAC in scoring last year) is gone. He had a super sophomore year, and looked like a player of the year canidate in the making. However, as stated, he is no longer a Marymount Saint. Big men Sam Sentz and Elvis Ellis are gone, as are guards Patrick Prewitt and Ronnie Barbour. The team is lead by seniors Bryan Debruin and Stephen Simoneau. Debruin is a do everything guard, who will provide the Saints will alot of leadership and blue-cllar play. He will rebound, handle the ball, defend. But can he score mid teens for them? Same thing with Simoneau. Can he put the ball in the basket for Marymount. If not, one of the 9 incoming freshman will need to look to make an impact very early or this Marymount team could fall in this thick conference early. However, making a trip to Marymount is never a shoe-in win exactly, as they have one of the best student sections in the CAC.

Mary Washington - 2 time 1st Team CAC member (to say the least) Brandon Altmann has left. And he leaves some 6'10...big shoes to fill. He produced 19 points and 10 rebounds a game for Mary Washington, and gave them a workhorse to lean on every night. Also gone is Eric Rolander, who was a great producer in the backlight of Altmann. Instead of the bigs, Rod Wood will return back to the old Fitzgerald, Hale, Lee days and rely on his guard play. Rocky Ullah, Quaiser Ahmed, Ryan Farrar will bolster most of the load in the backcourt. Ullah is a quick playmaker, Ahmed has a knack for getting to the charity stripe, and Farrar is a great perimeter defender. The outlier is how does Tad Dickman play? He is a Greg Palmer 2.0 in my mind. A guard/forward who can do it all, as seen in game one, with 20 and 10. If he can continue this production, Mary Washington will be a dangerous team.

Salisbury - Another sleeper team. They lose Greg Palmer, a smooth, versatile shooter who has taken his game to the ranks of the ABA. He was a stud for years for Salisbury, and was someone who could always be counted on for his concistency. Devin Jones is gone. The quick, sharpshooting point guard has graduated, and between him and Palmer have left nearly 30 points on the table to be picked up. Who will do it? Chris McGrew is in the elite big man status in the CAC, with the Snoots, Reynolds, etc. If he can remain out of foul trouble, he will prove this in this season. Mike Maczko was second in the league in rebounding, and is an interior body that can step out an knock down the jumper, or provide extra ball handling. What guards will step up? Mike Atkins is a guard who can knock it down from way outside, and David Pearman is a long athletic guard who has shown some signs of being able to hit the open jumper as well. But I feel the success relies on Maczko and McGrew. If they can dominate the inside, Salisbury will be very very tough to deal with.

St. Mary's - It is tough to imagine losing the conferences leading scorer and still becoming a better team the following campaign. Camonte Griffen averaged 22 points a game, and scored 1,000 points in 2 seasons at St. Mary's. A 2-time 1st team all CAC selection, he will be missed in more ways then just scoring. He was a tough player, who defended, handled the ball, and led by example for a successful Seahawks team who went deep into the NCAA's in both his years there. How is St. Mary's a better team you ask? For starters, Alex Franz. The most versatile player in the conference, he averaged 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals last season. He is a crafty, clever, and smooth leader for a successful team since he arrived on campus. He is loaded with weapons around him too. Sam Burum is a big man who is athletic, long, and a very solid all around player. They are loaded at the guards with players who have experience in big games. James Davenport and Chris Hutchinson are solid defenders who can also put some points on th board. Devin Spencer can knock down the 3. And it is great for St Mary's to welcome back Mikey Fitzpatrick, who is as good a shooter as they come by in the CAC. If they can find another big man to step up, the sweet 16 is once again expected, and more is attainable.

Stevenson - Rough season last year. With 2 wins, and both being against a strggling Gallaudett team, it was obviously a rough season. However, they have reason to grin. Welcome back Greg Woody, a quick, strong, hard working point guard who can take this league by storm like he did 2 yes ago. Woody can shoot it, get to the rack, pull up, and score any which way inbetween those 2 ways mentioned. It iwll be interesting to see how the year off either helpe, or hurt him. I am guessing helped. Danny Murhpy is a future stud in this conference. he is a long, athletic forward with a motor that never stops. He is a future 1st teamer in this conference. Brett Burrier is a kid who can really shoot the ball, and at 6'6 he can get it off over almost anyone. Coach Adams has a few solid pieces. Now if he can fill in around those, 2 wins will be what he has most likely within the first hand full of games this season.

