We know one thing for certain as college basketball sorts out the contenders and the pretenders for national post-season tournaments: Two MAAC teams will play in the biggest dance of them all, the NCAA tournament.
Make that one men's team and one women's team.
Loyola advances to the men's event and Marist moves on to the women's tournament, both getting there by virtue of winning the MAAC's own post-season tournament.
And, now, the question becomes seeding position. Make that the all-important seeding position.
Get seeded 16th and you face a No. 1 seed, one of the top four teams in the country, and almost certain first-round elimination. Get a No. 15 and face a No. 2, again an almost certain early trip home.
Things get a little better after that. Then again, don't move up too high. Marist, if memory serves, was a No. 10 seed last season, which put it in a semi-favorable draw against a No. 7, in Iowa State. Marist won that contest, 74-64, but moved on to face a No. 2, Duke.
The Red Foxes nearly upset the Blue Devils in the tournament's second round before Duke rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to win, 71-66, and end Marist's season.
Barring a near-perfect season, no MAAC team will ever be seeded in the top four or five positions in a 16-team bracket. And, even an unblemished record might not be good enough for that.
The best a MAAC team can hope for if it aspires to advance in the national championship event is, probably, a No. 12 or No. 13 seed.
A No. 12 draws a No. 5 in the opening round, surely not an insurmountable task. Same for a No. 13, which draws a No. 4. If a No. 12 seed gets a first-round upset, it gets a No. 4 seed in the second round; or, a No. 5 seed if it wins as a fifth-seeded team.
The potential for winning two tournament games is probably as good as it gets for MAAC teams, and in the 31-year history of the conference only one team has ever won two NCAA tournament games in the seame season.
That was in 2007 when the Marist women, as the No. 13 seed (they were vastly underrated by the selection committee) upset fourth-seeded Ohio State in the first round and, then, No. 5 seed Middle Tennessee in the second round. That run ended when Tennesee handed Marist a 65-46 loss in the round of 16.
So, how are MAAC teams likely to be bracketed this season? We won't know for sure until seeds and match-ups are revealed in the respective selection shows Sunday night.
But, we can make some guesses. Or, at least, the so-called experts who predict brackets for national internet sites, can make the guesses for us.
Joe Lunardi, ESPN's bracketologist, rates the Loyola men as a No. 15 seed, which means they'll go up against a No. 2 seed. Certainly an unenviable position. And, particularly, if the rest of Lunardi's prediction comes true.
He projects that Loyola will be sent to play its first-round game in Greensboro, N.C., and play Duke in the Blue Devils' backyard.
The CBS internet bracket guru is Jerry Palm, and he also figures Loyola to be a 15th seed. He projects the Greyhounds will be playing Michigan State in Louisville.
On the women's side ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme places Marist as a No. 13 seed to meet No. 4 Georgia Tech. It's certainly not a certain loss for the Red Foxes, if it comes to pass.
But, Creme's prediction is that Marist will be playing in Baton Rouge, on LSU's home court and, potentially, facing a second-round game against site host No. 5 seeded LSU.
Another site, "College Sports Madness," puts Marist one spot higher, as a No. 12 seed and has the same opponent for the Red Foxes, Georgia Tech (which it rates as a No. 5 seed). But, that site does not predict what site would host the game.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Good Story Follows Up on Parrotta's Dismissal
It certainly won't take Tom Parrotta long to land on his feet in the coaching ranks.
According to the Buffalo News, which provides some of the best news and insight about MAAC teams of any print publication, as reporters were getting settled in to interview the ex-Canisius coach on Tuesday Parrotta was on the phone interviewing for an assistant coach's position with an ACC program.
Good for him. Parrotta did everything at Canisius, but win. And, he came pretty close to that, lifting the program to a 15-15 record in the 2010-11 season, its best record since the 2000-01 season.
Parrotta demanded high academic results from his student-athletes, and claims, in the interview, he passed up some recruits currently playing at a higher level because they weren't the "caliber of people," he eventually brought into the program.
