MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[donho]

 You beat me to the punch Pat.

Yes Jacketlawyer, without getting to involved both ODAC teams are playing in very winnable games.

[FISHTANKFAN]

 I was told that most schools schedules are made 2 years at a time.  In other words, dates are already set for next year. Most schools simply play the reverse of the previous year. Then any changes will be made for the next 2 year schedule.  Could be only for conference games, but I am not certain.  Perhaps I am wrong, but that is what I was told.

[stillfamily]

Narch there are about 70-80+ in region teams that EMU could call and would count. Not sure where you came up with 43.

reading is important...i said there are 43 true south region teams outside of the odac and probably another 35 who are in the administrative region or within 200 miles...that's 78, and falls well within your 70-80+ range - some quick research on my part does indicate that i've missed probably 15 to 20 schools that are within the administrative region 3 or 200 miles, so the pool is more like 100 than 70-80, but the fact is that i still don't believe 60 - 70 schools said they didn't want to play emu

In many of my posts I have indicated either the team had a scheduling conflict for the dates EMU needed to play or their schedule was full, or they were scared to LOSE. 1 of the three happend in 60-70 schools. Makes no difference if you buy it or not, it is the truth.

what you've indicated in the first two scenarios (scheduling conflicts) is not the question...but what you've said does not match up with what coach dean SAID on hoopsville:

this is a direct quote "i called probably 60 to 70 division 3 south region teams trying to get games, uh, and i had one school that was willing to play me, out of all of those...that was wooster" – he then proceded to say that "nobody wanted to play us" because of their record and the fact that they started 5 juniors – he also said that they "had a tournament at bridgewater college...a south region team said yes, but when they found out we were the 4th team they called back and said no" – the only mention of scheduling conflicts was in regard to the wooster game – "there were a whole lot of division 3 south region teams...that didn't want to play us" (go to the hoopsville broadcast at around 25:30 to 28:00...you can hear it for yourself) – if i'm hearing this, i'm not sure how else to interpret it – coach dean has said pretty clearly that 60 to 70 south region teams did not want to play them, presumably because emu was too good – i simply don't believe for a moment that perhaps as much as 70% (certainly at least 60%) of the ooc teams in the region are that afraid of losing a basketball game

his statements are either 1.) true, 2.) false or 3.) exaggerated – i'm not calling coach kirby dean a liar, but i simply don't believe that there isn't a good bit of hyperbole in all of these statements he made regarding their schedule – vwc, rmc, hsc, maryville and others are all pretty strong south region teams year-in, year-out, and they don't have an ooc schedule which is 2/3 non-region games...

the irony in all of this is that he starts the conversation by saying "i want to be careful not to sound bitter" (24:40)...

You skate a fine line my friend. Don't question his integrity and don't question mine. Believe it, it is the truth. If he said it is true, it's true. Signed Sealed and Delivered.

[donho]

 VWC will be playing Del. Valley college. It appears they have a very limited bench as they have 5 players playing 30 minutes or more with 2 players playing at 35 and 36 minutes a game.  With VWC 10 -11 man rotation they may wear them down. They also have two guys at 22 and 12 minutes a game the rest of team is a couple minutes here and a couple there.

[donho]

 Yellowjackets will be playing Alvernia who finished regular season at 18-6. They have 5 players playing 30 or more minutes with the top four playing 37,35, and two at 33 minutes per game.Can they handle the physical play of the Jackets or will they wear down?

[hsctigers2002]

in regards to EMU not being able to schedule any south regioners, I find it hard to believe as well, but if Coach Dean says that is what happened then I believe it, even if it is hard to believe.

[hasanova]

I fully understand the frustration of EMU and its fans for this post-season.  You had a good team and were, undoubtedly, in the nation's Top 61.  Unfortunately, however, that's not how the present "system" works.  I think EMU knew, with five seniors, this was perhaps "the year".  I've kept fairly guiet to let everyone get it "out of their system," but now, truthfully, it's a bit boring.

"If" EMU's athletic prowess kept the Royals from scheduling in-region games in 2010-11, I think they'll get most of the games they want in 2011-12.  In my admttedly limited first-hand opinion, EMU won't be able to sustain what they've accomplished the last two years.  On paper, it certainly appears to me that EMU will be back to a .500-.550 team the next few seasons, especially against all those teams without "Bible" in their name.

Most teams don't stay down forever, but it's cyclical.  They don't necessarily stay on top forever either.  Good luck with your recruiting and scheduling.  Your success the past few seasons has been good for the school and the ODAC.

[narch]

You skate a fine line my friend. Don't question his integrity and don't question mine. Believe it, it is the truth. If he said it is true, it's true. Signed Sealed and Delivered.

is this some type of message board threat? i mean, really? i skate a fine line? what exactly does that mean? - don't question integrity? really? or what?

when folks are emotional, they sometimes make statements that aren't entirely true...i believe this to be the case - known facts have been cited which support the fact that other programs, with more storied traditions and history, have no problem getting regional games - i could care less if it was you who said it, kirby dean who said it or the dalai lama who said it...i simply don't believe that 60 to 70 d3 coaches were so afraid of losing a basketball game that they refused to play emu

[rmc1982]

On a PERTINENT note.....I just read Pat Coleman's assessment of the brackets and he picks Middlebury, NOT the Jackets, to come out of that bracket unscathed......hope we make you eat those words Pat,.....(in the kindest way possible, of course... ).....GO JACKETS!

