Empire 8

[magicman]

St. John Fisher has their work cut out for them as they take on the #1 ranked team in the country at 8 PM tonight. Winners of 24 straight games the Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets ran the table in the tough Old Dominion Athletic Conference. They were 16-0 in conference play and after losing 2 of their first 5 games they went on that 24 game winning streak. Included in those 24 wins were 3 victories over another Sweet 16 team from the ODAC, Virginia Wesleyan.

The oddsmakers have made Randolph-Macon a 5 point favorite over Fisher which means the Cardinals have every reason to think they can play with these guys. Virginia Wesleyan is also favored to win their game against Dickinson by a 4 point margin. That would pit the 2 ODAC teams against each other for a spot in the Final Four. I hope Fisher can throw a monkey wrench into that possibility and advance to the Great Eight.

The Cardinals have been playing some good basketball lately with solid wins over WPI and Amherst. As late as January 25th WPI (6th)was ranked ahead of Randolph-Macon (8th) in the Top 25 poll so the fact that they are #1 at the moment is just a number. If Fisher can take down WPI, then they are capable of doing the same to the Yellow Jackets. Go get em Cardinals!!  Time to end that 24 game win streak.  Maybe a final score of Fisher 76 Randy Mac 73   

[magicman]

St John Fisher falls to the #1 ranked Randolph-Macon Yellow jackets by a 64-57 final score.

The Cardinals were only down by 3 points at the half 29-26 and hung with the Jackets for the first part of the 2nd period. Gradually Randolph-Macon opened up a 9 point lead and stretched it to a game high 11 point lead at 54-43 with 8:50 left to play. The Cardinals would rally as they got 6 points from Stefan Bock and a 3 pointer from Optimystik Kinard to get it to a one possession game at 55-52  with 2:54 remaining. That was as close as they could get though as some late turnovers cost them valuable possessions and the Yellow Jackets capitalized on their opportunities.

Tyler Hart with 21 points and Stefan Bock with 14 led the Cardinals. Optimystik Kinard had 9 points and a team high 9 rebounds.   

Nice run by the Cardinals to make the Sweet 16. With a few breaks they might have advanced to the next round but they clearly showed that they were deserving of their ranking this year. They should be in the top 15 in the final poll but I won't be surprised if they fail to end up there.       

[sjfcards]

As a Cardinal for life I am proud of the effort from Fisher last night. They played hard and stayed in it against a really good team. I thought Fisher could have played better and won that game but RMC had something to do with the turnovers and stretches of poor shooting.

All in all a great season for Fisher and I hope this starts another run of success like we saw from 04-10.

[magicman]

D3hoops has released their All Region Teams. Here's the one from the East Region. No surprises here. Too many good players and never enough awards to go around. I could easily come up with 15 more players that deserve to be mentioned for their achievements both on and off the court. Congratulations to all the players on this list, plus all the players and coaches who didn't make this list, for giving me so many hours of enjoyment through this long cold winter here in the North Country. Next season's first practice is only 213 days away.  


March 16, 2015
D3hoops.com 2015 men's All-East Region team



Players were nominated for these awards by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools.

Player of the Year: Gordon Lyons, Geneseo State
Coach of the Year: Rob Kornaker, St. John Fisher
Rookie of the Year: Ian Helps, F, Fredonia State

First team     
Pos.   Player          School       Yr. Hometown
G Aldin Medunjanin Skidmore Jr. New York, N.Y.
G John Coleman Clarkson Sr. Potsdam, N.Y.
F Keegan Ryan St. John Fisher So. Plattsburgh, N.Y.
F Gordon Lyons Geneseo State Sr. Amherst, N.Y.
F Evan Kupferberg NYU Jr. Boca Raton, Fla.

Second team     
Pos.   Player       School       Yr.    Hometown
G Brian Sortino Oswego State So. Fairport, N.Y.
G Zach Mager Oneonta State Sr. New City, N.Y.
F CJ Dunston Lancaster Bible Jr. Elkton, Md.
F Mitch Ford Nazareth Jr. Victor, N.Y.
F Reggie Williams Plattsburgh State Sr. Yonkers, N.Y.

