Part I: 10 questions for 2010

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Now that the holidays are over, maybe you’re getting into the swing of the 2009-2010 Division III basketball season. Or maybe you’ve been following the season since the mid-November tip off and are trying to make sense of the results so far. Or maybe you’re just killing time waiting for the next bowl game to begin. Whatever the case is, here are 10 burning questions for the Division III basketball season as we enter 2010.

Northeast: Is Williams ready to return to prominence?

If you’ve only been following Division III basketball since 2005, you may wonder “what prominence?” The Ephs have been a respectable 83-46 the past five years, but are just five games over .500 in the NESCAC with one NCAA tournament appearance (1st round loss to Brockport State in 2008). But go back farther and Williams came within one shot of winning consecutive national championships. This years’ team has started 10-1 with the lone loss at undefeated No. 4 Randolph-Macon 79-74. In that game the Ephs had a 16-point second half lead before the Yellow Jackets rallied. Williams’ margin of victory has been impressive but just one of those wins come over a team with a winning record. The next big test comes in a visit from current No. 11 Amherst on January 9.

My two cents: The Ephs have started fast before. Let’s see what they do in the NESCAC.

Northeast: Can Amherst win the women’s title?

Speaking of Amherst, the No. 2 Lord Jeffs are 10-0 and the only team besides current No. 1 Illinois Wesleyan receiving first place votes. Look at the results to date and it’s easy to see why. Amherst went to the national semifinals last year where their talented but small guards struggled to get on track against Washington U. and TCNJ. This year’s team has a very balanced attack where all five starters score more than seven points per game and the leading scorer is reserve post player Lem Atanga McCormick. A deep NCAA tournament run isn’t a given with the depth of the NESCAC and the region as a whole but Coach G.P. Gromacki has a knack for leading his teams on them. Circle the games at No. 4 Bowdoin on January 29 and at No. 17 Tufts on February 6th for a preview of what the postseason has in store for the Lord Jeffs.

My two cents: They have the best chance of anyone east of Ohio, but I’d still slot them behind IWU, Wash U and Hope at full strength.

Atlantic: Can Richard Stockton repeat in the NJAC?

The Ospreys started last season in the middle of a pack of teams who were “also receiving votes” in the Top 25. But they finished it in the national championship game. This season the Ospreys were ranked No. 5 in the first poll but have slid out of the rankings with three loses, two of them coming at home. Just because Richard Stockton has had a different trajectory in the polls to this point doesn’t mean this season cannot end like last season. This year’s squad is a little different. Jerome Hubbard, an outstanding long-range shooter who stretched defenses, has graduated. DiAndre Brown, a transfer who averaged 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for Eastern Nazarene last year, has taken his place in the starting lineup. The Ospreys were picked as the overall preseason favorite in the NJAC and, despite the 0-1 start, playing in the weaker NJAC south should help them build momentum for the conference tournament. But the return of low post presence Abdoulaye Ouedraogo to William Paterson after spending a season at NAIA Georgetown (Ky.) makes the Pioneers another team to watch.

My two cents: The Ospreys win the NJAC south but fall in the tournament at home.

East: Who is the best team in the East region?

Coming into the weekend, you could have made a good case that Medaille (12-0) was the best team in the region after the Mavericks gutsy win at No. 9 John Carroll. But then Medaille squeaked by Mount Aloysius (4-5) and John Carroll got crushed by Bethany on Saturday, taking some luster off that upset. Still, there is a void atop this region. Rochester is the only team getting votes (or, to be more accurate, “vote”) in the Top 25 at 7-1. Plattsburgh has the same record pending their semester opening match-up with No. 7 Middlebury. St. John Fisher was the preseason favorite in the Empire 8 but lost to Hobart. Ithaca lost a lot to graduation but has a solid 8-2 start. Perennial Liberty League favorites St. Lawrence and Hamilton are just 7-10 to start the season. How about Oneonta State (8-1)? Looks like Upstate New York has a lot of upside for exciting conference races.

My two cents: On a hunch, I’ll say Plattsburgh State. We’re due for another surprising tournament run by a SUNYAC squad.

Mid-Atlantic: Who will win the inaugural Landmark Conference automatic qualifiers?

The stakes are higher in the third year of Landmark play as the Conference has completed its two year waiting period and now has an automatic qualifier. Scranton has won all but one of the titles – men’s and women’s, regular season and tournament, both seasons. On the women’s side, Scranton is always a good bet but not sure one. No. 19 Moravian defeated the Lady Royals at their place already. We’ll learn pretty quickly if Drew (8-0) is for real since the Rangers host Scranton and Moravian next weekend. The men’s side looks wide open. Want to make a case for Catholic because of Preseason All-American Jason Banzhaf? Go ahead. Favor Merchant Marine because of its 9-2 start? Fine. Defending champion Scranton scuffled through non-conference play at 6-5 but can get back on track in conference play.

