MBB: Great South Athletic Conference

[GSAC Killer]

If I recall I have not really ridiculed anyone just simply the truth... Taunting..haha... Never me!!
  Wilburt just a little fun... But I understand where you are getting and you are right with the article...
  Well I am calling a truce between me n Wilburt!! Just waiting for the response...
   BIG WEEKEND!! I think the Scots will be ready... Big surprise awaiting the GSAC opponents but I will not share any of it....
  Hey Wilburt will you be attending the Conference Championship??

[ohyeah]

My picks....

1st team: Monte Calloway, Maryville
                Allen White, Huntingdon
                Courtney Ellis, Fisk
                Marquis Patton, Fisk
                Bradley Blair, Maryville

2nd team: Bobby Golden, Maryville
                 Chris Adams, Fisk
                 Jeremiah Williamson, Fisk
                 Bo Mason, Maryville
              Jake Baldwin, Piedmont or Corrie Jackson, Lagrange

Player of Year - Monte Calloway, Maryville
Coach of Year - Larry Glover (although I think he has the talent to be unbeatable......still loses some games he shouldnt)

[wilburt]

Okay we have a truce then and yes Raul, I will be at the GSAC tourney in Alabama and will be going around introducing myself to the various coaches, players etc.  [Coach Glover already knows who I am.]

Friday afternoon of the tourney (I won't be there until then), I should be easy to spot.  I plan on wearing my old Fisk letter sweater, with a great big gold "F" on the front of it. (Yes, I can still fit it  !)

For those of you who didn't know, among my many talents, I was an athlete (Track and Field) myself back at Fisk.  In fact, I was the SCAC (then CAC) champion in the 100 meter dash my senior year at Fisk!  I used to be the fastest man in the conference...         

Oh Yeah,  I tend to like those picks.  Can I use some of them?

[GSAC Killer]

Oh Yea I just found out that only 3 players from each Team can make either 1st or 2nd Team.. So one player from Fisk and Maryville will be left out...

But like Grubby said lets wait to this weekend...

  I saw an interesting legend walking the hallways this morning after my daily 7am workouts THE HAMBURGLAR HIMSELF!!

[mattgrubb]

well i am down to go to montgomery, i have friends there so we can party up
I won't be wearing my maryville letter jacket b/c i can't fit in mine b/c coach lambert starves his players

I am so glad we have peace between wilburt and the killer

This weekend is going to be so hot, there will be some interesting conversation next week

[MC wild animal]

I really feel like this is the weekend Bo Mason finds himself.  He has struggled lately but I think he now realizes that without Monte, his play determines a lot of the team's outcome.  With a healthy Golden and Bradley, Maryville's inside game is tough; however, the perimeter must knock down big shots to keep the double teams away.  The off week is exactly what the doctor ordered.


P.S. I still have not had any GSAC players send me their term papers so I can help them out.

[ohyeah]

william,

you can use all of "my picks" if you want to, especially if they are correct. 

Killer, interesting info, I will do a little research and come up with a new list. 

[old_lion]

Post season honors ...

OK, let's start with two givens ...
1) We are all a little biased towards our own guys.
2) Fisk definitely has some good players - from the two games I've seen, I'd say they have four worthy of consideration for all - GSAC. The four previously mentioned ...

But, that doesn't mean they should have 4 (or even 3) on the all - GSAC team. They are a good team, probably 2nd best in the GSAC. But at 14 -7, they aren't all that dominant. Certainly not to the point of having 3 or 4 all - GSAC selections while HC, PC, or LC have none, or only one. Just my opinion ...

Here's my main problem with picking Fisk guys ... how do we know? What are we basing it on? There is no comprehensive info available.

I've seen them 2 out of their 21 games ... in just 2 games, your opinion can easily be skewed up or down by an unusually good or bad game. That's why comprehensive #s s/b available ...  to provide a more "big picture perspective". In the absence of that info, I don't know how Fisk guys can be fairly considered in relation to everyone else.

