MBB: Centennial Conference

r.w. mcnickels · January 30, 2007, 03:05:24 PM

Nice article - Griffin and Nawrocki are one of the better post tandems I can remember in the CC. But they have to win the conference title to leave their mark. With the conference so weak this year, they absolutely have to take care of business.

It should be an interesting scene in Baltimore if Hopkins ends up hosting the CC tourney in tiny Goldfarb gym. The 1,200 listed capacity is a bit generous - maybe with standing room. A few hundred is more like it.

Pat Coleman · January 30, 2007, 03:08:21 PM

Are you discounting the seats behind the basket? There's more than a few hundred. It would be a stretch at 1,200 but I would say 800-900 is a reasonable assessment of the permanent seating there.

r.w. mcnickels · January 30, 2007, 03:15:04 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on January 30, 2007, 03:08:21 PM
Are you discounting the seats behind the basket? There's more than a few hundred. It would be a stretch at 1,200 but I would say 800-900 is a reasonable assessment of the permanent seating there.

No, I was counting those. Maybe 800-900 isn't a stretch. Still not a place you'd think ideal for a four-team tournament, but it'll make for a great atmosphere any way you look at it.

Leo · January 30, 2007, 04:32:27 PM

It sounds like everyone is "handing" the CC crown to Hopkins. While they are the favorite, they have to earn it. I remember when F&M was the prohibitive favorite a couple of years ago, and Ursinus beat them on their home court. It's not over til the fat lady sings, and I hope Hopkin players are not eating too many fatty foods along the way.

Go Bears Go

commish · January 31, 2007, 06:16:54 PM

Johns Hopkins at Swarthmore (Men's Basketball)
The 20th ranked Blue Jays (17-2, 11-1) visit Tarble Pavilion to take on the surging Garnet (9-10, 6-6), winners of four of its last five. Hopkins leads the all-time series, 58-35, but is just 4-4 since the inception of the CC at Swarthmore. It will be an interesting matchup between the big men - JHU's Matt Griffin (16.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Danny Nawrocki (12.8, 10.6) against Swat's Ian McCormick (14.3, 9.3) and Steve Wolf (12.9, 6.3).

commish · January 31, 2007, 06:19:23 PM

Leo,
you make a good point. Home teams have won only seven of the 13 previous Centennial title games. In fact, Hopkins' 1999 crown was won in Chestertown. Ursinus is 3-0 in finals, including a pair of wins at Helfferich.

commish · February 02, 2007, 08:59:06 AM

Saturday's Top Game - Johns Hopkins at Haverford
The 20th ranked Blue Jays (18-2, 12-1 CC) look to avenge their only Centennial loss of the season when they visit the Main Line to take on the Fords (9-10, 8-5). Haverford has won three of the last four meetings at home, but Hopkins got the best of the Fords last season at Gooding Arena, 89-69. You can catch a live video feed of the game, beginning at 4 p.m., at http://www.centennial.org/basketball/men/gameday.html

Coach C · February 02, 2007, 11:49:53 PM

Dear lord the state of MA hoops when JHU vs the Fords is the best we can muster for a February Saturday.

C

r.w. mcnickels · February 04, 2007, 01:38:59 PM

Quote from: Coach C on February 02, 2007, 11:49:53 PM
Dear lord the state of MA hoops when JHU vs the Fords is the best we can muster for a February Saturday.

Looks like it lived up to commish's billing: Hopkins 72, Fords 68 in 2 OT.

Ursinus at JHU next weekend should be another good one.

Coach C · February 06, 2007, 09:33:30 AM

Yes, but I have seen both teams play and I can't say these squads are nearly the quality that the Centennial is used to seeing.

C

Leo · February 07, 2007, 02:12:43 PM

I find Coach C's comment very interesting about the quality of play within the Conference this year not nearly the quality that he is used to seeing. He may be right, but this year has certainly been entertaining with many games decided by 5 point or less.

Hopkins is ranked 17th by D3hoops, and squeaked by Haverford and Swarthmore the past two weeks. Does that mean we belittle the efforts by Haverford and Swarthmore against a nationally ranked team, or does one question the validity of Hopkin's national ranking. I tend to believe the latter.

