WBB: Middle Atlantic Conference board archive

saratoga · February 26, 2006, 12:56:17 AM

Dear Messiah Fan: I and about 3,000 other loyal Royal fans know exactly what you are talking about...just from the mens perspective. It is well known that Scranton's mens team has literally been decimated by injuries all season & kids who were projected to get little or no playing time have actually started & performed magnificently under the conditions. Scranton was given no chance to win their conference at semester break because of the loss of so many key players...but guess what, they kept winning & winning & just today they actually captured the MAC Freedom Championship. Did Coach Danzig get Coach of the Year...hell no, that went to the coach of the 4th. place team...a team that had the Player of the Year...Rookie of the Year & a 4 year starter at pt. guard...so talk about disgusting politics from your peers...we've seen it too! Mike Miller is a class guy & people that know b-ball recognize what he's accomplished...just wish the morons at Kings & Wilkes & FDU could put aside their pettiness & give it to the REAL Coach...but, while they are sending their uniforms out to the dry cleaners...Scranton & Messiah are still playing ...and that's validation enough!!!!

Former Falcon · February 26, 2006, 11:13:20 AM

As a former player for Coach Miller, it means a lot to see someone recognize the program. Messiah has a TREMENDOUSLY talented coaching staff and they go virtually unrecognized year after year. To the best of my knowledge, he won CofY back in '01 when they went to the finals. . but as you can see from the previous post, Coach Miller puts together a STRONG team year after year. I understand wanting to recognize different coaches. . but come on. . when he earns it, he earns it!!

As for the team, it amazes me that a team who has hovered in the top 10 all season has been talked about on this board roughly three times all year! Their record speaks for them . . .they are talented and they deserve some recognition.

This board has talked recently about how the selection process works for Player of the Year. It appears that your team record and PPG are the key factors to recieving the honor. Eli Cook DESERVED the award this year. Applegate is a great player, but look at Eli's stats. She is an AMAZING all around player. It is not her fault that there are MANY other talented players on her team that can score. She is an unselfish player, but her presence on the court makes an undeniable impact. In blocks, steals, assists, rebounds. . when is the league going to move away from looking at who scores the most points, and look at who is the best all around player? The award is PLAYER OF THE YEAR after all. . not LEAGUE LEADING SCORER.

mytwocents · February 26, 2006, 12:18:33 PM

I would have to agree with the 2 prior Messiah posters. It sure seems that Coach Miller and Eli Cook have been slighted by the conference coaches, especially Coach Miller. I am glad to see a former player post their opinion. Maybe a few more could step up to the plate. There have not been to many Falcon posters on the thread this year for whatever reason. So far the Falcons have again had an excellent season. Hopefully this years squad can take it up another level. They surely have the players and coaching staff to do so but the road leads through Scranton. Is this the year? I sure hope so.

kate · February 26, 2006, 12:36:22 PM

Congratulations to the Lady Royals. Now please bring home the sushi = GO SCRANTON - hope you all know that the MAC fans will be very happy, not to mention proud!

roy_a · February 26, 2006, 12:48:14 PM

Welcome Commonwealth posters....we have not really had any all year.....Not just where have the Messiah fans been but do the other schools have any representation[fans]

About the voting.it sure is interesting who wins the awards vs who votes. The Mac voters have not always been aligned with the national voters. As I recal a few years ago Whitney Bull, A very nice player from Wilkes did not win the conference player of the year yet the national votes, or a different set of voters, thought so highly of her that she won the Jostes Award for th top player on the country??Likewise this year with Eli Cook, She is not the " best " in the conference, yet to another group she is one of the top few players in the country???

Anyway..Congrats to Scranton and Messiah on the conference titles they each won. As for other coference teams making it to the big dance?? None from the Freedom any from the Comm??

luvdahoops · February 26, 2006, 05:04:27 PM

Congrats, and good luck, to Eli Cook, the Commowealth Conference tournament's Most Valuable Player. Eli has been selected as a finalist for the Josten's Trophy. one of ten women still being considered for the award.

