MBB: Landmark Conference

[NEPAFAN]

Nepafan:Watched some of that game Drew was up 11 at half!They need to take that stage down and back them 10 kids up at Drew!!

I checked in early and it was 31-13 Drew. I tried watching the end but was having stream issues. Riley Collins drops 3s from long range but SU had an answer every time.

I guess it might be a three horse race.

No one in the building last night but the Long Center got some upgrades on their banners.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

There are six weeks left in the regular season, but the grind of conference schedules can make it feel like the end is a long ways off.

As teams try and focus on each game in front of them, the ramifications of each outcome grow larger and larger. Conference tournament seeding (or even participating), at-large hopes, and to a larger degree opportunities to be home in March with the hopes of a national championship as the goal.

Thursday on Hoopsville, we chat with a few programs that are on top of their conference races (or were), but the standing could change in just one game. We chat about how teams deal with being everyone's target or how to survive the grind.

Plus, relationships with a program's alumni can go a long way to how successful the program becomes and even the institution on a larger scale. In this week's WBCA Center Court, MIT coach Sonia Raman discusses what prompted her to get alums more involved and how it has resulted in a significant increase in contributions as well.

Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and airs from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can watch Thursday's show LIVE starting at 7:00 pm ET in the following ways:
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Thursday's show primarily covers the East, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and West Regions while also featuring a women's coach in the WBCA Center Court segment. All men's coaches appear in the NABC Coach's Corner. And all guests are featured on the BlueFrame Technology Hoopsville Hotline.

If you have questions about Division III basketball, feel free to send them and we will answer them on a the show. Email them to hoopsville@d3hoops.com or use any of the social media options.

Guests Schedule (order subject to change):
- Sonia Raman, MIT women's coach (WBCA Center Court)
- Dale Wellman, No. 11 Nebraska Wesleyan men's coach (NABC Coach's Corner)
- Darryl Keckler, Drew men's coach (NABC Coach's Corner)
- Juli Fulks, No. 9 Transylvania women's coach

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[ronk]

 After falling behind with 12 1st-half turnovers, the Royals overcame Catholic's efforts 74-64. Matt Mancuso had a strong line: 23 points(13-15 FTs), 9 rebs, 4 assists, 3 steals, 6 blocks and, most importantly, avoiding foul trouble, despite aggressive play by the Cards' post defenders(Riley Hayes and Frank Lumaj). Other Royals' strong contributors were Jackson Danzig, Kyle Deverna, and Stephen Braunstein.
  Cards' FT performance(11-21) didn't help their cause.
  Next up for the Royals is a battle for 1st place in the Landmark Wednesday at co-unbeaten leader Susquehanna.

Here's a photo of 2016 Royals' teammates(Brendan Boken, Marcus Thomas, Patrick Calvey, and current Catholic assistant Justin Klingman with Coach Danzig) in attendance at the game.

https://twitter.com/ScrantonBball/status/1218677144907386880/photo/1

Also in attendance for the doubleheader was Phil Johnson, starter on the Royals' 1st national championship team in 1976.

[NEPAFAN]

Drew struggled with Goucher. Bates beat Hamilton....just some other scores I was looking at.

[saratoga]

Good win by the Royals on the road yesterday.

Although certainly favored to win on paper, these are the games the Royals have often struggled to win on the court.

Great seeing recent alums showing up.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Drew struggled with Goucher. Bates beat Hamilton....just some other scores I was looking at.

Goucher played the best game they have probably played in two seasons at least ... that will happen from time to time.

[saratoga]

Perhaps their previous 'best game" was in 2017 when they defeated Scranton.

The year the gopher got Carl. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Perhaps their previous 'best game" was in 2017 when they defeated Scranton.

The year the gopher got Carl. 

Very possible, honestly.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Drew struggled with Goucher. Bates beat Hamilton....just some other scores I was looking at.

BTW - Bates lost to Hamilton as well this weekend. They are 9-5 and 2-1 in the single-round NESCAC. That's good for third, BUT they have Tufts, Colby, Williams and Middlebury still ahead - plus a lot of other games. I don't know why you keep hanging your hat on that one. DeSales is 11-4 and that's a better one to lean on in terms of a good result for Scranton right now. Sadly, out of conference that is the only one of note this season in the win-column. York might give the Royals another result versus a regionally ranked opponent, but might be too early to say for sure (I thought YCP would have a good season; 12-5 and still quite a bit of CAC schedule ahead could be tough).

[NEPAFAN]

Only because the NESCAC is the gold standard in D3, nothing more. It gives me a reason to see what's going on up in New England.  Yeah the Desales win is impressive.  You were at the Goucher game on Saturday?  Drew took 30 3 point attempts and hit 3?

[CardsFan]

After falling behind with 12 1st-half turnovers, the Royals overcame Catholic's efforts 74-64. Matt Mancuso had a strong line: 23 points(13-15 FTs), 9 rebs, 4 assists, 3 steals, 6 blocks and, most importantly, avoiding foul trouble, despite aggressive play by the Cards' post defenders(Riley Hayes and Frank Lumaj). Other Royals' strong contributors were Jackson Danzig, Kyle Deverna, and Stephen Braunstein.
  Cards' FT performance(11-21) didn't help their cause.
  Next up for the Royals is a battle for 1st place in the Landmark Wednesday at co-unbeaten leader Susquehanna.

