MBB: Colonial States Athletic Conference

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

You mean being ranked #5 going into the tournament wasn't respectful?

[onetinsoldier]

in a tournament setting, deserving or not, the runner up is almost always going to garner the lion's share of #2 votes. 

[Swisscheese]

I would assume because Cabrini had a great record but is always accused of coming out of a weak conference they were usually considered an underdog with a tall order ahead of them.   The two fouls on Miller within 16 seconds were a dagger in the heart, and questionable to say the least.  I feel bad for the seniors but still proud of the Cavs.   Filling the shoes of a player like Cory Lemons will be a tall order but the experience gained for the other 13 men is invaluable.  Just is tough to come all that way and get stung due to foul trouble.....Davis 23 was not as impressive as I thought he could be Miller played with energy and ripped down rebounds so once he got into foul trouble you saw the results.  The offensive press went off, and the defensive lapse allowed penetration and easy buckets, seemed like the Cavs were a little confused to step into the lanes because they might get called for more fouls.  The Cavs could be accused of playing too hard and physical because that is just the nature of our conference and not the slowdown tempo of the midwest & New England schools who pass and shoot until the time winds down then play to the scores  in the 50's and 60's Cabrini plays with the pedal to the metal but were taken out of their game by foul trouble, its the norm for the Cavs with the style they play to have to beat all 8 men on the court they won't give us anything easy we always have to take it so Mailsy for us to actually get a #2 seed I can feel where you are coming from ! !   The weekend was fabulous ! ! !   I just am amazed how all through the year (not just in Salem) how Cory Lemons hardly got to the line, hand checks and pushes were not called and so many times Cory made baskets as he was getting hacked but no calls.  To this end...I can only assume the hardnosed style the Cavs play are difficult for the refs to digest in the heat of the moment.   I can say one thing for certain, the Cavs did not disappoint us they were beating the best in the nation everywhere we went no matter how ya spin it, and in the natl champ game were wiping the floor until the tide turned, it is a shame but they should be proud of their program and all the hardwork.  Got the feeling everyone thought Cabrini could not go anywhere but just goes to show when you work hard anything can happen dreams come true, and don't listen to anyone else just work your tail off.  Thx for the lifetime memories , and over and above basketball the friendships made are so much more important than hoops. 

[Swisscheese]

in a tournament setting, deserving or not, the runner up is almost always going to garner the lion's share of #2 votes.

Agree 100%  Tin !

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I just am amazed how all through the year (not just in Salem) how Cory Lemons hardly got to the line, hand checks and pushes were not called and so many times Cory made baskets as he was getting hacked but no calls.

I didn't see the whole season.  I saw the first and second round NCAA games and then both final four games.  To me, Lemons (either by choice or by virtue of the defense) was not able to get to the hoop as much in Salem as he did in the first couple of rounds.  To me that changed Cabrini's game quite a bit.  He also was doing less of the ball handling in Salem (maybe because of the defense?), but that also caused more turnovers than they would otherwise have had.

Obviously as teams get better, you're unable to do what you did before.  Cabrini adjusted well with Boyd stepping up, but I still think that was the difference in the Final.

The big question for Cabrini next year is not so much replacing Lemons talent and leadership - I think those things are there as the team develops, but replacing his decision-making with the ball.  Walton-Moss didn't show it; he'll have to improve that part of his game going forward.

They're an incredibly impressive squad and they should continue to do well next year.  All the best.

[Swisscheese]

I just am amazed how all through the year (not just in Salem) how Cory Lemons hardly got to the line, hand checks and pushes were not called and so many times Cory made baskets as he was getting hacked but no calls.

I didn't see the whole season.  I saw the first and second round NCAA games and then both final four games.  To me, Lemons (either by choice or by virtue of the defense) was not able to get to the hoop as much in Salem as he did in the first couple of rounds.  To me that changed Cabrini's game quite a bit.  He also was doing less of the ball handling in Salem (maybe because of the defense?), but that also caused more turnovers than they would otherwise have had.

Obviously as teams get better, you're unable to do what you did before.  Cabrini adjusted well with Boyd stepping up, but I still think that was the difference in the Final.

The big question for Cabrini next year is not so much replacing Lemons talent and leadership - I think those things are there as the team develops, but replacing his decision-making with the ball.  Walton-Moss didn't show it; he'll have to improve that part of his game going forward.

They're an incredibly impressive squad and they should continue to do well next year.  All the best.

Hoops I agree about penetration in Salem, sorry I was referring to more of the conference playoffs regarding Lemons, he could not buy a foul however at this level you are correct with the caliber of skilled players being able to defend and match-up after defense wins championships, I also think his decision-making and IQ will be missed greatly.  It did change Cabrini's game especially in the final, and when Miller fouled out the lapse in defense on a big man vs big man was absent and no big man grabbing offensive rebounds or assists.  Thx Hoops hope to see ya somewhere next year.

