MBB: Coast 2 Coast Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Knightstalker...
how'd you get that pic of Judge Smails in your signature?
I have one of Al Cervik but I can't get the pic (instead of the URL address) to come up in my signature

got you taken care of

[Pat Coleman]

What a joke, just a flippin' joke.

You guys will all understand in a few hours.

Splitting the admission? Not splitting the admission?

[bisonpride]

Here's official.. All-CAC team, COY, ROY and POY..

http://athletics.gallaudet.edu/men%20basketball%20cac%20awards.pdf

Gallaudet swept the honors!! Congrats to all others on the list..

Good Luck to Catholic and York in the NCAA tournament.

[Matt Letourneau]

Bisonpride (or anyone else from Gally) & D-Mac:
Any thoughts on Widener?  They played Gally and Goucher this year, and beat both relatively narrowly.  Looks like Gally in particular gave them quite a game.   I know they've got one big guy who's a monster, but I'm hoping that Shane/Pat Dwyer can hold him in check.

Speaking of Dwyer, congratulations to his first team All CAC selection.  I'm glad the coaches took into account the depth Catholic has.  He deserved that honor.  I would have picked DiStephano and Mowls myself as COY and ROY.  Haney, not so much, but I can't argue too much.  I think he ended a little weaker because of injury.  But his numbers were there, I suppose. 

Interestingly, only 3 of the 10 players selected are seniors.

[theman123]

wheres the kid from goucher... shooting guard that was 2nd in scorer and put up 99 3's.

[bisonpride]

Tomorrow night, there would be exciting Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) games at Gallaudet's Field House..

Girls' championship games @5:30pm - Bishop McNamara Mustangs (22-5) vs. Good Counsel Falcons (22-7)
Note: McNamara rank #8 in USA Today's east region, and #3 in Washington Post, Good Counsel ranked #2 in the Post

Boys' championship game @7:30pm - St John's College Cadets (21-8) vs. DeMatha Catholic Stags (29-1)
Note: St. Johns ranked #7 in the Post. While DeMatha is rank #2 in the Post, but the most important of all.. #5 in nation accord to recent USA Today ranking.

Come and watch those exciting end of season match up to grab the WCAC championship trophy!!!

[ycp]

Another stellar selection of POY. I guess in our league, if you put up a ton of stats for a fourth place team, you are the player of the year. Smith last year, Haney this year. I guess statistically you can make the arguement, but the fact is Gallaudet won two more games than they lost.

I guess it goes back to our discussion from earlier this year. The players on the upper tier of teams don't put up the individual numbers but their teams win while the mid-level clubs have individuals who stand out more because of the way the team is structured. Those are those players that are rewarded with individual accolades. Lesesne over Bushey for first team is pretty funny. St. Mary's won four league games this year. Lesesne is a good player but he also took the lions share of their shots. I am pretty sure Brandon could have averaged over 20 if he took over 400 shots for the year. Just a different philosophy I guess but a two-time first teamer gets second team as a senior.

You can argue that the good players on good teams are rewarded with team success but it would also be nice for them to receive individual accolades.

Understand I am biased, obviously, so keep that in mind when everyone tells me I am crazy (or worse)

I am stepping off my soapbox now and I am done. Congrats to all the players who were honored.

[theman123]

i know but still if the kid had 99 3's theres no way he doesnt get any recognition.

He was only 9 in the nation in 3's and he was 23rd or something in scoring. 

Russo got no honors and thats pretty weird to me.

[muchacho]

Russo got no honors and thats pretty weird to me.

Not weird to me at all. Goucher was absolutely awful, and when only 10 players are honored in an 8 team league, 2 players don't deserve to come from the last place team.  Regarding Haney over McGowan for POY...I think this probably occurs in a lot of conferences in all types of sports. Coaches or whoever votes for these awards are more likely to give a POY award to a Senior, while they assume a talented underclassmen will have more opportunities in the future. I don't have too much of a problem with Haney winning the award. He is a hell of a player and can anybody else think of where Gallaudet would be without him. He has had a great influence on their team since his first collegiate game.
All that being said, would you rather have the ROY, COY, and POY or the opportunity to play some more games. York might not have the POY and Catholic might have just one rep on the All CAC team, but they are in the NCAAs. I'd rather have the best team, than have the best representation in the postseason voting.

[theman123]

what is the record for 3's in one year

[ycp]

Muchacho,

You are right. It has been a great time watching these guys play over the last two years. We had Andy O'Brien and he was a very talented player but having the chance to see York achieve the team success has been much more enjoyable.

I guess I am being a little greedy

One more thing, I think Haney is a really good player, I just hold a different philosophy in regard to how the post season honors are viewed.

[Matt Letourneau]

Well, the big thing for me is not punishing kids who are on good teams, nor punishing talented kids on bad teams.  I think you have to grade on a curve.  To me, the results of this team and in years past seem to weigh too heavily in favor of good players on bad teams.  Its impossible translate performance to quality teams.   Some of the players on this list that I've seen this year have made me shake my head.  I know they are talented and good players, but if a kid on Catholic or York took those kinds of shots (low percentage, early in the shot clock) they wouldn't be scoring ANY points because they'd be benched. 