IMHO, based on the picks posted so far, these are the guys that come to mind as being overlooked so far. I'm not saying any of them are necessarily in the final top 10 (heck, the season is not even over yet) but they are certainly worthy of consideration.

HC - Cole Hairston - leading HC in minutes (30.9 per game), rebounding (6.1), 2nd in scoring (12.5) and shooting 61% from the field.

LC - Demetrius Render - leading them in scoring (12.5) and rebounding (4.9). And like our Piedmont guys, he is putting up these #s in a good bit fewer minutes than most team's "top players" usually play.

And now to my particular bias, Piedmont. We have at least 4 guys worth of consideration.

Jake Baldwin and Mike Adams - our two leading scorers at 15 and 14, respectively. Both of these guys have improved their all-around games this year and shot fairly high %s from both the field and the line. While scoring is certainly important, IMHO, it probably carries too much weight in all star considerations. So these guys also have to be considered ...

Jake Green and Brent Walker - both of these guys are "intangibles guys" whose value to the team goes far beyond the numbers. Green - leads us in minutes per game (at only 26.5), assists (4.9), 2nd in steals (1.9). Best pure PG (Mason and Adams are both good, but they aren't pure PGs) in the league ... his true value is that we are better when he is on the floor. He makes us go. Walker - true warrior - 2nd in minutes (24.7) ... leads us in charges taken, steals (2.4) and has the highest rebounding average in the league at 8.3. I don't feel comfortable when this guy sits for very long either.

And William, congratulations on the Fisk victory Saturday. Your guys played well.

[GSAC Killer]

With all due respect Old Lion, I am not biased for my players.. They just deserve to be on both teams.. I base my opinion on how they do against teams in the conference because it is a Conference Award...
  Lets look at Fisk 7 losses: Division I TN State, Trevaca Big time NAIA team, Top 10 Mississippi College, A good Suny Farmingdale, Knoxville College ( that probably no one in the GSAC could beat if they played on the road), Oakwood who I bet must be hard heck to beat at their place and The Scots..
  If you look at those losses 4 of them are not DIII games...
  Fisk in my opinion year and year out does not play to the level I think they should be which is an NCAA Tournament team but lets not take away the fact they have a heck of starting 5.. I would trade the Scots starting 5 for theirs believe it or not....
  Wilburt showed your boys a little love....

[ohyeah]

old lion - here is my problem with Mr. Walker, he had two good games in GSAC, at LaGrange and hosting Fisk.  However, even in the Fisk game, he was 3-9 from the floor and played 33 minutes.  Courtney Ellis, my first teamer had 10 adn 8 in 18 minutes and shot 5-6 from the floor.    

And I know you are biased about Mr. Green but he doesnt even have a 2-1 assist to TO ratio.  

My main problem with Piedmont is they are 1-4 in conference.  How can a team that is 1-4 in conference have 4 players for All Conference.  

I like the Adams kid, but I just think there are better choices.  

In regards to Lagrange......

I like the Pender kid but 4-22 shooting against Huntingdon just doesnt make me excited.  And add that to 0-5 in the conference.  I just have a hard time thinking a kid with the same #s at Piedmont and Lagrange should warrant a spot over the guys with the same numbers at Fisk and Maryville.

[mattgrubb]

The POY award is White's for the taking this weekend, 2 good games and 2 victories for the Hawks and Mr. White is definitely the man, but it is also his to lose this weekend. 
If white does not show up then Monte is my pick, he was doing it every night before he got hurt and really turning up his overall game.  He IS the BEST player in the conference bar none. (period)  That is from a scouting report I made myself.  But with his injury and some tough performances out of white who is carrying his team, he will have a real shot.
And what about Andy Chaney?

[scottiedoug]

Y'all make good cases for a bunch of good players for all-conference.  What trips us up is the first five and second five "requirement."  We could come close to a top ten, even without knowing Fisk stats, but what are we really measuring?  It is after all a team sport and some players add things that just do not show up in the stat sheets (the intangibles) that are really important.  

