Empire 8

[gobombers15]

go bombers is this your first time seeing Fisher this year? if so, whats your assessment? do you think they are better than Ithaca? Naz, Stevens?

In general, here are my quick-hit impressions:

-Yes, this was my first time watching them. They looked good, obviously, "smoking" Utica by 26. Game was never in doubt past the first 10 minutes.

-As far as being better than the other teams, I will reserve judgment on that. Haven't watched Naz play yet and I'd be hesitant to say Fisher is better than Naz after the whoopin' Naz put on them two weeks ago (without Ryan McAdam, no less). It seems like both Fisher and Ithaca have some Jeckyll-and-Hyde in them. I think both teams could beat the other by 15 points on their respective home courts and I wouldn't be surprised in the least by it. Same thing with Stevens: I'm betting Fisher is better in Pittsford and Stevens is better in Hoboken. I think every team this year has some weaknesses and inconsistencies. That's why home-court is so huge this year.

-Beigel looked good. Was taking it strong to the hoop and did a nice job on the boards. He did what I expected him to do.

-Smalt played solid. I'd say I watched about 75% of the game, and he must have had most of his 15 and 9 when I stepped away from my computer. I didn't realize he was having such a good game and was fairly surprised when I saw the box. I had expected something closer to 10 and 6. He and Beigel did a nice job of keeping the Utica bigs off the boards.

-Was not impressed by Baltz and/or Newman. Baltz just probably had a bad game as he is one of their top scorers and was held scoreless yesterday. He just kind of looked lost out there yesterday. Newman is an average ballhandler but it doesn't seem like he even cares about contributing offensively. He had 4 pts yesterday but was 0-4 from the field.  I know Utica has good defensive guards, but not good performances for either.

-Ozell Franklin is very good. Gives them a nice spark when he comes in. Fisher has an element of quickness when he's on the floor, something that is sorely lacking when he's on the bench. Has a nice outside shot, too. Can get to the glass off the bounce--seemed like only he and Beigel can create for themselves in one-on-one situations.

-Was impressed by that Witte kid, too. Surprised he doesn't play more. He'll be a good player in the conference as he develops. Again, not sure why he doesn't play more over guys like McKeever, Bearden, Cornett, Coyne.

I obviously saw them on a day where they played very well. That big run in the 1st half just killed Utica. They seemed pretty disinterested from there and Fisher will lay it on you when that happens. I think I saw the Cards during one of their best performances of the year, so it's tough. It's hard to ignore all the inconsistencies that the others, including Fisher fans, have talked about. Do they have a shot at hosting? Sure, but I still think it's an outside chance b/c they have a tougher schedule than Ithaca or Stevens and an equivalent schedule to what Naz has left. Fisher needs to prove they can win games like these away from home--if they can't, they're merely what Utica has been over the past few seasons.

[sjfcards]

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Fisher has its good moments, and its bad moments this year. They just seem a little too inconsistent to get to host the tourny. However, I think they will have a lot to say about the outcome of this season. On good nights they will have a lot to say about it. The last three games they have looked great. And if they can play this way for the reamaining 9 games, then they may indeed host the toury (and sneak into the NCAA tourny). But, if this season has tought me anything about Fisher, it is that they are up and down. I think they will find a way to lose another couple games.

On the up side, Fisher is playing much better as of late. It looks like that Naz game may have woken them up a little bit. If they can keep it up, then they can actually have a good season...maybe 17-18 wins. That would be a lot when you consider how they have gotten here.

[Caz Bombers]

Stevens barely beats Elmira again, 50-46 at EC.  Passalacqua leads Ducks with 19 points; both teams shoot ugly 36.4 percent.  Just a horrible game, it was 17-15 Elmira at halftime.

Stevens took the lead for the final time with 2:47 to go and made FTs down the stretch to hang on.  Elmira took a three to tie with 52 seconds left but missed and that was basically that.  Let's make it official: there is absolutely no reason to fear Stevens when they come to your gym.  None.

[sjfcards]

Wow...Stevens has struggled with Elmira twice now. I just can't understand that. I understand that the trip up might take something out of them, but struggling at home? and if you struggle at home, you think they would have been ready for today.
I have a feeling all the teams in the running may lose one or two more games this year. Should be an interesting couple of weeks.

[with age comes?]

