MBB: City University of New York Athletic Conference

[Rhodes Scholar]

I went to NYU yesterday so I didn't see the Baruch @ Brooklyn game. Seems like an impressive performance by the Bridges. Judging from the box score Jean-Baptiste, Nisbett and Weismuller all had solid games. The fact that Weismuller put up some nice numbers indicates that he may fit in pretty quickly, and if he does, that will make Brooklyn that much tougher. This win certainly adds more legitimacy to the view that the Bridges are among the top teams in the CUNYAC.

I can't tell from CityD3's post whether or not he saw the game. If anyone did see it, let us know how the game went. An eyewitness account always helps.

re: Marlon Smith: He may very well turn out to be a hugh overmatch for anyone in this league, but right now Hunter is far from a lock to the win the North.

The team no one is mentioning is Staten Island. I wouldn't count them out. Petosa is a very hard worker and a good motivator. The Dolphins looked good Friday beating Hunter at the Apex.

[Rhodes Scholar]

I took in the NYU @ Hunter game last night won by the Violets, 82-73. NYU led 26-24 at the break, but pulled away in the second half. Charlie Parker (22 pts.) had an excellent game for NYU, hitting three's, taking it to the hoop and playing good defense. Keith Jensen (14 pts.) and Richie Polan also played well for NYU.

Hunter got a solid performance by Joe DeLuca (20 pts) who scored inside and from long range. Marlon Smith (17 pts) showed flashes of what he's capable of, but was inconsistent. Michael Dodd (12 pts.) hit three from downtown but was erratic, missing several easy shots and throwing up a couple of air balls as well.

[Rhodes Scholar]

Let me add the following to the above post:

Frantz Millien (9 pts.) was very tough at times, but disappeared when NYU broke it open. Malcolm Kelly (6 pts.) didn't play in the first half. Gerard Ciarleglio (3 pts.) was invisible. Finally, Lance Evans was nowhere to be found: He didn't play and wasn't on the bench.

It'll be interesting to see how the addition of Smith will pan out. It's not that easy to come in in the middle of the season and not miss a beat. Right now, Hunter is struggling a bit and there is a great deal of inconsistent play and lack of team cohesion.

[swingO]

 Baptiste has some injuries which he plays thru so it's quite probable Coach Podias rested him in order to be healthier for Lehman and City Tech. He went out after hurting his foot a few times vs. Baruch.

[D3HOOPSCOOP]

Coach Podias finally seems to have the team that can make it to the promised land. He has an inside presence in Weismuller and the freshman Purisic. He has versaitility in Guerin, a hard nosed, old school basketball player who simply gets the job done. Nisbett is one of the best perimiter players in the region, able to shoot the ball with range and make moves to the cup, however at times he does get somewhat erratic. McFarlane is by far the best defender in the region, and perhaps the country, if he cuts down on the gambles and reaches, he could solidify that very fact.

Rich Jean Baptiste is simply an excellent basketball player. Whether around the basket, or beyond the 3 point line, Jean Baptiste gets it done. He is the best all around player in the region, and if he would show a little more heart on defense, I believe the Bridges can go very far.

However, that being said, Podias needs to be smarter with his players. He has some players banged up,
Baptiste and Nisbett have both been seen hobbling on the court and to the bench. In Podias' all pressure, all the time system he needs to learn to use his entire team. Brooklyn often jumps out to a big lead, as I witnessed when they played Baruch, jumping out to a 28-4 lead. If Podias wants to keep his players intact for the long run, he needs to learn to throw 3-4 bench players in there, fresh players able to apply full pressure while the others get a slight rest, and then allow them to come back in. I'm sure that if a team has  fresh defenders all over them, the effect of the press will be that much more enhanced, than the lead could get pushed up even further.
Reviewing the box score for last night, Brooklyn's bench played well, scoring 21 points. Brooklyn seems to have a squad about 10 players deep. If Coach Podias wants to totally utilize his team, while saving his stars for the stretch run, he will look to throw fresh players into their deadly press every so often, not make 1 sub, but if he has a big lead, take out those who are a little banged up, and go from there.

Mark my words, if Brooklyn is able to save the health of Baptiste and Nisbett, they will be a forced to be reckoned with.

Looking forward to see the results of their games against Lehman and City Tech.

[knight_life]

Very good point scoop, that style of defense is going to take a toll on his players in the long run. I haven't seen Brooklyn play, but it's obvious after hearing from different sources that they are banged up which could slow them down come playoff time.

