Empire 8

[sjfcards]

Fisher is in to the top 25, entering this week at #24. A nice recognition for what they are doing in conference this year. I still don't know how I feel about how good this team is, but at some point the 30 point wins can't be ignored.

[Bombers798891]

So it's pretty clear that this conference is Fisher and then everyone else, at least for this year. Even if the Cardinals were upset in the conference tournament, it's pretty hard to envision anyone else doing much given the OOC results.

In other news, I think Ithaca deserves a lot of credit for their season. With just two seniors and two post players on the roster, a team that went 2-12 in conference play last season and lost three starters (including Frank Mitchell, by far their best player) from that squad, the team is now 7-3 in conference play.

Alfred, under a new HC, has apparently abandoned the Grinnell-lite style of play. The team's PPG has dropped from 96.7 PPG to 74.9, and the squad is now 5-5 in conference, after going 9-5 last year. On the plus side, the games no longer feature 60 fouls and 80 free throws.

Nazareth has apparently fallen off a cliff, as a team that went 19-8, 10-4 last year is now 2-6, 6-11 with a loss to Hougton.

[dcahill44]

Fisher having a fabulous year and cruising through the Empire 8. Looks like there is 7 other teams who have a chance to get into this conference tournament.

[Bombers798891]

Fisher having a fabulous year and cruising through the Empire 8. Looks like there is 7 other teams who have a chance to get into this conference tournament.

Unfortunately.

Sorry, but conference tournaments are terrible for the sport. D-III sports are about access, but the bottom line is, you get your chance to qualify for the NCAA's through your conference by virtue of the 14-16 regular season games you play. Why even have a regular season if a team could finish 5-6 games behind Fisher and get a THIRD crack at them? Just hang around, win a dozen or so games, and hope you get hot.

I'm just glad hoops has enough at large bids to prevent the kind of debacles that used to occur in men's lacrosse.

[dcahill44]

I think that is what makes College Basketball especially so exciting because anyone can beat anyone if you get into your conference tournament. If the best team in the conference is 5-6 games ahead of everyone then they shouldnt have a problem beating a team a 3rd time. Even tho it is tough to beat a team 3 times.

[Bombers798891]

I think that is what makes College Basketball especially so exciting because anyone can beat anyone if you get into your conference tournament. If the best team in the conference is 5-6 games ahead of everyone then they shouldnt have a problem beating a team a 3rd time. Even tho it is tough to beat a team 3 times.

Well sure, anyone can always beat anyone. But that sidesteps the main question: Why do you get three chances to beat a team in one season? Why does a team have to prove over two games what it already proved over sixteen? Why are we letting a 3-game tournament replace a 72-game regular season schedule?

[dcahill44]

So by your logic who won the Empire 8 last year if you dont have a conference tournament because they are so calledbad for the sport? So did you want Stevens, Naz and Hartwick to all be in the NCAA Tournament?  Because if you dont have a conference tournament then how do you figure out who gets into the NCAAs

[Bombers798891]

So by your logic who won the Empire 8 last year if you dont have a conference tournament because they are so calledbad for the sport? So did you want Stevens, Naz and Hartwick to all be in the NCAA Tournament?  Because if you dont have a conference tournament then how do you figure out who gets into the NCAAs

The same way we determined the #1 seed for the tournament that year? It's not rocket science to come up with a tiebreaker

[Bengalsrule]

Dcahill. I gotta admit. For 14 y/15 year old you got a lot of spunk.  I hope 1  day that we can get you on the Bengals bandwagon!!!  You definitely keep up with d3 hoops !!!

[dcahill44]

Thanks Bengalsrule I will stay on the Naz train tho! 

[Bengalsrule]

Not surprised 👍

[Bombers798891]

My prediction for the three up-for-grabs spots in the E8 tournament:

Ithaca, Alfred, and Hartwick.

There's a lot that can happen, but Stevens essentially trails all these teams by two games thanks to the 0-2 H2H record against the Saxons and Hawks. Also, they, still need to play St. John Fisher again, meaning I see 9-7 as the absolute best. I think the other three teams find the 1/2 wins needed to hit that mark.

Naz looks cooked, as they still have games against Fisher and the Ithaca and Wick teams that took them to the cleaners

Elmira would have been really interesting had they beaten Naz. They get 4 of the last 5 at home, with only Houghten left on the road, but it's hard to see them going better than 8-8 considering what Alfred did to them.

Unless someone pulls a Naz '09, I just don't see the E8 going to anyone but Fisher.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Regional Rankings are out: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2015/02/11/first-regional-rankings-released-today/

[Bombers798891]

Ithaca loses two heartbreakers in overtime at home, and suddenly, the conference is wide open at the bottom.

Against Hartwick, a furious 2nd-half rally fell just short, as a last-second shot in regulation to win it came a half-second too late, and Ithaca fell in the extra frame.

The Bombers looked like they were going to rebound against Stevens, but lost the craziest game of the E8 season. Ithaca dominated for nearly the entire game, never trailing, leading by as much as 19 in the second half, and by 10 points with just three minutes to go, before a huge rally by Stevens knotted the game.

The Ducks looked like they were going to make quick work of IC in the overtime, leading by 7 points with just 33 seconds to go, but Ithaca managed a miracle comeback of their own, before missing a game-tying three down 123-120 with seven seconds remaining in the second overtime.

This game really wasn't that well-played as Ithaca relied nearly entirely on the three point shot (52 attempts!) and had little inside presence. The Bombers managed to allow Stevens to score 67 points in the final 20 minutes of basketball, and you have to wonder if their inexperience hurt them. Stevens, meanwhile, was appalling from the free throw line (27-52, and 17-42 from everyone who wasn't Chris Cosgrove)

Ithaca seems unable to put 40 full minutes together most nights.

[AUPepBand]

Just back from the Galanis Family Arena where Pep's Saxons upset the nationally-ranked St. John Fisher Cardinals, 60-59. The AU win snapped Fisher's 18-game winning streak and gave the Cardinals their lone blemish in the Empire 8 standings.

Dalton Walsh had the game of a lifetime, leading all scorers with 18 points, none more important than swishing his second free throw attempt with 3.2 seconds remaining to give AU the 60-59 win. AU had led most of the second half but the Cardinals tied it with 18 seconds to go.

A vociferous crowd supported the Saxons. Attendance was recorded at 738 but they must have taken a head count during the first half. Throughout the second half, the crowd seemed to swell and get louder. Probably the most spirited, hard fought men's basketball game Pep has seen in Alfred in about 30 years.

On Saxon Warriors!