PSAC WEST

[TheMadLibs]

Rock survived in Johnstown, 80-78.

Mercyhurst big win in Greensburg.

ESU dropped a bomb on Fite. Yikes.

That Hurst bucket was such a dagger, esp for a home team losing a coach last week. Don't love playing them after that win no9, nor wbb after a loss.

GUWBB has been going thru some sickness and injuries and are not looking great offensively right now. Not sure if it's the illness, better defenses overall in the West plus 4 of 5 games on the road, with you're home court also being an away court, but it's been off behind the arc and in the post.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Rock survived in Johnstown, 80-78.

Mercyhurst big win in Greensburg.

ESU dropped a bomb on Fite. Yikes.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

There's no 'primetime' match-up tomorrow, but there are enough decent games to keep things interesting. Of note, a rash of injuries to star players has made the betting world much more complicated of late. As always, happy gambling, you degenerates.



Kutztown at Bloomsburg - If you haven't noticed, Kutztown is making some progress. The losses are getting (somewhat) more competitive, and the Golden Bears got a nice win against Shippensburg last weekend. Bernie's kids are slowly growing up. Their opponent is about as hard to predict as teams can get. Bloomsburg can put a scare in to anybody on the right night -- but can also look like a disinterested, foul-happy dumpster fire at others. The Huskies do seem to play better at home and should be the clear favorite in this one. Will they be engaged? Bloom -5.5

Millersville at Mansfield - The Mounties' Saraj Ali, one of the top sophomores in the PSAC, didin't dress in Mansfield's recent OT win against Shippensburg. He was on the bench and didn't appear to have any boots or crutches, etc. That's the good news. The bad news is Millersville is a whole different animal than Shippensburg. So, for the Mounties to have a shot, he better be suited up. With or without Ali, the Marauders are favored in this game. But, he does effect by how much. At full strength, Mansfield can be a somewhat dangerous team. That's also a fairly odd gym to play inside. One thing plaguing this Mounties' teaam is consistently being inconsistent. For instance, Mansfield went 0-9 from deep in the first half against Shippensburg. The second half, well, they couldn't miss -- hitting 10 of 14 (including several more in OT). One way or another, take the 'Ville -7.5

Shepherd at Lock Haven - The Rams are nearing rock bottom. Shephered scored just 44 points in its last outing and looked terribly disinterested. Lock Haven is coming of a massive upset at East Stroudsburg. The Bald Eagles have very strong guard play but are shaky under the basket. Regardless, this is a somewhat danerous team (with wins over ESU and WCU). Shepherd is due to pull a Shepherd and put one together. Will it come in the cramped, awkward gym at Lock Haven? Doubtful. Bald Eagles -11.5

Shippensburg at East Stroudsburg - The Raiders have lost 5 straight. Tomorrow's trip to play an angry Warriors' team isn't a good cure. Logic says this has 'ugly' written all over it. But, we'll see what Chris Fite can dial up. ESU takes out some frustrations. Warriors -17.5

Edinboro at IUP - The good news for the Crimson Hawks is they somehow (and, I mean, somehow) survived in Johnstown. But, make no mistake, IUP looked bad. This is the first IUP team in at least 15 years with zero identity. This group has its moments -- very good and very bad. While it's clear the Hawks are trending downward, the opposite can be said for Edinboro. The Scots, winners of two straight, are playing very well of late -- including losing to East Stroudsburg by just 9 points (it was real tight with two minutes to play) and putting up 96 points in a loss at Gannon. Edinboro also recently scored 100 on a UPJ team that IUP struggled to score against. It's been a long, long time since the point spread in this game was single digits -- let alone the Scots being favored. Momentum is leaning heavily toward Edinboro tomorrow. IUP's lineup is an utter mess -- different each game and no consistency. With Josh Petteno possibly missing another game tomorrow, IUP is a home dog. IUP has looked unprepared in several games. Hard to beleive, but bet Edinboro. Scots -2.5

