PSAC WEST

[Chuck Norris]

The semifinals are in the afternoon again this year. What did division 2 sports fans do to make the NCAA hate us so much?

[Ship69]

While I didn't expect Gannon to get polished off like that, I did feel it was kind of a pedestrian year for the PSAC. Gannon and Cal were pretty good, although it never seemed Cal became the machine some thought they would. As IUP fans have pointed out, departures, injuries and mysterious substitution patterns knocked them off the top of the PSAC this year, and they were basically just a somewhat above-average team. Mercyhurst, another traditional power, simply was down as was UPJ. In the East, Millersville had some studs, but proved to lack the depth to keep up with the run-and-gun teams. East Stroud had an inflated record, but a dismal record against actual good teams. Wilson has certainly had better clubs. Lock Haven had a nice year, but could look very ordinary on some nights. The rest of the East was nothing to write home about as Ship had its worst season in eight years, West Chester and Shepherd continued their erratic ways, and Bloom and Kutztown were just bad.

As some have said, D2 is very oriented by region, and it's really hard in any given year to know how your region stacks up against the rest. The portal and constant roster upheaval makes it even harder to figure. I have no idea how Ship will match up with other teams in our division next season, let alone with teams out of the area. Just have to wait and see.

[IUP24]

NWMS played relatively close championship games in 2022 and 2019… so I’m not sure how accurate that is

I don’t know. The difference between the teams who win it and everybody else typically seems wider in D2 than it is in the D1 tournament.

There are teams that go on historic runs and seem to always finish the job at this level. “The story” never wins the last game hardly in March Madness in D1. Nova Southeastern was 36-0 last year. I think that Florida Southern team that beat IUP was like 33-1 and lost to only a conference rival on the road in OT. I don’t think there was ever much doubt about NWMS, despite maybe two of their titles being close games. I’m not saying teams necessarily run roughshod over every opponent, but I think there’s generally little doubt who the best team is at the end of the D2 season.

I tend to think there’s much less randomness in the D2 tournament when you get to the Elite 8. I think you can have some upsets in the regionals generally because teams are familiar with each other. Once you get to the final 8 standing, I just tend to think that it’s pretty clear who is the best of that bunch. Where as, I don’t necessarily think the best team always wins the D1 tournament.

Maybe not one word I’m saying makes sense.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

It's also always about match-ups at this stage of the game. If Charleston just boxes out one last time last week, they might actually match up better with this Yotes team than Gannon. This was a tough match-up for Gannon. (And I wonder if St. Crutch is watching in horror at his prospective next-round opponent).

But, yes, the Region was definitely down this year. No question about that. But still can't take anything away from what Gannon accomplished.

Gannon won a ton of close games down the stretch. Credit to them. That said, they struggled twice to put away a four-man IUP team, and had dog fights with pretty average Seton Hill and Slippery Rock teams.

My worry for them was they'd run in to a team with some elite post players. Ethan Porterfield had massive games when the whole building knew IUP only had 2.5 scorers, and we saw the high-flying offense really struggle against Charleston.

I know they got smoked today but I have a hard time believing they are 34 points worse. Charleston probably would have also lost today but I'd guess it would have been a lot closer. It was a terrible match-up for Gannon.

Regardless, they had an incredible season. I suspect they'll reload pretty quickly. We'll see how the portal treats them but I don't expect too many departures. Fee should certainly be the national coach of the year ... 3-23 to the Elite 8 just doesn't happen.

It definitely wasn't a top-heavy Atlantic this year. There were a few pretty good teams, a whole slew of fairly average teams and then a bunch of dumpsters.

Hard to say what next year will bring. A lot of big stars are leaving the Region. More will arrive, however.

[IUPHawks24]

No I didn’t. But that’s really not the point I’m trying to explain.

I’m saying two things…

1) That we as consumers of the D2 product mostly don’t know a thing happening outside of the region. And most have no clue about things outside of the conference their team belongs to. Some do, but I would venture most here truly don’t. I get you watch a lot of these games. Most people here aren’t.

2) The point I think I was trying to make is that most years there is a very stark contrast between the team that wins and teams 2-8 in the Elite Eight. Rarely you’re left thinking, “Yeah, I don’t actually think the best team won.” That’s my point. All these teams are really good if they reach this level. But generally the team that wins the last game is pretty clearly the best. And I think we’d agree that many years it’s not close. Contrast that to the Division 1 level.. Often times a ton of those games deep in the NCAA Tournament are coin flips. Something breaks differently in the game and the script plays out differently. I think the gap of difference between schools at this level, even when you reach deep water of the tournament, is more sizable. There’s obviously exceptions to this though. For example, the WL-Nova game was probably the most competitive D2 tittle game I’ve watched. I tend to think the final 2 being that competitive is the exception not the rule.

NWMS played relatively close championship games in 2022 and 2019… so I’m not sure how accurate that is

[IUP24]

That's easy to say after you know the final score. Lol.

Did you know Gannon was going to get curb-stomped today? I sure didn't.

No I didn’t. But that’s really not the point I’m trying to explain.

I’m saying two things…

1) That we as consumers of the D2 product mostly don’t know a thing happening outside of the region. And most have no clue about things outside of the conference their team belongs to. Some do, but I would venture most here truly don’t. I get you watch a lot of these games. Most people here aren’t.

