Empire 8

gobombers15 · March 20, 2006, 11:21:12 AM

1) Utica--Savor the flavor and enjoy Fisher's one rebuilding year.

2) Fisher--Still good enough to be at or near the top all season once they get used to playing without O'Brien and Bennett. Lots of talent remains.

3) RIT--Again will be a step below the top echelon but still good enough to be above the other teams.

4) Ithaca--Some nice young pieces but nobody made for the "go-to-guy" role. A lot depends on how much Bostic and Burton improve in their sophomore years.

5) Naz--If not next year, then when? Maybe during the off-season they can take care of their allergy to defense.

6) Hartwick--Should be decent next year provided they keep all or most of their players. Would have been a top 3 team if Bettencourt had stayed for his whole career.

7) Stevens--Your guess is as good as mine. I think all the travel may wear them down towards the end of the conference season.

8) Alfred--If they couldn't get it done with all those experienced seniors this year, what does that say for next year?

9) Elmira--Terrible team this year and loses their best player to graduation. Will be the conference basement-dwellers for years to come.

Just one guy's guess.

dewcrew88 · March 21, 2006, 04:01:14 PM

Utica's Ray Bryant named as a third-team NABC All-American!

http://nabc.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/032106aai.html

Sean O' Brien from SJF makes first-team as well.

(Had to hype up Utica because.. well... I can

Ulf_Tornstrom · March 21, 2006, 09:20:33 PM

Funny how Ray Bryant didn't even make the D3hoops.com honorable mention All-American. Yeah, Pat, the coaches are clueless

They wouldn't know how to run a poll or vote for all region

!!!

Perhaps you should revamp your voting policies and let those in the know vote for a change. Get off your high horse and post the NABC All-Americans on your site.

We all would like to know who the REAL All-Americans are.

Ray Bryant is the Real Deal

The scary thing is, he has another year in this conference.

Go Pioneers!

Ulf_Tornstrom · March 21, 2006, 09:28:34 PM

Sean O'Brien nowhere to be found either!!!

A first teamer NABC all-american, not even an honorable mention at D3hoops.com!!!

I wonder which O'Brien would rather be?!!

Pat Coleman · March 21, 2006, 10:47:17 PM

Quote from: Ulf_Tornstrom on March 21, 2006, 09:20:33 PM
Funny how Ray Bryant didn't even make the D3hoops.com honorable mention All-American. Yeah, Pat, the coaches are clueless They wouldn't know how to run a poll or vote for all region !!!

Perhaps you should revamp your voting policies and let those in the know vote for a change. Get off your high horse and post the NABC All-Americans on your site.

We all would like to know who the REAL All-Americans are.

Ray Bryant is the Real Deal The scary thing is, he has another year in this conference.

Go Pioneers!

We know who the best players are just fine.

We also know that it makes no sense to give a region with 36 teams the same number of All-Americans as a region with 60 teams. O'Brien was in the conversation very deep into the process.

Mr. Ypsi · March 22, 2006, 01:03:52 AM

Coaches are among the WORST possible voters (for teams or players). Obviously they know their own players better than outsiders, and probably their upcoming opponents' players, but what motivation (or time) would they have to know anything about teams or players not on their schedule?

Besides, they have a conflict-of-interest: opponents will get over-rated, since then a win looks even better, or a loss looks less bad.

And, at least at the d1 level, it has been documented that 'coaches' votes are generally not by the coach anyway, but by a grad-assistant or the SID (which at least means that the vote is probably more informed than if it had been by the time-stressed 'coach')!

'Coaches' polls are a farce. And the d3 NABC poll is a farce of a farce, with 1 player per region on each team (regardless of position). Yeah, like the #2 in the East or Mid-Atlantic is guaranteed to be better than the #3 in the Great Lakes or Midwest?! Any 'poll' with NO Witt or IWU players on even the third team, and Kyle Myrick only on the third team, is a joke.

Ulf, assuming O'Brien has a brain, he'd rather be on the d3hoops AA list.

gobombers15 · March 22, 2006, 01:37:12 PM

Knowing Sean from my days as wee lad, I can say with 100% certainty that you all are a lot more pissed about him not making D3hoops.com All-American than he is.

superman57 · March 23, 2006, 12:11:46 PM

Honestly I hate these indivdual awards I mean it's nice and all, but it's all about getting to Salem.

reggieball22 · March 23, 2006, 05:05:50 PM

no its not, its all about getting Reggie the basketball.

reggieball22 · March 23, 2006, 05:07:32 PM

and clearing out 1-4 low baby.

