Atlantic Regional

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Atlantic Regional

On IUP site?

Yes but each team should have a direct link. The IUP video quality is tremendous. The announcing is done by students so keep that in mind.

[Golden89]

Re: Atlantic Regional

The only difference in the schedule is that the second set of games are at 5/7:30 rather than 6/8:30. It seems like more places are moving to the 5/7:30 over the 6/8:30. The 1/8 game has always been the third game of the day. It is not clear to me why the Sunday double-header was flip-flopped other than to give the 1-seed more rest for the final (but it's not really a big advantage due to the rest day).

The last 4/5 game is always in front of an empty crowd. The Mercy Fairmont game will be no different.

[IUPTrackMan]

Re: Atlantic Regional

The only difference in the schedule is that the second set of games are at 5/7:30 rather than 6/8:30. It seems like more places are moving to the 5/7:30 over the 6/8:30. The 1/8 game has always been the third game of the day. It is not clear to me why the Sunday double-header was flip-flopped other than to give the 1-seed more rest for the final (but it's not really a big advantage due to the rest day).

The last 4/5 game is always in front of an empty crowd. The Mercy Fairmont game will be no different.

Not sure if this is why they did it, but.....
Assuming the #1 seed wins the first game on Sunday, it allows the #1 to scout the second game without any distractions since their game is over.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Atlantic Regional

Not sure if this is why they did it, but.....
Assuming the #1 seed wins the first game on Sunday, it allows the #1 to scout the second game without any distractions since their game is over.

It gets the crowd in there spending money much earlier.

The other reason is it makes sure IUP fans get the seats they want as the fans from the second game likely won't also come for the first game (at least not the start of it).

Believe me this general admission thing took a whole lot of flack. If there is a Tuesday (involving IUP) it will be reserved seats.

[Chuck Norris]

Re: Atlantic Regional

The Atlantic Region Central page on the IUP website is now saying that the IUP half of the bracket will be the second game on Sunday.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Atlantic Regional

The time has come. You gambling degenerates can now call in your bets. Unlike the women's side, which could be all blowouts, the men's side is the complete opposite.



(3) Virginia State vs. (6) Notre Dame - The dreaded noon tip-off, which will be played in front of -- at least -- 60 people, should be a very tight game. All Notre Dame discussions begin with (likely All American) Will Vorhees -- the 6'8", 260 lb wrecking ball. Vorhees is not only a handful under the basket and on the glass, but he can also shoot from the outside. Unlike much of the MEC season, however, Virginia State has some big boys who will be able to go after him. The Falcons have more than just Vorhees. A solid group of guards forces teams to spread their defensive alignments. Virginia State will be one of the faster, more athletic teams in the field -- with a good mix of inside-outside scoring. They also bring a strong defensive style of play. Hidden fact: VSU is 0-2 inside the KCAC this season and didn't play the most impressive schedule in the world. For the season, Virginia State went just 1-1 against regionally ranked teams. Notre Dame, making its NCAA debut, wins this game. But, barely. VSU is legit -- and scrappy. Falcons -2

(7) East Stroudsburg vs. (2) West Liberty -- The Hilltoppers make their long-awaited return to Indiana, Pa. The first stop on the tour, however, isn't an easy one. East Stroudsburg is an extremely difficult Round 1 assignment. Both teams press for nearly 40 minutes. Both play fast. If you're in to flying up and down the court, this will be the best game of the day. West Liberty is undersized in this game but has better 'basketball players'. East Stroudsburg brings a toughness and is very athletic and gritty. The Warriors can score and also play physical, in-your-face defense. In the games I've seen ESU this year, they are their own worst enemy -- prone to temper tantrums, dumb fouls, self-inflicted turnovers, etc. One big advantage for East Stroudsburg in this game is the freshman sensation Ryan Smith (6'10", 240 lbs) -- very quick for his size and is a 'basketball player' ... not just a 'big' body. He plays years beyond his age and will be a problem for the much smaller WL post players. Josh Williams (6'7", 220 lbs) is a very athletic small forward and creates match-up problems. PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year Jakwan Jones will have his hands full with the WL guards. He's best described as a 'knat' type defender -- annoying, fast, physical ... everywhere. But, he has some hot-head in him. That has to be controlled. West Liberty, as well known, can shoot from all over the place. The Hilltoppers are very deep. How WL responds to a fast, physical team like ESU will tell the story here. Toughest game on the board to pick -- rare to say in the 2. vs. 7. game ... but this isn't like most 2. vs. 7. games. Hilltoppers find a way to win a very tight game -- likely in the final minutes. They will frustrate ESU a bit too much and the Warriors are turnover prone at times. WL -6 (but it won't be easy -- and will require that famous 'bone-crushing' defense).

