Iup basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

There are certainly some big boys on that roster. Four players listed at 6'9" and several more not much shorter.

There are three (high school recruited) freshmen on the roster along with (13) transfers.

The two players KR landed from Harford were very coveted. Aaron McDonald had offers from just about everybody. He's going to be a handful. The other was Micah Till (6'7", 250). He's a house under the basket. Tough kid.

It's a deep group, for sure. We'll have to wait and see if they can play together as a team. They are going to be nasty under the basket.

SRU has a real interesting opening weekend down at Glenville State. They open with the host and then play West Virginia Wesleyan the following day. The Rock also scheduled D3 Carlow and Ohio University (Eastern) again ... no comment on those two. It's also interesting the IUP/SRU rivalry -- typically huge gate draws for both schools -- will play both games on week nights this year (at IUP on a Monday night over break and at SRU on a Wednesday night). SRU also hosts Shippensburg and Kutztown on a back-to-back day weekend.


Side note: Harford CC in Maryland has become a breeding ground for the PSAC. Recall that's where Joe found not only Tevin Hanner but also Brandon Spain. One of this year's recruits, Dom Keyes, was on that Harford team with McDonald and Till last year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

We'll see what they have real quick ... Rock gets Sleva in Game 3.

This is Skorvanko's third school in three years.

KR is a good coach. The challenge with taking 10 transfers a year is keeping them all happy. Not easy.

Re: Iup basketball

After seeing the slippery rock roster I would give them second in a preseason poll. Very big team with a lot more depth. I was wondering why Ryan skorvanko wasn't listed on the west chester roster. He transferred to the rock.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Findlay is playing Toledo in an exhibition on Oct 24.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

The Nov. 18 men's and women's doubleheader against Lock Haven is being played at Memorial Field House.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Findlay and Ferris State right out of the chute, then Virginia State and Bowie State out of the CIAA, then capped off with Fairmont State and Urbana from the MEC? Not to mention a usually decent USciences team? Killer would be an understatement. If IUP can go at least 4-3 through that gauntlet, then they'll have a pretty good shot at being among the contenders in the region (it also doesn't hurt that Shippensburg isn't on IUP's crossover schedule this season).


It is a killer lineup. The positive is Findlay and Ferris State are neutral court games. IUP dodged a bullet by making the trip to Bowie over Thanksgiving. That gym is very difficult to play in as the road team (perhaps the toughest in D2). Virginia State and Fairmont State play at the KCAC. Urbana and The Sciences are also at the KCAC. The Sciences have been down for the past couple years and Urbana has never really given IUP a challenge the past 4-5 years of them coming here.

Joe likes the big schedule. Give him credit. Look what Joe's taking on compared to most of the the other contenders. Not even close. Ship put together a weak schedule. West Liberty has a weak non-conference schedule. Wheeling Jesuit is playing some Gannon-types but nothing daunting. Fairmont is playing IUP and Findlay -- two big non-conference opponents.

The downside of him doing this yearly is IUP takes some losses and doesn't get to host the Regional. The plus side is his teams seem to really benefit from it come JAN-FEB as two title game appearances this decade attest.

IUP has a big team this year. They know it. If not ... not even Joe would have signed up for this schedule. It would be great to win both in Evansville but I think most would be happy with a split.

p.s. It doesn't hurt Ship, either.

[CALUPA69]

Re: Iup basketball

Neither of whom are listed on the 2017-2018 roster...

http://www.calvulcans.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball

As noted on the CALU thread along with a lot of other late moves. Hopefully MCBRIDE has the combo he needs but without those two, he may be starting from scratch....again.

[ctrabs74]

Re: Iup basketball

The key player for me is going to be RAMON CREIGHTON. Before he was hurt, he was averaging 17.1 ppg and really becoming the lead player MCBRIDE was looking for. If someone has to get hurt it likely is better it happen early to allow a lot of reconditioning time. Can't wait to see how the newbies fit into the scheme along with CREIGHTON and RICHARDSON.

