MBB: Great South Athletic Conference

[Ralph Turner]

Coach, we had several teams that pushed MissColl to the limit this season.

LeTU beat the Choctaws in Longview TX without Tyler Winford.

HSU lost by 3 in Abilene.  UT-Dallas was down by one with the ball and their star senior had a brain burp with 20 secs in the game.  McMurry and HSU got to within 6-7 in the last 5 minutes last weekend in the tourney but could not pull it out.  This MissColl team is the best team we have had in the conference since the 2000 and the 2001 McMurry teams.

[t_money]

just another matchup between the chocs and scots
how many does this make since the first in 99
these teams need to just start playing during the regular season

Don't think Randy lambert couldn't handle MIKE JONES who MIKE JONES who MIKE JONES

No,

Randy can't handle Mike Jones.  Maryville can't handle MC.  Another Sweet 16!

[mattgrubb]

way to win with class Tmoney


Congrats to the Chocs and good luck in virginia

[t_money]

I told you Maryville wasn't going to win.  What are you so upset for Matt?

[NCChoctaw]

Congrats to the Choctaws.  The only reason they beat Maryville is cuz Sam Beatty was hurt, but we'll take it however we can get it.

[diehardfan]

Congrats to the Choctaws.  The only reason they beat Maryville is cuz Sam Beatty was hurt, but we'll take it however we can get it.

[Spencer Beaty]

Good season Randy.  Would have like to shoot it better than what you did in the final game but hey.  Good luck Mississippi College.  Hope you win it all.

[mattgrubb]

tmoney
you are the i told you so guy, well at least now we know you never played any sport

Anyway, now we murvul fans would like to see the chocs win the whole thing

[t_money]

Matt,

I told you so.

[scottiedoug]

Since the GSAC is done for this year, it's time to look to the next one.  Lambert's post-game observations suggested that Mississippi College had bigger, faster, and more players than the Scots.  Since the Scots were the best team in the GSAC, I assume his comments, if they were accurate, apply conference-wide.  Some ASC posters say this is the best MissCollege team in many years, so maybe this is an exception, but maybe not.

So can the GSAC recruit what it needs to get beyond the first (or maybe occasionally second) round?  Centre, whom Maryville beat, won one and lost convincingly to Wooster.  SCAC may have the same set of challenges the GSAC does.

There are some very good players in the GSAC but no team seems to have enough of them at once to deal with the Mississippi College (or Wooster).  What do y'all see as the way forward?

Regarding the Scots, anybody got any ideas where we can get an inside game, with scoring, to help open up the perimeter next year?

[mattgrubb]

JUCO, we need some impact post players
we will have a solid perimeter next year
MissColl has some recruiting advantages over Maryville
1. Less expensive- Miss is less than 20k a year and Maryville is getting over 30k
2. Facilities- Miss still has the facilities from their GSC days, which are far superior to standard D3 facilities, the golden dome is a great venue for D3 athletics, even though we never win there, it is a nice place
3.  I am sure Ralph can explain any academic differences between the two schools but i bet they are marginal but personally i would give the academic edge to maryville, that is a biased opinion of course.
4. I think location is marginal right outside knoxville vs right outside jackson

Any rumors about Miss. College returning to D2, sure would make it easier for us?

[old_lion]

MissColl has some recruiting advantages over Maryville
1. Less expensive- Miss is less than 20k a year and Maryville is getting over 30k
2. Facilities- Miss still has the facilities from their GSC days, which are far superior to standard D3 facilities, the golden dome is a great venue for D3 athletics, even though we never win there, it is a nice place
3.  I am sure Ralph can explain any academic differences between the two schools but i bet they are marginal but personally i would give the academic edge to maryville, that is a biased opinion of course.
4. I think location is marginal right outside knoxville vs right outside jackson

It appears Miss College has a recruiting advantage over most D3 schools that I know anything about.

I remember earlier in the season, Narch was commenting on how unusual it was for Greensboro to have 4 key transfers this year ... well GC is nothing, in that regard, compared to Miss. They have an informative web site ... check this out ...

http://www.gochoctaws.com/sports/mbball/2006-07Stats/teamcume.htm
http://www.gochoctaws.com/roster.asp?path=mbball

It appears that 3 or their starters and 8 of their top 11, are transfers ... either from JUCO or other colleges ... and 3 of them are 6'7 or taller. Must be nice ...

I sure would like to know how they are able to get that many transfers. I know they aren't the most expensive school around ... but, they aren't cheap ... and they are D3 (no athletic scholarships, right?).

Now I wouldn't want PC to become "Transfer Central" ... that's opening a whole different "can of worms". But I sure wish we could figure out how to bring in a couple of tall and talented transfers ... assuming, of course, they'd have to be quality guys that would appreciate and enhance our outstanding team chemistry.

Hey, I can dream, can't I?

[Ralph Turner]

Basketball in the ASC is different.

Mississippi as a state has a well developed JUCO system.  In fact the state of Mississippi had 20 JUCO's to sign D1 football scholarships in 2004!  They are getting the natural crop of talent as it comes thru the system, as twenty year-old men, not 18-year old boys.

The Texas schools get JUCO's and also manage to get D2's and D1's who want more playing time.  The freshman who come frequently still need to grow a year or two before they can make an impact.

As for the MissCollege talent, we at McMurry thought we were a big man, a Bobby Golden type, away from challenging MissColl.  We threw 6'6" stringbeans Drew Rigney, a player that I really liked or a  6'4" two sport players (Cole Dickerson, a football tight end) into the front court.  McMurry team chemistry was excellent this year!

We just rarely have someone as big as Golden in Texas.  We can find all of the fast guards that one could want, but 6'8" players are rare.

As for academic profile,

US News South Region Comprehensive Colleges

Southern Region Master's Level Universities

Western Region Master's Levels Universities

Western Region Comprehensive Colleges

Most of the ASC and the GSAC are listed in these "beauty contests".

These are the top half in each region.  For the ASC, only Sul Ross State, Schreiner University Kerrville, TX and UT-Dallas are not listed, and UT-Dallas may have the toughest admission standards in the ASC.  They would be judged with the Texas A&M's and UT's (Texas or Tennessee, you take you pick of the oranges). 

[ohyeah]

Since the GSAC is done for this year, it's time to look to the next one.  Lambert's post-game observations suggested that Mississippi College had bigger, faster, and more players than the Scots.  Since the Scots were the best team in the GSAC, I assume his comments, if they were accurate, apply conference-wide.  Some ASC posters say this is the best MissCollege team in many years, so maybe this is an exception, but maybe not.

There are some very good players in the GSAC but no team seems to have enough of them at once to deal with the Mississippi College (or Wooster).  What do y'all see as the way forward?

I never lost to Mississippi College

[t_money]

Matt and Scottiedoug,

Let's not forget that all of Maryville's recent NCAA losses have come on the road at Mississippi College.  I remember a few years ago when you guys ended our season at your place.  Granted, this year's Choctaw squad is the best I remember for sometime (Ralph?).  My point is that it becomes very hard to go on the road and advance.  Maryville's scenario from last week has now become the Choctaw's scenario this week.  It was a lot to ask of your team to come in and knock off MC in Clinton.  It will be as equally challenging for the the Chocs to get by VWC.

I think you guys have a great program and your coach does a great job with his teams.  Who's to say MC won't be playing at Maryville next year at this time and you guys have the advantage.  We lose a lot of very talented players after this year and next year may be somewhat of a rebuilding year.  However, Coach Jones and his staff usually do a pretty good job of filling the empty spots (JUCO).