MBB: University Athletic Association

[martin]

Final

Washington 70  Chicago 59

The Bears started the game with an 11-0 run, their margin of victory.  It was 41-22 at the half.  The Maroons were terrible in the first half.  They live and die with the three.  Today they died - 8 of 34. 

Tim Reynolds missed his fourth game for the Maroons.  UofC really misses him.  I don't know what his injury is.  If he does not come back, the Maroons will be in trouble with no inside presence.  Tom Watson has not picked up the slack in the four games he has started since Reynolds went down.

[hugenerd]

The key to NYU's season will be the point guard position. Everyone from last year's team is back except for Jared Kildare. Freshman Matthew Wilson and Charlie Parker will have to fill his shoes. This won't be easy, but if they struggle, the Violets will be in trouble. NYU's other weak spot is their bench, which is not particularly deep.

That is probably the biggest reason why NYU lost to CMU.  CMU's biggest strength, in my opinion, is the on ball defense of their two guards, Kozak and O'Rourke. They are both very quick and give opposing guards no room to breath.  They played a big role in the win last weekend over Capital (which is looking alot better now with Capital's win over ONU tonight) and in the win over NYU (Parker and Wilson had 5 TOs a piece).  Hopefully this will make up for some of CMUs inexperience (they only have 1 junior and 1 senior that play any minutes).

[deiscanton]

Men's finals today--

Carnegie Mellon 75, Brandeis 68 
NYU 70, Rochester 61 (OT).

Rochester was up 57-52 in regulation with a minute to go, but NYU's Michael DeCorso hit a 3 ptr at the buzzer to tie the game 57 all at the end of regulation-- NYU outscored Rochester 13-4 in the overtime.

NYU's Jason Boone tied his career high in scoring.

Carnegie Mellon sweeps the weekend at Skibo Gym with upsets over 2 ranked teams.  The young Tartans will prove to be a major factor in the outcome of the UAA men's title race.

Disappointing weekend for Brandeis after finishing the non-conference portion of the schedule at 10-1.  Brandeis now has the next 3 conference games at home (NYU, Case, and Emory) to try to rebound and get back into the title hunt.

[hugenerd]

CMU gets a big lift from its guards again.  The starting guards (Kozak, Orourke and Matta) for CMU outscored Brandeis' starting guards (Coppens, Rexhepi, Graves-Fulgham) 40-21.  Orourke had probably the best game of his young career with a career high in points (18) and was 2 assists and 1 rebound shy of a triple double.  CMU also won the turnover battle 10 to 12 and was able to hold on despite only shooting 55% from the FT line.

[Marty Peretz]

Very surprised to see Brandeis struggle this weekend. They played Amherst extremely tough, a team, which though not deserving of its top 3 ranking is  nonetheless a top 10-15 club. This bodes well for the league in general. I have been telling the NESCAC folks for some time that the UAA is much better this year and this weekend's results only further that claim. I think with the somewhat unexpected strength of WashU (though I've believed from the start that they are a top 2 team in league) and CMU, we could get 4, maybe 5 in the tourney.

[Ralph Turner]

Very surprised to see Brandeis struggle this weekend. They played Amherst extremely tough, a team, which though not deserving of its top 3 ranking is  nonetheless a top 10-15 club. This bodes well for the league in general. I have been telling the NESCAC folks for some time that the UAA is much better this year and this weekend's results only further that claim. I think with the somewhat unexpected strength of WashU (though I've believed from the start that they are a top 2 team in league) and CMU, we could get 4, maybe 5 in the tourney.

Thanks, you answered my question about the Bears. 

With respect to the tourney, there is the UAA's Pool A bid and then everyone else competes for the 19 Pool C bids.  We should have some very good discussions beginning in late January and into Februray on the Pool C message board.

[violet15]

I saw NYU beat Clark, 74-64, yesterday. NYU had a strong first half, but was sluggish in the second half. Clark never quit and hit a lot of three pointers down the stretch to keep the score respectable.

