MBB: Landmark Conference

[ronk]

  Went prospecting for the 2013 class today at an AAU tourney; didn't seem to be as many prospects as last year. Had another extended conversation with Coach Harney of St. Mary's; he said that my top uncommitted 2012 prospect(similar game to Ross Danzig) who had narrowed his choices to Salisbury, St. Mary's and, possibly, Scranton, will be a St. Mary's Seahawk. Also, St. Mary's had inquired about an opening in one of the Royals' tournaments this coming year but the opening had been filled by the time of inquiry.

[cold_case]

ronk, there is only one kid they want to bring in. Not near the Mason-Dixon line

[ronk]

ronk, there is only one kid they want to bring in. Not near the Mason-Dixon line

  Thanks for the observation; I'll focus on the women then unless I come across a can't-miss player.

[NEPAFAN]

ronk, there is only one kid they want to bring in. Not near the Mason-Dixon line

Really?

[cold_case]

ronk, there is only one kid they want to bring in. Not near the Mason-Dixon line

Really?

Here we go ....

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

  Went prospecting for the 2013 class today at an AAU tourney; didn't seem to be as many prospects as last year. Had another extended conversation with Coach Harney of St. Mary's; he said that my top uncommitted 2012 prospect(similar game to Ross Danzig) who had narrowed his choices to Salisbury, St. Mary's and, possibly, Scranton, will be a St. Mary's Seahawk. Also, St. Mary's had inquired about an opening in one of the Royals' tournaments this coming year but the opening had been filled by the time of inquiry.

FYI - St. Mary's is one of several CAC teams scrambling a bit this off season. For the Maryland schools in the CAC... they are technically trying to make up for losing seven games from their recent schedules. They lost three games to the Pride of Maryland ending and four games due to the fact Stevenson and Hood have left the conference for the MAC.

St. Mary's is part of the inaugural Hoopsville Classic at Stevenson University to start the '12-'13 season, but that is just two games solved.

[NEPAFAN]

ronk, there is only one kid they want to bring in. Not near the Mason-Dixon line

Really?

Here we go ....

I find it interesting that Scranton is only targeting 1 kid for next year.

[saratoga]

Binghamton Univ. is expected to announce the hiring of Dunmore/Scranton native & former Susquehanna basketball player Tom Dempsey as their new Head coach.
He'll replace former Temple star Mark Macon who was fired a few weeks ago.
Dempsey has been the Head coach at Rider College the past several seasons.
About all I can say is, good luck Tommy...you'll need it with where that program has fallen.
By the way, their top freshman just announced he's transferring to Loyola Marymount.
My guess is that it will take at least 4 years to show some basic signs of success...just hope their new AD can wait that long.
I think many of us know only too well that it was their rush to winning at any cost that got them in this mess to begin with.

[ronk]

  Went prospecting for the 2013 class today at an AAU tourney; didn't seem to be as many prospects as last year. Had another extended conversation with Coach Harney of St. Mary's; he said that my top uncommitted 2012 prospect(similar game to Ross Danzig) who had narrowed his choices to Salisbury, St. Mary's and, possibly, Scranton, will be a St. Mary's Seahawk. Also, St. Mary's had inquired about an opening in one of the Royals' tournaments this coming year but the opening had been filled by the time of inquiry.

FYI - St. Mary's is one of several CAC teams scrambling a bit this off season. For the Maryland schools in the CAC... they are technically trying to make up for losing seven games from their recent schedules. They lost three games to the Pride of Maryland ending and four games due to the fact Stevenson and Hood have left the conference for the MAC.

St. Mary's is part of the inaugural Hoopsville Classic at Stevenson University to start the '12-'13 season, but that is just two games solved.

Dave,
  I didn't know this at the time I talked with Coach Harney or I would have asked him about it. Why did it end? Would't think that it was for financial or competition reasons; you arranged for 1st-round games to be against nonleague opponents; a non-tourney format could be arranged so that all 3 games would be against nonleague opponents.

[NEPAFAN]

Binghamton Univ. is expected to announce the hiring of Dunmore/Scranton native & former Susquehanna basketball player Tom Dempsey as their new Head coach.
He'll replace former Temple star Mark Macon who was fired a few weeks ago.
Dempsey has been the Head coach at Rider College the past several seasons.
About all I can say is, good luck Tommy...you'll need it with where that program has fallen.
By the way, their top freshman just announced he's transferring to Loyola Marymount.
My guess is that it will take at least 4 years to show some basic signs of success...just hope their new AD can wait that long.
I think many of us know only too well that it was their rush to winning at any cost that got them in this mess to begin with.

