MBB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[GP87]

  It will be interesting to see if there's another game in the ODAC tournament between these 2 - if so, Macedo has to find a way to stop Strong.  It sounds like he had a great game (congrats). 

I don't think they have to necessarily stop Strong to win.  They haven't "stopped" him in either meeting (18 and 30), and they won both games.  In my opinion, the Marlins have to just do what they have done.  Play Strong hard, but he will get his, and don't let the other guys beat you. 

Not saying it is at this level, but for years people tried to stop Michael Jordan, but he always go his.  You had to stop Pippen and company to beat the Bulls.

18 is "stopping" compared to 30.  The concept with Jordan was that you had to contain him as well as possible.  If he went off for 40+, chances were you weren't going to beat the bulls regardless of the rest of the team.  If Strong goes 30+ the Quakers are going to win nearly all the time.  VWC pulled out a close one but I know Macedo prefers the 18 point version of the Quaker star.  Perhaps I should've worded it differently, but Macedo and the Marlins must limit Strong better or they might not sneak out with the win next time.  Snipes isn't likely to go 3-15 any more.  I just hope we get to see another game between these 2 this year.


18 and 6 - 75-55 Loss
30 and 14 - 72-69 Loss

Seems to be a pattern but maybe not.  I haven't researched the Quakers season but in these 2 games it seems that as goes Strong, so go the Quakers. 

[hasanova]

FYI - This week's Top 25 is out.  VWC falls from 4th to 8th and GC actually moves up a spot from 25th to 24th.

Guilford lost 1/3 of their votes (50, vs. 75 last week), so their having moved up one place is function of others around them moving down faster than they did.

Yes, I had also noticed the point total drop and realized that was the case.  I wasn't implying the rise was because we had garnered more votes, just stating facts about poll positions.  This late in the season, a lot of teams are drawing votes for the last 10 spots or so. 

[hasanova]

There seems to be a pattern but maybe not.  I haven't researched the Quakers season but in these 2 games it seems that as goes Strong, so go the Quakers.

Everyone knows the Quakers will go as far as Ben Strong can carry them, but it's not a one-man team.  Everyone contributes, but Snipes is a close second.   Snipes' off game clearly hurt yesterday.  In fact, he had a less than stellar weekend.  Here's a guy who was averaging 19.5 who got 16 total in the two games.

In fact, he sat the last 6 or 7 minutes of a close game.  At first I thought he had fouled out and then I realized he had four, but was struggling so much Palombo went with freshmen Henson and Strickland.  One play in particular comes to mind.  Guilford was down one late in the game and Snipes takes the ball into the lane, spins and has a lay-up for the lead on the left side of the basket.  When he's on, he makes that shot and the Quakers have the lead.  This weekend they weren't falling.  Clearly, Guilford needs Strong to have a big game, but we also win if Snipes has a reasonable game.  If he goes 5 of 15 from the field instead of 3 of 15 or 1 of 5 from behind the arc instead of 0 for 5, the Quakers win.  He didn't, however, and the result was a 3 point loss.  The Quakers shot 28 of 52 even with Snipes going 3 of 15, so we had a good game.  Jordan had a tough weekend, but I expect him to be back with a vengeance.  When he and Strong are both on, we'll be hard to beat.  Maybe he got it out of his system and will close with a bang.  I hope so!

[GP87]

I couldn't agree more.  If Snipes has his normal game, the team wins and the main reason would've been Strong's huge night.  The Marlins can't let him have another big game if the two meet again, because it is doubtful Snipes will have another poor game.  The Marlins defense may be good, but like the example you gave, he wasn't playing at his normal level.  It's always a team game; the team with a 30 and 14 player just has an advantage the Marlins and the ODAC must strive to control. 

Good luck to both teams and all the ODAC.  Anyone can fall on any night; that's what makes college basketball so great.