Ulf_Tornstrom · March 23, 2006, 05:18:36 PM

You have to be nuts to think that SID's are better voters for All-Region and All-American teams than coaches.

I really think coaches know who the best players in the country are regardless of the league or region in which their teams play in. I bet more coaches know out-of-region colleagues and star players than SID's do. Coaches talk all the time about who is good in their perspective leagues. Coaches in other regions sure knew Ray Bryant from UC baby. How many SID's knew about him though? Teams also travel out-of-region for tournaments and such as well. To say that SID's are better judges of talent than the coaches is laughable.

Furthermore, if I remeber correctly, if an SID doesn't nominate his school's players for D3hoops.com awards than the best players might not even be up for selection. In year's past many top players who were selected by the NABC haven't even been able to make the D3hoops.com team because the respective school's SID's were knee-deep in hockey or baseball and completely forgot to send their stuff in. If you all know who the best players are, then why place the burden on the SID's to nominate the players. If anyone should be nominating the players, it should be the coaches or the leagues in which they play.

Saying that a player would rather be a D3hoops.com All-American over being an NABC All-American is like saying Andrew Bogut would rather be the Salt Lake Tribune Player of the Year instead of the Wooden Award winner. Or Jameer Nelson would rather be the Comcast SportsNet All-American than the Wooden Award winner.

It's just doesn't make any sense to me. The awards are great, but you've can't put yourselves ABOVE the NCAA fellas.

Go UC!!!

Pat Coleman · March 23, 2006, 09:39:50 PM

The NCAA doesn't have anual basketball awards. Nobody is putting themselves above the NCAA.

And no offense, but this site is not just some local newspaper or a regional cable provider, it's a national site. At the very least, compare it to the Associated Press All-America team.

formerbant10 · March 23, 2006, 10:03:09 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on March 23, 2006, 09:39:50 PM
The NCAA doesn't have anual basketball awards. Nobody is putting themselves above the NCAA.

And no offense, but this site is not just some local newspaper or a regional cable provider, it's a national site. At the very least, compare it to the Associated Press All-America team.

As much as Pat has been questioned about his All Americans on this board and on the New England boards...his All America teams are legit. They may have a bias towards players from the Midwest and Great Lakes, but looking at who the best teams were it's easy to see why.

Sure there are some players who have a legitimate case for making AA teams, if they get selected for either D3Hoops or the NABC those players should be happy. They are now part of an elite fraternity of Division 3 basketball players.

And I have to agree with Mr. Ypsi, if Kyle Myrick is 3rd team....there is something wrong.

Ulf_Tornstrom · March 23, 2006, 10:48:44 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on March 23, 2006, 09:39:50 PM

And no offense, but this site is not just some local newspaper or a regional cable provider, it's a national site. At the very least, compare it to the Associated Press All-America team.

And by the way, how can you REALLY compare your site with the AP? Are you kidding us? The Associated Press is the world's largest such organization.

As of 2005, AP's news is used by 1,700 newspapers, in addition to 5,000 television and radio outlets!!! Its photo library consists of over 10 million images!!! The AP has 242 bureaus and serves 121 countries, with a diverse international staff drawing from all over the world. The AP Stylebook has become the de facto standard for newswriting in the count. And you want to compare your site to the AP?!!!

C'mon now Pat. Get real. Salt Lake City would be your biggest gig and you know it. Don't front the Mormons baby. Who dat say they gonna beat dem Bengals? Who Dat? Who Dat?

Pat Coleman · March 23, 2006, 11:06:10 PM

Ahem -- how many boards do you need to have this argument on? I've responded to your drivel in the NESCAC board and I will not respond further here.

We are the national news service of Division III basketball. I think it's wholly applicable. Move the chip on your shoulder so you can see more clearly. Who disseminates more Division III basketball news than we do? Remember the size of the fish and the size of the pond.

By the way, my biggest gig would be at a slightly larger paper than Salt Lake City. The paper I work at now sells a few more papers than that.