PSAC WEST

[IUPalum]

I'm aware, having traveled with ESU to the Elite 8 in 2018...IUP Women were there too, were you? I still don't think the NCAA has an open-ended travel budget.

Oh yeah, the year IUP was gooned out of the tourney by Seton Hill.

[IUP24]

Oh yeah, the year IUP was gooned out of the tourney by Seton Hill.

I could be off by a year, but wasn't that the season they lost to Mercyhurst in the 2nd round? Or was that 2019? That stretch pre-pandemic sort of runs together for me.

Regardless, the team that lost to Seton Hill and missed the tournament (in my opinion) was pretty erratic as it was. Obviously Cobo was really good. But that was the time of not so great Dante. And they had plenty of ups and downs. That team had talent and material, but thinking back, I'm not sure they had the makeup needed to be a legitimate threat in the Regional.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I could be off by a year, but wasn't that the season they lost to Mercyhurst in the 2nd round? Or was that 2019? That stretch pre-pandemic sort of runs together for me.

Regardless, the team that lost to Seton Hill and missed the tournament (in my opinion) was pretty erratic as it was. Obviously Cobo was really good. But that was the time of not so great Dante. And they had plenty of ups and downs. That team had talent and material, but thinking back, I'm not sure they had the makeup needed to be a legitimate threat in the Regional.

You have your years mixed up.

Joe lost at SH in that crazy game.

The game IUPAlum is referencing was a year or two later. IUP won the game but in the process Anthony Glover got two techs and ejected. Dante broke his wrist on a cheap shot foul. So, they went in to the PSAC Tournament sans both of them. Dante was done for the season and Glover had to sit out due to being ejected. IUP then lost in Round 2 of the PSACs and didn't make the tournament.

[IUPalum]

You have your years mixed up.

Joe lost at SH in that crazy game.

The game IUPAlum is referencing was a year or two later. IUP won the game but in the process Anthony Glover got two techs and ejected. Dante broke his wrist on a cheap shot foul. So, they went in to the PSAC Tournament sans both of them. Dante was done for the season and Glover had to sit out due to being ejected. IUP then lost in Round 2 of the PSACs and didn't make the tournament.

My fault, you're right. I was off a year or so.

[Ship69]

Favorites were .500 tonight. Sharp lines.

Millersville -8.5… That was uncomfortable for a long, long time lol

That was a carbon copy of the earlier Ship-Millersville game. Ship hung around until early in the second half and then got blown out. When many of us who follow Ship saw the makeup os this year's roster, we knew that to win many games this year's team would have to shoot extremely well. They haven't shot very well most nights, and they haven't won many games. I suspect you'll see a very different (and bigger) Ship team next season.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

If you took all the favorites Wednesday night, you lost money (4 to 4 means you still pay the juice). The season is in the stretch run. Happy gambling, you degenerates.


Clarion at Seton Hill - Golden Eagles' star power forward Jayson Harris finally returned, and, naturally, Clarion snapped its long losing streak by hammering Pitt-Johnstown. Before they pop the champagne in Tippin, one has to consider that was UPJ's 10th straight loss and the Mountain Cats are now playing just 6-7 guys. This trip to Greensburg will likely make or break Clarion's season. The Golden Eagles are two games behind the Griffins for the final spot in the PSAC Tournament. If Clarion loses tomorrow, it could be lights out. Seton Hill is fresh off a near upset of California. The Griffins played incredibly on offense, scoring 93 points and nearly gave Vulcans' coach Danny Sancomb a heart attack. Seton Hill's usually-tough defense, however, was shredded. The Vulcans did whatever they wanted and put up 100 points in the McKenna Center. This is a tremendous matchup. Both teams, when healthy, are much better than people think. The Griffins won the first meeting by 7 points. Clarion's main weakness is it can't play a full 40 minutes. For 30 minutes, the Golden Eagles can hang with any team in the league. It's those extra 10 minutes that have ruined their season. Gambler beware. Seton Hill -2.5

Edinboro at Pitt-Johnstown - All heck has broken loose in Johnstown. The Mountain Cats have dropped a whopping 10 straight games. A star player bailed. Much has changed since this program made the NCAA Tournament a year ago. UPJ had at least been playing pretty competitively before Wednesday's blowout loss at Clarion. This funk likely will end after this season. UPJ is incredibly young -- and Bob Rukavina is trying his best to play less players than Joe Lombardi. Edinboro, on the other hand, is making strides this season. While the wins aren't there, the Fighting Scots are proving to be a tough out. The Dirty J has been a place where winning streaks have went to die for years, but this UPJ team doesn't have the magic of the past. They usually find a way to keep games close in Johnstown. Tomorrow could be similar. Scots -6.5

