MBB: Landmark Conference

[ronk]

So I don't know when the conference awards are announced but I'm gonna take a stab at first team all-conference:
- all stats are in-conference only
Ross Danzig (Sr.) Scranton: 14.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.9 apg, 50% FG, 43% 3-pt

Brendan Boken (Jr.) (Player of the Year) Scranton: 16.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 62.9% FG, 2nd in FT Attempts, 23 blocks

Byson Fonville (Jr.) CUA: 15.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.3 apg, 43.4% FG

Jay Howard (Fr.) Newcomer of the Year CUA: 17.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 56.9% FG, I believe he made more FT than anyone else attempted (95-141)

Brandon Hedley (Jr.) Susquehanna: 15.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.3 apg, 43.7% FG, 40.6% 3-pt

Josh Miller (Jr.) Susquehanna: 13.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 42.9% FG, 45.7% 3-pt

- Those just missing the cut are Mike Klinger (Drew), David Smith and Matthew Miller (both USMMA). Smith and Miller's cases suffer because they started the season 0-9 in conference. For whatever reasons (new coach, last season's drama) they started abysmally even though they returned the majority of the team (yes, they did lose Nick Sergio). They were one of the hottest teams in the conference over the last 7 games (6-1), but 0-9 to start is tough to get past. A case could be made for Klinger to replace, maybe, Miller, but there was such a gap between the top 3 and the rest of the conference that I felt they should be rewarded most.
- On principle I believe that Ross Danzig should have been Player of the Year every season based on the fact that he's clearly the best player in the league, but people get bored of always rewarding the same player (LeBron should be NBA MVP every season, but he isn't), and this season there appears to be wiggle room statistically for another winner (I'm sure the ankle injury played a big part) and Boken seems most deserving. Fonville and Howard had a real chance to stake their claim, but both played poorly last Saturday.

I know this post is really long, if you made it to the end congratulations!

  I believe it was the MMA broadcasters offering the reason that it was mostly due to the absence of Anthony Williams with a concussion and subsequent return to action - he doesn't have stats, but he was strong defensively and could set screens, etc. MMA did give Catholic 2 tough games and Scranton at least 1 and they did defeat the NESCAC regular season winner.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Final public men's basketball regional rankings are out: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2015/02/25/final-public-ncaa-regional-rankings-released/

[sp0rtsfan]

Go Royals !  Eye of the Tiger !!

[NEPAFAN]

Ross Danzig in all American form last night. F&m ranked above scranton in regional rankings hurts. Looks like Scranton needs to win on Saturday to get in the tourney.

[Reserved Seat]

The good news for Scranton is that John Hopkins, Dickinson, and F&M are all playing each other, so 2 of them have to lose.

[ronk]

 Scranton  with their semi win & additional vrro result(Miseri) will, at least, move ahead of the Centennial loser tomorrow; the winner probably stays ahead of Scranton, if Scranton loses the final.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

ronk - I just can't see Dickinson with their SOS moving behind Scranton... yes, F&M could move behind them... but not Dickinson.

[CardsFan]

When do the regional committees put together the final, super-secret regional rankings? In the final rankings, are the teams that have won their conference tournaments removed so that only the teams seeking Pool C bids are listed?

Also, I think they have CUA's results vs. ranked opponents wrong. It's listed as 1-1, but with St. Vincent back in the Great Lakes rankings it should be 1-2. I probably shouldn't be pointing out losses, but it has to look better that CUA played 3 ranked teams instead of 2.

[ronk]

When do the regional committees put together the final, super-secret regional rankings? In the final rankings, are the teams that have won their conference tournaments removed so that only the teams seeking Pool C bids are listed?

Also, I think they have CUA's results vs. ranked opponents wrong. It's listed as 1-1, but with St. Vincent back in the Great Lakes rankings it should be 1-2. I probably shouldn't be pointing out losses, but it has to look better that CUA played 3 ranked teams instead of 2.

The St. Vincent game will be included in the next RRs in addition to the Landmark final game with Scranton.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Dave will know better, but I believe they ask the committees to rank more than the regular rankings (in case all the ranked teams are in) - but as far as I know, they just put up one team from each region at a time.

I'm not sure what they'd do if they exhaust the list they've been given from one region.  I doubt that will happen this year, but it's certainly been possible in other years.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

First off, CUA's vRRO is correct at 1-1... the next time the committees get together that number will be 1-2.

The regional committees will get together on Sunday to rank one last time to send it to the national committee. There will be one more adjustment, though, as that will indicate another vRRO result, so the national committee will then re-rank accordingly if that vRRO data changes some of the positions of teams. That is all done Sunday BEFORE at-large selections are made. Once at-large selections are made, then they tackle bracketing.

As for rankings... the rankings will include teams that don't appear on the "official" rankings of six teams in the Mid-Atlantic. They need to have a couple of more teams available for the chance that everone ranked wins their way in or is selected as an at-large. This actually happened in the women's Central Region a few years ago when one team not officially regionally ranked got to the table and was selected. No... just because a team is ranked off the list does not change vRRO in any way because they are not officially ranked. Yes, I could see a scenario where a team not ranked could make the NCAA tournament - my target is also the Central Region.

When the rankings are completed and they go to select the at-large teams, the teams already into the NCAA tournament via the AQ will be removed from the list. Thus a team could jump from sixth to second. However, their ranking isn't the key... it is just a list of the order they will get to the table. One team from each region is at the "table" when discussing an at-large pick. The best team of the eight is selected and the next team from that particular region replaces them at the table and they start the process over. Do that 19 times (21 on the women's side) and you get your at-large teams.

[CardsFan]

Thanks all for the info. I realized the results vs. ranked opponents would probably change for the next cycle after I posted.

[saratoga]

Guys:
The hell with SOS, STD's, WWWF, WTF's, & vRRO's.......the Royals are in.
So throw your dumb computer projections away & just point them in the direction of next weekends games.
I have been most critical of their lazy play & the coach's reluctance to go deeper with his bench but they went down to Catholic & pulled it off yet again.
When they play with a passion they can be tough.
Congrats to their coaches & all the kids that made this happen.
Brenden Boken.......MVP.

[CardsFan]

Congratulations to Scranton, they were deserved winners today. I've got too many things running through my head about the game to properly articulate now, but again the Royals proved that they are just better.

[NEPAFAN]

Guys:
The hell with SOS, STD's, WWWF, WTF's, & vRRO's.......the Royals are in.
So throw your dumb computer projections away & just point them in the direction of next weekends games.
I have been most critical of their lazy play & the coach's reluctance to go deeper with his bench but they went down to Catholic & pulled it off yet again.
When they play with a passion they can be tough.
Congrats to their coaches & all the kids that made this happen.
Brenden Boken.......MVP.

Great win and congrats to the team on another conference title!