MBB: Landmark Conference

[CardsFan]

My take on the all-Landmark teams (stats are league-play only):

1st Team
Brendan Boken (Scranton): 23.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 3.3 apg, 56.0 FG%, 74.4 FT%, 16 blocks
Bryson Fonville (Catholic): 19.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.6 apg, 52.0 FG%, 50.0 3pt%, 27 steals
Josh Miller (Susquehanna): 17.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 56.1 FG%, 46.2 3pt%, 82.5 FT%, 14 blocks
Mike Klinger (Drew): 20.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.7 apg, 45.3 FG%, 34.1 3pt%, 80.9 FT%
Jay Howard (Catholic): 19.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 59.4 FG%, 68.0 FT%
Steven Weidlich (Susquehanna): 16.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.6 apg, 43.2 FG%, 38.7 3pt%, 22 steals

2nd Team
Kevin Herring II (Drew): 17.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 41.5 FG%, 38.1 3pt%, 87.7 FT%
Marcus Lee (Juniata): 17.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 53.0 FG%
David Smith (USMMA): 15.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 39.0 FG%, 37.1 3pt%, 75.7 FT%
Kevin Miles (Goucher): 15.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 42.9 FG%, 37.2 3pt%, 70.9 FT%
John Vitkus (Scranton): 13.1, 7.4 rpg, 66.4 FG%, 74.4 FT%, 35 blocks
Preston Padgett (USMMA): 12.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 43.5 FG%, 38.9 3pt%, 81.1 FT%

1st Team feels pretty solid. The guys fighting for 2nd Team all seemed pretty closely bunched so I won't be surprised if the real thing looks a bit different.

Player of the Year: Brendan Boken

Coaching Staff of the Year: Susquehanna

Defensive Player of the Year: John Vitkus (No one is close to him in blocked shots)

Freshman of the Year: Oneil Holder

[BCannon]

Hard to argue with those selections. The homer in me would like to see Marcus get on the first team over Klinger with JC making the playoffs, but either of the Drew guards seem deserving.

[CardsFan]

Hard to argue with those selections. The homer in me would like to see Marcus get on the first team over Klinger with JC making the playoffs, but either of the Drew guards seem deserving.

I don't disagree with the argument of someone like Lee getting 1st Team over Klinger. I went with Klinger mainly because Drew was so dependent on him to score and keep them in games and they managed to finish 8-8. Lee's time is coming. He should definitely be a 1st teamer each of the next two seasons.

[NEPAFAN]

So is the Scranton-SU game and elimination game for the NCAA Tourney?

[ronk]

So is the Scranton-SU game and elimination game for the NCAA Tourney?

No, if SU loses, they should still get in. Probably for Scranton, unless no multi-bid leagues are won by non-top 25 teams.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

So is the Scranton-SU game and elimination game for the NCAA Tourney?

No, if SU loses, they should still get in. Probably for Scranton, unless no multi-bid leagues are won by non-top 25 teams.

I don't know.  Scranton could still have a decent shot, even with a loss, especially if it gets their SOS over .550 - that's an impressive number.  Matt Snyder's rankings (which are usually about 98% correct) have them 27th overall in selection criteria - that's including every team.  Once you take the Pool A qualifiers out of there, even with a loss, I think they're on the bubble.

[Reserved Seat]

Hoops Fan, where do you find Matt Snyder's rankings?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Hoops Fan, where do you find Matt Snyder's rankings?

http://detroitjockcity.com/division-iii-mens-basketball-regional-rankings-data/

They're updated through 2/21 right now.  He generally uses an RPI number to rank teams, which takes into account winning percentage and SOS.  He's been very accurate predicting teams into the tournament in recent years.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Dave she didn't use the word freaking she used the f word by the way.

Jeez... if you want to start going through all the fan bases, I promise you they will each have bad apples and they will each have ones who do the same as this woman. I assure you, Scranton fans aren't angels either. I am sure there are Goucher fans who could cross the line with the best of them. Unfortunately, it is something I hate and wish fans could be better. But singling out a woman for swearing at someone when every single fan base has them - especially in emotionally charged games - is pointless. It just seems like you are grasping at straws to try and claim Catholic is a horrible place or their fans are horrible. If they exist everywhere, then they are all horrible, I guess.

My problem with all those time outs is this when Scranton was up by 11 he waited for the media timeout instead of burning one of the five you get he would at least used 3 of the 5 in the first half but in this case he didn't have to which means he would be left with two in the whole second half.So it was a very close game say that it came down to having no timeouts in the final 3 minute which he had it changes the game alot because after that Technical he called a time out and set his offense without those extra timeouts you wouldn't be able to do that.Dave name 4 teams in the Landmark that use that system.We are not divison 1 and is that shown on live TV or stream?

You have a problem that a coach made a smart move and was tactfully smart? Just because there are media timeouts doesn't mean the game is affected by them. In your opinion, he resisted calling a timeout when you thought he should call one because a TV timeout was coming. It is a double-edge sword. He might wait and the run of the game doesn't dictate a break in the action for minutes and all of the sudden the situation is worse. I have actually seen situations, in Division III and Division I, where the run of play forced back-to-back media timeouts on back-to-back whistles because they blew threw four-plus minutes of play (the under 12 was missed because there was no whistle between 12:30 and 7:55 - thus two media timeouts back-to-back).

