MBB: Centennial Conference

BRCE4 · January 30, 2009, 08:48:49 AM

1/31 picks
Gettysburg ( Should be able to hold off Shoremen at home)
F&M ( Swat looks like they may go winless in CC)
Mules ( May have enough at home for the upset)
Dickinson ( If they haven't quit on the season may win at Haverford)
Ursinus ( Hopkins not quite as talented as in recent years and Bears need a win)

Gabriel · January 30, 2009, 09:25:21 AM

Quote from: Dave "d-mac" McHugh on January 29, 2009, 07:09:15 PM
Quote from: terror 30 on January 29, 2009, 04:52:59 PM
Reserved Seat

I agree. They havent EVER been there and it is all new to them. But even when Ursinus and Gettysburg were dominating the league last year and went through the NCAA tournament to meet for a 4th time they still didnt gain any respect. It took Ursinus to go undefeated in the CC and win like 25 games straight to gain any national recognition. I really think the CC is underrated... I mean Ursinus made it all the way to the Final Four last year with over 20 wins in a row and ended up in the final rankings 7th??? How does that work??? THEY MADE IT TO THE FINAL FOUR! lol. Ursinus, Gettysburg, and F & M have been ranked and have earned respect within the past 10 years. McDaniel, before last year, hasnt had a winning season in 25 years so I understand and I know that I am biased towards my team so I wanted to get some feed back from everyone to see if my bias is logical.

terror30 - for what it is worth, I couldn't have put Ursinus much higher than where they landed in the Top 25 after last season. Yes, they were in the Final Four, but they also probably had the easiest trip through the tournament to get to Salem. And while I know a major injury limited what we expected from Ursinus (who I thought would do better in Salem), they got smoked in the final two games of the season. So while they were in the final four teams remaining in the tournament, there were several teams in other brackets that had to play tough opponents (and were eliminated) I think would have beaten Ursinus in the tournament.

This season, the chaos up top and the inability for Gettysburg to capitalized on the experience they have on their team to take control of the CC is going to cost this conference a chance at a second bid into the NCAA Tournament. That being said, I would love to see F&M and McDaniel get in and I certainly hope Gettyburg will make a run... but I am no longer counting on it.

d-mac,

I don't know if you saw Ursinus play Baptist Bible, Virginia Wesleyan, Gettysburg and Coast Guard etc. in the tourney. Shattuck was hurt just after half time in the first round Baptist Bible game going for his fifth dunk of the game. He played on one leg after that. You did see them play in Salem. Even with Shattuck they would not have beaten Amherst in the first game of the final four because Amherst played, according to their fans, their best game of the season and Ursinus could not match up with their size. With a healthy Shattuck and competent officiating, Ursinus would have beaten Hope by ten. Kevin Small emptied his bench in the first half of a meaningless game, Shattuck did not play at all and Shema very little.

I don't mean to whine, but the officials at the final four were pathetic. I understand that none of them will be considered to officiate tournament games again. Check on that, I think I am right. The officials took Mike Shema out of both games very early with horrible foul calls.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh · January 30, 2009, 03:32:44 PM

Gabriel - I saw quite a bit of Ursinus, including their games against Gettysburg, Coast Guard, Amherst, and Hope along with following them before the tournament at games in Baltimore (Johns Hopkins) and one or two other locations during the 2007-2008 season. I am very familiar with who they had on the team, what their strengths and weaknesses were, and how they were coached. I also talked to Coach Kevin Small twice on Hoopsville late in the season and on other occasions. And the Bears' SID, James "Wags" Wagner, always kept me updated with information he felt I would need.

So I am not basing any of my statements on two games in Salem, Virginia. In fact, I thought they had played pretty well prior to Salem despite the injury to Shattuck and felt they could play pretty well in Salem. But because Shattuck was banged up (and by the way, he played 38 minutes against Amherst and was doing decently until he tweeked the ankle about halfway through the first half) and because they were simply out-matched on the court, a win against Amherst was a reach. Against Hope they couldn't keep up with the pace. I know Coach Small emptied the bench in the first half, but if that was a game that meant a trip to the championship or was the championship game, my money would have still been on Hope - even with a healthy Shattuck.

As for the officiating, I am usually one who will comment about officiating during a game, or during the half-time or post-game shows during our broadcasting, and I don't remember having a problem with the refs. Shema has never impressed me as a decent defender and against Amherst he couldn't keep up with the inside presence Amherst had. He couldn't get across the lane for help defense fast enough and if he cheated, Amherst found the open man on the backside nearly every time. I don't think Shema got hurt by the officials, but his lack of experience when compared to the players he was trying to go up against.