Gannon at Clarion - The Golden Eagles feature one of the biggest lineups in the league. Clarion (6-10) has been close many times this year to pulling some upsets, but has conistently come up short. Gannon survived a scare at Slippery Rock, and will face a similar roster make-up tomorrow -- big and phsyical. Expect the Golden Eagles to hang around for a bit, but the Knights will pull away. Gannon -17.5

Mercyhurst at Seton Hill - For those who know Gary Manchel, it's hard to grasp what his players are going through right now -- fresh off a home loss to Edinboro. Manchel isn't a 'warm and fuzzy' coach -- and, at 8-9, things likely aren't too friendly in the locker room. Seton Hill is having a breakout season. The Griffins are 10-5 and have stayed under the radar -- including giving Cal all it could handle in Angelo's Dome. If you like zone defenses, this is the game. Both run variations all 40 minutes. Most years this game would be well over by halftime. Not this year. The Lakers still aren't an easy out, but take Seton Hill inside the yellow shoebox. Griffins -3.5 (in a game that may be 47-43).

Slippery Rock at Pitt-Johnstown - Every team has an 'annoyance' team to play against yearly. For SRU, that has to be UPJ. This is a game, every season, that looks like an NBA team warming up against an intramural team. When the whistle blows, however, the Mountain Cats' slow, methodical style causes the Rock all kinds of fits. Pitt-Johnstown's (very) young team is getting better. Bob Rukavina has seen it all in his nearly 30 years up there -- and is a great X's and O's coach. Other than Manchel, no coach spends more time scouting than Rukavina. UPJ is famous for finding every crack in an opponent and exploiting it -- offsetting its typical size and talent disadvantage. Saturday afternoon games in Johnstown usually draw decent -- and it can get a little rowdy in there. The Mountain Cats can also put up crazy shooting stats at home. SRU is playing well, but has an injury issue to a key rotation player -- and, may be a little hungover from the Gannon game. Rock wins, but this will be a tight one. This is the 'don't be shocked' game of the day. SRU -4.5

[TheMadLibs]

It's an interesting year in the West.

Cal and Gannon are above everybody else but the race for third is going to be entertaining.

SRU is red hot (despite losing to GU in OT last night). They have a lot of talent but took forever to get going.

IUP is like throwing darts blindfolded. Occasionally you get a bullseye. Other times you miss the board.

Mercyhurst is in a funk but could get going. Obviously they don't even resemble past Lakers' teams right now.

Seton Hill and Clarion play everybody fairly tough. Edinboro is a tough out all the sudden. UPJ will pull an upset here shortly.

SRU has talent, plus what looked like a new serious injury to one of their key players between Cal and GU games. Playing 6 deep until a foul out was... A choice last night. My main concern will be durability, endurance, and substitution strategy for their continued success. But of any of the teams in the west, I think they are the most talented top 5 remaining.

IUP is a sad mess, losing Dillard hurt big time, and they're just... Out of sorts. It seems like the reliance on star players the last few years has really hurt development? That said, you have a HOF coach who is still managing to compete with a meager roster right now.

To me Hursts big issue is offense. They will often hang bc of their defense, but watching the final minutes of that Boro game they had plenty of opportunities and just bricked it. Thought Manchel was being a bit too humble preseason about where they were starting... Turned out it was Fee who undersold his team in the region.

Heard Fee say in the IUP postgame that they saw a rotation and schematic issue after the Cal loss that they've adjusted. He's also switched both his rotations and re-expanded the bench since that loss. For all the bemoaning of their cake walk early schedule, they sure do have a brutal welcome to the West. Started with 4 of 5 on the road: @ Cal, @ Boro, v IUP, @ SRU, @ Clarion.
Cal injuries are troubling and their current stretch is more like Gannons start with two road games at SRU and Clarion, before hosting UPJ, then another brutal @ Hurst, IUP (4 of 5 on road). Also notable that Cal has had their bye and doesn't rest again until Feb 17.

