MBB: Centennial Conference

[givengo]

This is the play-off schedule according to the Centennial site:
Wed., Feb, 26
TBAMen's Basketball
TBD
@ Franklin & Marshall
Centennial Conference First Round
TBAMen's Basketball
TBA
@ McDaniel
Centennial Conference Tournament First Round
Fri., Feb, 28
TBAMen's Basketball
TBD
@ Franklin & Marshall
Centennial Conference Semifinals
Sat., Mar, 01
TBAMen's Basketball
TBD
@ Franklin & Marshall
Centennial Conference Championship

Why are the games listed to played at F&M?

The CC is run out of F & M-- the simple explanation. The reality is whoever manages the website believes in cheering for the home team. Another example; we all know the result of last year's conference championship-- the F & M loss to Dickinson.  For six months afterward if you clicked on the link for that championship game on the Centennial website, you'd get the recap and stats for an unrelated f & M Swarthmore game.  It was corrected well after the start of the 13-14 season.

[Swat Fan #1]

But that Swat win over F&M was a much bigger story!   

[Pat Coleman]

The Centennial Conference and F&M website are run off the same platform (and the same one we use). This just means that F&M has those games on its schedule, nothing else. Just like McDaniel has games on its schedule.

Same schedule appears on our site:
http://www.d3hoops.com/teams/Franklin_and_Marshall/men/2013-14/index

Same schedule appears on the F&M site:
http://godiplomats.com/sports/m-baskbl/2013-14/schedule

[Swat Fan #1]

For a much lighter story, I think you should all know how great this league is. For three years, the best defender against my son was Porter from F&M. The kid is a stud and a great athlete. The best player he ever played against was Georgio. Last night, he went to the F&M game, sat with Georgio, went out after with both those guys, and spent the night at Porter's place and had a ball. He is working in the area and thought it would be great to see Porter.  This is what this league is all about. Total class and making friends for life against your opponents. The Centennial Conference is the best in my book! Great athletes, great students, great citizens, and contributors to society! Thought this was pretty cool!

[Reserved Seat]

I thought that was your son.

[givengo]

For a much lighter story, I think you should all know how great this league is. For three years, the best defender against my son was Porter from F&M. The kid is a stud and a great athlete. The best player he ever played against was Georgio. Last night, he went to the F&M game, sat with Georgio, went out after with both those guys, and spent the night at Porter's place and had a ball. He is working in the area and thought it would be great to see Porter.  This is what this league is all about. Total class and making friends for life against your opponents. The Centennial Conference is the best in my book! Great athletes, great students, great citizens, and contributors to society! Thought this was pretty cool!

Great story, and I continue to be impressed by the character and dedication of the players in the CC.  These guys give up time with family and friends for their love of sport through four key years of their young adult lives. We know that many of these players chose quality of education over chances with D1 or
D2 basketball programs and are not getting an education in return for play.  The experience is what they've chosen to add to their education at a cost.   Others won't see much court time, but are the glue on the team; doing it for the love of the game.  The guys provide wintertime entertainment and talking points for us, but they're at school when everyone else is at home, they're eating post game pizza' til they can't stand it, and studying on bus rides. For the guys who stick it out, it goes to developing character that many of us would like to emulate.

[Swat Fan #1]

For a much lighter story, I think you should all know how great this league is. For three years, the best defender against my son was Porter from F&M. The kid is a stud and a great athlete. The best player he ever played against was Georgio. Last night, he went to the F&M game, sat with Georgio, went out after with both those guys, and spent the night at Porter's place and had a ball. He is working in the area and thought it would be great to see Porter.  This is what this league is all about. Total class and making friends for life against your opponents. The Centennial Conference is the best in my book! Great athletes, great students, great citizens, and contributors to society! Thought this was pretty cool!

Great story, and I continue to be impressed by the character and dedication of the players in the CC.  These guys give up time with family and friends for their love of sport through four key years of their young adult lives. We know that many of these players chose quality of education over chances with D1 or
D2 basketball programs and are not getting an education in return for play.  The experience is what they've chosen to add to their education at a cost.   Others won't see much court time, but are the glue on the team; doing it for the love of the game.  The guys provide wintertime entertainment and talking points for us, but they're at school when everyone else is at home, they're eating post game pizza' til they can't stand it, and studying on bus rides. For the guys who stick it out, it goes to developing character that many of us would like to emulate.

I couldn't agree with you more! Very well said!

I feel like I need to retell a story about Porter that happened last year. After a game, my mother in law who is a retired teacher and in her 70's, went over to him and told him not to guard her grandson so hard next time and to be nicer to him. Now here was a young man after a game on an away court being "yelled" at by a grandmother. Instead of taking it as an insult, he cracked up. She sat down next to him and they talked and laughed for the next 20-25 minutes. When he got up to leave, he gave her a huge hug and she kissed his cheek. That in a nutshell is why DIII hoops is so good. Great player but much much better person!