Slippery Rock at California - A rematch of perhaps the most shocking upset of the season thus far will take place in Angelo's Dome. The Vulcans will look to avenge the beating they received in Morrow Fieldhouse. California bounced back from its loss in Erie by barely escaping Greensburg. The Vulcans' offense was superb. Its defense was not good. The Rock is a strange bird. It can look great one night and very average the next. One thing to keep in mind is Ian Grady has been a thorn to Danny Sancomb the past couple years. He has a formula that works against the Vulcans. Cal has been a bit shaky the past two weeks -- and SRU has had a week to prepare. Can the Rock get a sweep? Doubtful ... but possible. Vulcans -6.5

Gannon at IUP - This one is real simple. IUP can't break the press. IUP has trouble inbounding the ball against the press. IUP has no depth. The depth IUP does have wears warm-up jackets all game. Damir Brooks could be one of the better forwards in the league but Joe won't play him. IUP has just three players who can score points. The end. Gannon -21.5

West Chester at East Stroudsburg - Damien Blair could throw a big wrench in to the East race with an upset tomorrow. His team is capable. The Rams, however, are a wild card. Which version will show up? The Warriors are 19-2, home and fresh off a bye. Logic says ESU wins. Logic isn't always right. This should be a good one. Warriors -6.5

Kutztown at Shippensburg - The Golden Bears are in the midst of a brutal 3-19 season. However, one of those wins came against Shippensburg. The Raiders are fresh off a pounding at Millersville. Tough year for both programs. Can Chris Fite get some payback tomorrow? Flip a coin. Home team gets a slight edge. Ship -1.5

Millersville at Bloomsburg - What's left of the Bloomsburg roster naturally pulled an upset and beat Mansfield the other night. This team is so up and down that it's nearly impossible to predict what will happen next. Bad news for the Huskies, however, is they aren't playing Mansfield tomorrow. Millersville is one of the hottest teams in the Region, and, as of now, the Marauders seem to be a lock for the NCAAs. The 'Ville is clearly favored, but watch the spread. These Huskies are tricky. Marauders -14.5

Shepherd at Mansfield - The Mounties are so close. One night they nearly knock off a heavyweight. The next they lose to Bloomsburg. Shepherd is beyond unpredictable. As of now, Mansfield is on pace for the final spot in the East. But, the margin for error is next to nothing. They better win this one at home. Mounties -2.5

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I think about the only sensible thing they could do at this level is to merge regions. Go from 8 to 4, but do it geographically. You can then, in theory, open things up where you are seeding 1-16 within a region rather than 1-8 in a smaller pool. This could still allow fans to reasonably travel to the games if they chose to do so and it would open up the NCAA tournament some to avoid teams playing each other a 3rd and 4th time in the Round of 64 and Round of 32.

I would love to see them do an open seeded tournament 1-64. But that just will never happen at this level for a variety of reasons.

Regional strength around the country is cyclical. They all have ebbs and flows. Depth of good teams. Years where they are weaker. Etc. Despite none of the top teams winning a National Championship, I tend to generally think that the Atlantic is one of the tougher, deeper regions. Over the stretch of the last 5-7 years, IUP, WL, and Mercyhurst have all been "elite" during stretches. Some years they have been elite all in the same season. You generally have formidable challengers (East Stroudsburg, Fairmont State, etc.) in each of the PSAC and MEC as well who are normally really good and have the material to make a run. The CIAA champion is never a quiet "out" in the tournament either. And not to mention that they have put some really good teams into the dance. All that said, there is such diversity in styles that the top teams play in the Atlantic Region as well. At their best, IUP, Mercyhurst, and West Liberty all play different styles of basketball.

Given the setup, the challenge of the D2 Regional format generally results in a lot of good, sometimes great, teams getting knocked out of the tournament very early. The year IUP lost to Mercyhurst in the second round of the tournament, the Atlantic Regional's top 4 seeds were all ranked in the top 10. The 5 seed was in the top 15. Those teams shouldn't be playing in the 1st and 2nd round. But that's the nature of the beast I suppose.

