PSAC WEST

[Ship69]

I thought Ian Grady had the most interesting interview today. He said they have 10 guys back and added 4 impact transfers.

Obviously only 5 play at a time, and, well, we know a couple of their players can tend to pout when things go bad or they have to sit.

That may be a popcorn-worthy team by Christmas.


Manchel was pretty entertaining. He's either being coy or he thinks they could be in trouble.

Joe and Danny pretty much did the normal coach speak.

Danny is so soft-spoken and seems so shy in interviews. Little different on the court.

Were you surprised that IUP got the first-place vote? Obviously, there is still a lot of residual respect for that program.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I thought Ian Grady had the most interesting interview today. He said they have 10 guys back and added 4 impact transfers.

Obviously only 5 play at a time, and, well, we know a couple of their players can tend to pout when things go bad or they have to sit.

That may be a popcorn-worthy team by Christmas.


Manchel was pretty entertaining. He's either being coy or he thinks they could be in trouble.

Joe and Danny pretty much did the normal coach speak.

Danny is so soft-spoken and seems so shy in interviews. Little different on the court.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

PSAC Men's Preseason Coaches' Poll


1. IUP (5)
2. California (4)
3. Mercyhurst
4. Slippery Rock
5. Pitt-Johnstown
6. Seton Hill
7. Gannon
8. Clarion
9. Edinboro

[IUPbigINDIANS]

What ever came of the Jefferson lawsuit?

In message board world it seems like a long time ago, but in legal time it's still pretty fresh.

I haven't heard anything further on it. We may never unless somebody does the research. I'm sure Gannon won't want it publicized. The KJ Era was such a disaster that they'll just want that slate cleaned.

My hunch all along was they'll just come to a settlement and it will go away.

[Fightingscot82]

What ever came of the Jefferson lawsuit?

[Ship69]

Battle for second in my opinion. Hope I'm wrong. It will be an interesting season. I think 2 thru 6 will be strong but Cal is just a level above them this year.

Based on how Cal looked last year and with their additions, you're probably right. That said, we all know how an injury here or there or just a mysterious lack of team chemistry can change a season. I think a healthy Porterfield would be hard to match up with against you guys, and I've never known IUP to lack talent. I think the East if something of a mystery this year. I'll be interested in seeing what the coaches' poll says. Chris Fite has made a couple of late roster additions to simply get more size on the team. Ship could potentially be a good-shooting team, but with their overall size they'd better be. I imagine East Stroud will be deep as usual, but they have a lot of new faces. Lakeem McAliley and Justin Paz seem to be their chief returners. West Chester lost some guys, but should have a strong backcourt with guards such as Robert Smith and the addition of Mekhi Allen from Clarion. There are very few familiar names on the Millersville roster. They seem to have kids from all over the place. Shepherd could be a sleeper. They don't have much height, but have some hard-nosed forwards and Daniel McClain-Corley was probably one of the two or three most talented guards Ship faced last season.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Looks as if it might be the most competitive year in the West in a while.

Battle for second in my opinion. Hope I'm wrong. It will be an interesting season. I think 2 thru 6 will be strong but Cal is just a level above them this year.

[Ship69]

Almost all of the rosters are now posted. Very few surprises. So, my July predictions are always made based on the rumored rosters. With about 30 days to opening night, it's real now.

Prior to the Coaches' Poll being released, below is my updated West rankings:


1. California - Nothing has changed in this slot. Unlike most in the West this season, the Vulcans' core group has played with one another for several years. There will be no learning curve. Add to it two returning 2021 starters who both missed all of the 2022 season -- along with a very strong incoming class -- and this is Cal's West title to lose. The Vulcans are strong at all five starting positions and will feature two 6'7" dynamic G/F players. They will be a match-up nightmare.

(Insert line in the sand ... as after the clear-cut No. 1, things get tricky here in a hurry)


2. IUP - The Crimson Hawks' streak of West titles is in serious jeopardy. Roster-wise, Joe Lombardi may have a strong enough team to compete with California by the time they meet after Christmas. But, there are major questions at this time. Three key players return -- Ethan Porterfield, Dallis Dillard and Jaylen Stewart. The other top returners are inexperienced (Dolan Waldo and Damir Brooks). Waldo redshirted last season but could be in the starting lineup at SF. The rest of the upcoming rotation, while experienced, will be making their IUP debuts. Akron transfer Garvin Clarke (PG) will be a name everybody gets to know very quickly. Speaking of 'quickly', we'll learn a lot about this new team in a hurry. A very tough opening month is looming.

3. Mercyhurst - All-West guard Jeff Planutis returns along with forward Aidan Reichert. Power forward Max Jusianiec arrived from Saint Rose and will have an immediate impact. Like IUP, the Lakers took some major losses. However, they should remain right in the thick of things.