Anyway, here's the Buffalo News' story, done by Rodney McKissic, that appears in today's edition:
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/colleges/canisius-college/canisius-mens-basketball/article750938.ece
According to the Buffalo News, which provides some of the best news and insight about MAAC teams of any print publication, as reporters were getting settled in to interview the ex-Canisius coach on Tuesday Parrotta was on the phone interviewing for an assistant coach's position with an ACC program.
Good for him. Parrotta did everything at Canisius, but win. And, he came pretty close to that, lifting the program to a 15-15 record in the 2010-11 season, its best record since the 2000-01 season.
Parrotta demanded high academic results from his student-athletes, and claims, in the interview, he passed up some recruits currently playing at a higher level because they weren't the "caliber of people," he eventually brought into the program.
Anyway, here's the Buffalo News' story, done by Rodney McKissic, that appears in today's edition:
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/colleges/canisius-college/canisius-mens-basketball/article750938.ece
Patsos Jumps On Iona's NCAA At-Large Bandwagon
A day after claiming that it did not look like Iona would get an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament, Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos changed his mind and became one of the Gaels' most-ardent supporters in their quest for a spot in the NCAA field.
After Sunday's MAAC tournament happenings, that included Iona's elimination with a loss to Fairfield in the semifinal round, Patsos speculated that Iona probably deserved to get into the field, but that it would not.
Here's what Patsos had to say on Sunday night about Iona's chances: "I think our league is the "Little Engine That Could," but it's really not my place to say. It's hard to tell. We might have a couple teams going to the CBI or CIT (post-season events), and the NIT will take a team from our league ... and that's good for our league. I think Iona deserves it after the year it has, but I don't think it will get in (to the NCAA's), and that's unfortunate."
After his team's Monday championship game, though, Patsos became a strong proponent for an Iona at-large berth, even chastising ESPN bracketology guru Joe Lunardi (who wasn't present) by name for leaving Iona out of his projected field.
"Whoever is listening, and I thought about this today ... Iona deserves to be in," said Patsos, during Monday night's post-championship game press conference. "They've got 25 wins, they're 38th in the RPI (48 as of Wednesday morning) and they don't back down.
"Tell Joe Lunardi that all he talks about is schedule. Well, they went out and played everybody and they beat everybody. They have two NBA players on their team. When the Missouri Valley and CAA get two in ... well, it's time for the MAAC to get two in, Joe Lunardi. Just because we don't have any 17,000-seat arenas, Iona was the best team in the league and they deserve it.
"I'll tell you want, Fairfield gave it to everyone who wanted it this year. Manhattan ... Steve Masiello did a good job this year, and we were lucky to beat them. But Iona was the best team in this league day in and day out. They deserve to be in."
History, however, is working against Iona. In the 31-year history of the MAAC only one of its men's teams has been selected as an at-large team to the NCAA tournament. That was Manhattan in 1995 when it won the regular-season title but was upset in the MAAC's post-season tournament.
Manhattan had a 25-3 record after MAAC tournament play that year and, then, earned a first-round NCAA tournament victory over Oklahoma, 77-67, before losing to Arizona State in the round of 32.
After Sunday's MAAC tournament happenings, that included Iona's elimination with a loss to Fairfield in the semifinal round, Patsos speculated that Iona probably deserved to get into the field, but that it would not.
Here's what Patsos had to say on Sunday night about Iona's chances: "I think our league is the "Little Engine That Could," but it's really not my place to say. It's hard to tell. We might have a couple teams going to the CBI or CIT (post-season events), and the NIT will take a team from our league ... and that's good for our league. I think Iona deserves it after the year it has, but I don't think it will get in (to the NCAA's), and that's unfortunate."
After his team's Monday championship game, though, Patsos became a strong proponent for an Iona at-large berth, even chastising ESPN bracketology guru Joe Lunardi (who wasn't present) by name for leaving Iona out of his projected field.
"Whoever is listening, and I thought about this today ... Iona deserves to be in," said Patsos, during Monday night's post-championship game press conference. "They've got 25 wins, they're 38th in the RPI (48 as of Wednesday morning) and they don't back down.