I tell friends of mine who don't understand the D2 landscape that it's probably more challenging as a top seed to reach the Elite 8 in D2 than it is to reach the Final 4 in D1. The nature of playing rivals, teams you are familiar with regionally (and who are also familiar with you), and teams in your conference generally for a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time in the season (often in a road environment) makes it a very, very tall order. People see a 29-2 record and assume they'll just win the Region. Losing in the 2nd round may not necessarily be an "upset."

I hate the format in that respect, but I guess it is what is.

Crazy to think the year Mercyhurst went to the E8 and nearly beat NWMS that they split four games with IUP.

IUP won up there. Mercy won in the KCAC on a walk-off (that IUP totally butchered). IUP blew them out in the PSAC title game. Mercyhurst beat them up a week later in the tournament.

Those two would have split a 20-game series evenly that season. Crazy games.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: PSAC WEST

Small sample size ... but not a great start for average home attendance

IUP - 823 (4 home games - way down from past years ... this weekend, in particular, drew horribly)

Gannon - 670 (2 home games)

Mercyhurst - 348 (2 home games)

California - 338 (3 home games)

Edinboro - 335 (3 home games)

Slippery Rock - 326 (2 home games)

UPJ - 325 (2 home games)

Seton Hill - 325 (3 home games)

Clarion - 226 (3 home games)

I think that's as expected. With the exception of IUP's resurgence, attendance has been dropping as the older locals die off, local populations decline, and the students either aren't enrolling or would rather stream something for the 80th time. Unfortunately I don't see anything changing.

I attended a high school game for the first time in 25 years last night. My daughter wanted to go because she knows some of the kids on the team. At Edinboro, we got to know the players. Edinboro's star player at the time, Kenny Tate, was a cool guy who could dunk from the foul line with an afro. It was quite the visual. But we wanted to support him. When the athletes live with each other and don't engage with the rest of campus, it makes it easier to care less. The locals who support our teams are the same who still get a physical newspaper, watch the local news on TV, and probably attend the local high school's games.

[IUP24]

I think that's as expected. With the exception of IUP's resurgence, attendance has been dropping as the older locals die off, local populations decline, and the students either aren't enrolling or would rather stream something for the 80th time. Unfortunately I don't see anything changing.

I attended a high school game for the first time in 25 years last night. My daughter wanted to go because she knows some of the kids on the team. At Edinboro, we got to know the players. Edinboro's star player at the time, Kenny Tate, was a cool guy who could dunk from the foul line with an afro. It was quite the visual. But we wanted to support him. When the athletes live with each other and don't engage with the rest of campus, it makes it easier to care less. The locals who support our teams are the same who still get a physical newspaper, watch the local news on TV, and probably attend the local high school's games.

I feel that. I always felt like while I was on campus, Joe Lombardi did a really good job at getting good people who assimilated very well with the student body. You would see them in line at the dining halls, walking to class, in the library, etc. And people generally knew who the basketball players were. But they were always good guys and easy to root for.

[bballfan03]

I think about the only sensible thing they could do at this level is to merge regions. Go from 8 to 4, but do it geographically. You can then, in theory, open things up where you are seeding 1-16 within a region rather than 1-8 in a smaller pool. This could still allow fans to reasonably travel to the games if they chose to do so and it would open up the NCAA tournament some to avoid teams playing each other a 3rd and 4th time in the Round of 64 and Round of 32.

I would love to see them do an open seeded tournament 1-64. But that just will never happen at this level for a variety of reasons.

Regional strength around the country is cyclical. They all have ebbs and flows. Depth of good teams. Years where they are weaker. Etc. Despite none of the top teams winning a National Championship, I tend to generally think that the Atlantic is one of the tougher, deeper regions. Over the stretch of the last 5-7 years, IUP, WL, and Mercyhurst have all been "elite" during stretches. Some years they have been elite all in the same season. You generally have formidable challengers (East Stroudsburg, Fairmont State, etc.) in each of the PSAC and MEC as well who are normally really good and have the material to make a run. The CIAA champion is never a quiet "out" in the tournament either. And not to mention that they have put some really good teams into the dance. All that said, there is such diversity in styles that the top teams play in the Atlantic Region as well. At their best, IUP, Mercyhurst, and West Liberty all play different styles of basketball.

Given the setup, the challenge of the D2 Regional format generally results in a lot of good, sometimes great, teams getting knocked out of the tournament very early. The year IUP lost to Mercyhurst in the second round of the tournament, the Atlantic Regional's top 4 seeds were all ranked in the top 10. The 5 seed was in the top 15. Those teams shouldn't be playing in the 1st and 2nd round. But that's the nature of the beast I suppose.

