PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

I hope that the VULCANS MBB can pick up their game enough that the WBB/MBB doubleheader will get this rivalry close to what it used to be. If I had any say the games would always be played at HAMER. IMO it's a far superior venue to the ANGELO DOME.

Hamer was a great venue. On the surface it was the same as most of the others but I think it was how fans entered up above and had to walk down ... made it seem much bigger than it probably was. Cal sure didn't lose at home much for 10-15 years. Boone and Brown had some fantasic players go through there.

[CALUPA69]

Re: PSAC WEST

Different times. Smaller venues.

You get 1,500 in the Field House and it's packed. In the KCAC it's not even half full.

IUP would always sell out the Cal game back then. The typical Saturday night game would also draw well.

IUP games at Cal (Hamer) were nuts. It was a show. Gary Edwards was KR ... Bill Brown was in his prime.

... and Cal hated IUP back then as much as today. Basketball was their chance to beat IUP back then. Football was a joke series for 25 years.

Cal also was a basketball power. You never got to see that rivalry. You may soon, however. A few games in the late 90s at the Field House were just insane. I beleive it was in 1999 or 2000 that Edwards ran it up on Cal one night. It got real heated.

If you watch the Hammermill in the 80s ... pure insanity.

Clarion was pretty good in the 90s. I can't speak for other games but IUP played a couple games there in front of jam-packed crowds.

IUP teams were much different in that era under Edwards. Very physical. Arrogant. Mercenaries. They'd beat you and let you know it. They weren't popular ... put it that way.
Edwards was like KR on Red Bull.

They aren't popular now but for different reasons.

I hope that the VULCANS MBB can pick up their game enough that the WBB/MBB doubleheader will get this rivalry close to what it used to be. If I had any say the games would always be played at HAMER. IMO it's a far superior venue to the ANGELO DOME.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

I have the 1998 and 1999 Cal at IUP games on VHS.

Someday I have to convert them over to CDs.

I'd love to put them on YouTube (for like 6 people to watch ... lol).

You'd be shocked seeing those IUP crowds. Those were big nights. It would get deafening in there and if you wanted to see the men's game you had to be there before the ladies played.

The '98 game was when Cal won here in OT and Ru'Shawn Roberts shushed the IUP student section after nearly breaking the backboard on a final-nail dunk in OT. That was the game Rodney Horton went crazy for IUP. To this day ... despite the loss ... the best game I've ever seen here.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Different times. Smaller venues.

You get 1,500 in the Field House and it's packed. In the KCAC it's not even half full.

IUP would always sell out the Cal game back then. The typical Saturday night game would also draw well.

IUP games at Cal (Hamer) were nuts. It was a show. Gary Edwards was KR ... Bill Brown was in his prime.

... and Cal hated IUP back then as much as today. Basketball was their chance to beat IUP back then. Football was a joke series for 25 years.

Cal also was a basketball power. You never got to see that rivalry. You may soon, however. A few games in the late 90s at the Field House were just insane. I beleive it was in 1999 or 2000 that Edwards ran it up on Cal one night. It got real heated.

If you watch the Hammermill in the 80s ... pure insanity.

Clarion was pretty good in the 90s. I can't speak for other games but IUP played a couple games there in front of jam-packed crowds.

IUP teams were much different in that era under Edwards. Very physical. Arrogant. Mercenaries. They'd beat you and let you know it. They weren't popular ... put it that way.
Edwards was like KR on Red Bull.

They aren't popular now but for different reasons.

[IUP24]

I know from the original plans to the final plans ... a lot was scaled back. Which, of course, is very typical of major projects. That was just a massive undertaking. Tippin was in real bad shape. It's not going to be a KCAC (or anywhere close) but it will be a major upgrade basketball-wise. It should be a nicer facility than most in the West sans IUP and Cal.

I sure hope it's ready. I'm not sure I can watch another game in the intramural building. Figure that was built for three horizontal courts. Last year they ran one across the three. I never saw a court with more lines on it. I have no idea how the players new where the out of bounds line was ... it was wild.


I saw many games in Tippin back in the heyday of Clarion basketball. That was one of the loudest venues around when the place was humming. The fans were literally on top of the court and those ceilings were very low.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

I'm sure in typical Clarion fashion the project either got screwed up or pushed back..

I know from the original plans to the final plans ... a lot was scaled back. Which, of course, is very typical of major projects. That was just a massive undertaking. Tippin was in real bad shape. It's not going to be a KCAC (or anywhere close) but it will be a major upgrade basketball-wise. It should be a nicer facility than most in the West sans IUP and Cal.

I sure hope it's ready. I'm not sure I can watch another game in the intramural building. Figure that was built for three horizontal courts. Last year they ran one across the three. I never saw a court with more lines on it. I have no idea how the players new where the out of bounds line was ... it was wild.


I saw many games in Tippin back in the heyday of Clarion basketball. That was one of the loudest venues around when the place was humming. The fans were literally on top of the court and those ceilings were very low.

