MBB: University Athletic Association

[ILive4This]

NYU may have literally just knocked the Yellow Jackets out of the NCAA tournament, talk about your bubble bursters

[Pat Coleman]

Rochester made the tournament last year at 18-7. Hard to think they wouldn't this year at 20-5 if they won out.

[Hugenerd]

NYU may have literally just knocked the Yellow Jackets out of the NCAA tournament, talk about your bubble bursters

I dont think so, I think if Rochester sweeps the rest of the season (Case and Emory at home, CMU on the road), they will be in.  Brandeis wasnt a bad loss, neither was Chicago (although it was at home) or WashU on the road.  Their only "bad" losses are at Emory and at NYU (both road conference games in OT or 2OT).  They only have one loss at home and although they will probably finish 4th in the UAA, the UAA may get in all 4 of those teams because they are in different regions.  All 4 will have very high rpi/SOS/qowi or whatever is used.  Chicago is in the worst situation of the four top teams with 7 losses and most likely need to win the conference to get in.  Brandeis and WashU both only have four losses and Rochester has 5.  If you look at the top 10 teams in the country, most of the teams have 1 or 2 "bad" or unexpected losses in conference.  Augustana also has 5 losses, who is tied with IWU (who has 8 losses) at the top of the CCIW.  

The fact that most of Brandeis/WashU/Rochester's losses are against top 10 teams (aka eachother) will definitely help them.

[Hugenerd]

Rochester made the tournament last year at 18-7. Hard to think they wouldn't this year at 20-5 if they won out.

Needless to say, i agree with Pat.  Rochester has two worst teams in the UAA at home next week and then play at CMU the following weekend.  They will likely finish 20-5.

Pat, what are your thoughts on Chicago's chances at 18-7 or 17-8 if they finish second in the UAA?
-5 of 7 of their losses are against teams with 6 or fewer losses and the other two are against 8 loss teams (Trinity TX and CMU).

[NYBB]

I like Rochester as a team and i really like the way their coach worked them but for real...aside from those two potential D1 big men, they're not an amazingly good team.

[Gregory Sager]

Rochester made the tournament last year at 18-7. Hard to think they wouldn't this year at 20-5 if they won out.

Exactly. Plus, Rochester has the great advantage of being in the East Region, the red-headed stepchild of D3's eight evaluation regions. Rochester's currently #1 in that region. And don't forget that the Yellowjackets sport a win over the current East Region #3 team, Brockport State.

[realplayer]

Speaking of Rochester, any opinions on why Seth Hauben is not on the All-Decade Team?  Being a four-time All-Conference selection and two-time NABC All-American you would think statistics alone would be better than some of the guys that got selected.  Throw in two Final Four appearances and holding the D3 Final Four single game rebounding record as a frosh (18) before Jeff Gibbs played out of his mind (grabbed 25 the following day) and you have a pretty valid argument.  This isn't a petition I was just wondering the voter's opinion.  Thoughts??

[Pat Coleman]

The NABC All-American team didn't really weigh in our decision-making process.

[realplayer]

Understandable.  In your opinion, do you think Hauben put up a better career than some of the forwards listed?  Also, how in the world is Adam Dauksas selected ahead of Michael Crotty?  I know the CCIW is a strong conference but his Illinois Weslyan teams failed to meet expectations every year.

[Pat Coleman]

Great question on those two, no doubt ... but I don't know how much IWU "failed to meet expectations every year." It's a little easier for Williams to advance in the tournament than IWU, remember.

[martin]

I posted this on the baseball board but thought some of the hoop fans would find it interesting:

Chicago cannot participate in the UAA baseball tournament because it has final exams at the same time - I think it is the only UAA school on quarters.  This year, they will be doing something a bit more adventurous than their usual spring trip - the week after the UAA championship.  The Maroons are heading off to Japan.

They will play Waseda University for the first time since 1936.   At the invitation of Waseda, the Maroons will take on the 2007 Japanese college baseball champions at the Hiroshima City Stadium on Mar. 23, the Osaka Dome on Mar. 24, and the Seibu Dome in Tokyo on Mar. 25 as part of the university's 125th anniversary celebration.

You can read the press release here.

Here are some pics from Waseda's 1921 visit to Chicago.

A bit politically incorrect of the New York Times, but it was 1915. Headline: 20,000 JAPS SEE BALL GAME.; University of Chicago Defeats Waseda at Tokio, 5 to 3.

A lot on the web - just search baseball, waseda, chicago.

[ILive4This]

I like Rochester as a team and i really like the way their coach worked them but for real...aside from those two potential D1 big men, they're not an amazingly good team.

Ok I disagree with a few things, first I am not so certain their big men are D1 talent, maybe as a combo, but Nbizu is just not an all around good player, he shoots like 30 percent from the line, not exactly d1 numbers.

Also I think the best player on that team is Rob Dominiak (sorry i KNOW i am misspelling stuff, but its late and i dont feel like looking everything up right now). He shoots lights out even with hands all up in his grill, and with his left wrist wrapped up this past weekend, at least with pre-wrap (i do not know if he does this usually or not).

As a side note what does everyone think for the all conference teams this year I have to think the Judges will get atleast Joe Coppens on in a 2 or 3 spot.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I like Rochester as a team and i really like the way their coach worked them but for real...aside from those two potential D1 big men, they're not an amazingly good team.

Ok I disagree with a few things, first I am not so certain their big men are D1 talent, maybe as a combo, but Nbizu is just not an all around good player, he shoots like 30 percent from the line, not exactly d1 numbers.
Also I think the best player on that team is Rob Dominiak (sorry i KNOW i am misspelling stuff, but its late and i dont feel like looking everything up right now). He shoots lights out even with hands all up in his grill, and with his left wrist wrapped up this past weekend, at least with pre-wrap (i do not know if he does this usually or not).

As a side note what does everyone think for the all conference teams this year I have to think the Judges will get atleast Joe Coppens on in a 2 or 3 spot.

Hey, forget d1, those are NBA (Shaq, Ben Wallace) numbers!

[Pat Coleman]

Actually, you got Rob Dominiak.

[NYBB]

Let me give everyone a little detail on Rob Dominiak.  Rob went to Birch Wathen Lenox, a school never known for its athletics, on East 77th street in Manhattan.  BWL was a division 2 ISAL (independent school athletic league) team for its entire existence until in the 2001-2002 season when they went undefeated in league play with only 3 losses out of league to propel them into the ISAL division 1.  (they beat my HS team this year by 35 points but l.et me just add that my HS team has basically turned into what their team was, going undefeated in ISAL d2 play this season and is 14-4 overall.)

In 2002-2003, the BWL team, led by Senior Jason Grauer (Tufts 07') and juniors Rob Dominiak & Marc Dupiton (Clark 08') went 18-0 and brought BWL, for the first time ever, to the NYSAIS (new york state association of independent schools) tournament where they lost in the 2nd round.

However, in 03-04, Dominiak's senior year, BWL went all the way to the NYSAIS final to face perenial private school powerhouse, Poly Prep, where they only lost by 3 points.  Let me just say this : Dominiak was one of two real basketball players on that 03-04 team and with Grauer's departure, this team barely had a big man and really, no roleplayers.

Dominiak scored 2000+ points in his HS career and is one of the best pure shooters i know.  He isn't scared to shoot and he isn't scared to score.  Outside of this, he's not a fantastic player at any aspect of the game but his shooting more than makes up for it and let's be honest : ladies love the points totals, no?