Neither of whom are listed on the 2017-2018 roster...

http://www.calvulcans.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball

[ctrabs74]

Re: Iup basketball

I sure wouldn't want to bet any money on who wins the Atlantic this year. It's deep. You could make a legit case for 5-6 teams.

IUP took a killer non-conf schedule. The MEC will beat each other up a bit. My guess is the Region weekend gets played at Ship ... they are going to roll through that schedule. Fite should have beefed it up a bit.

Findlay and Ferris State right out of the chute, then Virginia State and Bowie State out of the CIAA, then capped off with Fairmont State and Urbana from the MEC? Not to mention a usually decent USciences team? Killer would be an understatement. If IUP can go at least 4-3 through that gauntlet, then they'll have a pretty good shot at being among the contenders in the region (it also doesn't hurt that Shippensburg isn't on IUP's crossover schedule this season).

[IUPalum]

Re: Iup basketball

I'm excited to see what this team can do and if a few of these recruits are as good as advertised.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

I sure wouldn't want to bet any money on who wins the Atlantic this year. It's deep. You could make a legit case for 5-6 teams.

IUP took a killer non-conf schedule. The MEC will beat each other up a bit. My guess is the Region weekend gets played at Ship ... they are going to roll through that schedule. Fite should have beefed it up a bit.

[IUP Extra Mile]

Re: Iup basketball

D2 Bulletin Preseason Top 25 announced

4. Shippensburg
8. IUP
12. Ferris State
18. West Liberty

Yet, WL is voted 3rd in their conference preseason..I actually agree more with the conference poll, than the national one...

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

D2 Bulletin Preseason Top 25 announced

4. Shippensburg
8. IUP
12. Ferris State
18. West Liberty

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Iup basketball

Men's Exhibition

Slippery Rock at Pitt / Nov. 4


Kind of jealous ... would have liked to see IUP take a shot at them this year.


On that note, the IUP women do play at Pitt on Nov. 5.

[CALUPA69]

Re: Iup basketball

You could see it as the year went on last season. They were much better in mid-Jan and FEB. The new coach was a good hire. He needed a year to change the system. They will resemble an MEC team more and more with each class he signs -- obviously that's his background. The MEC plays such a different style -- up-tempo, athletic bigs, etc. IUP is built like an MEC team ... which is why they've mostly dominated the PSAC West the past decade.

He's a very good X's and O's guy. Tony Richardson is a big key but he needs to be in way better shape. He's a cast-off of the Bill Brown era in style but was just so winded playing that system last year that he was very ineffective by halftime. By default, McBride had to leave him out there because there was just nobody else. That will be different this year.

Now, how good will the second place team in the West be on a Regional level ... we'll see. The West was completely awful last year. It can't be any worse this season.

Gannon is a big question mark. They have a couple nice players left and will, as its norm, grind out some wins. Mercyhurst had its down year. Gary Manchel is a very good coach. I don't expect them to be down two straight seasons. Boro will be a one-man show again. UPJ will get some wins. Seton Hill could be the sleeper with Bogden coming back after missing last season. Clarion will be a JUCO team. Rock and Cal will battle for second. I'm taking Cal because McBride will have a more disciplined team.

Not that it matters, but the IUP/Cal game up here last year wasn't close. IUP was up by 25 or so with 3-4 minutes left and emptied the bench. Cal hit a bunch of treys to make it look better. Now, the one down there was a close game and was actually in doubt in the final minutes. Reference the above ... they got much better as the year went along.

The key player for me is going to be RAMON CREIGHTON. Before he was hurt, he was averaging 17.1 ppg and really becoming the lead player MCBRIDE was looking for. If someone has to get hurt it likely is better it happen early to allow a lot of reconditioning time. Can't wait to see how the newbies fit into the scheme along with CREIGHTON and RICHARDSON.