(8) West Chester at (1) IUP -- Forget the 'hard to beat a team 3 times' nonsense. Those first two IUP wins have nothing to do with this game. Now, the loser goes home. That alone sets a whole new precedence. Let's keep one thing in mind: West Chester is a real good team. They got stomped in the KCAC a week ago and ran in to a buzz saw. It happens. The bad sign WCU coach Damien Blair surely saw in watching last week's film was his team lost its composure and didn't resemble the typically confident Rams. Logic would say Dante Lombardi may get double-teamed this week after torching WCU for 33 points last week. That, however, can't happen. IUP has scoring threats everywhere. Sellout on Lombardi and the others will bury you. Sellout on Jacobo Diaz and the guards will bury you. That's the problem playing IUP -- 1-8 has no fall-off (and, the 9th guy can play, too -- when the big guy allows him to). West Chester has attacked IUP two different ways this year. The first game they tried to suffocate the guards. The second time they sold out on the post. Neither was very effective. What will Blair draw up for Round 3? In what will be a rocking KCAC Saturday night, the only thing for sure is it won't be easy for the Rams. IUP poses them too many problems. Now, it won't be another run-away. I promise you that much. But, IUP is extremely difficult to beat in the KCAC -- anytime, but particularly on Saturday night. Crimson Hawks win but it will closer than most think. IUP -7

(5) Fairmont State at (4) Mercyhurst -- Interesting pairing here. One is a team nobody thinks should be seeded where it is (FSU). The other, Mercyhurst, is a REAL good team that didn't get a lot of love all season. The Falcons best be ready for what's coming. The Lakers' vaunted triangle and two defense is a real problem. The Lake Show IS 'bone-crushing' defense -- physical, agitating, annoying, confusing, suffocating. The biggest challenge for FSU is it can't duplicate the Mercyhurst defense in practice. They can try but it won't help much come Saturday night when they see it at full speed. Fairmont State also isn't much of a defensive team, and, unlike most past Mercyhurst teams, this one can score. The Lakers' Patrick Smith is a bear inside at 6'7", 240 lbs. He's very difficult to move and is surprisingly quick and agile. Fairmont State may not have the resume to justify its seeding, but, make no mistake, they have some players. They can get real hot from the outside. Jason Jolly is an exceptional point guard and Vonte Montgomery is an elite guard -- both battle-tested seniors. FSU's post players -- shaky at best -- have to rise up in this game. If not, this could be blowout city. Figure this game to be close at the half. The Lakers' weakness is they can go in to deep scoring funks. Over the course of 40 minutes, though, look for them to frustrate FSU. Once you lose your temper, you fall right in to Mercyhurst's trap (reference East Stroudsburg last week). Lakers win this game. Mercyhurst -8

[Columbuseer]

Re: Atlantic Regional

Thanks for providing good info on matchups.

The danger with Notre Dame is that other players are stepping up in shooting the 3 and Voorhees is finding them. It used to be that all you had to worry about was Voorhees and Lorenz. Lorenz was all City League in Philly and is a dangerous dribble drive guard and shooter from outside. Voorhees is excellent in drawing fouls inside and few officials catch his walks on his post moves. Key is to contain Voorhees without having to resort to double team with Guard.

