MBB: Colonial States Athletic Conference

[allstar scout]

Regarding Cabrini:

Your beef should be with the schools administration not with the head coach or the coaching staff! There was a decision to make a change, which I might add had nothing to do with the new headcoach or his staff! The decision was made and so was the change for whatever reason. All coaches know that some day they will be let go, it is part of the job. Few coaches get to stay the majority of their career at the same place. Coach Dzik is gone! Get over it!

Now on to the new staff, do you know the new coach or his assistants? I think a responsible person would try to get to know them before you bash them. Maybe you should ask some questions about the staff and their qualifications you never know you might learn something, they might have a solid coaching background. They may have come from a winning program somewhere else or at a different level?

As far as the wins and losses the team has a lot of talent and has fallen because of youth and inexperience. Did you know there are 9 new players to the team? Did you know that many are true freshman along with 2 transfers? Also that only Randy Reid started or played significant minutes last year?
Bruce McClelland and Greg Clifton only saw increased playing time in the last ten games last season.

Just some points you should consider before ripping the coaches and the team!

If you know anything about sports, then you should know the toughest win for a young team is the first win by a narrow margin! Once they get the first and understand what they need to do the wins start coming. This is indeed a young team and a talented one don't turn your back on them they will be a factor if they learn how to win the close one!

And in closing don't live in the past with John Dzik, he was a good coach, did a good job at Cabrini and now he is gone and the AD at Piedmont College. He is gone and the program moves on so should you! Give it up stop the bashing if you are a true Cabrini supporter or fan get behind the team don't root against them.

Just my take on things.

[chizwiz]

Whoa WolfPAC...taking us to page 21 all by yourself there?

What's a fun team any night?  Nothing really comes to mind.  Maybe Wesley or GMC.  I would like to say EU, but they can lay an egg against crappy teams every once in a while.

If fun is the adjective I'd add a few more teams to the lineup, namely Neumann and Alvernia...and feel free to say EU, any team can lay an egg, it's the nature of D3 basketball.

Nice work on the player list, chizwiz, I'm looking forward to seeing if all the EU players fit their descriptions.  Just "good all-conference" for Garrett Etzel...he's gonna be so bummed.  I would say its more like streaky shooter (but then again, aren't they all) with great range, often outsized, rarely outworked, never intimidated.

Then I would add a few more Vern names to your Who To Watch list.

Terrence Shawell - So. forward - (12/11 - PAC Player of the Week) again with the shooter thing, athletic, long reach, great rebounder seems to float off the floor while gravity affects others around him.

Matt King - Fr. forwad - similar to your Mike Johnson description.  Torched Baldwin-Wallace for 24...points seem to add up quicker for him than most others.

Tyrone Bradley - So. center - you need to watch him for more than just one single game to appreciate the work and hustle...he's currently on pace to finish the season with more rebounds than points (that's a compliment!).

You can take my word for it on these players or come out and see the Crusaders in person either at Albright this Saturday or home versus Franklin & Marshall next Tuesday.

WolfPAC, now that you have defected from the Darkside, there's always a seat for you in the PEC.  Come early and grab some noon-time hoops action, Coach Berger is always looking for his next big challenge.

Jon,

Thanks for the compliment.  I definitely should have included Alvernia in that "fun" list.  I respectfully disagree with you on including Neumann in that, as they are so very undisciplined and can start looking like high school basketball.  However, when they play Neumann, it is usually a "more than fun" game to watch.

Difficult two games in store for Vern with great coaches at Albright and F&M.  I hope they win.  God knows we need more quality wins in this conference.

[chizwiz]

Former Pac rookie of the year Jeff Dailey was removed from the team because he had doubts about returning to Cabrini.  When he called the coach to try and set up a meeting, the coaches response was Jeff had already made his decision to leave and he hung the phone up on his best returning player. 

