WBB: Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference

[bbald eagle]

UMW hosts York today in men's and women's CAC championship games. 

[bbald eagle]

UMW CAC Champs: NCAAs next!

[BigMac]

UMW Women win the CAC Championship in a great game Vs. a very good York team. No upset,
27-0!!!! Now onto the NCAA tournament.

[BigMac]

CAC awards announced and congrads to all that received these awards but I do not get how the 27-0 UMW team gets only 2 players on the first team but the second place 22-5 York team (that UMW beat 3 times ) get 2 players on First team and 2 players on second team?? And how Fisher from the 14-13 Marymount team makes POY?? I get the fact that they only look at stats but look deeper and see yes she scored 17.7 points per game but she also played 39.1 min. per game to do this and all her other stats also. Sparkman from York scored 16.3 PPG but played 35.4 min per game, even Hicks scored 12.8 but played 31.9 min per game.

McRae scored 12.8 but only played 27.3 min per game and Wimmer scored 12.7 PPG but only played 27.1 min per game. Do they not look at how many min. it takes a player to get that many points?? Fisher played 39 min a game so that means she is in there at the end of blow outs JUST to get more points. WHAT A BUNCH OF BS!!! Look at what players do in the time THEY PLAY not just the end result of being in games when it has been decided and they are just padding their stats.

Fisher: Points per min played-.45
Sparkman: points per min played-.46
Hicks: points per min played-.40
McRae: points per min played-.47
Wimmer: points per min played-.47

27-0!! , Mcrae & Wimmer should be Co- Players of the year for the CAC. Hands down

[ycp]

BigMac,

I don't think you are alone in thinking that one of the Eagles' big two should have earned the Player of the Year. I think there was some surprise from people around the league that Jenna or Katie did not win the Player of the Year. However, I am a little surprised that you feel it was wrong for York to receive four all-conference players. In looking at the numbers, it appears that a case could be made for all four Spartans on the team. UMW revolves around two great players and they are surrounded by a strong core of players that provide them with great depth and ability. That is what makes them a great team. The York squad (if you analyze playing time) is basically the five starters so they are going to accumulate a bulk of the statistics. One of the reasons UMW beat York three times was that tremendous depth that allowed the Eagles to wear down the Spartans over the course of the game. I think you would agree in seeing the three games between the two teams, that depth was the difference in each Eagle victory. That and the great senior play of McRae and Wimmer.
I would be interested to hear who you would remove from the team and who you would replace them with. In analyzing the teams, I think there would be a few players you would remove before you got to any of the four York players. Their statistics are higher because they had to be. Don't penalize them because they had to play major minutes in order for the team to win 22 games. I also don't think you should penalize the UMW players because they didn't need to play (either by blow out or because of depth) as many minutes. However, you are never sure what is important to each voting coach.
I think anyone that has watched any CAC women's basketball this year, it was obvious how good UMW was this year. They accomplished a perfect regular season and a CAC Tournament championship and I congratulate them for that. It was an incredible season.
Good luck to the Eagles in the NCAA Tournament. They have a great chance for a deep run.
GO SPARTANS!

[bbald eagle]

BigMac,
I don't think UMW players could have been co-POYs. It looks to me like only one UMW player could have been considered for POY.
CAC rules say "Coaches will nominate players for ... Player of the Year" and "Each CAC team will be able to nominate one candidate" for POY.
http://www.cacsports.com/information/handbook/Section_III_-_Policies_-_Procedures.pdf

[mamadukes]

Congratulations to the UMW Eagles for a fabulous season (so far)   Mama will be watching you this weekend, even if I can't be there.  I so enjoyed the game on Saturday!!! Love you all!!!

[rorurap]

Well when you have fewer players, and a ton of injuries all year long, then your best player will get a ton of minutes.............. UMW could have played its 2 stars for 40 minutes and in the many blowout games they could have really padded their stats.  I think the POY is more than just points, but overall quality of play, at least one would hope that the coaches voting, had that as its criteria.       

[BigMac]

Thanks YCP for your input. I did not say that the York players did not deserve their awards but I was very surprised that they got 4 players and UMW had just the 2. If UMW had 4 also I would be fine with that, just was thinking if your team beats every  team they play that they would have the better players on that team so should have more 1st/2nd team player then the teams you beat.
York has good players, Always a battle when we play them. And the 4 that were chosen deserve to be voted in BUT we beat you 3 times, I would think we have good players also, maybe even better players, so why did they not get recognized for their play also??
So what the coaches have said is UMW only has 2 good players, that won everything and beat everyone but out of those 2 players nether was better then a player who lead her team to a 14-13 season??

And Sparkman deserves the POY also.

I did not know coaches could only put 1 player up for POY. This might be why Jenna and Katie did not get it. They are so close in every aspect of their games and if one does something better then the other, the other does something better then them, that this could have split the vote for them and let Fisher get it.Had to be very hard for coach Applebury to pick between them.

Jenna and Katie both lose out because they do not have to play as much as other players on other teams. Another reason why UMW is so good, we have a bench this year!!! Just seems to me that some of these other players do not need to be in the games as long as they are and it's all about making sure they get their stats every night.

I'll take the "W" every night anyday!!

Oh well, just wanted to state my opinion about this and get it off my chest. UMW has had a great season and it has been so much fun to watch. I'm really glad York also got into the tournament, well deserved and I wish them all the best (unless we meet again

[mamadukes]

If I understand the rules of All Conference players, they have to be nominated.  By their coach?  Coach Applebury is a fabulous coach, but I don't think she'd nominate everybody on the team.  Not her style.  Her style of not letting players play 40 minutes has been most successful.  I don't doubt that if you ask her players (present and past) if they'd rather win and play in the NCAA Tournament or make all conference team they would rather win.

UMW went undefeated all the way through the conference championship this year. It's not the first year she has had an undefeated regular season.  The success of the program speaks for itself.  Jenna and Katie are phenomenal players and human beings.  Wanna bet they are OK with this?  Those girls know there is no 'i' in team. (sorry....just had to throw that old saying in there).

[Brookland]

Personally I hope this discussion is rendered moot by a UMW appearance in the Final Four... 
"My" conference is the ODAC but I am rooting for the Eagles to go all the way. It's not that I disrespect "our" team, Guilford.  I'd be thrilled to see them do the same.  But, I have seen so many of the UMW ladies play in high school and AAU that they almost feel like a home team to me...
I have great respect for Coach Applebury and her style of play. No "stars", no prima donnas, everybody plays defense, everybody hustles, and the whole is usually greater than the sum of the parts. To excel in her system is a real accomplishment.
Good luck Eagles!!

[mamadukes]

Thanks Brookland!  Now the ladies have another step to take. Past Messiah to the Sweet Sixteen. I wish them the best!!  You are right, Coach Applebury has not stars. The team is the star!!
My love and support to the UMW Eagles tonight!!

[bbald eagle]

Good first round results for the CAC: UMW and York both advance. Good luck to both teams tonight. Hope to see them both make the Sweet Sixteen!

[BigMac]

Yes, good luck to both CAC teams ( UMW and York) it would be great if both get to the next round. Katie steps up big time for UMW with their win over Keuka.

[bbald eagle]

UMW with a heartstopping comeback win 53-50 over Messiah! On to the Sweet 16! Go Eagles!