The CC teams this year are competitive within the league. However, I do think that the CC teams this year are a step back from previous years when playing teams outside of the Conference. I hope I am proven wrong by the CC champion winning in the first round this year. Last year's Ursinus team had high expectations to perform well in the tournament, and the loss to SUNY-Farmingdale was a great disappointment. A speed/athletic team against the CC representative will always pose a difficult task.

Maybe Hopkins ranking is legit. If so, doesn't that mean our CC teams play quality basketball. Be that as it may, no one can argue that this season has been dull.

Leo

Leo · February 08, 2007, 09:21:16 AM

That was a shocker last night .. McDaniel beating Hopkins

... or was it not ?

Leo

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh · February 10, 2007, 02:54:39 PM

In case anyone in the Centennial Conference is interested, Paul McMullen of The (Baltimore) Sun wrote a wonderful article about Coach Bob Flynn and the McDaniel basketball team after their win over Johns Hopkins.

Here is the a link in case you are interested in reading it:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-sp.flynn09feb09,0,4866077.story

Leo · February 10, 2007, 10:38:41 PM

The first half between Hopkins and Ursinus had great shooting, play-making, good defense and referees who were not part of the game and you had to look hard to see if they were on the court. Hopkins up by 2 at the half. Unfortunately, the officiating crew of Elliot, Thomas and Fahey decided that they wanted to be the game and determine who would win the game.

Perhaps the refs didn't appreciate the anger of Coach Small on the body block foul on a Fabian layout that was not called with 10 secs left in the 1st half, and a foul on a Hopkins shot attempt with .3 secs left in the 1st half. University forensic students are still looking for the evidence as to why that foul was called.

My explanation is simple. Each ref took 2 Viagra pills at the half and then went out in the 2nd half to "stick it" to Coach Small and the players. I would like to know why.

I have seen 40+ games over a four year period, and I usually find a reason or two why a team wins or loses. I do not believe that an officiating crew can really determine the outcome of a game. That belief has now been broken. I would like to say that the timely and terrific shooting from the Hopkin guards in the 2nd half was the reason for the win, but I can't. The bias of fouls called on the Bears and the number of Hopkins fouls missed and left on the court gave the win to Hopkins. The Bears never had a chance.

First half has a total of 10 fouls, evenly distributed. Looks innocent and fair. The 2nd half had 24 fouls with Bears having 17 vs Hopkins having 7. Take away 3 to 4 fouls at the end of the game by the Bears, and the officiating was still one-sided. What galls me was that the refs left a number of Hopkins fouls on the floor like over the back, moving picks and not having a player set in taking a charge. Moreover, we all like to see the refs call it on both ends of the floor. Why call the ticky-tack fouls on the Bears?

Johnny Carson played a character called the Great Carnac. Ed, give me the envelop please.

Answer: The Three Stooges, Three Blind Mice, Monkey See No Evil-Speak No Evil
and Hear No Evil.

Question: What other famous trios can you name for Dave Elliot, Bill Thomas , and
Tom Fahey who were the officiating crew between Hopkins and Ursinus.

Leo

bluejays · February 11, 2007, 12:49:18 PM

Looking at my user name I am obviously a little bit biased here. However, you really lose a lot of credibility Leo making an argument like that. Why is it so implausible (and this goes for any game not just this one) that one team is fouling more than the other? Especially when Hopkins has two All Conference post players they try to go to just about every possession. Of course the other team is going to have more fouls called on them.

I agree on the Fabian no call and there was one charge that should not have been called on Ursinus that I can remember. From this side I would say that was absolutely a foul with .3 seconds left I think because it directly followed the bad Fabian no call you didn't see it clearly. In addition, the worst call of the game was on Doug Polster who waws called for a foul on a 3 that was not even close. I will also add every time Nawrocki makes a post move and doesn't get a foul as a missed call

This was an intense, exciting game that could have gone either way. Timely shooting (Valerio 15 in the second half) is actually exactly why Hopkins won yesterday. Blaming the officials for this is absurd.