If what I read is true about Jeff Dailey, shame on the Cabrini College staff and the institution for letting that happen. Not only is Jeff a talented player, but also a great person that any program would be happy to have! He worked his butt off in HS, and to get PAC rookie of the year says something about his talent. I hope that he continues to play basketball somewhere, though I haven't heard where he is at. Is he still at Cabrini as a student? Maybe he was too much of a Dzik style player

Coach K, I think we're going to have to take PacMan20's word for it.  I have a feeling that there is at least some truth to it, though, from what I know about Macciocca.  I think people have been giving him too much credit because he walked into a bad situation and needed some grace and time.  However, he is proving that he is not prepared for a head coaching job.  Unfortunately, if and when the geniuses in his admin. ever decide to replace him, they will have serious problems getting somebody good unless they change their pay/duties structure.  I don't really think they care either way, though.

On Jeff Dailey, what a shame.  I think he will end up playing basketball somewhere and soon.  He seems like a guy who truly had a passion for the game and won't be able to watch from the stands for long.

[chizwiz]

Whoa WolfPAC...taking us to page 21 all by yourself there?

What's a fun team any night?  Nothing really comes to mind.  Maybe Wesley or GMC.  I would like to say EU, but they can lay an egg against crappy teams every once in a while.

If fun is the adjective I'd add a few more teams to the lineup, namely Neumann and Alvernia...and feel free to say EU, any team can lay an egg, it's the nature of D3 basketball.

Nice work on the player list, chizwiz, I'm looking forward to seeing if all the EU players fit their descriptions.  Just "good all-conference" for Garrett Etzel...he's gonna be so bummed.  I would say its more like streaky shooter (but then again, aren't they all) with great range, often outsized, rarely outworked, never intimidated.

Then I would add a few more Vern names to your Who To Watch list.

Terrence Shawell - So. forward - (12/11 - PAC Player of the Week) again with the shooter thing, athletic, long reach, great rebounder seems to float off the floor while gravity affects others around him.

Matt King - Fr. forwad - similar to your Mike Johnson description.  Torched Baldwin-Wallace for 24...points seem to add up quicker for him than most others.

Tyrone Bradley - So. center - you need to watch him for more than just one single game to appreciate the work and hustle...he's currently on pace to finish the season with more rebounds than points (that's a compliment!).

You can take my word for it on these players or come out and see the Crusaders in person either at Albright this Saturday or home versus Franklin & Marshall next Tuesday.

WolfPAC, now that you have defected from the Darkside, there's always a seat for you in the PEC.  Come early and grab some noon-time hoops action, Coach Berger is always looking for his next big challenge.

Jon,

I might have misspoke on Etzel.  Definitely down-played him.  Regionally, I don't think he's going to do much, maybe 3rd or 2nd team.  That all depends, IMHO, on team wins at the end of the year.  I do think he is the best PG in the conference, hands down.

Shawell is a good player.  I think he needs to prove himself still.  Tore up Wesley in the second half.  Seen him in two games this year.

Ditto on King and Bradley.  Wouldn't mind having Bradley at EU.

[chizwiz]

Regarding Cabrini:

Your beef should be with the schools administration not with the head coach or the coaching staff! There was a decision to make a change, which I might add had nothing to do with the new headcoach or his staff! The decision was made and so was the change for whatever reason. All coaches know that some day they will be let go, it is part of the job. Few coaches get to stay the majority of their career at the same place. Coach Dzik is gone! Get over it!

Now on to the new staff, do you know the new coach or his assistants? I think a responsible person would try to get to know them before you bash them. Maybe you should ask some questions about the staff and their qualifications you never know you might learn something, they might have a solid coaching background. They may have come from a winning program somewhere else or at a different level?

As far as the wins and losses the team has a lot of talent and has fallen because of youth and inexperience. Did you know there are 9 new players to the team? Did you know that many are true freshman along with 2 transfers? Also that only Randy Reid started or played significant minutes last year?
Bruce McClelland and Greg Clifton only saw increased playing time in the last ten games last season.

Just some points you should consider before ripping the coaches and the team!

If you know anything about sports, then you should know the toughest win for a young team is the first win by a narrow margin! Once they get the first and understand what they need to do the wins start coming. This is indeed a young team and a talented one don't turn your back on them they will be a factor if they learn how to win the close one!

And in closing don't live in the past with John Dzik, he was a good coach, did a good job at Cabrini and now he is gone and the AD at Piedmont College. He is gone and the program moves on so should you! Give it up stop the bashing if you are a true Cabrini supporter or fan get behind the team don't root against them.

Just my take on things.

