MBB: Centennial Conference

[jmcozenlaw]

I've seen a lot of Swarthmore games - the Garnet were getting pounded more than is typical for them.  Not that they can't take it, but Ithaca was going hard.

I don't know how a team that looks like Popeye (with no spinach to be found) "pounds" a team the size of Swat.......especially O'dell and Schafer. The size difference, in the front and backcourt  was shocking. Thompson and Sinon looked like kids against men.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I've seen a lot of Swarthmore games - the Garnet were getting pounded more than is typical for them.  Not that they can't take it, but Ithaca was going hard.

I don't know how a team that looks like Popeye (with no spinach to be found) "pounds" a team the size of Swat.......especially O'dell and Schafer. The size difference, in the front and backcourt  was shocking. Thompson and Sinon looked like kids against men.

Maybe it was comparison issues.  I saw them play Brooklyn the night before. THAT was a size disparity.  It doesn't really matter how big a guy is - Ithaca played rough.  I have no problem with it at all.  They were physical.  That's a choice.  Great.  I'm just saying that game looked different than what Swat normally sees, which MIGHT have been why Landry was on edge.

[footballfan911]

Ithaca always plays hard but I would hardly call them a physical team. They average close to 90 points and only turn the ball over 10 times a game. That and timely shot making is the recipe for their success. They play with a ton of heart, despite their size disadvantage. I was in the gym and didn't really think that game was anymore physical than a typical Liberty League game. Swarthmore was just better down the stretch. Refs had nothing to do with the outcome, although I will agree the head coach in the refs ear on every possession is a bit much.

[jmcozenlaw]

Ithaca always plays hard but I would hardly call them a physical team. They average close to 90 points and only turn the ball over 10 times a game. That and timely shot making is the recipe for their success. They play with a ton of heart, despite their size disadvantage. I was in the gym and didn't really think that game was anymore physical than a typical Liberty League game. Swarthmore was just better down the stretch. Refs had nothing to do with the outcome, although I will agree the head coach in the refs ear on every possession is a bit much.

Spot on! Other than Alderete, I don't think there is a player on Ithaca, from the freshmen to the seniors, who looked like grown men. Swarthmore was much more 'swole' up and down their lineup. Swat's games with Hopkins were more physical than this Ithaca game. I'd call Ithaca more of a gnat-like, pain-in-the-azz, type of team, much more than calling them a physical team. I'm not sure that Mullins is a big offseason weight room coach (unlike Landry)...............but they could clearly use it.

The refs had zero to do with the outcome................and that would have held true if Ithaca would have pulled off the massive upset.

[jmcozenlaw]

Ithaca always plays hard but I would hardly call them a physical team. They average close to 90 points and only turn the ball over 10 times a game. That and timely shot making is the recipe for their success. They play with a ton of heart, despite their size disadvantage. I was in the gym and didn't really think that game was anymore physical than a typical Liberty League game. Swarthmore was just better down the stretch. Refs had nothing to do with the outcome, although I will agree the head coach in the refs ear on every possession is a bit much.

I also had a veteran ref (son is the head coach at Lancaster Bible) tell me that Swat's two bigs called be called for many 'borderline' offensive foul calls. Backing the defender down is fine. Dipping the shoulder and finishing through him is questionable from time to time. I saw Big O get away without that, while initiating the contact, several times. It's nice to stand up to it.........but the art of the flop (or backing away so the big guy stumbles while dipping the shoulder into the defender) is a dying art.

[Swish3]

I don't want to take anything away from Landry (especially given that he's coaching my alma mater) BUT.........................I'm not sure that I've ever seen a coach, especially one with the best team in the country, on their home court, bitch and bitch and bitch at the refs.

Jay Wright's future replacement?? Oh Lord, no way in you-know-where!!

Try watching York College....

[footballfan911]

Ithaca almost always looks like a JV team in warm-ups compared to their opponent. They do however, have very smart and skilled players.  Opponents shoot horribly from 3 against them.  Reason, great guard switching at the arc and great communication.  Clearly opponents are able to shoot over them, but just don't get enough open looks against them.  And the turnover margin is huge in their favor.  If Swarthmore thinks this game was physical, then I would question their longevity in this tournament despite the fact they have a great team.

I don't know what type of kid Ithaca recruits, but in years past they were much more of a grown-man looking team and they did not have this kind of success.  Thompson has always been overlooked, and underestimated, but he is a tough kid and he is a winner. Clutch throughout his career, Saturday night notwithstanding. He has had many more games in his career like Friday night than Saturday night.  Unfortunate outlier for him in his final game.  Great careers for him and Alderete.