Wesley - The most dangerous team in the CAC for many reasons. Their players, their style of play, their home court, their defense, etc. Wesley returns basically everyone. Paul Reynolds, the reigning CAC Player of the Year is the premier bigman now that Brandon Altmann is gone in the CAC. He is a strong, yet agile big who can put the ball on the deck and make a play, or knock down the open jumper. Rudy Thomas is the leader of the bunch, with a smooth lefty stroke from outside. Kevin Johnson is a player who can score in bunches, and Chris Douglas proved with his 22 point out-burst that he is the same way. Kyan Andrews gives this high scoring team another scoring punch. Darrel Johnson is a former D1 player at Delaware U, and was a standout in highschool. He could burst on the scene very quickly and loudly. With the versatility of this team, and the speed and athleticism of their players, Wesley could be the team to steal St. Mary's thunder.

York - Same deal as St. Mary's. How can you lose the CAC Player of the year and All-American and become a better team? York waves goodbye to Nick Brady, who takes his game to Iceland to play at the professional level. The deep ranged, hard nosed, scoring machine will be missed, but York has plenty of players ready to step in and fill the void. Kevin Whaley was very impressive last year. And the senior has started this season off with a bang. Julian Watson, the CAC Rookie of the Year in 08-09 returns after a year off. As does their starting center Andrew Pawlyk and reserve forward Todd Macjeweiski who missed either most, or all of last year with injury. However, the key lies in Paul Kouvaris and Jeremy Skoloda. Will these two be able to score double digits every night to go along with Whaley's points? The blessing for York is, if they are not, others will. York may be the deepest team in the CAC, with a 23 man roster. Other such as Dylan Hoffman, Matt Moley, and Mitch Kemp are also players who received playing time last year and are ready to let themselves be heard. If this team can blend their talent and numbers together, they too, like Wesley, will be ready to defy St. Mary's at the top of the CAC conference.


Predictions:

1.) St. Mary's
2.) York
3.) Wesley
4.) Salisbury
5.) Hood
6.) Mary Washington
7.) Frostburg State
8.) Stevenson
9.) Marymount

1st team All Conference -

Alex Franz - St. Mary's
Kevin Whaley - York
Rudy Thomas - Wesley
Paul Reynolds - Wesley
Chris McGrew - Salisbury

2nd team All Conference -

Greg Woody - Stevenson
Tad Dickman - Mary Washington
Paul Kouvaris - York
Tyler Snoots - Hood
Mike Maczko - Salisbury

Player of the Year -

Franz (St. Mary's) Whaley (York) or Reynolds (Wesley)

Coach of the Year -

Jerry Kobasa (Wesley) or Jeff Gamber (York)

Rookie of the Year -

Cameron Cook (Hood)

I am sure this will bring likes and dislikes. More then anything hough hopefully it brings this board to life!

[purpleheart22]

CACSportsNut, thanks for your post i was beginning to think i was going to be the only one posting this year.  Nice general breakdown of all the teams. I just want to piggyback on some of ur pics and add my own observations from what i have been able to see so far throughout the beginning of the season.

Frostburg- they have had an easy route to the Pride of Md. championship beating Mcdaniel and Stevenson.  However tonite they go up against a St. Marys team who looked very impressive last night with the defeat of Hood.  They are a middle of the pack CAC team they will split with a few teams but wont be able to defeat York, Wesley, and St Marys even with that horrific drive up to the mountains that can be a good homecourt advantage for them.

Hood- They had some spurts last night that made them ok but i dont see them in the top 3 teams of the CAC.  Snoots will be a force to be reckoned with and Straughn should have a breakout year but they need other guys to step up and and take some of the load off of those guys.  I like the freshman from Calvert Hall they have though he can give them a spark off the bench.  I pick them to finish 4th in the regular season maybe winning a playoff game.

Marymount- I have no idea what Marymount has to offer but Hopefully Chris Rogers brought in some talent with those 9 new guys.  Its not hard to get anybody into Marymount so recruiting should be alot easier for him as opposed to F & M.  Armoury was a good player but u could tell he was a bit of a cancer to the rest of the team.  Only time will tell what these guys will bring to the table.

Mary Washington- Much like Marymount they are bringing in alot of new guys and will only be able to see how they all fit in and play with each other.  Altmann was a monster and will be sincerely missed coach Wood may need to get back to the run and gun style of old when he had some star studded guards.  Hopefully they build on that disappointing season from last year and grab some solid CAC wins.

Salisbury- They have a legit 4 and 5 with Maczko and Mcgrew but there is no way they replaced the scoring and leadership of Palmer and Jones.  SU is always a tough matchup but they never seem to get over the hump of actually being a good team.  They should make the playofs but wont advance out of the first round.Even with the UMD transfer i pick them to finish 5th in the league not being able to win against Wesley York and St Marys but they will beat all the middle of the pack teams  splitting with Hood, Frostburg, and marymount.