4. Slippery Rock - The Rock added a final roster piece late in Wagner transfer Ja'Mier Fletcher (6'7", 245 lbs). He should be the final 'muscle' piece the team needed. SRU is without question the wildcard team. The Rock added two dynamic transfer guards -- Maceo Austin (Duquesne) and Ike Herster (Gannon) -- to go along with with returning starter Lashon Lindsey. On paper, this is SRU's best team in years. The biggest question will be can this group share the ball and actually play like a team? If so, this will be a dangerous group. If not, this could be a disaster by early January.

5. Clarion - The Golden Eagles amazingly managed to keep their very talented freshmen class of a year ago together. Steve Kelly also returns as one of the more underrated point guards in the PSAC. This will be one of the biggest starting lineups in the league, headlined by 6'9" 240 lb power forward Jayson Harris. Now a sophomore, Harris may be the most dominant big man in the league the next several years. Another sophomore, F Jihad Simpson (6'9", 220 lbs) will start alongside a pair of 6'6" sophomore guards (Cam Kearney and Justice Easter). It's been a long, long time since this program has had any buzz.

6. Gannon - Some think Gannon should be higher than this slot. Hard to say at this point. I can say this: Gannon had a good roster last year. It didn't have good leadership. The best players were retained and the rest were replaced largely with transfers. This upcoming version is very athletic. Long gone are the traditional Gannon post players in the 6'8", 250 lb range. They've all been replaced with athletic forwards who can run and shoot. This team will be a headache to play. If the learning curve to a new system doesn't slow them too much, the Knights could be in the thick of things.

7. UPJ - The Mountain Cats were decimated by graduation. While some solid players do return, this will be an extremely young team -- especially under the basket. It's no secret UPJ is one of the better-coached teams in the league and that Bob Rukavina will find a way to make them competitive. However, this is a major rebuilding project.

8. Seton Hill - The Griffins made a lot of headway last season under first-year head coach Ben Wilkins. The transfer portal, however, soon came calling. Two key starters left town. All isn't lost, however. Sophomore PF Gabe Gillespie showed flashes of stardom as a true freshman a year ago and PG Sean Dillon also returns.

9. Edinboro - The Scots took forever to hire their new head coach. That doesn't help recruiting much. While I think they did make a good hire, this year unfortunately is going to be a very long one inside McComb. Conference wins are going to be very few and far between.



Notes:

I will say this was one of the hardest preseason rankings I've done in years. SRU and Gannon are very difficult to forecast right now. To an extent, so are IUP and Mercyhurst. UPJ and Seton Hill could easily be flipped. I strongly believe Clarion is going to be dangerous this year. I saw that basically all-freshmen team hammer IUP for 34 minutes last year. They are big and can play. Depth will be the concern inside Tippin. But, starting lineup for starting lineup, they can stack with most. Those aren't true freshmen anymore.



Now, we'll see how the Coaches' Poll compares.

Looks as if it might be the most competitive year in the West in a while.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Almost all of the rosters are now posted. Very few surprises. So, my July predictions are always made based on the rumored rosters. With about 30 days to opening night, it's real now.

Prior to the Coaches' Poll being released, below is my updated West rankings:


1. California - Nothing has changed in this slot. Unlike most in the West this season, the Vulcans' core group has played with one another for several years. There will be no learning curve. Add to it two returning 2021 starters who both missed all of the 2022 season -- along with a very strong incoming class -- and this is Cal's West title to lose. The Vulcans are strong at all five starting positions and will feature two 6'7" dynamic G/F players. They will be a match-up nightmare.

(Insert line in the sand ... as after the clear-cut No. 1, things get tricky here in a hurry)


2. IUP - The Crimson Hawks' streak of West titles is in serious jeopardy. Roster-wise, Joe Lombardi may have a strong enough team to compete with California by the time they meet after Christmas. But, there are major questions at this time. Three key players return -- Ethan Porterfield, Dallis Dillard and Jaylen Stewart. The other top returners are inexperienced (Dolan Waldo and Damir Brooks). Waldo redshirted last season but could be in the starting lineup at SF. The rest of the upcoming rotation, while experienced, will be making their IUP debuts. Akron transfer Garvin Clarke (PG) will be a name everybody gets to know very quickly. Speaking of 'quickly', we'll learn a lot about this new team in a hurry. A very tough opening month is looming.

3. Mercyhurst - All-West guard Jeff Planutis returns along with forward Aidan Reichert. Power forward Max Jusianiec arrived from Saint Rose and will have an immediate impact. Like IUP, the Lakers took some major losses. However, they should remain right in the thick of things.

