MBB: Landmark Conference

[HoopJunky]

"yet they continue to lose"

they are a playoff team, over .500... tough to say 'continue'

you are speaking as if this young Su team was EXPECTED to go into scnraton and win this game...and appear as though you are upset and disgusted that they did not.  i honestly cant tell you the last time SUhas won at scranton.  lets cut some slack.   you should more so be EXPECTING scranton to protect their home court---and they did.   why is SU at fault and accused of underachieving now?
---just imagine if scranton had lost!!! good grief, we wouldnt hear the end of it about how scranton is underachieveing, cant protect home court, danzig's gotta go, etc etc....and you know that is true.

They won at the long center during the '06-'07 season i believe..

[hoopsallday]

I agree with Dave that the players from the MM deserve consideration for the POY race. Even though they have no dominant scorer... that is what makes them so dangerous and a tough match up. They have 4 starters that are capable for going for 20 any given night and players off the bench capable of hurting you

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

COY: Krikorian... nothing against Danzig, but it didn't start out well. Where as I don't think anyone thought Merchant Marine would be controlling this conference at any point in the season.

Yeah, who would of thought a team with four starters and 12 lettermen back from a year ago would be in their position.
You Mason-Dixon Twosome crack me up. Remind me to write a humorous column about this board when I'm hard pressed for copy.
Unbelievable!!!

cold_case - I have been following basketball for a long time... and I did NOT expect Merchant Marine to be dominating this conference. I figured Susquehanna would be on top... figured Scranton would still be in the argument... and certainly thought CUA would be at least battling for the lead. So... what Krikorian has done at Merchant Marine should be commended. It isn't like that school is in the same recruiting situation everyone else is in... and it isn't like this school just recruit anyone... they have their challenges (though, they don't consider them as such) and how they are playing this season is impressive.

And the Mason-Dixon Twosome is stupid... I do more then write on this board... I follow and cover this division on a national scope... it so happens my alma mater is in the Landmark and I see a majority of games because of my job as PA. You didn't even jump into this board this season until about half-way through and then only to fire stupid one-line comments. By the way... since I am down in Maryland... and am not affiliated with Merchant Marine... should I just be making comments about Goucher's players and coaches? Or would that be too much like everyone else?

Please contribute instead of creating names you think are funny or whitty... it isn't asking a lot.

[NEPAFAN]

Danzig has his team in the landmark playoffs for the third year in a row, the only Landmark team to accomplish this feat. Despite winning the first two landmark championships, he and his staff haven't been recognized by the league for Coaching Staff of the Year.


USMMA returned 3 all conference players to Scranton's 1.
Plenty of people thought USMMA would be in this position, that is why they were the pre-season number 2 in conference.

No contest.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Aren't the preseason polls voted on by coaches? Meaning "plenty of people" are 7 (own coach doesn't count).

I am not saying I am voting... just saying I am more impressed with what USMMA is doing... especially since they have played the most consistent and high-level basketball THIS season. I understand your thought on Danzig not being recognized in the last few seasons... but this is about THIS season... and I think Krikorian has done more this season with his team then any other team has accomplished... heck they are getting Top 25 votes (though, so did CUA for some reason).

[NEPAFAN]

Aren't the preseason polls voted on by coaches? Meaning "plenty of people" are 7 (own coach doesn't count).

Is there some silent majority that offers their opinion on the Landmark that I am missing?

[Matt Letourneau]

At some point, the Coach of the Year award actually started being "Overachieving Team of the Year" award.  It always annoyed me, particularly back in the CAC during the Mike Lonergan era where I think he won once during a stretch where he was easily, bar none, the best coach in the entire region.  In fact I believe he didn't win CAC Coach of the Year the year that he DID win National Coach of the Year.

So...it is hard for me to put a lot of stock in this particular award.  It would seem like a close decision between Danzig and Krikorian--both teams would appear to be overachieving compared to their talent level.  Either one of them would seem to be deserving.

[Matt Letourneau]

You are just an argumentative sort, aren't you?  
Just for the heck of it, here are minutes played by class last night:
Catholic
Senior: 4
Junior: 105
Sophomore: 16
Freshman: 75

Scranton:
Senior: 58
Junior: 65
Sophomore: 46
Freshman: 31

Percentage of minutes played by upperclassman:
Catholic: 55%  Scranton: 62%

I don't think you can call Catholic "young" anymore either, but they're getting a lot of minutes from young players, especially freshman.  

Argumentative? When you post on a public forum, you should expect to draw fire from the opposition, right? It's not about arguing as much as it's s disagreeing with opinions.
In regards to those minutes you posted by class rank, does it really matter? No, not at all.
Scranton's s upperclassmen, mainly seniors, have logged the bulk of the minutes the past three seasons.
Fact is, the percentage of minutes played by Scranton's seniors this year is down from those other years. That's why I said a couple weeks back that Scranton actually has more returning next season then they have the past two.

Hey, I'm up for a good argument--but this was a dumb one.  You are going to take issue with the fact that I said Scranton didn't "bury" Catholic at the end of the game when they obviously didn't?  Really?

No, it doesn't particularly matter, but I have thought all year that there is a misperception that Catholic is a veteran team when its sort of a mixed bag--yes, they've got a group of 3-4 core juniors, but pretty much everything else is coming from freshman. 

Now, at least last night, that group of juniors just didn't step up.  I like and respect those guys--but I REALLY hope they elevate their game in the next week--I mean everything--intensity, effort, hustle.  You see a ball going out of bounds?  Dive and save it--don't expect the ref to call it your way.  Stuff like that.  I don't think anyone can complain if a team loses and leaves it all out of the floor--but all I can say is that I sure HOPE they didn't leave it all out of the floor last night.