[PSACfan1]

Re: PSAC WEST

I tried searching everywhere and can't find a darn thing. You'd think they're building a nuclear reactor the way this project has been under wraps.

I'm sure in typical Clarion fashion the project either got screwed up or pushed back..

[CALUPA69]

Re: PSAC WEST

VC is showing Donte Williams has left Cal and signed with Daemen.

Hate to lose a decent player but 11ppg and 5rpg isn't that difficult to replace

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

VC is showing Donte Williams has left Cal and signed with Daemen.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: PSAC WEST

Any recent photos of the Tippin Gymnasium renovation surface lately? Anybody seen it in person?

I tried searching everywhere and can't find a darn thing. You'd think they're building a nuclear reactor the way this project has been under wraps.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Any recent photos of the Tippin Gymnasium renovation surface lately? Anybody seen it in person?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Mercyhurst plays at Ashland on October 26? Does that game count? Can teams start games in October now? I though the season can't start until the second week of November (save the conference challenges). Mercyhurst-North East is a junior college operated about 10-15 miles east of their main campus.

Waiting (im)patiently for Gannon to release its schedule.

Ashland is likely an exhibition. I noticed that early date, too, however their site didn't call it an 'exhibition'. IUP played Ashland last year in a practice game.

We know Daemen will be pretty good. Hard to say what Le Moyne will be like in Year 1 of its new coach. Belein (sp) also took his best player with him to Niagara.

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

Mercyhurst men's non-conference:

Oct. 10-13 - (4) exhibition games in Toronto


@ Ashland
Mercyhurst North East
Walsh
D'youville College (D3)
@ Daemen
Roberts Wesleyan
Le Moyne


PSAC CROSSOVER:

Millersville
Shepherd
@ West Chester
@ Bloomsburg
@ East Stroudsburg
Kutztown

Mercyhurst plays at Ashland on October 26? Does that game count? Can teams start games in October now? I though the season can't start until the second week of November (save the conference challenges). Mercyhurst-North East is a junior college operated about 10-15 miles east of their main campus.

Waiting (im)patiently for Gannon to release its schedule.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Mercyhurst men's non-conference:

Oct. 10-13 - (4) exhibition games in Toronto


@ Ashland
Mercyhurst North East
Walsh
D'youville College (D3)
@ Daemen
Roberts Wesleyan
Le Moyne


PSAC CROSSOVER:

Millersville
Shepherd
@ West Chester
@ Bloomsburg
@ East Stroudsburg
Kutztown

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Deservedly so, UPJ is getting a lot of buzz entering the 2019-20 season.

Looking at what they have coming back:

PG: Fred Mulbah - He had some highs and lows as a freshman a year ago ... should be a very steady player. Batt returning should cut his minutes a bit and keep him more fresh.

G: Josh Wise - Likely the front-runner for PSAC West Player of the Year. He should have a Brandon Norfleet-type senior season. His only weakness is he's a bit of a hot-head and can get rattled by opposing crowds. If he overcomes that he should have a huge season (and the fact he'll only see 1-2 rowdy crowds all year). Skill-wise, he's likely a Top 1-5 player in the PSAC in 2019-20.

G: Drew Magestro - Returns after sitting out last season due to a knee injury ... had a very strong freshman season two years ago. He'll be the floor spreader they lacked a year ago and will help Wise tremendously.

F: Caiden Landis (6'7", 215 lbs) - Had a very strong freshmen season and held his own. Lot of upside. Plays with tenacity.

F: John Paul Kromka (6'7", 215 lbs) - PSAC West Freshman of the Year ... burst on to the scene a year ago with nearly 17 ppg and 8 rpg. Very polished for his age.


Bench:

F/C Adam Kline (6'9', 225 lbs) - He'll be their version of a banger
F Marcin Wiszomirski (6'7", 215 lbs) - Solid big off the bench
F Matt Holsinger (6'6", 225 lbs) - Fits the mold of a typical under-recruited UPJ post player
G Jared Jakubick
G Joe Batt - Was having a good season as the backup PG prior to a season-ending injury.

All 10 of those players have been in the program for some time now. Little is know about any new signees but it would be somewhat doubtful any come in and play this season. UPJ traditionally recruits only high school players and typically they all redshirt as true freshmen.

Expectations rightfully are pretty high. UPJ plays 'system' basketball and plays it very well. They make few mistakes and can offset some athletic disadvantages with precision. They are great at passing teams to death and finding the perfect shot/lane/drive.

UPJ had some nice teams with A.J. Leahy and the Vescovi brothers, but this is by far the deepest team they've had in years and years.

Schedule highlights:

West Virginia Wesleyan (at IUP)
Concord (at IUP)
Ohio Dominican
East Stroudsburg
Kutztown
(2) games at the Puerto Rico Tournament (Thanksgiving)
(at) Shippensburg

... and the normal West schedule.

Of note, in the regular season finale UPJ plays at IUP (Feb. 29). That figures to be a BIG one inside the KCAC.