MBB: University Athletic Association

[Hoop Dreams]

Emory knocks off #1 Rochester, 81-76, in Atlanta.

Jon Onyiriuka hit a shot for UR to send it into overtime after Emory had led the last 10 minutes of the 2nd half.  Kudos to the Eagles for not getting discouraged and outscoring the Yellow Jackets 12-7 in OT.  Spiros Ferderigos led Emory with 22 points.

Emory pulls off the upset despite going only 3-12 from downtown.  Incredible.

[martin]

Exciting evening in the UAA

Carnegie Mellon 86, Case 72

Chicago 79 Brandeis 77

Emory 81, Rochester 76 (OT)

Washington 57, NYU 50

Emory got spanked at both Wash and Chicago last weekend.  I might want to reconsider my pick for Sunday.  

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

WOW... I blogged about this absolutely crazy night in the Daily Dose!

I was very impressed with how Emory withstood the Rochester runs and the last-second tie to still pull out the win in overtime.

Then Chicago - despite getting the chance to put the game away on the free throw line late, still was able to knock the baseball pass from Brandeis to pull out that win.

Though, I am curious... home-court clock advantage/syndrom in Brandeis? Off the missed FT, rebound Brandeis, TO called... and not one tenth of a second came of the clock! ;-)

Tonight certainly shook up more than the UAA!

[martin]

Then Chicago - despite getting the chance to put the game away on the free throw line late, still was able to knock the baseball pass from Brandeis to pull out that win.

Jake Pancratz missed those two free throws - which does not change my opinion of him.  I am working on a post of why he is the top point guard in the UAA.  No other team relies on one guard to do so much for them as is expected of Pancratz.  An excuse for those missed free throws - Jake played all 40 minutes of the game.

[Hoop Dreams]

Dave -

According to the WBRS broadcast, Chicago coach Mike McGrath was absolutely livid after the rebound and TO with no time elapsed.

I imagine McGrath's face was approximately the color of his players' uniforms. 

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Yeah - I remember hearing the guys mention that McGrath was livid... and knowing him as I do - I am sure "Maroon" was a safe color choice .

That being said, even though I didn't see the game, I suspect he probably had a fair arguement. The guys on WBRS even sounded surprised and immediately assumed the refs would take some time off the clock. As we know... they didn't!

[ILive4This]

Here is my one complaint about the game and about coach Mcgrath. It is okay to scream and try to get your teams attention but it should be done with in the confines of the rules. I have read multiple articles online, in SI and ESPN about the refs at DI giving out more bench fouls than usual this season for coaches being our of their "box". Coach McGrath was out to the three-point line at times with not even a warning. Actually I have another complaint, there was a foul on Brandeis on the inbound pass before it went out of bounds and before time expired, this was called but then ignored, I'm pretty sure if the foul occurs and you call it you can not just decline it like in football. I am sure I will lose some karma for these comments but I think I needed to put it out there. People will act like the refs should/do favor Brandeis at home, but that simply is not the case as it seems most have a grudge against Coach Meehan.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

I can't speak to the "coach's box" except to say I know refs are reminding coaches to stay in that box. But despite the fact coaches are still coming out of it and I haven't seen a tech called on it, yet!

As for the final play... most people will tell you and most refs have told me, they don't want to blow the whistle on the final play of the game unless it is unavoidable. Sure, it may not be right in the letter of the rule book, but in the refs mind, they don't want something they would consider minor to decide the entire game. They want the players to decide the ending. Usually calls that happen late hardly ever are ticky-tack calls. Not sure what call could have been made - the guys on WBRS didn't mention anything - and I am sure fans would love to have a call made there, but I do have one question: would you rather a team got the chance to tie, win, or even lose on a ticky-tack, maybe questionable call, at the FT line... or from actually making a play? I will take a play every time!

[John Gleich]

Here is my one complaint about the game and about coach Mcgrath. It is okay to scream and try to get your teams attention but it should be done with in the confines of the rules. I have read multiple articles online, in SI and ESPN about the refs at DI giving out more bench fouls than usual this season for coaches being our of their "box". Coach McGrath was out to the three-point line at times with not even a warning. Actually I have another complaint, there was a foul on Brandeis on the inbound pass before it went out of bounds and before time expired, this was called but then ignored, I'm pretty sure if the foul occurs and you call it you can not just decline it like in football. I am sure I will lose some karma for these comments but I think I needed to put it out there. People will act like the refs should/do favor Brandeis at home, but that simply is not the case as it seems most have a grudge against Coach Meehan.

This (bench decorum) is a "point of emphasis" this year in college basketball on all levels.  I know of one game where it may have affected the outcome... in the UWSP/UW Whitewater game earlier this year, there was a bench technical called with :20 on the clock and a 4 point game.  Coach Semling (who usually is very level headed) reacted to a foul call by jumping in the air.  Now, I wasn't at the game, but BadgerWarhawk (the resident UWW poster, who works at the scoring table for UWW games) said this:

The technical foul was on Semling for jumping up and down while he complained about the call.    It was a very intense moment and bench decorum is a point of emphasis with the league officials this season.  El-Amin probably could have gotten one for spiking the ball like he did but he didn't.

As it were in this game, Point shot themselves in the foot by missing 5 straight free throws and a layup.  They should have been LEADING (with no need to take gambles for steals and have a foul called).


If the NCAA wants to clear up bench decorum, they need to do one simple thing.  I'm not sure about elsewhere, but the Illinois High School Association used to have a rule that coaches couldn't get up off the bench.  If they stood up, they got a T. 

[Marty Peretz]

Thrilling win for Wash.U. @ Deis. 71-69. Bears were down 69-62 with 1:30 to play. Now tell me the Bears don't deserve the number one ranking...

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Sure... Rochester won 85-74... still only have one loss.
Wash U. has two losses - though both out of conference, but one at home!

Most voters like to look at the entire season, not just conference play.

[hopefan]

Holy mackeral - read the final minute 30 play by play of the Brandeis Wash U game - incredible performance by Troy Ruths!!!!

[Pat Coleman]

Yep -- that's why we put him on the front. He scored the last eight, as well.

[pabegg]

Sure... Rochester won 85-74... still only have one loss.
Wash U. has two losses - though both out of conference, but one at home!

Most voters like to look at the entire season, not just conference play.

None at home (the Augustana loss was in Webster's classic, so it was neutral site even though it was in St. Louis).

More importantly, the Bears have won 12 in a row and are playing much better basketball than they were at the start of the year; although for tournament selection purposes all games count equally, I'd think the pollsters would tend to discount games early in the year in terms of figuring out who the best teams are.

The amazing thing about this WashU team is that they've done it without their most outstanding player in the Final Four last year, guard Sean Wallis, who went down with an injury in the third game. WashU lost the next one to Augustana but has been unbeaten since.

[Ralph Turner]

...
The amazing thing about this WashU team is that they've done it without their most outstanding player in the Final Four last year, guard Sean Wallis, who went down with an injury in the third game. WashU lost the next one to Augustana but has been unbeaten since...

which for the sake of my ballot would be an excellent consideration as to how WashU adjusted to the loss.