[BCannon]

 It would seem like a close decision between Danzig and Krikorian--both teams would appear to be overachieving compared to their talent level.  Either one of them would seem to be deserving.

put a check plus next to that statement except I dont really agree with the talent level comment...I think POY between Ashworth and Samuels...I think Scrant is joined by SU as being the only teams to play in playoffs all 3 yrs although I guess SU's ticket isnt finalized?

COY: Krikorian... nothing against Danzig, but it didn't start out well. Where as I don't think anyone thought Merchant Marine would be controlling this conference at any point in the season.

I went back and read some old posts and saw that in the early part of the season there was defn discussion about MM being conf favorite so perhaps you were surprised by this but not everyone.

[tpm4286]

Havne't been posting much this year with the added responsibilities at work....But I will be in attendance this Saturday during the Goucher vs. Catholic game. Always a battle and hopefully GC will get a win, it would be nice ending the season with a win over the rival.

[hoopit123]

USMMA has been my number 1 since day 1...i think that is what BCannon is alluding to. just call me Lunardi.

Yes, BCannon is also correct that US has been in the playoffs each year of the landmark as well. as 1 seed, T-1 (2) seed, and now 4 seed.  

Samuels is the POY.  he puts the wheels in motion for everything that team does; if he needs to drop 20 pts, he will even do that.  in his 3 or 4 years against SU, he is the only guard ive seen give it to majors from time to time---YES, even almighty randy arnold was consistently owned by majors--he was too quick for randy.

It tickles me pink that some others on this board have FINALLY come to terms that banzhaf is overrated.  Sure, he puts up numbers, but that doesnt mean he plays GREAT basketball.   i think that fact is finally coming to life. if there was a 7-footer in the landmark, he would average 25 ppg by putting in layups over everyone else, but that would not make him a great player.  a great 'lay-upper' maybe.  Watching JB just doesnt give you the impression that he is a POY.  he scores, but doesnt do enough for his TEAM to be the most 'valuable' player in the league.  as i've said before, replace JB with any other person with equal 'finishing' ability, and catholic wouldnt miss a beat. in other words, he doesnt do enough for his TEAM to make him irreplaceable.

[Matt Letourneau]

USMMA has been my number 1 since day 1...i think that is what BCannon is alluding to. just call me Lunardi.

Yes, BCannon is also correct that US has been in the playoffs each year of the landmark as well. as 1 seed, T-1 (2) seed, and now 4 seed.  

Samuels is the POY.  he puts the wheels in motion for everything that team does; if he needs to drop 20 pts, he will even do that.  in his 3 or 4 years against SU, he is the only guard ive seen give it to majors from time to time---YES, even almighty randy arnold was consistently owned by majors--he was too quick for randy.

It tickles me pink that some others on this board have FINALLY come to terms that banzhaf is overrated.  Sure, he puts up numbers, but that doesnt mean he plays GREAT basketball.   i think that fact is finally coming to life. if there was a 7-footer in the landmark, he would average 25 ppg by putting in layups over everyone else, but that would not make him a great player.  a great 'lay-upper' maybe.  Watching JB just doesnt give you the impression that he is a POY.  he scores, but doesnt do enough for his TEAM to be the most 'valuable' player in the league.  as i've said before, replace JB with any other person with equal 'finishing' ability, and catholic wouldnt miss a beat. in other words, he doesnt do enough for his TEAM to make him irreplaceable.

I don't agree with that--there are plenty of players his size in the league and they can't do what he does.  You say "replace him with any other person with equal "finishing" ability and catholic wouldn't miss a beat" as if players with his finishing ability are a dime a dozen.  His ability to finish inside is exactly what he makes him a special player and what made him POY last year. 

His ability to score inside and rebound is a unique talent and what makes him special.  He is totally irreplaceable--there's certainly nobody else on the Catholic roster than could replace him and I haven't seen anybody else in Landmark that could either.

[hoopit123]

there is a great difference between scorers and players that do A LOT to help out there team, makes their team as a whole better.   that is what JB is not.  its not just me anymore matt, there are others, after watching him this season, that now agree.

oh, and he was not POY last year---your personal opinion is irrelevant, obviously others did not agree with you!

[HoopJunky]

I believed MM was the choice to win this conference from the very beginning. They have such a tough team with an exceptional PG(Samuels POY). They defend extremely well and have solid post play as well. Two key factors to winning through the long haul of a conference schedule. I personally enjoy Izzo's game. Very tough, can do a bit of everything, and will scrap as hard as anyone. I do not see any team taking the championship from this team this year even though there are some solid contenders.

To say SU was the favorite is a bit out of line. They lost the POY(a double-double machine), a solid all around wingman, and a dominant(at times) big man in Cosgrove.  Majors is a very good PG but he does not have the talent he has had in the past surrounding him. Spencer is a great shooter when he is hot, but he is streaky. They have depended on a plethora of new faces throughout this season, and I think they are right on par.  They are a very dangerous playoff out IMHO. 

On the JB front, he is a great finisher. He can hit the open jumpshot. He rebounds pretty well. HOWEVER, he has been getting so much hype for so long but he has not expanded his game to the point where he can lead this team to a championship.   

[ronk]

  Let's choose the POY after next week's big games for the trophy of the 1st conference NCAA AQ spot; that ought to be incentive enough for the field to separate itself. I haven't seen Izzo have a good game yet, but the rest(Huebner, Samuels, Ashworth, Londo, Banzhaf, Majors, Spenser) can show what they can do in pressure games.