AllStar Scout,

Do you really scout college basketball, or is this just a name you gave yourself?  Because I do, and I love watching good coaches.  People ask me how I can be a UNC and Duke fan at the same time.  My answer is that I love watching both coaches.

I know a good coach when I see one and I know a bad one.  Macciocca has had time to prove some of his worth.  As a recruiter, he might be good.  As a coach of CURRENT players, he isn't.  How and why he let McMahon, Dailey, and Fitzgerald go, only they know.  But, we do know some of the circumstances and they aren't too complimentary of him.

By the way, I have every reason to hate Cabrini because I am an EU guy, but I didn't hate them because of Dzik being a great coach.  I now am able to fully hate Cabrini, and not because of them firing Dzik, but because I don't like their coach.  I have worked alongside Macciocca sufficiently to say this.  (I know this is giving myself up.)

Let's get to the facts.  I'm hoping you can bring yours, as you really don't seem to have any, but unoriginal, year-old gripes.

First, the team has not fallen because of youth and inexperience.  They fell because he removed his veterans with experience.

Here's something you might find interesting.  I did.  Go to the local Nordstrom's to shop for a suit.  When talking to the guy there, let me know if you see much of a difference between him and the guy pumping your gas at the gas station.  Not much difference when you get that low in the pecking order, huh?  Well, a certain coach from Radnor seems to think he is better than gas-station attendants when he tells a then-current player "one day you will be pumping gas for me". 

I have my source and I stand behind it.  (Hint: I know both Dailey and Fitzgerald.)

By the way, would you take coaching advice from a department store suit salesman?

Second, watch Macciocca in time-outs.  If he doesn't remind you of a deer-in-the-headlights, then you haven't been driving in Pennsylvania much.  Call me next time he actually calls a set during a TO and we'll throw a party.  I'll throw in a free case of Schlitt's Malt if the set responds to the current defense being shown.

[allstar scout]

Chiz:

I do not know what Nordstroms has to do with the conversation but, if he was a lawyer, doctor, dentist, sales manager, police officer would it matter in regards to his coaching. And since everyone knows the position is part time doesn't he have to do something to make more money correct? By the way since you are an EU guy and the coaches occupations matter to you, what do the staff at EU do besides coaching? And does it matter?

Anyway my point about the staff is do you know their backgrounds? From what I understand he has a couple of good basketball people on his staff. But DIII is no different than any other level assdistant coaches are there to give input not make decisions. I think you will agree with that statement.

And finally I know Jim Mac, Jeff, Colin, Vic and Dom. And I am involved in the game.

Watch out for this team if and once they win a close game! I believe the other teams in the PAC will be in trouble. This team has some very talented players!

[PacMan20]

In response to your post earlier. I actually do have some idea whats going on with the program. Thats why I posted my thoughts, because I feel I am informed about the situation.  I do see your point where your coming from with your posting. I agree that the John Dzik era is over. However I just feel that the school made a mistake in the hiring of the current coach. At the time even though the position was part time I feel like their had to be someone more qualified.  Lets not forget, just a mere 5 years ago Cabrini was the class of the conference.  I also agree we need to put coaches personal lives ( I.E. where they work, etc.) aside.

I agree the returning players at Cabrini are talented, but I just dont really see much coming out of this years recruiting class in the near future.  My point with the players that have left the program is that their would not be nearly as much of a burden placed on the younger players of Cabrini if some or all of those veterans were still there. 


On another note can someone fill me in on whats going on over at Arcadia?  Last year they were a much improved team and if I remember correctly were pretty young.  I expected them to be one of the better returning teams to the PAC this year.  Are they back to being a bottom feeder again or is it the result of losing close games? Just wondering if anyone has seen them play yet.

In response to the strength of the PAC.  In my opinion the conference is better than last year but not by much.  There is no full fledged powerhouse in the conference this year as in years past.  In addition I feel like teams such as misercordia, marywood, immaculata, neumann, and even eastern have shown some improvement in the early going.  With the solid coaching staff at alvernia, i figured they would rebound from the significant graduation losses.   In addition i feel like the team to beat down the stretch is going to be gwynedd. There is just something that can be said for a backcourt that has started together for at least 3 years (maybe 4- not sure). Any basketball person will tell you that veteran guard play wins big games down the stretch.

