MBB: Landmark Conference

[cold_case]

Lefty2, you are incorrect. PSU Hazleton is not DIII. 

There's a first time for everything.

There's also a first time to be right. I'm waiting, lefthander.

[NEPAFAN]

Scrantons schedule looks adequate.  I only question why scranton goes on the road to PSU Hazleton every other year.  They are not DIII

So we still don't have an answer to this question?

[NEPAFAN]

Noticed CUA and SusqU have twitter accounts....when do the rest of the teams and the conference get on the bandwagon?




http://twitter.com/cuacardinals


http://twitter.com/GOSusqU

[RoyalGator]

Its been a while since I visited this forum. 

As for the Royals schedule, its is terrible, playing PSU-Hazelton (2nd year in a row - unacceptable), Penn Tech, and this whole Landmine experiment still irks me.  Usually I am upbeat; however, as somebody said we could 20 - 5 and loose the Landmine Title game and not make the NCAAs.

At least I have something to look forward to with the Lady Royals - looks like it will be another great year.  Just wish they played their old rivals - especially Kings and Desales!!!

[kate]

Good morning, Royal Gator!  Del Val misses playing the Royals, too, ya know!  There was always an electric/somewhat hostile  atmosphere surrounding our games.  Just have to question your problem with a few of the teams on your schedule.  In the spirit of D3, isn't that what it's all about?  Playing "lesser" teams & making them better?  i've mentioned before on here that Marywood used to be a sure win for the Aggie women, now each year they've gotten stronger & stronger.  Last year at Scranton they beat us badly.  Wasn't at that game so i really don't know exactly what happened.  i'm a tad proud of Marywood's accomplishment, though.  This year it's up to my Aggies to take the reins & show em who's boss  !

[G-manWU]

Kate,

As a Marywood grad student who has grown up a few blocks from the campus, I can say it's quite good to see the Pacers become more competitive in a number of sports, including basketball. The school has developed a great deal, both in terms of buildings/facilities, as well as academic offerings and programs- that includes include the region's first architecture school this year.

As for playing the Pacers, as well as the various PSU campuses, there's more than a few factors that go into schedule-making. Obviously many of the posters on here want their team to line up a slate of the country's top D3 teams, but when it comes to factors such as distance from campus and class time missed, it's not always possible to jet-set around the northeast and elsewhere to line up against powerhouses for every non-conference game. With that in mind, it's no uncommon for all the area schools to have a few dates with penn Tech and PSU-Hazelton...I suppose the Landmine is just catching the trend

And for those of you worrying about a weak non-conference slate keeping the team out of the NCAA tournament, it means you are either afraid the Royals won't win the league again, or are concerned about the rest of the league being too weak to provide quality competition. Since Scranton owns all of the Landmine Championships to date, my guess is on the latter....

[kate]

Hello G-manWU!  Your point about current economics directing some of the scheduling is a very valid one.  Since five of the eight Landmark members are former MAC, we gotta wish em luck.  Ages ago, a poster from Drew reminded me that it was NOT the student athletes who made the new league decision, so we should be supportive (i suppose  ) .  You had an excellent post.

[saratoga]

Man, have I had it wrong all these years. I thought the reason you played cupcakes was to pick up easy wins & pad the "W" column. I never realized it was to make the other team a little bit better. All those years I thought Wilkes was looking for easy wins by playing every Bible school west of Istanbul & here they were just trying to make the less fortunate a little bit more competitive.
  I feel much better now about Scranton's schedule & the reasons for it. Hopefully, they can add Cal Tech as the 25th. game & truly reach out to the less fortunate.

[kate]

Hey, Saratoga - a little cranky and sarcastic before lunch, are we?  Wow, first i can't believe i've never met you with all the Aggie/Lady Royals games we jointly attended, & second - ARE you REAL, or just a plant to hype D3 posting???  Sadly, for us (poor pathetic souls) we don't have a common game this season, or i would look for you!  Just to shake your hand, of course.  Hat's off to Division 3 colleges and universities everywhere - each & every one of em!!!

[saratoga]

Kate: 1.yes.  2. I know...some day hopefully.  3. Memorex.

