MBB: State University of New York Athletic Conference

[Bengalsrule]

Stockwell leaves Oswego for Hamilton!!!

  Wow you know that a site has not been posted in a while when the warning pops up, just after you hit reply, that says "Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days. Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic."

  In my humble opinion there is no better topic in D3Hoops than SUNYAC Basketball. (but then I'm biased).

  Less than 90 days till practice begins!!!!!

[Bengalsrule]

October is here! T- 13 days till the first whistle blows (in practice).

Pretty soon thebear, Magicman, with age came and a host of SUNYAC lovers will return to these pages and I can have some company as  I anxiously await the 2011-2012 SUNYAC Season!!!!

[magicman]

October is here! T- 13 days till the first whistle blows (in practice).

Pretty soon thebear, Magicman, with age came and a host of SUNYAC lovers will return to these pages and I can have some company as  I anxiously await the 2011-2012 SUNYAC Season!!!!

Sounds like someone can't wait  for hoop season to start. I'm eager to see the new Cardinal recruits myself as I heard we have a pretty good group of freshman coming in. Have to think your Bengals are the pre-season favorites, with Oswego and Brockport close behind. Plattsburgh, Cortland and Potsdam round out the top 6 teams. Going to be another dogfight for the top spot, as usual, and I'm hoping a young Cardinal team can mature quickly enough to give your Bengals a battle. Did the guard from Elms transfer to Buff State? And wasn't there supposed to be another player, related to him, that was coming your way?   

[magicman]

The Sporting News came out with their Pre-season DIII All American list and Oswego State's Chad Burridge made the 1st team. Jake Simmons from Buffalo State was named to the 2nd team. Nice to see the SUNYAC so well represented!!! Hopefully these are the 1st of many honors this year for this talented pair.

John DiBartolomeo from Rochester made the second team and Matt Pebole from Hobart was named to the honorable mention list. No one else from New York State made the list. 

Oswego State was ranked #8 in the Sporting News preseason poll. Rochester was ranked #6. Buffalo State, Hartwick and Ithaca were other New York schools named as possible breakthroughs. They had Virginia Wesleyan at #1 followed by Marietta, Augustana, Williams and St.Mary's (Md).
Rochester was #6 followed by Franklin & Marshall, Oswego State, Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Cabrini (Pa.). Surprised that Amherst and Middlebury weren't in the Top 10 (they were both named as possible breakthroughs also). They both return a ton of talent (more than Wisconsin-Stevens Point and some of the other schools that were ranked) and they both advanced further than nearly all the schools that are in the Top 10, in last year's NCAA tournament. Wouldn't surprise me to see 1 or both of these schools in the later rounds of this season's NCAA's.

[Bengalsrule]

Ahhhhhh. All is right with the world when magicman logs in. Now I know that the season is right around the corner.
Hey magicman...could you give me that link to the Sporting news story? I keep getting D-1 predictions!

Good to see that all is well in the North country. My beloved Bengals have lost just 1 (Glenroy Carr) from last years Sweeeet 16 team. Not sure why we werent ranked higher but it is what it is!

Oops...yes the Elms guard (Brittain Purcelle) did transfer to Buffalo State. Has to sit out this year but his younger brother, Paris Purcell (frosh), is also here...and he's ready to play now!

[magicman]

Ahhhhhh. All is right with the world when magicman logs in. Now I know that the season is right around the corner.
Hey magicman...could you give me that link to the Sporting news story? I keep getting D-1 predictions!

Good to see that all is well in the North country. My beloved Bengals have lost just 1 (Glenroy Carr) from last years Sweeeet 16 team. Not sure why we werent ranked higher but it is what it is!

Oops...yes the Elms guard (Brittain Purcelle) did transfer to Buffalo State. Has to sit out this year but his younger brother, Paris Purcell (frosh), is also here...and he's ready to play now!

Here's the link to where I found the story:  http://athletics.williams.edu/sports/mbkb/2011-12/releases/201109199vh3w0.   If the link doesn't work just go to the Williams men's basketball website. It's on the front page.

