MBB: Coast 2 Coast Athletic Conference

kitchenrat · February 23, 2007, 05:21:13 PM

Quote from: Matt Letourneau on February 23, 2007, 04:17:32 PM
Yes, Father O'Connell has been a great President for CUA and also a big supporter of the basketball program. He does come to games now and then and I know he plays close attention.

His first year at the University--1998--was my freshman year so I got to know him pretty well--even before he took the job actually. He was an Administrator at Saint John's before that. The Bishops brought him in to "fix" some of the lingering problems with the school, put it on a path more in line with the Church's teachings, and improve the physical plant and financial security. He's been successful with those things.

You're in good hands with a St. Joe's man in charge. I'm glad to know he's helped out down there, but as soon as(or is should say "if") Fr. Harrington retires at St. John's I bet Fr. O'Connell jumps ship. SJU is to the Vincentians what UNC is to Basketball coaches. Dream Job!

Matt Letourneau · February 23, 2007, 06:31:21 PM

Yes, I imagine that's true.

The CUA job is unique among Catholic colleges because your boss is literally the Vatican. CUA is the only Catholic institution in the US that is directly under control of the Holy See, so its directly run by the Catholic Bishops of the US.

Therefore, I think its kind of one of those things where if the big bosses want you there, well...that's where you are.

But at the same time, I'm sure there is always a natural cycle of things so we'll see down the road. I hope he stays on for a long time at CUA--they are now in the beginning stages of some pretty dramatic changes that will expand the size of campus and build a whole new center in a new location in property the University acquired from the federal government a few years ago. That will result in the closing of two dorms that are located across Michigan Ave.

MuMu · February 23, 2007, 09:00:33 PM

RIP Mwgoonie.

I hate to say it CUA bye 8.

EXMU14 drop it ok!

MuMu · February 23, 2007, 09:13:12 PM

all the thugs will be in the Hood waiting for the CUA and mom and dad to pay for their sem bills,

I hate to say this but after reading all the pot it seems like Matt is avoiding what happen the other night.

Hood by 3 just because of Karma

Dan Johnson · February 23, 2007, 09:57:12 PM

Didn't Odumeru (sp) leave/quit/get kicked off (pick one) the team twice? If this is the same game, then even if there was a third team, he shouldn't even get mentioned. He is either a quitter or a trouble maker and doesn't deserve recognition. Quite unfortunate since I was impressed with his game.

CACsportsnut · February 23, 2007, 10:36:40 PM

I think your thinking of Ozi Menakaya

Matt Letourneau · February 24, 2007, 11:55:14 AM

So here it is---the LAST CAC game EVER for Catholic.

Its been quite a ride. It would mean a lot to go out on top, but Hood's an excellent team that really seems to be playing well right now. This should be a great contest. In case people didn't see it on the main page, the game will broadcast by the professional D3hoops crew of Gordon Mann and our very own D-Mac.

Every year that I've been associated with Catholic, the Cardinals have had a game on this day. There have been some really memorable ones--the one that stands out the most was 2001, when freshman Will Morley tipped in a shot at the buzzer to beat Marymount and secure an NCAA bid (I alluded to this before, but with 5 losses and a smaller field, Catholic was not a lock for Pool C). Another one that stands out was Mike Lonergan's last CAC Title game, in 2004--a win against top seeded Mary Washington at Goolrick which avenged a loss a year earlier.

So here is hoping for a good game tonight--and a Cardinal win. It is interesting that the game will be between the CAC's newest member who took the league by storm, and the CAC's departing member who dominated for so long.

Dan Johnson · February 24, 2007, 05:56:57 PM

Thanks for the correction.

cuabigdog · February 24, 2007, 08:40:42 PM

Final from Frederick Maryland ...

CUA -- 85

HOOD -- 75

CUA 2007 CAC CHAMPIONS !!!!

congratulations to both schools on fantastic seasons

good luck to the CARDS in the NCAA's

GOOD BROADCASTING JOB BY DAVE AND GORDON

GO CARDS !!!!!