Third team     
Pos.    Player         School        Yr.     Hometown
G Chris Cartwright Buffalo State Sr. Binghamton, N.Y.
G Trey Gordon Gallaudet Jr. Talladega, Ala.
G Connor Rehbaum Hobart Sr. Cheektowaga, N.Y.
G Chaz Lott St. John Fisher Jr. Wynanskill, N.Y.
F Maurice Mills Nazareth Jr. Utica, N.Y.

Here's a link to the complete list of All Region Teams:

http://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-region/2014-15/index

[magicman]

Congratulations to the following players from the East Region who, today, were chosen as All Americans by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Gordon Lyons senior forward from Geneseo State who was selected as an NABC 1st Team All American

John Coleman senior forward from Clarkson College who was selected as an NABC 2nd Team All American

Keegan Ryan sophomore forward from St. John Fisher College who was selected as an NABC 3rd Team All American

Here' a link to the complete list of All Americans:

http://static.psbin.com/1/5/jqtd9kjc8xjjmf/NABC_Announces_2015_Coaches-_Division_III_All-America_Teams.pdf

[magicman]

The D3hoops All American Teams were released today just prior to the National Championship game. The East Region had 2 players receive honors.

Gordon Lyons from Geneseo State was named to the D3hoops All American 2nd Team.

Keegan Ryan from St. John Fisher was named as a  D3hoops Honorable Mention All American

Nice to see these guys make it as one of the top 25 players in the country. Congratulations.

Here is a link to the complete list of All Americans:

http://d3hoops.com/awards/all-americans/men/2015   

[AUPepBand]

Alfred's senior forward Dalton Walsh was a member of the West All-Star Team in the Reese's All-Star Classic played in the Salem Civic Center on March 21, 2015 before the NCAA Division III Championship Game.

Congratulations, Dalton!!!

[magicman]

Posted this on the SUNYAC board and copied it here because of the St. John Fisher ranking.

D3hoops released its Top 25 preseason poll on Thursday morning and St. John Fisher, an NCAA Sweet 16 team last year, is the only East Region team ranked as they open the year in the #22 spot with 132 points. Pat Coleman has released for the first time ever, the place by place voting totals for each team. This allows us to see that Fisher's highest ranking was from 2 voters who thought they were good enough to be #11 in the country, 2 other voters had them in the 12th spot. The Cardinals got votes from 15 of the 25 voters that make up the poll. With 3 starters returning including E-8 Player of the Year, junior Keegan Ryan, St. John Fisher will be looking to repeat the success they had on the hardwood last year.   

NYU just missed the Top 25 as they checked in the Others Receiving Votes category with 84 points which was good enough for 27th place. The Violets return 4 starters from last year's team that failed to make the NCAA's and finished 19-9. They were ranked briefly last year at #23 when they jumped from no votes in the previous poll to 69 points in week #8 after a short winning streak that gave them a 12-4 record on January 25th. They got some help right after Christmas when former Division I player Hakeem Harris joined the team. Harris scored 26 pts, 24 pts, and 24 pts in that 3 game winning streak that boosted them into the Top 25. He went on to lead the team in scoring with over 18 ppg. The team however quickly dropped out of the Top 25 and went 7-5 the rest of the year, They were runners up in the ECAC Metro Tournament losing to Staten Island in the Championship game by an 84-80 final score. Harris was listed as a junior last year but is the 1 starter that isn't returning for this season for reasons unknown to me. The Sporting News picked them to finish 10th in the country but most of us know that any polls on D3 basketball other than the D3hoops poll is usually worthless to consider. The University Athletic Association conference that NYU is in, lost a ton of talent last year, and the only team from the UAA that is ranked in the D3 hoops Top 25 is the University of Chicago at #17. So this could be the year that NYU may actually do some damage in the conference and return to the NCAA tournament, but it sure would have been easier if Harris had returned for his senior year.   