Too bad Purcelle can't play this year. Would have been nice to add his 13+ppg to the lineup the Bengals will put on the court.

38 days till opening tip off for the Cardinals on Nov. 15th. Unfortunately they're on the road for their first 3 games and I won't get a chance to see them until Nov. 29th when they play their home opener against St. Lawrence. You'll have an opportunity to see them and scout them before I do as they are playing in Rochester on Nov. 18th and 19th at University of Rochester's tournament. They take on the Yellowjackets on Friday the 18th at 8 PM. Keystone (now coached by former Ithaca assistant Nevada Smith) takes on Ursinus in the opening game at 3 PM. Winners and losers play on Sat. at 3 PM (losers) and 8 PM (winners).
Since your Bengals aren't playing that weekend I think Coach Ansari should send a certain assistant named Champ over there to do some scouting on Friday. You'd get to check out a SUNYAC rival, the #6 ranked team in The Sporting News preseason poll (U of R) and 2 teams you might have to face in the NCAA tourney down the road. (Keystone and Ursinus) If nothing else you'd see some good D3 hoops. Plattsburgh only has 10 home games this year, 9 conference opponents and SLU. 15 games on the road. Wish it was the other way around. I won't see you until Friday Feb. 3rd when you make the long haul up to the North Country. Hope you go 23-2 this year in the regular season. I see the team is in D. C. over the holidays. Do you know who the other teams are? Cards are in Florida on Dec. 30th and 31st, but I'm not sure who they play yet.   

[Bengalsrule]

Too bad Purcelle can't play this year. Would have been nice to add his 13+ppg to the lineup the Bengals will put on the court.

38 days till opening tip off for the Cardinals on Nov. 15th. Unfortunately they're on the road for their first 3 games and I won't get a chance to see them until Nov. 29th when they play their home opener against St. Lawrence. You'll have an opportunity to see them and scout them before I do as they are playing in Rochester on Nov. 18th and 19th at University of Rochester's tournament. They take on the Yellowjackets on Friday the 18th at 8 PM. Keystone (now coached by former Ithaca assitant Nevada Smith) takes on Ursinus in the opening game at 3 PM. Winners and losers play on Sat. at 3 PM (losers) and 8 PM (winners).
Since your Bengals aren't playing that weekend I think Coach Ansari should send a certain assitant named Champ over there to do some scouting on Friday. You'd get to check out a SUNYAC rival, the #6 ranked team in The Sporting News preseason poll (U of R) and 2 teams you might have to face in the NCAA tourney down the road. (Keystone and Ursinus) If nothing else you'd see some good D3 hoops. Plattsburgh only has 10 home games this year, 9 conference opponents and SLU. 15 games on the road. Wish it was the other way around. I won't see you until Friday Feb. 3rd when you make the long haul up to the North Country. Hope you go 23-2 this year in the regular season. I see the team is in D. C. over the holidays. Do you know who the other teams are? Cards are in Florida on Dec. 30th and 31st, but I'm not sure who they play yet.

  Yep..Brittain will be a good addition next year. Those close to the program ("champ" Im sure will agree - be sure you ask him magicman) clearly remember Purcelle going for 31 in a double overtime loss to Buff State in the Coaches Vs. Cancer tournament last year at Worscester Mass. Heck Purcelle made the D3 Team of The Week for his play that week. I have no doubt that this years Bengals team with possibly 4-5 new players could be the best yet! The other teams in the Catholic Tourney are MCLA and Weslyan. As always magicman scouting reports are welcome!!

  Magicman i'll be sure to let the coaches know about the Tourney at U of R (home of the BENGALS season ending Sweet 16 loss to St. Marys ). 1 thing is for sure. With a team ranked pre-season top 10 and 1 that could "possibly breakthrough" coupled with a Plattsburgh team that could shock some folks and a Brockport team that has a ton of good players returning...the YAC oughta be ranked higher than 35 in the Massey ratings. Throw in 2 players on the 1st and 2nd team pre-season All-American teams (Burridge & Simmons) and you have a conference that should be doing great things in 2011/2012!!! I just hope Buff State applys to the NCAA, before the Feb. deadline, for the opportunity to host some NCAA's tourney games !!!