"Tell Joe Lunardi that all he talks about is schedule. Well, they went out and played everybody and they beat everybody. They have two NBA players on their team. When the Missouri Valley and CAA get two in ... well, it's time for the MAAC to get two in, Joe Lunardi. Just because we don't have any 17,000-seat arenas, Iona was the best team in the league and they deserve it.
"I'll tell you want, Fairfield gave it to everyone who wanted it this year. Manhattan ... Steve Masiello did a good job this year, and we were lucky to beat them. But Iona was the best team in this league day in and day out. They deserve to be in."
History, however, is working against Iona. In the 31-year history of the MAAC only one of its men's teams has been selected as an at-large team to the NCAA tournament. That was Manhattan in 1995 when it won the regular-season title but was upset in the MAAC's post-season tournament.
Manhattan had a 25-3 record after MAAC tournament play that year and, then, earned a first-round NCAA tournament victory over Oklahoma, 77-67, before losing to Arizona State in the round of 32.
Iona's Chance for NCAA's Slim, But Not Over
Iona's chance to hear its name called as an at-large selection Sunday night for the NCAA tournament field?
It doesn't look good, despite a 25-7 record and a current RPI of of 46. The Gaels' chances were severely compromised by their upset loss in the MAAC tournament's semifinal round to a Fairfield team that has only 19 victories. Chances for an at-large would have been much better had they won that won and, then, lost in the championship contest.
Tough to leave out a 25-win regular-season champion, but this wasn't one of the MAAC's finer years. Canisiuus and Saint Peter's both had down years, and Iona's four victories over those two teams actually caused its RPI to drop after each of those contests.
What the Gaels do have is three victories over teams in the Ratings Percentage Index's top 55: Denver (No. 44), Nevada (No. 46) and St. Joseph's (No. 55). It had three wins over fairly solid teams, beating Maryland (a 16-14 record), Vermont (22-11) and Richmond (16-16).
On the other hand, here's the argument against Iona's inclusion, as posted by Eamonn Brennan, who writes for ESPN about Iona in his "Bubble Watch" for the NCAA event:
"After the Gaels lost to Fairfield in the MAAC tournament semifinals ... coach Tim Cluess had a bubble-related message to unfurl: `If you're going to pick eight or nine teams out of the Big East, that's nonsense. Those teams aren't as good as we are.' He might have a point. The problem is that his team hasn't proven it. Iona had a chance to beat Purdue in November in Puerto Rico (losing by a point); it didn't. Iona had a chance to beat Marshall in December; it lost 82-63. On Dc. 29, Iona lost at Hofstra; a team with RPI ranked outside the top 250. (Oucn). This weekend, it had a chance to prove how good it was -- by beating Fairfield and the rest of the MAAC, and locking up an automatic bid. It didn't. Much as we love Scott Machado and the Gaels' considerable talent -- and much as we would love to see Iona in the tournament -- the Watch must admit that a team with this sort of resume doesn't deserve special consideration because its coach happens to think it's better than the eighth or ninth team in the Big East. We're not saying he's wrong. We're simply saying that the profile is what it is. As such, Iona probably needs to get lucky along the cut line in the next few days -- or get a lucky break from the committee -- to get back in the legitimate tourney fold."
It doesn't look good, despite a 25-7 record and a current RPI of of 46. The Gaels' chances were severely compromised by their upset loss in the MAAC tournament's semifinal round to a Fairfield team that has only 19 victories. Chances for an at-large would have been much better had they won that won and, then, lost in the championship contest.
Tough to leave out a 25-win regular-season champion, but this wasn't one of the MAAC's finer years. Canisiuus and Saint Peter's both had down years, and Iona's four victories over those two teams actually caused its RPI to drop after each of those contests.
What the Gaels do have is three victories over teams in the Ratings Percentage Index's top 55: Denver (No. 44), Nevada (No. 46) and St. Joseph's (No. 55). It had three wins over fairly solid teams, beating Maryland (a 16-14 record), Vermont (22-11) and Richmond (16-16).