My two cents: Scranton in women, Catholic in men.

    Part II comes tomorrow.

Willamette’s strange trip to Portland

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From Willamette’s sports information director, as the Bearcats men’s basketball team had a trip worth writing about.

By Robert McKinney

SALEM, ORE. — It’s the holiday season. With that in mind, we are happy to bring you an interesting story that features a winter journey and a major battle against a bigger foe. You’ll find excellent determination and fortitude exhibited by the characters in our tale.

It’s not quite an epic story. It just seemed that way while it was happening.

The Not-So-Short Road Trip

We begin our journey by meeting up with the Willamette University men’s basketball team at about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 29, as the Bearcats were loading onto a charter bus for their 45-minute road trip to take on Portland State University. The ‘Cats, who compete in NCAA Division III, were scheduled to face their in-state rivals from NCAA Division I at 5:05 p.m.

As the team departed, a changing mixture of rain, sleet and snow was falling. By the time the Bearcats were on Interstate 5 heading north toward Portland, the combination of winter weather and holiday travel had the roadway filled with traffic — but the lanes were moving only a bit under their regular pace.

By the time Willamette’s bus was nearing the Newberg exit, traffic was even more packed and was moving at a slow clip. Occasionally, the bus had to stop to wait until traffic started moving again.

This slow pace continued into the outskirts of Portland, past the I-205 interchange and past the exit for the Bridgeport Village mall. Just a couple of mile later, the bus came to a halt with the Landmark Ford auto dealership outside the west-facing windows. Landmark Ford remained in our sight for another 1 hour and 30 minutes, as traffic moved at most the length of two football fields.

Eventually, our gallant bus drive made the key decision of the trip. It was choice that probably made the difference in being able to start the game before Tuesday turned into Wednesday. The drive took the I-5 truck route near exit 294.

The truck route veers at most a few hundred yards away from the main lanes of I-5 and goes for less than a mile before reuniting with the roadway. As it turned out, the truck route allowed the Bearcats to bypass a multi-car wipeout in the north-bound lanes while also avoiding two jack-knifed tractor trailers in the south-bound lanes.

Willamette was now only about seven miles from the Portland State campus. And the north-bound lanes were almost free of traffic. The few vehicles passing through after completing the truck route were met with more snow and ice on the road, but were able to make steady progress through “the curves” and down into Portland.

After reaching the area near downtown, the Bearcats encountered another traffic logjam on I-405. Cars, trucks and the bus carrying the Bearcats all came to a halt.

With the bus completely stopped, Head Coach Kip Ioane asked post player Joe Penkala (Sr., So. elig., Niles, IL/Loyola Academy) to check the GPS on his phone to see how far away the team was from PSU. Penkala said that the PSU campus was 0.9 miles away.

Ioane, his assistant coaches and the Bearcats got off the bus, moved to the far right side of the roadway, and headed to the nearby exit to downtown. A short time later, the ‘Cats arrived at the PSU gymnasium.

It was about 8:15 p.m., roughly 5 hours and 45 minutes after the team pulled out from the Sparks Center on the Willamette campus.

WU Athletic Director Mark Majeski, along with myself, plus the wife and children of Assistant Coach Nelson Lomax, reached the campus minutes later on the bus. We were all glad to have reached our destination, but we had to wait for the PSU vs. Oregon State University women’s basketball game to be completed before the Bearcats could take on the Vikings.

The PSU and OSU women’s teams were warming up when the Bearcats arrived at the Peter W. Stott Center. The women’s game, originally scheduled to start at about 7:15 p.m. following the men’s game, tipped off at approximately 8:30 p.m. after OSU had difficulty getting from its hotel to the PSU campus.

Everyone in Willamette’s traveling party — players, coaches and support staff — grabbed dinner at a nearby Subway sandwich shop while the women’s game was in progress. The Subway employees, who were also making sandwiches for OSU’s post-game meal, did an outstanding job and the meal was great. The food seemed even better after the lengthy ride to Portland.

The Bearcats Take on the Vikings

The on-the-court battle between Willamette and Portland State finally got underway at 10:43 p.m., more than five-and-a-half hours later than scheduled. A hearty group of just over 320 fans — including a vocal contingent of Bearcat faithful — were on hand to watch the encounter.

