PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Boro spanked Seton Hill. I didn't turn on the game until late so I missed what happened. Good win for Jennings after seeing the Cal game slip away and UPJ spank them.

Called it when they signed him, Rowan Carmichael was the steal of the division recruiting season.

Carmichael got swallowed against IUP.

Granted, that was intentional. They in turn let the 7'1" player have free reign from outside. They did that same 'doink' philosophy to Ship last year. Difference was the Boro big hit some treys. The Ship guy last year couldn't hit the side of a barn but kept chucking all night.

Boro has a scrappy team. They have zero depth behind those first 6 guys, however. Even one more rotation-worthy guy would be huge.

They were in the IUP game for the first 32 minutes but then just physically hit a wall.

Jennings is a good guy and a good coach.

[Fightingscot82]

Carmichael got swallowed against IUP.

Granted, that was intentional. They in turn let the 7'1" player have free reign from outside. They did that same 'doink' philosophy to Ship last year. Difference was the Boro big hit some treys. The Ship guy last year couldn't hit the side of a barn but kept chucking all night.

Boro has a scrappy team. They have zero depth behind those first 6 guys, however. Even one more rotation-worthy guy would be huge.

They were in the IUP game for the first 32 minutes but then just physically hit a wall.

Jennings is a good guy and a good coach.

I hate big guys outside. I don't care if they can shoot. That height advantage is neutralized outside especially on a team that doesn't rebound much.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I hate big guys outside. I don't care if they can shoot. That height advantage is neutralized outside especially on a team that doesn't rebound much.

I was really surprised by Edinboro's big guy.

He has a nice shot. He can run. He plays with a mean streak.

However, he just cannot effectively play the amount of minutes he's being forced to play. He was physically exhausted the last 10 minutes of the IUP game. Joe knew it and they pounced.

Perfect world he'd play 22-24 mpg.

He's a legit 7'1" and I'd guess 260 lbs. He's a big dude.

Edinboro has a really nice starting group. They just have no bench and it's killing them in all these somewhat close losses. They just run out of steam or hit foul trouble.

[Ship69]

Carmichael got swallowed against IUP.

Granted, that was intentional. They in turn let the 7'1" player have free reign from outside. They did that same 'doink' philosophy to Ship last year. Difference was the Boro big hit some treys. The Ship guy last year couldn't hit the side of a barn but kept chucking all night.

Boro has a scrappy team. They have zero depth behind those first 6 guys, however. Even one more rotation-worthy guy would be huge.

They were in the IUP game for the first 32 minutes but then just physically hit a wall.

Jennings is a good guy and a good coach.

One of several reasons why the "Ship guy" didn't finish the season with Ship last year.

The big Indian dude from Edinboro wasn't a stiff, although he probably got away with at least three travels that weren't called when they played Ship. The Euro step apparently extends to Africa and Asia these days. Gotta wonder how many kids from India, South Sudan, and the Congo grow up thinking they'll be playing basketball at PSAC schools one day. Ship recently finished playing three teams that each had a player 6-9 or taller from one of those countries.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

One of several reasons why the "Ship guy" didn't finish the season with Ship last year.

The big Indian dude from Edinboro wasn't a stiff, although he probably got away with at least three travels that weren't called when they played Ship. The Euro step apparently extends to Africa and Asia these days. Gotta wonder how many kids from India, South Sudan, and the Congo grow up thinking they'll be playing basketball at PSAC schools one day. Ship recently finished playing three teams that each had a player 6-9 or taller from one of those countries.

IUP had a pipeline to Dakar back in the late 90s and early 00s. They got several giants out of there. No idea what the connection was in those days.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

One of several reasons why the "Ship guy" didn't finish the season with Ship last year.

The big Indian dude from Edinboro wasn't a stiff, although he probably got away with at least three travels that weren't called when they played Ship. The Euro step apparently extends to Africa and Asia these days. Gotta wonder how many kids from India, South Sudan, and the Congo grow up thinking they'll be playing basketball at PSAC schools one day. Ship recently finished playing three teams that each had a player 6-9 or taller from one of those countries.

Almost without fail when a player with his size lands in the PSAC ... they have a major flaw.

I didn't see one. He could easily be on a roster of a low D1 team. He'd play way less, of course.

But, he could definitely play at Mercyhurst, for example.

I wish Joe had him.

[Fightingscot82]

I was really surprised by Edinboro's big guy.

He has a nice shot. He can run. He plays with a mean streak.