I still think barring injuries we are looking at a west with some version of this in the top 6

Cal / Gannon
SRU / IUP
SHU
Clarion / Boro
Hurst
UPJ

Cal Boro senior night final could be a huge decider tbh

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I haven't been paying too much attention this year but am starting to notice that Boro is building some positive momentum. Mercyhurst isn't a bad team and that garage is tough to play in. UPJ is this year's Gannon or Clarion from two years ago: some talent on that roster but just a disaster on the score sheet.

Also, Bernie Blunt is a hell of a name.

It's an interesting year in the West.

Cal and Gannon are above everybody else but the race for third is going to be entertaining.

SRU is red hot (despite losing to GU in OT last night). They have a lot of talent but took forever to get going.

IUP is like throwing darts blindfolded. Occasionally you get a bullseye. Other times you miss the board.

Mercyhurst is in a funk but could get going. Obviously they don't even resemble past Lakers' teams right now.

Seton Hill and Clarion play everybody fairly tough. Edinboro is a tough out all the sudden. UPJ will pull an upset here shortly.

[Fightingscot82]

I haven't been paying too much attention this year but am starting to notice that Boro is building some positive momentum. Mercyhurst isn't a bad team and that garage is tough to play in. UPJ is this year's Gannon or Clarion from two years ago: some talent on that roster but just a disaster on the score sheet.

Also, Bernie Blunt is a hell of a name.

[TheMadLibs]

Call me crazy but I think Hurst is trending out of the top 6. I think Clarion and Boro will fight for the eventual 6th slot when it's all said and done.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Updated Standings (MEN'S)

It's going to be quite the race for the conference tournament cut-off (top 6 make it)

-

TEAM	PSAC	OVERALL	STREAK
California	8-2	14-2	W1
Gannon	8-2	14-2	W3
IUP	7-2	10-5	W1
Seton Hill	5-4	10-5	W1
Mercyhurst	4-5	8-9	L2
Slippery Rock	4-5	6-9	L1
Clarion	4-6	6-10	L2
Edinboro	4-6	5-11	W2
Pitt-Johnstown	3-7	5-11	L4

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Edinboro upsets Mercyhurst in the MAC ... snapping a 13-game skid against the Lakers.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Rock and Gannon going to OT

Rock has serious foul issues.

[Ship69]

On paper, this should be a fairly easy night to pick straight winners. There are a couple tough ones. As always, the spreads seperate the men from the boys. Happy gambling, you degenerates.



Gannon at Slippery Rock - The Rock is fresh off the biggest upset of the season thus far -- blasting California this past Saturday inside Morrow Field House. Was that finally the moment a very talented SRU roster came together? Perhaps. Or, was it purely a matter of the Vulcans having so few players healthy? My guess would be a little bit of both. Regardless, SRU is going to face a whole lot more than a half dozen tonight. Gannon has been feast or famine the past several weeks. When the Knights are on, they are really on. However, as Millersville and California showed us, they are far from unbeatable. The Rock has the size and athletes to hang around tonight, but does it have the discipline? This will also be the first extensive full-court pressure SRU has seen this year. Gannon creates lots of adversity. Can SRU handle it? There's also the Ike Herster factor. Some strange stuff happens in Morrow (some of it by design). But, look for Gannon to drop the hammer tonight. GU -17.5

IUP at Pitt-Johnstown - Typically one of the bigger West games of the year, well, this edition isn't. In fact, the women's game is actually the main event tonight. IUP is fresh off its worst beating in years. The Hawks went to Erie totally unprepared, lethargic and looked terrible in all facets of the game. UPJ is fresh off a loss at Edinboro in which the Mountain Cats gave up a whopping 100 points. This game tonight is a scorebook keepers' dream. It's likely to be 6 on 6 for most of the night. IUP has to exploit the true freshmen duo UPJ has under the basket. The Mountain Cats' guards can get really hot from outside -- espeically in Johnstown. IUP went from playing a team going 110 mph to a team tonight that plays even slower than Joe Lombardi's signature pace. As with all young teams, UPJ has been very sporadic -- good some nights and not so good others. Bob Rukavina has a magical way of roping Lombardi in to a picket fence party -- rather than IUP pushing the pace. This may be the toughest game on the board to pick. IUP can look great in stretches -- and horrible in others. Crimson Hawks escape. Barely. IUP -3.5

