MBB: Great Northeast Athletic Conference

[D3HoopJunkie]

Very much looking forward to the start of the GNAC tourney tonight!! There are definitely some interesting matchups. Here my breakdown of how I believe the quarterfinals will turn out.

JWU vs St Joes Maine – I don't see much competition here obviously and if you look at the regular season matchups between these two teams clearly a blowout should be expected. I think St. Joes will put out a superior effort because of their coach and program pedigree but JWU is far superior to them at every position and skillset on the court. I'll take the Wildcats JWU 97 – St Joes 68

Emmanuel vs Anna Maria – This is a very intriguing matchup for both squads. Pretty evenly matched in my opinion although I agree with Saint-Paul that the Saints hold an advantage in the low post. However, (and I think Saint will agree with me on this) a lot of these games come down to coaching between evenly matched teams in a tournament format and Coach Jackson from Emmanuel just doesn't have it. Conrad at Anna Maria is a decent coach and I look at him as a very solid motivator when I watch him coach his team. Give me the AMCATS in this one for that reason. Anna Maria 81 – Emmanuel 75

Mount Ida vs Albertus – At a glance I believe Mount Ida is the 3rd most athletic team in this conference behind only JWU and Albertus. So in my opinion Albertus holds the edge in terms of athleticism. Mount Ida can certainly challenge the Falcons early in this game but being at home I think the young Falcons squad puts it all together and goes on a run in the second half to seal the victory. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Davis and what he has done at Mount Ida in a very short amount of time....it seems like they are heading in the right direction. But his team (also young) is not quite ready to make the step and knock of Coach Oliver and the Falcons. Albertus 94 – Mount Ida  78

Suffolk vs Lasell – Very very intriguing matchup.....In my opinion probably the most intriguing of the 1st round. Suffolk just handed Lasell a loss in the season finale and while Lasell has played poorly of late I think they put things together and get back on track for the GNAC tourney. They have good experience and a great head coach. That being said I could see Suffolk pulling off and upset here but I just think the Lasers have had to strong of a season to let this 1st round game slip through their fingertips. I also think that a lot of times throughout this season when I watched Suffolk they had a tendency to beat themselves a bit. Lasell 84 – Suffolk 73

Good luck to all teams tonight and as always.......GO FALCONS!!!

[lildave678]

http://sportzedge.com/2016/02/23/albertus-magnus-races-past-mount-ida-109-87-in-gnac-quarterfinals/

[Saint-Paul]

Anna Maria loses a home play off game to the Saints for the second year in a row.  Again, the Saints big man was the difference in this game, just like last year.  The game was fairly even throughout with both teams making small runs but neither team able to take control.  With the score tied at 89 and 9 seconds left to play the Amcats committed a costly turnover.  The Saints tried to return the favor by taking a wild, off balance shot,  on a  drive down the lane by one of the guards.  The shot was so bad that it actually hit one of the Amcat defenders and rolled out of bounds.  No, I am not making this up, that really happened.  With 1.3 seconds left the Saints lobbed the ball in bounds to the Saints big man who caught it and laid it in the basket.  There was nothing the Amcat defenders could do.  I will bet that the Anna Maria coach is glad that I don't write posts for the Amcats.  Losing home play off games two years in a row to a team with only 9 wins is not a great resume builder.

Saints face the JWU buzz saw next round.  Last year I remember the JWU announcers laughing during the broadcast at the Saints defense, at the Saints shot selection, at the Saints player rotation, at the Saints wild transition game.  It is OK for me to laugh at those things, the Saints are my team and I support them anyway, but I think it is very unclassy for the home team announcers to do that on the air during the game.  Hopefully they will act in a more professional manner during this years game.  Regardless,  it won't change the outcome of the game.  JWU should win this one by 30.

 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Final public regional rankings are out: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2016/02/24/third-ncaa-regional-ranking/

[falcons2010]

JWU at number 6 in region... Awesome!! When is the last time a GNAC team was ranked that high in regional rankings?

Also; Junkie almost dead on with Albertus and Lasell scores.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I thought Albertus Magnus climbed as high as 6 in the past... but I can't remember off the top of my head.

[D3HoopJunkie]

Falcons2010......What can I say, When your good your good LOL

Dave, I believe you are correct. Last year's Falcons squad peaked at 6 in the last public Regional Rankings just like JWU this year

Tonight is the night! 1 very BIG game and 1 NOT so big game.

