NC

[gman16506]

There were plenty of people in the streets - they restricted them to only certain areas. No one on campus as students just went back today.

That confirms what I was told by some old friends who attended the events surrounding the team's return. Was told it was a pretty nice gathering and good interaction with members of the team and coaching staff.

[Sec10-A-14]

.https://stream.mux.com/5T01Y01REleEh...jtK1bSnR8.m3u8

[bballfan03]

LIT AF released a video of the team coming home to Erie with a fire truck leading the way..nobody on the streets or campus…that’s a bit disheartening..

There were plenty of people in the streets - they restricted them to only certain areas. No one on campus as students just went back today.

[IUPNation]

LIT AF released a video of the team coming home to Erie with a fire truck leading the way..nobody on the streets or campus…that’s a bit disheartening..

[Scrub]

I can tell you that Jim Crutchfield, even in his NC winning years at Nova, has never replicated a team that could turn you over with full court pressure the way the 2011 WL team could. Their press was devastating. It routinely forced turnovers on multiple possessions in a row. IUP was really good in 2011 and took WL to the wire in that regional final. The difference was two second half runs fueled by turnovers forced by the press. IUP spent the whole second half playing catch up and fell just short.

They could turn everybody over except for Jet Chang from BYU Hawaii. Still have nightmares about that guy.

[Chuck Norris]

This certainly isn't always the case, but I think in a lot of cases the best shot you get at winning anything is the first opportunity to have when you have a real chance. For programs that are generally at or near the top, there's always some organic factor about how the team was built or put together that can't be replicated. I wasn't an IUP student when IUP made their first trip to the national championship game, but from everything I always hear, the sheer dominance and the "dudes" they had just hasn't existed since. I know we talk about the COVID year as a missed opportunity, but I think their real chance was probably 2010. I think coaches try and search for the missing ingredients to perfect the recipe, but that typically doesn't happen. I've mostly retreated to the idea that teams like IUP and West Liberty, for whatever reason, just aren't going to ever win the last game.

The most overused phrase in sports is "they'll be back." Most never get back. When you have the chance to win, you have to do it. The likelihood you get back to try again is generally pretty slim. Gannon's going to get gutted. Bazzoli is going to leave (maybe not this year, but he will soon). And there's a very, very slim likelihood all the planets align for them again. That was their one shot, and they won. If they didn't, they probably weren't ever getting a shot that good again.

I can tell you that Jim Crutchfield, even in his NC winning years at Nova, has never replicated a team that could turn you over with full court pressure the way the 2011 WL team could. Their press was devastating. It routinely forced turnovers on multiple possessions in a row. IUP was really good in 2011 and took WL to the wire in that regional final. The difference was two second half runs fueled by turnovers forced by the press. IUP spent the whole second half playing catch up and fell just short.

2010 was Joe’s perfect team except for one flaw. They didn’t knock down 3s consistently. They could get by on pure talent most nights whether the outside shots fell or not. In the NC game, they faced a very good and experienced Cal Poly Pomona team that had lost the previous year’s NC game at the buzzer. They were on a mission. They packed the paint, IUP couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean for about the first ten minutes and the game was lost.

Sadly we were robbed of seeing the full potential of the 2022 team when Shawndale got hurt, but as far as teams that finished the season whole, 2010 was definitely IUP’s shot.

[IUP24]

I think the Fairmont State team that made the championship game was really good. Unfortunately they ran up against a Northwest Missouri State team that was poised to take over D2 basketball. I think the 2010 IUP team could match up physically with anybody. West Liberty has been around the top of the region so long it’s kind of hard to remember any single team. I think their very first Elite 8 team may still have been their best. The Mercyhurst team that won the region here was another that had the misfortune of running into NW Missouri. They may well have beaten any other team in that Elite 8.

This certainly isn't always the case, but I think in a lot of cases the best shot you get at winning anything is the first opportunity when you have a real chance. For programs that are generally at or near the top, there's always some organic factor about how the team was built or put together that can't be replicated. I wasn't an IUP student when IUP made their first trip to the national championship game, but from everything I always hear, the sheer dominance and the "dudes" they had just hasn't existed since. I know we talk about the COVID year as a missed opportunity, but I think their real chance was probably 2010. I think coaches try and search for the missing ingredients to perfect the recipe, but that typically doesn't happen. I've mostly retreated to the idea that teams like IUP and West Liberty, for whatever reason, just aren't going to ever win the last game.

The most overused phrase in sports is "they'll be back." Most never get back. When you have the chance to win, you have to do it. The likelihood you get back to try again is generally pretty slim. Gannon's going to get gutted. Bazzoli is going to leave (maybe not this year, but he will soon). And there's a very, very slim likelihood all the planets align for them again. That was their one shot, and they won. If they didn't, they probably weren't ever getting a shot that good again.

[Chuck Norris]

I don’t know about that. Gannon had a great team, but the Top of Division II is down from even 4-5 years ago. The no sit out for lateral Division I transfers and Division II to Division I transfers has weakened the top of Division II considerably. The NW MO State teams were 10-15 points better than this iteration of Gannon. I even think the best IUP and Hurst teams from 2019-2022 could easily give this Gannon team a run for their money.