St. Mary's-  They looked very impressive last night with a 17 point win against Hood.  They have 2 legit post players in Burum and Frshmen McCauley who had 9 blocks last night and may be the frontrunner for rookiyear from what i have seen so far.  They return Mikey Fitzpatrick a sharp shooting 6'6 wing and have 4th team Preseaseason All American Alex Franz running the point.  They dont even lose any offense when they go to the bench with Davenport, Jarzynski, Hutchinson, and newcomer Deon Queen a transfer from juc.  Some of the kids that play on their bench could easily start on any other CAC team from their high school playing days.  They are def. the deepest team in the league and the biggest.  Should be a repeat of last year if not better.  This may the year they make it past the sweet sixteen

Stevenson- They will be better than last year but thats not saying much.  Having Greg Woody back is a great step in them impriving but they just are not deep and once conference play starts they will be near the bottom.  Danny Murphy has some potential but compared to the other big men in this league he can not hold his own.  Woody will not be able to do it all himself even though he will try.  I give them 5 wins this year and not making the playoffs.

Wesley- Should be very tough as usual and will be at the top with St. Marys and York.  If history proves true they will beat York and face St. Mary's in the championship game i just dont think York has the athletes to beat them.  Hopefully Reynolds lost weight and improved over the summer and not carry on his Rick Ross persona.  If he did slim up he will be very tough to stop and a match up nightmare for everybody.  They are alot like Marymount in being able to get anybody in their school so bringing in talent will never be an issue for them.  Its getting those guys to buy into their system and play together which shouldnt be so hard bc they run the Kentucky dribble drive system which any playerthat can play would love to be a part of.  They will be fun to watch to say the least.  I see them losing maybe 3 games in the league

York- This should be a very tough team as always with pg Julian back they are a different and with Whaley and Paul being solid guys they are def a team that can beat anybody on any given night.  I dont know who they brought in but they are a top 3 team and will lose a game or 2 to some middle of the pack teams and may split with either Wesley or St. Marys. 

Overall this is a much better league than years past especially now that Gallaudet is gone.  Im sure every team will be glad to not have to go to that place anymore.

[purpleheart22]

Stevenson won another close game last night with Greg Woody nailing a shot at the buzzer to give them the win in the 3rd place game of the Pride of Md tourney against Dickman's Hood College. They have already matched their win total from last year congrats to them this is a great start for those guys.  Also in the Pride of MD championship game Frostburg defeated reigning 2 time champion St Mary's in what was a very ugly and sloppy game.  Both teams shot the ball very poorly but Frostburg was able to take it in the end.  I would say this is a very big upset as St Mary's was ranked #11 in the nation and instead looked more like 111th.  Way to many turnovers from senior Alex Franz i think he had 9. Their size was not a problem for Frostburg bc they were easily getting rebound after rebound and if Frostburg would have made their layups the game wouldnt have even been close.  I saw Salisbury won the tournament they played in this weekend making them 2-1. York won as their tourney as well.  CAC looking  to be a tough conference this year.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Yes... SMC's lose was an upset, but they are still a Top 25 team. They certainly struggled with a very good defensive effort from Frostburg, but I also think SMC took the game for granted before the ball even got thrown up. From what I was told, and I didn't see it since I was busy getting ready to broadcast the game, during warm-ups Coach Harney actually took the team outside the gym to see if the cool air would wake them up.

SMC is going to be dangerous:
- Franz did not play like himself against Frostburg and seemed to be trying to hard. He tends to learn very quickly from his mistakes from game to game, so expect to see him figure this out soon.
- Burum is still very tough inside, but needs to get comfortable getting physical with guys. He tended to go to the mid-range baby hook too many times.
- Spencer needs to learn when he is an option and when he is hot and when he should just help execute the offense. His defense was also a bit suspect. However, he is a very talented player who has a great outside shot when he is on. It will make defense gamble on whether to closely guard Franz or not.
- Fitzpatrick is back and that's a good thing... IF he plays within himself. He seemed to be trying to hard this weekend... trying to make up for lost time last season... trying to score on every play. If he just plays within himself and the offense, he is going to be a great option for Franz or Burum when and if they are double-teamed.
- MacAuley is going to be dangerous. He is a freshman who showed signs of Junior like ability. He can block shots and play very good defense. He also has an incredible touch when he shoots from anywhere within 15 feet of the basket. He just needs to bulk up a bit (but what freshman doesn't) and learn how to get physical.

They also have other threats off the bench that are clearly going to give the starters breaks. Franz actually saw plenty of minutes on the bench this weekend... giving the other guys plenty of experience.

As for a quick note on Frostburg... very impressed. This squad has been through a lot since last season and they showed a lot of determination this weekend. Coach Hatch certainly had his team prepared against St. Mary's with a very aggressive and athletic defense ... and were not afraid of playing SMC's game of keeping up the pace. Frostburg is going to make waves in the CAC in their first year... probably in the top four (along with SMC, York, and Wesley).