I am excited to see West Liberty - ESU game. Glenville State tried running with the hilltoppers at WL and the result was not pretty. However, the size of ESU is a totally different story. Do they have depth? WLU tends to tire out big men with their movement. If the big does not guard Meininger from 3, he will kill you as he is one of the best shooters on the team.

FSU is Jekyll and Hyde. When Jolly is on, they are dangerous. Montgomery is a dangerous dribble drive player who can take over a game.
However, against Notre Dame, the other lesser skilled players did a lot of 1 on 1 dribble drive stuff which made them easy to guard. Voohees did not take the bait to foul the dribble drive guy and just let him take a difficult shot. And FSU decided to double team Voorhees and Lorenz for Notre Dame, which was bizarre coaching strategy. IMHO, this is a case of relying on the "data" too much and outsmarting yourself. Most all teams have players who can hit 3s if you give them practice shots with no pressure. Notre Dame hit 60% from three!
If they keep playing selfishly and dumb, then FSU is out early.

[boatcapt]

Re: Atlantic Regional

Thanks for providing good info on matchups.

The danger with Notre Dame is that other players are stepping up in shooting the 3 and Voorhees is finding them. IT used to be that all you had to worry about was Voorhees and Lorenz. Lorenz was all City League in Philly and is a dangerous dribble drive guard and shooter from outside. Voorhees is excellent in drawing fouls inside and few officials catch his walks on his post moves. Key is to contain Voorhees without having to resort to double team with Guard.

I am excited to see West Liberty - ESU game. Glenville State tried running with the hilltoppers at WL and the result was not pretty. However, the size of ESU is a totally different story. Do they have depth? WLU tends to tire out big men with their movement. If the big does not guard Meininger from 3, he will kill you as he is one of the best shooters on the team.

FSU is Jekyll and Hyde. When Jolly is on, they are dangerous. Montgomery is a dangerous dribble drive player who can take over a game.
However, against Notre Dame, the other lesser skilled players did a lot of 1 on 1 dribble drive stuff which made them easy to guard. Voohees did not take the bait to foul the dribble drive guy and just let him take a difficult shot. And FSU decided to double team Voorhees and Montgomery for Notre Dame, which was bizarre coaching strategy. IMHO, this is a case of relying on the "data" too much and outsmarting yourself. Most all teams have players who can hit 3s if you give them practice shots with no pressure. Notre Dame hit 60% from three!
If they keep playing selfishly and dumb, then FSU is out early.

Again this year as it has seemed to be for the last six or seven years, Fairmont is a team that you watch some nights and say, WOW, they are clearly the best team in the region...and then the next night you watch them and wonder if they have ever played basketball in their life!! And there really doesn't seem to be much rime or reason to it...can't point to them playing up and down to their opponent...can't point at a particular opponent style that gives them trouble or that they dominate...can't point to coming off a rest or playing back to back as the reason. All you can say for sure is you just don't know what you are going to get on any given night against any given opponent. At their best, they can beat anyone and at their worst they can lose to almost anyone and which team shows up seems to be about as random as the roll of the dice.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Atlantic Regional

Thanks for providing good info on matchups.

The danger with Notre Dame is that other players are stepping up in shooting the 3 and Voorhees is finding them. IT used to be that all you had to worry about was Voorhees and Lorenz. Lorenz was all City League in Philly and is a dangerous dribble drive guard and shooter from outside. Voorhees is excellent in drawing fouls inside and few officials catch his walks on his post moves. Key is to contain Voorhees without having to resort to double team with Guard.

I am excited to see West Liberty - ESU game. Glenville State tried running with the hilltoppers at WL and the result was not pretty. However, the size of ESU is a totally different story. Do they have depth? WLU tends to tire out big men with their movement. If the big does not guard Meininger from 3, he will kill you as he is one of the best shooters on the team.