4. Slippery Rock - The Rock added a final roster piece late in Wagner transfer Ja'Mier Fletcher (6'7", 245 lbs). He should be the final 'muscle' piece the team needed. SRU is without question the wildcard team. The Rock added two dynamic transfer guards -- Maceo Austin (Duquesne) and Ike Herster (Gannon) -- to go along with with returning starter Lashon Lindsey. On paper, this is SRU's best team in years. The biggest question will be can this group share the ball and actually play like a team? If so, this will be a dangerous group. If not, this could be a disaster by early January.

5. Clarion - The Golden Eagles amazingly managed to keep their very talented freshmen class of a year ago together. Steve Kelly also returns as one of the more underrated point guards in the PSAC. This will be one of the biggest starting lineups in the league, headlined by 6'9" 240 lb power forward Jayson Harris. Now a sophomore, Harris may be the most dominant big man in the league the next several years. Another sophomore, F Jihad Simpson (6'9", 220 lbs) will start alongside a pair of 6'6" sophomore guards (Cam Kearney and Justice Easter). It's been a long, long time since this program has had any buzz.

6. Gannon - Some think Gannon should be higher than this slot. Hard to say at this point. I can say this: Gannon had a good roster last year. It didn't have good leadership. The best players were retained and the rest were replaced largely with transfers. This upcoming version is very athletic. Long gone are the traditional Gannon post players in the 6'8", 250 lb range. They've all been replaced with athletic forwards who can run and shoot. This team will be a headache to play. If the learning curve to a new system doesn't slow them too much, the Knights could be in the thick of things.

7. UPJ - The Mountain Cats were decimated by graduation. While some solid players do return, this will be an extremely young team -- especially under the basket. It's no secret UPJ is one of the better-coached teams in the league and that Bob Rukavina will find a way to make them competitive. However, this is a major rebuilding project.

8. Seton Hill - The Griffins made a lot of headway last season under first-year head coach Ben Wilkins. The transfer portal, however, soon came calling. Two key starters left town. All isn't lost, however. Sophomore PF Gabe Gillespie showed flashes of stardom as a true freshman a year ago and PG Sean Dillon also returns.

9. Edinboro - The Scots took forever to hire their new head coach. That doesn't help recruiting much. While I think they did make a good hire, this year unfortunately is going to be a very long one inside McComb. Conference wins are going to be very few and far between.



Notes:

I will say this was one of the hardest preseason rankings I've done in years. SRU and Gannon are very difficult to forecast right now. To an extent, so are IUP and Mercyhurst. UPJ and Seton Hill could easily be flipped. I strongly believe Clarion is going to be dangerous this year. I saw that basically all-freshmen team hammer IUP for 34 minutes last year. They are big and can play. Depth will be the concern inside Tippin. But, starting lineup for starting lineup, they can stack with most. Those aren't true freshmen anymore.



Now, we'll see how the Coaches' Poll compares.

[Ship69]

Former Slippery Rock PF Khalid Gates is on the roster at Lincoln Memorial.

Was wondering where he'd show up. He was a load down low for The Rock. He would have been a nice addition for Ship, which just made a surprise (at least to me) addition to its roster.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Former Slippery Rock PF Khalid Gates is on the roster at Lincoln Memorial.

[boatcapt]

It's not a bad non-conference schedule. Fayetteville State is respectable. Bowie State is typically very tough in their building (students will be there for this game).

I think Lincoln actually beat them last year.

Chestnut Hill was a little above .500. Wesleyan stinks. They'll hammer Wheeling.

It lacks a marquee game but I've seen a lot worse.

Your old boy Danny should be pretty tough this year.

That was a tongue in cheek post aimed squarely at those that sledge a team can't be any good in the post season if they don't play tough opponents in the fall! And NO number of ranked in-conference opponents was enough to replace a game vs a ranked out of conference opponent in October!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Per the Tribune-Review, Seton Hill women's basketball coach Mark Katarski has resigned. He has accepted the new position of Associate Athletic Director for Internal Relations (a newly created position) at Seton Hill.

Assistant Maeve Gallagher will take over the program.

That's big news. Katarski was certainly one of the top coaches in the league.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

No way Cal will be any good in the post season. They don't play a tough enough OOC schedule!!! EVERYONE knows that come NCAA Playoff time, you are only as good as the teams you played Out of Conference!

It's not a bad non-conference schedule. Fayetteville State is respectable. Bowie State is typically very tough in their building (students will be there for this game).

I think Lincoln actually beat them last year.

Chestnut Hill was a little above .500. Wesleyan stinks. They'll hammer Wheeling.

It lacks a marquee game but I've seen a lot worse.

Your old boy Danny should be pretty tough this year.

[boatcapt]

Cal men's non-conference has posted


Fayetteville State (at Bowie)
Bowie State (at Bowie)

at West Virginia Wesleyan

at Lincoln (PA)

Chestnut Hill
Wheeling

No way Cal will be any good in the post season. They don't play a tough enough OOC schedule!!! EVERYONE knows that come NCAA Playoff time, you are only as good as the teams you played Out of Conference!