I haven't seen Stevens but Elmira can be tough if you don't have a quick release zone busting 3 point shooter.  Perhaps that is Stevens' Achilles heal.  My understanding of them is that their bigs are really good and athletic but perhaps they don't have a "light it up" 3 point shooter so if you play a packed in frenetic zone with good weak side help (which when I saw Elmira- they did) you will have trouble.  That's why Ithaca & SJF always seem to handle them- those 2 teams have always had good quick release 3 point shooters that can move and get shots off either in transition or off of quick ball movement. Look that statement up in a e-8 thesauras and Burton's picture is in there!  Maybe against Stevens you pack your zone down in the paint and agressively challenge them to make contested 3 pointers.  Again this is theory I'd need to see Stevens play before lending any serious credibility.

[bamm]

it was 17-15 Elmira at halftime.

I really can't get over that.  I try to visualize a sequence of events -- the gym floor being covered with banana peels, some sort of indoor fog phenomenon, mass narcolepsy -- that would result in only 15 points being scored on Elmira in a half.  It's baffling.

[fisheralum91]

I was pleasantly suprised to read the local paper- the od- to see that Fisher pounded UC the other night.  This up down season must be driving the Fisher faithful crazy.  

[Chief1101]

a win is a win...


stevens has been handling all the other teams outside of fisher and rit...Elmira is a scrappy team that packs it in a real tight zone...passalaqua is a solid 3 pt shooter and the other guards are streaky shooters..but until they are losing to other teams in the conference, you can not say Stevens is not feared...its their first yer in the conference and they are a top the league...


also, stevens best three pt shooter, palantino transferred because of playing time..he was a lights out 3 pt shooter...stevens will win the e8, elmira is not a bad team...they beat a hobart team that beat fisher..so on any given night, elmira can stick with a team because they are scrappy and play d..you never count a team like that out..

[Caz Bombers]

a win is a win...


stevens has been handling all the other teams outside of fisher and rit...Elmira is a scrappy team that packs it in a real tight zone...passalaqua is a solid 3 pt shooter and the other guards are streaky shooters..but until they are losing to other teams in the conference, you can not say Stevens is not feared...its their first yer in the conference and they are a top the league...


also, stevens best three pt shooter, palantino transferred because of playing time..he was a lights out 3 pt shooter...stevens will win the e8, elmira is not a bad team...they beat a hobart team that beat fisher..so on any given night, elmira can stick with a team because they are scrappy and play d..you never count a team like that out..

That "scrappy Elmira team that can play D" has lost 4 straight and three of its last four opponents had hit 70 points or more.  Naz dropped 90 on them, Ferrum 89 and Cortland 84.

Stevens in home league games: 6-0, average margin - 12.33 ppg
Stevens in road league games - 3-2, average margin - even

Oh yeah, that's terrifying.

Ducks remaining league schedule - Naz, RIT, at Hartwick, at Utica, at Ithaca; I don't think this league tournament will be in New Jersey.

[Chief1101]

watch it be in jersey....


tim williams will dominate any big man inside..his numbers are not great because he doesnt take that many shots..but he will dominate...


and farid is still top 5 all around players in the league..forget that he was an honorable mention all american last year...


so beat it with it not being jersey...

[Caz Bombers]

Overall it's going to be good for the Stevens program to be out of the Skyline but they're going to have to learn to play better on the road.  Barely beating Elmira twice impresses absolutely nobody, we all know how terrible Elmira always is.  We don't have any of your more familiar Mount Saint GodAwful here, but EC is close.

I hope we aren't seeing the arrival of another UCGrad45 here.

[Chief1101]

haha no i wouldnt go that far..



and yes i understand that, skyline conference is horrendous..thats why they left...but im telling you, they will win host the tournament..and win it..

passalaqua is coming off an injury....once he gets back in the groove, he will be there main 3pt threat...they already have 2 great wing players in gray and farid..pg play is shaky and williams will dominate any big man in the conference..not all on talent, but he is a beast downlow..


who can stop that? bostic? hes soft? biegel? hes a hack and a crybaby..

[Caz Bombers]

I just checked Stevens stats for the first time this year, Chief, I am impressed by Williams being 70 percent from the floor, that's bigtime work right there.

Stephen A. Smith says HOWEVAHHH....Chief, you conveniently neglected to mention just how unbelievably awful the Ducks are at free throws.  58.5 percent as a team?  Really?  Gray, Williams, Higgins and Baker are all well below 60 percent.  Don't foul Passalacqua (89.7) or Greco (72.5) but otherwise I gotta think every coach in the E8 by now knows to play Hack-A-Duck.

[Chief1101]

who do you have beating them?

whats your take on the league caz?

[bamm]

whats your take on the league caz?

It's pretty easy to tell when someone is new here.  He's going to quickly learn that asking one of the Ithaca fellas an open-ended question like this means you need to clear up your afternoon to read the response.