PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

The only thing I don't get is why schedule them if they do nothing for you? The wins, while showing up in your record, don't actually do anything for you. They don't help with the postseason and don't factor in to the selection process. I can see teams in a rebuilding mode scheduling these types of games just to get some wins on the board but that's it. Aside from that, the fans don't want to watch these games.

Gary Edwards used to schedule some of these. There are some real abusers in the PSAC. Slippery Rock keeps playing those Ohio University branches every year -- sometimes twice in the same season. Different viewpoints, I guess. That's why S.O.S. is so important in basketball. Joe scheduling the 'hero' schedules sometimes backfire but those two opening losses against Findlay and Ferris carry more weight than most non-conference wins. There are some teams playing 2-3 of these 'branch' type games this year ... in the same season.

PSU-A can obviously play but the vast majority of these are just blowout city. I don't even think the stats should count for the scoring races.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: PSAC WEST

The only thing I don't get is why schedule them if they do nothing for you? The wins, while showing up in your record, don't actually do anything for you. They don't help with the postseason and don't factor in to the selection process. I can see teams in a rebuilding mode scheduling these types of games just to get some wins on the board but that's it. Aside from that, the fans don't want to watch these games.

Gary Edwards used to schedule some of these. There are some real abusers in the PSAC. Slippery Rock keeps playing those Ohio University branches every year -- sometimes twice in the same season. Different viewpoints, I guess. That's why S.O.S. is so important in basketball. Joe scheduling the 'hero' schedules sometimes backfire but those two opening losses against Findlay and Ferris carry more weight than most non-conference wins. There are some teams playing 2-3 of these 'branch' type games this year ... in the same season.

PSU-A can obviously play but the vast majority of these are just blowout city. I don't even think the stats should count for the scoring races.

Because the only thing better than practice is a game and there aren't a whole lot of DII schools willing to travel to a PSAC school for a non-conference game. IUP is the rare exception that they have a department with the resources and prestige to bring in quality DII opponents. Edinboro's options within 75 miles and outside the conference are Lake Erie, Notre Dame, Allegheny, PS Behrend (DIII), Grove City, Westminster, and Thiel. There's also SUNY Fredonia.

As for fans caring, beyond the traditional conference rivalries I don't think the average person cares any more about schools playing Penn State Greater Allegheny versus Waynesburg versus Point Park versus Kutztown as long as IUP wins the game they attend.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

I get some of that but Gannon and Mercyhurst don't play the gimme games and they are 15 miles away from Edinboro.

If you want to find D2 games you'll find them. You may need to travel but they are out there.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: PSAC WEST

I get some of that but Gannon and Mercyhurst don't play the gimme games and they are 15 miles away from Edinboro.

If you want to find D2 games you'll find them. You may need to travel but they are out there.

That's a good question to ask. A couple years ago when I asked about the Penn State branches I got an answer something like that.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Most years it is probably irrelevant.

Many at IUP were not thrilled with the non-conference schedule. Great if it works but awful when you're essentially eliminated from hosting a region by mid-November.

In a year like this one ... it could ultimately keep IUP home in March in a tight race. The IUP theory is it makes them better for March. The problem is when you lose three non-conference games ... you may not see March (reference 2015). Admittingly, byt the end of that 2015 regular season they were certainly a tournament team and had a giant 15-game win streak ... but the damage was done in November. You can't get those losses back. They sure can't rely on running the West table again this year like they did last season. Early results show the West is vastly stronger than a year ago.

My opinion to this point is Edinboro is the top West team -- as of today. Three stud guards ... that's the recipe to win in D2.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

This week in the West ...

Current Standings / 11-27-2017

Team - PSAC - Overall - Streak

Edinboro - 2-0 / 4-0 / W4

Mercyhurst - 2-0 / 3-1 / L1

IUP - 2-0 / 5-3 / W4

Gannon - 1-1 / 4-2 / W3

California - 1-1 / 3-2 / L1

Seton Hill - 1-1 / 3-3 / W1

UPJ - 1-1 / 2-3 / L2

SRU - 0-2 / 4-2 / W2

Clarion - 0-2 / 2-4 / L3


In the spotlight: Gannon
The Knights' next four games are brutal. A trip to a students-are-back, hostile Bowie State on Wednesday, followed by three road games at Shippensburg, Kutztown and East Stroudsburg. To make things worse, the fifth game in this stretch is against Notre Dame (OH). This is likely a season-defining five-game set for the Knights.

Back to life: IUP
IUP has won four straight. The Crimson Hawks end the 'first half' with three road games (West Chester, Cheyney and Mansfield) before a Dec. 19 showdown with Fairmont State at the KCAC.


Are they for real? Slippery Rock
At 4-2, SRU is off to a good start. Upon a closer look, a lot is still up in the air. The Rock has one win against teams with a winning record (Daemen / 3-2) and got beat up at home by Kutztown. SRU did play Shippensburg to the final seconds. Three of the wins -- West Virginia Wesleyan, Glenville State and District of Columbia -- came against teams with a combined 1-16 record. The next three games (all away) should shed some more light: Lock Haven, Bloomsburg and Millersville. The weakness: free throws. SRU is hitting just 69 percent.