Oswego State was the only other team from the East Region that garnered any voter support in the poll as the Lakers were also listed in the Others Receiving Votes category after receiving 54 points. That puts Oswego State in 35th place to open the year. The Lakers are coming off a SUNYAC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA tournament where they lost a 1st round game to Calvin by a 78-69 score. They return just about their entire team with the loss of only 1 starter from last year's roster. They have their top 3 scorers back led by All Conference guard Brian Sortino who averaged 16.5 ppg last year and Walter Sampson who tossed in  10.3 ppg. The Lakers return 9 players that averaged double digit minutes last season so they will have a strong bench as well.

PS to Mr. Coleman: It was nice to see the breakdown of the voters placements. I hope you consider giving some thought to doing that every week as I'm sure most of us on these boards would greatly appreciate it (I know just what you need, more work to do to put out that poll). It is informative and since I've been a voter on the Posters' Poll for the past 6 or 7 years, we've released all the placements by our voters. It has always been interesting to see what others think about the various teams that make up our poll. Of course we have a much smaller number of voters than the 25 that you have to deal with but if you can't find the time to do it I understand. Just give it to Dave McHugh, he releases his vote for public perusal, he'd probably enjoy doing 24 more?  I'm sure he's got all kinds of free time on his hands.  (I'm joking Dave, I'm Joking. I know how many things you have on your plate)           

[sjfcards]

Posted this on the SUNYAC board and copied it here because of the St. John Fisher ranking.

D3hoops released its Top 25 preseason poll on Thursday morning and St. John Fisher, an NCAA Sweet 16 team last year, is the only East Region team ranked as they open the year in the #22 spot with 132 points. Pat Coleman has released for the first time ever, the place by place voting totals for each team. This allows us to see that Fisher's highest ranking was from 2 voters who thought they were good enough to be #11 in the country, 2 other voters had them in the 12th spot. The Cardinals got votes from 15 of the 25 voters that make up the poll. With 3 starters returning including E-8 Player of the Year, junior Keegan Ryan, St. John Fisher will be looking to repeat the success they had on the hardwood last year.   

NYU just missed the Top 25 as they checked in the Others Receiving Votes category with 84 points which was good enough for 27th place. The Violets return 4 starters from last year's team that failed to make the NCAA's and finished 19-9. They were ranked briefly last year at #23 when they jumped from no votes in the previous poll to 69 points in week #8 after a short winning streak that gave them a 12-4 record on January 25th. They got some help right after Christmas when former Division I player Hakeem Harris joined the team. Harris scored 26 pts, 24 pts, and 24 pts in that 3 game winning streak that boosted them into the Top 25. He went on to lead the team in scoring with over 18 ppg. The team however quickly dropped out of the Top 25 and went 7-5 the rest of the year, They were runners up in the ECAC Metro Tournament losing to Staten Island in the Championship game by an 84-80 final score. Harris was listed as a junior last year but is the 1 starter that isn't returning for this season for reasons unknown to me. The Sporting News picked them to finish 10th in the country but most of us know that any polls on D3 basketball other than the D3hoops poll is usually worthless to consider. The University Athletic Association conference that NYU is in, lost a ton of talent last year, and the only team from the UAA that is ranked in the D3 hoops Top 25 is the University of Chicago at #17. So this could be the year that NYU may actually do some damage in the conference and return to the NCAA tournament, but it sure would have been easier if Harris had returned for his senior year.   

Oswego State was the only other team from the East Region that garnered any voter support in the poll as the Lakers were also listed in the Others Receiving Votes category after receiving 54 points. That puts Oswego State in 35th place to open the year. The Lakers are coming off a SUNYAC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA tournament where they lost a 1st round game to Calvin by a 78-69 score. They return just about their entire team with the loss of only 1 starter from last year's roster. They have their top 3 scorers back led by All Conference guard Brian Sortino who averaged 16.5 ppg last year and Walter Sampson who tossed in  10.3 ppg. The Lakers return 9 players that averaged double digit minutes last season so they will have a strong bench as well.