As for Berkley, they really aren't a quality team. That was an "easy" win for Podias and honestly most teams in the CUNYAC, even CCNY, could beat them. At this point in the season, I wouldn't pay too much attention to non-conference games, they really do not mean much as no one from the cunyac will earn an at-large bid for the tournament. I mean Brooklyn is supposed to be a top team and they play Hudson Valley's (non ncaa conference) Berkely, while Hunter battles NYU.

[swingO]

 Brooklyn defeated Greensboro early in the year just before they beat at that time #3 Guilford, and then Brooklyn beat York, at York, a week after York beat NYU. So much for the non-conference argument. Besides, perhaps Coach Podias knows how tough January could be with their style of play and thus schedules a Berkeley in between a tough stretch of games(they have 13 in January) for the purpose of resting players and getting them re-energized for the long haul. You can always make a case either way, I just thought of the irony of that  game being scheduled right in the middle of that 13 game stretch.

[Rhodes Scholar]

Brooklyn's win over Greensboro has lost a bit of its luster because the Quakers are now 6-7. Still, its their top nonconference win and, along with York's win over NYU, one of the top nonconference wins by a CUNYAC team this year.

Berkeley is one of the worst teams in the region (and probably the entire country).  But I wouldn't be too critical of Brooklyn for playing them. Scheduling them once is no big deal. If you want to criticize someone how about Montclair State. MSU will play Berkeley twice this year. The Red Hawks beat them 81-35 on Nov. 20 and will play them again on Jan. 21.

[Rhodes Scholar]

There's a full slate of CUNYAC games today:

Baruch (4-2) @ CSI (3-2)
Brooklyn (4-2) @ Lehman (3-3)
Medgar Evers (0-6) @ Hunter (3-2)
NYC Tech (3-3) @ John Jay (3-3)
York (4-2) @ CCNY (2-4)

[Wisdom Is The Key]

the cunyac is wide open this year the cuny playofffs are goin to be very good i cant wait. Sean is fitting well at brooklyn york is still right in the mix, so is hunter baruch and every other team in the cuny who has winning records. now it comes down to who wants it more.

[Zak Ivkovic]

Just a clarification for all regarding the intra-conference transfers. Only 5 conferences in the nation in Division III have some sort of a rule that prohibit such actions and CUNYAC is not one of them - yet.

[Rhodes Scholar]

As I said before, I believe the rule of allowing intra-conference transfers to play for two different schools in the same season is bizarre. It opens the door for a lot of potential abuse. Nonetheless, since I've never heard of this kind of transfer before Weismuller, the rule has obviously not been abused.

[BklynBasketball]

As I said before, I believe the rule of allowing intra-conference transfers to play for two different schools in the same season is bizarre. It opens the door for a lot of potential abuse. Nonetheless, since I've never heard of this kind of transfer before Weismuller, the rule has obviously not been abused.

didnt echolls do it at csi as well?

[Rhodes Scholar]

I watched the Medgar Evers @ Hunter game earlier this evening. Hunter was very lucky to come away with an 85-75 overtime victory. Medgar Evers got out to an 11-0 lead. Hunter fought back to move ahead midway through the half and went into the locker room with a 38-33 advantage. The second half was nip and tuck and the score was tied at 69 at the end of regulation. In the overtime period Marlon Smith took over and Hunter pulled it out.

Medgar Evers has a few good players but no depth. Clovis Essis (24 pts) is an athletic power forward/center who has a good midrange game. He can score from about ten feet or so and can also put the ball on the floor and take it to the hole. Kallai Sharpe (21pts) is a good outside shooter and defender. And Darnell Cudjoe (14 pts) is physical and tough around the basket.

Marlon Smith led Hunter with 23 points. Joe DeLuca and Frantz Millien both had 16. Michael Dodd had 15 (all on three's). Looks like Lance Evans and Malcolm Kelly are no longer on the team. Keith Stommes was not listed on the program, but he was sitting on the bench in street attire.

There's an old saying: "You can't tell the players without a program." In Hunter's case, you can't tell the players even with a program. I don't know if I'm correct, but I think the Hawks lost four players from the beginning of the season, and added three new players at the break.

[Rhodes Scholar]

As I said before, I believe the rule of allowing intra-conference transfers to play for two different schools in the same season is bizarre. It opens the door for a lot of potential abuse. Nonetheless, since I've never heard of this kind of transfer before Weismuller, the rule has obviously not been abused.

didnt echolls do it at csi as well?

I believe Echolls transferred to York after the 2006 season ended. He played his junior year at CSI and his senior year at York. Again the issue is not about intra-conference transfers per se, it's about players who play for one CUNYAC school the first half of the season and at another CUNYAC school for the second half of the season. I don't think that was the case with Echolls, but I may be mistaken.