[HoopGuru]

As the season is coming to a close just wanted to give my thoughts on playoffs and POY.  I think there is way too much weight placed on PPG when it comes to POY and even when selecting the all-conference teams.  When you have players that have the total green light to shoot anytime they want, they better be averaging a decent amount of points, but I think it is much more impressive when a player is doing it on a successful team, an example being Doug McDermott at the D1 level.  If Creighton has an awful record, then it doesnt mean that much, but the fact they are a top 15 team in the country makes it much more impressive.  As much heat as it looks like Killing is taking on here, the fact of the matter is that they are still a playoff team w/ him being the leading scorer in the conference, which definitely warrants him being 1st team all league.  The ones that rub me the wrong way, and i know Swat Fan will not like this, but do not want it taken the wrong way, is that it is certainly not as impressive when Gates would lead the league in scoring with a total green light on a bad team - Still a good player, but i would hope you would put up the points stats, but it doesnt do much for me if the team is bottom of league.  WIth all that being said, i still give POY to Honig from Dickinson.  PG on the best team in the country and i think that team goes as he goes.  Team player who will be the one to take the shot when it is needed and has led team to hosting this year.  I dont see another team going into Dickinson and beating them in the playoffs with how their student section will be for those playoff games, and if someone does, it will be a well earned conference title.

[Reserved Seat]

PG on the best team in the country

[HoopGuru]

PG on the best team in the country

Sorry, clearly a typo, as i meant to say PG on the best team in the conference.

Swat Fan, i appreciate those comments.  I played in the CC and was a starter on a championship team, so, unlike you, know what it is actually like to compete in this conference.  Ive "laced my sneakers up" in the past, my credentials speak for themselves, and also unlike you, choose to not let others know who I am, which you chose to do by letting everyone know whose father you were.  The fact is, your son jacked up shots and had the total green light, not to mention got freebies at the FT line in the final 5-7 min when games were already decided in the opposite favor of Swat.  Again, as i said before, he is a good player in a tough league, but definitely not a first team all league player in any of the years he was there b/c it is just not that impressive on a team that wins a cpl games in conference

[Swat Fan #1]

This is exactly why I stepped away from these forums. I tried and posted only positive things on here especially regarding other players and teams. I thought I would give it one more chance and this proves I was right in walking away. Good luck to all teams out there. This is my last post on here as I refuse to get in pissing matches on forums after having only positive things to say.

[Pat Coleman]

This is exactly why I stepped away from these forums. I tried and posted only positive things on here especially regarding other players and teams. I thought I would give it one more chance and this proves I was right in walking away. Good luck to all teams out there. This is my last post on here as I refuse to get in pissing matches on forums after having only positive things to say.

I wouldn't let some newbie with 17 posts tell you what to do, fwiw.

[HoopGuru]

I actually went back through a lot of posts by Swat Fan and find it funny that the times Gates was called out, Swat Fan's response was to personally take jabs at whoever posted the comment and come at them for their knowledge of basketball, or lack thereof.  We get it, you were a HS/AAU coach who didnt play in college, but you have to be open to criticism when you decide to post on these forums, and even more so when you make the choice to disclose who you are.  I used Gates and Killing as examples of the point I was trying to make b/c both part of the conference. I could have also used Ursinus this year and the fact that Adams had a green light and took a lot of shots, was a top scorer in the league, but how impressive is it?  Like I said earlier with McDermott at the D1 level. It is more impressive when the team is successful & winning like Creighton is rather than being Antoine Mason at Niagara (2nd leading scorer in D1) and have a record of 3-14 in conference, 6-22 overall, taking about 20 shots/game.  NBA another example, Durant leading scorer in league on team with best record right now and Carmelo 2nd on NY team with bad record and not very good...when youre on a bad team and just worried about getting your own shots up it just isnt that impressive. At least with Killing, his team is going to the playoffs and its a team that will certainly be a scare to Dickinson if they can get past their play-in game

[Gabriel]

Swat Dad/Swat Fan #1 has tried so hard to be positive in his comments and to compliment other teams, players and coaches.  As a former coach, he is knowledgeable regarding the x's and o's as well as perceptive regarding such things as team chemistry---always important in a team game.  I have enjoyed his participation in this forum for the past five years and, while I cannot speak for others, I sense that the "old timers" have enjoyed his comments too.  Hang in there Swat Fan #1. we need you.  Just ignore the negative stuff.

[givengo]

PG on the best team in the country

Sorry, clearly a typo, as i meant to say PG on the best team in the conference.

Swat Fan, i appreciate those comments.  I played in the CC and was a starter on a championship team, so, unlike you, know what it is actually like to compete in this conference.  Ive "laced my sneakers up" in the past, my credentials speak for themselves, and also unlike you, choose to not let others know who I am, which you chose to do by letting everyone know whose father you were.  The fact is, your son jacked up shots and had the total green light, not to mention got freebies at the FT line in the final 5-7 min when games were already decided in the opposite favor of Swat.  Again, as i said before, he is a good player in a tough league, but definitely not a first team all league player in any of the years he was there b/c it is just not that impressive on a team that wins a cpl games in conference

Ouch, really?  Swat Dad/fan, you get my vote for taking the right path. Don't go.