California at Clarion - Could a trap be waiting inside famous Tippin Gymnasium tonight? Clarion has been tremendously inconsistent this season. That said, the Golden Eagles have the size and athletes to hang around against the hobbled Vulcans. Clarion must control the tempo tonight to have a shot. Expect this to be closer than what the standings would imply. California is a hard team to read right now because its injury list grows by the week. Vulcans -7.5

West Chester at Kutztown - The Golden Bears snapped a long losing streak with a big win against rival Shippensburg this past weekend. Tonight, however, a very talented (yet inconsistent) West Chester visits. You never want the Rams coming off a loss, and tonight KU likely pays the price. WCU -15.5

Edinboro at Mercyhurst - For years, this would have been considered an easy bet -- just being a matter of how big the spread was going to be. Not so much this year. The Lakers are a very odd 8-8, and looked bad in their last outing (at IUP). Edinboro is trending up despite its 4-11 record. The Scots just beat a decent UPJ team, 100-95, and have lost some close games the past several weeks against quality opponents. One key factor tonight, however, is Mercyhurst has had a week to prepare. Gary Manchel is probably the best X's and O's coach in the league. This will also be the first game in the tight confines of the MAC for many of Edinboro's players. Lakers win -- but it will be a tight one. Mercyhurst -7.5

Lock Haven at East Stroudsburg - The Bald Eagles are hot - winners of four straight. However, those four wins came by a combined 17 points. Wins are wins. No style points. But, tonight is a much different animal across the court. The Warriors are very tough at home, and will have too much quality depth for the Bald Eagles. Expect a close game for a half or so, but ESU pulls away in the second half. Warriors -12.5

Shepherd at Millersville - The Marauders are an impressive 11-3 to this point. Shepherd is a dissapoinnting 6-8. Naturally, this is the type of game the Rams are famous for winning. Shepherd isn't deep, but when it can control the tempo, can be a nasty bunch. Don't be shocked by an upset, but look for the 'Ville to get it done. Millersville -9.5

Mansfield at Shippensburg - This is one of those big ones for teams on the conference tournament bubble. Shippensburg has some health issues - in particular to its top players. With their status unknown, the Mounties are the road favorite tonight. Mansfield is a scrappy bunch -- physical underneath and can (at times) shoot well. They also turn up the D on occasion. It would be nice to know who is active tonight, but assuming Ship could be short-handed, take Mansfield. Mounties -6.5

Not sure that Ship's problems aren't more related to the fact that the team hasn't been gelling than to physical issues. Will be interesting to see who plays tonight and for how long.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

On paper, this should be a fairly easy night to pick straight winners. There are a couple tough ones. As always, the spreads seperate the men from the boys. Happy gambling, you degenerates.



Gannon at Slippery Rock - The Rock is fresh off the biggest upset of the season thus far -- blasting California this past Saturday inside Morrow Field House. Was that finally the moment a very talented SRU roster came together? Perhaps. Or, was it purely a matter of the Vulcans having so few players healthy? My guess would be a little bit of both. Regardless, SRU is going to face a whole lot more than a half dozen tonight. Gannon has been feast or famine the past several weeks. When the Knights are on, they are really on. However, as Millersville and California showed us, they are far from unbeatable. The Rock has the size and athletes to hang around tonight, but does it have the discipline? This will also be the first extensive full-court pressure SRU has seen this year. Gannon creates lots of adversity. Can SRU handle it? There's also the Ike Herster factor. Some strange stuff happens in Morrow (some of it by design). But, look for Gannon to drop the hammer tonight. GU -17.5