Finally... for the statement that the refs in the Ursinus/Amherst game would never ref a tournament game again... I find that a bit far-fetched. They graded out well enough that season to get to the Final Four (they weren't picked randomly) and I can't imagine they have been blacked balled from the tourney. I also can't believe that if they have been, it is information people can find out!

Gabriel · January 30, 2009, 06:29:50 PM

Quote from: Dave "d-mac" McHugh on January 30, 2009, 03:32:44 PM
Gabriel - I saw quite a bit of Ursinus, including their games against Gettysburg, Coast Guard, Amherst, and Hope along with following them before the tournament at games in Baltimore (Johns Hopkins) and one or two other locations during the 2007-2008 season. I am very familiar with who they had on the team, what their strengths and weaknesses were, and how they were coached. I also talked to Coach Kevin Small twice on Hoopsville late in the season and on other occasions. And the Bears' SID, James "Wags" Wagner, always kept me updated with information he felt I would need.

So I am not basing any of my statements on two games in Salem, Virginia. In fact, I thought they had played pretty well prior to Salem despite the injury to Shattuck and felt they could play pretty well in Salem. But because Shattuck was banged up (and by the way, he played 38 minutes against Amherst and was doing decently until he tweeked the ankle about halfway through the first half) and because they were simply out-matched on the court, a win against Amherst was a reach. Against Hope they couldn't keep up with the pace. I know Coach Small emptied the bench in the first half, but if that was a game that meant a trip to the championship or was the championship game, my money would have still been on Hope - even with a healthy Shattuck.

As for the officiating, I am usually one who will comment about officiating during a game, or during the half-time or post-game shows during our broadcasting, and I don't remember having a problem with the refs. Shema has never impressed me as a decent defender and against Amherst he couldn't keep up with the inside presence Amherst had. He couldn't get across the lane for help defense fast enough and if he cheated, Amherst found the open man on the backside nearly every time. I don't think Shema got hurt by the officials, but his lack of experience when compared to the players he was trying to go up against.

Finally... for the statement that the refs in the Ursinus/Amherst game would never ref a tournament game again... I find that a bit far-fetched. They graded out well enough that season to get to the Final Four (they weren't picked randomly) and I can't imagine they have been blacked balled from the tourney. I also can't believe that if they have been, it is information people can find out!

d-Mac,

Good response. Shattuck did the best he could and better than most would given the injury. He did play a lot of minutes against Amherst but could not keep up defensively---he could not change directions quickly on either end of the court. You know that is what made him so good.

We all know Shema had his weaknesses but Ursinus would not have gotten to Salem without him. At 6'11" and his wing span, his presence in the middle was intimidating. He was great against Gettysburg, Weslyan and Coast Guard. If you liked the officiating, you are the only one I have talked to that did.

old ends · January 30, 2009, 07:58:47 PM

Picks for 1/31

Gettysburg home advan.
F & M because
Muhlenberg Home advan
Haverford ditto
Ursinus ditto

Only giving F & M the travel victory this week... McDaniel may take the Mules but I'll take the homer

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh · January 30, 2009, 09:13:08 PM

Gabriel - first off, I never said I liked the offciating... but I didn't have a huge problem with it. No game is perfect but all-and-all I didn't think how they called the game was a factor. And I suspect that everyone you have talked to is probably an Ursinis fan or at the least a CC fan... and no fan of a team is going to agree with someone's outside and impartial point of view on it! And I guess I shouldn't expect you, too either!

As for Shema... he played extremely well, especially against Gettysburg and Coast Guard. Coach Small even said to me on several occasions how impressed he was in Shema, especially considering he as playing far above his average and what he had shown during the seasion. But Shema simply was out-matched and struggled against a much more experienced Amherst squad who was also much faster in the paoint that Shema could handle. As good as he played, you had to expect a "down game" somewhere - and it happened against Amherst.

diplomaniac1 · January 30, 2009, 09:17:26 PM

Folks -

There's some more tough games to choose from again for Saturday. The following are my selections for the 1/31 pick-ems:

Washington @ Gettysburg: Gettysburg. (Home court and a big rebound win by the Bullets).

Franklin And Marshall @ Swarthmore: Diplomats. (The Garnet is outgunned, undermanned, and overmatched by the very athletic Diplomats in this one)!

McDaniel @ Muhlenberg: Muhlenberg. (One of the tough ones to call. With the usual favorable home refereeing, the Mules' inside power game wins out in a close one. Call it the "Mule Barn Mystique")!

Dickinson @ Haverford: Haverford. (A coin flip here! I will take the Fords and home court).