Matt Letourneau · February 24, 2007, 10:23:45 PM

WAY TO GO OUT ON TOP BIG RED!!!!!!!

Fantastic game at Hood tonight. Congratulations to Hood--worthy opponents to the end. Catholic played one of their best games of the season. This was all about senior leadership and Pat Dwyer stepping up and willing them to win. Unsung hero--Nick Olivero for his defense.

I'll post more details later.

HopeConvert · February 24, 2007, 11:38:57 PM

Way to go Cards!

(At least one of my teams won tonight

)

Matt Letourneau · February 25, 2007, 12:10:41 AM

Tonight's game was memorable--really great, well played game by both teams. First of all, the gym up at Governor Johnson High School is actually very nice--I dare say nicer than at least a few CAC teams (ahem Mary Washington). Place was pretty well packed, including a very large contingent from Catholic--maybe 40% of those in attendence.

This win was about experience. The Cardinals got punched early, were down the entire first half, trailed by 7 at halftime, went down 9 in the opening minutes of the second. But they never panicked, they took good shots and played better defense once they adjusted to the officiating. Catholic outscored Hood 51-34 in the second half. They shot 51% overall, including 10-20 from 3. And the defensive intensity was way better--just to give you an idea, Hood shot 47% in the first half, 31% in the second.

Five players were in double figures for Catholic, led by Dwyer's 25. He was 6-7 from 3, 8-11 overall. ..Hood just couldn't guard him on the perimeter. What a great senior leader--honestly he reminded me so much of Will Morley out there tonight--3's weren't exactly Morley's first option either, but he'd kill you with it if he needed to. Fumai had 17, Wheeler and Wasilenko had 14, and Olivero had 13. Olivero played absolute shutdown defense on Jughans--held him to 2-10 shooting in the second half. He really didn't get many touches and when he did they were forced.

Gutekunst is a beast. Led all scorers with 28 points and 18 rebounds. Now, I'll admit I was pretty fired up in the first half because he was getting away with murder--he just pushes people out of the way and pretty much gets away with it. He's so big...but the officials really were protecting him. Should have had 3 in the first half after he fouled Quinn (but no call). But at least the officiating was consistent, and that allowed Wheeler to play him more physical in the second half (and other than that, nothing worth mentioned about the officiating-a good thing). Also, Wheels was able to deny him the ball by knocking it away and forcing interceptions when Hood tried to work it inside.

I felt like Hood let the wheels fall off a little when they got down--starting committing dumb fouls and forcing bad shots. That's where the experience comes in. Catholic's been in these games before, being down doesn't faze them. Once Catholic started to open up a lead, Hood panicked a little bit, lost some composure.

The chemistry on this Catholic team is the best I've seen since 2001. This group of seniors REALLY click. They like each other, they feed off each other, and they've now accomplished something that I think a lot of people didn't think possible. I remember arguing with people in November about where the scoring was going to come from--I think it was a CUA fan who said he didn't see a third scoring option. Here we are in February, and they put up 85 points to win the CAC tournament.

I think you really have to give credit to Steve Howes, who by the way will be on Hoopsville tomorrow night. He's worked through some early injuries, got them to play well enough to steal some non conference wins in a row, survived a bad stretch when they lost to May Wash and Gallaudet, and has them playing their best basketball in the end. Everybody knows their roles, he's found the best uses for the bench players, and most of all there's never any panic when something goes wrong. I do think he deserves to win Coach of the Year, with apologies to Coach Dickman who also did a great job. Sure, everybody thinks Catholic will always be good, but I know for a fact most of you didn't think the Cardinals would win the CAC. They lost Sowden, Satalin, Spirenberg, and Kelly from last year. That was a huge chunk of their offense, and they replaced them by guys that just hadn't been prolific players, with the exception of Dwyer.