NYU is a solid team and has an excellent front line in Boone, Falcon and DeCorso. The Violets also picked up a good point guard in Matthew Wilson, a freshman from Texas. Wilson will look to fill the void created by the departure of Jared Kildare.

I just wish they would play some tougher out of conference opponents.  I agree that they have alot of talent but the last few years they have won nearly all their games out of conference but then struggled to some extent in conference.  I dont know if their out of conference schedule is really preparing them for conference play. I am not familiar with all the teams they have played, but none of those wins are against real quality opponents or particularly impressive. In the past 5 years (counting this year) they have gone 51-5 out of conference and 24-32 in conference.  You would think for a team that wins over 90% of their out of conference games, they could do better than 8 games under 0.500 in conference.

NYU has played a very weak out-of-conference schedule for at least the last ten years. The reason why they have such a high winning percentage vs. non-conference opponents is very simple: they play a lot of weak teams. For many years, the Violets were an average team that feasted on less-than-stellar non-conference teams and then folded during conference play. Last year was different. The Violets were a very good team and did well both in and out of conference. Please remember that Falcon missed most of the year and Boone was out the last three games or so. NYU was a very strong team last year and probably will be this year as well. Once again the UAA looks very tough: You have Chicago, Washington, NYU and Brandeis either in or hovering around the Top 25.

I agree they are a very good team, Boone is one of the better UAA post players over the past 5 years (Not nearly as good as Seth Hauben or Derek Reich, however).  Falcon, DeCorso, etc. are also solid. I know they have been beating up on these teams out of conference, but it will be interesting how they do when they play some teams with solid big men, like Rochester, WashU or Brandeis.  Any of those teams (plus Chicago) could make a run at the conference title.  CMU will probably have a tough year with only 3 guys with significant playing experience returning (one of their big men, Gonzalez, who would have been a senior is injured and I think will take his last year of eligibility next year).  Case appears to be even worse than last year and I am not sure where in the bottom half of the conference Emory fits in.

As for last year, I wouldnt say NYU was very good in conference because they were in a three way tie for fourth place.  They were competitive for awhile, but faded near the end of the season (not only did they lose their last 3 conference games without Boone but lost 2 of 3 conference games before Boone went out- losing 5 of their last 6).  They were an average UAA team, as their record indicated.  They could play with anyone in the conference last year but just didnt get it done when it counted (but that could be said for alot of the UAA teams last year- alot of inconsistency or parity, whichever you want to call it).

so im new to this board so pardon the lateness to which i am responding to this post. NYU was at full strength for less than a weekend of UAA play. Falcon went down very early, and while he may not receive the national recognition which is thrown at boone he as just as important a piece as his injury led to a huge increase in minutes for a very inexperienced Magee. And while a loss like they had to emory may be inexcusable, every team has a hiccup, and in the first to games following Boones injury, against Chicago and Wash, they were defeated by only 2 and 4 points. It seemed to me that Carnegie was head and shoulders above the rest of the teams, but last year (and perhaps this year, it seems) are filled with teams who are extremely talented. nyu was as talented a team last season, as talented as rochester or Wash or Chicago or any other school whose fans want to get on their high horses. to disparige the violets for last seasons breakdown is simply ignorant, as is to disparige the non conference schedule. The New York City area isnt exactly chock full of d3 talent, CUNYs arent exactly powerhouses. playing a weaker schedule does not make a team weaker. the games need to be played to determine who the better team is, and no one should even care what the non conference schedule is anyway, as it has little to no bearing on UAA standings.

[hugenerd]

to disparige the violets for last seasons breakdown is simply ignorant, as is to disparige the non conference schedule. The New York City area isnt exactly chock full of d3 talent, CUNYs arent exactly powerhouses. playing a weaker schedule does not make a team weaker. the games need to be played to determine who the better team is, and no one should even care what the non conference schedule is anyway, as it has little to no bearing on UAA standings.