[hasanova]

Dear Abby and dear Pat (Coleman),

If a certain poster on the GSAC board insists on smiting another poster daily even though he has no logical reason to do so, how long can he do this childish behavior before he uses up his "smite allotment" for one person?  I figure he's done it at least 55-60 times so far.  In a feeble-minded attempt to cover his tracks, he generally waits until after bedtime and while his victim is not on the computer.  He's been asked privately to stop, but he persists even though he's been caught red-handed and confronted more than once.  It's unfortunate a certain 20-year old 6'7" forward did not transfer to the college he wanted him to attend, but that's life.  This sort of behavior, however, verifies that the young man's judgment was sound.  This "Smiterman" is generally avoided and was even given a couple of karma as a sign of goodwill (and befitting his superhero status!) when he was asked to stop.  Short of publicly calling him a jerk and driving to a southern state between South Carolina and Florida to kick his a$$, what do you think should be done?

Signed, confused and slightly peeved in NC

PS  I know people on Guilford's football team.  lol

[Pat Coleman]

Hmm, unfortunately the FAQ references a part of the software we were unable to get to work. There is not allotment at the moment.

[Pat Coleman]

I've bumped a particular poster back down to JV. That should keep him from smiting for a while.

[jdubyadubya]

Nova - what's the latest on the Quakers and the Palestinians?

[hasanova]

Nova - what's the latest on the Quakers and the Palestinians?

Not sure, jww.  Today is the first day I saw nothing in the local paper, so perhaps the furor has subsided some.  I know the college is moving forward with their internal judicial process, but I expect that to be confidential for now.  I know some of the players and their families have tried to file counter charges against their accusers, but have, according to them, been thwarted thus far by the magistrate's office.  It is not a daily news story for now, but it is far from resolved.  I spoke to a football coach on Sunday and he says his players are getting a bad deal in the press and that many more facts will surface.  He and the rest of the football coaches are concentrating on recruiting, mentoring their charges and cooperating in the internal and external investigations.  I hope this is resolved quickly and fairly, but it has spurred a lot of sensitive introspection on campus in the past week, and that's always a good thing regardless of the embryo that started it.

[jdubyadubya]

any satellite trucks hanging around yet?

[hasanova]

any satellite trucks hanging around yet?

If there's a new development, they're there.  Head Coach Kiesel told me on Sunday that he was interviewed by the New York Times.  There is an excellent piece posted today by theaprof on the ODAC football board.  You should read it.

[jdubyadubya]

Nova  - Ms. Redden's article about the "situation" is good, particularly from the school's standpoint. I actually thought Guilford was more Quaker than just 10%, referred to in the article as "card carrying Quakers." What I'd like to know is exactly who are these football players and who are the Palestinian students. Was it racially and ethnically motivated? We have already alluded to a particular Marlins player taunting Guilford students, or was it the other way around? Who was proacting and who was reacting? One respondent suggested that Guilford eliminates football. Obviously that person does not understand the revenue football brings to the school from tuition, room, board, fees, etc. I remember when Shenandoah University added football the argument for it was that it was going to bring 100 new paying bodies into the fold. Bottom line, economics. Bottom line, bottom line....incidents like these are becoming all too prevalent in our society. College and universities and DI through DIII officials, NCAA, NAIA, etc., need to sit down and discuss this seriously. Recently, for instance, one of the top high school basketball players in the nation was ejected and suspended for hitting a referee.
This is unacceptable.