I really dont care who wins the PAC this year as long as it isnt Wesley.  I would hate to see them represent us in the NCAA tourney as they get ready to leave the conference.

[WolfPAC]

Regarding Cabrini:

Your beef should be with the schools administration not with the head coach or the coaching staff! There was a decision to make a change, which I might add had nothing to do with the new headcoach or his staff! The decision was made and so was the change for whatever reason. All coaches know that some day they will be let go, it is part of the job. Few coaches get to stay the majority of their career at the same place. Coach Dzik is gone! Get over it!

Now on to the new staff, do you know the new coach or his assistants? I think a responsible person would try to get to know them before you bash them. Maybe you should ask some questions about the staff and their qualifications you never know you might learn something, they might have a solid coaching background. They may have come from a winning program somewhere else or at a different level?

As far as the wins and losses the team has a lot of talent and has fallen because of youth and inexperience. Did you know there are 9 new players to the team? Did you know that many are true freshman along with 2 transfers? Also that only Randy Reid started or played significant minutes last year?
Bruce McClelland and Greg Clifton only saw increased playing time in the last ten games last season.

Just some points you should consider before ripping the coaches and the team!

If you know anything about sports, then you should know the toughest win for a young team is the first win by a narrow margin! Once they get the first and understand what they need to do the wins start coming. This is indeed a young team and a talented one don't turn your back on them they will be a factor if they learn how to win the close one!

And in closing don't live in the past with John Dzik, he was a good coach, did a good job at Cabrini and now he is gone and the AD at Piedmont College. He is gone and the program moves on so should you! Give it up stop the bashing if you are a true Cabrini supporter or fan get behind the team don't root against them.

Just my take on things.

Well,  I have probably been around the Cavs before you were born.  The first day Dzik put foot on campus I was there.

Never missed a home game in 25 and a half years. 

Now however, I don't think you understand.... its not about bashing anyone.  Realize Cabrini basketball does not exist.   I could really care less whether they win or lose anymore.  It is ashame for the men who play there butts off --- you must thank the president for the fall of the Cavs!

Otherwise who cares about them now.  The only thing to care about is the lost legacy of Dzik.   The future of Cabrini is cursed.  Waiting for the college to go back to all women soon enough.    When will they get a baseball team?    Dzik tried for years but it isn't happening yet.   Horrible how that president takes all the credit for the new lacrosse field as well. 

START TRANSFERRING TO ALVERNIA.

[heatlee]

I am a Dzik supporter and always will be, and I will never again root for Cabrini.  That said I feel I must defend the current coach even though I don't know him at all. 

It is extremely difficult to replace someone as good as John Dzik, and to compare him is unfair.  Secondly, he is part-time, and reality that means full-time work but part-time pay, and before anyone says but Dzik was part-time when he started that's true but the amount of quality programs was not nearly as great as it is today.  Finally, it is the present coach's team and
he may feel those players who left didn't fit his style of play

Do I think he is as good as Coach Dzik?  I don't know.  But IF he is half as good as Dzik Cabrini has a decent coach.

[PacMan20]

Where oh where to start.....................

All Star Scout: who exactly are the good basketball people that are on the Cabrini staff.  Not exactly the cream of the crop.  They definitely helped bring in a stud recruiting class. That was sarcasm in case you missed it.  I am beating a dead horse, but its obvious that the team is completely unprepared and the coach has no idea. I dont care if he is replacing a legend or not.

Heatlee: I have to disagree on the part-time issue.  The coach knew exactly what he was getting into when he took the position.  He knew it was part time all along so I do not buy that as an excuse.  Anyone that has ever been involved with coaching at this level realizes that 99% of the coaches due it because of their love of the game not to make a living off of it.  It is tougher, but not impossible.  An experienced coaching staff might be one answer for helping with the necessary jobs of recruiting and scouting other teams.

In response to the question that maybe those players do not fit the coaches style of play.  I have to disagree with this statement.  Any good coach will tell you that the most important thing is to play to the strength and style of play that will help your team win most.  To take a team that has very few scoring options and stress trying to score 100 points a game is clearly unrealistic.  This is not to say that he cant recruit his type of player and play that way down the road, but unfortunately the 35 point per game stud scorers arent coming to the Cabrinis or any other team in the PAC for that matter anytime soon.

