MBB: Conference of New England

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

WPI goes down and the NESCAC bigs are playing each other this weekend, GC could move up in the rankings if they can continue to win.

[Maq Diesel]

Hoops,
   Let me preface this question by saying I am in no way expecting this but, has any CCC team ever been ranked and do you think it would be possible for a team to get a ranking comming out of this conference?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

You mean in the d3hoops.com poll?  I don't think any men's team has been ranked.  I know Colby-Sawyer has received votes before.  I am positive if CSC had played the way they were capable of playing to start this season, that they would have been ranked.  It is very possible.  They might have lost to Trinity (TX), but I was fully expecting them to win the rest of their games.  I don't think the CCC has much less respect than the LEC in terms of national exposure.  It's possible, but a team would have to play a solid non-conference schedule and win most of the games.  Endicott could have been ranked this year as well, if they were able to knock off a couple big names at the beginning.

[broke_ya_ankles]

in the national poll i believe Endicott was ranked at one point in the past 3 years...

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I did the research:

1999-2000 Season
Week 2: RWU men, 6 points
Week 4: CSC men, 1 point
Week 6: CSC men, 2 points
Week 7: CSC men, 9 points
Final: ENC women, 55 points (27th place)  This was after their sweet sixteen run

2000-2001 Season
Week 14: CSC men, 4 points

2001-2002 Season
Preseason: CSC men, 51 points (27th)
Week 6: CSC men, 5 points

2002-2003 Season
Preseason: CSC men, 3 points
Week 7: CC women, 1 point

2003-2004 Season
Week 13: EC men, 1 point
Week 14: EC men, 4 points
Final: EC men, 3 points

2004-2005 Season
Preseason: EC men, 27 points; CSC men, 1 point; CSC women, 5 points
Week 1: CSC women, 2 points
Week 2: EC men, 4 points
Week 3: CSC men, 8 points
Week 4: CSC men, 8 points
Week 5: CSC men, 5 points

2005-2006 Season (so far)
None

This could be the first year since the poll's inception that no CCC team receives votes.  I really had thought that one of those good women's teams had made the top 25, but I guess not.  The CCC has a rep of losing immediately upon receiving votes; it really hurts the rep of the coneference, but you are what you are.  Gordon's got a chance of getting votes if they can keep winning.

[broke_ya_ankles]

i stand corrected hahaha

[roy_williams]

what are the chances of a CCC team hosting an opening round NCAA game? i would assume the best chance is for gordon; if they win out would they have a chance of hosting? how much stock does the NCAA selection committee put in how many fans would go to the games? or is the first round based soley on team performance? i know its done by region and i would assume Bates would be the regional host with things they the way they are now (?) but i think EC hosted a 1st round game in '04 i think. thoughts?

[617primetime]

I've only seen Gordon play 3 times, and they were all early in the season, but they seemed soft. I was wondering if anyone has seen them lately and tell me if they've improved considerably throughout the season, because I have been hearing quite a bit about them early.

[24/7/365]

This GC team is def not soft.  You're not going to confuse them with the 88'-89' Detroit Piston "Bad Boys," but they can hold their own with any team.  They still lack the true inside presence most championship calibur teams have, but their guard play is as strong as it gets.  They have channeled that physicality lately, and that might be the reason for their current win streak and their being #1 in the CCC.  They are a scrappy group of guys who model their coaches teachings every game they play.  Also, I don't believe soft teams are nationally ranked for defense, #5 to be exact.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

CSC hosted one year and got spanked at home, which also didn't help the CCC rep any.

This year's expanded tournament changes things.  There will be hosts for the first two rounds, so less teams get home court.  In other words only sixteen teams in the country will host; I doubt Gordon has a chance to be in that group.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Tonight's games:

NC @ CC
UNE @ St. Joe's of Maine
NEC @ GC

[roy_williams]

so will there be a "new england" host? who are possible candidates if this is the case?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I would bet Amherst will host (although if they win out, they will get a bye).  Five teams get a bye and host a single game.  Their opponents will be determined by single round games at the highest seed, so I lied.  There will be 21 hosts nationally, ten for one game and eleven for the "mini-tournament" (first and second round games).

The byes will probably be used to save having to fly an extra team some place.  They are done partially on merit, but not really.  Mississippi College or Trinity (TX) usually gets one because they are more than 500 miles from just about everybody.  Although if Howard Payne and Fisk both get it, that might save some trouble.

It's very hard to predict what will happen.  I would guess Amherst and WPI are good candidates to host, certainly someone from the NESCAC will.  They might let Cortland or St. John Fisher host if they don't lose anymore.  York will host.  Honestly it all comes down to distances and money.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I'll try to be less confusing:

Last year there were four second round hosts in each bracket (much like there will be this year, although some of them will have had byes for the first round).

E/NE: Amherst, Rochester, St. John Fisher, Potsdam

A/MA: Ramapo, King's, WPI, York

For this year, Amherst, WPI, St. John Fisher, and Cortland would probably host the E/NE if it happened today.  York, Baruch, Widener?, and Lincoln maybe in the A/MA.

When it all settles, they may send another NE team to the Mid-Atlantic or there might be more obvious choice.  If they are smart, they will send some Ohio teams to the Mid-Atlantic, but I don't expect that.

It's just way to early to know.

[akirk]

24/7/365

I don't want to be nit picky but GC is a half game out of first.  EC won Tuesday night and GC didn't play.  I also do not want all those GC fanatics to feel like we have already won the regular season title.  There are still a lot of games to be played.  GC has been playing well but who knows what might happen.  Any team can have an off night.  Let's just hope GC doesn't have one anytime soon.