[hasanova]

Nova  - Ms. Redden's article about the "situation" is good, particularly from the school's standpoint.  I agree.  I thought it was well researched and written.   I actually thought Guilford was more Quaker than just 10%, referred to in the article as "card carrying Quakers."  With only 90,000 Quakers, how Quaker can it be?  I believe she said Earlham had the most at 12%.  Guilford attracts a national and international student body, so diversity is stressed in the composition of the student body.  What I'd like to know is exactly who are these football players (they're just kids recruited as student athletes for football from High Schools in the southeast) and who are the Palestinian students (from what I understand they all attended a Quaker HS in Ramallah and were recruited for college in the USA when Guilford faculty made one of their regular "study abroad" trips with GC students.  The NCSU student was their friend from HS and came over to Greensboro from Raleigh for a weekend visit). Was it racially and ethnically motivated? That's what we need to discover.   We have already alluded to a particular Marlins player taunting Guilford students, or was it the other way around? There was some of both, but I hold the player on the court to a high standard.  I think TonTon made the first posture to the crowd.  Who was proacting and who was reacting? One respondent suggested that Guilford eliminates football. (an overreaction that won't happen) Obviously that person does not understand the revenue football brings to the school from tuition, room, board, fees, etc. I remember when Shenandoah University added football the argument for it was that it was going to bring 100 new paying bodies into the fold.  Guilford also wants a healthy balance of male/female students and sports also bring generally positive exposure to a school.   Bottom line, economics. Bottom line, bottom line....incidents like these are becoming all too prevalent in our society. I agree - from the pros on down to Little League.  College and universities and DI through DIII officials, NCAA, NAIA, etc., need to sit down and discuss this seriously.   Again, I couldn't agree more.   Recently, for instance, one of the top high school basketball players in the nation was ejected and suspended for hitting a referee. This is unacceptable. Absolutely no argument from me.  The game cannot be more important than rules of civilized behavior.

[jdubyadubya]

Nova - Thanks for your response. Insightful.

[allsky7]

Nova  - Ms. Redden's article about the "situation" is good, particularly from the school's standpoint.  I agree.  I thought it was well researched and written.   I actually thought Guilford was more Quaker than just 10%, referred to in the article as "card carrying Quakers."  With only 90,000 Quakers, how Quaker can it be?  I believe she said Earlham had the most at 12%.  Guilford attracts a national and international student body, so diversity is stressed in the composition of the student body.  What I'd like to know is exactly who are these football players (they're just kids recruited as student athletes for football from High Schools in the southeast) and who are the Palestinian students (from what I understand they all attended a Quaker HS in the Ramallah and were recruited for college in the USA when Guilford faculty made one of their regular "study abroad" trips with GC students.  The NCSU student was their friend from HS and came over to Greensboro from Raleigh for a weekend visit). Was it racially and ethnically motivated? That's what we need to discover.   We have already alluded to a particular Marlins player taunting Guilford students, or was it the other way around? There was some of both, but I hold the player on the court to a high standard.  I think TonTon made the first posture to the crowd.  Who was proacting and who was reacting? One respondent suggested that Guilford eliminates football. (an overreaction that won't happen) Obviously that person does not understand the revenue football brings to the school from tuition, room, board, fees, etc. I remember when Shenandoah University added football the argument for it was that it was going to bring 100 new paying bodies into the fold.  Guilford also want a healthy balance of male/female students and sports also bring generally postive exposure to a school.   Bottom line, economics. Bottom line, bottom line....incidents like these are becoming all too prevalent in our society. I agree - from the pros on down to Little League.  College and universities and DI through DIII officials, NCAA, NAIA, etc., need to sit down and discuss this seriously.   Again, I couldn't agree more.   Recently, for instance, one of the top high school basketball players in the nation was ejected and suspended for hitting a referee. This is unacceptable. Absolutely no argument from me.  The game cannot be more important than rules of civilized behavior.

      One additional comment. I agree that the poster that suggested doing away with the football program is a ridiculous overreaction but I think it speaks for a small segment out there that would like to do away with  football. (or perhaps sports in general) At the risk of sounding cliche, the beauty of a liberal arts education is that it creates well rounded individuals. The lessons I learned in my sports experience are at least equal to what I learned in a classroom. In other words, they better prepared me to be part of "civilized" society.  That small segment I referred to either resents that or they just don't get it.  8)