However, he just cannot effectively play the amount of minutes he's being forced to play. He was physically exhausted the last 10 minutes of the IUP game. Joe knew it and they pounced.

Perfect world he'd play 22-24 mpg.

He's a legit 7'1" and I'd guess 260 lbs. He's a big dude.

Edinboro has a really nice starting group. They just have no bench and it's killing them in all these somewhat close losses. They just run out of steam or hit foul trouble.

As much as I like what Jennings is doing, that's not any different of a situation that got Pat Cleary not renewed.

[IUPalum]

As much as I like what Jennings is doing, that's not any different of a situation that got Pat Cleary not renewed.

It'll never be different with no resorces.

[Ship69]

Almost without fail when a player with his size lands in the PSAC ... they have a major flaw.

I didn't see one. He could easily be on a roster of a low D1 team. He'd play way less, of course.

But, he could definitely play at Mercyhurst, for example.

I wish Joe had him.

I do seem to be seeing some more agile bigs in the PSAC these days. I attribute that to the fact that there probably just are more talented big men than there used to be, especially with more international players on rosters these days. As you say, there usually are still some flaws that keep them out of high D1. Maybe they're a step slow, don't shoot well, are too raw at this stage, etc. But a lot of these guys display some athletic ability and don't seem to be tripping all over themselves like some of the PSAC 7-footers of yore. I do know that when you have a slender roster, as Ship does this year, contending with these behemoths near the bucket can be a problem

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I do seem to be seeing some more agile bigs in the PSAC these days. I attribute that to the fact that there probably just are more talented big men than there used to be, especially with more international players on rosters these days. As you say, there usually are still some flaws that keep them out of high D1. Maybe they're a step slow, don't shoot well, are too raw at this stage, etc. But a lot of these guys display some athletic ability and don't seem to be tripping all over themselves like some of the PSAC 7-footers of yore. I do know that when you have a slender roster, as Ship does this year, contending with these behemoths near the bucket can be a problem

It's been quite the evolution when you look back.

I can speak for the West ... in the 90s and early 00s this division was built for street brawls. The 55-49 scores were common. Every team had a slew of the 6'8", 250 lb monsters under the basket.

Joe went away from those guys probably around 2012. He knew they couldn't keep up with the run-n-gun teams so he started going more with the Euro-type bigs (the 6'7", 200 lb types).

The problem was he still had to get through the West grind against the behemoths with his now much more slender roster. For the most part it obviously worked. He could typically just tire those teams out but occasionally he'd still get roped in to playing those 51-50 games -- typically against Gannon and Mercyhurst. Manchal and JR were masters of coaching the slow-down game.

Of course, Joe was winning so much the other teams in the West then started to mirror the post players he was recruiting. Slippery Rock was really the last holdout. They stayed with the big muscle guys probably until about 2018 or so (basically around when Ian Grady took over).

The current West is almost entirely comprised of the 'Stretch Four' post players. That's why seeing the Edinboro guy the other night was fairly odd.

[Ship69]

It's been quite the evolution when you look back.

I can speak for the West ... in the 90s and early 00s this division was built for street brawls. The 55-49 scores were common. Every team had a slew of the 6'8", 250 lb monsters under the basket.

Joe went away from those guys probably around 2012. He knew they couldn't keep up with the run-n-gun teams so he started going more with the Euro-type bigs (the 6'7", 200 lb types).

The problem was he still had to get through the West grind against the behemoths with his now much more slender roster. For the most part it obviously worked. He could typically just tire those teams out but occasionally he'd still get roped in to playing those 51-50 games -- typically against Gannon and Mercyhurst. Manchal and JR were masters of coaching the slow-down game.

Of course, Joe was winning so much the other teams in the West then started to mirror the post players he was recruiting. Slippery Rock was really the last holdout. They stayed with the big muscle guys probably until about 2018 or so (basically around when Ian Grady took over).

The current West is almost entirely comprised of the 'Stretch Four' post players. That's why seeing the Edinboro guy the other night was fairly odd.

Ship saw Edinboro, and East Stroud, even was the absence of Coleman, put 6-6, 265 freshman Adrian Brito, 6-9 Carson Howard, 6-8 Nasir Griffin, and 6-7 Jalen Pichardo on the floor. None of those guys are built like Twiggy. Fortunately, they weren't hitting free throws and decided to throw up 27 three-pointers, the vast majority of which missed the mark. Damien sometimes gets some big loads at West Chester. Millersville usually doesn't have giants, but almost always has nice overall team height. They did have that 6-9 kid from overseas who was rough on the boards. Kutztown is not strong at guard, but has a couple of jumping jacks on the front line.