Take nothing away from Gannon though. They are playing by the same rules as everyone else. Prosser is a special, special player, and they surrounded him with good pieces.

I think the Fairmont State team that made the championship game was really good. Unfortunately they ran up against a Northwest Missouri State team that was poised to take over D2 basketball. I think the 2010 IUP team could match up physically with anybody. West Liberty has been around the top of the region so long it’s kind of hard to remember any single team. I think their very first Elite 8 team may still have been their best. The Mercyhurst team that won the region here was another that had the misfortune of running into NW Missouri. They may well have beaten any other team in that Elite 8.

[IUPHawks24]

Do you mean that IUP team from 4-5 years ago that got blown out at home in the Regional final by a system team?

Nope. That was 3 years ago. I’m thinking the 2022 or the 2020 team, that each had 4-5 low major to mid major players on the roster.

Or a Mercyhurst team in 2019 that beat a system team by double digits in the Sweet 16 and then took a NW MO St team which had the MIAA POY (Witthus), a future All Big East Forward (Hawkins) and a multiple time NPOY who played in the NBA (Hudgins) to the final minute.

Again, Gannon is a great team- I was at their Final Four game in Pittsburgh- they were 10-15 points better than Nova SE on that particular night- more athletic and stronger. I think they would’ve handled Nova, had Nova made the final.

But there’s no way constant player movement, the transfer rules, and the ability to pay players isn’t hurting the highest level of Division II basketball.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I don’t know about that. Gannon had a great team, but the Top of Division II is down from even 4-5 years ago. The no sit out for lateral Division I transfers and Division II to Division I transfers has weakened the top of Division II considerably. The NW MO State teams were 10-15 points better than this iteration of Gannon. I even think the best IUP and Hurst teams from 2019-2022 could easily give this Gannon team a run for their money.

Take nothing away from Gannon though. They are playing by the same rules as everyone else. Prosser is a special, special player, and they surrounded him with good pieces.

Do you mean that IUP team from 4-5 years ago that got blown out at home in the Regional final by a system team?

[IUPHawks24]

Bazolli built a near-perfect roster.

He had his stars. He had dirty work guys. He had size. They could play fast or slow.

That was the best team in the Atlantic Region in 40 years (or longer).

To Ship69's point, yes, IUP had a really good team this year. They were just unfortunately stuck with playing a generational team four times. But, Joe winning two tournament games against Fairmont State and Virginia Union was pretty impressive. In the NCAA loss to Gannon, they played as good as they could. On that day, I think IUP would have beat the vast majority of teams not named Gannon. The West was just brutal this season. Even the basement teams were tough. The West had the best team in the country, IUP made the Sweet 16 and Cal was very strong.

But, as they say: when one season ends another begins. The West -- nearly top to bottom -- starts a MAJOR rebuilding process. These teams were gutted.

I don’t know about that. Gannon had a great team, but the Top of Division II is down from even 4-5 years ago. The no sit out for lateral Division I transfers and Division II to Division I transfers has weakened the top of Division II considerably. The NW MO State teams were 10-15 points better than this iteration of Gannon. I even think the best IUP and Hurst teams from 2019-2022 could easily give this Gannon team a run for their money.

Take nothing away from Gannon though. They are playing by the same rules as everyone else. Prosser is a special, special player, and they surrounded him with good pieces.

[ctrabs74]

Great job by Gannon. PSAC champs in the men, runner-up for the woman. Great look for the Presidents Athletic Conference. Lol

Shades of 2015 when the Cal women won the national title and the IUP men lost their title game.

[ctrabs74]

Which of course is tampering, but nobody seems to want to do anything about it.

On another note, anybody catch how Gene Steratore butchered the name of the PSAC? I think he said "Presidential" instead of Pennsylvania. He is a western PA guy so I am sure he knew what it meant at one point in time.

Probably had a brain cramp and confused the PSAC with the Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC), which last I checked has a pretty significant presence in Western PA as well.

Also, Gene Steratore is a Cal U guy...

[IUPNation]

Of course you need good players. But it’s also hard to ignore that the last four national championship games have all involved at least one team that plays Jim Crutchfield’s brand of basketball and only a Minnesota State buzzer beater has stopped those teams from winning four straight national championships.

Saying that makes me wonder just how the West Liberty fans feel today. Seeing another team win a natty with the style made famous at your school with a HC from outside “the family” who was handed the keys, I have to say I’d feel a little raw personally. Heck, as an IUP fan who has watched them knock on the door for more than 30 years, I know I’m in the minority but I don’t love seeing another PSAC team win it. I mean, hats off to Gannon, they absolutely deserved it, but I’d be fibbing if I said I felt all warm and fuzzy. I’m sure I’d feel different if IUP had finished the deal at least one of those times.

I was okay watching LIT AF win the title mainly because they weren’t the first Pee Sack school to win it..Cheyney took that honor 48 years ago.

Now foosball..only IUP can be the first to win the NC because of the IUP Rule..nobody else should be allowed to win it until IUP does…they sabotaged us.

[IUPNation]

How did Joe not recruit that Prosser kid playing at a high school straight down 219….its like when Frank didn’t snap up McKavish from Ebensburg.