I also think the Cardinals have a strong case for a home game in the NCAAs. They are 22-5 coming out of Pool A playing good basketball. They just beat a 21 win team on the road. I know John Hopkins won also and they were ahead of Catholic in the last regionals, so we'll see. But you can certainly make a case.

Anyway, it was great to go out on top of the CAC. I think that really meant something to the Catholic fans and program. I will miss some of the rivalries, but I'm looking forward to new ones in what I think will grow into a quality conference.

Good to luck to Hood with a Pool C bid. I know that there have been a lot of upsets and that hurts their chances, but they had a very good season and I think they'll have success in the CAC for a lot of years to come. I doubt there ever will be another Catholic in the CAC, but its now a wide open field waiting for somebody to step up.

In the meantime, until the Cardinals are done playing, they represent the CAC in the NCAAs, so lets hope the run continues.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh · February 25, 2007, 12:18:21 AM

Latest QOWI:

Overall QOWI In reg. Team Reg. rec. Overall
1 11.625 1 Amherst 0.958 (23-1) 24-1
2 11.583 1 UW-Stevens Point 0.958 (23-1) 24-2
3 10.950 2 Trinity (Conn.) 0.850 (17-3) 21-3
4 10.810 3 Worcester Polytech 0.905 (19-2) 21-2
5 10.696 1 Chicago 0.818 (18-4) 20-4
6 10.692 2 St. Thomas 0.885 (23-3) 23-3
7 10.667 1 Lake Erie 0.952 (20-1) 24-2
8 10.600 4 Salem State 0.920 (23-2) 23-2
9 10.577 5 Rhode Island College 0.885 (23-3) 23-3
10 10.480 1 Ramapo 0.800 (20-5) 21-7
11 10.476 2 Washington U. 0.810 (17-4) 19-4
12 10.462 1 Brockport State 0.846 (22-4) 23-4
13 10.455 1 Mississippi College 0.955 (21-1) 23-2
14 10.412 3 Occidental 0.824 (14-3) 19-5
15 10.400 2 St. Lawrence 0.800 (20-5) 21-5
16 10.400 2 Virginia Wesleyan 0.880 (22-3) 23-3
17 10.391 4 St. John's 0.870 (20-3) 20-6
18 10.320 3 Aurora 0.920 (23-2) 24-2
19 10.280 3 St. John Fisher 0.800 (20-5) 21-5
20 10.250 6 Keene State 0.833 (20-4) 23-4
21 10.217 4 Rochester 0.739 (17-6) 17-7
22 10.200 1 Messiah 0.800 (16-4) 19-6
23 10.182 3 DePauw 0.864 (19-3) 22-4
24 10.174 2 Johns Hopkins 0.864 (19-3) 21-4
25 10.167 2 John Carroll 0.750 (18-6) 19-8
26 10.160 4 Augustana 0.840 (21-4) 21-5
27 10.143 3 Lincoln 0.786 (11-3) 18-7
28 10.125 7 Brandeis 0.750 (18-6) 18-6
29 10.105 3 Hope 0.842 (16-3) 23-3
30 10.080 4 Catholic 0.800 (20-5) 21-5
31 10.000 4 Wooster 0.905 (19-2) 24-3
32 10.000 5 Loras 0.818 (18-4) 20-6
33 9.960 5 Hood 0.800 (20-5) 21-6
34 9.947 4 Centre 0.789 (15-4) 21-4
35 9.923 5 Mary Hardin-Baylor 0.846 (22-4) 22-4
36 9.917 6 UW-Oshkosh 0.750 (18-6) 21-6
37 9.913 7 UW-La Crosse 0.739 (17-6) 19-7
38 9.909 8 Whitworth 0.864 (19-3) 22-3
39 9.870 5 New York University 0.783 (18-5) 19-5
40 9.864 6 Hamilton 0.727 (16-6) 19-6
41 9.857 6 Averett 0.810 (17-4) 19-6
42 9.826 7 Maryville (Tenn.) 0.870 (20-3) 20-6
43 9.800 6 King's 0.720 (18-7) 18-8
44 9.778 9 Lewis and Clark 0.778 (14-4) 19-6
45 9.760 8 Husson 0.880 (22-3) 22-5
46 9.750 7 Alvernia 0.917 (22-2) 23-4
47 9.741 2 Stevens 0.778 (21-6) 21-6
48 9.731 3 Manhattanville 0.808 (21-5) 22-5
49 9.708 9 Bates 0.708 (17-7) 18-7
50 9.708 8 Scranton 0.708 (17-7) 19-7
51 9.696 8 McMurry 0.826 (19-4) 20-6
52 9.625 9 Guilford 0.833 (20-4) 21-4
53 9.619 5 Ohio Northern 0.667 (14-7) 19-7
54 9.591 5 Elmhurst 0.773 (17-5) 21-5
55 9.565 9 DeSales 0.739 (17-6) 19-7
56 9.520 4 New Jersey City 0.680 (17-8) 18-9
57 9.500 7 Utica 0.750 (18-6) 19-6
58 9.450 6 Westminster (Pa.) 0.800 (16-4) 18-8
59 9.364 8 Plattsburgh State 0.727 (16-6) 19-8
60 9.364 7 Wittenberg 0.773 (17-5) 22-5
61 9.360 10 Tufts 0.600 (15-10) 15-10
62 9.308 8 Capital 0.692 (18-8) 18-8
63 9.292 9 Penn State-Behrend 0.750 (18-6) 19-6
64 9.261 10 Villa Julie 0.739 (17-6) 19-7
65 9.261 11 FDU-Florham 0.609 (14-9) 17-9
66 9.261 6 Grinnell 0.696 (16-7) 17-7
67 9.238 5 Richard Stockton 0.667 (14-7) 17-9
68 9.235 10 Redlands 0.765 (13-4) 17-7
69 9.200 10 Millsaps 0.750 (15-5) 18-8
70 9.190 11 Colby 0.667 (14-7) 15-10