Willamette gave the Vikings all they could handle. The Bearcats held a couple of early leads and the teams were tied four times during roughly the first six minutes. PSU put together a run to build a 32-21 advantage with just over nine minutes left in the half.

The remainder of the game was a nearly continuous string of alternating offensive surges by the two teams. Willamette would pull closer, then PSU would extend the lead with a run of its own.

Early in the second half, the Vikings built a 17-point margin at 60-43 with 17:46 remaining and it appeared PSU might turn the game into a rout. The Vikings’ hopes of a sizable win disappeared when Willamette answered with a 7-0 run. Eventually, the Bearcats cut the lead to 71-64 with 12:43 to go.

PSU shot back out to a 14-point lead, only to have Willamette pull within six points, 80-74, with 6:30 on the clock. The rest of the game was similar. WU was unable to catch the Vikings, but the ‘Cats reduced the deficit to seven points with less than a minute remaining and forced PSU to make 5 of 6 free throws in the final 33 seconds. PSU won the game, 97-90, with the action ending at about 12:40 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 30.

Mitchell Reaches 1,000 Points

Cameron Mitchell (Sr., Post, Portland, OR/Grant HS/U. of Redlands) put on a stellar performance in his hometown. He scored 10 points in the first half and finished the night — and the early morning — with a game-high 28 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds.

Mitchell’s scoring barrage moved him to 1,000 career points. He has scored 858 points at Willamette since he transferred to the Bearcats. He scored 142 points as a freshman at the University of Redlands.

Although Mitchell led the way, he wasn’t the only Bearcat with quality stats during the game. Taylor Mounts (So., Post, Kailua, HI/Iolani School) scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and earned two steals. Ryan Meehan (So., Wing, Beaverton, OR/Beaverton HS/MSU-Billings) tallied 12 points, hit 3 of 5 three-pointers and earned two assists, two blocked shots and two steals.

Scott Schoettgen (So., Wing, Columbia, CA/Sonora HS) recorded 11 points, sank 3 of 5 three-pointers and hauled down five boards. Marcus Holmes (Jr., G, Seattle, WA/Garfield HS) finished the game with 10 points and six assists. Robbie Kunke (Jr., Wing, Clackamas, OR/Clackamas HS) registered eight points and led all players with 10 assists and five steals.

The Bearcats made many athletic plays and scored several points off fast-break opportunities. Willamette connected on 10 three-point baskets and forced the Vikings into 22 turnovers. After losing the ball 15 times in the first half, Willamette made just six turnovers in the second half.

Both teams excelled at shot blocking. The Vikings were credited with seven blocks, while the Bearcats blocked four shots.

Willamette’s offense, with its dribble-drive emphasis and quality passing, worked well throughout most of the game. The Bearcats shot 49.3% overall, including 51.4% in the second half. Mitchell was 13 of 20 from the field, as he increased his season scoring average to 20.7 points per game.

The Bearcats don’t have to worry about traveling this weekend. They will open Northwest Conference play at home on Saturday, Jan. 2 against Whitworth University and on Sunday, Jan. 3 against Whitman College. Both games are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. (PST) at Cone Field House.

DIII Christmas List

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Time sure flies when you’re taking finals. It’s been almost 3 weeks since I last checked in. At that time Gordon College had just lost a tough game to our rival Endicott College in the middle of the Redneck Doublewide portion of the season. It didn’t get any easier from there. We travelled to unbeaten MIT the next Saturday afternoon to take on the Engineers. After getting punched in the mouth 10-0 to start the game (this is becoming a pattern) we bounced back off the mat and played toe to toe with MIT the rest of the way. We held a slim 3 point margin with just under a minute to play when MIT hit a 3 to tie it. We battled into overtime but eventually fell by 5. It was a tough, hard fought game between two very strong New England region teams. While moral victories are not the type we are looking for this time of year, we can find one in having a chance to beat the #22 team in the country on their home floor. Unfortunately, the win column doesn’t show moral victories and we fell to 4-3. We closed the Redneck Doublewide with a good home win against Wheelock College. Wheelock had previously beaten 3 of our conference rivals, so to close the first half of our season with a win against them was encouraging. Needless to say 5-3 heading into Christmas is not where we expected, nor hoped we would be. (Yes, I did just make correct use of the word nor.) With that being said, we’re probably not the only ones who wish the Holiday season had gone a little bit differently. What?  Too soon?

