MBB: Coast 2 Coast Athletic Conference

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

You might like to see CUA beat YCP... but it isn't going to happen on the kitchen floor! Look for CUA to lose by 10.

GOU probably can't get two against UMW. The loss to SAL was certainly a blow. The team had it won in regulation when SAL missed a last minute, long jumper to tie it... only to see the rebound fall into the wide-open hands of a SAL player under the basket. Easy layup... and overtime.

Goucher and Salisbury fought hard in the game and the atmosphere was great. Reminded me of the CAC Championship game at the SRC between Salisbury and Goucher many years ago. And while both teams seemed to match each other shot for shot, the Gophers weren't able to pull of the magic in the end.

Consider this. Goucher is playing with seven "healthy" players. They had an eighth come off the bench (CJ Snipes), but he has two bad knees and before Salisbury, had missed two games.

I will say this now... while Goucher might not have a great record, I think Jonathan Garritt deserves 1st teams honors this year. James Russo might deserve 1st or 2nd. You can't play Goucher without taking those two into account. They won't quit and you have to guard them. Ask Brad Serfing what it's like to have Garritt spot up at the top of the key and nail a three in your face time, after time, after time. He has put this team on his shoulders and while the record might not be great, they are always in it.

It's too bad this has to be the way Garritt finishes his career as a Gopher. But, he is one of the toughest players I have watched and thinks every team they face has the potential to go down.

[mwgoonie]

No doubt, Goucher is always tough.

[unreallawns]

Garritt is a great CAC player.  It is unfortunate that his senior year has ended up the way it has.  I'm willing to say that if he was on any of the top 5 teams, he would be considered for P.O.Y.  He is that talented.

[spartanfan]

After earlier comments, I have to reiterate....Coach Dickman has always had and obviously still does have a knack for recruiting talent.  I might have to change my original prediction of making it to the NCAA's from 6 years to maybe 3 or 4.  I also hope all is well with Coach Gamber and his family.  And congrats to Dean for his first win......reminds me of a time when....nevermind, no comment. HEHE

[kitchenrat]

Obviously tomorrow is a big game for both York and Catholic. If York want's to show they are ready to keep winning right on in to March a W in the Kitchen tomorrow should send the message. This is a nice test to show they are ready for the CAC tourny where you have to play on only one day rest let alone the NCAAs where you play tough foes on back to back nights. I look for Bushy  to step up with a big night both scoring on D against Satalin. Satalin has had some tough shooting nights when Bushy Has been on him, and even though Brandon's point total was lower than his average in the game this year in DC he had three top notch games vs CUA last year. Should be an all around battle, and I know the place will be electric as it was in the CAC final last year. GO SPARTS!

[Matt Letourneau]

Interesting, but Catholic has been evolving so much that even compared to that night a few weeks ago, some key players have changed.  Freshman Nick Olivero has broken out since that game as the key guard on defense and an offensive spark plug.  He had just 5 minutes in the first game against York, he may even start tomorrow and was CAC player of the week.  Josh Mish has entered the rotation as a big man off the bench with 16 points in the last 2 games, Wheeler, who was a DNP against York, had 19.  These are guys who didn't even play in the first game.

Catholic should be a little less reliant on Satalin's shooting, but they still need a decent night for Satalin or Fumai.  The key will be Dwyer and Sowden, of course.  If BOTH get going, CUA can beat anybody.  In the first game, York collapsed on Sowden, who took just 5 shots, but that allowed Dwyer to have a career night with 27.  Those two guys have to play better defense against Singer--he was the high man for York in the first game.

Catholic was just 13-20 from the free throw line in the first game.  They've been much, much better lately but they will be playing in a tough environment.  Neither team shot well the first time, but Catholic was worse from the field.

If Catholic can spread things out and run the floor, they've got great depth (better than York's, especially at guard) and a good inside game.  If it turns into a jump shot contest, they're going to get beaten--York is deadly. It should be a good, competitive game and I really wish I could see it in person.  I hope we can get updates on the board!

A York win makes things much more comfortable for them and almost certainly the final game.  A Catholic win changes the picture dramatically, putting them in a tie for 1st place--but CUA would hold the tiebreaker against York.

So c'mon Cards...this is the time to turn it on.  Especially the seniors.  You've had a great run, but you're not done yet and you still have the opportunity to really leave a mark and continue the tradition.  Make a statement!

[Akela15]

Huge game tonight in York, Spartans by 7 in the end.

[kitchenrat]

Matt-

I think York's depth at guard is overlooked if you only base it on point totals. Yeck and Zerfing my not hang huge totals every night but each is a top notch defender and can shoot from any place on the floor. I would put Bushy and Fass against any player in the CAC any night and feel more than comfortable. Then the wild card is Paddy Lee, who at 6-6 runs the point for the Sparts when he is on the floor which causes alot of match up problems for other teams. CUA knows this of course and may d him up with a 3 rather than putting which ever PG is out there on him. Those are 5 better than average players in the guard rotation and then you have to factor Quinn Howard and Nate Fry who can both bring the ball up and d up on gaurds but who will play more 3 and 4. Add to them Singer and McGowan who may end up being a POY before its all said and done and you have as deep a team as you need. Anything past 9 may leave someone on the bench too long, and absent foul trouble this rotation has been more than money for York so far.
   