I am going to have to disagree with you.  The non-conference schedule is extremely important in preparing your team for the conference schedule.  I think alot of NYU's disappointment in league play is a result of them not being ready to play a high level opponent and not having experience in close games as a team (obviously upperclassmen will have experience from previous years).  I do not think anyone will argue NYUs talent, its just that winning those 11 games means absolutely nothing if they dont play any good teams.  Also, there is no rule that says teams have to be within an hour drive to play them out of conference, CMU played Skidmore, Union, Bluffton, and Christopher Newport last year (drives that are up to 7 hours).  There is no good excuse for NYU not scheduling better out of conference opponents.

Out of conference schedule is also very important for the playoffs to get an at large bid, because the committee looks at your entire in-region schedule, not just conference.  If you are familiar with QOWI, a post season selection criteria, a win over a team with an in-region record less than 0.333 is worth only 8-9 points(home, away). Whereas a win over a team with a record over 0.667 is worth 14-15 points.  If you play all bad teams you lose a lot of points and you arent going to have a strong case for the playoffs (if you dont win the conference).  I recommend you understand the format of dIII and how post season selection is made before you make comments like "no one should even care what the non conference schedule is."

Also, who "disparaged" NYU, all I said was that they were an average UAA team last year (and I dont see how you can argue that when you look at their overall performance, a 7-7 record).  Maybe if they had played a tougher out of conference schedule they would have been better prepared and won some of those close in conference games. 

[hugenerd]

Very surprised to see Brandeis struggle this weekend. They played Amherst extremely tough, a team, which though not deserving of its top 3 ranking is  nonetheless a top 10-15 club. This bodes well for the league in general. I have been telling the NESCAC folks for some time that the UAA is much better this year and this weekend's results only further that claim. I think with the somewhat unexpected strength of WashU (though I've believed from the start that they are a top 2 team in league) and CMU, we could get 4, maybe 5 in the tourney.

I am all for 4 or 5 teams, I just think that may be a bit too optimistic judging from previous years.  It helps that most teams in the UAA are in different regions, but it hurts that their in-conference games count as in-region.  The league may be too even, and therefore teams may beat up on eachother too much (last year the league champ had 4 losses in conference), for there to be more than a couple teams going to the playoffs.

[Hoop Dreams]

Saturday:
Washington 70
Chicago 59

The first half of this game was ugly if you're a Chicago fan.  The Maroons came out flat and were outclassed by Wash U from the opening tip.  UC played much better in the second half, but too little too late.

Wash U's Troy Ruths (28) and Sean Wallis (25) both reached career highs in points and were very impressive.  I found myself applauding with the Wash U fans when Edwards took them out late in the game.  Ruths was unstoppable every time he touched the ball in the post.  Meanwhile, Northbrook native Wallis could not miss from the outside and did a lot to disrupt the Maroons' 3-pt attack.  I wonder how many performances in UAA history have featured 25 pts, 7 treys, 6 rebs and 6 assists?

Great showing for the Bears in picking up their first-ever win at Ratner (1-3).

For UC, Nate Hainje (20 pts) continued his strong play.  Hainje was 7-11 from the field; the rest of the team was 12-41.  But I have to agree with Martin that the Maroons are lacking inside without Reynolds.  They had no answer for Ruths and scored only 12 points in the paint.

[Pat Coleman]

The New York City area isnt exactly chock full of d3 talent

Ramapo, William Paterson, Rutgers-Newark, Montclair State.

I haven't lived in the NYC area very long but I know these are very much nearby.

[hugenerd]

 I wonder how many performances in UAA history have featured 25 pts, 7 treys, 6 rebs and 6 assists?

I cant think of one exactly like that but I remember a 41 point, 8 treys (8-9), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals night. Nate Maurer had that line in last year's first meeting with U of R at the Palestra.

[Gregory Sager]

Final

Washington 70  Chicago 59

The Bears started the game with an 11-0 run, their margin of victory.

It was even worse than Martin let on. If Maroons senior guard Drew Adams hadn't knocked down a trey at the 10:05 mark, the hosts would've gone the first quarter of the game without scoring more than two points. It was amazing that they were only down 17-2 at that point.