[Gregory Sager]

The Cavs could be accused of playing too hard and physical because that is just the nature of our conference and not the slowdown tempo of the midwest & New England schools who pass and shoot until the time winds down then play to the scores  in the 50's and 60's

You're making some blanket statements about whole regions of the country here, and I think that they're incorrect. There are plenty of uptempo teams in the midwest ... including the most up-tempo team in the nation, Grinnell. And D3 basketball in the midwest is very physical. I think that you're making the mistake of assuming that Cabrini and UW-Whitewater (which this year was a slowdown, halfcourt, defensive-oriented team, but that's not UWW's traditional m.o.) are representative of their entire sections of the country in terms of how they play.

[Swisscheese]

interesting, perhaps we need more coverage of those regions !   

[Swisscheese]

maybe I have smash mouth basketball pounding the ball on the floor confused with the Grinnel system of shooting 100 shots a game and creating 40 turnovers and shooting from anywhere on the floor with less penetration inside with a constant offensive press...that would be up tempo but not what I was comparing Cabrini too , not just big men posting each other up but hard going to the hole transition games not pulling up talking about in your face hoops with lightning fast gaurds and no ticky tack fouls.  Not that there is anything wrong with playing a different style.  Castleton State scored lots of points but I would not consider them up tempo their transition game was not like the Cavs. 

[Gregory Sager]

You'll find a little bit of everything in the midwest. It's a huge area of the country as far as D3 basketball is concerned, covering the better part of two regions (Great Lakes and West) and all of a third (Midwest).

I just don't think that you can extrapolate that much based upon having only seen a couple of midwestern teams. In fact, the usual gripe from fans of non-midwestern teams that face midwestern teams in the tourney is that the boys from the heartland tend to be excessively physical, especially underneath the basket.

Plus, Cabrini's an exception to the rules. I've seen plenty of Middle Atlantic teams over the years, and none of them have ever resembled Cabrini in any way, shape, or form. The guards for the Cavaliers were freakishly talented and quick with the ball, and that allowed Cabrini to present a completely different kind of look in terms of focusing an offense exclusively upon dribble penetration.

[Swisscheese]

interesting Greg, did not look at it from that perspective.   Thanx for opening my mind seriously.  I cannot comment fairly if I was only exposed to a couple of Midwest teams.  After your comment about Cabrini's gaurds I see where you are coming from.  Hope the March Madness of D3 tourney gets more coverage for all regions, sections, etc, it is ashame how these men play their butts off and do it the fair way yet the recognition and acknowlegement all goes to the big league.  Heard many fans and locals in Salem commenting about D1 said they are bums LOL.....rather see real kids playing from the heart not for the money, but you know how fans are.....just wish there was more mainstream coverage so we can see all these teams not just on a computer.  Perhaps we could have a D3 cable channel with the help, support, and administration of D3 hoops or all the schools involved...just sayin man.   

[Gregory Sager]

I'd rather see the glass as half-full. A few years ago, you couldn't see D3 teams from other parts of the country at all, unless one randomly dropped in on a rare occasion as part of a non-conference tourney or you went to the Final Four (since even sectionals tend to stick to discrete sections of the country, for the most part). Now, you can go to the front page of this website and click on streaming video for D3 games in just about every part of the country. Sure, it's not cable-channel quality for the most part, but it's worlds better than not being able to see all those games at all, right?

Also, the great thing about webcasts, as opposed to cable broadcasts, is that you can stream them on your computer while you're sitting in another gym. On a couple of occasions this year I was able to watch a D3 game live on the computer of the person sitting next to me while sitting in a gym watching a completely different D3 game.

Technology has made it so much easier and so much better for D3 fans. Teams from other parts of the country need not be a total mystery anymore, thanks to webcasting. And that's a great thing. It's also a great thing for schools whose fans are spread across the country, as are those of my alma mater (North Park). As an NPU broadcaster, I hear all the time from NPU alumni and from relatives of NPU players from coast to coast about how great it is to be able to watch the Vikings without making a trip to Chicago.

[Swisscheese]

good point !   Wish D3 would get more national recognition as well, Technology does make games available I agree, just when it is viewed on cable or TV like ESPN the stakes would bring the quality of D3 to the air waves possibly exposing more people who have less of a vested interest in D3.

Access has dramatically improved, but the mainstream in my area and local paper have editorials about the lack of tv or news coverage of a team that gets to the nationals, even with computers. Some older folks ask me why, and I just tell them D3 is a little under the radar yet they choose not to view via computer just their ways I guess...lol

Take it easy and have a nice spring or summer whatever the weather is right now.  Hoping to get back to Salem someday.

[mailsy]

Congrats to Cabrini's Cory Lemons named ECAC South player of the Year! 

[CCHoopster]

Congrats to Cabrini's Cory Lemons named ECAC South player of the Year!