[Jon]

Okay, let's nip this part-time / full-time thing in the bud before that gets rolling again...I think we all had our fill of that conversation last season.

Good question about Arcadia...I haven't seen the Scarlet Knights play yet either in person or on tape, so I have no idea what's going on there.  Arcadia is losing mostly close games.  The only double-digit loss is to Eastern, and the box score indicates the Eagles were smoking on that night (52 percent from the floor and a hefty 56 percent effort from the arc).  There are a few outfits I'm eager to see play and you can put Arcadia and Eastern both on that list.

Still a disturbing number of one-win teams at the bottom of the standings.  We're going to need some quality non-conference wins over the semester break here to prove any kind of improvement as a conference.

This is not to say that he cant recruit his type of player and play that way down the road, but unfortunately the 35 point per game stud scorers arent coming to the Cabrinis or any other team in the PAC for that matter anytime soon.

Not sure the 35-point scorers are going anywhere right now.  NCAA stats indicate only two 30-plus players last year, one was a product of a system @ Grinnell and the other was Lincoln senior Kyle Myrick, who paced the nation at 33.7 per game (speaking of bud-nipping, please don't allow that reference to start any Sami Wylie talk here...that conversation is in mid-season form on the Bumbling B's board).

Not exactly a beefed up PAC schedule over the next week or so.  I, obviously, recommend either Alvernia game, and maybe Arcadia @ Chestnut Hill or Shippensburg @ Neumann later in the month.  Sorry Misericordia @ Wilkes, not sure I can drum up too much interest two days before Christmas...a man's gotta shop sometime.

[chizwiz]

Okay, let's nip this part-time / full-time thing in the bud before that gets rolling again...I think we all had our fill of that conversation last season.

Good question about Arcadia...I haven't seen the Scarlet Knights play yet either in person or on tape, so I have no idea what's going on there.  Arcadia is losing mostly close games.  The only double-digit loss is to Eastern, and the box score indicates the Eagles were smoking on that night (52 percent from the floor and a hefty 56 percent effort from the arc).  There are a few outfits I'm eager to see play and you can put Arcadia and Eastern both on that list.

Still a disturbing number of one-win teams at the bottom of the standings.  We're going to need some quality non-conference wins over the semester break here to prove any kind of improvement as a conference.

This is not to say that he cant recruit his type of player and play that way down the road, but unfortunately the 35 point per game stud scorers arent coming to the Cabrinis or any other team in the PAC for that matter anytime soon.

Not sure the 35-point scorers are going anywhere right now.  NCAA stats indicate only two 30-plus players last year, one was a product of a system @ Grinnell and the other was Lincoln senior Kyle Myrick, who paced the nation at 33.7 per game (speaking of bud-nipping, please don't allow that reference to start any Sami Wylie talk here...that conversation is in mid-season form on the Bumbling B's board).

Not exactly a beefed up PAC schedule over the next week or so.  I, obviously, recommend either Alvernia game, and maybe Arcadia @ Chestnut Hill or Shippensburg @ Neumann later in the month.  Sorry Misericordia @ Wilkes, not sure I can drum up too much interest two days before Christmas...a man's gotta shop sometime.

Jon,

I'm totally in agreement with you that this part-time/full-time thing w/ Cabrini needs to end now.  My points had little or nothing to do with it.  It is obvious that Macciocca supporters (who need to get their brains checked or schedule a lobotomy reversal) don't have any logical argument to support their coach.  Anyway, I think the horse here has been beaten down to the bones.

Arcadia is an okay team.  They will probably finish in the middle of the PAC.  However, Eastern's shooting against them didn't matter.  EU just beat them on offense because of patient play and good shot choices.  I was at the game, and for some reason, Arcadia just wasn't getting hands in faces when shots went up.  And we all know that EU has good shooters, and when good shooters are allowed to shoot open shots, it's going to get ugly quickly.  I did notice that Arcadia was very tired.  They didn't seem to be getting back quickly as EU pushed the ball on every rebound.  (This is more of a chicken/egg argument here.)

