Author Archives: Pat Coleman

Weekend Warrior: Dec. 2-4, 2005

Posted on by

Here’s a look at some of the best games projected for webcasting this weekend. If you know of other games worth checking out, don’t be shy. Please post the link and time below so we can all share in the fun.

FRIDAY

Men: No. 14 Hope vs. Wheaton (Ill.)
Friday @ 8 PM EST
Broadcast on Yahoo! Sports by Hope College

Dear Hope:

I’m sorry I didn’t put you on my preseason Top 25. I forgot. Yeah, that’s it…forgot. Please accept this billing in the Weekend Warrior and my sincerest apology. PS – That’s a fancy new house you have. I can forward you my address if you ever feel like sending complimentary tickets…

Men: New Jersey City vs. Rowan
Friday @ 8 PM EST
Broadcast on the Green and Gold Club (NJCU)

December 2 is too early for any game to be a “must win,” but both teams need this one badly. There is too much parity in the NJAC to fall far behind if you want to host NJAC tournament games come February. You can also hear the women’s game at 6 PM.

Women: No. 6 George Fox vs. Whitworth
Friday @ 9 PM EST
Broadcast on KFoxRadio.net (George Fox)

If you’re on the east coast, the NWC may be one of the best women’s conferences you seldom follow. KFOX makes it easier with a full slate of broadcasts, including this showdown with the Pirates. The men follow at 11 PM EST.

SATURDAY

Men: Coast Guard vs. Kings Point
Saturday @ 1 PM EST
Broadcast on Sportsjuice.com (CGA)

One of college football’s oldest rivalries kicks off in Philadelphia on Saturday when Army plays Navy at 2:30 PM. So why not whet your appetite with another military match-up as Coast Guard hosts Kings Point? Since losing to Johnson & Wales, the Bears have bounced back nicely winning their last three by an average of more than 31 ppg. Our very own Mark Simon on the call.

Doubleheader: McMurry vs. ETBU
Saturday @ 1:45 PM EST
Broadcast on KZQQ (McMurry)

Abilene is the center of ASC West women’s hoops with No. 17 Hardin-Simmons and McMurry both blazing out of the gates. First, the Indians host the Tigers, who need to bounce back off a 20-point loss to HSU. Then the men tip at 4 PM as Coach Holmes’ squad will try to outgun D3hoops All-American Cedric Isom and co. McMurry’s Kit Kimbrell and Leon Rawlings on the call.

Men: No. 3 Wittenberg vs. Denison
Saturday @ 3 PM EST
Broadcast on Stretchcast (Wittenberg)

Why would the Tigers worry about playing a 2-3 team coming off a 36 point loss to Wooster? Because Denison shocked Witt last year with an upset win in Granville, Ohio. This one will be at HPER Center. At least, the Big Red will get some relief when they follow up Wooster and Wittenberg with…uh, Division I Akron. Nevermind.

Men: No. 1 Illinois Wesleyan vs. Chicago
Saturday @ 3:35 PM EST
Broadcast on WJBC2 (IWU)

The Titans do their best impression of a UAA team the next two Saturdays, playing Chicago this week and Wash U. the next. The Maroons have had a nice start, though the opponents weren’t real tough before this week. That changes quickly with IWU in town.

Doubleheader: UW-La Crosse vs. UW-Eau Claire
Saturday @ 6:40 PM (Women) and 8:40 PM (Men) EST
Broadcast on Sportsradio 1400 (UWEC)

Q: Which WIAC member kept its men’s and women’s teams undefeated the longest? A: UW-La Crosse where both teams started the season 5-0. The women’s team is still unblemished (6-0) while the men suffered their first loss to Whitewater earlier this week. No reast for the weary in this conference.

Men: No. 8 Hanover vs. No. 22 Elmhurst
Saturday @ 8:30 PM EST
Broadcast on Sportsjuice.com (Hanover)

I can’t confirm that this game broadcast will be on the web, but it’s too good a game not to at least try it. Hanover lost that number one vote it was getting in the preseason poll, but moved up to No. 8. Elmhurst will try to defend the CCIW’s honor against the Panther team that went 2-0 against IWU last year.

SUNDAY

Men: DePauw vs. Rhodes
Sunday @ 2 PM EST
Broadcast on WGRE (DePauw)

Without many Division III teams nearby, Rhodes has an, um, interesting non-conference schedule – Rhema Bible, Messenger, Dallas, Rust. What, no Logan Chiropractic? At least the Lynx are 5-1 as SCAC play begins this weekend.

Immediate Thoughts on Tuesday’s game

Posted on by

No responses yet on the Bowdoin-Southern Maine post from earlier today…guessing at what happened from what I read, sounds like it was pretty even and that Southern Maine did a pretty good job taking care of the basketball (6 steals for Bowdoin is a low total, from what I’ve seen in past).

Other than that, looks like close games were a theme…On the men’s side, 7 of the first 50 finals listed were 1-point wins, most notably the Bethany win referenced out front, Cortland over super-sleeper Brockport and Keene State over Colby-Sawyer. They weren’t quite as close on the women’s side, but their were a couple of close calls with Springfield barely edging Western Connecticut, and Baldwin-Wallace squeaking past a Case Western squad that beat them the previous season.