IUP at Pitt-Johnstown - Typically one of the bigger West games of the year, well, this edition isn't. In fact, the women's game is actually the main event tonight. IUP is fresh off its worst beating in years. The Hawks went to Erie totally unprepared, lethargic and looked terrible in all facets of the game. UPJ is fresh off a loss at Edinboro in which the Mountain Cats gave up a whopping 100 points. This game tonight is a scorebook keepers' dream. It's likely to be 6 on 6 for most of the night. IUP has to exploit the true freshmen duo UPJ has under the basket. The Mountain Cats' guards can get really hot from outside -- espeically in Johnstown. IUP went from playing a team going 110 mph to a team tonight that plays even slower than Joe Lombardi's signature pace. As with all young teams, UPJ has been very sporadic -- good some nights and not so good others. Bob Rukavina has a magical way of roping Lombardi in to a picket fence party -- rather than IUP pushing the pace. This may be the toughest game on the board to pick. IUP can look great in stretches -- and horrible in others. Crimson Hawks escape. Barely. IUP -3.5

California at Clarion - Could a trap be waiting inside famous Tippin Gymnasium tonight? Clarion has been tremendously inconsistent this season. That said, the Golden Eagles have the size and athletes to hang around against the hobbled Vulcans. Clarion must control the tempo tonight to have a shot. Expect this to be closer than what the standings would imply. California is a hard team to read right now because its injury list grows by the week. Vulcans -7.5

West Chester at Kutztown - The Golden Bears snapped a long losing streak with a big win against rival Shippensburg this past weekend. Tonight, however, a very talented (yet inconsistent) West Chester visits. You never want the Rams coming off a loss, and tonight KU likely pays the price. WCU -15.5

Edinboro at Mercyhurst - For years, this would have been considered an easy bet -- just being a matter of how big the spread was going to be. Not so much this year. The Lakers are a very odd 8-8, and looked bad in their last outing (at IUP). Edinboro is trending up despite its 4-11 record. The Scots just beat a decent UPJ team, 100-95, and have lost some close games the past several weeks against quality opponents. One key factor tonight, however, is Mercyhurst has had a week to prepare. Gary Manchel is probably the best X's and O's coach in the league. This will also be the first game in the tight confines of the MAC for many of Edinboro's players. Lakers win -- but it will be a tight one. Mercyhurst -7.5

Lock Haven at East Stroudsburg - The Bald Eagles are hot - winners of four straight. However, those four wins came by a combined 17 points. Wins are wins. No style points. But, tonight is a much different animal across the court. The Warriors are very tough at home, and will have too much quality depth for the Bald Eagles. Expect a close game for a half or so, but ESU pulls away in the second half. Warriors -12.5

Shepherd at Millersville - The Marauders are an impressive 11-3 to this point. Shepherd is a dissapoinnting 6-8. Naturally, this is the type of game the Rams are famous for winning. Shepherd isn't deep, but when it can control the tempo, can be a nasty bunch. Don't be shocked by an upset, but look for the 'Ville to get it done. Millersville -9.5

Mansfield at Shippensburg - This is one of those big ones for teams on the conference tournament bubble. Shippensburg has some health issues - in particular to its top players. With their status unknown, the Mounties are the road favorite tonight. Mansfield is a scrappy bunch -- physical underneath and can (at times) shoot well. They also turn up the D on occasion. It would be nice to know who is active tonight, but assuming Ship could be short-handed, take Mansfield. Mounties -6.5

[IUPbigINDIANS]

SRU hammered Cal

Vulcans need some dudes back ASAP

[Bart]

[
Bloomsburg at Mansfield - These Huskies are a funny bunch. When interested, they can play. When disinterested, they get blown out of the building. The same can be said for Mansfield. This is going to be a busy night for the zebra crew. Both teams have some hot heads. It may not seem like it now, but this is a HUGE game for both teams in their attempt to make the PSAC Tournament. Bloomsburg looked incredible against Shippensburg -- right up until it didn't. The Huskies were completetly lost once the Raiders turned on the press. Will Mansfield follow suit? Mounties -2.5

Bloom also looked good against the Mounties. Huskies pulled ahead 55-37 with just under 14 minutes to play. The Mounties overcame an 18-point deficit to tie the contest with 6:44 to play and won it in OT.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The grind continues. Tough year so far picking spreads -- missed just the UPJ game on Wednesday. Clarion got a big road win in Johnstown. Some of these games tomorrow could get PPD due to weather, but, as of now, they are all on. Happy gambling, you degenerates.


