Shepherd

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Appears official ... Shepherd will be going the PSAC (East). Not quite the same impact in hoops as football but an upgrade nonetheless.

[CALUPA69]

Re: Shepherd

Appears official ... Shepherd will be going the PSAC (East). Not quite the same impact in hoops as football but an upgrade nonetheless.

Sad to say but It wouldn't take much to be a step up from CHEYNEY. Still the only PSAC school to win a national title in mens basketball.

[boatcapt]

Re: Shepherd

Appears official ... Shepherd will be going the PSAC (East). Not quite the same impact in hoops as football but an upgrade nonetheless.

Shepherd will compete immediately for the PSAC East title.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Shepherd

There are some interesting storylines in the East.

We'll see how Fite does now that Sleva is gone. He was probably the best D2 player in the country last year ... or at least on a very short list. They lost him, McArthur and the PG. That's a ton. MacArthur was an assassin.

West Chester took some losses but returns a lot. Blair is a top-notch coach. IF there was a true D1 candidate in the PSAC it's Damien Blair. Joe's too old now. Fite could go up but needs to strike while the iron is hot. Fire hit the jackpot with that recruiting class. All three same group. We'll see how well the cupboard is stocked real soon.

ESU just reloads. Always tough. Same with Kutztown.

Bloomsburg always seems like they are just one piece short but is never an easy game.

Lock Haven just lost its two best players. Both had two years left. Devastating.

Even Mansfield was a tough out last season. I'd say 2017-18 was the best the East ever was ... in my memory anyway. ESU made the Final Four.

A lot of those stars just graduated -- or transferred, however.

The PSAC as a whole will be rebuilding a bit this year with a couple exceptions. That can change overnight with the right imports. We'll see.

[Golden89]

Re: Shepherd

There are some interesting storylines in the East.

We'll see how Fite does now that Sleva is gone. He was probably the best D2 player in the country last year ... or at least on a very short list. They lost him, McArthur and the PG. That's a ton. MacArthur was an assassin.

West Chester took some losses but returns a lot. Blair is a top-notch coach. IF there was a true D1 candidate in the PSAC it's Damien Blair. Joe's too old now. Fite could go up but needs to strike while the iron is hot. Fire hit the jackpot with that recruiting class. All three same group. We'll see how well the cupboard is stocked real soon.

ESU just reloads. Always tough. Same with Kutztown.

Bloomsburg always seems like they are just one piece short but is never an easy game.

Lock Haven just lost its two best players. Both had two years left. Devastating.

Even Mansfield was a tough out last season. I'd say 2017-18 was the best the East ever was ... in my memory anyway. ESU made the Final Four.

A lot of those stars just graduated -- or transferred, however.

The PSAC as a whole will be rebuilding a bit this year with a couple exceptions. That can change overnight with the right imports. We'll see.

Agree ... Haven't followed the PSAC closely as the rest of you, but the East has been the best it's ever been in the last two years.

[PSAC76]

Re: Shepherd

Getting Shepherd is a great steal for the PSAC!

[CALUPA69]

Re: Shepherd

Getting Shepherd is a great steal for the PSAC!

Be careful mentioning theft or a certain ship's commander may ask for an inquiry !!!! Lol

[boatcapt]

Re: Shepherd

Be careful mentioning theft or a certain ship's commander may ask for an inquiry !!!! Lol

Only people that wouldn't call it stealing are those that want to believe their conference wouldn't stoop to such a level. PSAC76 nailed it on the head...PSAC saw a team in another conference that they wanted to fill a hole they had, they went after them and stole them.

Pretty shrewder move...Hide your conferences instability by raiding another conference and make them unstable.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Shepherd

So if WL could join the PSAC West tomorrow ... you'd say No?

[PSAC76]

Re: Shepherd

It just seems to me that this is a trickle down effect. It started at the high major, ACC raiding Big East, then went to Mid Major, then Low Major, and now d2. Everything seems to work that way in college athletics.

[CALUPA69]

Re: Shepherd

Told ya !!

[Golden89]

Re: Shepherd

Shepherd wasn't kidnapped. Who knows who initiated the contact?

Gannon and Mercyhurst were "stolen" from the GLIAC in 2008 after moving to the conference in 1995. I think that the two schools wanted out because of the location and travel. I am told that other conferences were also interested in the two Erie schools. The PSAC also recently added UPJ and Seton Hill.

The GMAC raided a few GLIAC schools (e.g. Findlay) a few years ago. Conferences usually have some kind of buy-out for moving. These schools determined that paying the buy-out is better long-term for their schools' athletic programs.

Conference additions and moves happen all the time. The reasons for moving in Division II (stability, location) are typically different from Division I (mostly TV).

[Golden89]

Re: Shepherd

So if WL could join the PSAC West tomorrow ... you'd say No?

I'd chip in to help pay WLU's exit fee to make that happen!

[boatcapt]

Re: Shepherd

So if WL could join the PSAC West tomorrow ... you'd say No?

Absolutely would say no. If for no other reason that we'd have to play Seton Hill again!! Also don't find the prospect of playing Neanderthal basketball against a collection of knuckle draggers at all interesting.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Shepherd

There are still some banger teams like Slippery Rock but the upper half doesn't play that way. You saw that against Ship and the years IUP has played WL.