FSU is Jekyll and Hyde. When Jolly is on, they are dangerous. Montgomery is a dangerous dribble drive player who can take over a game.
However, against Notre Dame, the other lesser skilled players did a lot of 1 on 1 dribble drive stuff which made them easy to guard. Voohees did not take the bait to foul the dribble drive guy and just let him take a difficult shot. And FSU decided to double team Voorhees and Montgomery for Notre Dame, which was bizarre coaching strategy. IMHO, this is a case of relying on the "data" too much and outsmarting yourself. Most all teams have players who can hit 3s if you give them practice shots with no pressure. Notre Dame hit 60% from three!
If they keep playing selfishly and dumb, then FSU is out early.

Virginia State is the 'unknown' in this Regional. I say that because other than playing IUP four months ago, we have no head-to-head games to analyze with anybody else.

I don't think the CIAA was bad this year. It was just too even. For the most part the teams just beat each other up. VSU was just a step above all the others. VSU vs ND, my opinion, is the second-hardest game to predict this Saturday.

[WarriorVoice]

Re: Atlantic Regional

VSU/ND - 12 p.m.

WL/ESU - 2:30 p.m.

IUP/WCU - 5 p.m.

Mercyhurst/FSU - 7:30 p.m.



Sunday - 5pm and 7pm (The IUP side of the bracket will play in the 5 p.m. game)

Tuesday - 7pm



So, crowd-wise, the ESU/WL game will get a crowd for at least the second half as the IUP fans start to arrive. The first and last games will be pretty empty (I assume).

The IUP page says the IUP side of the bracket will play at 7:30pm on Sunday...

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
First Round, Saturday, March 16
No. 3 Virginia State vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (Ohio), 12 p.m.
No. 2 West Liberty vs. No. 7 East Stroudsburg, 2:30 p.m.
No. 1 IUP vs. No. 8 West Chester, 5 p.m.
No. 4 Mercyhurst vs. No. 5 Fairmont State, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals, Sunday, March 17
No. 3/No. 6 Winner vs. No. 2/No. 7 Winner, 5 p.m.
No. 1/No. 8 Winner vs. No. 4/No. 5 Winner, 7:30 p.m.

Championship Game, Tuesday, March 19
Semifinal Winners, 7 p.m.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Atlantic Regional

The IUP page says the IUP side of the bracket will play at 7:30pm on Sunday...

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
First Round, Saturday, March 16
No. 3 Virginia State vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (Ohio), 12 p.m.
No. 2 West Liberty vs. No. 7 East Stroudsburg, 2:30 p.m.
No. 1 IUP vs. No. 8 West Chester, 5 p.m.
No. 4 Mercyhurst vs. No. 5 Fairmont State, 7:30 p.m.

Semifinals, Sunday, March 17
No. 3/No. 6 Winner vs. No. 2/No. 7 Winner, 5 p.m.
No. 1/No. 8 Winner vs. No. 4/No. 5 Winner, 7:30 p.m.

Championship Game, Tuesday, March 19
Semifinal Winners, 7 p.m.

It changed from when it was originally posted.

[boatcapt]

Re: Atlantic Regional

It changed from when it was originally posted.

Jesus!!! Pick a schedule and just stick to it!!!!!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: Atlantic Regional

Jesus!!! Pick a schedule and just stick to it!!!!!!

Deep inside the KCAC that item was likely discussed for hours. Play first or play second on Sunday. Welcome to IUP.

Assuming, of course, IUP makes it to Sunday.

[IUPalum]

Re: Atlantic Regional

Jesus!!! Pick a schedule and just stick to it!!!!!!

Quit crying, it was a typo I'm sure. The way the bracket is now is the way it should've been based off Saturday's games!

[boatcapt]

Re: Atlantic Regional

Quit crying, it was a typo I'm sure. The way the bracket is now is the way it should've been based off Saturday's games!

Maybe IUP needs to give their employees a typing test??