[algernon]

How good will EMU be next season?  With five key seniors leaving, I suspect it may be a few years before the Royals can duplicate the success they've had the last two years.

I think VWC and RMC will still be strong in 2011-12.  I also see HSC, Randolph and W&L as teams on the rise.  Guilford needed a year to rebuild a bit - I expect them to be a twenty game winner again.  I'm a little more uncertain about what next season holds for the Royals.   Anyone else have an opinion?

Roanoke, E&H, LC and BC - as they say in Missouri, show me what you can do.

I generally agree with you, hasa.  I think that VWC and HSC have to be the preseason favorites, at this point.  Both teams are bringing back almost (or) all of their players.  Hampden-Sydney finished the season on a roll, beating Virginia Wesleyan and Guilford, and coming within a hair of beating both Randolph-Macon and EMU, so we are feeling very positive about the possibilities next year.  Guilford's done extremely well in a "rebuilding" year and will undoubtedly among those at the top of the heap.   .The EMU team will be fine, certainly among the 5 or 6 teams in the conference, given their coach and the quality of play among the best of their roster this year.  That's the same feeling I have about Randolph-Macon; they'll have Croskey, Giggetts, and Desgain coming back .... and Nathan Davis.  Lynchburg, Randolph, and Washington & Lee may still be middle of the pack, with Roanoke, Bridgewater, and Emory & Henry hoping they can prove predictions such as mine wrong.

[algernon]

On a PERTINENT note.....I just read Pat Coleman's assessment of the brackets and he picks Middlebury, NOT the Jackets, to come out of that bracket unscathed......hope we make you eat those words Pat,.....(in the kindest way possible, of course... ).....GO JACKETS!

Did Pat predict that the Jackets would make it to the Final Four last year?

We'll have to go back and look at whether he predicted that Guilford would make it to the Final Four .....

Come to think of it, I'll bet he didn't predict that EMU would make it to the Elite Eight (as they very well could have again this year) .....    

I've picked my bracket and have Virginia Wesleyan beating Delaware Valley and Franklin and Marshall to get to the sectional at Williams, where they'll lose their Sweet Sixteen game to the Ephs.  On the other side of the bracket, I have Randolph-Macon winning their first two games against Alvernia and St. Mary's, traveling to Middlebury, Vermont (or Mahway, NJ?) to defeat Ramapo and Middlebury, and then beating both Stevens Point and Williams to return the national championship trophy to the ODAC once again in 2011.

[2RMCFans]

^ well, algernon, from reading here several years, we know you to be a very smart & well-informed basketball fan.... so we hope you're right, even if it does mean travel to Vermont next weekend!

But we do also hope the Marlins will go far in the tournament.

GO JACKETS!!!

[hasanova]

You skate a fine line my friend. Don't question his integrity and don't question mine. Believe it, it is the truth. If he said it is true, it's true. Signed Sealed and Delivered.

is this some type of message board threat? i mean, really? i skate a fine line? what exactly does that mean? - don't question integrity? really? or what?

when folks are emotional, they sometimes make statements that aren't entirely true...i believe this to be the case - known facts have been cited which support the fact that other programs, with more storied traditions and history, have no problem getting regional games - i could care less if it was you who said it, kirby dean who said it or the dalai lama who said it...i simply don't believe that 60 to 70 d3 coaches were so afraid of losing a basketball game that they refused to play emu

I trust you, narch. 

[78rmc]

R-MC Head Coach Nathan Davis Featured on John Thompson Show

http://athletics.rmc.edu/sports/mbkb/2010-11/releases/mbball-thompson

Wonder, if Coach Thompson remembers when he and his Hoyas lost to RMC in Ashland?  I'm sure he does!

[rmc1982]

On a PERTINENT note.....I just read Pat Coleman's assessment of the brackets and he picks Middlebury, NOT the Jackets, to come out of that bracket unscathed......hope we make you eat those words Pat,.....(in the kindest way possible, of course... ).....GO JACKETS!

Did Pat predict that the Jackets would make it to the Final Four last year?

We'll have to go back and look at whether he predicted that Guilford would make it to the Final Four .....

Come to think of it, I'll bet he didn't predict that EMU would make it to the Elite Eight (as they very well could have again this year) .....    

I've picked my bracket and have Virginia Wesleyan beating Delaware Valley and Franklin and Marshall to get to the sectional at Williams, where they'll lose their Sweet Sixteen game to the Ephs.  On the other side of the bracket, I have Randolph-Macon winning their first two games against Alvernia and St. Mary's, traveling to Middlebury, Vermont (or Mahway, NJ?) to defeat Ramapo and Middlebury, and then beating both Stevens Point and Williams to return the national championship trophy to the ODAC once again in 2011.......

I sincerely hope you're right Algernon!! I hope you are