As far as offensive foul calls on Swat's big men, they must have watched a different game than I did.  The one call, went against Alderete(no way is he a flopper) and not only did Swat get the call, the ref called it a shooting foul.  I think that was the only call of that sort in the game. Landry bitched about that even though he got the whistle...he wanted a flop warning. Go back and watch, hilarious to think that was a flop.

[footballfan911]

Apologies as I was a little off on my previous comments regarding the physicality and officiating in the Ithaca/Swarthmore game. I went back and watched the broadcast of the game. The thought that calls went against Swat or that the game was overly physical is even more preposterous after taking a 2nd look. At no point did Swat receive the short end of any call. It was playoff basketball. Period. The announcer commented after Jack Stern of Ithaca fell over O'Dell on a loose ball that it was the second "cheap shot" by Ithaca on O' Dell. The first was on Thompson earlier in the second half after a driving layup by Thompson. Donation to your favorite charity for anyone who actually goes back and watches those 2 plays and thinks they were cheap shots. Hilarious. The block(flop) by Alderete which was called a shooting foul. Lol. A second larger donation to anyone who would call this a shooting foul. Stop with the officiating. Swat was frustrated. Period. Coaches, players, fan....by the fact Ithaca wouldn't back down and roll over. They all figured that a victory was a given based on the fact of Ithaca's diminutive physical prowess and the fact that Swat is in the almighty Centennial Conference. Please. Last thing..."they played us as it was their Super Bowl". That's disrespectful to Ithaca and Babson. Ithaca prepared to come to Philly to win TWO games. One at a time. None was more significant than the other and the Swat game was on a 24 hour turn around. They respected Babson as much as they respected Swat.  They feared neither. Nice try, trying to diminish their effort and skill as if anyone not drinking Landry's cool aid is buying it. Lol.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I don't recognize the characterization of Swarthmore in those statements.  I don't think many, if any, Swarthmore fans even post here very often.  I've never known Swarthmore to be anything but humble.  This all started with comments about how vocal Landry was during the game and I mentioned it was more physical than refs typically let things get for them, which is likely the reason.  You then proceeded to argue (I think) that Ithaca can't be physical, because they're smaller, as if those two things are correlated in any way.  It seems you've attempting to slay a boogieman of your own creation.

No one disparaged Ithaca or complained about anything.

[footballfan911]

I didn't say they couldn't be physical because of their size. Because of their size and style of play, they do not play a physical game. That doesn't mean they aren't tough and that they don't play hard. You inferred that the refs let them get away with excessive physical play.  I completely disagree. And yes, size does impact play around the basket and Swat used their size to their advantage as any good team would. I said I didn't think the game was overly physical. In the least. Go back and watch. It was not. Despite Landry's relentless berating of the officials, I do not think the officiating impacted the game one iota. As far as Swat fans being respectful, I'll take your word for it. It is just unbecoming for the leader of the #1 team in the country to whine and bitch and complain(my words) after every trip up the floor. Good luck next round.

[noonhooper]

I totally disagree that Ithaca doesnt play a physical style. As an undersized team they really fight for rebounds by hitting bigger players and trying to bury them under the hoop. That is what a good coach would tell a smaller team to do and they are really good at it. I also saw a lot of bumping on drives with and without hand checks. again, a smart way to play when you aren't as big but to pretend they arent physical because they are small and shoot threes seems misguided. I don't think the reffing helped or hurt one team or another but I think a coach should try to get the calls he needs to win. If you are the smaller team and you are trying to use tricks to beat the bigger team shouldn't the bigger team try to stop that from happening? Both teams played physically, the refs let it happen, it was a physical game.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

No fans at Swarthmore this weekend.  Announcement just posted to their athletic page.

[jmcozenlaw]

So Swarthmore pulls an Amherst and shuts the doors....................

This is about to get real interesting in the coming days and weeks.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

And with that, the 2019-20 seasons have come to a sudden end.

What a week it has been in college basketball. Exactly a week ago, as we hit the air, the first signs that COVID-19 was going to impact the NCAA Tournaments was seen. Since then, it has been a whirlwind.  

Tonight on Hoopsville, we try and make sense of one of the stranger finishes in history for NCAA events. What started with isolated closings of gyms for games ends a week later in all games being called off through the rest of the academic year.

We will chat with those who were preparing for games on Friday and hear their reactions to the seasons coming to a close so quickly.

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[footballfan911]

Tough for the seniors. Last weekend was such a great weekend across the country, sorry to see it end like this for all these teams but especially the seniors that won on Saturday and thought their dream was still alive.