Empire 8

Pat Coleman · January 24, 2008, 01:07:13 PM

Actually, Stevens was a founding member of the Landmark Conference -- in fact, their president was the one that leaked the news. But they bailed on it a couple months later.

gobombers15 · January 24, 2008, 01:33:16 PM

I actually agree with you, AlfredHoops, I think no team will finish with less than four conference losses. Here's my opinion of how it will shake out in the last month (of course, this is pure conjecture):

Ithaca (12-4): Two more losses. Fisher is a house of horrors for Ithaca. I don't think they've won there, against Fisher or any other team, since my sophomore year ('01-02). Then, I think Ithaca will be "upset" by either Naz or RIT in Ithaca. Just a hunch. I think Ithaca beats Stevens and Fisher in Ithaca. The Bombers will really be up for those games.

Stevens (12-4): Will lose at Ithaca and at Utica. Book it.

Naz (11-5): Will lose one of the two against Utica or at Ithaca. Definite loss at Stevens. If Fisher has any backbone, the Cards will knock them off at their place.

Fisher (10-6): Pretty sure they'll lose at Utica, at Ithaca, and at RIT. Then, they'll lose one other game due solely to their mediocrity this year.

If things play out like this, I have no clue who'd win the tiebreaker and have the right to host. Frankly, I'm too lazy to look it up right now and too many things have to happen first.

Replying to someone's earlier question: The biggest game this weekend is Utica @ Fisher. Easily. If Utica wins, they're back in the thick of things and competing for a spot in the E8. If Fisher wins, there are fewer implications, but that probably effectively eliminates Utica from the conversation. Other than that game, a pretty drab lineup on tap this weekend.

Caz Bombers · January 24, 2008, 06:30:46 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on January 24, 2008, 01:07:13 PM
Actually, Stevens was a founding member of the Landmark Conference -- in fact, their president was the one that leaked the news. But they bailed on it a couple months later.

How odd. They're going to find they have more in common with those schools than with us. Athletically and geographically the NJAC woulda been right up their alley, as strong a league and in some things stronger than us here in the E8.

FisherDynasty · January 24, 2008, 06:55:22 PM

I think he meant academically. Stevens is a very good school, private, and the size is pretty small so is the same 'type' of college as e8 schools. They are athletic in bball but the school is much different then rutgars newark and other njac schools.

Caz Bombers · January 24, 2008, 11:46:40 PM

Quote from: FisherDynasty on January 24, 2008, 06:55:22 PM
I think he meant academically. Stevens is a very good school, private, and the size is pretty small so is the same 'type' of college as e8 schools. They are athletic in bball but the school is much different then rutgars newark and other njac schools.

Stevens has a lot of other good teams too; soccer, volleyball, lax, women's hoop, etc. Obviously it's not the same kind of school as the other NJACs but I could have seen them building nice league rivalries with NJCU in particular and also the other locals Kean, Willy P, Montclair State. Plus TCNJ is an academic peer with excellent overall sports also.

Cyclone0205 · January 25, 2008, 09:17:40 AM

Stevens didn't join the NJAC because, TCNJ excluded, NJAC schools don't have the same academic priority that Stevens does. Looking at the choices of conference (Landmark and then E8) you can tell Stevens was looking for conferences that were competitive in all sports not regionally, but nationally, and similar sized schools that have good academic reputations. The NJAC (for better or worse) has the reputation has a very poor academic conference that accepts any players just to win games. It's the difference between a private school and a public school.

Chief1101 · January 25, 2008, 10:24:52 AM

Also concerning Stevens, it used to be a terrible sports school...4 or 5 years back they had about 6 or 7 wins all year...Coach Hayn brought that school out of the rubble and made it into a contender..you have to remember that all the upper classmen at Stevens are Hayn's guys...He is now at Dowling and he will do the same thing at Dowling in a few years..tjhey are struggling now, but watch out...he can recruit and he can coach the game of basketball with the best of them..