[Bengalsrule]

Ahhhhh the sound of sneakers squeaking and whistles blowing! What a beautiful day at Buff State today!

[magicman]

Ahhhhh the sound of sneakers squeaking and whistles blowing! What a beautiful day at Buff State today!

I'm wondering if you might be hearing the sound of 1 more pair of sneakers squeaking at the Sports Arena. Check out your personal messages.

[Bengalsrule]

magicman..you have mail!

[Bengalsrule]

   D3Hoops Pre-season all americans?*^%$#@! . Only 1 from SUNYAC..hon mention Chad Burridge (Oswego) less than a month after he made 1st team pre-season All American in the College basketball edition of the  Sporting News.. No Jake Simmons (Buffalo State) after he made 2nd team on SN last month. Clearly the SUNYAC was not given it's just due by the D3HOOPS sportswriters!

    Let me prove a point if I may. The 5 first teamers on the Sporting News...Burridge, McCrary (Wheaton), Sharry (Middlebury), *Thomas (Johnson and Wales) and Wang (Williams). The D3Hoops 1st teamers are 4 of the same 5....  Wang, Sharry, McCrary and *Thomas and they replace Burridge with Hollingsworth (MIT). I'm assuming that Burridge got bumped to 2nd team but I was wrong he was bumped past 3rd team and 4th team to Honorable mention.

   The D3hoops 2nd team was similar to the SN 2nd team in that both had  Liddic (Muhlenburg), Halter (Marietta) and Milligan (Franklin and Marshall) and instead of DiBartolomeo (U of Rochester also moved to Hon-Mention) and JAKE Simmons (BUFF STATE) they had Blees (Claremont-Scrubbs) and Meehan (Lebanon Valley).

   So the only folks to be replaced on the 1st 2 SN teams by D3Hoops are those from NY state (2 SUNYAC, 1 UAA). Makes 1 think that D3 Hoops doesn't share our NY State of mind or YAC enthusiasm! Don't know about you but I'm getting that Rodney Dangerfield feeling in SUNYAC. Maybe a Buff State/Oswego semi final, or Buff State /Plattsburgh semi..(gotta make my guy magicman happy ) in Salem Va. on 3/16/12,  can quelch those doubters.

  NOTE: As far as the *next to 1st teamer Lamont *Thomas (Johnson and Wales) name........I saw him first hand at the Bradley Center on the campus of Ramapo College in Mahwah N. J., March 5th 2011, when the BENGALS blew out Johnson and Wales 96-72 to go to the Sweet 16. *Thomas had 26 pts & 8 turnovers ..and was NOT the leading scorer in the game. The leading scorer was Jake Simmons with 28 pts & 2 turnovers.

NOVEMBER 15th cant get here fast enough!!!!!!!

[Pat Coleman]

   D3Hoops Pre-season all americans?*^%$#@! . Only 1 from SUNYAC..hon mention Chad Burridge (Oswego) less than a month after he made 1st team pre-season All American in the College basketball edition of the  Sporting News.. No Jake Simmons (Buffalo State) after he made 2nd team on SN last month. Clearly the SUNYAC was not given it's just due by the D3HOOPS sportswriters!

Or, with 42 conferences in Division III, we simply gave the SUNYAC slightly above average placement. Does Sporting News know anything about Division III? Does it cover Division III any other day of the year?

By the way, did you watch Lamont Thomas the night before?

[magicman]

Hopefully Chad and Jake will both have great seasons again this year and will garner D3hoops post season All American honors. I've seen a lot of the players named on the preseason poll play, either in person or on video, and I feel that our 2 SUNYAC standouts can hold their own against most of them. It's hard to make a list that only has 25 places on it when there are over 5000 D3 players. There will always be athletes that get left off that are deserving of such honors.   