Somebody like Raul brought a determination and intensity that you can see but not really measure.  In his case, there was no doubt he was an all conference player, but there probably are players whose stats don't put him in the top five (or ten) but who make the team way better than it would be without him.

I guess my only point is that this is always hard to do.  On the other hand, we will all know which team wins the conf. and especially the tournament.

But for the sake of an argument (sorry William and Raul), if Fisk has four or five of the best players and yet they do not win the championship, are they all-conference players anyway?

[wilburt]

Now this is the type of discussion I like to read about.  I am VERY PROUD of you guys .


 

[old_lion]

My main problem with Piedmont is they are 1-4 in conference.  How can a team that is 1-4 in conference have 4 players for All Conference.  

You've made some good points, ohyeah, but you also missed my point.

I wasn't picking the all-GSAC team. I was throwing out names for consideration.

I wasn't suggesting that PC s/h 4 all conference players. But I did suggest the following ....
"But, that doesn't mean FISK should have 4 (or even 3) on the all - GSAC team. They are a good team, probably 2nd best in the GSAC. But at 14 -7, they aren't all that dominant. Certainly not to the point of having 3 or 4 all - GSAC selections while HC, PC, or LC have none, or only one. Just my opinion ..."

That is a long way from suggesting that PC should have four.

I think PC's problem in getting guys named all-GSAC is that we are a deep team with no stars. IMHO, our best player (whomever that is) is not a great deal better than our 7th or 8th guy ... whomever that is. But that doesn't mean that some of our guys don't deserve consideration. Heck, I had trouble picking four from the pack.

Doug also did a better job than I did of trying to make one of my points, when he said ...
" It is after all a team sport and some players add things that just do not show up in the stat sheets (the intangibles) that are really important.  Somebody like Raul brought a determination and intensity that you can see but not really measure.  In his case, there was no doubt he was an all conference player, but there probably are players whose stats don't put him in the top five (or ten) but who make the team way better than it would be without him."

That's an example of the type of "bias" I was referring to, Killer. You know those things about your guys, whom you see often. Whereas, you might not realize some of the intangibles your opponents bring to the table.

Ohyeah, we are just considering candidates at this point. I had 19 names on my first list. And guess what  ... MC and Fisk had the most names ...

Obviously, the jury is still out. The season is not over. I'm sure it will end up like most all star selections ... a few deserving guys, on the bubble, will miss the cut. Such is life ...

That's why this stuff is fun to talk about, but you can't take it too seriously.

[old_lion]

Mr. Green doesnt even have a 2-1 assist to TO ratio.  

A little info for you on assists to turnover ratios, ohyeah. Good luck in coming up with ten guys if you are going to set 2.0 as the minimum requirement. I did a little research on a few of the guys under consideration... we don't even have very many "in the black", more assists than turnovers.

Maryville:
Bo Mason 1.5
Monte Calloway 1.4
Bobby Golden 0.5
Bradley Blair 0.2

I suspect Bo's and Monte's good #s are due, at least in part, to Maryville's finely tuned "system". Fisk, Piedmont and LaGrange, for example, seem to get out in transition a little more ... a style that inherently produces some easy buckets, but also a few more T/Os.

Huntingdon:
Justin Babian 0.7
Cole Hairston 0.6
Allen White 0.5

Piedmont:
Jake Green 1.3
Mike Adams 0.9
Brent Walker 0.8
Jake Baldwin 0.5

LaGrange:
Corie Jackson 0.5
Demetris Render 0.2

Fisk:
Who knows? Another of my original points ...

We must have some guys fumbling a few passes in the GSAC. I can't believe it's all bad passes.

Or maybe the baseball analogy of expecting your shortstop to lead the team in errors holds up here. To translate ... maybe the guys in the thick of things, with the ball in their hands, making it happen ... can reasonably be expected to commit a few turnovers, as well.