PSAC WEST

[IUP24]

Not exactly a made-for-TV lineup tonight, but, the show goes on. There are a couple interesting games. As always,happy gambling, you degenerates.


Mansfield at Bloomsburg - What remained of this Bloomsburg team just about beat Shippensburg - despite getting lambasted on the glass. The Huskies showed some heart under tough circumstances. Regardless, Bloomsburg is riding a 5-game losing streak. Ironically, so is Mansfield. The Mounties followed up their spirited, 1-point loss to East Stroudsburg -- naturally with a loss to Bernie's freshmen team. Perhaps Mansfield was hungover a bit. Who knows. The Mounties won the first meeting this year, 85-84 (OT). That was a long time ago. The Huskies are decimated -- especially under the basket (a strong area for Mansfield). Round 1 was a thriller. Round 2 will not be. One streak ends tonight. Mansfield -11.5

Kutztown at Lock Haven - Few probably actually realize it, but Lock Haven is having a heck of a season. The Bald Eagles (14-6) remain solidly in not only the PSAC East race but also in the NCAA picture. It's been a long, long time since Lock Haven basketball was relevent in February. The Golden Bears (3-18) are clearly not in either race. However, despite the record, KU has all the sudden become a fairly tough out. In fact, back in early January, Kutztown put a massive scare into Lock Haven before ultimately falling, 78-72. Tonight shifts back to the cramped confines of Thomas Fieldhouse - one of the more awkward venues in the league for visitors. Both teams are playing well of late. The Bald Eagles just have too much -- and too much to lose. It won't be easy, however. The Bald Eagles eventually pull away. LH -9.5

West Chester at Shepherd - If you're planning to bet this game, do yourself a favor. Go to the ATM, get the cash out and just burn it. Save yourself the agony. No smart gambler would touch either of these teams. For instance, West Chester has a 13-8 record -- which could (should) easily be 17-4. Shepherd is 'up' to 9-11, but without question has the talent to be several games above the .500 mark. Which version of these two teams will show up on a given night? You're guess is as good as mine. The Rams from Shepherdstown lost the first meeting, 82-72. Logic would say Round 2 should be fairly similar. But, there is no logic with either team. Good luck. WCU -7.5

Shippensburg at Millersville - Raiders' fans on this board love Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. Note: sarcasm. Tonight, they get a full 40 minutes of him -- in his house. These teams are headed in very different directions this season. The Marauders are clearly in the NCAA race. Shippensburg is prepping for next year. On paper, this shouldn't be much of a game. But, strange things happen in rivalries. The Raiders actually lead at halftime in the first meeting but got blitzed afterward -- losing 93-83. However, Ship's mid-year transfer (Donovan Hill) was brand new at that point -- and has come on fairly strong of late. Hill was shutout in the first game and grabbed just 3 rebounds. Much more up to speed now, he should have a much larger impact in the rematch. The Marauders are clearly the favorite, but this could be the 'don't be shocked' game of the night. Pucillo Gymnasium is a tough place to win. But, there could be an upset brewing. 'Ville -8.5

IUP at Mercyhurst - The second meeting between these two a year ago had a ton at stake. Not so much this year. Mercyhurst is a very uncharacteristic 11-12 entering tonight. IUP hasn't had (6) losses on Feb. 7 in probably 15 years. The hobbling Crimson Hawks, however, also have 14 wins -- and, somehow, remain in the postseason hunt. To cliche things up (coach speak, if you will) the records don't mean much in this affair. This is perhaps the best rivarly in the league the past decade. It may not seem like it, but IUP has owned the series over that time. The Lakers, however, got some huge wins in massive moments. The first game -- inside a rowdy KCAC -- saw a very tight, sloppy first half. IUP pulled away after the intermission. While the record shows a team slightly below .500, this Lakers team is far from a pushover -- especially in the MAC. Proof? Mercyhurst has lost (7) games by (6) points or less. No coach has done a consistently better job giving Joe Lombardi fits than Gary Manchel. Add in a little revenge on top of the rivalry factor and IUP will have its hands full. The Crimson Hawks have had a week to prepare for the matchup zone. They got blitzed in Erie a year ago in front of a thunderous crowd. Will it happen again? IUP -1.5