You are correct on the 35 point comment.  The best teams in D3 have rarely needed such production.  I'm not going to address the "Running Game" offense made popular by the Redlands and Grinnells, which is eaten alive by good defense and low turnovers, but the Sam Wylie's and their teams are destined to lose in the second and third rounds as teams decide to stop him and challenge his teammates to make up the difference.  Only a few offensive greats could ever beat tough D, guys like Jordan, Wade, Magic, Wilt, Bird.  I don't think we see many of these in D3, much less the PAC.  Actually, the last guy like this in our league was probably the guy (whose name escapes me) from Miseri who graduated in '03.

[chizwiz]

Okay, let's nip this part-time / full-time thing in the bud before that gets rolling again...I think we all had our fill of that conversation last season.

Good question about Arcadia...I haven't seen the Scarlet Knights play yet either in person or on tape, so I have no idea what's going on there.  Arcadia is losing mostly close games.  The only double-digit loss is to Eastern, and the box score indicates the Eagles were smoking on that night (52 percent from the floor and a hefty 56 percent effort from the arc).  There are a few outfits I'm eager to see play and you can put Arcadia and Eastern both on that list.

Still a disturbing number of one-win teams at the bottom of the standings.  We're going to need some quality non-conference wins over the semester break here to prove any kind of improvement as a conference.

This is not to say that he cant recruit his type of player and play that way down the road, but unfortunately the 35 point per game stud scorers arent coming to the Cabrinis or any other team in the PAC for that matter anytime soon.

Not sure the 35-point scorers are going anywhere right now.  NCAA stats indicate only two 30-plus players last year, one was a product of a system @ Grinnell and the other was Lincoln senior Kyle Myrick, who paced the nation at 33.7 per game (speaking of bud-nipping, please don't allow that reference to start any Sami Wylie talk here...that conversation is in mid-season form on the Bumbling B's board).

Not exactly a beefed up PAC schedule over the next week or so.  I, obviously, recommend either Alvernia game, and maybe Arcadia @ Chestnut Hill or Shippensburg @ Neumann later in the month.  Sorry Misericordia @ Wilkes, not sure I can drum up too much interest two days before Christmas...a man's gotta shop sometime.

BTW, Jon, the Miseri/Wilkes and Neumann/Shipp games might be pretty good games to make, but I think you are a little off with the Arcadia/Chestnut Hill prediction.  Two teams that are not doing much.

[Jon]

chizwiz,

I don't anticipate a barnburner at Chestnut Hill, I was just looking for a reasonable opportunity to catch Arcadia in action.

Willie Chandler would be the name of the Misericordia sharp shooter...his 51-point quadruple overtime effort at the PEC is a frequently retold story on midday trips to Rosa's Pizza Place here in Shillington.

[chizwiz]

Chiz:

I do not know what Nordstroms has to do with the conversation but, if he was a lawyer, doctor, dentist, sales manager, police officer would it matter in regards to his coaching. And since everyone knows the position is part time doesn't he have to do something to make more money correct? By the way since you are an EU guy and the coaches occupations matter to you, what do the staff at EU do besides coaching? And does it matter?

Anyway my point about the staff is do you know their backgrounds? From what I understand he has a couple of good basketball people on his staff. But DIII is no different than any other level assdistant coaches are there to give input not make decisions. I think you will agree with that statement.

And finally I know Jim Mac, Jeff, Colin, Vic and Dom. And I am involved in the game.

Watch out for this team if and once they win a close game! I believe the other teams in the PAC will be in trouble. This team has some very talented players!

AllStar Spout,

You're correct.  It doesn't matter what the coaches do for their bread and butter.  But it sure is funny.  My question is, if Macciocca's profession of choice is men's fashion, why is it that he gets outdressed (as well as out-coached) at most games.  Just my opinion.  By the way, get off the "do we know about their backgrounds" thing.  Sports is only about "what have you done for me lately".  Give Coach Nadelhoffer a call if you like.  I'm sure he will be able to tell you his other jobs.  To reach him at his desk, call:  610-341-1454.  This is a public number that can be found on the internet.

You are correct on the talent thing.  But talent and execution are two different things.  Just ask the St. Louis Rams of a few years ago, when they thought they should win the Super Bowl.

It's also great that you know the boys I mentioned, but you avoided my point.  Ask them and they can confirm what we all have said about Macciocca's treatment of them.