I’ll nominate this team boxscore line for most unusual of the week, and I think I’ll win 9 times out of 10.

Coast Guard’s women’s basketball team (in a game I webcast this evening) shot a very impressive 15-for-29 on 3-pointers, yet was 11-for-35 on 2-pointers, and an out-of-character 6-for-17 on free throws, in a win over Anna Maria.

Rant: Game Management

Posted on by

This is the first of a weekly “rant” I will post here on the Daily Dose, each week Hoopsville is on the air. This is simply a chance for me to comment about something I either have a problem with or wish would be recognized a bit more. Remember, this is strictly my opinion that will certainly bring about other opinions.

So here we go!

Having gone to a Division III school, been a raved fan, and been apart of some great environments that fans have made possible, I appreciate Division III fans for more than just their loyalty.

But since when did the fans become game management?

I was at a game recently that reminded me that fans are both loyal and die-hard… and can over step their bounds. That reminder brought on many thoughts, but I will start with this.

RELAX!
Relax when the scoreboard operator makes a simple and honest mistake.
Relax when they don’t do something fast enough for you.
And relax and give them the courtesy and the dignity to fix the problem without you yelling at them at the top of your lungs.
Would you want someone yelling and screaming at you when you make a simple mistake at your job?

At this particular game, there were several times when the scoreboard operator simply hit the wrong button or didn’t act fast enough for some fans. The result was a tirade of yelling – even cursing – from some fans until the problem was solved… and sometimes a few comments afterward for good measure.

I kept asking myself – and was tempted to ask them – when exactly was the last time YOU actually ran a scoreboard, clock, or simply were game management?

One occasion, there was a jump ball called and on the inbounds play, the ball was passed immediately inside and a basket made. The time it took for the ball to be inbounded and the shot made was all of three seconds. But in that amount of time, several fans already started their abuse towards those working the scorers table to switch the possession arrow!

Are you kidding me?!
You feel you need to tell – practically demand –when the possession arrow should be switched?!
What gives you the right?!
Let the people do their jobs!!!

The arrow was being changed just as the fans started their abuse from the bleachers above.

And if you notice when this abuse occurs… I have found that most times it’s the visiting team’s fans who are the ones throwing around the abusive words.

Give the game management and the rest of us fans, media types, and others at the game a break!

I can appreciate if you are not happy with the ref’s calls (that has several rants lined up for another time!) or with the frustrations you must have while watching your team … son … or daughter play. But, you have no right to come down on those working at the scores table, MOST especially if they are students making minimum wage.

This includes if they accidentally post the wrong score!

So stop wasting your breathe – and our hearing – by being a bully those working as game management.

Big game, today

Posted on by

There are maybe a half-dozen regular-season games worth circling on the calendar prior to the start of the basketball season, and one of them takes place in Gorham, Maine tonight. Two top 5 women’s squads and neighborhood rivals tip off at 6 pm eastern when Southern Maine hosts Bowdoin.

I’ve been to one meeting between the two (2004 NCAA Tournament, Sectional Semis) and I’d endorse the rivalry as one worth the price of admission. The matchup is as even as it is intense and both teams play smart, play hard, and are well coached. Basically, it’s a great advertisement for the sport of women’s basketball.

I’m inclined to think that Southern Maine is due to win. Bowdoin has won the last seven meetings between the two, so the history favors the Polar Bears, but homecourt favors the Huskies, who have already won against a couple of tough opponents this year in Williams and Bates.

Southern Maine returns all five starters from last year’s team and we got a good sense last season of just how good Ashley Marble and Megan Myles are when they almost carried their team past Randolph-Macon in the national semis.Their rotation doesn’t appear to have changed much, so I imagine familiarity is a big part of their early success.

Bowdoin, as mentioned in a prior post, added three freshman to its rotation this season and they’ve joined the mix without missing a beat. If the Polar Bears win, it will be with defense (the Polar Bears held Southern Maine scoreless for the first 12 minutes in last year’s meeting), as it always seems to be.

The thing I’d be most curious to see is how often Bowdoin goes to its pressure defense against a team that handles the basketball rather capably. Free throw shooting could also be an “x factor” in this game. Bowdoin has shot free throws at 63 percent this season, compared to 70 percent for Southern Maine.

We’re not able to attend this one, so if anyone wants to provide instant analysis on what we missed, feel free to do so here. In the meantime, you might want to check out this story on Maine’s Division III basketball rivalries and success stories.

Immediate thoughts on the holiday weekend

Posted on by

I’ve had enough turkey sandwiches to last another year, and spent enough time in airport security lines to take me just about as long, so let’s try to summarize a whole weekend of games, right?

As always, audience participation is not only welcome, it’ll be necessary. Because I’m out of town for a few days after a death in the family, so I haven’t much time to ponder what happened this weekend.

Sorry. The floor is open.

We will still have a Top 25 poll, hopefully tonight.