I have a Question for Pat or any of the CAC SIDs about what will happen with the CAC tourny next year. Will they have an 8-9 play in game ala the old set up in the ACC or will 9 have to sit out? I know that my not be decided yet, but if anyone knows i was just wondering

I won't say I know York is going to win tonight but i can say i will be there making as much noise as I can to help make the Kitchen rock. GO SPARTS!

[ycp]

Come on dmac...

"James Russo might deserve 1st or 2nd."

That might be on the silliest things you have ever said. There is no question Jonathan Garritt deserves All-CAC recognition. He has been a great player all four years and there isn't a team in the league that he would make better. He could play for my team any day of the week.
Russo is a nice player but in no way is he one of the top 10, maybe top 15 in the league. He gets his points only because he is the second option on a team that is struggling.
If Russo were picked second team over a player like, for example, Kenny Fass, it would be a joke. First, Kenny shut down Russo in the first meeting. Russo scored 16 on 6-of-16 shooting. Russo got eight of those last points in the last six minutes when Fass was on the bench because the game was out of hand. In the second match up (which I did not see so I am going strickly from numbers), Russo had 18 points on 5-of-25 shooting (25 shots for 18 points and six of those points came at the free throw line). Fass had 11 points on five shots. To put all-conference voting based on offensive numbers is ridiculous though I know that is what happens.

I know you bleed blue and gold but you have to be objective. I also know that I will defend our kids for All-CAC. I don't know that Kenny will get All-CAC recognition but there  aren't too many players I would rather have on my side when the game is on the line. He is one of the big reasons for York's success over the last two years. 

That being said, there were two players from a last place team that got selected last year and the champs just got one so I guess anything can happen.

Should be a great game tonight against the Cardinals. It is the second to last regular season game at Wolf Gym as campaign winds down.

[Matt Letourneau]

Rat,
I certainly wasn't trying to imply that York didn't have depth, they do.  Its just that CUA has extreme depth--they are the deepest team in the league.  Of course, that doesn't make them the BEST team in and of itself, but it does mean that they can and want to run and in a fast paced game can wear out their opponents.  The teams that have been successful (Gally and Salisbury) have slowed the game down and gotten Catholic into strictly a halfcourt offense.  The second thing is that foul trouble is not as big of a problem.

I was specifically talking about Catholic's depth at the 1.  Nobody in the league has a guard of the caliber of Mike Waslienko coming off the bench--he's been a 2 year starter.  Obviously York knows first hand what Stoltenzhaler can do, even as a freshman, and Kelly is a superior defender. 

To get Olivero on the floor, Satalin has been playing more of the 1 too, and he's certainly capable of that. 

The other area of major depth is the big men--Dwyer, Sowden, Wheeler, Sprienberg, Mish, Baker...everybody has had more than 8 points at least once this year. 

I'd be curious as to exactly who D-Mac is putting Russo in front of to get him to either the 1st or 2nd team...

[kitchenrat]

Matt,

Your points are well taken and understood. I guess what each team does works for them. I think York could have Kelley and Riley play more, but i also think the 9 main guys are used to their rotation and they might get thrown off it they went 11 or 12 deep. I'm not saying they are iron men like the 5 starters for UMW who all seem to play 35 mins each but I think they are comfortable in the rythem Coach Gamber has them in. And god knows they run. I didn't see the game in DC but the stats didn't make it seem like they ran the whole game, so I guess it comes down to who will set the tempo. 

My point about gaurd depth is that York doesn't use a traditional PG and so the match up shouldnt be as much as an issue. Save Singer and McGowan I wouldn't worry too much seeing any of the other 7 guys man up on almost any #1.

Can't wait for the game. Should be an instant classic. Maybe it will be on ESPN Classic.... oh yeah they only put Grinnell on TV.

[kitchenrat]

I may have been smoking crack on the last post. Lots of typos and spelling errors. I'm at work and didn't have time to look it over and, going back in an editing now looks like a lost cause. What it comes down to is GO YORK!

[x33ycp]

I think tonight will be a GREAT game. If York can hold off the Cards they will have a strangle hold on that #1 seed, which is sooo important....If Catholic wins, it basically forces York to win out and hope for a Catholic loss....Whoever wins this game will get the #1 seed in my opinion...bottom line is that YCP is more talented and is playing at Wolf, I think instead of blowing a nine point lead like they did down in DC, they will extend it in the final minutes.....

YCP-82
CUA-69

P.S.--Matt, although they are different types of "guards", I'd take Paddy Lee over Waslienko anyday....when Paddy is coming off the bench...

[ycp]

33,

I don't know that Mary Washington can be counted out for the top seed. I think it will be between YCP, CUA, and UMW (in no particular order) for the top three seeds with the hottest team down the stretch taking the top spot. Being the top seed is key (for the obvious reason of home court advantage) but also, you don't want to be the third seed and traveling to #2 for Thursday's semifinal.

It should be three great weeks of hoops as we head down the stretch.

[Matt Letourneau]

33,
Neither Lee or Was played well in the first game...Lee had 4 TO's in 15 minutes, and as I recall got trapped a few times.  He didn't handle pressure from quicker guards very well in that game, at least.  I'm sure he's a better shooter so I guess it depends on what you want from your ballhandler--Catholic wants quick, penetrating guards who will look for a pass before they shoot.

YCP is right about Mary Wash--they are certainly not out of the picture, either.  Right now CUA and UMW are tied, I don't know how the tiebreaker is decided in that case.   Mary Wash's worst loss in conference is worse than the other two teams, if that matters.