Pitt-Johnstown at Clarion - How big of an impact does the 6'9", 235 lb, Jayson Harris have on Clarion's success? He's missed the past 7 games. The Golden Eagles' record during that time: 0-7. Thankfully for the Tippin faithful, UPJ and its 9-game losing streak is on the way to town. Clarion won the first meeting by 10 points. Even without Harris (who had a huge game in the first meeting), the Golden Eagles are the deeper team -- and significantly bigger and more athletic. The Mountain Cats have a way of hanging around. They can drastically slow the pace and frustrate opponents. This should be a fairly entertaining matchup. One losing streak will end. One will not. Clarion -7.5

California at Seton Hill - Will the Erie hangover be worn off by the time the Vulcans enter the (sometimes) hostile McKenna Center tonight? The Griffins, odd to play against, can make headaches much worse. These two played a pretty tight game in the first meeting. California eventually pulled away at the end and won by 13 points. The Vulcans are cleary the better team, but we've seen some odd performances of late from Danny's bunch. Strange things happen in Greensburg. The claustrophobic, loud gym can take good teams out of sync. Take the Vulcans tonight, but this could be closer than most expect. California -10.5

Edinboro at Gannon - The positive for the Fighting Scots' trip to Erie tonight is they put up 96 points against Gannon last month. The negative, of course, is they gave up 117. Edinboro's offense seems to play its best in the fast-flowing pace. It was swallowed up by IUP's much slower pace. In front of what should be a good crowd, expect Edinboro to hang around a bit. Ganon is coming off a very emotional game and could have a little (not much) lag. The Knights will eventually tire them out and pull away. GU -18.5

Favorites were .500 tonight. Sharp lines.

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

[TheMadLibs]

Yes, D3 model is what I think is most plausible and shown to be successful with lesser costs. Plus if love to see some movement in closer regions. My point isn't that rivalries aren't fun (no sht they are), it's that we lose opportunities to play cross regional by nearby, and some really talented teams are out early out of the more competitive regions like the Atlantic. Even in a down year, while the bottom is BAD our top depth is higher imo.

Without looking deeper at Massey, Inkblot, etc, I could see a first round match up of something like Gannon, Ashland, Daemen and a fourth as a hell of a matchup. And those first two are closer than ESU, Millersville, Fayetteville all are to Erie.

[IUP24]

I agree.. I'd like to see them have a "committee" and rank teams 1-64 and do it the way D1 does it. #1 seeds can host up until elite 8 as it is now and NO RESEEDING!!! Pre-determined bracket matchups.

My guess is it'll never happen because D2 doesn't bring in the money.. but I'd love to see it. Potentially having to play a team for a 4th time before the Elite 8 is stupid.

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.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Not exactly a made-for-TV lineup tonight, but, the show goes on. There are a couple interesting games. As always,happy gambling, you degenerates.


Mansfield at Bloomsburg - What remained of this Bloomsburg team just about beat Shippensburg - despite getting lambasted on the glass. The Huskies showed some heart under tough circumstances. Regardless, Bloomsburg is riding a 5-game losing streak. Ironically, so is Mansfield. The Mounties followed up their spirited, 1-point loss to East Stroudsburg -- naturally with a loss to Bernie's freshmen team. Perhaps Mansfield was hungover a bit. Who knows. The Mounties won the first meeting this year, 85-84 (OT). That was a long time ago. The Huskies are decimated -- especially under the basket (a strong area for Mansfield). Round 1 was a thriller. Round 2 will not be. One streak ends tonight. Mansfield -11.5

Kutztown at Lock Haven - Few probably actually realize it, but Lock Haven is having a heck of a season. The Bald Eagles (14-6) remain solidly in not only the PSAC East race but also in the NCAA picture. It's been a long, long time since Lock Haven basketball was relevent in February. The Golden Bears (3-18) are clearly not in either race. However, despite the record, KU has all the sudden become a fairly tough out. In fact, back in early January, Kutztown put a massive scare into Lock Haven before ultimately falling, 78-72. Tonight shifts back to the cramped confines of Thomas Fieldhouse - one of the more awkward venues in the league for visitors. Both teams are playing well of late. The Bald Eagles just have too much -- and too much to lose. It won't be easy, however. The Bald Eagles eventually pull away. LH -9.5