Anyway, in order to see if Santa can help us, along with the rest of the teams looking turn things around after Christmas, I have compiled a DIII basketball Christmas list of what every DIII basketball player, or at least me, really wants for Christmas. (Okay, maybe not that)

1) Wins – This is an obvious one. Everyone is hoping Santa brings some wins this Christmas. I’m going to put a shout out to New York City Tech, Cazenovia, Bard, Kalamazoo, FDU-Florham, Bluffton, Eastern Nazarene, Maine-Presque Isle, Maine-Farmington, Schreiner, Methodist, Caltech, and Bethany Lutheran because I think they could use one a little more than most right now. (Unless they made the naughty list this year) Credit for this information must go to the D3hoops forum for updating this list.

2) Respect – This may be the top on most DIII basketball players’ wish lists. I know I’m preaching to the choir on this website, but there is some very good basketball played at the DIII level. Most people don’t get that.  When they hear DIII they think, “well that must be worse than DII ‘cuz 3 is worse than 2.” Little do they know that many teams at the Division III level could compete at the DII level on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, we are left to continue to defend our level of play and let our game speak for itself. Ok, enough sour grapes for one blog.

3) Sean Wallis and Aaron Thompson of Wash U to graduate – I mean, seriously guys. Come on! 2 National Championships aren’t enough? Even Michael Jordan went to play baseball for a while. Let’s let someone else have a chance. For the record, I’m rooting for Transylvania Tuesday night. That is all.

4) Restricted Area for Charges – I know that the charge/block call may be the most difficult one in sports. I get that. But how about making it just a tad bit easier on officials by giving them a line to designate the restricted area rather than a magic, make believe, imaginary, pretend area that is literally called “under the basket.” You can read for yourself, but you are considered “under the basket” if any part of the defender’s foot is “under the basket.” Really. So the referee, who has probably worked 5 other games that week and is exhausted from his 50 hour work week at his real job, now must make a split second decision as to whether any part of a man’s foot lies underneath a cylinder that is 10 feet above the ground all while the man is colliding with another man traveling at a high speed without the aid of a line on the ground. Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks NCAA. One more video for good measure.

5) Non-Fast Food on road trips – Hey, I love the McDonald’s dollar menu as much as the next guy (okay maybe not that guy), but a change of pace would be great. Our team was treated to Chipotle Burritos for the first time in my 4 years after our last away game. It was glorious. Let’s keep that up.

6) Fan Support – This is not a Gordon College wish. We are lucky. We have one of the best fan sections in New England and the best in TCCC. However, I’m guessing, based on some of the other schools in our conference, other teams are not as lucky. That is a shame. Playing DIII basketball is unlike any other sport at any level. For 6 months out of the year, players spend 3-4 hours every day practicing/preparing for games. This does not include time spent on road trips and away games. On top of that, there are no traveling tutors, no over generous boosters to “help” us through class, and even fewer professors who understand the commitment it takes to play a college sport. (There are no professors at Gordon College who fit this description. Absolutely none.) And we do it at some of the most demanding academic institutions in the country. Why, you ask? Because we love it. If there are any fans reading, do your classmates a favor, attend some games, paint your chest, and scream loudly, and cheer for your lab partner, he deserves it.

Finally, just like my mom always says, it’s not Christmas until Rasheed Wallace is singing Christmas carols.

Merry Christmas!

Insider: Seeing the light

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Justin Riley, whose Chapman Panthers have risen to No. 12 in the latest rankings, is blogging about his experience this season. Here is his latest entry.

From the first time I picked up a basketball at age five to my college days, I could never escape the word “teamwork.”

“Why does it always have to be about the team, coach”?
“Why does he get to shoot the ball more than I do?”
“I am better than he is!”

These quotes bring back memories of me in my high school days of basketball when I struggled with the concept of teamwork and being a team player. During those days, I was known as the kid with talent who would make or break practices. If it was a good day, practices would go really well; if it was a bad day, let’s just say there were several arguments between me, coaches and teammates.

As I entered college, that poor attitude still haunted me.

“Why isn’t coach playing me as much?”
“Coach is biased. I’m going to quit!”

When would the light switch on and I’d finally figure out that maybe, it is not about me? When was I going to finally grow up and realize that the only way to be successful was to put my ego aside and see that “I” don’t win championships, “we” do.

15 years later… the light finally turned on.

For the first time, I can honestly express how it feels to be a part of a selfless team that is willing to do whatever it takes to win. With this attitude and commitment to each other, we are off to a 7-0 start. We just recaptured the Lee Fulmer Tournament championship this past weekend after a four year hiatus from the top.

In the three games of the tournament, we held our opponents (UC Santa Cruz, Cal Lutheran, and George Fox) to a 30% shooting average and out rebounded each team by 14.6. These games were the first defining point of the season because every member of the team had the same attitude: team defense first, scoring second.