I tell friends of mine who don't understand the D2 landscape that it's probably more challenging as a top seed to reach the Elite 8 in D2 than it is to reach the Final 4 in D1. The nature of playing rivals, teams you are familiar with regionally (and who are also familiar with you), and teams in your conference generally for a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time in the season (often in a road environment) makes it a very, very tall order. People see a 29-2 record and assume they'll just win the Region. Losing in the 2nd round may not necessarily be an "upset."

I hate the format in that respect, but I guess it is what is.

I agree with your format... less regions, larger regions.. at least then the chances of playing a team 4x is diminished a little.

And for the reasons you listed as to why Atlantic Region is one of the stronger regions (which I agree) is why I hate this format. West Liberty, IUP, Hurst (the years they were up there).. should have all had a chance to be get to the Elite 8 without having to kick the crap out of one another to do so.

[bballfan03]

I agree with your format... less regions, larger regions.. at least then the chances of playing a team 4x is diminished a little.

And for the reasons you listed as to why Atlantic Region is one of the stronger regions (which I agree) is why I hate this format. West Liberty, IUP, Hurst (the years they were up there).. should have all had a chance to be get to the Elite 8 without having to kick the crap out of one another to do so.

also, with the way it currently is, maybe instead of naming a region champ, take the top 2 teams from each region (when it's down to 2) and put those 16 teams together and then reseed (i hate the reseeding at the Elite 8, so I'd prefer a straight 64 bracket, but with the current format the reseeding could help to get the region foes away from each other). Could have the Sweet 16 all at one place - 4 games one day, 4 games the next.. off a few 2 games one day, 2 games the next... off... 2 final 4 games.. off.. championship. Could also try to do it in one "location", but use 2 different venues - then all games can be played in one day still.

[bballfan03]

If you took all the favorites Wednesday night, you lost money (4 to 4 means you still pay the juice). The season is in the stretch run. Happy gambling, you degenerates.


Clarion at Seton Hill - Golden Eagles' star power forward Jayson Harris finally returned, and, naturally, Clarion snapped its long losing streak by hammering Pitt-Johnstown. Before they pop the champagne in Tippin, one has to consider that was UPJ's 10th straight loss and the Mountain Cats are now playing just 6-7 guys. This trip to Greensburg will likely make or break Clarion's season. The Golden Eagles are two games behind the Griffins for the final spot in the PSAC Tournament. If Clarion loses tomorrow, it could be lights out. Seton Hill is fresh off a near upset of California. The Griffins played incredibly on offense, scoring 93 points and nearly gave Vulcans' coach Danny Sancomb a heart attack. Seton Hill's usually-tough defense, however, was shredded. The Vulcans did whatever they wanted and put up 100 points in the McKenna Center. This is a tremendous matchup. Both teams, when healthy, are much better than people think. The Griffins won the first meeting by 7 points. Clarion's main weakness is it can't play a full 40 minutes. For 30 minutes, the Golden Eagles can hang with any team in the league. It's those extra 10 minutes that have ruined their season. Gambler beware. Seton Hill -2.5

Edinboro at Pitt-Johnstown - All heck has broken loose in Johnstown. The Mountain Cats have dropped a whopping 10 straight games. A star player bailed. Much has changed since this program made the NCAA Tournament a year ago. UPJ had at least been playing pretty competitively before Wednesday's blowout loss at Clarion. This funk likely will end after this season. UPJ is incredibly young -- and Bob Rukavina is trying his best to play less players than Joe Lombardi. Edinboro, on the other hand, is making strides this season. While the wins aren't there, the Fighting Scots are proving to be a tough out. The Dirty J has been a place where winning streaks have went to die for years, but this UPJ team doesn't have the magic of the past. They usually find a way to keep games close in Johnstown. Tomorrow could be similar. Scots -6.5

Slippery Rock at California - A rematch of perhaps the most shocking upset of the season thus far will take place in Angelo's Dome. The Vulcans will look to avenge the beating they received in Morrow Fieldhouse. California bounced back from its loss in Erie by barely escaping Greensburg. The Vulcans' offense was superb. Its defense was not good. The Rock is a strange bird. It can look great one night and very average the next. One thing to keep in mind is Ian Grady has been a thorn to Danny Sancomb the past couple years. He has a formula that works against the Vulcans. Cal has been a bit shaky the past two weeks -- and SRU has had a week to prepare. Can the Rock get a sweep? Doubtful ... but possible. Vulcans -6.5

