Empire 8

[bombersquadron]

Waleed Farid makes the D3 hoops team of the week.  In other news UC Grad has been MIA since sunday night.

[FisherDynasty]

I hope so Scooter.........   I think they will turn it around but might be too late.  They do not have enough depth at the forward positions nor enough scoring ability at the guard positions.  They need to start playing better defense, taking care of the ball better, and taking better shots.  Most importantly need beigal and smalt on the floor at the same time almost the entire game against good teams.  I dont know if i see that happening, we'll see.   I still feel like there is some serious chemistry issues, and inconsistency in player rotations, which leads to less confidence and confusion of roles.  Baltz obviously knows he has to shoot the ball alot, newman needs to score more, need more from bearden, and a big to step up off the bench.  Beigal and smalt need to stay healthy and out of foul trouble.  I think its going to be too much to get right, they do have talent but not enough to win games on off nights like previous years.  They dont even have the most talent in the league, so they are going to need to do more things right to maximize the talent they do have.

That being said, as mentioned earlier they have 4 straight home games, if thought back to 2002-03 season fisher went on to win 11 straight and win the league, which was started on 5 or 6 consecutive home games.  Fisher always seems to find themselves at home, lets home this is the case.

[thebear]

UCgrad must be experiencing great confusion while he stares at that IC/Potsdam box score. Potsdam won the rebounding battle (+2), won the turnover battle (+5), and was a +11 pts from the field and still got beat rather handily (game was 72-56 with under 5 mins to go).

Again, the moral of the story: those stats are worthless and not telling at all if you face a good team who can get to the FT line and score (which is a skill).

But then again, IC shot 18/40 (45%) from inside vs. 16/49 (32%) for Potsdam.  If livestats was close to accurate, Potsdam must have missed a dozen layups.  The Bears poor 2 FG% likely translated into some of those 21 offensive rebounds.

Getting to the FT line & scoring is a skill, but one that the zebras (by what they call & don't call) have some influence over.

I think the game was within 6 pts (2 possessions) with less than a minute to play, I wouldn't call that a blowout.  The only score that counts is the final.

[AUPepBand]

No offense Pep, but who cares about Pep Jr.'s foot injury and your text messaging dialogue??  Come on now buddy, let's stick to the important issues ala is the AU sub shop really closed down??  They make a mean turkey sub!!

Pep posts about a text message exchange with his son and suddenly text messaging is BANNED for recruiting purposes. How the heck is Pep, who has been working to improve his text messaging skills, going to bring in the new sousaphone recruit to fill the huge shoes of graduating (retiring) AWE wrestler Dr. Phil?

[gobombers15]

UCgrad must be experiencing great confusion while he stares at that IC/Potsdam box score. Potsdam won the rebounding battle (+2), won the turnover battle (+5), and was a +11 pts from the field and still got beat rather handily (game was 72-56 with under 5 mins to go).

Again, the moral of the story: those stats are worthless and not telling at all if you face a good team who can get to the FT line and score (which is a skill).

But then again, IC shot 18/40 (45%) from inside vs. 16/49 (32%) for Potsdam.  If livestats was close to accurate, Potsdam must have missed a dozen layups.  The Bears poor 2 FG% likely translated into some of those 21 offensive rebounds.

Getting to the FT line & scoring is a skill, but one that the zebras (by what they call & don't call) have some influence over.

I think the game was within 6 pts (2 possessions) with less than a minute to play, I wouldn't call that a blowout.  The only score that counts is the final.

Good players get to the line. I think Burton and Bostic got to the line a combined 27 times (Ithaca had 43 attempts) last night. There are reasons for this that go beyond refereeing. Burton is tough to stay with and you need to crowd him everywhere he goes or he'll pop a three in your eye. Plus,I don't know many defenders that he can't beat off the dribble. Bostic is an incredible athlete and can be difficult to defend. Potsdam was whistled for 24 fouls, Ithaca for 19. I really don't think that's a significant disparity, especially when one considers that with 6 minutes left in the game Potsdam had only been whistled for two more fouls than Ithaca. It just so happens that Ithaca was in the act of shooting when they were fouled much more than Potsdam.

I'm aware of what the score was late in the game. Not sure of the relevance, though. Don't know too many teams who'd think they have even a decent chance to win when they're down 6 with 30 seconds to go and the ball in the other team's hands and said other team has shot over 70% for the game and their PG and best player shoots nearly 90% from the FT line. Not trying to be hostile, just trying to illustrate my point that I don't think the game was ever really "in doubt," if you will.

[Caz Bombers]

GB15, it wasn't a blowout last night.  It was 20 point or so margin for a while but Potsdam definitely made a run at it and kept it within 10 points the whole way, even getting to within 5 with 30 seconds left I think.  This was no more a blowout than that IC-Utica game was.

[Caz Bombers]

Waleed Farid makes the D3 hoops team of the week.  In other news UC Grad has been MIA since sunday night.

Oh, I'm sure he's around, I've mysteriously lost 2 karma points in the last 24 hours and change.

[gobombers15]

I don't think it was a blowout. I don't think it was a "smoking." I think it was a comfortable victory for the Bombers. Remember, in the Utica game, Ruffrage stole the ball cleanly from Herring and would have coasted in for a layup, making it a 3-pt game, but was instead called for a questionable foul a good second after the steal.