West Chester at Shepherd - If you're planning to bet this game, do yourself a favor. Go to the ATM, get the cash out and just burn it. Save yourself the agony. No smart gambler would touch either of these teams. For instance, West Chester has a 13-8 record -- which could (should) easily be 17-4. Shepherd is 'up' to 9-11, but without question has the talent to be several games above the .500 mark. Which version of these two teams will show up on a given night? You're guess is as good as mine. The Rams from Shepherdstown lost the first meeting, 82-72. Logic would say Round 2 should be fairly similar. But, there is no logic with either team. Good luck. WCU -7.5

Shippensburg at Millersville - Raiders' fans on this board love Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. Note: sarcasm. Tonight, they get a full 40 minutes of him -- in his house. These teams are headed in very different directions this season. The Marauders are clearly in the NCAA race. Shippensburg is prepping for next year. On paper, this shouldn't be much of a game. But, strange things happen in rivalries. The Raiders actually lead at halftime in the first meeting but got blitzed afterward -- losing 93-83. However, Ship's mid-year transfer (Donovan Hill) was brand new at that point -- and has come on fairly strong of late. Hill was shutout in the first game and grabbed just 3 rebounds. Much more up to speed now, he should have a much larger impact in the rematch. The Marauders are clearly the favorite, but this could be the 'don't be shocked' game of the night. Pucillo Gymnasium is a tough place to win. But, there could be an upset brewing. 'Ville -8.5

IUP at Mercyhurst - The second meeting between these two a year ago had a ton at stake. Not so much this year. Mercyhurst is a very uncharacteristic 11-12 entering tonight. IUP hasn't had (6) losses on Feb. 7 in probably 15 years. The hobbling Crimson Hawks, however, also have 14 wins -- and, somehow, remain in the postseason hunt. To cliche things up (coach speak, if you will) the records don't mean much in this affair. This is perhaps the best rivarly in the league the past decade. It may not seem like it, but IUP has owned the series over that time. The Lakers, however, got some huge wins in massive moments. The first game -- inside a rowdy KCAC -- saw a very tight, sloppy first half. IUP pulled away after the intermission. While the record shows a team slightly below .500, this Lakers team is far from a pushover -- especially in the MAC. Proof? Mercyhurst has lost (7) games by (6) points or less. No coach has done a consistently better job giving Joe Lombardi fits than Gary Manchel. Add in a little revenge on top of the rivalry factor and IUP will have its hands full. The Crimson Hawks have had a week to prepare for the matchup zone. They got blitzed in Erie a year ago in front of a thunderous crowd. Will it happen again? IUP -1.5

Pitt-Johnstown at Clarion - How big of an impact does the 6'9", 235 lb, Jayson Harris have on Clarion's success? He's missed the past 7 games. The Golden Eagles' record during that time: 0-7. Thankfully for the Tippin faithful, UPJ and its 9-game losing streak is on the way to town. Clarion won the first meeting by 10 points. Even without Harris (who had a huge game in the first meeting), the Golden Eagles are the deeper team -- and significantly bigger and more athletic. The Mountain Cats have a way of hanging around. They can drastically slow the pace and frustrate opponents. This should be a fairly entertaining matchup. One losing streak will end. One will not. Clarion -7.5

California at Seton Hill - Will the Erie hangover be worn off by the time the Vulcans enter the (sometimes) hostile McKenna Center tonight? The Griffins, odd to play against, can make headaches much worse. These two played a pretty tight game in the first meeting. California eventually pulled away at the end and won by 13 points. The Vulcans are cleary the better team, but we've seen some odd performances of late from Danny's bunch. Strange things happen in Greensburg. The claustrophobic, loud gym can take good teams out of sync. Take the Vulcans tonight, but this could be closer than most expect. California -10.5

Edinboro at Gannon - The positive for the Fighting Scots' trip to Erie tonight is they put up 96 points against Gannon last month. The negative, of course, is they gave up 117. Edinboro's offense seems to play its best in the fast-flowing pace. It was swallowed up by IUP's much slower pace. In front of what should be a good crowd, expect Edinboro to hang around a bit. Ganon is coming off a very emotional game and could have a little (not much) lag. The Knights will eventually tire them out and pull away. GU -18.5

[Fightingscot82]

Reilly may have his retirement approaching sooner than later. Christian Brothers has been placed on probation by its accreditor for financial irresponsibility and poor oversight by its board. If they don't correct course very quickly, their accreditation will be suspended and they'll not be able to accept federal grants/loans from students but also their credits aren't guaranteed to transfer.

[bballfan03]

Oh cal is absolutely a great team, please don't get me wrong. They're a talented crew.