Gannon at IUP - This one is real simple. IUP can't break the press. IUP has trouble inbounding the ball against the press. IUP has no depth. The depth IUP does have wears warm-up jackets all game. Damir Brooks could be one of the better forwards in the league but Joe won't play him. IUP has just three players who can score points. The end. Gannon -21.5

West Chester at East Stroudsburg - Damien Blair could throw a big wrench in to the East race with an upset tomorrow. His team is capable. The Rams, however, are a wild card. Which version will show up? The Warriors are 19-2, home and fresh off a bye. Logic says ESU wins. Logic isn't always right. This should be a good one. Warriors -6.5

Kutztown at Shippensburg - The Golden Bears are in the midst of a brutal 3-19 season. However, one of those wins came against Shippensburg. The Raiders are fresh off a pounding at Millersville. Tough year for both programs. Can Chris Fite get some payback tomorrow? Flip a coin. Home team gets a slight edge. Ship -1.5

Millersville at Bloomsburg - What's left of the Bloomsburg roster naturally pulled an upset and beat Mansfield the other night. This team is so up and down that it's nearly impossible to predict what will happen next. Bad news for the Huskies, however, is they aren't playing Mansfield tomorrow. Millersville is one of the hottest teams in the Region, and, as of now, the Marauders seem to be a lock for the NCAAs. The 'Ville is clearly favored, but watch the spread. These Huskies are tricky. Marauders -14.5

Shepherd at Mansfield - The Mounties are so close. One night they nearly knock off a heavyweight. The next they lose to Bloomsburg. Shepherd is beyond unpredictable. As of now, Mansfield is on pace for the final spot in the East. But, the margin for error is next to nothing. They better win this one at home. Mounties -2.5

my only critique of this.. is that I don't think you put enough consideration into IUP having lost to Hurst 3 days prior to playing Gannon.. they were coming out swinging (as they normally would), but with even more intensity coming off a loss. I would've still predicted a Gannon win, but a spread more around -7.5. So I, too, would have been wrong lol but I definitely did not anticipate a 20+ margin for Gannon.. even when they were up by 18 - IUP was still really in it.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The PSAC Tournamet is fast approaching. It's pretty clear at this point which teams from the West will be participating. The top three below have already clinched a spot.


Updated West Men's Standings:

-

TEAM	PSAC	OVERALL	STREAK
Gannon *	15-2	21-2	W10
California *	14-3	20-3	W2
IUP *	11-5	14-8	L1
Slippery Rock	9-7	11-11	L1
Mercyhurst	8-8	12-12	W2
Seton Hill	8-9	13-10	W1
Clarion	5-12	7-16	L1
Edinboro	5-12	6-17	L2
Pitt-Johnstown	4-13	6-17	W1

-

Biggest games this week:

Slippery Rock at Gannon - SRU is one of those 'don't catch them on the wrong night' teams. GU won the first meeting in OT.

Seton Hill at Mercyhurst - The Lakers won on a (shocker) Jeff Planutis walk-off trey in Greensburg last month. The loser of this game may be on a path to the KCAC in Round 1.

[CALUPA69]

The PSAC Tournamet is fast approaching. It's pretty clear at this point which teams from the West will be participating. The top three below have already clinched a spot.


Updated West Men's Standings:

-

TEAM	PSAC	OVERALL	STREAK
Gannon *	15-2	21-2	W10
California *	14-3	20-3	W2
IUP *	11-5	14-8	L1
Slippery Rock	9-7	11-11	L1
Mercyhurst	8-8	12-12	W2
Seton Hill	8-9	13-10	W1
Clarion	5-12	7-16	L1
Edinboro	5-12	6-17	L2
Pitt-Johnstown	4-13	6-17	W1

-

Biggest games this week:

Slippery Rock at Gannon - SRU is one of those 'don't catch them on the wrong night' teams. GU won the first meeting in OT.

Seton Hill at Mercyhurst - The Lakers won on a (shocker) Jeff Planutis walk-off trey in Greensburg last month. The loser of this game may be on a path to the KCAC in Round 1.

Should GU and CALU both finish with identical records (2 loses in West, 1 XO) what's the next tie breaker ? Assuming The Rock does the Vulcans a solid on Wednesday.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Should GU and CALU both finish with identical records (2 loses in West, 1 XO) what's the next tie breaker ? Assuming The Rock does the Vulcans a solid on Wednesday.

Not sure but that's a huge item. Potential home court in the Final Four on the line.