Hood may still have a pretty good chance to get in! There QOWI is pretty strong and unless JHU is upset tomorrow... they just might get into the tournament.

Matt - all do respect to Coach Howes and CUA's great year... Coach Dickman deserves COY for many reasons. 20+ win season while playing the CAC for the first time... and winning the regular season crown and getting to the CAC title game (something CUA has down eight years in a row). I understand your arguement for Coach Howes getting the nod... but Hood played much better than ANYONE thought they would!

Matt Letourneau · February 25, 2007, 12:26:51 AM

Yeah, and its not like I'll be furious if Dickman wins it--I understand that case very well. He did a fantastic job. And I do feel for them not having their own gym, though I have to tell you--I think they can (and have) really make that place work for them. I mean, they lost to one team there at all year! I can see that being a tough place to play for an opponent.

But anyway, I understand Dickman's the favorite here, but I think Steve deserves recognition for what they've accomplished. I was going to stand by my earlier statement that whoever wins the CAC would get my nod no matter what. I think if you lose as much as Catholic did, and you end up winning the league in impressive fashion using players a lot of people didn't think were good enough, well, that's a pretty strong case. And I do think the award is skewed against rewarding the teams that actually win games---you have to "over-achieve" in order to win. But if you look at Catholic's season, they didn't lose a single game by more than 8 points. They were in 27 straight games literally until the very end, and that includes games they trailed by double digits in. Where does that mettle come from?

The QOWI hasn't been updated for Catholic and Hood, anyway--still has their pre-game records.

I hope Hood does get in. They could get some teams fits.

Matt Letourneau · February 25, 2007, 12:35:35 AM

Ok, updated QoWI has Catholic at #21, 9 spots ahead of John Hopkins. Hopkins plays tomorrow against a mediocre (#123) Haverford team that Catholic beat on the road.

Hood dropped to #40. At first glance, behind Hope and Messiah but ahead of Scranton in some of the Pool C bubble teams I noticed.

I'm redoubling my plea here---bring the tourney to DC!