PS to Mr. Coleman: It was nice to see the breakdown of the voters placements. I hope you consider giving some thought to doing that every week as I'm sure most of us on these boards would greatly appreciate it (I know just what you need, more work to do to put out that poll). It is informative and since I've been a voter on the Posters' Poll for the past 6 or 7 years, we've released all the placements by our voters. It has always been interesting to see what others think about the various teams that make up our poll. Of course we have a much smaller number of voters than the 25 that you have to deal with but if you can't find the time to do it I understand. Just give it to Dave McHugh, he releases his vote for public perusal, he'd probably enjoy doing 24 more?  I'm sure he's got all kinds of free time on his hands.  (I'm joking Dave, I'm Joking. I know how many things you have on your plate)         

Thanks for the breakdown Magicman! I am looking forward to what this season has in store. With Fisher being down (by their standards anyway) for a few years I had drifted away from D3 basketball, but last year I got into it full tilt again. It was fun to see Fisher playing at a high level and winning again, and I remembered why basketball was my first love when it comes to D3 sports.

It will be interesting to see what Fisher adds to the pieces already in place this year. I know the coaching staff was excited about certain recruits last year but those players saw limited action in their first year. Knowing Kornaker, I am sure those players have been in the gym all year, and will be more prepared to play physically. Obviously with Keegan Ryan and Chaz Lott back this season they have a good starting point. However, several key pieces are missing from last year. Adam Ambielli, Stefan Bock, and Optimystik Kinard were all key pieces to last years run, and will need to be replaced.

Kornaker has always been pretty good on the recruiting trail, and I hope he gets some talent again this year. They have pieces for sure, but will need to have some new players step up as Fisher lost a lot of athleticism and experience.

Interested in what other E8/East Region teams have coming back as well. I would love to get this board going again the way it used several years back.

[magicman]

The D3hoops preseason All American Teams have been released. Here are the representatives from the East Region.

St John Fisher's 6' 8" Junior forward/center Keegan Ryan was placed on the 2nd team.

Skidmore's Aldin Medunjanin a 6'4" Senior guard was named to the 4th team.

Evan Kupferberg a 6'6" Senior forward from NYU has also been chosen as a menber of the 4th team.

No one else from the East Region was selected. Here is the complete list:

http://d3hoops.com/awards/all-americans/men/preseason-2016

[sjfcards]

Excited to see Fisher get started this weekend against SUNYIT. I don't know that I have ever seen SUNYIT play before, but if I remember right they had a decent rivalry with Utica College several years back. Not sure what to expect, but I am hoping Fisher starts the season with a  strong performance. More than anything I am just excited that hoops is back.

[sjfcards]

Good start for Fisher as they get a 20+ point win in the season opener against SUNYIT. Keegan Ryan and Tyler Hart both had 20, and they scored 96 points. Not a lot of bad news for the Careinals in the win.

[dcahill44]

Naz started off with two wins against DYouville Friday and Sage on Saturday. The Golden Flyers beat a Sage team that i believe will win a lot of games and much improved DYouville team. Naz will play Blufton friday at Buff State. Fisher beat SUNYIT, Hartwick lost big to Union, Ithaca beat Skidmore, Utica lost to Cortland and Stevens went 1-1 losing to Ursinus by 3 and beating Bryn Athyn.

[sjfcards]

Naz started off with two wins against DYouville Friday and Sage on Saturday. The Golden Flyers beat a Sage team that i believe will win a lot of games and much improved DYouville team. Naz will play Blufton friday at Buff State. Fisher beat SUNYIT, Hartwick lost big to Union, Ithaca beat Skidmore, Utica lost to Cortland and Stevens went 1-1 losing to Ursinus by 3 and beating Bryn Athyn.

I saw Sage play last year in the tournament at Fisher, and thought they were a good team. That is a good win for Naz.

[dcahill44]

Sage returned 4 of 5 starters from last years team and many guys off the bench, very athletic team with a lot of talent. They will win the Skyline league again i think this year.