On the other hand, here's the argument against Iona's inclusion, as posted by Eamonn Brennan, who writes for ESPN about Iona in his "Bubble Watch" for the NCAA event:
"After the Gaels lost to Fairfield in the MAAC tournament semifinals ... coach Tim Cluess had a bubble-related message to unfurl: `If you're going to pick eight or nine teams out of the Big East, that's nonsense. Those teams aren't as good as we are.' He might have a point. The problem is that his team hasn't proven it. Iona had a chance to beat Purdue in November in Puerto Rico (losing by a point); it didn't. Iona had a chance to beat Marshall in December; it lost 82-63. On Dc. 29, Iona lost at Hofstra; a team with RPI ranked outside the top 250. (Oucn). This weekend, it had a chance to prove how good it was -- by beating Fairfield and the rest of the MAAC, and locking up an automatic bid. It didn't. Much as we love Scott Machado and the Gaels' considerable talent -- and much as we would love to see Iona in the tournament -- the Watch must admit that a team with this sort of resume doesn't deserve special consideration because its coach happens to think it's better than the eighth or ninth team in the Big East. We're not saying he's wrong. We're simply saying that the profile is what it is. As such, Iona probably needs to get lucky along the cut line in the next few days -- or get a lucky break from the committee -- to get back in the legitimate tourney fold."
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Parrotta Issues Statement About Canisius Dismissal
Canisius coach Tom Parrotta did not return calls to a variety of sources trying to reach him regarding his dismissal after six seasons as that school's men's basketball coach.
But, on Monday, Parrotta issued a statement through the Canisius sports information office. Here it is:
"I am extremely proud and thankful for the opportunity to have served at a fine institution such as Canisius College. I cannot thank (athletic director) Bill Maher enough for seeing the qualities in me to lead a Division I men's basketball program. Transition is never easy and I will do all that I can to ensure that the student-athletes stay discipllined in their studies, on the court and in the community. They are all in a position to achieve great success in all those areas and it is my responsibility at this time to reassure them that their goals to graduate, win a championship and continue to proudly represent their school are very much attainable. I surrounded myself with great assistants in Rob Norris, Derrick Worrels and Gabe Michael - all guys I feel will be stars in the coaching ranks and I commend them for their loyalty and friendship.
"My emphasis on what was best for my players was always at the forefront of my philosophy. They routinely graduate in three years and attain a master's degree in four. They played with the same passion in which I coach and were wonderful representatives of Canisius College and the Buffalo community. Most importantly, my wife and I nurtured them as our own sons and we enjoyed much satisfaction in watching them grow and mature as people. I thank them for entrusting my family with the great responsibility of touching their lives in a way that holds them as individuals with their futures as the top priority. To me, this is what coaching is all about. I now take that philosophy with me in my future coaching career in the pursuit of winning championships and touching lives."
And, so Parrotta leaves with class.
Your Hoopscribe can't profess to have known Parrotta very well. A few conversations via phone, or after a game or two annually, was the extent of my personal contact with him.
But, during those times he was always well-spoken, honest about his team and its situation and cooperative.
Those in the Buffalo media who know him far better recognize that he was a good guy, and a good coach to deal with, via a reporter-coach relationship.
The very strong guess is that Parrotta's career in college basketball will continue in some capacity.
But, on Monday, Parrotta issued a statement through the Canisius sports information office. Here it is:
"I am extremely proud and thankful for the opportunity to have served at a fine institution such as Canisius College. I cannot thank (athletic director) Bill Maher enough for seeing the qualities in me to lead a Division I men's basketball program. Transition is never easy and I will do all that I can to ensure that the student-athletes stay discipllined in their studies, on the court and in the community. They are all in a position to achieve great success in all those areas and it is my responsibility at this time to reassure them that their goals to graduate, win a championship and continue to proudly represent their school are very much attainable. I surrounded myself with great assistants in Rob Norris, Derrick Worrels and Gabe Michael - all guys I feel will be stars in the coaching ranks and I commend them for their loyalty and friendship.
"My emphasis on what was best for my players was always at the forefront of my philosophy. They routinely graduate in three years and attain a master's degree in four. They played with the same passion in which I coach and were wonderful representatives of Canisius College and the Buffalo community. Most importantly, my wife and I nurtured them as our own sons and we enjoyed much satisfaction in watching them grow and mature as people. I thank them for entrusting my family with the great responsibility of touching their lives in a way that holds them as individuals with their futures as the top priority. To me, this is what coaching is all about. I now take that philosophy with me in my future coaching career in the pursuit of winning championships and touching lives."