As for basketball...people on this board talk about Burton, McAdam and all that...Both are excellent players, but Stevens has about 4 or 5 guys that can dominate on any given night..Tim Williams is the strongest big man in the conference and if he wasnt surrounded by 4 other weapons on offense, hed be averaging 20 and 10 a night...Waleed Farid has struggled this year, but he is an undersized 4 man who is probably the best rebounder in the conference...Baker off the bench, although his stats are not all that, if anyone sees him play, he is a starter on any other team..he is the most unselfish player I have seen and his defense is gamechanging..I am not sold on Passalaqua because I think he is soft..I dont think he attacks the basket as well as he should and if his jumper is off, he doesnt do much..Grecco is a solid point, but they mayneed an upgrade their next year if they want to be a true contender...Virgil Gray is the best offensive player in the league...He is the most versatile and athletic guy...he is a little bit out of control, but he can get to the rack anytime he wants...

my only concern a bout stevens is that they have so many weapons, that it is hard for someone to step up on a consistent basis...their bench is also a little shaky...baker is solid, but beyond that, its questionable...higgins is a good garbage man off the bench but he needs to realize he is not a scorer and to relax with his field goal attempts...joe ayodele is a good reserve off the bench but he has rocks for hands...

Farid, Gray, Williams, and Grecco/Pass will lead them to the NCAA tournament this year...Anything can happen in the league tournament as we have seen, but they will def be in the top 2 in the league..

Jacketfan2011 · January 25, 2008, 10:39:29 AM

Well....that should spark a debate

Chief1101 · January 25, 2008, 10:46:35 AM

tru...but do not get it twisted..

burton and mcadam are still top players in the league along with dude on naz and pg on utica...both real good players..

im just saying stevens is good and no one is talking about them..

Jacketfan2011 · January 25, 2008, 11:25:46 AM

No, no...wouldn't dream of twisting. I'm simply a UAA guy who lives in the E8 area and enjoys the vigor with which the E8 posters defend their teams/players.

gobombers15 · January 25, 2008, 12:13:32 PM

Quote from: Chief1101 on January 25, 2008, 10:46:35 AM
tru...but do not get it twisted..

burton and mcadam are still top players in the league along with dude on naz and pg on utica...both real good players..

im just saying stevens is good and no one is talking about them..

I think people are talking about them. There just doesn't happen to be as many Stevens fans on the board as Ithaca or Fisher fans, nor fans as passionate as a certain Utica fans. I think if you took a poll right now, most people would think that Stevens is the favorite in the conference. Part of the lack of conversation about Stevens stems from the fact that people don't know a ton about them. Don't forget, this is their first year in the conference. I don't think it's a slight by any means.

JQV · January 25, 2008, 01:10:32 PM

Quote from: Chief1101 on January 25, 2008, 10:24:52 AMFarid, Gray, Williams, and Grecco/Pass will lead them to the NCAA tournament this year...Anything can happen in the league tournament as we have seen, but they will def be in the top 2 in the league..

I'll disagree with this statement. Stevens is a great team but I think the E8 is still a one bid league. If they don't win the conference tournament (which I think is pretty likely if they don't host it since they have shown difficulty playing after the bus ride) then they stay home or go to ECACs.

The only way that the E8 is a two-bid league however, is if Stevens gets beat in the title game. And still it feels like a very longshot then.

(Of course, I said the same thing during football season and we got three teams in).

FisherDynasty · January 25, 2008, 01:42:27 PM

I think Stevens is in no matter what unless they lose 4 more games before tourny time (3 reg seasons and the conf tourny). They only have 2 losses and are getting the recognition needed to get an at large. There are not too many top contenders this year in the East Region, all though they may not be considered east come tourny time, even the atlantic is not very strong. Count my words they are in unless they drop a ton of games at the end of the season. However, they are the only one getting an at large sans possibly naz if they win out the e8 reg season and drop one in the tourny.

If its such a long shot, who are the at large teams you see getting in over them from the east, atlantic, and northeast?

Cyclone0205 · January 25, 2008, 01:46:16 PM

I have to back Fisher on this one. Stevens has been in the D3Hoops Top 25 all year (I know this doesn't mean much as we saw NYU and Oshkosh left home last year) but they are what, 13-2 or 14-2 and shouldn't lose more than 2 more games going into the conference tournament. If they enter the conference tournament at something around 20-4, they're in, especially given what they did in the tournament last year in their first appearance (wins over #18 WPI, win over NJAC champ Ramapo, and loss in sweet 16 to Amherst..who won the whole thing).

bamm · January 25, 2008, 01:53:29 PM

Quote from: Jacketfan2011 on January 25, 2008, 10:39:29 AM
Well....that should spark a debate

Yeah, it's a touch annoying to have someone declare three different players on the same team the "best" in the conference at anything.

In this case, I just learned that Williams is the "strongest" big man in the E8, Farid is the best rebounder, and Gray is the best offensive player.

Also, Stevens has a bench player that is better than everyone else's starters.

The only part I'm confused about is how they've ever lost.