[Fightingscot82]

Almost without fail when a player with his size lands in the PSAC ... they have a major flaw.

I didn't see one. He could easily be on a roster of a low D1 team. He'd play way less, of course.

But, he could definitely play at Mercyhurst, for example.

I wish Joe had him.

Well, he's already played low D1 ball. Played in 40 games for Monmouth and one game for Manhattan before injury.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

UPDATED MEN'S STANDINGS

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TEAM	PSAC	OVERALL	STREAK
GANNON	10-1	17-2	W4
CALIFORNIA	10-1	13-5	W2
IUP	9-2	13-3	W2
SETON HILL	7-3	13-6	L1
SLIPPERY ROCK	6-5	13-6	L3
CLARION	5-6	10-9	L1
EDINBORO	4-6	9-9	W1
PITT-JOHNSTOWN	4-7	10-9	L2

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JAN. 28 SCHEDULE

SETON HILL at PITT-JOHNSTOWN

CALIFORNIA at IUP

SLIPPERY ROCK at EDINBORO

CLARION at GANNON

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Interesting night in the West.

Some items to ponder for you gambling degenerates:


Seton Hill at Pitt-Johnstown - The blank has hit the fan in the Dirty J. The Mountain Cats, now without arguably their top scorer in Jay Rose, have lost two straight and fell to 4-7 in PSAC play. After a hot start, Seton Hill has also hit the skids. The Griffins are 1-4 in their past 5 outings. However, they've had injury issues rather than mid-season Portal issues. Another thing to consider is Seton Hill -- for whatever reason - really struggles on the road (this year, last year and the 7 years prior). UPJ, conversely, has been notorious for playing really well in Johnstown. Getting to tonight, Seton Hill is now largely healthy. UPJ is still missing about 18 points per game. That combination doesn't add up for the home team. Griffins win, but perhaps by a smaller margin than most think. UPJ is known for shooting incredibly well at home. That will keep them in this one. Seton Hill -5.5

California at IUP - In the 90s, this game was the hottest ticket in either town. To get a seat for the Men's game in the old Memorial Field House, you needed to be there for the start of the women's game. The same was true down at Hamer Hall. The rivalry went to cold when Cal's program fell off a cliff for a decade. IUP had a lengthy winning streak (guessing near 30 straight). It took Danny Sancomb a bit but he eventually brought Cal back to life -- and he certainly added back the missing spice to the rivalry. In fact, things had swung toward the Vulcans as Cal won 3 straight prior to IUP snapping the streak late last season. Tonight, betting-wise, is a total crapshoot. Both teams have strong records. Both have some big wins. Both, however, have some flaws. IUP has an advantage at the Guard position. Cal has an advantage underneath. Both coaches know (and dislike) one another. Danny and Joe form a Zebra Crew's worst nightmare. Toughest game on the board to bet. Keep in mind this is a Cal team that beat Gannon, so IUP's 1-2-2 press probably isn't going to do much. In fact, Cal may completely shred it. IUP will have its hands full with the Vulcan post players. The Vulcans will have issues with IUP's guard trio. The KCAC will be alive, and that should make the difference. Barely. IUP -1.5

Slippery Rock at Edinboro - If you bet on SRU, you need rehab. The lineup changes by the game. The dress list changes by the game. Their level of play changes by the media timeout. The Rock is far too sporadic. Buyer beware. Scots -4.5

Clarion at Gannon - The Golden Eagles are a pretty good team. However, this should be the same old story. Look for Clarion to hang around for 20-25 minutes -- then get lit up down the stretch. Gannon is playing far too well and is far too strong. Knights -18.5

[TheBigCat2192]

Almost without fail when a player with his size lands in the PSAC ... they have a major flaw.

I didn't see one. He could easily be on a roster of a low D1 team. He'd play way less, of course.

But, he could definitely play at Mercyhurst, for example.

I wish Joe had him.

I think you diagnosed his flaw in one of your prior posts:

However, he just cannot effectively play the amount of minutes he's being forced to play. He was physically exhausted the last 10 minutes of the IUP game. Joe knew it and they pounced.

Perhaps any D1 and other PSAC coaching staffs that scouted him came to the conclusion that his conditioning would never develop to the point of being able to play heavy minutes, either based on his physical build/bodily changes or some sort of personality assessment/character references.