MBB: Centennial Conference

[BRCE4]

Picks for 2/11
McDaniel (better team)
JHU( Gettysburg struggling and JHU needs a win)
Ursinus(Can't believe bears won't make playoffs need this one)
Mules(Swat doesn't have enough talent for the upset)
Wash(2 scrappy teams Wash may be a little more talented)

[r.w. mcnickels]

2/11 picks:

Ursinus
McDaniel
Gettysburg
Muhlenberg
Haverford

Despite F&M's lofty ranking, I don't see the Dips coming out of Collegeville with anything but a painful loss.  As noted by D.B., it's been ages since F&M has won there.  Kevin Small's system always seems to make the Dips play out of their element.  Noonan might score 25 or 30, while the Bears as a team will likely shoot at least 20 treys and make at least 10 of them.  Ursinus is simply too good not to make the CC playoffs, and the comeback will start at F&M's expense.

I think we'll have a tie for first place after Wednesday night.  Congrats to McDaniel on receiving votes in the Top 25 this week, becoming the fourth Centennial team to do so this year!

[oldbballer]

Picks for 2/11

Hopkins
Muhlenberg
Washington
F&M
Dickinson

[old ends]

Picks 2/11/09

McDaniel
John Hopkins
F & M
Muhlenberg
Washington

[old ends]

Congrats to Dan Selig F & M Conference player of the week

See the rest here:

http://www.centennial.org/basketball/2009/MBK_209.pdf

enjoy

[old ends]

Stats are in for games to 2/9

http://www.centennial.org/basketball/men/2009stats/confonly.htm

enjoy

[diplomaniac1]

Folks -

It looks to me like there are four fairly tough match-ups in tonights games that are hard to make a choice in. My selections for the 2/11 pick-ems follow below:

Dickinson @ McDaniel:   McDaniel.   (Terror at home has too much speed and athletecism for the Red Devils).

Gettysburg @ Johns Hopkins:   Johns Hopkins.   (I am taking the Bullets on the road who really need a victory to keep from falling lower down the ladder for the conference tournament seedings. However, Jays are always tough at home and it was hard to pick against them).

F&M @ Ursinus:   F&M.   (Picking with heart and not the brain! Hopefully, the young Diplomats can get one more monkey off of the team's collective back yet this year).

Muhlenberg @ Swarthmore:   Muhlenberg.   (Even the Muhles who are notoriously weak on the road should win at Tarble. Enough said).

Washington @ Haverford:  Haverford.   (Fords appear to be playing better as of late, especially at home. I am not sure which Shoremen squad will show up after their "beat-down" in Lancaster at Mayser. Slight edge to the home team due to long trek from Chestertown).

Unfortunately, I will not make Collegeville tonight - entirely too much traveling on a work night as it is over three and one-half hours from Mount Union one way! As much as I want to see the game, I would have to take tomorrow off affter traveling seven plus hours for a two hour game! I will be at Mayser on Satruday, February 14 for the Haverford game.

Enjoy the games! To all of those folks traveling to tonight's games - have a safe trip. Good luck to all teams, fans, and prognosticators! Regards to all.

Eric

[UniqueNewYork]

Pick-em for 2/11/09

McDaniel
John Hopkins
F & M           
Muhlenberg
Washington 

[r.w. mcnickels]

Gettysburg @ Johns Hopkins:   Johns Hopkins.   (I am taking the Bullets on the road who really need a victory to keep from falling lower down the ladder for the conference tournament seedings. However, Jays are always tough at home and it was hard to pick against them).

Eric -

It looks like you meant to pick Gettysburg in tonight's game at JHU (unless you changed your mind as you were typing!).

[diplomaniac1]

r. w. and old ends -

You have good eyes! Yes, my intent was to choose Gettysburg. I must have gotten interrupted with a phone call while sending this from work. Well, better late than never. Thanks for giving me a chance to clarify and correct! Regards,

Eric

[D.B. Cooper]

Always glad to lose a pick-em because the Dips prove me wrong for my only incorrect pick. They've gotten most of the ghosts sent back to the Twilight Zone now with a sweep over the Bears. I guess I'll have to try to get off for the Sweet 16/Elite 8 weekend now.

Another point is how about that true freshman Giorgio Milligan! His stats jump off the page at you. His leadership is amazing for one so inexperienced. I can't think of a point guard  I would trade him for in the CC. I'm thinking he should be 1st team all-conference. The Dips would be fairly good without him, but could easily have 5 or more extra losses.

Thought for the rest of the season into March "Let's go Blue".