I will start with the NOT so big game.....Nice win by Emmanuel the other night to take out the higher seeded AMCATS on their home court. However the run ends tonight. JWU is simply too good and too athletic. If the regular season is any indication of how tonight's game goes this one could be over quickly. Coaching, Athleticism, System and Experience are all things you look for in the playoffs and you can check all those boxes off for JWU in a contest with the Saints. JWU 96 Saints 65

Now for the BIG game and what clearly is the game of the night......Lasell and Albertus Magnus. These two teams battled it out in the regular season and much I think to everyone's surprise the Lasers swept the Falcons taking both games. This is going to be an absolute battle. You have an experienced Lasell team who has fought all year and proved they can beat Albertus. Then you look at the Falcons, a young athletic team who plays an up tempo fast paced style that has beat 2 top 25 teams this season and then turn right around and put up some very mediocre performances as well. Very typical when you look at the youth and talent level of Albertus Magnus. Can they beat anyone? I think the answer is clearly yes but will they be able to avoid the freshman/sophomore mistakes that have plagued them in a few close games this season, specifically both games against Lasell? I know I am a Falcons fan but I really like Albertus in this game.....as unbiased as I can be I just think Albertus is on a mission to prove that they can remain top dogs in the GNAC even without the typical experience and stars that we have seen in the past few seasons. I also just can't see Oliver being beat 3 times in one season by the same team. This game will be a tough one as well for my Falcons because they are on the road and I really think the gym (which is very small) is going to be absolutely packed and rocking. They will have to weather the storm of runs and crowd noise that the fans and team will no doubt put on. Albertus has to play great perimeter defense to win this game. Marchand and Liberty are good players but Albertus lost both of these games this season because they gave up to many wide open 3's at inopportune times. I am going to take my Falcons in a close one here on the road. AMC 88 – Lasell 82. Player of the game for the Falcons will be JQ Walters. I have a feeling that this is going to be his moment where he puts the team on his back and final asserts himself as the true leader and star of this team.

[Saint-Paul]

Well, the Saints game went pretty much according to script.  Saints tried nothing new on defense, nothing new on offense, and nothing new in transition.  JWU jumped out 22 - 10 after the first 8 minutes,  42 - 22 after 15 minutes and the rest of the game was played to fill out the box score.  I keep watching these games thinking this will be the night the Saints try something new to slow down a superior team, but that never happens.  JWU wins the game by a score of 97 - 79.  Another 17 loss season is in the record books for the Saints and JWU moves on to the championship game. 

[D3HoopJunkie]

Well I think I speak for everyone (with the exception of Saint Paul) when I say that we all got the match up most of us predicted and wanted from the start of this season.

Wasn't able to watch the JWU vs Emmanuel game mostly because I was tuned into AMC vs Lasell but that one clearly panned out just as expected with a JWU victory. Quick glimpse at the box score shows Greenaways continued domination of every opponent and the JWU overall defensive efficiency.

Albertus played an outstanding game last night. In my opinion it was one of their better performances of the season. You just knew deep down that Oliver and company wasn't going to let Lasell beat them 3 times in one season. The defense was superb; the energy was up and surprisingly enough the free throw shooting was phenomenal. They forced so many tough shots and made Lasell work for everything they got. While Grant Ellis may have had more points in a few other games this was his best game thus far as a Falcon. He played stifling defense and his 1st half shooting is what allowed Albertus to open up with a lead and hold it into halftime. When he hustles and goes all out you can see why this kid was a D1 level talent.....my only issue with him thus far was that he didn't always do that but after last night he quickly made me a believer. I hope he stays motivated going forward. You can't say enough about JQ Walters. This kid is so skilled and so strong. I love watching him play the game. He does a really nice job of avoiding fouls and his ability to put the ball on the court and get to the rim at 6'6 is scary at this level.  I love the way he goes about his business too....never complains and you can just tell he loves the game of basketball. It's a pleasure watching him play. He continues to take steps in becoming the outright leader and focal point of this team. Shonteay Lovell is a beast and only a freshman but he is KILLING me of late!! I know some of the fouls are bogus but he just has to be smarter and find a way to stay on the court because without him in the game we desperately miss a rebounder and his ability to finish at the rim. Ryan Pittman is going to be a star.....I truly believe this. I think starting this season for him as a freshman was the best thing for him......he is a clutch player and I expect him to take a major step next season.

Johnson and Wales vs Albertus Magnus for the GNAC Crown!!

I will give my preview on the Championship game later!

My scores have been pretty spot on this entire tournament. 100% luck I can assure you

[Saint-Paul]

I see that Newbury College in Brookline , MA has allowed their coach to resign after 93 loses in the last five years.  By GNAC standards that record isn't so bad, my guy has 126 loses in the last seven seasons and his career is still going strong.  Maybe Newbury will be looking for someone with experience at playing a non traditional transition game?  maybe ?

[falcons2010]

Congrats to JWU for winning the GNAC. Albertus played hard; but some wasted possesions cost the falcons. Great effort by them! Greenway and company are dancing...

[Saint-Paul]

I know that the GNAC is not held in high regard when it comes to at large bids for the NCAA tournament.  However,  it is possible that both Albertus and Lasell could get some post season action with an ECAC invitation.  I hope they don't have to play each other again on the first round of any ECAC tournament. 

