PSAC WEST

[CALUPA69]

What's wrong with Jermaine Hall? I see he hasn't played yet this year?

Out for the season with unspecified injuries per DS. So far Phil Alston has taken full advantage of the situation and the off year by adding 25 lbs which will be a big help in conference play.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Speaking of MEC play, IMO, BOSWELL has been somewhat less than I'd expected through the first four. He's scoring at the same rate as ZYAN COLLINS and only slightly ahead of Fr KEITH PALEK. Most importantly his 3pt shooting , (3-9, .333%) is dragging down the team, (30-84, .357%) instead of boosting it which is what I had expected. Although I knew BP was going to be the focus, PB seems out of the flow so far.

It's early. I don't think Bowell has ever been a massive scorer type player. I think he's a very good role player on both ends. He'll get his games with 17-20 points here and there. And, of course, you have Brent Pegram. There's only so many balls to go around outside of BP. It seems like Bowell has been around forever.

With BP and Alston, the other three kind of have to just play their role (and stay out of the way).

[Ship69]

Cal is essentially built like an MEC team nowadays. I just question Ship being able to keep up minus Biss. Fite needs to try everything to play this game at a slow pace. If it gets sped up, Cal may lay a big number tonight.

It's a big one. One of them gets their second loss in November.

Ship usually schedules tough early, and it's not unusual for them to come out of December with 3-4 losses. They actually were coming off two straight losses when they upset IUP in December of the last season they played. This season's schedule is just weird and doesn't line up well. In addition to games with seemingly every good team in the West, they even get a second game against Virginia State on Jan. 2. And that's all before playing any of the good teams in the East. Looking at the December schedule, I don't see a game where they can get away with a bad night, especially if they don't have 100 percent of Biss. If they can't keep the tempo down against Cal, they're going to need some play out of the freshmen guards. Carter, Johnson, and Hardy are fine in an uptempo game, but they need some help.

[jrshooter]

Carlos Carter is playing at a very high level right now.

Both the men and women are better than their record is indicating. But I don't think Tuesday's loss is one of those games that the pollsters will look at and say, "Oh, well, Biss was out." It's going to hurt Ship's rep for a while, and will undoubtedly help Cal's. One thing about the Raiders in the past half-decade -- if they can't shoot from the perimeter, it's awfully tough for them to hang with a quality team.

I heard that Biss' problem is a calf injury.

As for the women, I think they're come a long way in getting past the "one-player team" profile of three years ago. Ariel Jones has a lot of quality help, including another all-conference guard in Destiny Jefferson. But Jones is still the straw that stirs the drink. The Raiders would not be a contender without her. And Jefferson, especially, has struggled in Jones' absence.

[Ship69]

Carlos Carter is playing at a very high level right now.

Both the men and women are better than their record is indicating. But I don't think Tuesday's loss is one of those games that the pollsters will look at and say, "Oh, well, Biss was out." It's going to hurt Ship's rep for a while, and will undoubtedly help Cal's. One thing about the Raiders in the past half-decade -- if they can't shoot from the perimeter, it's awfully tough for them to hang with a quality team.

I heard that Biss' problem is a calf injury.

As for the women, I think they're come a long way in getting past the "one-player team" profile of three years ago. Ariel Jones has a lot of quality help, including another all-conference guard in Destiny Jefferson. But Jones is still the straw that stirs the drink. The Raiders would not be a contender without her. And Jefferson, especially, has struggled in Jones' absence.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Slippery Rock just lost at Charleston, 78-72.

SRU is likely the 6th or 7th team in the West this year and Charleston is picked very high in the MEC.
.

It is going to be a wild winter.

Joe said this is the best West of his tenure.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

UPJ up (9) on VSU with 7 mins left.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Updated (Men's) Standings (through games completed 11/28)

West

IUP	5-0
Mercyhurst	5-0
California	4-1
Clarion	4-1
UPJ	4-1
Gannon	3-1
Edinboro	2-1
Slippery Rock	3-2
Seton Hill	0-5

EAST

West Chester	5-0
Millersville	4-0
Lock Haven	3-0
Shepherd	4-1
Shippensburg	2-2
Kutztown	2-3
Bloomsburg	1-3
East Stroudsburg	0-3
Mansfield	0-4

[Fightingscot82]

Slippery Rock just lost at Charleston, 78-72.

SRU is likely the 6th or 7th team in the West this year and Charleston is picked very high in the MEC.
.

It is going to be a wild winter.

Joe said this is the best West of his tenure.

Reminds me of 2003 through 2005 where it was a dogfight at the top.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Here's a stat the old-time West fans probably never thought they'd see ...

The top-scoring PSAC teams as of today are all in the West.

1. IUP - 95.6 ppg
2. Cal - 91.0 ppg
3. Mercyhurst - 89.6 ppg
4. Gannon - 87.8 ppg
5. UPJ - 86.8 ppg
6. SRU - 86.0 ppg


Long way since JR and KR having boxing matches to the tune of 41-37, and Mercyhurst was winning shootouts, 38-33.

[Ship69]

Here's a stat the old-time West fans probably never thought they'd see ...

The top-scoring PSAC teams as of today are all in the West.

1. IUP - 95.6 ppg
2. Cal - 91.0 ppg
3. Mercyhurst - 89.6 ppg
4. Gannon - 87.8 ppg
5. UPJ - 86.8 ppg
6. SRU - 86.0 ppg


Long way since JR and KR having boxing matches to the tune of 41-37, and Mercyhurst was winning shootouts, 38-33.

Those averages likely will drop when they start playing each other.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Those averages likely will drop when they start playing each other.

More of an inside joke ... the West for years and years was famous for having games played in the 50s.

[Ship69]

More of an inside joke ... the West for years and years was famous for having games played in the 50s.

Got it.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Basketball attendance is off to a, well, awful start. Some got stuck with the dreaded Thanksgiving break home dates, which almost always draw terrible.

SCHOOL	AVERAGE PER HOME GAME
IUP	1,208
UPJ	669
Mercyhurst	473
West Chester	433
Millersville	417
Shippensburg	375
Gannon	372
California	326
Shepherd	309
Kutztown	295
Edinboro	257
Slippery Rock	244
Clarion	217
Lock Haven	193
Mansfield	168
Seton Hill	155
Bloomsburg	133
ESU	No home games yet

[IUPbigINDIANS]

UPJ (men) took a tough loss last night out at Malone, 102-84.