It feels great to be connected with a group of guys who want nothing more than to get a chance to play in the postseason and prove to the doubters that we have the talent and can compete with the best teams. On December 9, we begin a three-game home stand against the very talented and well-disciplined Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Redlands and La Verne.

I can’t say enough how much I respect the guys I play with and am very excited to continue down this road of success. As Mia Hamm stated, “I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team. I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.”

The Four Seasons of DIII Basketball

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Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner and everyone knows what that means…Christmas Music! Here at Gordon our team celebrates this time of year in style with a phenomenal mix of Christmas music ranging from Taylor Swift to Mariah Carey to Mannheim Steamroller. If anyone is interested in creating a similarly stellar mix, you can see our playlist here.

Not only does this time of year mean great music, it also begins round two of the Division III college basketball season. Despite only being allowed to play 25 regular season games, DIII teams still find it necessary to play three games per week on a regular basis. This is due to the commitment most schools make to facilitate the entire student-athlete experience. Because of this the DIII hoops season is divided into four neatly packed segments. Round one falls between the start of the season and Thanksgiving break. I will fondly refer to this as The Middle School Dance Period, because all teams are excited to be there, yet nervous about its prospects and most teams are not quite sure how good their moves are just yet. I call the second period, which contains the games crammed between Thanksgiving and finals, The Redneck Doublewide Period. This is because there are a few too many games, packed in a little too short of a time period, and you must become pretty comfortable with who you are because people are going to start seeing your flaws. The third period, called The Pre-Party Party Period, comes; yep you guessed it, right after Christmas and contains the post-new year’s tournament and any preparatory games before conference play. At this point of the season most teams convene at a central location to see teams they wouldn’t normally play and show off a little bit before the big show. The fourth and final period of the season is what all of the teams prepare for all season long; the conference season, or as I like to call it, The Family Reunion. By this point in the season there are no secrets. Sometimes, you even know things you would rather not know.  (Disclaimer: In no way are these metaphors directed at any member of my own family. I love you all and can’t wait to see you over Christmas.) Teams are forced to spend time with the people that know them best and everything becomes a competition. Some teams are like the cousin you don’t really talk to but acknowledge out of necessity at family functions. No good or bad blood exists here, but common affiliation forces your acquaintance. Some teams are like the annoying little nephew who would like nothing better than to be like you, and you would like nothing better than for them to go away. Alas, they never do. Another class of relative is the one you respect, and maybe even enjoy their company, yet at the end of the day it is important to leave feeling that you’re just flat superior.  However there are a select few who act as the relative who has constantly battled you for attention your entire life. You pretend their successes and failures aren’t important, but they are. You make sure to bring up their most embarrassing moments at the most inopportune times. Honestly, these are the people you really look forward to seeing. Family Reunion time is the opportunity to outshine and prove to everyone that you are the prized child and deserve the attention. In this case the attention desired is that of the NCAA Tournament.  (I realize I left out the post-season, but let’s not put the cart before the horse.  We’ll address that in due time.)

Having recently completed the Middle School Dance Period, our team has compiled a 4-2 record. Our first loss was a disappointing one to a strong Westfield State team in a game where we shot a scorching 28 percent from the field. This loss was not due to a lack of effort, intensity, or defense. The only way to lose a game in which you hold your opponent to 54 points is to shoot poorly, and that we did. Our three Middle School Dance wins came against last year’s NAC champion Husson, a hard working Maine Maritime squad, and a participant in last year’s Sweet 16 Salem State. To give you some perspective on the Salem State win, the last time Gordon College beat the Vikings, Charlie Weis was considered a valuable coaching commodity. It’s been a while. Tuesday night began The Redneck Doublewide with a home victory over Eastern Nazarene College. It was important to start this portion of our season off strong in order to build some momentum heading into a great rivalry game against Endicott College. Unfortunately we were unable to sustain any momentum we had created Tuesday night and fell 70-67 to our rivals. We trailed by 18 points with ten minutes remaining in the game and fought our way back to take the lead with two minutes remaining. Despite this, we were unable to finish our comeback and ultimately fell to the Gulls. After a tough loss a team can find out a lot about their character. I am confident in our team’s character and our ability to bounce back in the face of adversity. We have two remaining games this semester against currently undefeated MIT and one-loss Wheelock. This portion of the non-conference season is extremely important as top teams begin to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. In order to consider ourselves among the region’s top teams we must represent ourselves well against other high quality opponents. The rest of the Redneck Doublewide Period gives us an opportunity to do that. If we play disciplined, hard-nosed basketball every possession over the next week I am confident we will be happy with where we stand heading into the Pre-Party Party Period.