[kate]

i'm sorry, "memorex"  - that's a bit too cerebral for me - don't get it

[G-manWU]

Saratoga,

Indeed the spirit of giving and helping those without the gift of tradition to build their own has arrived on Mulberry Street- we know that the Jesuits will be quite impressed that the spirit of service and sacrifice has been put into practice in the Long Center  And since I haven't looked at the schedule, I do hope the games are here in the Electric City...I mean, what AD and coaching staff in the Landmark would want to tell the school prez that the basketball team is stuck in the snow coming back from.....Hazelton?

As for Wilkes, we indeed did play BBC all four seasons I was there, and the Defenders put up some good contests in those years. After having attended many football games at Michie Stadium over the years, I might say BBC reminded me of a service academy-style outfit......perhaps not the most talent, but plenty of heart and well-coached, and WITH a high degree of sportsmanship. It was a pleasure to have them on the schedule.

If you want to talk about bigger names than that, we had a home-and-away with Lincoln my freshman year, then my sophomore season we closed out the first semester with the Lions coming to the Martz Center nationally ranked and with a roster featuring Kyle Myrick, the eventual D3 player of the year who averaged over 35 PPG on the SEASON, if I remember correctly. In one of the best games in recent years on Franklin Street, we knocked off the men in orange in double-overitme, with Evan Walters registering a triple-double. It was, perhaps, the finest win of my four seasons.......Hell of a way to go home for Christmas  8)

And a few weeks later, we go on the road for the next and lose to....Marywood  Guess your guys weren't the only ones.........

[G-manWU]

Sorry, the words "with" and "season" should not be in all caps...my bad 

Kate, thanks for the comments. If you'll be around for the DVC homecoming this year let me know...I hope to come down to see the Colonels, and since Aggie fans are some of the best tailgaters in the MAC, my freind's families may be able to put together a real smorgasbord if they get a good parking spot.

On that note, aren't you glad that the Roylas don't sponsor football anymore? I mean, with the tremendously weak non-confernece slates played in recent years and for this season by the Colonels and Aggies, we'd never hear the end of it. Just look at the no-names......Wesley, Muhlenberg, Salisbury, Montclair State, Rowan. A cupcake bonanza if you ever saw one, right? 

[NEPAFAN]

Scranton has updated its roster and it looks like Eli Londo is back for his last year of eligibility. I think this will be key since the Royals were not able to bring in any big men.

Thoughts from the anti-Danzig mob?


Oh and a little birdie told me that the U is developing some land up near Lake Scranton, no doubt to create a stadium and practice facility for their Football team which will dominate everyone from PSU-Hazleton to the mighty Wilkes Colonels.

[saratoga]

NEPAFAN: Even though I am not a card carrying member of the "anti-Danzig mob'(don't know anyone who is)...I do think Eli's return certainly will help. As you've stated, the Royals will  be tested with their inside game & especially defensivly in the post. His experience, wing span & rebounding ability will be welcome.
  Personally, I think Coach Danzig obviously knows the game and he seems like a real nice guy. I think the concerns you hear generally revolve around what appear to be fairly weak recruiting classes, the lack of progress once in the NCAA tournament & now a certainly less than challenging schedule. One finds that there is a general proportion of schedules getting watered down as the talent wanes...which brings us back to the first concern.
  I think many people were highly enthusiastic with his hire since he brought his recruiting background from Bucknell. Obviously, he's put together some good teams & has won the 1st. two Landmark Conference championships...not exactly chopped liver. On the other hand, none of his teams thus far have really excited or increased the fan base, or for that matter, even won over their fellow students for support. Many times in recent years the Lady Royals draw more than the men on the same night. In a way it's sad to see a few hundred people leave after a Lady Royal game when not that long ago the Long Center would be jammed on a Tuesday night. The play of the team is quite obviously dictated by the talent on the floor & there has been no seriously memorable year thus far & based on projections...none on the horizon.
  I'm sure Coach Danzig has made every effort to bring in great guards, super bigs & wings that can step back & nail the 3 all night. The problem is up to this point he really hasn't AND he is still very much in the shadow of one of the greatest coaches & showmen in DIII. Until he turns that corner, all things will naturally be compared to the Bess years...and until Coach Danzig can recruit his own Perfect Storm of players a bit more consistantly, those comparisons...right or wrong, will persist.