[Bengalsrule]

   D3Hoops Pre-season all americans?*^%$#@! . Only 1 from SUNYAC..hon mention Chad Burridge (Oswego) less than a month after he made 1st team pre-season All American in the College basketball edition of the  Sporting News.. No Jake Simmons (Buffalo State) after he made 2nd team on SN last month. Clearly the SUNYAC was not given it's just due by the D3HOOPS sportswriters!

Or, with 42 conferences in Division III, we simply gave the SUNYAC slightly above average placement. Does Sporting News know anything about Division III? Does it cover Division III any other day of the year?

By the way, did you watch Lamont Thomas the night before?

  Yes I did watch Thomas the night before vs Ramapo (the host school). And he was, in 1 word, AMAZING. I believe he scored 43 in their overtime victory. And if I'm not mistaken he scored 12 of thier first 15 points! The next night I saw him against a SUNYAC team (Buff State BENGALS), thats plays defense (SUNYAC style) and to be honest Chris Ruiz impressed me more. And yes... while he was good at 1 end of the floor he was horrible at the other end. His defense was horrible, (had 4 fouls in the first half including a TECHNICAL after his 3rd personal with 23 seconds left in the half).  I have learned, over the past 4/5 seasons, to respect the complete game of those in the SUNYAC (and yes Pat...I am biased ).

   Having said all that Pat,  I do respect your opinion over any others in D3 (along with magicman's  ). Thats why last week on D3 FOOTBALL-NJAC, I refered to you as the "D3 GURU" of all D3 sports. I guess I just thought that our guys would have fared better in your pre-season poll. Magicman brings up a good point that it's difficult, at best, to pick 25 out of 5,000 plus players. When you put it like that then who can argue?

  Here's to hoping that you keep a good eye on some of the SUNYAC teams this year, especially last years 4 SUNYAC semi-finalists. Brockport opens away at Montclair (NJAC 20-8 last year) and then possibly plays the host school Farmingdale (Skyline conf 16-10 ). Oswego, who opens at Liberty league member, St. Lawrence , and then faces NCAA participant Ithaca ( 20-7 last season-Empire 8) and then another NCAA participant in Wells (NEAC 17-12). Plattsburgh which their entire starting 5 depart after last season, begins on the road at Norwich (GNAC  16-12)  and then they head to Rochester for, I. M. H. O.,  the Mother of all pre-season tourneys where they face an Elite 8 NCAA participant, U of Rochester (record doesn't matter when you are 1 win away from the final four) and then either Keystone College (20-6 CSAC) or Ursinus (Centenial Conference - with thier SN and D3Hoops pre-season All American Jon Ward). I'll be there for that 1. Something tells me that Coach Curle will have a talented group of newcomers that wil pick up where Ruiz and Co. left off. As far as my beloved BENGALS, they open against D'Youville and Pitt-Bradford (both of the AMCC), then on to NAIA D2 Houghton college. Thier first real non-conference test comes in late Dec when they travel to Catholic University (see D3hoops story 10/14 "CUA excited to begin their season..."). On New Years Eve., the BENGALS face Wesleyan University out of the NESCAC, (gotta get the scouting report from some fellow Yac lovers  ) which currently is the #3 conference according to Massey! IF the BENGALS win that game, then they could possbly face host CUA on New Years Day. That tourney will give many in Western NY, and Yac lovers, an idea of what this years BENGAL look like.

  I'd also keep an eye on New Paltz, with their new coach Mike Rejniak, and returning All SUNYAC 3rd teamers Shareef Taylor and Harris Wichard. I wouldn't be surprised to see Cortland with their Hall of fame (to be) Coach and 2nd team all SUNYAC'er Jesse Winter surprise a few folks. Heck I expect  Oneonta, Fredonia, Geneseo or Potsdam with all purpose junior Curtis Pierce (3rd team Yac), to all have better than .500 record outside of SUNYAC play.

  Pat keep doing what you are doing. You and D3Hoops has been, and will continue to be, the most respected source for us guys (and gals) who love these true student athletes and respect their dedication to college basketball. I hope as the season moves on that you will see, what many of us in this great State see in our 10 member institutions that make up the State University of New York Athletic Conference - D3 style!!!!

[Ethelred the Unready]

Wait for it.............