Furthermore, I don't care if no other conference team does it. It clearly isn't a concern to the coaches of the committee or this would have been address back in 2013 when Catholic first started using media timeouts... after they went to the Hoopsville Classic at Stevenson at the beginning of the season which was using media timeouts. There are lots of teams around the country without TV who have media timeouts - it is their choice because in the rule book it doesn't say you can't use them unless you have a specific kind of media - that isn't fair. There are many out there, including in Division III, who actually monetize their web streams or have paid-radio. The conference hasn't spoken up and I don't hear coaches complaining about it.

Just because Scranton doesn't do it or others doesn't mean it is unfair. If anything, Scranton is getting an advantage coming down to Catholic to play and Catholic has a disadvantage when they travel to a non-media-timeout game. Scranton can shorten their bench at Catholic due to the extra stoppages (giving the guys breaks). Catholic has to adjust their substitution pattern when they are on the road.

By the way, media timeout policy is used in the Division III NCAA tournament for ALL games when in reality the final game of the tournament is the ONLY one with network media involved. Is that unfair, too? Is Scranton going to get screwed by this policy when an opposing coach decides they don't want to call a timeout for 30 more seconds? They do it so teams are used to it should they not have been doing it all season so they aren't surprised by it at the championship or even the Final Four.

And to your point about the speed of the game - that is more on the refs than anything. I have seen media games take less time than non-media games in this region because the refs in this region do not keep up the pace of play at all. They wait knowing a coach is thinking about a sub after a foul and hold the ball until they see the sub finally rise to their feet. They take their time getting the ball ready for inbounds, or at the free-throw line. They take their time indicating fouls and they allow non-stop substitutions along with teams to take an extra 15 seconds to break a timeout.

Example at the Hoopsville Classic this year, the second day we started the final game of a 2, 4, 6, 8 schedule at 8:40ish. There had been NO overtime games and almost every game got a 20 minute warm-up clock to cut down on things. At the D3hoops Classic in Vegas, one of the five-game days featured an overtime game squarely in the middle of the schedule. Believe it or not, they put 35 minutes on the clock ahead of the final game of the session which started on time (schedule was 12, 2, 4, 6, 8). Media games may have more stoppages, but refs will make sure the games move quickly. Even the women's refs in this region have gotten the message. When I announce women's games it is impossible for me to state the foul, the team foul, and the person shooting the FTs before the shooter has the ball (my cut-off point). In men's basketball, I can announce the foul, the team foul, and the FT shooter before the ref looks like he will throw him the ball. It all adds up.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Final public regional rankings are out: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2016/02/24/third-ncaa-regional-ranking/

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

So, Scranton ends up on the bubble.  Boken is just five points short of tying the Scranton all-time scoring mark.  I hope they'll try to the ECAC if they don't get into the NCAA and let him get that record.

[CardsFan]

Intense game tonight in DC. I expected Juniata to give Catholic their best shot and they did. This was a close back-and-forth game pretty much the whole way. Juniata grabbed the lead a couple times in the 2nd half and had a few opportunities to stretch it out but they could never capitalize. Rough shooting night for Catholic tonight, lots of good looks that just didn't fall.

Big kudos to Corey Stanford tonight: 19 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists. He's been in a bit of slump for the past couple weeks but he was huge in the 2nd half. He gave up on the threes and started getting to the basket. Cards are gonna need him Saturday night.

[saratoga]

Here's a telling stat from the Scranton game:
Player X plays 35 minutes, takes 2 shots the entire game, misses both, scores zero points, grabs 3 huge rebounds & even has the time to dish out an assist.
How's that for production?
Two weeks ago the same player scores over 20.
Looks like Frank made the adjustment & our guy didn't.

Please explain to me how a supposed "shooter" can only pull the trigger on 2 shots in 35 minutes.
No screens to come off, no inside to Brenden & a kick out to the wings?
Unbelievable.

[ronk]

Here's a telling stat from the Scranton game:
Player X plays 35 minutes, takes 2 shots the entire game, misses both, scores zero points, grabs 3 huge rebounds & even has the time to dish out an assist.
How's that for production?
Two weeks ago the same player scores over 20.
Looks like Frank made the adjustment & our guy didn't.

Please explain to me how a supposed "shooter" can only pull the trigger on 2 shots in 35 minutes.
No screens to come off, no inside to Brenden & a kick out to the wings?
Unbelievable.

And 1 of those 2 shots was an end-of-game desperation; so only 1 shot in 1st 39+ mins. Have to credit the Sus defense, also doubling Boken and forcing some guys to take shots that they didn't want to take.
  Have to hope now that nearly all the pool A winners are the conference leaders to get a pool C; at least 1 will be the Landmark winner.
  Dalton Reichard(Sus PG) rolls ankle late in 1st half(info for benefit of Cards fan) and doesn't return but sub hits dagger 3 with Royals down 2 late in game.

[Royals81]

I made the short trip down to Susquehanna tonight rather than the long one back to Scranton - in the event that this might be Brendan's last game in a Royals uniform. 

2 starters with 0 points - one plays 8 minutes and the other 35.

Susquehanna was definitely the quicker team on the baseline all night long.