Wash U's Troy Ruths (28) and Sean Wallis (25) both reached career highs in points and were very impressive.  I found myself applauding with the Wash U fans when Edwards took them out late in the game.

Unfortunately, the Wash U fans weren't applauding Ruths. At least half of the green-clad contingent -- and by far the noisier half, at that -- consisted of Glenbrook North fans who came down from the North Shore for the specific purpose of rooting for Sean Wallis and Zach Kelly, as opposed to rooting for Wash U. When Edwards took Ruths out of the game in the waning moments, the huge applause was for Kelly entering the game rather than for Ruths exiting it. Kelly got a big ovation every time that he stepped on the floor. A shame, too, as Ruths definitely played a game that was worthy of sustained applause -- 28 points (including 11-12 from the field) and 7 rebounds. He is so much fun to watch when he gets the ball in the post, because he wastes absolutely no time in going straight to the basket, and with his quickness it's therefore almost impossible to double-team him. He made mincemeat out of the Maroons bigs. Martin's 100% correct -- with Tim Reynolds sitting on the bench in street clothes and laden with a pair of crutches, the Maroons are undermanned inside.

Meanwhile, Northbrook native Wallis could not miss from the outside and did a lot to disrupt the Maroons' 3-pt attack.  I wonder how many performances in UAA history have featured 25 pts, 7 treys, 6 rebs and 6 assists?

I had no idea Wallis was that good of a shooter, but his 23-46 (.500) for the season from beyond the arc confirms it. What impressed me even more than his shooting and his rebounding (I'm pretty sure that all six of the caroms he grabbed were of the long variety off of clanked Chicago trey attempts) was his floor generalship. He really sees the court well, does a great job of running the break, and his passes are both crisp and unerring. This was the second time I've had a chance to see him in a Bears uni, and he's greatly improved over the last time I saw him back in February. I'm also impressed by the way he manages to take a pounding and keep bouncing back up off the floor, in spite of being so skinny that I keep thinking the next hard screen will snap him in half.

He also likes to jaw with opposing fans, which was pretty funny in this case since there's obviously no love lost between Wash U and Chicago. The Maroons student section brought out the old "Safety school!" chant to taunt the Bears, proving that everything is relative.

[deiscanton]

The seedings for the JP-Morgan/Chase Scholarship Tournament were announced last night.

Defending champion is St. John Fisher

The Rochester men's team got the #3 seed for this year's tournament.

Seeds for the Chase Tournament for 2007

1.)  SUNY-Brockport (8-1)
2.)  St. John Fisher (9-1)
3.)  Rochester (8-3)
4.)  SUNY-Geneseo (8-3)
5.)  Roberts Wesleyan (7-6)
6.)  Nazareth (5-5)
7.)  RIT (5-5)
8.)  Keuka (5-7)

Quarterfinal action will be on Wednesday at 2 different sites:

Wednesday, January 10 at RIT

1.)  Rochester v. Nazareth-- 6:15 PM Eastern (Game will be webcast on WYSL 1040 AM-- http://www.wysl1040.com)

2.)  St. John Fisher v. RIT-- approx. 8:15 PM Eastern

Wednesday, January 10 at Keuka

1.)  SUNY-Geneseo v. Roberts Wesleyan-- 6:15 PM Eastern
2.)  SUNY-Brockport v. Keuka-- approx. 8:15 PM Eastern

On Friday, action shifts to Roberts Wesleyan for the remainder of the Chase Tournament.

Semifinals on Friday, Championship game on Saturday

Consolation bracket action also starts Friday at Roberts Wesleyan.

[PowerBall]

CMU continues to believe in itself and the winning tradition started 5 years ago continues to grow within the team.  There seems to be a smart tenacity to the play being exhibited on the floor and the unselfishness of the ball helps them win without having a "Go To!" guy as they've had the past few years.  It's amazing to see the transition offense flow from a good defense.  I don't understand why most teams don't employ such tactics to develop their offense style.  Good for the boys in plaid.  Go Tartans