Bloomsburg at Millersville - A no-brainer on paper, right? Straight up, perhaps. Millersville is a heavy favorite. However, Bloomsburg is quietly playing fairly well of late. The Huskies are fresh off an OT loss to a decent Mansfield team. The question with this 3-11 Bloomsburg team is which version of it shows up? The Huskies could easily have 2-3 more wins right now. The Marauders are tough at home and have won three straight. No question Millersville is the better team, but the 'junk' defenses Bloom runs - along with some 'feisty' play - can cause issues. This shoud also be a good match-up for Jake Nelson. Take the Marauders to win, but those pesky Huskies could make betting the spread interesting. I keep saying, when engaged, the Huskies aren't bad. 'Ville -9.5

East Stroudsburg at West Chester - It's a shame this game is played over the endless winter break. The faster the game, the better West Chester plays. The Rams get flustered in a slower pace. ESU loves to push the tempo but can also play a half-court game (if needed). Betting on West Chester would drive most gamblers insane. At times, the Rams can be very, very good. West Chester is also coming off a total dud against Lock Haven. Look for a big bounce back, but the Warriors will have just enough. Expect a thriller. ESU -1.5

Shippensburg at Kutztown - This young Raiders team is getting better -- but struggling to put a full 40 minutes together. In stretches, they can play very well (offensively, at least). Kutztown is (amazingly) on a 13-game skid. However, the Golden Bears have shown some life of late. All those true freshmen are aging a bit. Trial by fire. Ship is as sporadic as a team can be, but should have enough to win here fairly comfortably. Raiders -8.5

Mansfield at Shepherd - The Mounties should be much better than 5-8. Shepherd, ironically, should also be much better than 5-8. Something is going to give here. The Rams are in the midst of a 3-game skid. Mansfield has won its past two games. Both teams have some star players -- and a bunch of other role players. This is as close to a 'Pick 'Em' as you can get. Shepherd is due. Rams win. Barely. Shepherd -2.5

Seton Hill at Clarion - The Golden Eagles are fresh off a nice win in Johnstown. Seton Hill gave California a decent tussle. Both are better than people think. Clarion is literally a couple buckets from 6-8 being 9-5. Another tough one to pick. The Griffins are deeper, but are dealing with some injury issues. Mild upset of the weekend. Take the Golden Eagles inside Tippin. Clarion -2.5

Pitt-Johnstown at Edinboro - This is one of those games that doesn't seem like much, but it will go a LONG way in determining the final conference tournament spots. Both are coming off a loss. UPJ, despite its youth, plays pretty well at times. However, it also plays pretty shaky at other times. The Scots aren't racking up wins but it's clear they are getting better by the week. Flip a coin. UPJ -1.5

IUP at Gannon - IUP has went from 1-3 to red hot to dead to red hot again -- and it's only game 14. It's been quite the dramatic season for Redshirt Joe and Company. Gannon looked unbeatable right up until it didn't. This isn't a good match-up for IUP for obvious (depth) reasons. However, Garvin Clarke's return certainly helps. Joe's bench is non-existant. That will be a problem tomorrow. Gannon is going to cause IUP a lot of problems. That said, IUP's size is going to cause the Knights issues. End of the day, it's going to be hard to beat the Knights on the road playing 6 guys. Gannon -8.5

California at Slippery Rock - At 5-8, SRU is by far the most dissapointing team in the league. There's far too much talent on the roster to have that record. The biggest question entering the season was if Ian Grady could get all his imports to mesh with his returning players. Stats are facts. To this point, he hasn't done a good job. The Vulcans are a wounded animal. They keep winning (including pounding Gannon), but played just (6) guys on Wednesday night (total). SRU can be very tricky inside Morrow -- and I don't just mean the scoreboard malfunctions, etc. Grady has had success against Danny. Cal will win tomororw -- but, don't be shocked if this is a war. Vulcans -9.5

Mercyhurst - IDLE (that had to be one fun bus ride home from Indiana ... Gary was one step away from going full-on Jack in The Shining).