[7express]

I know that the GNAC is not held in high regard when it comes to at large bids for the NCAA tournament.  However,  it is possible that both Albertus and Lasell could get some post season action with an ECAC invitation.  I hope they don't have to play each other again on the first round of any ECAC tournament.

Albertus didn't declare for the ECAC so that won't happen, but Anna Maria, Mt. Ida and Lasell did declare (here's the full list: http://www.ecacsports.com/sports/mbkb/Championships/Division_III/2015-16/DIII_Men-s_Basketball_Declared_Teams.pdf)

Mt. Ida isn't eligible because you have to be at .500 to get in, but Lasell & Anna Maria probably get in, not sure if they will play each other.  There's only 13 teams that declared (and I'm pretty sure the deadline passed by now), Mt. Ida is ineligible while Endicott & Fitchburg state are also ineligible now........because they've won their conference's AQ so as of now there are only 10 teams.  Nichols state will be the #1 seed most likely, while Lasell will probably be the #2 seed.  Not sure Anna Maria is as bad as the #7 seed but I think they can get a 3-5 seed depending on how many of those other teams are ineligible which I'll try to go through later.

[7express]

So here's the record of all the declared teams:

Anna Maria 14-12 (eligible)
Colby Sawyer 19-7 (eligible)
Elms 14-12 (eligible)
Emerson 11-16 (ineligible)
Endicott 18-10 (ineligible, won the AQ so in NCAA's)
Fitchburg State 18-9 (ineligible, won the AQ so in NCAA's)
Green Mountain 21-4 (not sure.  They were ineligible for the conference/NCAA tourney, so I'm not sure why the ECAC's would be any different)
Lasell 18-9 (eligible)
Mt. Ida 11-15 (ineligible)
Nichols 23-4 (eligible)
Pine Manor 15-10 (eligible)
Southern Maine 15-11 (eligible)
University of New England 14-13 (eligible)

So of the 13 teams we have 4 that are ineligible (in red), 8 that are eligible (in green) and 1 that's a question (orange).  If it turns out Green Mountain is ineligible that leaves 8 eligible teams so it works out perfectly.  And let's say they are.  I'd rank them:
#1 Nichols
#2 Lasell
#3 Southern Maine
#4 Colby Sawyer
#5 Anna Maria
#6 Elms
#7 Pine Manor
#8 Univ of New England

If Green Mountain is eligible slot them in at #3, slide everyone else down, and leave of Univ of New England.

[D3HoopJunkie]

Well Falcon Fans it was a hell of a season! I know I said I was going to do a preview before the Championship game but I just couldn't get myself up to picking against the Falcons and deep down I knew that was what I was going to have to do so I decided to just wait it out.

Hats off to Coach Benton and JWU......They're a solid team who I hope does really well in the big dance and represents the GNAC proudly.

I was at the game on Saturday (with about a thousand other people way up in the top row) and I just want to say that the sportsmanship these 2 teams displayed at the end of the game was really nice to see. Everyone knows that JWU and Albertus is without question the most heated rivalry in the GNAC and I would put it up as one of the better rivalries in the Northeast. There is certainly no love lost between Coach Oliver and Coach Benton but after Saturday display of sportsmanship I saw a case of what the kids these days LOL refer to as "Real Recognizing Real." Both teams left it all on the court and the respect for each other at the end of the game was visible. Albertus sort of passed the torch to the more experience Wildcats for a season and they took it deservingly so. I just thought it was really nice to see.

So us Falcon Fans move into next season. I don't think there is any question that we will be the team to beat next year. We return a ton of talent with the only exception being Marc Wilson who had an outstanding career as a Falcon. He was a grinder who got better ever season and all the hard work and dedication that he put into the program on the court with Coach Oliver only made him a stronger individual as well outside of the basketball court. Hopefully everyone comes back. I think the core is a lock to return like JQ, Shonteay, Grant, Dunbar and Pittman as well as the glue guys like Langston and James and so on. Not to mention what Oliver will bring in. He has proven time in and time out that he can recruit with the best of them and I have a feeling that he is going to hit the recruiting trail hard this offseason. I already can't wait to hear of news of possible future Falcons so if anyone hears anything at all please share it to the board as you all know I will.

Shonteay Lovell will not only be GNAC Rookie of the Year but I think he should clearly be Northeast Rookie of the Year as well. By the end of his career this kid will be an All American and could possibly go down as the greatest Falcon of all time if he continues to work hard and do what he is doing. His numbers this season when you compare them to the all-time Albertus greats after their freshman season are already ahead of the pace they all set individually.

Another off season of crossing our fingers as well with Coach Oliver! Hopefully nobody comes a knocking!! There are always a number of higher profile jobs that open up in the off season which is selfishly a cause for concern for us Falcon Fans!!