Where'd they come from? Edinboro
Edinboro is 4-0 and rolling -- with strong wins against Millersville, Shippensburg and a solid Lake Erie team. The big difference from last year? Jaymon Mason is the third-leading scorer among the guards. That's scary. Keshawn Liggins (Idaho State transfer) is scoring 25 ppg and grabbing 10 rpg. Anthony Coleman is at 18 ppg and hitting nearly 50 percent on treys. A road trip to Lock Haven is the only big test (LH is much better than its record and has played a torrid schedule) prior to the break. Edinboro likely goes to Christmas at 9-0.


West leaders:

Scoring
Keshawn Liggins - Boro: 24.3 ppg
Isaac Vescovi - UPJ: 22.2
Terry Davis, Jr. - Cal: 21.4
Micah Till - SRU: 20.7
Isaiah Lewis - Cal: 21.4

Rebounding:
Keshawn Liggins - Boro: 10.0
Jahmere Howze - Cal: 9.8
Cobo Diaz - IUP: 9.3
Evan Phoenix - GU: 9.2
Spencer Casson - SH: 8.8

Team scoring
Clarion - 87.7
Cal - 87.2
Boro - 82.3

Team defense
Mercyhurst - 59.0
GU - 62.3
IUP - 72.3

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Some updated Average Home Attendance numbers:

Kutztown - 783
IUP - 726 (1,367 last year ... 5 home games already ... down almost half)
Gannon - 601
Shippensburg - 551
Mercyhurst - 372
Edinboro - 346
Seton Hill - 325
Millersville - 300
California - 285
Slippery Rock - 253
UPJ - 250
ESU - 250
Bloom - 232
Clarion - 226
WCU - 129
Lock Haven - no home games
Cheyney - no home games
Mansfield - no home games

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Gannon blows 17-point lead, commits 29 turnovers and loses in OT at Bowie, 63-59. On top of it Bowie star guard was 1-for-13 on treys. Wasn't a pretty game. Gannon was up 18-1 to start game ... then scored just 2 points in 5 overtime minutes.

Old JR probably won't be real talkative on the long ride home.


Big win for Bowie State. They don't quit. Ever.

[IUPalum]

Re: PSAC WEST

Gannon blows 17-point lead, commits 29 turnovers and loses in OT at Bowie, 63-59. On top of it Bowie star guard was 1-for-13 on treys. Wasn't a pretty game. Gannon was up 18-1 to start game ... then scored just 2 points in 5 overtime minutes.

Old JR probably won't be real talkative on the long ride home.


Big win for Bowie State. They don't quit. Ever.

YIKES!!!

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

Gannon blows 17-point lead, commits 29 turnovers and loses in OT at Bowie, 63-59. On top of it Bowie star guard was 1-for-13 on treys. Wasn't a pretty game. Gannon was up 18-1 to start game ... then scored just 2 points in 5 overtime minutes.

Old JR probably won't be real talkative on the long ride home.


Big win for Bowie State. They don't quit. Ever.

Bowie shot 24/70 from the floor and 4/22 on threes. But you don't have to shoot well if you rebound the basketball ... 21 offensive rebounds for a 20-6 advantage on second half points. You don't see a Reilly team get dominated on the boards like that. Gannon was also 6/15 from the line.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

That box score -- both sides -- is just unbelievable.

That final score is funny ... 63-59 in an overtime game. That's a first half in the MEC.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: PSAC WEST

A couple nights ago Edinboro made the trip to Daemen and walked away with an L. At one point Daemen was up by 20. Edinboro has been a cold first half team - especially when Mason is cold. Coach Cleary has been doing a great job of coaching during the intermission and making proper adjustments. Daemen still won by 10 but the second half was much closer. Hopefully its something he can fix in practice to eliminate the need to play a hotter second half.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Sounds like a major scuffle in today's West Chester vs Seton Hill game ... combined 6 player ejections (3 each).

Box scores shows 6 players as "DQ" ....

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Men's

Updated Standings as of 12-4-2017


EAST

(PSAC record then Overall record)

East Stroudsburg (4-0, 6-0)
West Chester (4-0, 7-0)
Kutztown (3-1, 6-1)
Shippensburg (3-1, 6-2)
Mansfield (3-1, 3-3)
Millersville (1-3, 3-6)
Lock Haven (1-3, 2-5)
Cheyney (1-3, 1-6)
Bloomsburg (0-4, 4-4)

WEST

Edinboro (3-1, 5-2)
IUP (3-1, 6-4)
Slippery Rock (2-2, 6-2)
California (2-2, 5-3)
Mercyhurst (2-2, 4-3)
UPJ (2-2, 4-4)
Gannon (1-3, 4-5)
Seton Hill (1-3, 3-5)
Clarion (0-4, 2-7)

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

Interestingly enough, the East looks like it's in good position to beat the West for the second straight year, with a 20-15 edge.

The West is its usual dominant self on the women's side, with a 27-9 edge. Four teams in the west are undefeated (IUP, Boro, Cal). Only one team in the east is 3-1 (Stroud), and one more is 2-2 (WC). The rest have losing conference records. It's going to be a bloodbath once west vs. west play starts for the women.