[WICB Sports]

WICB's coverage of Bombers basketball this weekend begins with Friday night's women's Empire 8 contest between Ithaca College and Nazareth College, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m.  Then at 8 p.m., WICB will have the men's contest between the Bombers and the Golden Flyers.

On Saturday, WICB's coverage begins at 2 p.m. as the Bombers' women's team travels to RIT.  Coverage continues at 4 p.m. as the Bombers' men's team takes on the RIT men's team.

WICB is available online at www.wicb.org and can be heard locally in the Ithaca area at 91.7 FM.

[e8bballfan]

Big match-ups tomorrow night (home in CAPS)

SJFC- Stevens
RIT-Elmira
NAZ-Ithaca
HARTWICK-Utica


-Can Rob Kornaker and SJFC 'right the ship' and save themselves with a win? Hand Stevens their second conference loss?
-Can Elmira squeeze out a win Fri night and maybe catch RIT looking ahead to their Saturday match with Ithaca?
-Can Naz fend off IC without Ryan McAdams? Big pg matchup between Corey McAdams and Sean Burton - could be very interesting.
-Can Utica beat the powerful duo of Jan Coco and the refs?!

I say...

Stevens over Fisher by 11...Fisher sticks around for a while, but sorry, not going to happen. RIT wins against Elmira by single digits. Hartwick at home. And toss up between IC-Naz.

[bombersquadron]

Big match-ups tomorrow night (home in CAPS)

SJFC- Stevens
RIT-Elmira
NAZ-Ithaca
HARTWICK-Utica


-Can Rob Kornaker and SJFC 'right the ship' and save themselves with a win? Hand Stevens their second conference loss?
-Can Elmira squeeze out a win Fri night and maybe catch RIT looking ahead to their Saturday match with Ithaca?
-Can Naz fend off IC without Ryan McAdams? Big pg matchup between Corey McAdams and Sean Burton - could be very interesting.
-Can Utica beat the powerful duo of Jan Coco and the refs?!

I say...

Stevens over Fisher by 11...Fisher sticks around for a while, but sorry, not going to happen. RIT wins against Elmira by single digits. Hartwick at home. And toss up between IC-Naz.

I like what you said, I can see Fisher hanging around but struggling when Beigel fouls out for them and losing. Stevens thought coming into the Empire 8 Fisher would be the team to beat, so I see it being a very good game. Stevens has also been playing with less players and playing their studs big minutes (see the Utica game) so that could make things interesting after the 6 hour trip to Rochester. Assuming they aren't already there.

I think Elmira will keep it close but lose. I also take Hartwick with the help of the refs.

I think Ithaca wins a high scoring affair by 6-8 points, score in the 80s to 90s. Both teams like to score but Ithaca also plays defense so that in my mind gives a slight edge to the Bombers. I thought Naz had some defensive lapses when I saw them in the Chase tourney vs. RIT and that let RIT back in the game. Should be a very good game and some great match-ups overall. Burton and McAdam, Canori Vs. Ithaca D (has always been a good match-up). And Naz's bigs vs. Bostic, Kail, and Brown. Tyler Smith has had a few good games versus Ithaca in the past. Also Bostic and Kail have been playing great basketball the past few games.

[scooterman]

The Stevens-Fisher game could be a turn the season around game for the Cardinals. A big win at Stevens might be just the trick for the high scoring Cardinals. They need to defend and control the boards. Big game for Biegel. Fisher at the buzzer. Good luck Cards

[bamm]

The Stevens-Fisher game could be a turn the season around game for the Cardinals. A big win at Stevens might be just the trick for the high scoring Cardinals. They need to defend and control the boards. Big game for Biegel. Fisher at the buzzer. Good luck Cards

Just a couple of minor clarifications, in the interest of "keepin it real."

The game is at Fisher.
Fisher isn't high-scoring.  They are fifth in the conference in points per game.

[AUPepBand]

Pep is confident that the Saxons will not suffer another conference loss tonight in E8 action.

Stevens over SJF (sorry, Fisher fans, the "dynasty" is sinking)
RIT over Elmira (Tigers snatch a species not-so-endangered anymore)
Ithaca over NAZ (Bombers keep E8 hopes alive by grounding Flyers)
Utica over HARTWICK (and UCGrad comes out of hiding)

On Saxon Warriors!

[gobombers15]

Predictions

RIT handles Elmira, 76-61. Say what you will about the improvement of Elmira, but the Soaring Eagles will have difficulties with RIT. The Tigers coast to a comfortable win.

FISHER upsets Stevens, 69-67. My gut is guiding me on this one. Fisher has lost 3 of 4 and needs this one to get their season back on track. Stevens may be without Passalacqua who also missed the victory over Utica. I have a feeling that Fisher sprints out behind hot 3-point shooting and then hangs on in this one.

UTICA over Hartwick, 62-53. Honestly, who cares?

Ithaca over NAZ, 84-81. The game of the weekend. I would've actually picked Naz in this one had they not been coming off tough games in the Chase against RIT, Geneseo and UR, and had they not played Fisher earlier this week. This is their 5th game in 9 days and all have been huge games for them. Settling back into the middle of the conference schedule, I kinda see this as a letdown game for Naz. I think Ithaca comes into this one with a little bit more of an edge to them--they don't want to be facing a weekend sweep going to RIT on Saturday afternoon. IC needs more from Leahy tonight than they've been getting.