Scranton was going to play Rider in an exhibition this year, I wonder if that gets scrapped in favor of Binghamton, who Scranton used to beat on a fairly regularly basis. You guys aren't taking in Billy Rafftery at the Denaples Center tonight?

[ronk]

Binghamton Univ. is expected to announce the hiring of Dunmore/Scranton native & former Susquehanna basketball player Tom Dempsey as their new Head coach.
He'll replace former Temple star Mark Macon who was fired a few weeks ago.
Dempsey has been the Head coach at Rider College the past several seasons.
About all I can say is, good luck Tommy...you'll need it with where that program has fallen.
By the way, their top freshman just announced he's transferring to Loyola Marymount.
My guess is that it will take at least 4 years to show some basic signs of success...just hope their new AD can wait that long.
I think many of us know only too well that it was their rush to winning at any cost that got them in this mess to begin with.

Scranton was going to play Rider in an exhibition this year, I wonder if that gets scrapped in favor of Binghamton, who Scranton used to beat on a fairly regularly basis. You guys aren't taking in Billy Rafftery at the Denaples Center tonight?

Hopefully, they'll make the videocast available like they did last year, although that of the main speaker, PJ,  was missing for an undisclosed reason.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

  Went prospecting for the 2013 class today at an AAU tourney; didn't seem to be as many prospects as last year. Had another extended conversation with Coach Harney of St. Mary's; he said that my top uncommitted 2012 prospect(similar game to Ross Danzig) who had narrowed his choices to Salisbury, St. Mary's and, possibly, Scranton, will be a St. Mary's Seahawk. Also, St. Mary's had inquired about an opening in one of the Royals' tournaments this coming year but the opening had been filled by the time of inquiry.

FYI - St. Mary's is one of several CAC teams scrambling a bit this off season. For the Maryland schools in the CAC... they are technically trying to make up for losing seven games from their recent schedules. They lost three games to the Pride of Maryland ending and four games due to the fact Stevenson and Hood have left the conference for the MAC.

St. Mary's is part of the inaugural Hoopsville Classic at Stevenson University to start the '12-'13 season, but that is just two games solved.

Dave,
  I didn't know this at the time I talked with Coach Harney or I would have asked him about it. Why did it end? Would't think that it was for financial or competition reasons; you arranged for 1st-round games to be against nonleague opponents; a non-tourney format could be arranged so that all 3 games would be against nonleague opponents.

There were a lot of reasons if you ask a lot of people. I could give you a bunch of reasons as well... but others would then disagree with me here or in private... so I am not going to speculate more than there were some schools (and who ever at those schools) were frustrated with some things... and when more responsibility was given to the schools involved instead of just one or two... it seems that caused things to derail. I also think some took advantage of the tournament and didn't contribute, either. Again... someone or many will disagree with me and I could say more on my opinion... but I suspect it won't get anywhere in explaining what happened.

As for the reason it was a tournament... the point of the tournament wasn't to guarantee three games at the beginning of the season for eight of the nine Maryland teams... it was to actually crown a state champion - the only such tournament in the country. It worked and the fact it is gone is disappointing because I had also put in a lot of effort into the tournament. Honestly, it ended shortly before I was about to approach everyone and see if I could take over good chunks of the tournament.

That all being said... there is now a new event in its place. The Hoopsville National Invitational Classic will debut the first weekend of next season. It is the biggest opening event on the D3 calendar featuring eight teams from six states and DC included including two teams receiving votes in the last Top 25 and potentially three or four may be getting votes in the preseason poll. We will formally release the teams and the schedule in the very near future. And I have been named Tournament Director for the Hoopsville NIC and am looking forward to seeing how this event grows in the future.

FYI - St. Mary's is part of the tournament... but that is all you are getting right now :-)

[cold_case]

OK, back to Landmark Conference talk.

[ronk]

OK, back to Landmark Conference talk.

  You're overlooking its profound effect on the Goucher program and, by extension, the Landmark Conference.

[cold_case]

OK, back to Landmark Conference talk.

  You're overlooking its profound effect on the Goucher program and, by extension, the Landmark Conference.

OK, ronkster, fill me in, lol