FalconFan · February 26, 2006, 06:03:49 PM

QuoteAs for other coference teams making it to the big dance?? None from the Freedom any from the Comm??

Moravian may get a bid. They were ranked 24 in the last d3hoops poll.

roy_a · February 26, 2006, 08:08:21 PM

Although I am anxiously awaiting the selection/pairing for the tourney I do want to mention something about the Scranton-Desales game from last night. As strange as this may sound..The team that Desales has coming back next season, and for the next couple thereafter, will be a contender to be back in the NCAA playoffs.. The thing that may sound strange is that they lost by 32, but they are a young team with a great deal of potential...

Falcon Fan--thanks for the reminder about Moravian. I would agree that they will get in.

Pat Coleman · February 26, 2006, 08:09:04 PM

Quote from: roy_a on February 26, 2006, 12:48:14 PM
About the voting.it sure is interesting who wins the awards vs who votes. The Mac voters have not always been aligned with the national voters. As I recal a few years ago Whitney Bull, A very nice player from Wilkes did not win the conference player of the year yet the national votes, or a different set of voters, thought so highly of her that she won the Jostes Award for th top player on the country??Likewise this year with Eli Cook, She is not the " best " in the conference, yet to another group she is one of the top few players in the country???

Well, just for clarification on Jostens -- it is an award for top student-athlete, combining basketball, academics and community service. It is not solely a basketball award, unlike an all-conference team.

roy_a · February 26, 2006, 08:17:08 PM

Thanks Pat, I was unaware of such.

Pat Coleman · February 26, 2006, 08:29:15 PM

Yeah. The WBCA does a player of the year but that has been the only national player of the year award that is solely based on on-court performance.

roy_a · February 27, 2006, 09:51:59 AM

Since Scranton is the highest seed in their bracket will they host the Sectional if they win both games this coming weekend?

hoopmanic1 · February 27, 2006, 10:18:00 AM

At the end of the day it was Messiah with the conference trophy, and Cook with the MVP award....so I hope the Com Coaches will have a little mmore integrity and judgement next year when they vote.
But the big problem is which game to go to next Friday...Gonna have to go see the Miracle MEn play as the women will probably romp, and after the Widener game, I gotta go see if the Men are the team of destiny...
But BOTH TEAMS ARE GOING TO THE BIG DANCE!!!!!!

BOOOOOO YYAAAAAAAAAAAAA

hoopmanic1 · February 27, 2006, 10:46:28 AM

One last comment on the voting.
It just makes the other coaches and the league look bad when the obvious right thing to do doesn't get done, if that makes sense.

finalfour · February 27, 2006, 11:13:49 AM

To hoopmanic and former falcon: regarding the COY and POY for the commonwealth conference. First, COY is not supposed to be given to the coach who wins the championship every year (obivously the freedom side does not agree), but to the coach who gets the most out of his or her team that year (Coach Richter did that at DeSales). Albright was picked dead last in the preseason coaches poll and were in the playoff hunt until the last day of the regular season. Coach Luck did all this with her best player going down with a torn ACL in the last two weeks of the season. It is pretty easy to win lots of games when DI players fall into your lap and you can attract players with your history. Coach Luck has done a great job recruiting and getting her players to play hard at a place that is not used to winning.
As for POY, you say that it shouldn't go to the conference's leading scorer which if that was the case Chelsea Luhta from Widener would have won. Again, it is not an award given to the player with the best stats, but to the player who does the most for her TEAM. You are correct in saying that Eli Cook has good players around her, Kelly Applegate does as well, but without Applegate, Moravian would be much worse off than Messiah would be without Cook. It is also unfair to judge a player (Applegate) on seeing her in one game, she is truly a dominate player that deserved this award.
As for "where have the commonwealth posters been this year" we prefer to enjoy the games and not dissect every aspect of the game and rip into players and coaches.
Cogratulations and good luck to all the teams in the tournament!