MBB: Great Northeast Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

It's nice that the "boyz" from Southern Vermont have discovered the site. Where were you three years ago?

[carolina]

Rudebuoyz.....Since you seem to know all about me. I am a student at Emmanuel if you must know. As far as the previos coach I have know idea what happened nor do I care. I am sure the new coaches at SVC are good....I am just saying that they need help if the athletic program at SVC is going to go anywhere.  Not to mention the Academics. You are the one who seems the need to defend SVC. Half the athletes there would be lucky to be bench players at other schools. Oh and by the way...I would never even attempt to apply for a job in Bennington VT.  The only thing it has going for itself is the scenery.  Go BOSTON!!!!!!!!!

[dman]

real gnac,
i haven't really watched any svc games, except the ones they've had with williams, with one exception.  i travelled to bennington to watch svc play keene state in '03.  it was a really rough game and the refs kind of lost control. alphonse michalski from keene got a tooth knocked out and there was a minor melee.  i came away from the game impressed by the spirit of the fans and the loudness of the gym.  that place really rocked.  raphael salazar played in a rec league in the berkshires and i actually played against him.  later, he was on the pittsfield shamrocks team in a "semi-pro" league, that has since disbanded.  his coach wanted an exhibition game against some local guys.  a bunch of my hoop buddies and i  drove to a junior high school gym in new york state and played a game against the team.  salazar was an incredible athlete.  i often wonder if he ever made it to europe or the cba.  anthony harvey also made a couple of cameos in a summer league i was in.  he was "above the rim"......

[creekhoops]

They say there is no such thing as bad publicity...I can't believe all of the SVC Mountaineer chatter going on!  These guys are getting more blogs than any team in the GNAC - and they aren't even good anymore! 

Hats off to the spin doctors behind this one...Emmanuel goes 17-1 and has MAYBE 4 posts regarding their season.  SVC can't get out of their own way and we find ourselves talking about the glory days of the Marxist regime. 

Go ahead and dig up Sean Key (is he 30 yet?) or even Lydalle Waller, Sean Ezeill, and Jack the 7 foot wannbe point guard Wolfinger.... they couldn't win it in '04, and they won't win it in '07.  True, they locked down a weak GNAC in '03 - but failed to repeat.  Marks left for St. Ed's, Norwich grabbed the reigns, and Emerson rediscovered defense.  The rest is history.

The thing about rising to the top - you need to climb faster than your competition. However, once you get to the top, you need to have staying power.  SVC lacks staying power,  and they always have. 

Emerson kids stay.  Norwich kids stick around.  Do you think Coaches Booth, Smith, and Jackson intend to allow SVC to just pass them by? 

One thing proven by Marks was that any team - in any given year - can compete for the GNAC with one , solid, "recruiting" class.  Give Rivier a 6'7" center and an athletic swing man - they become contenders.  Look what Magnus did in 02-03 with Blizzard, Douthwright, and Russell.  Anyone can do it for a year.  Great teams do it year in and year out.  In Division III, THAT is coaching.  Not only getting kids to come, but to actually go to class, pay their bill, and promote good citizenship. 

Get them to come back, like Rob Hennigan, the Godbout kid from WNEC and Hensley from Norwich.  DIII is loaded with patchwork teams and instant, EZ bake contenders.  (Hell, I used to build them myself).  But when you step back and look at the big picture, you finally see that the great teams do it the right way.

Norwich isn't going away.  Emmanuel is going to be around for a while, because Jackson does it right.  Emerson - now that they will be in their own building - they will be able to draw those Babosnian - type kids.  The classy teams have made this conference better each and every year.  They need no promotion. James Dean said "it's better to burn out, than fade away".  Some teams do both.  Enjoy the SVC chatter - I do!  But let's hear about the true contenders, the big picture, and the future of the GNAC.

[All-around]

Any word on any new recruits. or should i say immediate impact players

[d3bballinboston]

GNAC conference visited newbury, mt ida and lasell today.

st. joes is later this month and anna maria will be the last to be visited

[the_real_gnac]

Well new news on a fishy situation going on up at SVC apparently 3 students atheletes on the mens basketball team were expelled from school after responding to a racial slurr by another student.No physical harm was caused to the student whom used the slurr but the 3 african american students were kicked out of school ...Does anybody see justice in that ..looks as if next year will be different up in vermont

[GnacAlum55]

Too bad about Hammond and Edmonds.  They will be Baaaaaad next year!!!

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Hard to comment on the situation without official reports.  If they did lose three guys, that could be trouble.

[GnacAlum55]

Confirmation from the Bennington Newspaper:

http://www.benningtonbanner.com/search/ci_3780678

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Well I'm glad they are entering an appeal process.  I'm not one to condone threats, but telling someone what they said is worth fighting over might be a way to convey the serious of the issue.  The true story is probably somewhere in the middle of the whole thing.  Lets see how SVC's appeal process pans out.  Keep us informed if the paper reports anything further.

[All-around]

Anyone have any early predictions for next years top contendors?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Good Lord!! If you can pick the GNAC without knowing the rosters for the upcoming year, you are not human.

I'll wait until I see who is actually suiting up in November.  I know; It's no fun, but I'm not stupid to try that.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

So when is the vote?

[d3bballinboston]

may 24th is the vote by the GNAC