And, so Parrotta leaves with class.
Your Hoopscribe can't profess to have known Parrotta very well. A few conversations via phone, or after a game or two annually, was the extent of my personal contact with him.
But, during those times he was always well-spoken, honest about his team and its situation and cooperative.
Those in the Buffalo media who know him far better recognize that he was a good guy, and a good coach to deal with, via a reporter-coach relationship.
The very strong guess is that Parrotta's career in college basketball will continue in some capacity.
Men's, Women's MAAC All-Tournament Selections
Just in case you missed these ... the all-tournament teams from the just-concluded MAAC's post-season tournament.
WOMEN'S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Lauren Gatto, Niagara
- Katelyn Linney, Fairfield
- Taryn Johnson, Fairfield
- Casey Dulin, Marist
- Brandy Gang, Marist
- TOURNAMENT MVP: Corielle Yarde, Marist.
MEN'S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Scott Machado, Iona
- Desmond Wade, Fairfield
- Rakim Sanders, Fairfield
- Justin Drummond, Loyola
- Robert Olson, Loyola
- TOURNAMENT MVP: Erik Etherly, Loyola
WOMEN'S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Lauren Gatto, Niagara
- Katelyn Linney, Fairfield
- Taryn Johnson, Fairfield
- Casey Dulin, Marist
- Brandy Gang, Marist
- TOURNAMENT MVP: Corielle Yarde, Marist.
MEN'S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Scott Machado, Iona
- Desmond Wade, Fairfield
- Rakim Sanders, Fairfield
- Justin Drummond, Loyola
- Robert Olson, Loyola
- TOURNAMENT MVP: Erik Etherly, Loyola
Monday, March 5, 2012
Historical Halftime Reference Helps Motivate Loyola
Jimmy Patsos isn't afraid to use history to illustrate what he wants from his Loyola basketball team, and at halftime of Monday's MAAC championship game he thought his Greyhounds needed to be inspired not by the philosophies of John Wooden, Adolph Rupp or Red Auerbach, but from something far from the realm of the sport.
Patsos rolled out a lesson about Bobby Seale and the Black Panther movement.
Talk about a stream-of-consciousness motivational talk ... but it worked.
With Loyola trailing by four at the break, the colorful (to put it mildly) Loyola coach sought to bring some description to the change of strategy he wanted from his team in the second half.
"I talked about Bobby Seale and the Black Panther movement (a revolutionary leftist movement active mostly in the 1960s), and told them that there are levels," Patsos said.
"There's Martin Luther King, and there's Malcolm X. I told them that I saved Bobby Seale and the Black Panthers for the end. I told them that (like the Black Panthers) we were going to get militant and we are going to go right after them and press after every made shot. I wasn't asking for violence, but I told them that we were going to go full force."
Full force for Loyola meant all-out, end-to-end defensive pressure designed to rattle an opponent.
"There's nothing wrong with being a pacifist, or a middle-of-the-road intellectual, but this was our time for anger. We weren't going to back down. We were going to press for the full 94 feet. If it worked, it worked. If not, then not."
It worked to near perfection as Loyola made offensive life difficult for Fairfield after the intermission, holding the Stags to just 6-of-31 shooting (19.4 percent, including misses on their first 13 tries after halftime) and 14 points in the second half.
It was more than enough for the Greyhounds to rally from their four-point halftime deficit to earn a 48-44 victory in Monday night's MAAC men's championship game and the school's first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1994.
And, now, Loyola's players also know about Bobby Seale.
"I wanted the guys to go for it," added Patsos. "We had to press them. They were trying to grind it out, and we're not a grinding team. If we let them grind it out they would have beat us."
Fairfield, though, was nearly up to the challenge with its own effective half-court defense, holding Loyola to 22 second-half points and still in position to tie the game in the closing seconds before forward Rakim Sanders' three-point attempt when his team trailed, 47-44, bounced off the rim.