2) The point I think I was trying to make is that most years there is a very stark contrast between the team that wins and teams 2-8 in the Elite Eight. Rarely you’re left thinking, “Yeah, I don’t actually think the best team won.” That’s my point. All these teams are really good if they reach this level. But generally the team that wins the last game is pretty clearly the best. And I think we’d agree that many years it’s not close. Contrast that to the Division 1 level.. Often times a ton of those games deep in the NCAA Tournament are coin flips. Something breaks differently in the game and the script plays out differently. I think the gap of difference between schools at this level, even when you reach deep water of the tournament, is more sizable. There’s obviously exceptions to this though. For example, the WL-Nova game was probably the most competitive D2 tittle game I’ve watched. I tend to think the final 2 being that competitive is the exception not the rule.

[IUPalum]

Nova has way more size than Gannon.

Interesting for Crutch in he just saw his vaunted press get shredded. It should be an interesting match-up.

Thursday's match up should be a good one.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Nova was in trouble for a while, but fatigue may have set in for SNHU. Looks like Nova's gonna close it out.

Nova has way more size than Gannon.

Interesting for Crutch in he just saw his vaunted press get shredded. It should be an interesting match-up.

[Scrub]

Nova was in trouble for a while, but fatigue may have set in for SNHU. Looks like Nova's gonna close it out.

[Chuck Norris]

Southern NH out of the gates well against Nova.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I don't care how much D2 basketball anybody on here claims to watch. None of us are watching games outside of the conference/region much at all, if ever. So nobody can really claim to know anything about any of the teams still playing. All I can say regarding reaching this level... One team is normally just outrageously better than everybody else at this stage. I feel like when you watch the D1 tournament, games mostly remain pretty competitive deep into tournament play. A lot are coin flips so to speak. A play or a break here or there and maybe the script of a game goes differently. I feel like even within the elite ranks of D2 programs, there is such a gap between the eventual winner and 2-8. That Nova SE and West Liberty championship game was the most competitive D2 title game I can remember watching. There's just typically not a ton of doubt about the champion at this level. Regardless of how they are seeded, when you get here, you can mostly say, "Yeah, I am fully confident the best team won."

I don't know what it is about this level, but when you get down to the Elite Eight, even with the understanding that they reseed in hopes of getting the best championship game, you tend to just see such a stark talent difference. Mercyhurst may have played NWMST the closest in the tournament during any of their championship seasons - most of those games were routes. IUP was playing better than maybe anybody in the country in their run in 2015. They were not even remotely close to what Florida Southern tossed out on the floor.

I understand that regions are different and the depth of them is too. But I feel like so often you can just visibly tell how vastly better one team is compared the entire field in Division 2. I have no way of quantifying that or explaining it better.

That's easy to say after you know the final score. Lol.

Did you know Gannon was going to get curb-stomped today? I sure didn't.

[IUP24]

Down 25. Guess it shows how much the region was down this year. Is it an indictment on the PSAC that this team finished 20-2 in the league?

I don't care how much D2 basketball anybody on here claims to watch. None of us are watching games outside of the conference/region much at all, if ever. So nobody can really claim to know anything about any of the teams still playing. All I can say regarding reaching this level... One team is normally just outrageously better than everybody else at this stage. I feel like when you watch the D1 tournament, games mostly remain pretty competitive deep into tournament play. A lot are coin flips so to speak. A play or a break here or there and maybe the script of a game goes differently. I feel like even within the elite ranks of D2 programs, there is such a gap between the eventual winner and 2-8. That Nova SE and West Liberty championship game was the most competitive D2 title game I can remember watching. There's just typically not a ton of doubt about the champion at this level. Regardless of how they are seeded, when you get here, you can mostly say, "Yeah, I am fully confident the best team won."

I don't know what it is about this level, but when you get down to the Elite Eight, even with the understanding that they reseed in hopes of getting the best championship game, you tend to just see such a stark talent difference. Mercyhurst may have played NWMST the closest in the tournament during any of their championship seasons - most of those games were routes. IUP was playing better than maybe anybody in the country in their run in 2015. They were not even remotely close to what Florida Southern tossed out on the floor.

I understand that regions are different and the depth of them is too. But I feel like so often you can just visibly tell how vastly better one team is compared the entire field in Division 2. I have no way of quantifying that or explaining it better.

[Scrub]

I can't recall the Atlantic team ever getting beat up like that in the E8.

If I recall we've got through this round the last couple years.

I feel like you're right: typically the Atlantic comports itself pretty well in the Elite 8 opener.

Looks like the Region has some work to do.

[Chuck Norris]

It's also always about match-ups at this stage of the game. If Charleston just boxes out one last time last week, they might actually match up better with this Yotes team than Gannon. This was a tough match-up for Gannon. (And I wonder if St. Crutch is watching in horror at his prospective next-round opponent).

But, yes, the Region was definitely down this year. No question about that. But still can't take anything away from what Gannon accomplished.

Yeah tomorrow will be really interesting if Nova wins today.

The Elite 8 is always somewhat of a crapshoot because there’s just not much inter-regional play in d2 basketball, but the West region winner is usually the biggest wildcard of them all because nobody sees those teams play.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

34 point loss isn’t a matchup issue. That’s a you’re not nearly as good issue

I can't recall the Atlantic team ever getting beat up like that in the E8.

If I recall we've got through this round the last couple years.