All that aside, the POY award isn't an MVP award, so I can live with Haney.  His percentages are not awful.  Its sort of a natural transgression and I'm not shocked he's won it though he wouldn't have been my pick.   There is one first teamer that I don't think belongs there, but what's the point of airing that out now anyway?

The bottom line is that the best teams advance.  Not always the best players.  Players that sacrifice their stats and their shots for the good of the team win championships, and ultimately, that is more gratifying in the end.  Both teams representing the CAC this year epitomize team basketball.  I don't think there is a selfish player in the whole bunch--either team.  Sometimes I wish our guys at Catholic were a little MORE selfish.  But I don't think they really care about the all CAC team--the banner going up at DuFour next year means a hell of a lot more, particularly for these seniors who had a lot to live up to. 

I would normally wish that both teams would go deep into the tournament.  Unfortunately, this year that is mutually exclusive, so instead I'll hope that both teams face each other and go from there. 

[bisoncrew]

Bisonpride (or anyone else from Gally) & D-Mac:
Any thoughts on Widener?  They played Gally and Goucher this year, and beat both relatively narrowly.  Looks like Gally in particular gave them quite a game.   I know they've got one big guy who's a monster, but I'm hoping that Shane/Pat Dwyer can hold him in check.

Speaking of Dwyer, congratulations to his first team All CAC selection.  I'm glad the coaches took into account the depth Catholic has.  He deserved that honor.  I would have picked DiStephano and Mowls myself as COY and ROY.  Haney, not so much, but I can't argue too much.  I think he ended a little weaker because of injury.  But his numbers were there, I suppose. 

Interestingly, only 3 of the 10 players selected are seniors.

M.L.-

Widener has a monster of a big guy, Kris Clarkson. At 6'8'', #21's been leading the team in both Rebounding and Scoring for the vast majority of the team's matches through this year. A second key factor in Widener's offensive game is Essien Ford (6'3 combo guard) and as for rebounding, Catholic must do a good job of keeping sleeper Malcolm Thomas, #32 6'4 PF, off the glass as well.

It'll be a good game between CUA and Widener. For CUA to win, they absolutely have to keep at the physical play underneath (meaning keep Clarkson and Thomas off the glass), and play solid team D (Clarkson inside, Ford on the perimeter) for the full 40 minutes. Another thing--It'll have to be a "personal challenge" kind of day for CUA's big guys to keep up with the Widener post players' athletic ability--

My prediction? CUA wins by 4, #14 has a monster game from the perimeter (5+ from the distance) and Shane/Dwyer have a career day of "D" and Rebounding.

[bisonpride]

Matt Letourneau..

Here's stats of Widener-Gallaudet at the Holiday Tournament Championship game on past Nov. 26 which Widener beat Gallaudet by 5, 66-61 in a good and close game. Widener is very athletic team.

http://athletics.gallaudet.edu/stats/mbball/GALMB-05.HTM

[BisonKiller]

Well, the big thing for me is not punishing kids who are on good teams, nor punishing talented kids on bad teams.  I think you have to grade on a curve.  To me, the results of this team and in years past seem to weigh too heavily in favor of good players on bad teams.  Its impossible translate performance to quality teams.   Some of the players on this list that I've seen this year have made me shake my head.  I know they are talented and good players, but if a kid on Catholic or York took those kinds of shots (low percentage, early in the shot clock) they wouldn't be scoring ANY points because they'd be benched. 

All that aside, the POY award isn't an MVP award, so I can live with Haney.  His percentages are not awful.  Its sort of a natural transgression and I'm not shocked he's won it though he wouldn't have been my pick.   There is one first teamer that I don't think belongs there, but what's the point of airing that out now anyway?

The bottom line is that the best teams advance.  Not always the best players.  Players that sacrifice their stats and their shots for the good of the team win championships, and ultimately, that is more gratifying in the end.  Both teams representing the CAC this year epitomize team basketball.  I don't think there is a selfish player in the whole bunch--either team.  Sometimes I wish our guys at Catholic were a little MORE selfish.  But I don't think they really care about the all CAC team--the banner going up at DuFour next year means a hell of a lot more, particularly for these seniors who had a lot to live up to. 

I would normally wish that both teams would go deep into the tournament.  Unfortunately, this year that is mutually exclusive, so instead I'll hope that both teams face each other and go from there. 

Matt you are right....best teams advance not the best players....

Mowl and Jimmy D winning their awards, a major congrats to them.

Haney winning baffles me a little bit.  I mean he kind of reminds me of Iverson.  Does everything for the team to beef up his stats, teams does decent winning .550/.600 of their games.  Therefore a strong POY/MVP candidate.  Had Jackson did more on his role, I seriously doubt Haney would've had a chance at POY.  Doesn't matter year is over now.  If coaches strongly believe Haney is THE POY then who am I to argue?  Hell I think Dirk (Dallas Mavericks) should've been MVP a few times.  I guess when you are on a balanced team it is hard to beef up your stats and stand out.


This is probably my last post for this season....just wanted to say good luck to Catholic and York and represent CAC well for us!!!!