"That's what the press does to you," added Patsos. "It wears you down."
It was a game only the most-defensive appreciative fans would enjoy, producing the lowest-scoring MAAC tournament men's championship game in the league's 31-year history.
"We're pretty devastated right now," admitted Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson. "It's what we worked for since we went on a trip to Italy as a team this summer. From the first day we started preparing for that trip we talked about playing for and winning a MAAC championship.
"We just put enough shots in. We held Loyola to 48 points. Anytime you hold an opponent to 48 points in a Division I game you figure you're going to win that game, but they one-upped us."
Fairfield, now 19-14, figures to keep playing in one of the sport's minor post-season events.
"We're not through playing this season, and that will take some of the sting away from this ... but, not all. Still, we're happy we can continue to play and show people who we are."
Loyola can show off in the upcoming NCAA tournament, and will learn when and against what opponent during the NCAA selection show on Sunday March 18.
"I don't care where we get seeded," said Patsos. "I think we deserve a 14, but we'll take whatever they give us."
In his most recent "Bracketology" prediction for ESPN Joe Lunardi figures Loyola to get a No. 15 seed in a 16-team bracket.
Patsos rolled out a lesson about Bobby Seale and the Black Panther movement.
Talk about a stream-of-consciousness motivational talk ... but it worked.
With Loyola trailing by four at the break, the colorful (to put it mildly) Loyola coach sought to bring some description to the change of strategy he wanted from his team in the second half.
"I talked about Bobby Seale and the Black Panther movement (a revolutionary leftist movement active mostly in the 1960s), and told them that there are levels," Patsos said.
"There's Martin Luther King, and there's Malcolm X. I told them that I saved Bobby Seale and the Black Panthers for the end. I told them that (like the Black Panthers) we were going to get militant and we are going to go right after them and press after every made shot. I wasn't asking for violence, but I told them that we were going to go full force."
Full force for Loyola meant all-out, end-to-end defensive pressure designed to rattle an opponent.
"There's nothing wrong with being a pacifist, or a middle-of-the-road intellectual, but this was our time for anger. We weren't going to back down. We were going to press for the full 94 feet. If it worked, it worked. If not, then not."
It worked to near perfection as Loyola made offensive life difficult for Fairfield after the intermission, holding the Stags to just 6-of-31 shooting (19.4 percent, including misses on their first 13 tries after halftime) and 14 points in the second half.
It was more than enough for the Greyhounds to rally from their four-point halftime deficit to earn a 48-44 victory in Monday night's MAAC men's championship game and the school's first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1994.
And, now, Loyola's players also know about Bobby Seale.
"I wanted the guys to go for it," added Patsos. "We had to press them. They were trying to grind it out, and we're not a grinding team. If we let them grind it out they would have beat us."
Fairfield, though, was nearly up to the challenge with its own effective half-court defense, holding Loyola to 22 second-half points and still in position to tie the game in the closing seconds before forward Rakim Sanders' three-point attempt when his team trailed, 47-44, bounced off the rim.
"That's what the press does to you," added Patsos. "It wears you down."
It was a game only the most-defensive appreciative fans would enjoy, producing the lowest-scoring MAAC tournament men's championship game in the league's 31-year history.
"We're pretty devastated right now," admitted Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson. "It's what we worked for since we went on a trip to Italy as a team this summer. From the first day we started preparing for that trip we talked about playing for and winning a MAAC championship.
"We just put enough shots in. We held Loyola to 48 points. Anytime you hold an opponent to 48 points in a Division I game you figure you're going to win that game, but they one-upped us."
Fairfield, now 19-14, figures to keep playing in one of the sport's minor post-season events.
"We're not through playing this season, and that will take some of the sting away from this ... but, not all. Still, we're happy we can continue to play and show people who we are."
Loyola can show off in the upcoming NCAA tournament, and will learn when and against what opponent during the NCAA selection show on Sunday March 18.
"I don't care where we get seeded," said Patsos. "I think we deserve a 14, but we'll take whatever they give us."
In his most recent "Bracketology" prediction for ESPN Joe Lunardi figures Loyola to get a No. 15 seed in a 16-team bracket.
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