Johns Hopkins @ Ursinus: Johns Hopkins. (The toughest one of the bunch to choose - anyone have an injury report here? Looks like I might be out on a limb here by myself on this one! Jays usually travel well. They may also have just a bit more balance).

I am making the trek of three plus hours to Swarthmore tomorrow to see the Diplomats play. Enjoy the games! Good luck to all teams, Centennial Conference fans, and fellow prognosticators. Regards to everyone.

Eric

UniqueNewYork · January 31, 2009, 12:57:04 AM

Pick-ems for 1/31/09

Gettysburg
F & M.
Muhlenberg
Dickinson
Ursinus

r.w. mcnickels · January 31, 2009, 10:57:38 AM

1/31 picks for "The Saturday we close out January"

Gettysburg
F&M
Muhlenberg
Haverford
Ursinus

That McDaniel-Muhlenberg game will be one to watch. The Mules won't roll over the Terror like they did Ursinus, but I think Barnes and Liddic will provide enough scoring in the post to win. Ursinus will save its season with a large win over JHU in Collegeville.

Gabriel · January 31, 2009, 03:55:07 PM

Quote from: Dave "d-mac" McHugh on January 30, 2009, 09:13:08 PM
Gabriel - first off, I never said I liked the offciating... but I didn't have a huge problem with it. No game is perfect but all-and-all I didn't think how they called the game was a factor. And I suspect that everyone you have talked to is probably an Ursinis fan or at the least a CC fan... and no fan of a team is going to agree with someone's outside and impartial point of view on it! And I guess I shouldn't expect you, too either!

As for Shema... he played extremely well, especially against Gettysburg and Coast Guard. Coach Small even said to me on several occasions how impressed he was in Shema, especially considering he as playing far above his average and what he had shown during the seasion. But Shema simply was out-matched and struggled against a much more experienced Amherst squad who was also much faster in the paoint that Shema could handle. As good as he played, you had to expect a "down game" somewhere - and it happened against Amherst.

d-mac,

Couldn't agree more. For the sake of discussion, let me throw these out.

Nick Shattuck is the best player in the history of the Centennial Conference. He averaged about 20 points per game the last two years of his career. He was very selfless, always putting the team first. He could easily have averaged 30 points per game his senior year if he weren't so unselfish.

Mike Shema really asserted himself after Shattuck was injured. I was just as happy for him last year as I was for the Ursinus team. He really only played three years at Ursinus since he was injured his freshman year.
He would have made a tremendous difference at Ursinus if he would have returned for one more year. He could have had one more year of eligibility but he did graduate in May 2008 and Ursinus does not offer post graduate degrees. Also, $50,000 to $60,000 a year is a lot for students to pay just to play basketball. F&M had a similar situation a couple of years ago with one of the Lynch brothers. Anyway, Shema made tremendous strides during his years at Ursinus. His freshman year he could not run the length of the court with out stopping or tripping. A long way from the bush of Rwanda and soccer balls. Anyway, Powers, McNally and Barnes must be really happy he is gone.

old ends · January 31, 2009, 05:07:39 PM

McDaniel 65   Muhlenberg   63, Shoulda coulda didn't.
GAME TOTALS -- GAME OVER --
HOME TEAM: Muhlenberg 63    VISITORS: McDaniel    65
## -NAME-    FG-FA 3M-3A FT-FA RB AS F TP ## -NAME- FG-FA 3M-3A FT-FA RB AS F TP
3 MACINTO 0-0   0-0    0-0   1   0 1 0 00*J. ODUN   1-2 0-1 1-2 0 3   0 3
10*FRANKOS 3-8   0-0    0-0   4   1 2 6 11*HENRY,K 8-13 4-6 0-0 5 1   0 20
12 ROTH,DA 0-0   0-0 0-0   0   0 1 0 12 FINCH,R 3-3    2-2 0-0 2 3   1 8
20*ROSENBE 3-8   2-7    0-0   6   3 4 8 20 JARBOE, 0-1   0-0 0-0    0 0   0 0
30 BERNARD    0-1   0-0    1-2   0   0 1 1 21 DYSON,M   1-1   0-0 0-0 1 0   0 2
33 NWIZUGB 2-5   0-0    0-0   0   0 1   4   23*JONES,M 1-6    0-1 5-6 2 1   1 7
40*FOSTER,    3-9   2-8    3-3   5 4 0 11 30*SARRIS-   2-6   0-0 2-5 5 1   4 6
42*TOZER,E 1-4   1-2 0-0   1   1 0   3 32 HOUSTON 0-1   0-0 0-0 1 0   2 0
45 LIDDIC,     8-13 0-0    6-10 10 1 2 22 33 ARRINGT   4-7    0-0 0-0 6 5   5 8
50*BARNES, 4-7   0-0 0-0   8   3 4   8 34*MCKAY,J   5-12 0-0   1-3    5 0   2 11