And yes, the committee LOVES to ensure a rematch. Same with Gannon WBB and Edinboro in 2014 and Gannon WBB and Cal WBB in 2013 when Gannon went to EE.

This goes to my biggest frustration with the d2 playoff model that neither D1 nor D3 leverage. I wish we did something closer to the D3 playoffs. I'd love to not have to see the same gd team again in round of 32 or 16 if we could. It's so **** that these talented kids have to beat each other up first before heading out of region.

I agree.. I'd like to see them have a "committee" and rank teams 1-64 and do it the way D1 does it. #1 seeds can host up until elite 8 as it is now and NO RESEEDING!!! Pre-determined bracket matchups.

My guess is it'll never happen because D2 doesn't bring in the money.. but I'd love to see it. Potentially having to play a team for a 4th time before the Elite 8 is stupid.

[IUPHawks24]

Yeah, playoffs suck. So damn tired of seeing rivals play big games against each other. Next year put the losing teams in the playoffs...No wait! Instead blow budgets up by sending teams across the country to make the fans happier...

Great use of sarcasm… plus you sound like a moron.

1) The NCAA covers tournament expenses
2) Having more flexibility in the early rounds of the tournament like Division III would be a very good idea to at least consider for Division II. Especially if it increases the competitive balance of the tournament.

[WarriorVoice]

Oh cal is absolutely a great team, please don't get me wrong. They're a talented crew.

And yes, the committee LOVES to ensure a rematch. Same with Gannon WBB and Edinboro in 2014 and Gannon WBB and Cal WBB in 2013 when Gannon went to EE.

This goes to my biggest frustration with the d2 playoff model that neither D1 nor D3 leverage. I wish we did something closer to the D3 playoffs. I'd love to not have to see the same gd team again in round of 32 or 16 if we could. It's so **** that these talented kids have to beat each other up first before heading out of region.

Yeah, playoffs suck. So damn tired of seeing rivals play big games against each other. Next year put the losing teams in the playoffs...No wait! Instead blow budgets up by sending teams across the country to make the fans happier...

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Adam Bilinsky, who started the season at Mercyhurst, has signed with UPJ.

[Scrub]

He had a real good freshman year. He kind of vanished at times this year with much less talent around him. He's not very big but can shoot it. I'd grade him below average defensively.

It certainly wouldn't hurt to add another shooter to what is a pretty non-traditionally constructed WLU roster in terms of shooter-depth right now. But I do know Howlett values a guy who can defend (and defend bigger than his size). Rasile & Montague are great examples of small guys who aren't afraid to "guard big" after WLU inevitably switches on a screen leaving a supposed mismatch. If a guy were to consistently get eaten alive after those switches he might not find much court time at WLU.

But you're right that Shull is likely taking a tour of the MEC right now. Probably has multiple potential suitors kicking the tires.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Now that you say that, I'm pretty sure I saw him. I didn't realize who it was at the time, but I did see a light-haired kid being shown around as a recruit at the game. And it was clear that it was an older recruit because his parents weren't with him, so it was pretty obviously not a high school senior looking for his first landing spot.

He had a real good freshman year. He kind of vanished at times this year with much less talent around him. He's not very big but can shoot it. I'd grade him below average defensively.

[Scrub]

Former UPJ guard Andrew Shull visited West Liberty over the weekend. He's from near Charleston so I'd say pretty good odds he lands in the MEC.

No idea what happened at UPJ. He left the team several weeks ago.

Now that you say that, I'm pretty sure I saw him. I didn't realize who it was at the time, but I did see a light-haired kid being shown around as a recruit at the game. And it was clear that it was an older recruit because his parents weren't with him, so it was pretty obviously not a high school senior looking for his first landing spot.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Former UPJ guard Andrew Shull visited West Liberty over the weekend. He's from near Charleston so I'd say pretty good odds he lands in the MEC.

No idea what happened at UPJ. He left the team several weeks ago.

[TheMadLibs]

Rumor was 1 year salary, so around 107k.

Their argument was as embarrassing a bad faith argument as it comes. I didn't think he was awful. Obviously enjoying where we are, but still am pissed as our feckless AD for loads of BS.

[IUPHawks24]

https://www.goerie.com/story/news/lo...e/72448867007/

Wonder how much they settled for. Pretty bush league move by Gannon if you ask me, but the change in results speaks for itself.