Here's a photo of 2016 Royals' teammates(Brendan Boken, Marcus Thomas, Patrick Calvey, and current Catholic assistant Justin Klingman with Coach Danzig) in attendance at the game.

https://twitter.com/ScrantonBball/status/1218677144907386880/photo/1

Also in attendance for the doubleheader was Phil Johnson, starter on the Royals' 1st national championship team in 1976.

Mancuso was excellent at both ends yesterday. I felt he really took the game over later in the second half. I know Scranton turned it over 19 times, but I'm not sure any other team in the league moves the ball as well as them. I still like Scranton to win the league because I think they're a bit more diverse on offense than Drew. Scranton put up 74 yesterday with Logan Bailey unable to get going.

I was impressed with Catholic's play in the first half. I'm sure no one is interested in moral victories at this point in the season, but I think there's a lot the coaches can be happy with.

[ronk]

Drew struggled with Goucher. Bates beat Hamilton....just some other scores I was looking at.

BTW - Bates lost to Hamilton as well this weekend. They are 9-5 and 2-1 in the single-round NESCAC. That's good for third, BUT they have Tufts, Colby, Williams and Middlebury still ahead - plus a lot of other games. I don't know why you keep hanging your hat on that one. DeSales is 11-4 and that's a better one to lean on in terms of a good result for Scranton right now. Sadly, out of conference that is the only one of note this season in the win-column. York might give the Royals another result versus a regionally ranked opponent, but might be too early to say for sure (I thought YCP would have a good season; 12-5 and still quite a bit of CAC schedule ahead could be tough).

Probably, because Matt Snyder's rankings have Bates as #43 while DeSales is 84.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Only because the NESCAC is the gold standard in D3, nothing more. It gives me a reason to see what's going on up in New England.  Yeah the Desales win is impressive.  You were at the Goucher game on Saturday?  Drew took 30 3 point attempts and hit 3?

I only missed one Goucher game this year ... I have a good reason to be there.

Yeah, Drew struggled from deep, but they didn't seem to be pressing. I believe most of the first few shots they put up from deep actually went in, then they went cold. So, that certainly allowed Goucher to stay in the game. However, Gophers played strong defense and seemed to be up for the game - and up for all 40 minutes. Unfortunately, Goucher's inexperience in being in close games and the penance for some (one in particular) to feel like he has to be the "hero" cost the Gophers. Shooting a hail-mary 3-pointer with 13 seconds on the clock as if the clock actually reads 1.3 was ... well it ended any chance of Goucher tying or winning the game. That wasn't the first mistake, but it was basically the culmination of the opportunity.

It was nice to see the Gophers fight, but Drew also clearly wasn't themselves from deep. They have some nice pieces which make them a threat to be sure. I am looking forward to seeing how they battle to the end. I don't think there is a favorite in this conference right now.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Drew struggled with Goucher. Bates beat Hamilton....just some other scores I was looking at.

BTW - Bates lost to Hamilton as well this weekend. They are 9-5 and 2-1 in the single-round NESCAC. That's good for third, BUT they have Tufts, Colby, Williams and Middlebury still ahead - plus a lot of other games. I don't know why you keep hanging your hat on that one. DeSales is 11-4 and that's a better one to lean on in terms of a good result for Scranton right now. Sadly, out of conference that is the only one of note this season in the win-column. York might give the Royals another result versus a regionally ranked opponent, but might be too early to say for sure (I thought YCP would have a good season; 12-5 and still quite a bit of CAC schedule ahead could be tough).

Probably, because Matt Snyder's rankings have Bates as #43 while DeSales is 84.

Based on NCAA SOS numbers, right? Not sure that is how we measure how good teams really are. We measure who gets into the NCAA tournaments that way, but we have always said the SOS numbers in the NESCAC are over-inflated since they don't play a double-round-robin (though, Bates has two more games against NESCAC foes in Bowdoin and Colby as part of the "Maine Three) ... so yeah, Bates is going to float higher based on NCAA SOS numbers than DeSales. That doesn't really tell the whole story nor should it be something to hang a hat on.

Edit: I'll add, those SOS numbers are going to alter considerably between now and the end of the month, by the time we get to the first regional rankings, and by the time the season is over. There is a reason regional rankings don't come earlier than they do. The numbers just swing too wildly even week to week.

[ronk]

Only because the NESCAC is the gold standard in D3, nothing more. It gives me a reason to see what's going on up in New England.  Yeah the Desales win is impressive.  You were at the Goucher game on Saturday?  Drew took 30 3 point attempts and hit 3?

I only missed one Goucher game this year ... I have a good reason to be there.

Yeah, Drew struggled from deep, but they didn't seem to be pressing. I believe most of the first few shots they put up from deep actually went in, then they went cold. So, that certainly allowed Goucher to stay in the game. However, Gophers played strong defense and seemed to be up for the game - and up for all 40 minutes. Unfortunately, Goucher's inexperience in being in close games and the penance for some (one in particular) to feel like he has to be the "hero" cost the Gophers. Shooting a hail-mary 3-pointer with 13 seconds on the clock as if the clock actually reads 1.3 was ... well it ended any chance of Goucher tying or winning the game. That wasn't the first mistake, but it was basically the culmination of the opportunity.

It was nice to see the Gophers fight, but Drew also clearly wasn't themselves from deep. They have some nice pieces which make them a threat to be sure. I am looking forward to seeing how they battle to the end. I don't think there is a favorite in this conference right now.

Riley Collins with a 3-pt shooting % of 36% went 0-11; that's not likely to happen again.