TOTALS.... 24-55 5-17 10-15 37 13 16 TOTALS.... 25-52 6-10 9-16 30 14 15
TEAM--> FG:43.6% 3FG:29.4% FT:66.7%    TEAM--> FG:48.1% 3FG:60.0% FT:56.3%
TEAM--> TURNOVERS:19 BLOCKS:4 STEALS:1   TEAM--> TURNOVERS:13 BLOCKS:4 STEALS:5

old ends · January 31, 2009, 05:15:08 PM

Haverford 64 Dickinson 59

   DCM    Havmbk08
Field goals 21-49 42.9%    18-45 40.0%
3-point FGs 10-22 45.5%    4-7 57.1%
Free throws    7-8   87.5%    24-30 80.0%
Reb (O-D)    23 (6-17)    33 (11-22)
Turnovers    16    15

Player    FG 3FG FT   Reb A F   Pts
Matt Dolan f    1-4 0-1 0-0 3    0 4   2
Cory Kenny f 6-11 4-6 0-0 4    1 3 16
Tom Leszczynski f 2-5 0-1 1-2    6 1 2 5
Kizmahr Grell g    6-13 5-9 2-2 1 3 4 19
Aaron Hill g    1-3 0-0 0-0 2 1 1 2
Timothy Crouch 2-3 0-0 1-1   2    0 5 5
Chris Harrington    0-1 0-0 0-0   0 1 0 0
Chris Heine 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Eric Rahauser 1-2 0-1 1-1 0 1 1 3
Pat Kearns 2-7 1-4 2-2 1 0 0 7

Haverford College (9-9, 6-6 CC)
Player FG 3FG FT Reb A F Pts
David Nowacki f 3-6 0-0 6-6 6    1 1   12
Brent Anderson f 3-5 0-0 3-3 3    1 0 9
Sam Permutt f    4-10 0-0 5-6    8 0 2   13
Matthew Palmer g   2-4 1-2 5-5 3    1 5 10
Greg Rosnick g    1-6 0-0 5-8 6    4 1    7
Matthew Stitt    0-0 0-0 0-0     0    0 1    0
Alex Schwada    0-1 0-1 0-0    0 0 1    0
Lekan O-Nicholson   0-0 0-0 0-0 1    0 1    0
Ian Goldberg 4-12 3-4 0-0 2    1 0 11
Ben McDowell    0-0 0-0 0-2 0    1 0    0
Doug Edelman 1-1 0-0 0-0    0 0 0    2
Bo Friddell 0-0 0-0 0-0 0    2 0    0

r.w. mcnickels · January 31, 2009, 05:48:04 PM

According to the Gettysburg live stats:

Washington 64, Gettysburg 62

Quite a shocker at the Battlefield.

old ends · January 31, 2009, 09:50:13 PM

Results 1/31/09 pick-em

Reserved Seat    4 - 1 Gettysburg got us all
Gabriel    3 - 2
Terror30 3 - 2
r.w.mcnickels    3 - 2
old ends 3 - 2
D.B.Cooper 2 - 3
Brce4          2 - 3
Diplomaniac1    2 - 3
UniqueNewYork 2 - 3
oldbballer 1 - 4

Overall

Tucker1129 12 - 3   (.800)
Old ends     45 - 15 (.750)
Reserved Seat     43 - 17 (.717)
Diplomaniac1    42 - 18 (.700)
UniqueNewYork    41 - 19 (.683)
D.B.Cooper 40 - 20 (.667)
Brce4       37 - 23 (.617)
Gabriel       35 - 25 (.583)
r.w.mcnickels    35 - 25 (.583)
oldbballer 7 - 8 (.467)

old ends · January 31, 2009, 10:11:08 PM

Again a top ranked team in the Conference takes a hit. As stated above Gettysburg loses at home to Washington.

1. Dorsey must have gotten himself in foul trouble early.. He did foul out and only played 28 min of the game. Except for Capkin the rest of the starters played under 30 min.

2. 3 - 16 from the 3 pt line...make one more and you win the game.
Teams that only know how to shoot from 3pt range run into trouble when the cold hand hits.

3. Only 3 off rebounds while Washington had 10. Second chance shots lost even if you make half of them, it could turn the game.. Oh, by the way, Washington did get 5- 2nd chance points.

Stats show that they seem flat for 2 games in a row, that leaves the door open for a lot of people in the Conference. F & M now has the lead up 1 game over McDaniel and 2 up on Gettysburg.

Who will hold up in the final 3 weeks??