[Reserved Seat]

750
Another exciting game for F&M's youthful squad.
Despite horrendous foul shooting and some questionable officiating(what is a walk and what is an intentional), F&M was able to pull off an impressive win on the road.  An enthusiastic crowd from Ursinus(fortunately less than past years) was able to rattle F&M on the line. 
Brooks, when he was on the court,  pressured Noonan into an off night. Burnett had an incredible night shooting threes(7 for 10), preventing F&M from pulling away.   Cousart did a nice job of moving the ball, and Page played an extremely agressive defense(how he didn't foul out I have no clue.  Selig played very little as he was saddled with fouls(2 questionable).
Scovill had a great game.  Ursinus challenged him to shoot, and fortunately he was up to the task.  McNally(20 points) and Baker( a double double) performed well under the basket.  Tolliver knocked down a couple key 3-pointers.  Finally, Milligan continued to show his leadership directing the offense.

[pizzashop]

750 for the coach,
1200 for the program,
a pre-game shout out on SportsCenter...

and Duke lost  

If only North Carolina could have somehow also lost. Trying not to let good be the enemy of perfect.

[r.w. mcnickels]

Always glad to lose a pick-em because the Dips prove me wrong for my only incorrect pick. They've gotten most of the ghosts sent back to the Twilight Zone now with a sweep over the Bears. I guess I'll have to try to get off for the Sweet 16/Elite 8 weekend now.

Another point is how about that true freshman Giorgio Milligan! His stats jump off the page at you. His leadership is amazing for one so inexperienced. I can't think of a point guard  I would trade him for in the CC. I'm thinking he should be 1st team all-conference. The Dips would be fairly good without him, but could easily have 5 or more extra losses.

Thought for the rest of the season into March "Let's go Blue".

I'm shocked that the Dips won in their own House of Horrors tonight.  Even though Ursinus is down this year, this has to rank as one of F&M's most important wins of the year.  I agree with what D.B. said about Milligan, and would add that he's having the best freshman season I've ever seen in the Centennial Conference.

F&M and McDaniel stay in a two-horse race for hosting rights in the CC tournament.  I think McDaniel will sweep three on the road, forcing F&M to win out.  Who would have predicted these two squads duking it out for home court?

As for the Sweet 16 weekend, there's a lot of basketball between now and then -- the chicks have not hatched!  But I wouldn't have predicted a 20-win season for F&M, or McDaniel to be at 17-5.  So maybe the conference will surprise us all again with two teams in the dance.  Stranger things have happened.

[terror 30]

Great game in Westminster last night. All 6 active seniors played a significant amount and scored on Senior Day for McDaniel. I am severely regretting not picking my team for the win this past week. Any thought of an upset was thrown out of the window when Dickinson allowed the terror to get 15 offensive rebounds, the very big majority of them coming in the first half.

Dickinson was struggling to block out and McDaniel was capitalizing. Statistically McDaniel beat Dickinson in every single category, besides free throw percentage, but the key matchup was denying the ball from Grell. In their previous matchup this season Grell had 20 points on 7 of 10 shooting, last year in the play in game to the conference tournament he had over 20, so coming into this game most McDaniel loyalists knew that he could and probably would be the deciding factor. Coach Curley established 100% denial in any front court situation for 40 minutes of the game. With Miguel Jones playing limited minutes due to the flu it gave the opportunity for Senior TJ Odunlami to shine on senior day. Odunlami did a terrific job on both ends of the court, forcing Grell to shoot just 3 for 10 from the field and also making Grell work hard on Defense. Odunlami ended up with 15 total points and 6 assists. With this win over Dickinson the Terror have now set a school record for wins in a single season with 17. Great outing and final home salute to the seniors to McDaniel!

Few comments on Dickinson... with just under 2 minutes to go McDaniel was up 10 with the ball and Dickinson seemed to fold: not fouling to stop the clock especially when McDaniel shot less than 50% free throw percentage. McDaniel swung the ball with ease against Dickinson's lackadaisical defense, Players on McDaniel who shoot free throws just above .500 for the season were taking the ball and holding it. Didn't understand Dickinson's lack of effort on that.

Leszczynski had a great game ending up with 22 and 13 but it seemed like They had to slow the ball up each time down to get the ball inside to him. Why are they not pushing the ball and letting Grell try to take his man 1 on 1? Granted last night it was VERY hard against a swarming Defense like McDaniel's but every time Grell would drive it seemed that the middle would be so jammed with his own teammates and their defenders that it was tough to get any type of shot. It seems like the season is already over for them but I'm just curious after 4 years of seeing the quickness and speed of Grell why he wouldn't have more freedom. What are your comments?

Good to see McDaniel get some love in the rankings too! Big time win for McDaniel! and I'd like to publicly apologize for doubting!